Phrase of the hour
Spare the rod and spoil the child
The traditional claim that a child will be badly formed without firm correction or discipline. Historically associated with corporal punishment and…
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Discover what peculiar British and American expressions mean, where they came from, and how people actually use them.
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Plain-English meanings.
Folklore labelled honestly.
Folklore labelled honestly.
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By the book
Strictly according to prescribed rules, procedures or accepted methods. Can praise rigour or criticise inflexibility. The identity of 'the book' is…
Meaning & originRun the gauntlet
Pass through a threatening series of attacks, criticism, questions or other ordeals. Gantlet remains an accepted American spelling. Do not derive this…
Meaning & originBeck and call
Immediately available and ready to obey another person's requests, signals or slightest wishes. Usually appears as at someone's beck and call and…
Meaning & originMany hands make light work
Dividing a substantial task among several helpers reduces the effort required from each person. Usually encouraging and cooperative. It may be…
Meaning & originScarce as hen's teeth
Extremely rare or effectively nonexistent, like teeth in an adult hen, which has a beak rather than visible teeth. Informal and emphatic. Because the…
Meaning & originOn the wagon
Abstaining from alcohol, especially after having drunk regularly or after deciding to stop. Informal and specifically about alcohol, not vice in…
Meaning & originKick the habit
To quit a bad routine or vice, shaking it off.
Meaning & originIn the nick of time
Arriving or acting just before it's too late, at the critical last moment when delay would mean failure or disaster. It conveys urgency and relief…
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.