A - Z Database
The expression, cool as a cucumber, describing someone as calm and unruffled has been around since the 18th century. Cut cucumbers are indeed cool to...
This has been a popular cliché since the late 19th century according to the OED, which gives a first citation for 1885 when it appeared in a law journ...
To cool one’s heels is to be kept waiting, usually beyond the bounds of accepted courtesy. The original literal meaning was to cool or rest one’s feet...
see Cool
Offensive, Southern States American slang for a black person dates from the early 19th century from an abbreviation of raccoon, a black-faced animal p...
Cop is an abbreviation of copper, slang for a police officer, which dates from the mid-19th century. Copper, as in police officer, derives from the di...
An act of reneging or avoiding the issue, an American expression dates from c.1940. See also Cop/copper.
Copy as in written text for a manuscript, article or an advertisement dates from the late 15th century as does its alternative sense to replicate or i...
Copybook, an adjective meaning as is expected or in accordance with set rules, dates from the mid-1600s and derives from school copybooks where correc...
see Blimey
British slang for something that settles or closes an argument or discussion, from the allsion to closing or corking a bottle. A corker, as in 'an abs...
Corner meaning a place or a region, as in 'a quiet corner of England', dates from the 1500s. Corner, as in a difficult situation, is first cited in th...
In the commercial sense of control or dominate a market for something or other dates from the early 19th century.
An American expression meaning trite, timeworn or old-fashioned dates from the early 20th century. In America at that time, anything from the country...
Corporal is the lowest non-commissioned officer rank in the army. Commissioned officers, lieutenants and above, carried the King or Queen’s Commission...