Idiom Insider The origins, properly sourced
The origins, properly sourced How we source & date Folk etymologies corrected Established 2026
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Attested

First recorded 1800s
the whole kit and caboodle
The entire collection of people or things in question, with nothing whatever left out; absolutely everything, taken together.
Attested1884
Sporting
dead ringer
A person or thing that looks so exactly like another that the two are easily mistaken for one.
Attested1878
First recorded 1900s
the bee’s knees
Something or someone regarded as outstanding, the height of excellence, in a playful, informal register that dates from 1920s slang.
Attested1922
Sporting
straight from the horse’s mouth
Information obtained directly from the person or source with the most authority on it, rather than through rumour or second-hand report.
Attested1861
Legal
baker’s dozen
Thirteen of something rather than twelve, the extra item given as a small measure of good faith or generosity.
Attested1614
First recorded pre-1600
crocodile tears
A display of insincere or feigned sorrow, put on to win sympathy or deflect blame while feeling no genuine grief at all.
Attested1563
First recorded 1700s
big wig
A bigwig is an important, powerful or high-ranking person, especially one whose self-importance the speaker finds faintly ridiculous.
Attested1772
First recorded 1600s
at loggerheads
To be at loggerheads is to be locked in a stubborn dispute, unable to reach agreement with the other side.
Attested1680
First recorded 1800s
pull out all the stops
To pull out all the stops is to make every possible effort and use all available resources to achieve something.
Attested1865
Legal
caught red-handed
To be caught red-handed is to be discovered in the very act of doing something wrong, with the evidence undeniable.
Attested1819