A - Z Database
British military slang from c. 1925 meaning to look, as in to take a shufti at something. It derives from the Arabic shufti meaning, have you seen?
An Americanism for preventing an opposing team from scoring as in baseball, football, etc dates from the late 19th century. See also Keep a clean shee...
This proverb about acting too late or taking pointless precautions after the event, appears in various forms from as early as 14th century. Sometimes...
see Close/shut your eyes and think of England
This is mid-19th century American slang, initially for a crooked or shyster lawyer, but now descriptive of any dubious businessperson or confidence tr...
Generally, dogs are scavengers and will eat anything. They will soon, however, sick up whatever has disagreed with them. The expression is first recor...
Curiously enough, this expression does not mean the same thing as sick as a dog, which is to feel very sick. Sick as a parrot means to be very depress...
Sickbays aboard ships were not called sickbays until the early 19th century. Before this, they were called sick berths and were situated in the bow of...
see Split one’s sides laughing
The word sideburns is American and is a transverse of burnsides. It refers to men’s facial hair grown down the sides of the face but keeping the chin...
American expression for a partner or friend dates from the late 19th /early 20th century and derives from the earlier sidekicker, which dates from the...
A welcome person or event, first coined by Jonathan Swift in Polite Conversations c. 1738. “The sight of you is good for sore eyes.”
A significant other is any person who plays an important and lasting role in one’s life, such as a partner, spouse, mistress, relative etc, an America...
A silk is a British colloquial expression for a King’s or Queen's Counsel, an advocate or jurist that holds status and prestige above that of ordinary...
see Make a silk purse from a sow’s ear