Education
Ivy league
Meaning
The joint name given to Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Yale, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Harvard universities.
Examples
He had a good start to his academic career. He was an ivy leaguer.
Where did it originate?
USA, 1930s.
Where is it used?
USA.
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Know the ropes
Meaning
To understand how to do something.
Examples
I’m being supervised by Jim for now, but as soon as I know the ropes I’ll be working on my own.
Where did it originate?
Britain, 19th century. Possibly of nautical origin.
Where is it used?
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You can't teach an old dog new tricks
Meaning
Once animals (and people) are set in their ways they struggle to assimilate new ideas.
Examples
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.
Where did it originate?
Britain, 16th century proverb. One of the oldest proverbs in English.
Where is it used?
Worldwide, but like many proverbs, now mostly used by the older generation.
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