Phrases and Sayings

This page is about phrases and sayings that are more or less well–known in English, and their origins. It also includes some individual words, particularly those that are derived from the names of people or places.

Rhyming phrase, coined in 1992 by writer Terence Blacker to describe specifically the novels of Joanna Trollope: later used to describe any family–based story dealing with British middle–class country or village life		Aga saga
The four words that Samuel Pepys customarily used to end his diary entries		And so to bed
Commonly attributed to Louis XV, but more accurately to his mistress Madame de Pompadour – adopted as a motto by RAF 617 Squadron (the Dam Busters)		Apres moi le deluge (After me, the flood)
Used as the title of a video game released 2010: term coined by F. D. Roosevelt to describe how he wanted the USA to act in providing arms to Britain and the Soviet Union during World War II		Arsenal of Democracy
Term coined by George W. Bush in his State of the Union speech, January 2002, describing governments that he accused of helping terrorism and seeking to develop weapons of mass destruction – specifically Iran, Iraq and North Korea		Axis of Evil
A small country, often led by a corrupt government, whose economy depends upon either one internally–produced commodity or the revenue generated by foreign companies or investors (term coined by the American writer O. Henry in Cabbages and Kings, 1904)		Banana republic
Indian city whose name gave rise to a neologism (added to theurbandictionary.com in 2004) indicating a layoff, often systemic, and usually resulting from corporate outsourcing in order to lower wage costs		Bangalore
Sold in the Manchester department of a shop, in Australia and New Zealand		Bed linen (etc.)
US revolutionary whose name became a byword for treachery or betrayal, after he changed sides in the War of Independence; but the breakfast dish (eggs Benedict) is not named after him		Benedict Arnold
19th century US newspaper publishers – father and son – whose name (probably referring to the son) has been used since the mid–20th century, particularly in Britain, as an expression of surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust or frustration		(James) Gordon Bennett, Sr. and Jr.
Originally signified an area beyond English rule in Dublin (16th century)		Beyond the Pale
According to the maxim or proverb (used as an album title by The Faces in 1971), a nod's as good as a wink to ...		... a blind horse
Prussian general at Waterloo, gave his name to a type of boot		Leberecht von Blucher
Originated in Spain, arising from the whiteness of the skin of the nobility (veins showing as blue)		Blue blood
Term for a prestigious company, or its stock – derived from the highest currency denomination used in poker		Blue chip
The third full moon in a season that has four (most seasons have three. Often defined as the second of two full moons in the same calendar month)		Blue moon
Used by editors to correct copy – also used pejoratively to refer to censorship		Blue pencil
"Workplace jargon" for visionary or idealistic ideas – not always with a practical application		Blue sky thinking
Nickname given to zealous fans of 1940s American pop music, especially that of Frank Sinatra – usually teenage girls, after a particular item of clothing that they tended to wear		Bobby soxers
May have been coined in 1887 when Prime Minister Lord Salisbury selected his nephew A. J. Balfour (later to succeed him as PM) as Chief Secretary for Ireland		Bob's your uncle
A place where dutiable goods are stored until the duty is paid		Bonded warehouse
Ceremonial burning of books and jewellery by Savonarola in 15th century Florence		Bonfire of the Vanities
Victorian self–appointed censor of Shakespeare: his name has become a byword for "to censor"		Dr. Thomas Bowdler
English land agent with whom the Irish Land League refused to deal, 1879–81		Boycott (Capt. Charles)
Palace built by Henry VIII, whose name later became a byword for a police station or prison		Bridewell
