Phrase of the hour
Laughing all the way to the bank
Making money easily or unexpectedly, reveling in profit with smug glee.
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1,435
curious expressions
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2,275
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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
Fine as frog hair
Exceptionally fine, delicate, excellent, or in very good spirits. Regional, humorous, and now relatively obscure Regional use: United States…
Meaning & originTickety-boo
In good order, satisfactory or progressing well. Informal and cheerful. Hyphenation and spelling vary considerably. Regional use: British and…
Meaning & originDead ringer
A person or thing that looks exactly like another; an exact double. Typically 'a dead ringer for someone'. Informal and usually light-hearted; the…
Meaning & originSix of one and half a dozen of the other
Used to say that two options, explanations or parties are essentially the same, so that choosing between them, or dividing praise or blame between…
Meaning & originBenching
Keeping a romantic prospect in reserve by maintaining just enough sporadic contact to keep them interested, while never committing to dates or a…
Meaning & originWhat's the craic?
What is happening, what is the news or how are things? In this question craic usually means news or happenings. In good craic it means enjoyable…
Meaning & originDon't take any wooden nickels
A friendly but cautionary farewell meaning: stay alert, avoid being cheated, and do not accept anything worthless or deceptive. Usually humorous and…
Meaning & originLoud budgeting
Being openly and unapologetically honest about spending limits, for example telling friends you are skipping dinner out because you are saving for a…
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.