Phrase of the hour
Keep your eyes peeled
To stay sharply alert or watchful, scanning for signs.
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.
1,749
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
Man does not live by bread alone
People need intellectual, emotional, or spiritual nourishment as well as material necessities. Traditional man is generic; people do not live by bread…
Meaning & originRead the room
To gauge the mood, attitudes and unspoken feelings of the people you are addressing and adjust your behaviour accordingly. It is frequently used in…
Meaning & originTooth and nail
With every available means and the greatest possible determination, energy or ferocity. Usually follows fight, battle, resist or defend, but can…
Meaning & originNot cricket
Unfair, dishonourable or contrary to accepted standards of conduct. Usually a mild moral rebuke rather than a literal reference to sport. Regional…
Meaning & originRuffle some feathers
To upset or annoy people, stirring trouble like ruffling a bird's plumage-disrupting calm with a flap of dissent.
Meaning & originDevil a bit
Not at all or not even the smallest amount, used as an emphatic Irish or dialect denial. Dated or regional and mildly irreverent. It usually precedes…
Meaning & originDamp squib
A disappointing event or effort that produces far less effect than expected. Do not list 'damp squid' as a standard variant; it is a common…
Meaning & originBack on your feet
Recovered and independent again after illness, injury, or some setback such as debt, failure, or hardship. It covers both returning to health and…
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.