Phrase of the hour
The sound and the fury
Furious or noisy tumult that in the end amounts to nothing - uproar without meaning or result. Usually allusive and ironic, applied to storms of…
Uncover the storyA curious dictionary of everyday English
Every odd phrase has
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Discover what peculiar British and American expressions mean, where they came from, and how people actually use them.
1,844
curious expressions
1,528
source-backed entries
3,160
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
It's not rocket science
A formula for saying that something is not really difficult to understand or do - used to deflate excuses, complaint about complexity, or the mystique…
Meaning & originDon't rest on your laurels
Keep pushing, don't coast.
Meaning & originWaiting in the wings
Poised and ready to step in, take over or take part the moment the chance appears; said of successors, substitutes, products or ideas not yet on…
Meaning & originCatamaran
A boat or ship with two parallel hulls joined by a deck or bridge, prized for speed, stability, and deck space; used of everything from small sailing…
Meaning & originFront runner
The competitor thought most likely to win - the horse or runner leading the field, and by extension the candidate, product, or bidder that everyone…
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 & originThe man on the Clapham omnibus
A figurative stand-in for the ordinary, reasonably educated and level-headed person, used especially in English law as the benchmark for how a…
Meaning & originPut your back into it
To work at something with maximum physical or mental effort; to throw all your energy into a task. Usually addressed to someone as an exhortation to…
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.