A–Z index of English idioms & phrase origins

Every idiom, folk-etymology correction, origin essay and guide on idiominsider.com, in one place — each dated, sourced and given an honest verdict on the popular story.

Idioms & phrases (A–Z) (86)

• “Beat Around the Bush” — Origin, Meaning and First Recorded Use 1440
• “Burn the Midnight Oil”: The Origin, Properly Sourced 1635
• “Eat Humble Pie” — the deer-offal pie behind the phrase 1663
• “Pull Someone’s Leg” — Origin, Meaning & First Recorded Use 1859
• “Throw in the Towel” — the boxing signal that grew out of an older sponge 1913
• “White Elephant”: The Ruinous Royal Gift That History Can’t Confirm 1721
• A blessing in disguise 1713
• a chip on your shoulder 1830
• a dime a dozen 1894
• a wolf in sheep’s clothing 1382
• at loggerheads 1680
• back to square one 1952
• baker’s dozen 1614
• Barking Up the Wrong Tree 1832
• beat a dead horse 1859
• big wig 1772
• bite off more than you can chew 1877
• bite the bullet 1890
• break a leg 1948
• break the ice 1579
• bring home the bacon 1906
• burning the candle at both ends 1611
• bury the hatchet 1680
• by and large 1669
• cat got your tongue 1911
• caught red-handed 1819
• chew the fat 1885
• Close but no cigar 1929
• cloud nine
• cold shoulder 1816
• Cost an Arm and a Leg 1949
• crocodile tears 1563
• cry over spilt milk 1659
• Cut the mustard 1886
• cut to the chase 1929
• dead ringer 1878
• Face the music 1834
• hands down 1832
• head over heels 1771
• hunky-dory 1866
• Jump on the Bandwagon 1899
• Jump the gun 1921
• kick the bucket 1785
• Let sleeping dogs lie 1822
• let the cat out of the bag 1760
• mad as a hatter 1829
• mind your Ps and Qs 1756
• once in a blue moon 1833
• paint the town red 1883
• pie in the sky 1911
• piece of cake 1936
• posh 1914
• pull out all the stops 1865
• raining cats and dogs 1738
• red herring 1807
• riding shotgun 1905
• rule of thumb 1685
• saved by the bell 1890
• sleep tight 1916
• son of a gun 1708
• Speak of the devil 1666
• spill the beans 1908
• steal someone’s thunder 1729
• straight from the horse’s mouth 1861
• the apple of my eye 885
• the ball is in your court
• the bee’s knees 1922
• the bitter end 1627
• the cat’s pyjamas 1919
• The Elephant in the Room 1959
• the full monty 1986
• The pot calling the kettle black 1620
• the proof is in the pudding 1605
• the real mccoy 1856
• the third degree 1883
• the whole kit and caboodle 1884
• the whole nine yards 1962
• the whole shebang 1869
• the writing on the wall 1720
• Through Thick and Thin 1387
• to 86 something 1920
• turn a blind eye 1698
• Under the Weather 1786
• wet your whistle 1390
• When pigs fly 1581
• Wild goose chase 1597

Origin stories (5)

• The Origin of Boycott: The Land Agent Who Became a Verb
• The Origin of Gerrymander: A Governor, a Map, and a Salamander
• The Origin of OK: A Boston Joke That Ate the World
• The Origin of Quiz: Debunking the Dublin Bet
• The Origin of Sandwich: The Earl, the Card Table, and the Documented Truth

Guides (8)

• A beginner’s guide to etymology sources: what OED, Etymonline, Green’s and the rest are good for
• Biblical phrases in everyday English: which are genuine, which only sound holy
• How meanings drift: broadening, narrowing, amelioration and pejoration
• How Phrase Origins Are Established
• Nautical Phrases That Aren’t: The Work of CANOE
• Reading the OED’s Dating Conventions: A Reference Guide
• Why Folk Etymologies Spread
• Words and idioms that reversed meaning: a reference list with dates

Essays & from the blog (47)

• Why Replacing Credentialing Spreadsheets Is Harder Than Buying New Software
• Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse”: A Guide to Its Use
• In the Nick of Time”: The History and Relevance of This Phrase
• Haste Makes Waste”: A Timeless Adage Explained
• Get Off on the Wrong Foot”: How to Avoid This Common Mistake
• Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining”: Meaning and Usage in Daily Life
• Feather in Your Cap”: Understanding Its Origins and Use
• Eager Beaver”: The History and Social Implications of the Phrase
• Cry Over Spilled Milk”: Why This Phrase Endures
• Close But No Cigar”: A Phrase for Near Successes
• Chasing Your Tail”: The Origin and Modern Interpretation
• Call It a Day”: Meaning, Usage, and Synonyms
• The Best of Both Worlds”: How to Use This Idiom Effectively
• Burning Bridges”: When to Use This Cautionary Phrase
• A Stone’s Throw Away”: Understanding Its Use and Misuse
• Pull Yourself Up by Your Bootstraps”: What Does It Really Mean?
• The Origins of “Let the Cat Out of the Bag”: Fact or Fiction?
• How to Incorporate “The Whole Nine Yards” into Your Vocabulary
• Throw in the Towel” vs “Wave the White Flag”: A Comparative Guide
• Burning the Candle at Both Ends”: Meaning and Modern Applications
• Break a Leg”: The History and Cultural Significance of a Theatrical Phrase
• Kick the Bucket”: What Does It Mean and Why Is It Controversial?
• The Best Ways to Use “Hit the Sack” in Informal Settings
• How to Choose Between “On the Fence” and “In Two Minds”
• The Evolution of “Spill the Beans”: From Ancient Greece to Modern Slang
• Barking Up the Wrong Tree”: Meaning, Usage, and Examples
• Under the Weather” vs “Feeling Blue”: Which Phrase to Use When?
• The Origin of “A Piece of Cake”: Is It Really That Sweet?
• How to Use “Costs an Arm and a Leg” in Everyday Conversations
• What Does “Bite the Bullet” Mean and How Is It Used?
• Break the Ice” vs “Cut the Cheese”: What’s the Difference?
• Notes: ‘Enshittification’, Spotted in the Wild and Run Down
• Reading the OED’s Dating Conventions Properly: a1400, c1500, and the Dagger
• Ghosts in the Machine: Why Some Metaphors Outlive Their Referent
• The Phrases Dying Right Now — and What Replaces Them
• Words That Turned Round: Idioms and Terms That Reversed Meaning Entirely
• Google Ngram: what it shows and what it can’t
• How first attestation is actually established
• How chain emails and viral posts became folk etymology
• The acronym problem: why “posh”, “golf” and “tips” aren’t acronyms
• Who invented “saved by the bell”? The safety-coffin myth vs the boxing record
• The rule of thumb story: tracing a myth to its source
• Why We Publish “Origin Unknown”
• Wartime Slang That Outlived the War
• The King James Bible’s Quiet Grip on Everyday Speech
• By and Large: How Sailors Gave English So Much of Its Vocabulary
• The Phrases Shakespeare Actually Coined — and the Ones He Only Popularised