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Reader question: Please explain this sentence: He thinks they have turned the page on mistrust. My comments: He had made up with a friend. I think. He had a quarrel, misunderstanding or something with someone and for a time, they no longer trusted each other. Now, they’ve buried the hatchet and patched up. He thinks so, and got back to being friends again. Buried the hatchet? Yeah, the hatchet is an axe that can hurt people. You bury it so that no-one can use it again. Patched up? Like, you’ve got holes in your shirt and so you stitch pieces of cloths (patches) over them and make that shirt whole again. When two friends patch up, they are able to iron out, so to speak, their differences and make their relationship wholesome again. Anyways, for people to turn the page is the same as for them to turn a new leaf (page of a book), meaning they’re ready to make a fresh start. Apparently, both these terms (turn the page and turn a new leaf) derive from book reading. When you finish reading a page, you turn for another page. On the next page, of course, there’s something new and so figuratively speaking for you to turn the page on some past deed, you move on to something new. Well, you may argue that there are writers who write the same stuff – every book they write, it’s the same tiresome subject matter – but they’re exceptions to the rule. Generally speaking, when you turn the page of a book, you’ll see something new, perhaps more exciting. | 
