“Close but no cigar” means almost successful, but not quite. The phrase probably grew from carnival games where cigars were prizes.

Gruntled is an actual English word meaning pleased or satisfied. It sounds odd today because disgruntled became much more common.

Appraise means assess value or quality. Apprise means inform or notify. Learn the difference with simple examples you can remember.

“Turn a blind eye” means to ignore something deliberately. It is commonly linked to Admiral Nelson and a famous naval story.

The word barbecue began in the Caribbean, from Taíno barbacoa, then moved through Spanish into English with a new spelling.