A-Z Database
Stab meaning a try or attempt is American English dating from the late 19th century.
A metaphor for an act of treachery or betrayal dates from the early 20th century.
This expression appears to be an alternative, probably American, version of Shot in the dark and probably dates from a little later in the 19th centur...
see Z’s
Stalemate generally means an impasse but it only acquired this figurative meaning from the late 19th century. Before this, from The Middle Ages, it re...
A stalking horse is a ploy or a tactic designed to deceive or side track someone. Since the time of Shakespeare, the phrase has been used in this figu...
Stand means come to a halt and this command was commonly used by highwaymen since the 16th century when robbing stagecoaches. Today the expression is...
Hollow or shaky ground is the opposite of terra firma. It is ground that is unstable and liable to cave in. Hence, it means to be in a precarious or u...
British vulgar slang from c. 1960 for being out of place or for being on one’s own when everyone else has a partner. It is sometimes expressed as ‘use...
American colloquial expression meaning to not keep a date or appointment, dates from the late 19th century, from the allusion to leave someone standin...
see Toe the line
To be extremely conspicuous, rather like a thumb held upright with a bandage around it. The expression is originally American and dates from the 1930s...
To be standoffish is to be aloof and like aloof it was originally a nautical term from the 16th century. When a ship came into harbour, it would of co...
Shakespeare’s famous description of ill-fated Romeo and Juliet (c.1594), “A pair of star-crossed lovers” line six of the opening prologue of the play.
The right hand side of a ship or a nautical direction or heading, dates back to the early days of shipping, pre-12th century, when it was originally k...