"the faceless gnomes of Zurich" was a phrase coined in 1964 by		George Brown
US psychologist, gave his name to a type of squat thrust that starts and ends in a standing position		Royal H. Burpee
Leisure time spent doing something similar to what you do at work		Busman's holiday
Title of a novel by Joseph Heller, first published in 1961: came to mean any situation from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions		Catch–22
19th Century Earl, gave name to a sofa and an overcoat		Chesterfield
Dish jokingly referred to as "Jewish penicillin"		Chicken soup
Originates in an American custom where someone looking for a fight would invite his adversary to knock a piece of wood off his shoulder		Chip on one's shoulder
Phrase meaning a fanciful or ideal place – originating in Aristophanes's The Birds, where it was a city built in the sky		Cloud–cuckoo–land
Unintentional injury to non–combatants, as a result of military action – a phrase first used in 1961 by the US economist (and future Nobel laureate) Thomas C. Schelling		Collateral damage
Phrase meaning going without underwear, said to have gained currency after it was used in a 1996 episode of Friends (but of obscure origin): going ...		Commando
Phrase coined by Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow to describe their break–up in 2014		Conscious uncoupling
Used in the media to characterise a period of increased pride in the culture of the United Kingdom throughout most of the 1990s, inspired by 1960s pop culture – epitomised by Britpop, Oasis and the Spice Girls (title of a song from the Bonzo Dog Doo–Dah Band's 1967 debut album, Gorilla)		Cool Britannia
Creature once thought to shed tears as it devoured its prey – giving rise to an expression used to describe insincere grief or remorse		Crocodile
Phrase arising from Julius Caesar's action in entering Roman Italy with the 13th Legion in 49 BC, in his campaign against Pompey, thus committing a capital offence and plunging the Roman Republic into civil war; the phrase involves the name of a river that marked the border between Cisalpine Gaul (a province) and the part of Italy that was directly controlled by Rome; Caesar is said to have uttered the famous phrase alea iacta est – "the die is cast"		Crossing the Rubicon
Slogan variously credited to Harry G. Selfridge, or his one–time American employer Marshal Field, or the French hotelier Cesar Ritz		The customer is always right
Someone who spends too much time watching television – a term coined, according to one source, by the US cartoonist Robert Armstrong, in his "Official Handbook" for them (1982)		Couch potato
Phrase meaning something that's neither exclusively good nor exclusively bad, originating in a cartoon of 1895		Curate's egg
First appeared in a poem by Henry Woodfall, published in The Gentleman's Magazine in 1735: their names became a byword for a happily married couple, leading quiet, uneventful lives		John & Joan Darby
Phrase originating in engineering, where it means "any position of a crank where the applied force is straight along its axis, meaning no turning force can be applied."		Dead centre
Can be a type of fungus, coral, or seaweed, or the gills of a crab		Dead Man's Fingers
English hangman from the Elizabethan era: gave his name to a gallows, and so (by analogy) to a type of modern–day crane (associated with ships, docks and construction sites)		Thomas Derrick
Needs must when ...		the Devil drives
Originally denoted an official position in the Catholic Church, in which a canon lawyer, also known as the Promoter of Faith, "argued against the canonization (sainthood) of a candidate in order to uncover any character flaws or misrepresentation evidence favoring canonization."		Devil's advocate
Someone who holds on to something simply to prevent another person from using it, having no use for it himself		Dog in the manger
Catchphrase of Homer Simpson: defined by the New Oxford Dictionary of English in 2001 as "[an] exclamation used to comment on an action perceived as foolish or stupid"		D'oh!
