Entry 1
Ivy league
MeaningThe joint name given to Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Yale, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Harvard universities.
Usage USA.
Example
- He had a good start to his academic career. He was an ivy leaguer.
Pronunciation
Idioms · 3 entries
Education
What does "Education" mean?
The joint name given to Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Yale, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Harvard universities.
Ivy league
USA, 1930s.
Know the ropes
Britain, 19th century. Possibly of nautical origin.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks
Britain, 16th century proverb. One of the oldest proverbs in English.
Entry 2
Know the ropes
MeaningTo understand how to do something.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- I'm being supervised by Jim for now, but as soon as I know the ropes I'll be working on my own.
Pronunciation
Entry 3
You can't teach an old dog new tricks
MeaningOnce animals (and people) are set in their ways they struggle to assimilate new ideas.
Usage Worldwide, but like many proverbs, now mostly used by the older generation.
Example
- I tried to learn Mandarin after I retired but I got nowhere with it. I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
Pronunciation