Common Phrases and Their Meanings

• "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here" is an ominous message warning about a hopeless situation, derived from Dante's Divine Comedy

• Abandon: 1. To allow oneself to enjoy something fully, 2. To escape from a sinking ship, 3. To leave a failing organization or bad situation, 4. To shorten a word or phrase, 5. To condense or shorten something, 6. To kidnap, 7. To help someone in an activity, usually an illegal one

• Abide by: 1. To obey an established rule, 2. To accept, follow, and comply with a decision, especially that which is handed down by a judge

• Abide with: To stay or remain with someone

• Able to: 1. Capable of inhaling and exhaling without difficulty, 2. Capable of recuperating from a busy or stressful period of time, 3. Capable of performing at a high level, 4. Capable of completing a particular task or doing something, 5. Very adept at doing something with very little or no difficulty, 6. Very adept at doing something, with very little or no difficulty, while standing on one's head, 7. Very adept at doing something, with very little or no difficulty, with eyes closed, 8. Capable of causing fog to appear on a mirror, 9. Able to speak despite other people dominating the conversation, 10. Capable of attending an event or social gathering, 11. Capable of remaining calm or being amused in response to good-natured teasing, 12. Capable of enduring much physical or mental distress (up to a point), 13. Capable of enduring much physical or mental distress (up to a point), 14. An unsuccessful or prematurely ended action that causes something else to fail or end abruptly

• Abortive action: An action that fails and/or ends abruptly or causes something else to fail or end abruptly. Example: The measure to increase pay for senators that was included in the tax reform bill was an abortive action, causing the entire bill to die on the senate floor.

• "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here" is an ominous message warning about a hopeless situation, derived from Dante's Divine Comedy

• Abandon: 1. To allow oneself to enjoy something fully, 2. To escape from a sinking ship, 3. To leave a failing organization or bad situation, 4. To shorten a word or phrase, 5. To condense or shorten something, 6. To kidnap, 7. To help someone in an activity, usually an illegal one

• Abide by: 1. To obey an established rule, 2. To accept, follow, and comply with a decision, especially that which is handed down by a judge

• Abide with: To stay or remain with someone

• Able to: 1. Capable of inhaling and exhaling without difficulty, 2. Capable of recuperating from a busy or stressful period of time, 3. Capable of performing at a high level, 4. Capable of completing a particular task or doing something, 5. Very adept at doing something with very little or no difficulty, 6. Very adept at doing something, with very little or no difficulty, while standing on one's head, 7. Very adept at doing something, with very little or no difficulty, with eyes closed, 8. Capable of causing fog to appear on a mirror, 9. Able to speak despite other people dominating the conversation, 10. Capable of attending an event or social gathering, 11. Capable of remaining calm or being amused in response to good-natured teasing, 12. Capable of enduring much physical or mental distress (up to a point), 13. Capable of enduring much physical or mental distress (up to a point), 14. An unsuccessful or prematurely ended action that causes something else to fail or end abruptly

• Abortive action: An action that fails and/or ends abruptly or causes something else to fail or end abruptly. Example: The measure to increase pay for senators that was included in the tax reform bill was an abortive action, causing the entire bill to die on the senate floor.

Test your knowledge of common phrases and their meanings with this quiz. Explore the origins and usage of popular expressions like 'A into G' and 'à la.'