Event held annually in the eponymous district of Dublin, from 1204 to 1855: name became a byword for a disorderly gathering; also gave its name to a tune and a broadside ballad		Donnybrook Fair
Slang word meaning insane, from the name of a British military camp near Bombay where fever sufferers were sent to recover		Doolally (Deolali)
Word used to describe a punishment that's unduly harsh for the seriousness of the offence – in reference to a 7th–century Athenian lawmaker (who shares his name with a character in Harry Potter)		Draconian
Part of a musical instrument: gives its name to a type of cabbage, a court martial held in the field, and the circular top of a capstan, which is pierced with sockets for the levers used in turning it		Drumhead
"Beyond the Pale" refers to the surroundings of		Dublin
A small freight lift, especially when used in a hotel or restaurant when the kitchen and dining room are on different floors – a term popularised in the USA in the mid–19th century (cf. Lazy Susan)		Dumb waiter
Word for a bad scholar, derived from the name of a 13th century Scottish theologian		Dunce (John Scotius Duns)
False bravery, engendered by alcohol – first referred to by the English poet and politician Edmund Waller in Instructions to a Painter (1665)		Dutch courage
"Eat umble pie": umbles are		Entrails (esp. of deer)
"Drawing the long bow"		Exaggerating
Phrase used by US presidents, most famously Nixon, to justify the withholding of documents and information from other branches of government		Executive privilege
Euphemism for the controversial policy of transferring (terrorist) suspects to countries where they may be tortured		Extraordinary rendition
A group that clandestinely undermines a larger group to which it is supposed to be loyal (coined by Nationalist leader Emilio Mola during the Spanish Civil War, as he approached Madrid, to describe sympathisers to his cause inside the city)		Fifth Column
Dates back to the 17th century and refers to the gunpowder in a flintlock musket igniting without firing a bullet		Flash in the pan
Name given to early British settlers, and their descendants, in what is now the US state of Florida – using a historical term for a joker (i.e. anyone who tells jokes) or braggart; subsequently used for breeds of cattle and horse		Florida cracker
Term coined by the American 'Beat poet' Allen Ginsberg in 1965, as a means to transform war protests into peaceful affirmative spectacles: according to Wikipedia, the Hippie culture, including styles of dress, largely evolved from this		Flower power
An unauthorised period of absence from work, or from one's post (originating in the 18th century, and the belief that in the country implicated, it was the custom to leave a party or other social gathering without saying goodbye)		French leave
Biscuit named after an Italian soldier (who allegedly invented it by sitting on an Eccles cake, on a visit to Tynemouth in 1854)		Garibaldi
Term coined in the 1950s by photographer Robert Capa, but popularised in a 1991 novel by Douglas Coupland, referring to people born between the mid–1950s and mid–1960s – many of whom, despite being well educated and well informed, found it hard to obtain meaningful employment		Generation X
Coined the phrase "Let the punishment fit the crime" (in The Mikado)		W. S. Gilbert
Originally an advertising slogan for beer; adopted by the RAF during World War II to mean that someone had been shot down		Gone for a Burton
Description of jealousy, from Shakespeare's Othello		The green–eyed monster
'Goodbye' is an abbreviation (corruption) of		God be with ye (you)
Term used to describe a third person interrupting the wishes of two others to spend time alone (the name of a fruit)		Gooseberry
Cut by Alexander the Great (according to legend) – has become a metaphor for an intractable problem that is solved by a single bold stroke		Gordian Knot
Named after Californian surfer Tom Harvey		Harvey Wallbanger
Term used in rock music, originated in William Burroughs's The Naked Lunch		Heavy metal
Speak of the Devil, and …		He'll appear
Cambridge innkeeper who hired horses in strict rotation		Hobson
Refers to an explosive device (basically a bomb) used in the 16th century for blowing holes in defensive walls – phrase used in Shakespeare's Hamlet		Hoist with [one's] own petar(d)
Reputedly the leader of a gang of 19th century Irish louts		Hooligan
Long pig (term used in the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia)		Human flesh
Term coined 1992 by Al Gore (then a Senator), to describe a unified global system of interactive electronic communication		Information Superhighway
