A-Z Database
This is one of the most famous phrases coined by Shakespeare when Miranda in The Tempest Act V, Scene I exclaims, “How beauteous mankind is! O brave n...
‘Bread’ meaning money is first cited as American slang from the 1930s, probably deriving from earlier American slang, dough, also meaning money that d...
‘Bread and butter’ is a basic foodstuff and as such it became a metaphor for one’s livelihood or source of income. This metaphoric, idiomatic meaning...
British rhyming slang for money, bread and honey/money. Tony Thorne’s Dictionary of Contemporary Slang dates it from the 1960s.
British slang for the stomach dates from the mid-18th century, c. 1753 according to the OED. Bread bag, bin and bread box are all variations that da...
Use disproportionate force to achieve an objective and though rarely used these days it became a popular expression from the mid-18th century onwards....
A well-known expression in the world of theatre, wishing an actor good luck, especially on opening night. It goes hand in hand with the theatrical sup...
Meaning to make a beginning or break down cold reserve is from the late 16th century and derives from the practice of riverboats breaking up frozen ic...
Make a supreme effort or give someone a hard time (dependent on context) American slang since the late 20th century.
Breath or the ability to breathe is the very essence of life and this phrase comes from the Bible, Genesis 2:7, “And the Lord God formed man of the du...
An easy task, is American from c. 1918, as in “to breeze through” i.e. to complete a task without effort.
Wit in Shakespeare’s time meant sharpness of intellect or acumen rather than humour. This summation of intellect in just five words is one of the wond...
This is British slang from c. 1950 for erectile dysfunction following the intake of too much beer. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the French coq...
This phrase meaning old curiosities, antiquarian odds and ends such as furniture, plate, china etc has been in use since the mid-19th century. It is a...
In the sense of ‘a real brick’ a British colloquial expression that means a good fellow, a reliable, dependable chap, dates from around 1840, from the...