A blue-coloured honeycomb from a beehive in Ribeauville, France. Photo: Vincent Kessler/Reuters
Today's Phrase
If a place is described as a hive of activity, it is very busy.
For example:
La Bouqueria market is a hive of activity on a Saturday morning, with vendors selling all sorts of food and drink.
Welcome to the department! It's a real hive of activity, but don't worry, you'll soon get the hang of it.
London was a hive of activity over the summer, with lots of tourists and spectators who came to see the Olympic games.
Don't confuse it with
If a place is full of people, it can also be described as buzzing.
The nightclub was packed with people last night; it was really buzzing.
Interesting fact
Beekeepers in northern France were surprised to find their bees producing honey in unnatural shades of red, green and bright blue. An investigation revealed that the bees had been visiting a local factory which processes waste products from M&Ms; multi-coloured chocolate sweets.
