Use this tag for questions that are about finding a [reasonably] well known phrase or expression to fit a meaning. Describe the intended meaning, connotation, and/or context in as much detail as you can. Questions that show no research are likely to be closed.
Oxford English Dictionary defines a phrase as:
A small group or collocation of words expressing a single notion, or entering with some degree of unity into the structure of a sentence; a common or idiomatic expression.
A sample question that definitely belongs in this tag:
This tag should be distinguished from:
- idiom, which asks for a fixed phrase showing idiosyncratic choice of sense of a word it contains, idiosyncratic grammar, or both.
- single-word-requests, which is for questions specifically seeking single words rather than phrases, though both tags may be used in conjunction when you want a term but don't care if it's a single-word or multi-word term
- word-choice, which is for "versus" questions, when you already have several alternatives at your disposal, but are not sure which one to use
- vocabulary, which is for more broad questions, e.g. those that ask for lots of words at once
Question Checklist
Before making a phrase request, ask yourself the following questions (taken from this meta topic about good request questions):
- Does the question describe exactly in what context you want to use a phrase?
- Does the question specify the criteria for which the suggested phrase will be accepted?
- Does the question list which phrases you didn't like?
- Does the question show that you searched for a suitable phrase before asking the question?
