Phrase of the hour
Penny wise and pound foolish
Careful over small savings while wasteful or imprudent about much larger costs. Hyphenation varies. It can criticise any small saving that creates…
Uncover the storyA curious dictionary of everyday English
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Discover what peculiar British and American expressions mean, where they came from, and how people actually use them.
1,941
curious expressions
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source-backed entries
3,499
research references
Plain-English meanings.
Folklore labelled honestly.
Folklore labelled honestly.
Start with a letter
Browse the cabinet
Pulled from the drawers
A few curious finds
Stem the tide
To halt or slow the advance of something harmful that keeps growing and spreading, such as violence, debt, rumours or job losses. The thing being…
Meaning & originNot a leg to stand on
No basis or support, flimsy as air.
Meaning & originA kingmaker
A person who uses behind-the-scenes influence to decide who gains power, especially in politics, without seeking the top job personally: a party boss…
Meaning & originFor the birds
Completely worthless, trivial or beneath serious attention; fit only to be dismissed. An informal American put-down applied to things, ideas and…
Meaning & originTread the boards
To act on the stage; to follow a career in the theatre. Said with affection or nostalgia and now slightly dated or tongue-in-cheek. The boards are the…
Meaning & originUnder the sun
Used for emphasis after words like everything, nothing, anything or any to mean 'in existence' or 'imaginable'. Standing alone it means 'in the world…
Meaning & originWhat's the craic?
What is happening, what is the news or how are things? In this question craic usually means news or happenings. In good craic it means enjoyable…
Meaning & originBuy the farm
To die, especially in a military aircraft crash. Informal euphemism for death; potentially insensitive Regional use: United States military, later…
Meaning & originLanguage has legends. Evidence matters.
Colourful story or documented history?
Phrase origins are full of irresistible myths. We separate what historical sources can show from what remains disputed, and link the references behind researched entries.