Phrase of the hour
Bread and butter
A person's or organisation's main source of income or essential means of living, as in 'tourism is the island's bread and butter'; also used…
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1,885
curious expressions
1,569
source-backed entries
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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
On the ropes
In a tight spot or near defeat, reeling.
Meaning & originThirty pieces of silver
The price of betrayal - a payment, reward, or advantage accepted in exchange for abandoning a person, principle, or loyalty. The phrase indicts the…
Meaning & originCuffing season
Slang for autumn and winter, the stretch when single people are said to look for a partner to settle down with through the cold months, typically…
Meaning & originTighten the purse strings
To cut back spending and control the flow of money more strictly, whether in a household, a company, or a government budget; the paired expression…
Meaning & originHard and fast
Strictly fixed, definite and not open to alteration, evasion or flexible interpretation. Most common before rule, distinction, deadline or boundary…
Meaning & originYellow-bellied
Cowardly, lacking nerve. An insulting adjective of American origin, now somewhat jokey or Western-flavoured in use and often intensified in phrases…
Meaning & originOn the back burner
Set aside for later, given reduced priority while more urgent matters are dealt with. The metaphor is kitchen physics: on a stove, the pots at the…
Meaning & originSaddle someone with
To burden or load someone down, stuck.
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.