A 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.

1,295 curious expressions
979 source-backed entries
1,995 research references
Plain-English meanings.
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Cuffing 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 & origin

Ghosting

Abruptly ending a relationship or communication with someone by cutting off all contact and ignoring their attempts to reach out, without any…

Meaning & origin

Even Stevens

Exactly equal or fairly balanced, especially once debts, favours or points have been settled between two people, so that nothing is owed on either…

Meaning & origin

One 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 & origin

There's the rub

That is the central difficulty, obstacle or inconvenient point. Somewhat literary but concise. Rub means obstacle here, not friction or massage…

Meaning & origin

Language 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.

How we research phrases