A-Z Database
see For a song
In great demand and selling fast dates from the mid-19th century when freshly baked cakes and pies sold quickly at fairs and markets, as indeed they s...
Dismiss someone summarily and ignominiously as with all his or her belongings dates from the 1500s and was a common expression in the time of Shakespe...
see Flea in the ear
Originally, an American expression for committing someone to prison as in sending someone up for five years and dates from the mid-19th century, becom...
To be ostracised and shunned for some transgression or other dates from the 18th century. Its origin is obscure but common sense suggests it must have...
Means to distinguish between mature professionals and mere novices. The expression is of American origin and dates from the 1930s. It is ascribed by s...
Separate or sort out the good from the not so good, the source is the Bible, Matthew 25: 32, “Ass a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.”
Means very much the same thing as separate the sheep from the goats and, moreover, is from the same source - the Bible. It is implicit in Jeremiah 23:...
see Months of the year
Australian rhyming slang for a yank, septic tank/yank. It was first used to describe American armed services personnel who were stationed in Australia...
Means the occurrence or development of events by fate or chance in a satisfactory or beneficial way. The word was coined in 1754 by Horace Walpole (17...
see Toast
An ancient metaphor for something that is permanent and cannot be changed. It is centuries old and exists in many different languages and cultures. It...
Like a street trader with a stall, it means to be organised, display one’s credentials and get ready for business, frequently used in British sporting...