A-Z Database
No chance at all, the expression is of American origin from c. 1931.
Eric Partridge maintains that this phrase is now Standard English and means that something or other is not all plain sailing or easy. It dates from th...
see All that glitters is not gold
Mentally deficient, dates from the mid-18th century.
Means not as bad as one is made out to be dates from the mid-1500s.
If someone is not at the races, they are not performing at their best. It derives from not being in the race, which means much the same thing i.e. los...
British understatement that expresses annoyance or irritation; dates from the mid-18th century and still enjoys popularity.
This expression dating from the early 19th century means not by any means or not at all and is sometimes used in the context of a contest. Its origin...
This expression has a similar meaning to not by a long chalk but its origin is from archery or shooting and therefore is much older, from at least the...
See By no stretch of the imagination
see Swing a cat
See No room to swing a cat
This means not at any price. The most populous nation on earth produces and drinks an awful lot of tea. Therefore, to decline something for all the te...
see Toffee
In expressions like ‘couldn’t give a fig’ or ‘not giving a fig’, the word fig is not, as often supposed, a euphemism for the f word. Since late mediev...