The phrase rent asunder means “torn apart (violently, by force).” It is the past form of to rend asunder. Rend is a verb meaning tear and asunder is a preposition meaning separated. For example: This community has been rent asunder by violent crime. The building was rent asunder by the explosion. This phrase has no connection to the noun rent meaning […]

No (not) later than is an adjective phrase, based on the comparative form of the adjective late (later). It is not an idiom, but rather an example of comparison in English; we can use any adjective in this pattern: Please give me your homework no later than tomorrow. I will pay no more than $25 for a ticket. Jacob is […]

The phrase, When in Rome, do as the Romans do, means that we should behave according to the customs of wherever we are. If one visits America, one should tip after eating in a restaurant. If one is in France, one should kiss people on the cheeks when saying goodbye, etc. The saying can also […]

Bush league is an adjective that means amateurish, unprofessional, or the lowest level of professional activity. First appearing in 1906, it comes from the American sport of baseball, describing small-town baseball teams—teams not good enough for the minor or major leagues, which have teams from large cities. Bush, here, means rural (belonging to the countryside). The phrase is […]

The phrase, last but not least, means “last in a line or list but not least in importance”: I love you because you are smart, beautiful, and last but not least, funny. This phrase is used most often when introducing or thanking a list of people. We often say the name of the most important […]