motherland; mother nature; mother tongue; house mother; “I’m not your mother”; teacher as mother; sourdough starter is called a ‘mother’; "soccer mom"

“Motherland” and “mother tongue” refer to cultural and national origins

“House mother,” “teacher as mother,” and “I’m not your mother” imply nurture, care, and authority

How do phrases that connect “mother” and one’s original culture or nation like “motherland” and “mother tongue” tie into understandings of nation or culture, or the immigrant experience?    

How do phrases that see ‘mother’ as associated with a nurturing quality perpetuate stereotypes or expectations of the role of women as mothers?

Arranged marriage, happily ever after, till death do us part, married to the job, divorce

Arranged marriage and till death do us part reflect traditional or cultural ideas of marriage. Happily ever after shows how marriage is idealized in the media. Divorce focuses more on when marriage doesn’t work out. Married to the job uses marriage as a metaphor as it's rather about a deep commitment to something else other than relationships. 

How do different kinds of marriage, like arranged or love based, affect what people expect from marriage? Who decides what a successful marriage looks like, and do those ideas come from personal experience or from society?

Poor, homeless, poverty line, absolute poverty, relative poverty, situational poverty, poverty gap, poverty rate

"Absolute poverty," "relative poverty," and "situational poverty" all refer to the level of poverty one is in. "Poverty gap" and "poverty rate" both directly relate to the "poverty line," describing the statistics around it.

Is the poverty line a proper measurement of poverty, and how does looking at stats such as the poverty rate and poverty gap either support or hurt it? How is poverty stereotypically described and shown in the media today, is it an accurate reflection of what poverty is actually like in our society, why or why not? How does the concept of poverty differ between different cultures?

War zone; turf war; war cry; battle; "make love, not war;" "win the battle but lose the war;"

"War zone" and "turf war" refer directly to the act of fighting in a set place and groups of people killing one another over something. "make love, not war" and "win the battle but lose the war" are both common phrases that uplift kindness/love over fighting/winning.

How do our associations with "war" as something to be won affect the way we see those on opposing sides? Seeing as "war" is an inherently violent term, what does the association with soldiers as heroes say about the way we as a nation view "war" and its repercussions?

Marriage ceremony, marriage vows, prenup, civil marriage, marriage license.

Marriage ceremony and marriage vows speak more of the cultural side of marriage and built in traditions. Prenup, civil marriage, marriage license reflect more of the legal side of marriage, and what people would call less romantic.

Does creating a print reflect mistrust in a relation, or is it used solely to protect ones assets? I have heard many people discussing marriage vows and how they should be given in private. Do you believe that giving vows privately speaks to a bigger commitment in a marriage?

Work hard play hard, work culture, work-life balance, work fatigue, work together, working out

Phrases such as "work-life balance", "work culture" directly relate to work in a professional setting as an occupation or job. "Work together" is centered around an idea of contribution which agrees with the notion of work being a contribution to a larger purpose but can be used in a professional or a more casual setting. "Work hard play hard" and "working out" are relevant to effort towards oneself and is more focused on the individual rather than seeing work as just a required contribution to a larger team or group for the purpose of productivity.

How does an increased emphasis and awareness surrounding "work-life balance", "work culture", and "work fatigue" reflect society's growing negative outlook on the idea of work? What entails a positive work environment and how would that impact work culture, work fatigue and work-life balance? How can personal identity be separated from professional identity in a society and economy that places importance on productivity over well-being?

Cold War; Warring Countries; War on drugs; War monger; Internal War

Both "Cold War" and "Warring Countries" are related to large-scale conflicts and combat. The phrase "War on drugs" changes the meaning to a metaphorical war with a battle for change. A "War monger" is a personal phrase to describe someone who promotes violence. An "Internal War " is found within one's conscience, comparing it to emotional hardship.

When addressing political topics like war, how does that change the public's view on something so extreme and destructive? How does using the term "war monger" to describe someone reflect how we choose to put the blame and destruction on? When addressing mental health, is it ok to frame it as an "internal war" to show its intensity, or is this too extreme for such a difficult topic?

War crime; total war; "the fog of war"

"War crimes" and " the fog of war" refer to different events that happen during war. "War crimes" are crimes that occur during war enforced by international law. "The fog of war" is being foggy while in active battle where you don't know the surroundings, where things are, or who is who. "Total war" is using all of countries resources with no restrictions in order to win the war.

What countries dictate war crimes? Would it be the winner of the war? How does "the fog of war" affect a countries chances of winning? What are the after effects of total war?

Poverty trap (a self-reinforcing cycle that keeps people from escaping low income), culture of poverty (the idea that persistent poverty can create create a certain set of values and behaviors, economic ladder.

Words/phrases that blame the people in poverty: generational poverty, culture of poverty, deserving vs. undeserving poor, economic ladder 

Words/phrases that often replace the word “poverty:” food insecurity, homeless, poor

Words/phrases that demonstrate empathy: poverty trap, working poor, social safety net

Descriptions of poverty: absolute poverty, relative poverty, situational poverty, poverty gap, poverty rate, poverty line

Are phrases like "culture of poverty," "generational poverty," and "economic ladder" blocking the empathy required for policy changes that would help people in poverty? Would it make a real difference to shift language and use phrases like "poverty trap" and "working poor?"

Do phrases like "poverty rate" reduce people in poverty to a statistic, also blocking the empathy needed to help them?