A - Z Database
A poisoned chalice is a metaphor for something that appears to be a reward, seemingly beneficial to the recipient, but in reality could be harmful or...
To jab or punch with the fist, is pugilistic slang from the late 18th century. It is also slang for sexual intercourse, which dates from the early 190...
see Stick one’s nose in
A poker face or a person who is poker faced is expressionless and gives nothing away, an Americanism dates from the late 19th century and derives from...
In its figurative sense, pole axed means to be stunned. In its literal sense, no one in his or her right mind would want to be pole axed, because it m...
Polka-dotted fabrics first made their appearance in Britain in 1857 when the dance craze, the polka, was at its height. The dance was so popular at th...
A poltergeist is a spirit that makes itself known by making noises and the word is a loan word from the German, dating from the early 19th century. It...
Australian and New Zealand slang for the British and British immigrants in particular. The term dates from around the turn of the 19th/20th century an...
This expression has passed into the language since the early 17th century meaning a showy or extravagant celebration, sometimes with a hint of unneces...
British informal word for a pimp or an effeminate, dressy man dates from the late 19th century and the origin remains unknown. Some sources maintain i...
South African informal term for a crudely made shack of tin, wood etc dates from the early 20th century and derives from the Cape Malay pondok meaning...
British slang for £25 (25 pounds sterling) and is first attested from the late 18th century. The origin is unknown, despite many different theories. S...
The name of this breed of dog is associated with the word puddle, more specifically from the German pudelhund, where pudel means, ‘to splash in water’...
A poof is an effeminate male homosexual and is British slang that dates from the mid-19th century, possibly from poof, an imitative vocal gesture of d...
To pooh-pooh something is a vocal gesture of disdain or contempt dates from the late 1600s and is imitative of puffing something away and dismissing i...