Phrase of the hour
Cheap at half the price
A humorous way to call something very expensive; it is also sometimes used illogically to praise a bargain. Potentially ambiguous. Publish only with…
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.
1,849
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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
Fit as a fiddle
To be in excellent physical health or condition, often with an emphasis on vitality and energy. It's commonly used to describe someone who appears…
Meaning & originThink on your feet
To reason and react quickly and effectively without any preparation - to improvise soundly while events press on, as in hostile questioning…
Meaning & originCynic
A person who disbelieves in human sincerity - who assumes every motive is selfish, every virtue a posture. The original Cynics preached virtue through…
Meaning & originPiping hot
Very hot, especially of freshly cooked food or drink served steaming. It is used almost exclusively of things that are meant to be hot, not of weather…
Meaning & originWet behind the ears
Inexperienced or naive, still green and untested.
Meaning & originCopper-bottomed
Completely reliable, secure or trustworthy; unlikely to fail under pressure. Informal but common in business and political language. It may describe…
Meaning & originFood for thought
Something that merits serious reflection or gives the mind material to ponder. It appears almost exclusively as the object of 'give', 'offer', or…
Meaning & originHalf the battle
Said of the hardest or most decisive part of achieving something, usually in the pattern 'X is half the battle', meaning that once X is secured the…
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.