Phrase of the hour
Tailor-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…
Uncover the storyA curious dictionary of everyday English
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Discover what peculiar British and American expressions mean, where they came from, and how people actually use them.
1,963
curious expressions
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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
Ride the coattails
To win office, gain standing, or enjoy success through association with a more popular figure rather than on your own merits - as when lesser…
Meaning & originTake it with a grain of salt
Treat a statement cautiously rather than accepting it as wholly accurate, complete or sincere. 'A grain of salt' is the usual North American wording…
Meaning & originA gut feeling
An instinctive, immediate sense that something is right or wrong - a judgment felt in the body rather than reasoned out, based on instinct and…
Meaning & originGrit your teeth
To press your teeth together firmly, or figuratively to summon resolve and force yourself to face something painful, difficult, or unpleasant. It…
Meaning & originNot worth a plugged nickel
Worth very little or nothing.
Meaning & originSlow and steady wins the race
Success comes from consistent, unhurried effort rather than from bursts of speed or unreliable brilliance; a plodding but persistent approach is the…
Meaning & originTurn on a sixpence
Chiefly British: to turn or manoeuvre with great agility within a very small space, said of vehicles, dancers, footballers and the like; also of an…
Meaning & originMake a pig of yourself
Eat too much, especially in a visibly greedy or self-indulgent way. Informal and explicitly disapproving. It is often self-deprecating, but directed…
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.