A 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.

1,295 curious expressions
979 source-backed entries
1,995 research references
Plain-English meanings.
Folklore labelled honestly.

Start with a letter

Browse the cabinet

See the full catalogue

Pulled from the drawers

A few curious finds

Show me another

Glass cliff

A situation in which a member of an underrepresented group, especially a woman, is promoted to a leadership position only when the organisation is…

Meaning & origin

Cold turkey

The abrupt, complete cessation of an addictive habit, especially drugs, without tapering or substitute treatment; also the physical withdrawal state…

Meaning & origin

Cut and dried

Already settled, prepared or decided, often in a routine way that allows little originality or debate. Commonly used in the negative, as in not cut…

Meaning & origin

Monkey business

Mischievous, deceitful or dubious activity. The phrase covers everything from playful fooling around to trickery and underhand or improper goings-on…

Meaning & origin

Language 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.

How we research phrases