A-Z Database
see Englishman’s home is his castle.
see By all/any manner of means
A person can be judged by his or her manners. The saying is attributed to William of Wykeham (1324-1404); it is the motto of the school, Winchester Co...
This is a very ancient proverb, sometimes attributed to Homer c.700 BC. Its first appearance in print in English was during the 16th century.
A very ancient proverb known to both the Greeks and the Romans; first appears in English in Proverbs by John Heywood in 1546.
The English word map first cited in English in 1527 derives from the Latin mappa, which means tablecloth or napkin because most of the early maps were...
see Months of the year
see Mad as a March hare
A mare’s nest is a hoax, an illusion or a confused and illogical mess. The expression dates from the early 17th century and is preceded by an earlier...
This often-heard admonishment dates from the 15th century and makes use of one of the many meanings of mark i.e. to take notice of or pay attention.
According to the Bible, this was the mark that God put on Cain to protect him, from Genesis 4:15, “And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest any finding h...
Any number of prepositions can precede 'the mark', which is a fixed or recognised target, goal, or standard, and dates from the Middle English period,...
From the Latin root marmelo, meaning a quince, because in the 1400s all marmalade was made from quinces. Only from the 16th century was marmalade made...
This confectionery paste made from almonds and sugar was known as marchpane in the 1400s, deriving from the Latin Marci panis, which meant St Mark’s b...
Maudlin means weak, mawkish or sentimental and the word dates from the 1600s. It derives from the proper name Magdalene, after Mary Magdalene, who in...