Phrase of the hour
C'est la vie
A resigned acknowledgment that a disappointment or setback is simply how life goes - roughly 'that's life' or 'oh well'. It is an informal, lightly…
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.
1,849
curious expressions
1,533
source-backed entries
3,174
research references
Plain-English meanings.
Folklore labelled honestly.
Folklore labelled honestly.
Start with a letter
Browse the cabinet
Pulled from the drawers
A few curious finds
Cast pearls before swine
Offer something valuable to people who cannot or will not appreciate it. Often sounds judgmental because it likens unappreciative people to swine. Use…
Meaning & originUnder the wire
Just making it in time, at the last tick.
Meaning & originKeep it under your hat
To keep something secret, tucked away.
Meaning & originTruth is stranger than fiction
Real events can be more improbable, surprising, or dramatic than anything a novelist would dare invent. Usually said after some extraordinary but…
Meaning & originUp the boohai
In a remote, out-of-the-way or vaguely unknown place. Informal and comic. Boohai has several historical spellings, reflecting the reshaping of the…
Meaning & originMind your Ps and Qs
Be careful about your manners, conduct, or details; behave properly and avoid mistakes.
Meaning & originMarch to a different drummer
To live by one's own standards and timetable rather than conforming to the pace, values, or expectations of the people around you; a shorthand for…
Meaning & originA moveable feast
An event, arrangement or state of affairs that has no fixed date or schedule and shifts as circumstances change, such as a deadline that keeps moving…
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.