Phrase of the hour
Upstage someone
To draw attention away from someone by performing or presenting yourself more strikingly; to overshadow a person who expected to be the centre of…
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.
1,901
curious expressions
1,585
source-backed entries
3,378
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
Green fingers
A natural talent for growing plants successfully, making them thrive where others fail. Chiefly British, and usually found in the phrases 'have green…
Meaning & originEgg on your face
The embarrassment of being left looking foolish after a public error, a failed prediction, or a boast that backfires. It almost always appears in the…
Meaning & originCall it a day
To stop working for the rest of the day, judging that enough has been done - or that no more can usefully be done. It also serves for endings of any…
Meaning & originLike herding cats
A task so chaotic or impossible it's like corralling free-roaming cats-wild, scattered, and defiant of order.
Meaning & originBlind spot
An area you cannot see or will not see: literally the part of the road hidden from a driver's mirrors, and figuratively a subject about which someone…
Meaning & originHandle with kid gloves
To treat someone or something with extreme gentleness, tact, or caution, typically because they are seen as fragile, volatile, or easily offended. It…
Meaning & originSwing the lead
Avoid work or duty by pretending to be ill, incapable or busier than one is. Disapproving. It alleges deliberate shirking, so it can be unfair or…
Meaning & originLike a red rag to a bull
Sure to provoke or enrage, sparking a charge.
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.