A - Z Database
see In the deep end
see Half cocked
Carry on doing something or other happily and regardless. An informal British expression that dates from the late 19th century.
This expression began life as an obvious, literal nautical term during the 1600s but only acquired its figurative meaning of doing or saying something...
Fly into a violent rage an American expression that dates from the early 1990s derives from the Oklahoma killing of fourteen US postal workers by fell...
To go south appears to be of American origin and means to deteriorate or decline as in sales, stock markets, value of assets etc. It seems to have der...
British colloquialism meaning to become extremely agitated or lose one’s temper dates in this sense from the 1950s but earlier, before WWII, it meant...
see Straight
see Whole hog
Go through great difficulties or hardship, surprisingly dates from the early 19th century, according to the OED. Therefore, one must assume the mill t...
Give the appearance of doing something without actually doing it or without doing it wholeheartedly dates from c. 1920.
see Through the roof
Go to great lengths (of time, understood), spend a long time or take a lot of trouble to affect something or other, dates from the late 17th century.
see Going to hell in a hand basket/hand cart
see Gone to pot