Phrase of the hour
Not give a tinker's cuss
Not care at all about someone or something; have no interest in or concern for it.
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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
On the fritz
Broken, malfunctioning, or in an unsatisfactory state. Current informal idiom Regional use: United States, later widespread.
Meaning & originSpartan
Austere, disciplined, and uncomplaining - by choice or necessity. Applied to conditions (a spartan bedsit) or to people (a spartan traveller), the…
Meaning & originBark is worse than their bite
Someone's threats or bluster outstrip their actions, loud but harmless.
Meaning & originFull of hot air
Talking big with no substance, all puff.
Meaning & originThe pot calling the kettle black
A hypocritical criticism in which the accuser has the same fault as the accused. A direct accusation of hypocrisy. The shortened 'pot, meet kettle' is…
Meaning & originKlutz
A clumsy, awkward person prone to tripping, dropping things, or fumbling; by extension, anyone cursed with graceless hands or feet. The word is…
Meaning & originA second bite of the cherry
A second chance to attempt, win or benefit from something after a first try has failed or an opportunity has been missed. Because a cherry is small…
Meaning & originDrag your feet
To act with deliberate slowness because you are unwilling to do something; to stall, procrastinate or hold back progress. Almost always implies…
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.