Phrase of the hour
The whole ball of wax
Everything involved in a matter: the complete collection, arrangement, business, or set of related concerns. Informal and sometimes slightly…
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.
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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
Rough and ready
Describes a person, thing, or method that is crude, unpolished, or improvised, yet practical, vigorous, and effective enough for the purpose. It…
Meaning & originWear your heart on your sleeve
Show your feelings openly and make little effort to conceal your emotional vulnerability.
Meaning & originJa well no fine
A formula expressing resigned acceptance, hesitation or noncommittal acknowledgement: roughly, well then, that's how it is. Very informal and often…
Meaning & originCaught with chaff
Fooled or nabbed by a trick, taken in.
Meaning & originCome a cropper
To fall heavily, especially from a horse, bicycle or motorbike, or by extension to fail badly at a venture. The literal falling sense survives in…
Meaning & originAstroturfing
The deceptive practice of manufacturing the appearance of grassroots support for a product, policy or cause, masking the real sponsor so that paid or…
Meaning & originCut to the chase
To skip unnecessary details and get to the main point or action quickly, often reflecting impatience with preamble or fluff. It's a directive for…
Meaning & originStar-crossed lovers
Two people in love whom fate, circumstance or opposing forces seem determined to thwart, typically with a doomed or tragic outcome. Literary-romantic…
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.