Term used in America to characterise matters that are, or seem to be, important primarily to officials of the federal government, its contractors and lobbyists, and the corporate media who cover them – as opposed to the general population (a reference to the Washington DC ring road)		Inside the Beltway
Phrase made famous by Winston Churchill in a speech made in Fulton, Missouri in 1946. Previously used (but not coined) by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels		Iron Curtain
Italian inventor of a type of bath with a mechanism to agitate the water to give increased invigoration		Candido Jacuzzi
Word of uncertain origin, chosen by Robert Baden–Powell to denote a large gathering of Scouts (the first being held at Kensington Olympia in 1920)		Jamboree
Word meaning aggressive patriotism – originating in a Music Hall song from the time of the Russo–Turkish War, 1877–8; often used to describe the policies of US President Theodore Roosevelt		Jingoism
Someone who discourages or saddens while seeming to offer sympathy or support		Job's comforter
Phrase meaning "every little detail", referring to two printers' marks, originating in the Gospel of St. Matthew ("one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled")		Jot and tittle
Animal that gives its name to a hastily–arranged and unjust court		Kangaroo
Long–forgotten wartime slogan, rediscovered on a poster found in the year 2000 in a second hand bookshop in Alnwick, Northumberland		Keep Calm and Carry On
Someone who enlists in the armed forces may be said to have taken what kind of coin, and whose?		The King's shilling
Term used, in the kind of mediaeval literature satirised by Cervantes in Don Quixote, for a romantic figure who roamed the country in search of adventure to prove his chivalric virtues		Knight errant
A turntable or rotating tray, set in the middle of a dining table to enable diners to help themselves to food – often seen in Chinese restaurants (cf. Dumb waiter)		Lazy Susan
In mediaeval Europe, it was believed that bear cubs were born misshapen, or shapeless, and their mothers had to ... do what?		Lick them into shape
Phrase used in the UK for "gritting one's teeth and putting up with the situation", especially in relation to a woman's role in sexual intercourse		Lie back and think of England
A kind of porridge or stew, served to the sick, hence the traditional name for a surgeon's assistant on board a ship (in both the British and US navies); also came to mean a swamp, giving rise to the names of two species of tree		Loblolly
Obsolete word for a match – especially the non–safety type; originally the King James Version rendering of the Hebrew word used in Isaiah, which means "shining one" or "morning star"; later came to be used as the name of Satan before his fall		Lucifer
Word meaning a slight illness, of mysterious origin, that's easily caught: originates in a 1954 episode of the Goon Show		(The dreaded) Lurgi (lurgy)
City where a besieging general claimed to have four columns encircling the city and a fifth column working secretly within		Madrid
Month that (proverbially) "comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb"		March
British foodstuff that became a metaphor for something or someone that polarises opinions, following an advertising campaign in the mid–1990s ("you either love it or hate it")		Marmite
Pub name from the title of John Manners (1721–70), heir to the 3rd Duke of Rutland, a general in the Seven Years War, who is said to have provided funds for his non–commissioned officers to set up pubs on their retirement (there seems however to be very little conclusive evidence for this)		Marquis of Granby
French drillmaster in the reign of Louis XIV, known as a strict disciplinarian		Jean Martinet
Texas rancher who didn't brand his cattle		Maverick
"March winds and April showers bring forth the … "		May flowers
Interjection, possibly of Yiddish origin but popularised since 1994 through its use in The Simpsons: defined by Chambers Dictionary in 2014 as "expressing indifference or boredom"		Meh
Originally the temperament associated with black bile; meaning depression, or a gloomy state of mind, especially when habitual or prolonged		Melancholy
Australian opera singer, after whom an ice cream confection and a thin, crisp toast were named		(Nellie) Melba
What made hatters mad?		Mercury poisoning
When the cat's away ...		The mice will play
Chicago bartender accused of lacing customers' drinks with knockout drops in order to rob them (1903)		Mickey Finn
Originates in publicans reckoning debts in pints and quarts		Mind your Ps and Qs
In Cornwall, a Wheal is a		Mine
Popular phrase used to denote a hypothetical creature that lies between man and the apes on the evolutionary scale		Missing link
