"Thank you" is widely considered the most used polite phrase or saying in the world, serving as a universal expression of gratitude. Other top, highly used phrases across cultures include "I'm sorry" (for apologies), "Hello/Hi" (for greetings), and "I love you".
There's no single "most famous line," as it varies by culture, but top contenders include movie quotes like "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" (Gone with the Wind) and "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" (The Godfather), alongside historical/inspirational quotes like "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" (Neil Armstrong) and "I have a dream" (Martin Luther King Jr.), plus timeless phrases from literature like Shakespeare's "All the world's a stage".
Some babies' first words come from the animal kingdom - in Spain, the most uncommon first word is 'panther' while in Canada it's 'goose'! The most obscure first word for Australian babies is 'country' - which is even more unusual than 'jam' as their most popular first word!
The word with approximately 645 meanings in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is "run," specifically its verb form, making it the most complex English word, far surpassing the previous record-holder, "set". Its extensive definitions cover movement, operation, management, flow, candidacy, and countless idiomatic phrases, showcasing the language's evolution, notes Spike's Sight Words and VOA Learning English https://learningenglish.voanenglish/how-many-meanings-of-run-do-you-know-/5520798.html.
There's no single "wisest quote ever," as wisdom is subjective, but contenders often highlight self-awareness, action, and humility, like Socrates' "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing," or Rumi's "Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself," showing wisdom as growth and internal change. Other powerful ones include Maya Angelou on kindness and John F. Kennedy's insight on action over opinion.
An "iconic line" is a famous, memorable phrase from media (movies, songs, speeches) that is instantly recognizable and deeply linked to a character, theme, or moment, often becoming a cultural touchstone like "May the Force be with you" or "Here's looking at you, kid". It represents something bigger than the words themselves, embodying excellence, a specific time, or strong emotion, making it widely quoted and cherished.
There's no single "most powerful line," as power is subjective, but top contenders often focus on resilience ("What doesn't kill us makes us stronger" - Nietzsche), action ("The secret of change is to focus all of your energy... on building the new" - Dan Millman), self-determination ("The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be" - Emerson), or duty ("Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country" - JFK). Powerful lines usually inspire change, highlight profound truths, or capture a universal human experience, from Shakespeare to Maya Angelou.
Literal interpretation has been found to be a factor that makes understanding idioms difficult. Our findings also suggest that the ASD group children exhibit greater impairment in pragmatic language abilities than normal control children.
If you fancy someone, you feel attracted to them, especially in a sexual way. [British, informal] Synonyms: be attracted to, find attractive, desire, lust after More Synonyms of fancy.
Old-time sayings, or adages, are traditional phrases offering wisdom, like "A stitch in time saves nine" (fix small problems early) or "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" (value what you have). They often come from common experiences, biblical texts, or older cultures, covering themes from hard work ("The early bird catches the worm") to human nature ("A leopard cannot change its spots").
