Every Village Has An Idiom

id·i·om

/ˈidēəm/noun

1. a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g., ‘a picture is worth 1000 words’ ).

2. a characteristic mode of expression in music or art.
“They were both working in a neo-impressionist idiom.  Well, actually, it was a popular, artsy, neighborhood coffee house with retro art on the wall.”

Our Favorite List of Idioms that Could Easily be Applied to Seattle

• Every cloud has a silver lining.  (If it’s been cloudy for several days in a row before you see that silver lining, then call it a day, get outside, and enjoy the beauty)
• Give someone the cold shoulder. (It take a little while to warm up to the idea, but it’s actually called the ‘Seattle Freeze’. Don’t be deterred, it’s a geographical, cultural phenomenon.)
• Better late than never. (What? You haven’t visited Seattle yet? Clearly, you won’t know what you’ve been missing until you get here…so what are you waiting for? An invitation? Ok, you’re now officially invited.)
• To make a long story short. (Every story has a beginning.  Your next story should begin in Seattle.)
• Don’t miss the boat. (Get a good night’s sleep under clean, crisp sheets in a comfy bed at a nice hotel, have a tasty breakfast, and relax knowing that your pre-arranged shuttle will get you to the cruise port on time. Seattle to Alaska cruises are a pretty big deal up here…don’t miss the boat.)
• That ship has sailed. (An all-too-common experience for tourists who sleep in without having made arrangements in advance with a cruise port shuttle service… see the sad tourist. See the sad tourist make the best of it and have fun in Seattle anyhow.)
• So far so good. (Well, as long as you’re starting to seriously plan your trip to Seattle…so far, so good.)
• Time flies when you’re having fun.  (And so can you, on any number of airlines that fly into SEA Airport (Sea-Tac International Airport) daily.
• We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. (Which bridge depends on which direction you’re headed.  North to Ballard? East to Snoqualmie? West to Alki Beach? South to Portland? Come up here and cross that bridge…and then cross one of the other bridges.)
• Wrap your head around something. (It doesn’t have to be complicated. Step 1) Make Travel Arrangements 2) Choose a Hotel  3) Create an itinerary or two 4) Make Memories)
• You can say that again. ( Ok, you got it… “We’d love to See You In Seattle!” )
• It’s raining cats and dogs. ( Want to adopt a pet?  We encourage you to do just that! )
• Rain on someone’s parade. (Rain doesn’t matter in the Pacific Northwest.  The parade must and will go on! )
• Look before you leap. (No go ahead, really, do it! Jump! Just make sure you land in Seattle.)
• Saving for a rainy day.  ( There’s no time like the present.  Break open that piggy bank and come to Seattle… you might get lucky, it could even rain while you’re here! Our rain is better. And so are our rainbows. Fact.)
• As right as rain. ( Find your kind of ‘Perfect’ in the Pacific Northwest, and you’ll find all new meaning to ‘right as rain’. )
• Come rain or shine. ( You can say that again.  Adventure happens here, no matter what.)
• Take a rain check. ( Who are you kidding?  Read the previous idiom one more time. )
• On cloud nine. ( Choose your cloud, 7, 8, 9, whichever.  Preferably looking down from the summit of one of Washington State’s many majestic mountain peaks).
• When it rains it pours. ( If that is how you’re feeling then you definitely need to get yourself up here to the Pacific Northwest to see how beautifully green everything is…from the rain.)
• There are other fish in the sea. ( In rebound mode? You’ll be ok… Take care of yourself by coming up to Seattle for some fresh, Wild Salmon, Steelhead, Pacific Cod, or Rockfish. We also recommend that you try the oysters, clam chowder, and geoduck at least once! )
• A snowball effect. ( Each year the locals can hardly wait for Winter sports to open up in the greater Seattle area.  The skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing are phenomenal at Crystal Mountain and Summit at Snoqualmie. Guess you’ll just have to come to Seattle to see for yourself.)
• A storm in a teacup. (Yes, Seattlites drink tea, all kinds of tea in fact; black tea, green tea, herbal, oolong, chai, whatever you’re into. Try something new, visit a charming tea house on a rainy day.)
• Every dog has its day. ( It’s always a good day when the ‘Dawgs’, aka University Washingon Huskies, win a home game or an away game. Get up here for game day and make a weekend of it!)
• Make hay while the sun shines. (This idiom means ‘take advantage of a good situation’. Outdoor adventures are always good, but it’s true that you can see further on a sunny day. Get outside and live life! )
• Snowed under. ( Work stress got you down?  You need a break. Take care of yourself. Jump on a jet to Seattle this Winter and get yourself up in the mountains.  Have fun, but practice avalanche awareness.)
• There are clouds on the horizon. ( One beautiful weather-related phenomenon in the Pacific Northwest only happens on cloudy days, before sunset, when the sun’s horizontal rays light everything up from underneath the cloud layer, during the golden hour.  You just have to see for yourself how magical this is. )
• Weather the storm.  ( What if the weather didn’t cooperate with your plans on your trip to Seattle? That’s what Plan B’s are all about.  There are so many fun things to do in Seattle on days when it is rainy, windy, or snowy, inside and outside. Our advice? Always have a Plan B).
• You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs.  (OMG, imagine the fresh farm-to-table ingredients in a country egg omelet made just the way you like it?  Can you smell the goodness?  See you in Seattle.)