A - Z Database
Is to jeer, boo or express disapproval and derives from the world of the theatre where the custom used to be to hiss like a goose to express disapprov...
An alternative way of sacking or firing someone dates from the early 20th century. See also fire someone and get the sack.
To fire or dismiss from employment, from the allusion of elbowing someone away, is British informal and dates from the 1970s, according to Eric Partri...
see Needle someone
see Get the nod
This expression is usually in the form of someone or other giving one the pip, which means that the person in question is very annoying or irritating....
see Run-around
see Not give someone the time of day
see Tip someone the wink
To chastise or punish someone dates from 1873 according to the OED. It is thought to have arisen in informal speech in response to the question, “What...
see Bash/bash on
To give something a fillip is to give it impetus or stimulation and this usage dates from the early 1700s. A fillip (sometimes spelt filip) is an imit...
see Everything but (or including) the kitchen sink
View with suspicion or hostility, an American expression dates from the early 1960s derives from glowering at someone with lowered eyebrows and partia...
see Get the nod