BOXED IN/BOX (SOMEONE) IN, BRAINSTORM, BREADWINNER: American English Idioms #26

BOXED IN/BOX (SOMEONE) IN

Boxing someone in is the process of restricting the movement of a person. It can be done by making their movements slow and ponderous, or by preventing their progress altogether.

The process of boxing someone in can be achieved in one of two ways: slowing down and obstructing. Slowing down and obstructing the movement of a person is referred to as “boxing them in.

Boxed in is a naval term that means to be surrounded by enemies, or to be trapped. The phrase has since become popularized in sports vernacular, typically used when a player is trapped between defenders.

The box someone in is a strategy that uses spatial positioning as a means of obstruction. This could be as simple as using a chair to barricade a doorway, or it could be more complex, such as surrounding an opponent with walls and forcing them to fight in the corner of a room. The ultimate goal in boxing someone in is to limit their movement options and attack them from a position where they cannot escape.

Boxing someone in is a phrase that means “to trap someone by surrounding them with obstacles that prevent their escape”. It can be done through words, such as telling them that they have no other options or convincing them that they are too outnumbered to win, and it can also be done implicitly, such as when an authority figure makes a rule and does not allow exceptions.

BRAINSTORM

The term “brainstorm” is defined as an informal meeting to generate new ideas for a project.

A brainstorming session can come in handy when working on a project. Teams need to be able to generate new ideas, which is why it’s important for everyone contributing to the brain storming meeting to participate in order to get the most diverse ideas possible.

In a traditional brainstorm, participants would be encouraged to think up as many ideas as they can with no critique from other participants. With this in mind, a brainstorm may need to be evaluated by a group or individual with a set of criteria. For example, is the idea feasible and how likely will it be rejected by stakeholders?
A successful brainstorming session should also create a safe environment for participants to share ideas without the fear of judgement.

BREADWINNER

A breadwinner is a person who earns the most money in their family. Sometimes, it is the only income for the family. When one breadwinner loses their job, it can affect the entire family’s financial situation.

This is a person who earns and provides for the family. The breadwinner is traditionally the father of the family, but in the modern world, it could be anyone. Traditional gender roles are no longer an absolute requirement.

A breadwinner is a member of a family who earns the most money from their employment. In the U.S., a breadwinner may be a person who supports a household with a full-time job, usually with the most earning power in the family. A breadwinner is usually someone who provides for his or her dependents. Dependents are people whom an individual has taken on as their own responsibility to care for, such as children and spouses.

The term “breadwinner” is traditionally associated with the male head of household which provides for his family. Historically, the breadwinning role is associated with wage work outside the home. In recent years, however, men have been shifting their work patterns from wage work to childcare and housework in response to a shift in gender roles in society. This has created a need for new terminology to describe this phenomenon.