Phrase of the hour
Go for the big skate
Coast or wait for a conspicuous scoring chance instead of contributing steadily to team play. Highly obscure and domain-specific Regional use…
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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
In a pickle
Stuck in a messy or tricky situation, tangled up with no clear fix.
Meaning & originStraight from the horse's mouth
Directly from the original, authoritative, or best-informed source.
Meaning & originDead as a doornail
Completely lifeless or finished, beyond any spark of revival.
Meaning & originNot worth a tinker's damn
Worth absolutely nothing, or so unimportant that it merits no concern.
Meaning & originRaise the roof
To make a loud, wild ruckus or cheer, shaking the place with noise.
Meaning & originUnder the table
Done secretly or illegally, hidden from view.
Meaning & originMadder than a wet hen
Extremely angry, indignant, or agitated, especially in a visibly flustered and noisy way. Folksy and emphatic. It usually makes anger sound colorful…
Meaning & originBated breath
Breathing held or subdued because of suspense, fear or intense expectation. Bated, not baited, is the standard spelling. It most often follows with…
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.