Toasted by Jacobites as "the wee gentleman in the black velvet waistcoat" (being held responsible for the equestrian accident that led to the death of William III)		Mole
Phrase denoting meaningless or incomprehensible language, believed to originate in a custom of the Mandingo tribe of West Africa (when a man would dress up as a supernatural 'minister of justice' in order to resolve domestic disputes)		Mumbo jumbo
Fierce warrior nation described by Homer, troops led by Achilles (his father Peleus was their king); name entered English to mean an unquestioningly loyal follower, or hired ruffian; often used in computer, video and role–playing games		Myrmidons
Coined in 1725 by the satirist Henry Carey to describe (the poems of) his contemporary Ambrose Philips		Namby–Pamby
Term used since the 1960s to describe over–protective Government policies (by future Chancellor Iain McLeod in 1965, later by Bernard Levin and Auberon Waught while lobbying for the tobacco insustry, and by PM Margaret Thatcher); used by Aberdeenshire brewer BrewDog to name a low–alcohol beer introduced in 2009		Nanny state
City that is the subject of an aphorism famously quoted by Goethe in Italian Journey (1786–8): "See ... and die"		Naples
Derisive term for the English, taken by Napoleon from Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations		A nation of shopkeepers
Aphorism commonly attributed to Aristotle, which although he argued for the principle it expresses, he never actually used; although now disproven by science, it is known scientifically by the Latin phrase horror vacui		Nature abhors a vacuum
Saying believed by many (but not Wiktionary) to originate in the Naval punishment of flogging – in reference to a nickname for the type of whip used		Not enough room to swing a cat
Phrase meaning 'in a state of nervous anticipation': derived from the practice of stretching woollen cloth over a frame to prevent shrinkage		On tenterhooks
The phrase "pulling out all the stops" originated in		Organ playing
The first working model of the Solar System, invented by George Graham c1710, was named after his patron the Earl of		Orrery
When your prospects are looking good, the world is said to be your …		Oyster
The dubious practice of giving away complimentary tickets for a theatrical or concert performance, in order to boost attendances		Papering the house
Phrase used by Mao Tse–tung in 1964 to describe the atomic bomb and all reactionaries		Paper tigers
Russian ballerina who gave her name to a dessert		Anna Pavlova
Pop goes the weasel, popping one's clogs: "popping" refers to		Pawning
Term used for the throne of the Mughal (Mogul) and Persian empires		Peacock Throne
Term meaning to die, or otherwise expire, which may (or may not) originate in the game of cribbage, or croquet		Peg out
19th century term for a cheap, sensational form of literature, often published in serial form		Penny dreadful
Name used from the Renaissance onwards to refer to an affectionate, non–sexual relationship (modern usage suggests a misunderstanding of his ideal of love; the term referred originally to a special bond between an older and a younger man, as exemplified by Socrates and his young male pupils, described by Plato in one of his Dialogues)		Plato
English word that entered the language in America, in the 1840s, meaning 'nonsense' – literally from the Dutch meaning 'soft shit'		Poppycock
Invented the International Load Line for ships (1876)		Samuel Plimsoll
Greek general, 318–272 BC, and King of Epirus (297–272 BC), whose victories often came at great cost; he was reported by Plutarch (in Parallel Lives) to have said, after one such, that "one other such victory would utterly undo him"		Pyrrhus
Norwegian Fascist leader who aided the 1940 Nazi invasion		Vidkun Quisling
Originally a ticket given to a spectator at an outdoor event, providing for admission at a later date (in lieu of a refund of entrance money), should the event be interrupted by bad weather; metaphorical usage dates from at least 1896, according to Wikipedia		(Take a) rain check
Something that diverts attention from a line of enquiry – probably originating in the practice of laying a false scent for hounds, during or after a poor day's hunting		Red herring
Marry in haste ...		Repent at leisure
'… a dish best served cold' (according to a popular saying, of obscure origin)		Revenge
Paved with good intentions (proverbially)		The road to Hell
According to the proverb, all roads lead to		Rome
The hand that rocks the cradle ...		Rules the world
Pig in a poke: a poke is a		Sack (or bag)
Phrase coined by Shakespeare, when Cleopatra referred to the time when she was "green in judgement, cold in blood"		Salad days
