A-Z Database

A-Z Database

All A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Flange

British slang for vagina dates from the early 21st century.


Flannel

British slang for talk or behaviour designed to flatter or deceive. As a noun, it means unnecessary and vacuous ostentation, dates from the early 20th...

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Flash Harry

A Flash Harry is a derogative term for an over-confident and showy young man. It is thought to derive from the fictional character called Flash Harry...

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Flash in the pan

Means temporary or ephemeral success and has been used in this figurative sense since the late 18th/early 19th century. Its earlier literal sense deri...

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Flat

Flat meaning an apartment is a British colloquialism that dates from around 1824. From the late 18th/early 19th century, flat was commonly used to mea...

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Flat out

Flat out meaning at top speed dates from the early 20th century and the origin remains uncertain. ‘Flat out like a lizard drinking’ is Australian from...

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Flat spin

To be in a flat spin means to be in a state of confusion or disarray and dates from the early 20th century. Before this, from the late 18th/early 19th...

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Flatter to deceive

This expression is much beloved by sports commentators and, for some unknown reason, has become one of their favourites, even though they generally mi...

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Flea in the ear

One would imagine that a flea or some such insect in one’s ear would cause a great deal of distress and this must have been the case when lice and fle...

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Flesh out

To flesh out something is to add more detail in order to communicate a fuller understanding or picture of something or other, from the allusion of add...

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Flibbertigibbet

This wonderful word dates from the 1400s; a good word to throw out occasionally, usually to a stunned or uncomprehending audience. Take care not to sl...

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Flick

Originally, US slang for movie, dates from c. 1920; an abbreviation of flicker from the flickering visual appearance of early films. See also Chick fl...

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Flight of fancy

A fantasy or pipedream, usage dates from the mid-17th century.


Flim-flam

Means a piece of nonsense or twaddle designed to trick or deceive, dates from the early 16th century and is probably of old Scandinavian origin, akin...

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Flip one’s lid/top

see Blow one’s lid/top


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