A-Z Database
Rhyming slang, Joe Soap/dope, a stupid person, now generally refers to Mr Average, the British equivalent of the American John Doe, often used mistake...
This American expression for the toilet dates from around 1930. Many theories abound, most of them revolving around manufacturers’ names starting with...
Nowadays used mainly in America for a male person usually deceased who has not or cannot be identified. John of course is a generic name for bloke, ch...
John Hancock (1737-1793) was a prominent US merchant and statesman whose flamboyant signature was the first and most noticeable on the American Declar...
British euphemistic slang for penis dates from the early 19th century and is still current. It is doubtful that John Thomas was ever a real person but...
American generic term for a bloke, chap, fellow or Mr Average dates from the early 19th century. Johnny-come-lately, a newcomer, is attested from the...
British forces slang for condom from World War II. It was also referred to as a rubber Johnnie although by this time latex had taken over from the old...
Rhyming slang for urinate, Johnny Cash/slash, dates from the 1960s.
see John/Johnny
see Connect/join the dots
Intimately or closely aligned, an American expression dates from the 1960s with obvious allusion to Siamese twins.
A British expression that describes upper-class girls, typically, from English public schools and gently pokes fun at their hearty, sporty, and often...
No one knows for sure why the black and white pirate flag, depicting a skull and crossbones, is called the Jolly Roger. It is first cited as the pirat...
British sailors’ have had a superstition since the 1600s that a certain member of their crew could be a Jonah and therefore bring them and the ship ba...
The word derives from Anglo-Chinese Pidgin English from the early 18th century and originally meant an idol and was a word picked up and used by sailo...