A - Z Database
It is surprising how many people still propound the folk etymology that a British monarch actually knighted this cut of beef. At least three monarchs...
To sit back means to be inactive and do nothing and dates from the mid-20th century.
During The Middle Ages, salt was such a prized commodity that only the high table where the nobles sat had salt. The other tables were not only offset...
see Between two stools
A shortening of ‘situation comedy’ a genre of comedy radio and TV series featuring the same characters on a repetitive basis. An Americanism first at...
To sit on one’s hands means to withhold applause or fail to take appropriate action and dates from the early 20th century. From the mid-20th century,...
To sit on something means to take no action or deliberately suppress something and dates from the mid-20th century.
To be non-committal or undecided, an American expression from the early 19th century that is now Standard English.
To sit out or sit through something means to stay until the very end and this usage dates from the early 18th century.
To sit something out, as in refraining to take part, dates from the mid-1600s and has a slightly different to sit out something, which means to stay u...
To sit tight means to bide one’s time and take no action until more information is available, dates from the late 19th/early 20th century.
see Sit out something
An easily accomplished task, usually in a sporting context i.e. an easy catch, shot, etc dates from the late 19th century in the first instance for a...
Used metaphorically for an easy target or prey since the 1940s before this of course it related to duck shooting and thus could be hundreds of years o...
Sitting pretty means to be in an advantageous or winning position and is an Americanism that dates from the early 20th century.