# Writing > General Writing >  long list of unknown word!! Please help me

## HAN

I examined a song called "Demons by Imagine Dragons" n I couldnt find those slang. Is there any helpful person to help me.

-What does "the cards all fold" mean.
-What are the "saints made of gold" that he's talking about?
-Explain what "hail" means.
-What does "the blood's run stale" mean? (Look up stale; whose blood?)
-How does he want to "shelter" this person? From what?
-What does "We are still made of greed" mean?
-What is the "heat" he's talking about?
-What is a "curtain call"?
-What's a "masquerade"?
-Explain "They say it's what you make". (What is it?)

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## AuntShecky

I never heard his song, never even "heard of" it. Just between you and me, I probably wouldn't like the song because it seems, as you tell us, to be full of clichés (tired, old, over-used, and "stale" expressions.)

Learning the vocabulary of a new language is hard enough and it's even more difficult to understand clichés and "idioms" (everyday language in terms that are common to the culture.) For instance, "up a creek" is an idiom. It doesn't just mean the person is really or literally at the headwaters of a stream, it means he or she is in trouble --"Up a creek without a paddle."

"cards all fold" -- I'm not a card-player, but I assume this refers to poker or a similar game. When the player realizes he is losing, he quits --"folds" the cards, but doesn't literally fold them, as you would do to crease a piece of paper. "Putting one's cards on the table" is also an idiom-- meaning showing everything you have, being truthful or direct.

"saints made of gold" -- the expression "good as gold" is an idiom meaning a person is virtuous, very moral,trustworthy, generous, and other positive "nice" qualities. That's because gold is the precious metal that's rare and very valuable. Saints are holy souls, close to God, usually because they led an exemplary life on earth.

"hail" saluting a champion or giving him or her a cheer in tribute. It can also be a noun, the kind of precipitation that falls as little spheres of ice (usually, but not always during a summer thunderstorm.)

"stale" You know what stale means --it describes bread or pastry that is two or three days old, when the crust gets too hard to eat and the bread itself doesn't taste good. Stale can also mean old, tired, worn-out, over-used, like a cliché (see above.) Perhaps the song lyric you mentioned says that stale blood should be fresher, newer, more full of life.

"shelter" it's a dwelling place, somewhere you can go to to get out of the rain. It can also be a verb --an "action" word-- meaning to protect someone or something.

a "masquerade" refers to a type of party or ball popular centuries ago in which the guests wore disguises.(That's where the word "mask" comes from.) As a figurative expression, masquerade means going around pretending you are someone who you are not.

"heat" --a high-pressure situation or danger. If you've committed a crime and the police are on their way, you could say "the heat is on." "Heat" can also at times refer to sexual arousal. (So they tell me.)

"curtain call" This is a really nice expression from show business. At the end of a play or a concert, the audience might like your performance so much that they applaud for a long time. When that happens, the actors can come back on stage and acknowledge the audience by bowing again. Because they do this in front of the curtain on the stage, it's known as a "curtain call."

I hope my explanations don't sound simple-minded or condescending. But I wanted to help. If more problems come up in the future, you could try an Internet search of "Idioms" or "colloquial expressions in English." Or just type the word that is giving you trouble inside the box.

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