Phrase of the hour
Dutch treat
An outing or meal at which each participant pays their own share rather than one person treating everyone else; the joke built into the phrase is that…
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Discover what peculiar British and American expressions mean, where they came from, and how people actually use them.
1,921
curious expressions
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Plain-English meanings.
Folklore labelled honestly.
Folklore labelled honestly.
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A few curious finds
Long in the tooth
Old or getting old, especially of a person, and often said with mild humor or bluntness. It is also applied jokingly to things that are past their…
Meaning & originHeadliner
The performer or act billed at the very top of a show, the one the programme is built around and who closes the night; more generally, the biggest…
Meaning & originThe bitter end
The final limit or conclusion, especially when reaching it is difficult or unpleasant. Commonly implies persistence through adversity, but it can also…
Meaning & originGo belly up
To fail completely, collapse, or cease to exist; said especially of businesses, projects, plans, or schemes that go bankrupt or come to nothing, and…
Meaning & originCut the mustard
Meet the required standard or perform adequately. Current informal idiom Regional use: United States; now widespread.
Meaning & originPurple prose
Writing so ornate, overwrought or ostentatiously flowery that the decoration overwhelms the sense; a critical term of abuse for excessive metaphor…
Meaning & originOrbiting
Cutting off direct communication with someone while continuing to follow their online life, watching their stories, viewing their profiles, and…
Meaning & originThe proof of the pudding is in the eating
The real quality or effectiveness of something can only be judged by putting it to use or testing it in practice, not by its appearance, description…
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.