Phrase of the hour
JOMO
Acronym for 'joy of missing out': the pleasure of skipping an event, staying in, or unplugging from social media without feeling anxious about what…
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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
Lead-pipe cinch
An outcome regarded as absolutely certain or very easy. Dated and emphatic Regional use: United States, initially horse-racing slang.
Meaning & originOn the fiddle
Engaged in small-scale dishonesty, especially fiddling expenses or quietly cheating an employer or the system; on the make. Chiefly British and…
Meaning & originFancy-free
Free of romantic attachments and unburdened by emotional commitments. In its original Tudor sense it meant untouched by amorous thoughts altogether…
Meaning & originSweep someone off their feet
To charm or overwhelm someone so completely that they fall suddenly and deeply in love; by extension, to carry anyone away with sudden enthusiasm or…
Meaning & originNo man is an island
No person is wholly self-sufficient; human lives depend on and affect one another. Man is generic in the historical wording; no one is an inclusive…
Meaning & originPut the comether on
Charm, coax or cajole someone, sometimes in order to deceive them. Regional and dated. The phrase can imply either attractive persuasion or dishonest…
Meaning & originCircle back
In workplace speech, to return to a topic, question, or person later, after other matters have progressed or more information is available. Often used…
Meaning & originSpick and span
Exceptionally neat, clean and fresh-looking, with everything in an orderly and polished condition. Usually complimentary and somewhat informal. It now…
Meaning & origin
Language 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.