Phrase of the hour
Rags to riches
A rise from deep poverty to great wealth, whether as a real biography or as a stock narrative arc. Usually admiring of effort and luck, but often…
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1,495
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
Nip it in the bud
To stop something early before it grows or worsens, cutting off trouble at its source with swift, decisive action.
Meaning & originCaught with your hand in the cookie jar
Nabbed doing something sneaky or wrong, caught red-handed.
Meaning & originThrow shade
To insult someone subtly or indirectly, often through a cutting remark, a dismissive tone or a nonverbal gesture such as a side-eye, rather than an…
Meaning & originKill two birds with one stone
To achieve two goals with a single action, maximizing efficiency.
Meaning & originEat out of house and home
To gobble all the food or drain a place.
Meaning & originLike a kid in a candy store
Thrilled or wild with glee, all eyes.
Meaning & originOne fell swoop
A single sudden action that affects or disposes of everything concerned. Fell is an archaic adjective meaning fierce or deadly. 'One foul swoop' and…
Meaning & originThere's no such thing as a free lunch
Nothing is genuinely cost-free; anything given away is paid for by someone, somehow, whether through higher prices, taxes, trade-offs, or hidden…
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.