A-Z Database
Bent as in crooked or dishonest, dates from the early 20th century; the obvious allusion to being the opposite of straight. Bent meaning homosexual, u...
Bent can mean crooked, dishonest or it can mean homosexual, in both cases the opposite of straight. The expression gains its power and emphasis becaus...
British slang for someone not held in high esteem. Its origin is rhyming slang c.1930 from Berkeley or Berkshire Hunt. Yes. Hunt rhymes with you know...
A person who goes berserk displays wild and uncontrollable behaviour. It derives from the frenzied fighting style of Norse warriors called Berserkers...
Today when we say, 'I was beside myself' it can signify a feeling of extreme intensity that can be positive or negative. One can be beside oneself wit...
If something is described as 'beside the point' or often 'besides the point', it means that it is irrelevant to the point or matter under discussion o...
When this word is used on its own, usually at the beginning of a sentence, it means 'in addition' or 'moreover' and dates from 1588, according to the...
Made to order as in bespoke tailoring or custom built as opposed to mass produced or off the peg. As a word in this sense, it dates from the late 16th...
This now refers to our Sunday best or our smartest clothes worn for that special occasion. The expression in this sense dates from the mid-18th centur...
see Put/set the best foot forward
is is an idiom that refers to reaping the benefits from two seemingly opposed alternatives. Whilst the concept may very well be ancient, the expressio...
British informal (obviously) wishing someone luck, especially when one’s luck may not transpire. It is thought to have originated during the early day...
see Not best pleased
This expression is sometimes used to describe a dominant or forceful personality. The allusion is to the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven ancient...
If one felt so confident of a wager that one would bet one’s farm or ranch on it, it would surely constitute a very sure bet. The expression is Americ...