A-Z Database
The peacock has been used as a symbol of vanity and ostentation since ancient times, in English, certainly from The Middle Ages. Chaucer in The Reeve’...
see Mind one’s Ps and Qs
The coining of this expression is attributed to Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington (1769-1852) who directed it at Harriette Wilson, one of his many...
Pukka means sure, certain, thorough or the genuine article, and dates in English from the late 17th century. It derives from the Hindi pakka meaning r...
Play an unfair trick, to get away with something deceitful, an Americanism dates from the 1920s, perhaps from to play fast and loose.
There are many fables in many languages, certainly French and English, about a clever monkey or fox using a cat’s paw or foot to pull hot, roasted che...
Pull finger or pull one’s finger out means to stop messing about, or stop standing by idly, and get a move on with whatever task is at hand. Some sour...
This expression is usually in the form of the imperative, 'pull your socks up', originally an admonishment to smarten up, probably directed at school...
To pull one’s punches means to use less force or to be lenient, and this figurative usage dates from the 1930s. The expression derives, of course, fro...
Regain control of one’s composure and emotions, otherwise risk falling apart, dates from the second half of the 19th century.
To pull oneself up by the bootstraps is an American metaphor for making a superhuman effort on one’s own, without any help from others, in attempting...
This figurative expression means to exert or apply maximum effort and derives from organ-playing, when an organist has to display maximum dexterity by...
US slang meaning to warn or alert someone, from the allusion to tugging on their clothing, dates from the 1950s.
see Leg pulling
This metaphor derives from the strings or wires that manipulate puppets. Hence, to pull strings means to use one’s influence to manipulate a situation...