A - Z Database
Under one’s nose means in plain sight but often with the implication that one cannot actually see it until prompted. It dates in this sense from the m...
Under the auspices, control, jurisdiction or sponsorship of, dates from the 1700s. The allusion is to the shield of Zeus, which was called the Aegis,...
see Under one’s belt and also Below the belt
A cosh is a short, weighted stick or truncheon, commonly carried by street ruffians, and dates from 1869, according to the OED. The origin is unknown,...
Under pressure to perform, presumably as if someone was holding a gun to one’s head, is of American origin and is first attested from c. 1926.
To be under the hammer means that something is up for sale at public auction where, traditionally a hammer is struck to signify the end of bidding. As...
To undergo surgery, dates from the late 19th century, first attested c. 1880.
Under the pump means the same thing as under the cosh or under the gun i.e. to be under pressure, and dates in this sense from the 1950s. There is lit...
To be under the radar or fly under the radar is to act surreptitiously so to avoid being noticed or detected and has been used in this metaphorical se...
To be under the thumb is a very old expression meaning to be under someone’s command or control and dates in this sense from the late 1500s. The expre...
Somewhat indisposed, not feeling well, dates from the early 19th century. Although the origin is not certain, it is reasonable to conjecture that the...
Undercooked or underdone is a sports commentators’ cliché from the early 21st century meaning a lack of match practice. Presumably the metaphor derive...
Describes dubious, surreptitious, possibly cheating tactics and derives from gambling during the 17th century, when card players had to keep their han...
This increasingly overused word is from the mid-20th century (1956 according to the OED) and has come to mean the opposite of overwhelm. Overwhelm its...
Ever since Shakespeare coined this expression in Henry IV Part II, Act III, Scene I, in 1597/98, it has been a way of describing the constant pressure...