Phrase of the hour
Beck and call
Immediately available and ready to obey another person's requests, signals or slightest wishes. Usually appears as at someone's beck and call and…
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725
curious expressions
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Plain-English meanings.
Folklore labelled honestly.
Folklore labelled honestly.
Start with a letter
Browse the cabinet
Pulled from the drawers
A few curious finds
Caught in the crosshairs
Trapped in a tight spot or aim, pinned.
Meaning & originBlow your own trumpet
Talk proudly about your own abilities or achievements, often in a way that sounds boastful or self-promoting. This is the usual British form; North…
Meaning & originRun a tight ship
To manage strictly or well, all in line.
Meaning & originOn a wing and a prayer
Barely scraping by with slim hope, relying on luck.
Meaning & originMurder will out
A murder or other grave wrongdoing will eventually be discovered. Archaic in casual speech. It may be extended to concealed wrongdoing that is not…
Meaning & originLike herding cats
A task so chaotic or impossible it's like corralling free-roaming cats-wild, scattered, and defiant of order.
Meaning & originEat crow
To admit a humiliating mistake and take the bitter hit, swallowing pride like a tough, unpalatable bird-grudgingly accepting defeat.
Meaning & originThrow in the towel
To give up or surrender after effort fails, admitting defeat with a gesture of finality.
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.