A-Z Database
Get organised, originally an American expression deriving from show business dates from the 1950s.
Get moving; originally, an American expression dates from the 1960s based on the allusion of putting a motor car in gear and moving off.
To get irritated or annoyed, from the allusion to a cat arching its back in a confrontational attitude, dates from the late 19th century.
To get one’s dander up means to get angry or annoyed. The expression is American from the early 19th century. Dander, which the OED says is an alterna...
A metaphor to get stuck into a new task or project in a direct, practical manner, from the allusion to a timid person crossing a stream or a river. Da...
see Get someone’s goat
see Make one’s hackles rise
This is male-orientated American slang for sexual intercourse and/or orgasm from stones or rocks meaning testicles. The expression dates from the 1940...
Get a move on, hurry up, British informal dates from the 1920s. The skates concerned are roller skates.
Is to have a misunderstanding or get confused and dates from the early 20th century. It derives from the early days of the US telephone system where c...
Get out of Dodge is an American colloquial expression meaning that it's time to get out of a dangerous or compromising situation. It dates from the 19...
see Watch someone’s back
To get someone’s goat is to make them annoyed or angry. The origin remains unknown but it is undisputedly American from the early 20th century. There...
see Make a clean breast of something
see Under one’s belt