A-Z Database
see Months of the year
see Yarpie
US military slang for a marine, dates from WWII and derives from the dress uniform that US marines wear.The high collar makes it look as if the marine...
see Snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
A frequently encountered but erroneous explanation for this expression is that people crossing busy streets never do so in a straight line. Because of...
The origin of this word is, of course, American and is first attested from around 1912. Contrary to popular belief, it did not originate from African...
see Denim
This American exclamation of surprise from c.1929 is a more acceptable, less offensive form of Jesus! It is sometimes used in conjunction with creeper...
This American exclamation of surprise from c.1923 is considered a more acceptable and possibly less offensive version of the original exclamation of J...
A split personality, one good the other evil, derives from the 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, in whic...
American expression for a dislikeable, dull or stupid person dates from the early 20th century as an abbreviation of jerkwater which was originally a...
One who jerks off is not necessarily a jerk. Jerk off is American slang from the late 19th century for male masturbation.
Originally a 20 litre can for gasoline used by the German army from 1937. According to the OED, Jerry is a jocular designation for a German soldier fi...
The everyday garment is named after Jersey worsted, a type of woollen fabric that originally came from Jersey, the Channel Island. Jersey worsted date...
This quotation from the New Testament is now commonly used as an oath or exclamation of surprise or disappointment. The source is John 11:35, “Jesus w...