Phrase of the hour
Enfant terrible
Originally a child whose inopportune, outrageous remarks embarrass the adults around them; in modern use, chiefly a person, often a conspicuously…
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Plain-English meanings.
Folklore labelled honestly.
Folklore labelled honestly.
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Matchmaker
Someone who arranges romantic introductions for others - professionally, socially, or from sheer incorrigible interest in other people's weddings. The…
Meaning & originLike a bear with a sore head
Grumpy or cross, out of sorts.
Meaning & originSpit and image
A person who looks strikingly like another person, especially a close relative. Informal and normally used of physical resemblance. Spit and image can…
Meaning & originOn the lam
On the run or fleeing, all dodge.
Meaning & originJovial
Cheerful and good-humoured - hearty, merry, quick to laugh. The word describes a whole settled temperament rather than a passing mood, and it still…
Meaning & originDon't teach your grandmother to suck eggs
Don't tell an expert what they know, it's daft.
Meaning & originPut the comether on
Charm, coax or cajole someone, sometimes in order to deceive them. Regional and dated. The phrase can imply either attractive persuasion or dishonest…
Meaning & originNeck and crop
Completely and often with abrupt or forceful dispatch, especially when someone is thrown out or falls headlong. Dated and chiefly British. It most…
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.