Social Etiquette Phrases

noun the part of a garment that covers the shoulder

• She felt hurt when she was given the cold shoulder by her colleagues at the meeting.
• I don't know why she's giving me the cold shoulder lately.
• Why are you giving me the cold shoulder all of a sudden?
• The company gave the cold shoulder to the proposal, refusing to consider it further.

noun an insincere display of emotion

verb to pretend to be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury)

• She attempted to feign interest in the discussion, but her lack of engagement was evident.
• He tried to feign sickness to get out of going to school, but his mom didn't buy it.
• I could tell she was feigning excitement about the party, she's not really into that scene.
• The actor had to feign happiness on stage, even though he was going through a tough time in his personal life.

noun a word that functions as the name of a person, place, thing, or idea

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence

• It is not ethical to impose upon someone's hospitality without their consent.
• Don't impose upon your friend by staying at their house for too long.
• Stop trying to impose upon me, I have my own plans.
• The weight of his responsibilities began to impose upon him, causing stress and anxiety.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this phrase, 'impression' is a noun that refers to the effect or impact made on someone

verb a word that expresses an action or a state of being. In this phrase, 'make' is a verb that indicates the action of creating or forming something

article a word that specifies a noun. In this phrase, 'an' is an article that indicates a non-specific noun following it

• Her impeccable presentation and confident demeanor never fail to make an impression in business meetings.
• Wearing that stunning dress will definitely make an impression on your date.
• Dude, if you show up with that car, you'll totally make an impression at the party.
• The artist used bold colors and striking imagery to make an impression with their latest painting.

noun A daughter of one's brother or sister, or of one's brother-in-law or sister-in-law.

• My niece is studying abroad in France to improve her language skills.
• I'm taking my niece to the movies this weekend.
• My niece is like my mini-me, always copying everything I do.
• The company treats their interns like they're the CEO's nieces, giving them special treatment.

noun a prolonged gaze or fixed look

verb to look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something

• She could feel the weight of his stare as she entered the room.
• Stop staring at me like that, it's making me uncomfortable.
• Why are you giving me the evil eye? Stop staring!
• The painting seemed to stare back at me, its eyes following me wherever I went.

noun the act of ending a relationship by ghosting someone but doing it in a kinder and more respectful way

verb to end a relationship by gradually reducing contact and communication in a gentle and considerate manner

• In modern dating, Caspering refers to a more gentle way of ghosting someone.
• I heard Sarah was Caspering John by slowly fading out of their conversations.
• Don't be a Casper, just be honest with them.
• His Caspering behavior left her feeling confused and hurt.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or a state of being

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

pronoun a word that takes the place of a noun

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• The strict rules of the organization harshed his mellow during the team meeting.
• Don't harsh my buzz with all your negative comments.
• Stop harshing my mellow, dude!
• The unexpected news really harshed his mellow and ruined his day.

noun a word used to identify a quality, state, or relation

adverb a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb

conjunction a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause

• The wedding invitation clearly states 'no ring no bring', meaning guests should not bring a plus one without a wedding ring.
• Hey, did you see the invite? It says 'no ring no bring', so I can't bring a date unless I'm engaged!
• Yo, the invite says 'no ring no bring', so I can't bring anyone unless I'm married or engaged.
• In this exclusive event, the rule is 'no ring no bring', symbolizing that only committed couples are allowed to attend together.

noun a man who is a member of the bridal party at a wedding and is typically a close friend or relative of the groom

• The groomsman stood proudly next to the groom during the wedding ceremony.
• The groomsman cracked jokes and kept the groom calm before the big moment.
• The groomsman was the groom's right-hand man throughout the wedding.
• In the journey of life, the groomsman symbolizes loyalty and support for the groom.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

verb a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being

adverb a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc.

pronoun a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

article a word that is used with a noun to specify grammatical definiteness of the noun, and in some languages extending to volume or numerical scope

• It is highly inappropriate to use such language; you should wash your mouth out with soap.
• Hey, watch your language! Go wash your mouth out with soap.
• Dude, that was so foul! You need to wash your mouth out with soap.
• The lies that came out of his mouth were so disgusting, it's like he needs to wash his mouth out with soap.

noun a female descendant who is the child of one's son or daughter-in-law

• My granddaughter-in-law is a talented artist who has her own gallery.
• I love spending time with my granddaughter-in-law, she's so much fun to be around.
• My granddaughter-in-law is a total boss babe, she runs her own successful business.
• She may not be my blood relative, but my granddaughter-in-law holds a special place in my heart.