Phrase of the hour
Out of the mouths of babes
Children speak truth or unexpected wisdom - usually at the worst possible moment, and usually with an accuracy adults have spent years learning to…
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.
1,941
curious expressions
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source-backed entries
3,499
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
A litmus test
A single decisive check whose result settles a question or reveals a true position. Borrowed from the chemistry test in which litmus dye changes…
Meaning & originClear as a bell
Perfectly clear, whether of a sound heard without distortion, a sky without haze, or an idea grasped at once. Originally about sound, it now more…
Meaning & originJump down someone's throat
React suddenly and angrily to someone, usually by criticizing, scolding or rejecting what they have said before giving them a fair hearing. The…
Meaning & originShow your true colours
To reveal what you are really like - your genuine character, allegiance, or intentions - after keeping it hidden or presenting a different front. The…
Meaning & originA plot twist
A sudden, unexpected turn in a story's direction - a revelation that reverses what the audience believed, re-routing the plot at a stroke; Wiktionary…
Meaning & originWhiter than white
Describes a person or organisation whose conduct is supposed to be completely honest and morally beyond reproach. In practice it is nearly always used…
Meaning & originAll and sundry
Every person without distinction or exception; everyone in a particular group or place. Now mildly formal or old-fashioned. It normally refers to…
Meaning & originA recipe for disaster
A combination of actions, circumstances, or ingredients that makes a bad outcome almost inevitable. Borrowing the language of cookery, it says that if…
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.