A-Z Database

A-Z Database

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Mince

To mince something means to cut, chop or grind something into small pieces and dates from Middle English, which is any date between 1150 and 1350, acc...

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Mince pies

Rhyming slang for eyes, mince pies/eyes, dates from the mid-19th century, like most rhyming slang, frequently used in the abbreviated form, e.g. feast...

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Minced oath

A minced oath is a pseudo-profanity or euphemism used in place of what might be considered profane or blasphemous language and the phrase dates from 1...

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Mind in a spin

see Flat spin


Mind one’s Ps and Qs

In Britain, this admonishment is to mind one’s manners, whereas in America it can also mean to be alert and on top of one’s form. While the meaning is...

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Mind over matter

This well-worn phrase is a eulogy to the power of thought over material substance and first made its appearance in English during the mid-18th century...

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Mind your P's and Q's

see Mind one's P's and Q's


Mind-blowing

A phrase describing something stupendous and wonderful made popular in America and elsewhere during the 1960s deriving from drug culture. A more recen...

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Mind-boggling

Mind boggling and its sister expression the mind boggles derive from the 16th century meaning of boggle meaning to alarm or frighten. We get the words...

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Mind’s eye

Shakespeare’s famous metaphor for the ability to imagine, visualise or remember something was coined in Hamlet Act I, Scene II, “In my mind’s eye, Hor...

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Mine of information

According to the OED, the figurative use of the word mine to mean a source of abundant supply dates from 1541, but no citation is given for mine of in...

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Minge

British slang for female genitalia dates from the 19th century, thought to be of Romany origin. It re-gained popularity as an expression from the 1950...

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Mint condition

As new, or like new, first cited from the early 20th century from the allusion to a newly minted coin. A postage stamp in mint condition means unused...

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Miranda rights

In US law the Miranda rights are the legal requirements of reading the rights to a suspect before arrest and custody. They start with ‘you have the ri...

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Mish-mash

A hodge-podge, a medley or jumble, dates from the mid-1400s, a reduplication of mash, which is an even older word for a mixture and, more latterly fro...

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