A-Z Database
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...
Since the 16th century, a mausoleum is a stately tomb or sepulchre and the word derives from King Mausolus of Caria, an ancient kingdom situated in so...
This American expression has come to symbolise unconventional or nonconformist behaviour and describes those who do not adhere to the herd instinct. I...
see Months of the year
This is, of course, is the famous catchphrase from the first Star Wars movie (1977) and remains a continual theme throughout all the sequels and prequ...
Mayday, repeated three times, has become the official international radio signal for distress. It was coined in 1923 by Frederick Mockford (1897-1962)...
During the 13th century, maim and mayhem were interchangeable words deriving from the same Anglo-Norman roots maime or mayhem meaning to inflict cripp...
Historians still argue over whether mayonnaise is a Spanish or French invention. What is indisputable is that this emulsion of egg yolks, olive oil an...
American slang for money dates from the late 19th/early 20th century from the Yiddish mezumman medieval Hebrew for cash.
This well-known catchphrase, supposedly drawn from the Tarzan movies, was actually never used in any of the Tarzan movies, nor was it ever used in any...
A Latin phrase extracted from the liturgy of the Mass that means my fault. It dates from the 14th century, extracted from the Mass, in the general sen...
An American metaphor for a benefactor who provides a livelihood for others and dates from the late 19th century, from the allusion to providing food a...
Obsequious, afraid or reticent to speak one’s mind as if one, literally, had a mouthful of meal, the powdery, flour-like substance made from ground, e...