A-Z Database
This expression signifying a complexity of forces or influences is taken from the Bible, Ezekiel 1:16. “As it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.”
Modify one’s behaviour and manners in accordance with local practice. This saying was coined by St Ambrose (c. 340-397 AD) when he wrote, “Si fueris R...
see Crunch
The earliest citation found for this is Fernando De Rojas (c.1465-1538) in La Celestina Act XV, “When one door closes, fortune will usually open anoth...
"When pigs fly or have wings is an expression or retort that means much the same thing as 'when hell freezes over.' In other words, it emphasises some...
When push comes to shove means it is time for more force or commitment to resolve a situation, and is first recorded in America from the late 19th cen...
When the chips are down signifies the critical moment of truth in any situation or endeavour. It is originally an American expression dating from the...
This is a very old English metaphor for a long, indefinite period of time, deriving from the long, slow time that it takes cows to return from the fie...
see Penny drops
This proverb means there is always a way of achieving something if the desire and determination are strong enough. This proverb is first encountered i...
This proverb is strongly associated with Yorkshire, but only because it is usually delivered in a stagey Yorkshire accent. It means of course that the...
see No smoke without fire
To whet one’s appetite means to stimulate one’s sense of anticipation, especially for food, and dates from the late 1600s. Whet, of course, means to s...
see Wimp
see Lick into shape