Phrase of the hour
The whole ball of wax
Everything involved in a matter: the complete collection, arrangement, business, or set of related concerns. Informal and sometimes slightly…
Uncover the storyA curious dictionary of everyday English
Discover what peculiar British and American expressions mean, where they came from, and how people actually use them.
Phrase of the hour
Everything involved in a matter: the complete collection, arrangement, business, or set of related concerns. Informal and sometimes slightly…
Uncover the storyStart with a letter
Pulled from the drawers
Describes a person, thing, or method that is crude, unpolished, or improvised, yet practical, vigorous, and effective enough for the purpose. It…
Meaning & originShow your feelings openly and make little effort to conceal your emotional vulnerability.
Meaning & originA formula expressing resigned acceptance, hesitation or noncommittal acknowledgement: roughly, well then, that's how it is. Very informal and often…
Meaning & originFooled or nabbed by a trick, taken in.
Meaning & originTo fall heavily, especially from a horse, bicycle or motorbike, or by extension to fail badly at a venture. The literal falling sense survives in…
Meaning & originThe deceptive practice of manufacturing the appearance of grassroots support for a product, policy or cause, masking the real sponsor so that paid or…
Meaning & originTo skip unnecessary details and get to the main point or action quickly, often reflecting impatience with preamble or fluff. It's a directive for…
Meaning & originTwo people in love whom fate, circumstance or opposing forces seem determined to thwart, typically with a doomed or tragic outcome. Literary-romantic…
Meaning & originLanguage has legends. Evidence matters.
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.