Popular comestible, said to have been named after English nobleman John Montagu (1718–92)		Sandwich
Fruit, also called a pomelo: named after the naval captain who is said to have brought its seed from the East Indies to Jamaica in 1696; crossed with an orange to produce the grapefruit		Shaddock
A distinguishing practice that indicates one's social or regional origin – from a test used in the Bible (Book of Judges) – Ephraimites couldn't pronounce "sh"		Shibboleth
Phrase meaning 'properly and neatly organised or arranged', referring to a British seaport known for its high quality chandlery		Shipshape and Bristol fashion
Time given to a criminal to confess before execution		Short shrift
'Playing to the gallery'		Showing off
British army officer: eponymous inventor of a shell containing bullets to increase the spread of casualties – first used in 1804		Henry Shrapnel
French finance minister during the Seven Years' War, who gave his name to a method of portraiture		Etienne de Silhouette
'Sent up the river': the original destination (for prison officers) was		Sing Sing Prison
Term coined in 1975 by aspiring writer Peter York and Harpers & Queen features editor Ann Barr, to characterise a stereotypical young upper–middle or upper class person who pursues a distinctive fashionable lifestyle; they collaborated on the Official ... Handbook, which became a global best–seller in 1982		Sloane Ranger
Wading bird, whose erratic flight pattern gave rise to a term for a sharpshooter		Snipe
Defined by Collins English Dictionary as "The young adults of the 2010s, viewed as being less resilient and more prone to taking offence than previous generations"		Snowflake generation
You can't make a silk purse out of a		Sow's ear
Candidate put forward to divide the opposition, or to mask the real candidate and later withdraw		Stalking horse
Metaphor that links Isaac Newton, the UK's £2 coin, Stephen Hawking and the rock band Oasis		(Dwarves) standing on the shoulders of giants
Word used for a tin mine in Devon and Cornwall; also for an administrative region, for taxation		Stannary
Originally meant a hunter's decoy; later a criminal who lured others into crime; modern usage refers to an informant		Stool pigeon
19th Century Russian count and diplomat: gave his name to a beef dish		Stroganoff
Phrase coined by British natural philosopher Herbert Spencer, in 1864 (after reading Darwin)		Survival of the fittest
Held by a single human hair above the head of the eponymous courtier to the elder Dionysius of Syracuse, Sicily, in the 4th century BC		Sword of Damocles
English poet, coined the phrase "nature, red in tooth and claw"		Alfred Lord Tennyson
Military euphemism for aggressive murder, execution or assassination – brought to mainstream attention by its use in the Francis Ford Coppola film Apocalypse Now (1979)		Termination with extreme prejudice
Euphemism for a lie, coined by Winston Churchill in 1906		Terminological inexactitude
Originally applied to the 93rd Highland regiment, after it broke up a Russian attack at the Battle of Balaclava		Thin Red Line
Euphemism for "drunk", particularly associated with George Brown, a member of Harold Wilson's Cabinet, and used as the title of a 1993 biography of him		Tired and emotional
Country named after an Italian city (because of villages built on stilts in Lake Maracaibo)		Venezuela
Phrase originating in the 1886 divorce case of Lord Colin Campbell and Gertrude Elizabeth Blood, which came to be commonly used in Britain for the device marketed as a mutoscope		What the Butler Saw
Said by the Scottish philosopher and historian Thomas Carlyle to have been used by Napoleon Bonaparte, on 26 October 1795, to disperse a Royalist mob in Paris		A Whiff of Grapeshot
Originates in a 17th century custom whereby a boy used to be educated alongside a royal prince and would take the prince's punishment		Whipping boy
An unwanted possession, that's expensive to keep and difficult to get rid of – originating (around 1850) in what kings of Siam used to give to troublesome officials in order to bankrupt them		White elephant
US General Israel Puttnam, before the Battle of Bunker Hill: "Don't one of you shoot until you see …" (sometimes attributed to US historian William Prescott)		The whites of their eyes
Expression that originates in horse racing, when a jockey slackens his grip on the reins		To win hands down
According to an old proverb, a still tongue makes ...		A wise head
Sermon on the Mount: beware of false prophets. They will come as		Wolves in sheep's clothing
Phrase that summarises the code of conduct also known as the Birkenhead drill – following the the evacuation of the Royal Navy troopship of that name in 1852		Women and children first

© Haydn Thompson 2017–24