A-Z Database
An Americanism that describes a very stupid person dates from the early 1970s.
An ancient word from at least c.900 meaning dung or excrement, common to all Teutonic languages. For centuries, it was a perfectly acceptable word but...
Shitface is a British slang expression for an ugly man (for obvious reasons) and dates from the late 19th century. From the 1930s, it became a milder,...
As in scared or bored shitless, meaning extremely scared or bored is US slang from the 1930s. See also shit scared.
As in, “Are you shitting me?” which means are you kidding me, US slang dates from c. 1930.
This expression is generally acknowledged as a sailor’s oath that expresses surprise or annoyance. Its most famous utterance was by actor Robert Newto...
Before this word acquired its meaning of sub-standard or inferior quality, it was the proper name of a cheap, recycled, fabric manufactured in the ear...
The shoe is on the other foot is a metaphor to describe when situations or circumstances between people have been reversed. The expression dates in th...
see Shoo-in
Metaphorically speaking, shoestring is a meagre amount of money or meagre resources, as in expressions like ‘on a shoestring, ‘shoestring budget’ etc,...
A shoo-in is a certain winner, an American expression that dates from the late 1920s and which originated from horseracing. It derives from 'shoo' the...
Forcefully destroy someone’s point of view in an argument or discussion dates from the early 20th century and derives from aerial combat in WWI.
To do or say something without thinking or due consideration is an Americanism that dates from the 1950s with the obvious allusion to shooting a firea...
Squander or waste one’s chances of achieving or winning; an old proverb first recorded in John Heywood Proverbs (1546) derives from an over-hasty or w...
These slang expressions for ejaculate date from the 19th century and derive from shooting muzzle-loading firearms where loads and wadding were often f...