Phrase of the hour
Dutch treat
An outing or meal at which each participant pays their own share rather than one person treating everyone else; the joke built into the phrase is that…
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.
1,921
curious expressions
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source-backed entries
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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
Above board
Honest and open in dealings, with nothing hidden or shady.
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 & originOld habits die hard
Deeply ingrained ways of behaving are difficult to change or abandon, so people keep repeating familiar routines even when circumstances, preferences…
Meaning & originMore than you can shake a stick at
Used of a quantity or number too large to count or take in, typically in the pattern 'more X than you can shake a stick at'. It conveys abundance with…
Meaning & originA run for your money
Most often in 'give someone a run for their money': to push a rival hard and make them earn the win, even if you lose. In 'get or have a run for your…
Meaning & originSix of one and half a dozen of the other
Used to say that two options, explanations or parties are essentially the same, so that choosing between them, or dividing praise or blame between…
Meaning & originOff the peg
British expression for clothing bought ready-made in standard sizes rather than made to measure; also used attributively ('an off-the-peg suit') and…
Meaning & originMoney is the root of all evil
A blunt claim that the pursuit of wealth lies behind wrongdoing and suffering in the world. In everyday use it is aimed at greed and corrupting…
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.