A - Z Database
This expression dates from the late 1400s and originates in a military context denoting a battle on a grand scale or of great strength and size. It wa...
A glorious expression that describes madness or eccentricity has been around since the late 19th century and the earliest citations indicate it is of...
To be the be-all and end-all is to be the dominant or supreme factor. It can also be used to describe someone who has an insufferable, over-inflated o...
see Cleft stick
see Fine fettle
To be in or out of favour with someone, dates from the early 19th century and means the same thing as to be in someone’s good or bad graces, which dat...
see Greatness
see On one’s mettle
see Cup of tea
see On one’s beam ends
British slang for a judge or magistrate, dates from the early 19th century and derives from earlier British slang ‘harm and beck’ or ‘herman beck’ (or...
This catchphrase is from the TV and movie series Star Trek, which first aired on TV in 1966. The expression is often used as a jocular way to extract...
American informal for an accountant or bookkeeper, first attested from the early 1970s.
Apparently, beans were much more sought after in olden days than they are today. Therefore, a bean feast was a special annual dinner given by employer...
Brimless, knitted cap derives from bean, which is American slang for head. First known appearance of beanie in print is c.1904.