Phrase of the hour
Keep your hair on
Stay calm or cool, no flap.
Uncover the storyA curious dictionary of everyday English
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Discover what peculiar British and American expressions mean, where they came from, and how people actually use them.
2,006
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
Go pound sand
Go away; a dismissive refusal to cooperate or take someone seriously. Current, blunt, and mildly rude Regional use: United States.
Meaning & originErsatz
Describing a substitute or imitation, nearly always one judged inferior to the real thing - synthetic coffee, fake affection, a mock version of a…
Meaning & originRun like the wind
To dash real fast, all speed.
Meaning & originFat cat
A rich and powerful person, most often one who uses wealth to gain political influence or whose pay and perks are seen as excessive. In British use it…
Meaning & originFirst rate
Of the highest quality or excellence; first-class. It serves as an adjective ('a first-rate mechanic', 'the food was first rate') and, more datedly…
Meaning & originHave a bone to pick
Holding a grievance or issue to settle, itching for a confrontation.
Meaning & originNot worth a plugged nickel
Worth very little or nothing.
Meaning & originSwings and roundabouts
A situation in which gains and losses even out, an advantage in one respect being offset by a disadvantage in another, so that overall nothing much is…
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.