A-Z Database
Contemptible person, American slang dates from the late 19th century. This word is so vulgar as to be almost taboo in most Jewish homes. For this reas...
Sometimes also in the form of schnozzle this is mid-20th century American slang for nose. It was made famous by Jimmy Durante, the American singer and...
see Schnozz
Not many people realise they are quoting the Scottish poet Robert Burns when they use this expression, but the original phrase was the other way round...
To be in schtuk is to be in trouble or difficulties, especially financially and dates from the late 19th century. It derives from the Yiddish Schtuk i...
Variously spelt shtum, shtoom or stumm means to keep quiet and say nothing. It looks like another of those words from Yiddish but a more likely origin...
Military strategy term means to burn and lay waste everything that could be of use to an enemy. The practice is of course extremely ancient and goes b...
This is one of the oldest expressions in the language and now means without cost or penalty. It has nothing to do with Scottish frugalness or indeed w...
Both these words signify a native of Liverpool and date from the late 19th century. The origin is obscure but the most commonly suggested etymology is...
Go away, be off, US slang dates from the early 20th century, thought to be an abbreviation of scramble.
For centuries, the bottom of the barrel meant the dregs or the very worst of whatever had been stored in the barrel, ale, wine, food etc. The expressi...
A scratch player, particularly in golf, denotes one so highly accomplished that he or she plays with no advantage or handicap. This usage dates from t...
A familiar metaphor that expresses the mutual benefits derived from doing reciprocal favours for people. It is first cited from the early 1700s but it...
To scream blue murder is to make a vocal, noisy or an extravagant protest about something or other and dates from the early 19th century. The word blu...
Screw is slang for copulate and dates from the late 18th century and, from about the same time, also meant a prostitute, hence ‘screw you’ is often us...