Phrase of the hour
Out of the blue
Something happening suddenly and unexpectedly, without warning or preparation. It conveys surprise-good, bad, or neutral-emphasizing the randomness of…
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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
Quick as a flash
Moving or reacting with lightning speed, instantaneous.
Meaning & originKick the bucket
To die. The expression is informal and can sound flippant when used about a recent or painful death.
Meaning & originPut your foot in it
Say or do something tactless by mistake and thereby embarrass or upset someone. This is chiefly the British form; North American English usually says…
Meaning & originBeat around the bush
To avoid addressing a topic directly, often by speaking vaguely or focusing on irrelevant details instead of getting to the point. This phrase…
Meaning & originA month of Sundays
An extremely long or seemingly endless period, usually in negative statements about likelihood. Informal hyperbole. In a negative construction it can…
Meaning & originSly as a fox
Cunning or sharp, sneaky smart.
Meaning & originBeat a dead horse
Keep pursuing, arguing or discussing something after further effort cannot change, revive or resolve it. 'Beat' is chiefly US; British English…
Meaning & originOn cloud nine
Extremely happy, elated, or euphoric.
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.