A - Z Database
Rugger is upper class student slang for rugby and is probably one of the first examples of what lexicographers call ‘The Oxford –er’. Soccer from asso...
Means a rough and ready estimation, measurement or way of working and dates from the 17th century. Therefore, it has nothing whatsoever to do with any...
To rule the roost is to dominate, to be in control and dates in this form from the 18th century. Before this, from at least the early 1500s, the expre...
Means to manage or govern with strict or harsh discipline. The source is the New Testament Revelation 2: 27 “And he shall rule them with a rod of iron...
US slang for a street or gang fight dates from the 1940s.
Rumbled is British informal for being found out or caught out, especially when doing something dubious or illegal. It dates from the late 19th century...
The rhyming couplet, rump pumpy, is jocular British slang for sexual intercourse, and dates from the late 1960s. It is not known who actually coined t...
Dash around without purpose; this expression will be as old as the practice of slaughtering chickens that often run, jerk and move after decapitation....
To give someone the run-around is to deliberately mislead or confuse them, an Americanism that dates from the late 19th century.
see Give someone a run for their money.
Figurative for merely average, ordinary, an American expression that dates from the late 19th century and originally alluded to ordinary, unsupervised...
Give someone such a hard time so as to exhaust them and give them the appearance of being reduced to rags. The expression dates from the early 20th ce...
Means to outclass and overcome an opponent and dates in this figurative sense from the late 19th century. The expression derives from hunting during t...
To run interference means to help clear the way for another, deal with problems, obstacles etc and dates from the early 20th century. The expression d...
This expression has nothing to do with gauntlet as in glove. There are two distinct etymologies for the word gauntlet. The first and oldest is gauntle...