Phrase of the hour
More than meets the eye
Having more significance, complexity, or hidden detail than is apparent at first glance. Said of people, situations, agreements, or works of art whose…
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.
1,973
curious expressions
1,657
source-backed entries
3,581
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
Saturnine
Cold, gloomy, and slow to smile - temperamentally heavy, as if born under a leaden sky. It is jovial's standing antonym: where the jovial host laughs…
Meaning & originSend someone packing
Dismiss, reject or drive someone away abruptly and decisively. Informal and forceful. In sport it commonly means eliminate from a competition…
Meaning & originFull of hot air
Talking big with no substance, all puff.
Meaning & originTailor-made
Made by a tailor to fit one individual buyer, as opposed to ready-made; by extension, anything shaped or adapted exactly to a particular person…
Meaning & originHot under the collar
Angry, irritated or flustered, typically about something said or done ('he gets hot under the collar whenever the auditors visit'). Informal; it…
Meaning & originEat out of house and home
To gobble all the food or drain a place.
Meaning & originThe one that got away
Someone or something desirable that escaped or was lost and whose loss one still regrets; in its commonest modern use, a former romantic partner who…
Meaning & originZero-sum game
A situation in which whatever one side gains, the other side loses, so the net total is zero; by extension, any contest or negotiation framed as…
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.