A Blip, A Wave, A Tsunami/ A Tidal Wave, A Method To One's Madness, Crowning Achievement

A Blip
Unlike a wave, "a blip" is a reference to a signal given off by radar (originally an acronym, now treated as a noun) indicating the presence of a real object at a given moment in time.

In trends, a figurative "blip" means a temporary event that is not, or is not yet known to be, part of a larger trend.

Example: "Today's upswing in national employment figures is believed to be a blip caused by a one-time event, and is not expected to be sustained until consumer confidence improves."

This is to say, the positive change is temporary, and not a trend... according to this statement, at least.


A Wave
In idioms, "a wave" is any significant, sustained change. This can be positive, but is often used in a negative manner.

Example: "The slumping economy has produced another wave of bankruptcies among small American businesses."

This means, a significant, sustained change, though not a permanent one.


A Tsunami/ A Tidal Wave
In nature, a tsunami (Japanese term) is a giant wave. Properly speaking, "a tidal wave," used as the equivalent of tsunami, is incorrect; a wave created by a tide can be very, very tiny.

In politics, as well as other settings, "a tsunami" or "a tidal wave" (such as a tidal wave of support) means a powerful trend that, temporarily at least, changes the proverbial landscape.

Example: "(Party X), deeply unpopular in the polls, faces a potential tsunami at the next election, sweeping it out of power."

The phrasing may vary, but this is the general idea.


A Method To One's Madness
Proverbially, when there is said to be a method to someone's madness, this expresses that what at first appears to be madness, that is, random, illogical behavior, has a real purpose. It is in fact a method to achieve a tangible goal, with actual thought behind it.

Example: "Mr. Jones talks about the craziest things to people, but there's a method to his madness. People loosen up around him and tell him things they'd never tell most people because they don't take him seriously."

There are surely many, many other examples, but it is best to view the idiom in practice to learn how people employ it.


Crowning Achievement
A "crowning achievement" is a great success worthy of much praise and respect.

Example: In video games, a "jobs" system allows role-playing game characters to learn different skills suitable for different "jobs" (role-playing professions), such as knight, wizard, priest, thief, and so forth. While this type of role-playing game feature truly began with the Dragon Warrior series (Dragon Quest in Japan), this was adopted, and greatly expanded upon, by the "Final Fantasy" series of video games. Popular with gamers, the "jobs system" is often considered the crowning achievement of the series, giving players a deep personal connection to their fictional alter-egos.

This is to say, it is considered a great success worthy of giving great praise.

A crown is not only a physical treasure; "the crown" of something is its peak, its highest point, its pinnacle. (i.e. "the crown of the head," "the crown of a tooth") These words are easily used as metaphors for success.


➤ Read more idioms and phrases, English grammar and vocabulary at Basic English Grammar And Vocabulary .