A-Z Database
The word dog, of course, describes a quadruped of the genus Canis, and dates from Anglo-Saxon Old English, whereas the Germanic languages favour hund...
Obstinate and determined, from the behaviour of dogs, dates from the late 18th century.
Doggerel is a derogatory word, dating from late 13th/early 14th century that means trivial or undignified verse, deriving from the figurative use of t...
As in to lie doggo means to lie quietly but alert, just as dogs do, a British expression that dates from the late 19th century.
A common American expletive that can express a variety meanings depending on the context. It is thought to be a euphemisic corruption of 'goddamn' and...
see My dogs are barking
A lowly person, drudge or skivvy, someone who gets all the menial tasks; the origin is nautical from the early 19th century when dog’s body was Royal...
Traditionally, in the Royal Navy, the day is divided into five four-hour watches and two dogwatches of two hours each. These two shortened dogwatches...
A small, ornamental table mat, usually made of lace, used as protection for fine furniture, dates from the late 17th century and named after a London...
The sweet life was coined by the Italian poet Dante (1265-1321) in his poem The Divine Comedy (Paradiso), “L’esperienza di questa dolce vita” “The exp...
To be in the doldrums is to be miserable or in low spirits and is first attested from 1811. The OED says the origin is obscure but that it was probabl...
A dolly is a very easy catch in cricket and dates from the late 19th century, usually used when such a catch is dropped e.g., “the fielder has dropped...
see Not give a monkey's
see Move a muscle
A modern American idiom that has come to mean, be adequately prepared or equipped for any confrontational situation. The origin is the movie The Untou...