‘That Idea Has Legs’
“I like it because of the visual of a non-living object having legs. The first time I heard it, I thought it meant the idea was so bad it needed to get out of here, but in fact it means the total opposite! I think it’s really cute.” ― Jihan Fawaz, a Lebanese language instructor who runs the YouTube account Learn Turkish With Jihan
‘Squeaky Clean’
“Once, my students asked me what my favorite English word was, and after a brief but vigorous thinking spurt, I realized that it’s probably ‘squeaky clean.’ I haven’t been able to find a reliable source on the origin of the phrase, but most available sources agree that it is likely American and was probably popularized by some old-timey ads.
The reason I like it is the unexpectedness: We usually determine cleanliness by visual signals. A clean object is usually shining, or clear or bright, but the word ‘squeaky’ makes us hear how clean that object is! Additionally, ‘squeaking’ may well be my favorite onomatopoeic word, which means a word that represents sound. Mice and other small rodents squeak, and I have always liked mice. By the way, several of my students now sign their emails to me with ‘Squeaky clean’ instead of ‘Best regards,’ and it makes the daily trudge through my inbox so much more fun!” ― Irina Zaykovskaya, a lecturer in Russian and linguistics at the University of Minnesota who was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia
‘Have A Nice Day’
“It might seem fake and forced at times, but I really like the sentiment behind ‘Have a nice day.’ I always leave with a smile on my face. And it’s a phrase that is so synonymous with Americans, too.” ― Macca Sherifi, a British travel blogger at An Adventurous World
‘A Piece Of Cake’
“Knowing what this one means comes with two bonuses: First, the phrase reassures me that the situation or problem is not a difficult one. The second bonus is that it gives me the image of chocolate cake in my mind. This phrase is reassuring and yummy at the same time.” ― Olga Grijalva Alvarez, a Mexican travel content creator