A-Z Database
The source is the New Testament, Matthew, 12:21, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided again...
see Get on like a house on fire
A house proud person is someone who takes pride in keeping their home clean, tidy, and well organised. The expression dates from the early 19th centur...
American expressions of delight and triumph, usually inviting admiration or praise for something one has achieved or acquired, rather than a reply. So...
The source is the Bible, Samuel II, 1:25, “How are the mighty fallen in the midst of battle!” It is repeated two verses further on in 1:27, “How are t...
Rhetorical question, to which there is no answer, dates from the early 20th century.
See Know how many beans make five
See How are the mighty fallen
An old English proverb, the full version of which is “Half the world knows not how the other half lives.” It appears in Jacula Prudentum (1651) by Geo...
This expression was popularised as the title of a famous self-help book written by Dale Carnegie and published in America in 1936. It is not certain i...
British informal expression dates from the 1920s meaning, How are things going?
Originally a British euphemism for a sexual encounter as in how about a bit of how’s your father? dates from the early 20th century and was popularise...
This American contraction of how do you do dates from the mid-19th century.
An error so glaring that it may be greeted by howls of disbelief, dates from the late 19th century.
Hubba, hubba is an American slang interjection or exclamation that expresses surprise, admiration, or approval, especially when directed at a member o...