Phrase of the hour
Bated breath
Breathing held or subdued because of suspense, fear or intense expectation. Bated, not baited, is the standard spelling. It most often follows with…
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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
Throw in the towel
To give up or surrender after effort fails, admitting defeat with a gesture of finality.
Meaning & originUp and running
Fully operational or underway, ticking smoothly.
Meaning & originCharley horse
A painful involuntary muscle cramp, particularly in the thigh or calf - Wiktionary defines it as a synonym of cramp, chiefly US, and McGraw-Hill as 'a…
Meaning & originShow and tell
The early-years classroom ritual - a child brings an object from home and explains it to the class - and, by extension, any occasion where something…
Meaning & originDonkey's years
A very long time. Usually appears after 'for' or 'in'. The shortened 'donkey's' is informal British usage. Regional use: United Kingdom, Ireland and…
Meaning & originFool me once, shame on you
Being deceived once is the deceiver's fault, but letting the same deception succeed a second time is your own, because you failed to learn from…
Meaning & originMake waves
To stir things up or cause a fuss, rocking the calm.
Meaning & originThe dogs of war
The savage, destructive forces that war lets loose - plunder, slaughter, famine, and fire - and, by extension, the ruthless people who profit from…
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.