Phrase of the hour
In deep water
In serious trouble or difficulty, typically a situation that has grown beyond what one can easily handle or escape; often used in progressive…
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Discover what peculiar British and American expressions mean, where they came from, and how people actually use them.
1,465
curious expressions
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source-backed entries
2,335
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
Grin like a Cheshire cat
To smile or grin very broadly, showing the teeth, usually with unshakeable or unexplained good humour. Often suggests a smile that is fixed…
Meaning & originGuinea pig
A person or thing used as the subject of an experiment, test, or trial, especially one facing an untested procedure, product, or policy whose effects…
Meaning & originKith and kin
One's friends, acquaintances and relatives considered together as a familiar social circle. Warm, literary or humorous rather than neutral everyday…
Meaning & originUp the boohai
In a remote, out-of-the-way or vaguely unknown place. Informal and comic. Boohai has several historical spellings, reflecting the reshaping of the…
Meaning & originSweet as
Excellent, acceptable, agreed or all right. Informal. Sweet-as with a hyphen may be used before a noun, while the unhyphenated phrase commonly stands…
Meaning & originDamp squib
A disappointing event or effort that produces far less effect than expected. Do not list 'damp squid' as a standard variant; it is a common…
Meaning & originCarry the can
To take the blame or bear the responsibility when something goes wrong, especially on behalf of others who were equally or more at fault. It is…
Meaning & originMonday morning quarterback
A person who criticizes a decision after its outcome is known and confidently explains what should have been done instead. Informal and usually…
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.