eternal
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eternal life
Everlasting life, often thought of as life that extends into the afterlife. While we all will miss Stu's presence here on Earth, he will now enjoy eternal life in heaven.
eternal sleep
euphemism Death. Even though she had been sick for months, we were all devastated when our grandmother entered her eternal sleep.
eternal triangle
A sexual encounter or relationship between three people. Although exciting at first, the eternal triangle caused their relationship to suffer and ultimately end.
hope springs eternal
proverb People can always find a reason to hope, even in the bleakest situations. The phrase is a shortening of the line "Hope springs eternal in every human breast," from Alexander Pope's poem Essay on Man. We don't know how this business venture will work out, but hope springs eternal, right?
hope springs eternal in the human breast
proverb People can always find a reason to hope, even in the bleakest situations. The phrase comes from Alexander Pope's poem Essay on Man. We don't know how this business venture will work out, but hope springs eternal in the human breast, right?
the eternal checkout
euphemism Death or the afterlife. Don't worry, boss. We'll send that no-good snitch to the eternal checkout. I thought we were heading for the eternal checkout when the brakes failed on our bus.
the Eternal City
Rome, Italy. The celebrated singer is traveling to the Eternal City for a performance at the Vatican for the Pope himself!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
eternal life
Euph. life after death. He passed on into eternal life, leaving us behind to mourn. She is now at rest in eternal life.
(the) eternal triangle
a sexual or emotional relationship involving two women and one man or two men and one woman. (*Typically, a couple [man and woman] and another man or woman.) Henry can't choose between his wife and his mistress. It's the eternal triangle. I'm surprised Jane doesn't get tired of the eternal triangle. She goes out with Peter at the weekend and Jim during the week.
Hope springs eternal (in the human breast).
Prov. People will continue to hope even though they have evidence that things cannot possibly turn out the way they want. (From Alexander Pope's poem, "Essay on Man." Sometimes used to remark that you believe someone's situation is hopeless, as in the first example.) Jill: The boss may have turned me down the first twelve times I asked for a raise, but this time I really think she'll give it to me. Jane: Hope springs eternal in the human breast. Alan: You're not still trying to teach the dog to shake hands! Jane: Hope springs eternal.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
eternal triangle
A relationship involving three lovers, such as two women involved with one man or two men with one woman. For example, The plot of the murder mystery revolved around the eternal triangle of a husband, wife, and another woman . [c. 1900]
hope springs eternal
People will keep on hoping, no matter what the odds. For example, I keep buying lottery tickets-hope springs eternal. This expression was coined by Alexander Pope ( An Essay on Man, 1732) and quickly became proverbial.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
the Eternal City
a name for the city of Rome.eternal triangle
a relationship between three people, typically a couple and the lover of one of them, involving sexual rivalry.hope springs eternal
it is human nature always to find fresh cause for optimism.This is a shortened version of Alexander Pope's line in An Essay on Man ( 1733 ): ‘Hope springs eternal in the human breast’.
1992 Angela Lambert A Rather English Marriage Hope springs eternal—she smiled wryly—even in Tunbridge Wells .
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
ˌhope springs eˈternal
(saying) human beings never stop hoping: She’s sure that he’ll come back to her one day. I’m not so sure, but hope springs eternal.This comes from An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope: ‘Hope springs eternal in the human breast’.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
the eternal checkout
n. death. Hank knew the eternal checkout was just around the corner, and he suddenly got religion.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
eternal triangle, the
A threesome of lovers, either two men involved with or vying for one woman or two women and one man. “Eternal” here simply means that this situation has occurred over and over through the ages. The term has been traced to a book review appearing in the London Daily Chronicle in 1907, describing a novel that “deals with the eternal triangle, which, in this case, consists of two men and one woman.”
See also: eternal
hope springs eternal
It is human nature to keep on hoping against all odds. This particular expression was coined by the poet Alexander Pope in An Essay on Man (1732), “Hope springs eternal in the human breast,” and very quickly became proverbial. It was quoted by Robert Burns and Charles Dickens, among many others, usually without benefit of quotation marks.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer