Phrase of the hour
Back to the drawing board
Back to the planning stage because a plan, design or attempt has failed and must be started again from the beginning. Applied to projects, strategies…
Uncover the storyA curious dictionary of everyday English
Every odd phrase has
a story to tell.
Discover what peculiar British and American expressions mean, where they came from, and how people actually use them.
1,857
curious expressions
1,541
source-backed entries
3,209
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
The last best West
A historical promotional name for the Canadian Prairie West. Historical; survives in Prairie heritage references Regional use: Manitoba, Saskatchewan…
Meaning & originA hard row to hoe
A difficult, demanding task or dispiriting set of circumstances to get through; the underlying farming image is hand-hoeing a long crop row that is…
Meaning & originJump on the bandwagon
To join a popular trend, movement, or opinion, often for convenience or gain rather than genuine belief, implying a lack of originality. It suggests…
Meaning & originJack of all trades, master of none
Someone able to turn a hand to many things but expert at none of them. The shorter 'jack of all trades' can be neutral or admiring praise for…
Meaning & originGive someone the shirt off your back
To be prepared to give away anything you own, even the clothes you are actually wearing, in order to help someone. It is said of people of extreme…
Meaning & originAll at sea
Completely confused, disoriented, or at a loss over what to do next. Mainly British; American English more often uses the shorter form 'at sea' for…
Meaning & originMountain out of a molehill
To treat a trivial problem as though it were a serious one, exaggerating its importance out of all proportion. It is nearly always a rebuke to someone…
Meaning & originSadfishing
Posting exaggerated or emotional claims about one's personal problems online in order to attract sympathy, attention or followers. A dismissive…
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.