Phrase of the hour
Pell-mell
In disorderly confusion or at a headlong pace, with people or things mixed together unpredictably. Can describe both confused arrangement and rapid…
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1,941
curious expressions
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Plain-English meanings.
Folklore labelled honestly.
Folklore labelled honestly.
Start with a letter
Browse the cabinet
Pulled from the drawers
A few curious finds
Put wood in the hole
Shut the door, usually because an open doorway is letting in cold air. Regional, informal and increasingly associated with older speakers. The 'oil'…
Meaning & originThe powers that be
The people or institutions currently holding authority, often viewed as remote or impersonal. Often mildly sceptical or humorous because the authority…
Meaning & originDog days of summer
The hottest, most oppressive part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, often associated with lethargy or a seasonal lull. The exact dates vary by…
Meaning & originA month of Sundays
An extremely long or seemingly endless period, usually in negative statements about likelihood. Informal hyperbole. In a negative construction it can…
Meaning & originGo bung
To fail, collapse, become bankrupt or stop functioning; in older use, also to die. Informal and broad: context must show whether the subject failed…
Meaning & originChortle
To laugh in a breathy, gleeful, chuckling-snorting way that signals delight, often at something clever, absurd, or satisfying; as a noun, a laugh of…
Meaning & originHeart in your mouth
Feeling sharp fear, dread, or suspense. The idiom refers to the pounding, rising sensation in the chest and throat that danger or high suspense…
Meaning & originDon't look a gift horse in the mouth
Don't question or critique a free gift, taking it as is.
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.