A-Z Database
This word is acknowledged as an etymological mystery. According to the OED, it first appears in 1941 as “an elderly naval officer” and then by 1945 it...
This phrase meaning basic standard with no frills is of British origin and has been prolifically used since the 1980s but no one is quite sure of its...
'To Bogart a joint' is an American expression that means to selfishly keep a joint ( a marijuana cigarette) to oneself rather than share it, and it da...
A bogey in golf, signifies any score over par, dates from the c.1895 and derives from the much older meaning of bogey or bogeyman dating from the earl...
see Brass
see To boldly go where no man has gone before
Although its modern usage is now a rather vulgar synonym for rubbish or nonsense as in, “what a load of bollocks”, this was once a perfectly acceptabl...
Bollywood is the popular name given to the Indian film industry that is mainly based in Mumbai. Bollywood is first attested from the 1970s and is a co...
All current uses and connotations of the word bolt come from the projectile that was fired from a crossbow. This was known as a bolt or quarrel. By th...
A bolt from or out of the blue, is a complete surprise, something unexpected. The allusion is to a thunderbolt from a bright blue sky, which of course...
See Bolt
To bomb meaning to move rapidly or at great speed, as in “bombing along” is British slang from the 1950s. Bomb meaning a large sum of money as in “to...
A bone of contention is a problematical issue that needs to be discussed and/or resolved; dates from the mid-16th century. Bones, especially fish bone...
As everyone has experienced, bones, especially fish bones, can be problematical. Therefore, bones have been synonymous with problems or difficulties a...
To bone up is American student slang from the late 19th century, derives from Henry Bohn (1796-1884) the publisher of translations of Greek and Latin...