Belt Idioms

Belt Idioms Belt Idioms Belt Idioms By Maeve Maddox A striking headline from The Daily Beast got me thinking about all the expressions that make use of the noun belt: The Rustbelt Roars Back From the Dead I thought a post about belt idioms might be especially useful to ESL speakers. A belt is a strip of flexible material, such as leather, plastic, cloth, used with or without a buckle for wear (usually) around the waist. Some idioms are based on a belt’s narrow shape, like the following epithets for different sections of the United States. Corn Belt This term refers to the region in the north-central Midwest of the United States where corn (maize) and corn-fed livestock are raised. The Corn Belt extends from western Ohio to eastern Nebraska and northeastern Kansas. Cotton Belt This is the region of the South and Southwestern sections of the United States where much cotton is grown. Rust Belt Regions in the Midwest and Northeast that were once centers of manufacturing but which have become the sites of obsolete, abandoned factories are collectively known as the Rust Belt. Bible Belt Sections of the United States, especially in the South and in Middle West, where many residents hold fundamentalist religious beliefs, has long been referred to as the Bible Belt. The AP Stylebook warns journalists to use the term with care â€Å"because in certain contexts it can give offense.† Sun Belt Those states in the South and West, ranging from Florida and Georgia through the Gulf states into California are often referred to as the Sun Belt. Other belt idioms are based on the use of the belt as an article of clothing. to tighten one’s belt The meaning is â€Å"to spend less money.† A person who must spend less money on groceries may be forced to eat less and lose weight as a result. Losing weight makes it possible to fasten a belt more tightly. Example: Just as families and businesses across the nation have tightened their belts, so must the federal government. to get something under your belt This means â€Å"to complete some endeavor seen as necessary.† Example: Aled Davies has his first Grand Prix under his belt. to hit below the belt The meaning is â€Å"to take unfair advantage of someone.† In boxing, striking an opponent below the belt is against the rules. Example: Sarkozy hits below the belt as race for Elysà ©e hots up a belt and braces approach (British) a belt and suspenders approach (American) This refers to a way of doing things that involves more than the usual amount of caution. Either a belt or a pair of braces or suspenders is sufficient to hold up one’s trousers. Using both is excessive. Example: The combination of these factors- change in key staff and rapid growth- meant that there needed to be a â€Å"belt and braces†Ã‚  approach  to quality management  and staffing.   Constitutional protections seem to represent a belt and suspenders approach. put a notch on one’s belt This idiom can mean â€Å"to defeat an opponent† or t†o add something to a collection.† According to the lore of the Old West, every time a gunfighter killed a man, he cut a notch on his gun handle or along the edge of his gun belt. Example: For DeMint, the Moran victory is  another notch  on the  belt. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Spelling Test 15 Lessons for Mixing Past and Present TenseComma Before Too?

Thinking about literature review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Thinking about literature review - Assignment Example Technology and educational change have led to the rise of NBLT, which uses internet hence; increasing literacy in the information. However, Postman (1993) condemns that use of computers for having led to lose of confidence in human judgement and subjectivity. Nevertheless, the invention of internet has enabled students to use the Web for their research. Indisputably, a majority of students use the internet to begin their research assignment (Chen et al., 2010). The distance students are not able to reach their various libraries in order to access the books with relevant information (Chen et al., 2010). These students therefore get the information for research work from the internet. Neil Postman (1993) argues that technology has a monopoly of power in our society especially given that the society no longer use technology as a support system but because it is shaped by it. Postman argues that technology in communication affects the education as well as monopolizing reading habits of the youth. Postman (1993) adds that technology has led to information chaos besides cultural changes especially through printing and broadcasting. Even though the use of the internet has led information literacy, Postman argues that invention of technology has disadvantages too (Postman,