Words and Their Stories - VOA Learning English

What Does It Mean 'To Mushroom'? - March 13, 2025

'Watching the Grass Grow' Is Not Fun - March 11, 2025

Green Means Spring and Other Things - March 07, 2025

How to 'Dish Up' Something Good - February 27, 2025

The Importance of Being ‘Dialed In’ - February 20, 2025

Don't Miss a Thing With 'Eagle Eyes' - February 13, 2025

What Does It Take to Be a 'Power Couple'? - February 05, 2025

Protecting Apple Trees from Climate Change - January 31, 2025

‘Kitchen-Table’ Is a Type of Politics - January 30, 2025

Sometimes We 'Spread Ourself Too Thin' - January 20, 2025

Knee Jerk and Gut Reactions: When We Are Not in Control - January 16, 2025

The Story of Jack Frost - January 10, 2025

'Kicking Off' a New Year - January 02, 2025

Expressions That ‘Stop You Cold’ - December 11, 2024

For Words of the Year: Brat, Brain Rot, Polarization - December 10, 2024

'Show Your Hand', other Card Idioms - December 05, 2024

What Does ‘Like Gangbusters’ Mean? - November 27, 2024

Learn 'Rub Elbows,' Other 'Rub' Expressions - November 20, 2024

What Does It Mean to 'Hit Pay Dirt' - November 14, 2024

Have You Ever Felt the ‘Long Arm of the Law?’ - November 07, 2024

For When You Do Something Wrong: Mea Culpa - October 31, 2024

Exploring the 'Butterfly Effect' - October 24, 2024

Expressions Using Our Head and Shoulders - October 17, 2024

When in Rome … - October 10, 2024

Is ‘Pie in the Sky’ Just a Dream? - October 03, 2024

Keep Your Nose to the Grindstone - September 26, 2024

How to Use "Swimming" to Deal with Life's Situations - September 19, 2024

What Is Your 'North Star'? - September 13, 2024

‘Dead Giveaway’ Is Not as Dark as It Sounds - September 05, 2024

An Eye for an Eye - August 29, 2024

Reaching the 'Tipping Point' - August 22, 2024

Sometimes Help Is Just 'A Phone Call Away' - August 16, 2024

One Person's Trash Is Another Person's Treasure - August 08, 2024

Learn When to Wear 'Kid Gloves' - August 11, 2023

'Run Something Up the Flagpole' to Test an Idea - August 01, 2023

Seeing 'Double'? - July 20, 2023

Differences Between Board, on Board, Aboard - July 07, 2023

'In The Hot Seat' Is Not Where You Want to Be - June 22, 2023

Let's 'Zero in' on Number Expressions - June 08, 2023

'Clean As a Whistle' - June 01, 2023

Does a Good Luck Charm 'Work Like a Charm'? - May 18, 2023

'Housekeeping' and 'Clean House' Mean More Than Cleaning - May 10, 2023

Why Is This Bird a 'Burden'? - April 26, 2023

Are You a 'Bull in a China Shop'? - April 21, 2023

'Light at the End of the Tunnel' - April 14, 2023

It Is Not Nice to 'Dump on' Others - April 07, 2023

Low-hanging Fruit - March 29, 2023

Par for The Course - March 17, 2023

Ups and Downs, Highs and Lows - March 09, 2023

Expressions for a Full Meal - February 27, 2023