Slang is an interesting linguistic phenomenon. Even if you’re a native English speaker, you may not understand some of the things Americans say if you’re from another anglophone country. Even within a country, slang can vary from state to state or region to region.
But certain slang terms and phrases are common throughout America, or even the English-speaking world as a whole, to the point that they’ve become cliches. These phrases tend to have quite a bit of interesting — and often unexpected — history that may change the way you look at them or give you some clarity as to how to properly use them.
You may find yourself quite surprised as to the real meaning behind these 15 common cliches.