Allens dictionary of english phrases

PENGUINREFERENCE

Allen’sDictionaryofEnglishPhrases
RobertAllenisanexperiencedlexicographerandwriteronawiderangeoflanguagetopics.
HeeditedthePocketOxfordeditionofFowler’sModernEnglishUsage,contributedtothe
OxfordCompaniontotheEnglishLanguageandtheOxfordHistoryofEnglishLexicography,andis
editor-in-chiefofthePenguinEnglishDictionary.Hehasalsowrittentwovolumesinthe
PenguinWriters’Guidesseries,HowtoWriteBetterEnglishandCommonErrorsandProblemsin
English.RobertAllenlivesinEdinburgh.


Allen’sDictionaryof

ENGLISH
PHRASES
RobertAllen

PENGUINBOOKS


PENGUINBOOKS

PublishedbythePenguinGroup

PenguinBooksLtd,80Strand,LondonWC2R0RL,England

PenguinGroup(USA)Inc.,375HudsonStreet,NewYork,NewYork10014,USA
PenguinGroup(Canada),90EglintonAvenueEast,Suite700,Toronto,Ontario,
CanadaM4P2Y3(adivisionofPearsonPenguinCanadaInc.)
PenguinIreland,25StStephen’sGreen,Dublin2,Ireland

(adivisionofPenguinBooksLtd)

PenguinGroup(Australia),250CamberwellRoad,Camberwell,

Victoria3124,Australia(adivisionofPearsonAustraliaGroupPtyLtd)
PenguinBooksIndiaPvtLtd,11CommunityCentre,
PanchsheelPark,NewDelhi–110017,India

PenguinGroup(NZ),67ApolloDrive,Rosedale,NorthShore0632,
NewZealand(adivisionofPearsonNewZealandLtd)

PenguinBooks(SouthAfrica)(Pty)Ltd,24SturdeeAvenue,
Rosebank,Johannesburg2196,SouthAfrica

PenguinBooksLtd,RegisteredOffices:80Strand,LondonWC2R0RL,England
Firstpublished2006

Publishedinpaperbackwithupdates2008
1

Copyright©RobertAllen,2006,2008
Allrightsreserved

TheauthorandpublisherswouldliketothankAnneSeaton
forhercontributiontotheresearchworkforthisproject.

QuotationsfromtheOxfordEnglishDictionaryarereproduced
bykindpermissionofOxfordUniversityPress.

Themoralrightoftheauthorhasbeenasserted

ExceptintheUnitedStatesofAmerica,thisbookissoldsubjecttotheconditionthatitshallnot,bywayoftradeor

otherwise,belent,re-sold,hiredout,orotherwisecirculatedwithoutthepublisher’spriorconsentinanyformofbindingor
coverotherthanthatinwhichitispublishedandwithoutasimilarconditionincludingthisconditionbeingimposedonthe
subsequentpurchaser
978-0-14-191768-9


ForAlison


Contents
Preface
Introduction
Layoutofentries
Allen’sDictionaryofEnglishPhrases


Preface
ThisbookisintendedtofillamajorgapintherecordoftheEnglishlanguage.Itoffers,for
thefirsttimeonthisscale,ascholarlyandsystematictreatmentofthousandsofidiomatic
phrasesthatplayacrucialroleinmodernspokenandwrittenEnglish,andseekstoprovidea
comprehensivepictureoftheiruseandhistory.Ifwordsarethebuildingblocksoflanguage,
thenphrasesarethewallsandwindows,providingashapeandstructureandallowingthe
daylightofmetaphorandimageryintothedarkenedroomsofeverydaylanguage.
Thetreatmentofphrasesinthemajorhistoricaldictionariesisfarlessrigorousthanthe
coverageofindividualwords;manyaregivenwithasketchyorincompleterecordorare
mergedintotheordinarysensesofwords,andsomearenotincludedatall.Therearemany
booksofidioms,cliches,andcatchphrases,allinvariablyentertainingbutfallingwellshortof
acompletenarrativeandmakinglittleattempttogobeyondconventionalanecdotetotrace

thehistoryandusageofphrasesinsystematicways,whichisakeyfeatureofthisbook.Nor,
generally,dotheyprovideevidenceintheformofquotationsinsupportoftheirhistoryand
development,exceptopportunisticallyandspasmodically.Therehavebeenmorescholarly
books,suchastheOxfordDictionaryofEnglishProverbs(thirdedition,1970),whichlists
proverbiallanguageinabroadersensethanisgenerallyunderstoodbythetermproverband
givescopiouscitationsbutvirtuallynoeditorialcomment.Then,mostfamouslyofall,there
isBrewer’sDictionaryofPhraseandFable(originallybyEbenezerCobhamBrewer,first
publishedin1870andinmanyeditionssince)butdespiteitsgreatappealthisismoreabout
‘fable’than‘phrase’,makesonlyoccasionalattemptstoexplaintheevolutionandhistoryof
phrases,andrarelydatesthem.Inthisbook,Ihaveattemptedtosupplyasfullarecordas
possibleatalllevels:historical,philological,andanecdotal.
Compilingthisbookhastakenseveralyearsandinvolvedconsiderableamountsoforiginal
investigation.Assemblingthelistofphrasestobetreatedwasthesimplestpartofthetask,as
suchlistsexistinotherplacesandcaneasilybecollatedandtheneditedintoacoherent
form.Moreimportant,aswithallhistoricallexicography,isthereadingofprimarysources
(chieflyfiction,drama,andpoetry,butalsobiographyandotherworksofnon-fiction)to
establishwhatreallyexistsinthelanguageandatwhatdates.Thisevidenceofactualusageis
thelife-bloodofanytreatmentofthelanguage.Manyphrasescanbetracedbacktoolder
formsofEnglish,eventoAnglo-Saxon,andsome(suchasbusyasabeeandbeatone’s
wits’end)arefoundinChaucerandotherwritersoftheperiodaftertheNormanConquest
knownasMiddleEnglish.ReferencestoShakespeareinthisbookrunintoseveralhundred,as
dothosetotheAuthorizedVersionoftheBible(1611).Theriseofthenovelinthelate18th
and19thcenturiesprovidedavehiclefortherapidspreadofverymanyphrasesthatarenow
fullyabsorbedintoeverydayEnglish.Notableamongthesearethesetsimilessuchasgoodas
gold,whichoccursfrequentlyinthewritingofDickens,WilkieCollins,CharlotteYonge,and
others.TheprolificuseofidiomsbyDickens(takeone’ssecrettothegrave,likegrimdeath,lose
one’sgrip,eatone’shat,takeitintoone’shead)wasperhapslessofasurprisethantherich
yieldfromJaneAusten(throwcoldwateron,bedyingto,dogtired,donefor,withone’seyes
open,actthefool)and,atanearlierdatestill,fromHenryFielding(kickone’sheels,drawin
one’shorns,afinekettleoffish,alikelystory,leavesomebodyinthelurch).

Duringthecompilingofthisbook,Imadesomeinterestingdiscoveries.Mostofthese
concernedtheoriginsofphrases,which(aswithwordsofobscureoriginsuchasOKand
posh)werequiteevidentlydevisedlongaftertheeventandhavebeenrepeatedinprintwith
apersistencethatisininverseproportiontotheirlikelihood.Theywereusuallydisprovedby
investigationoratleastweakenedbyalackofhistoricalevidence:thatthebrassmonkeys
invokedincoldweatherrelatedtothestorageofcannonballsonships(whichshrankand
becamedislodgedincoldweather),thatthecatsanddogsofheavyrainwereacorruptionofa
phraseinancientGreek(katadoxanmeaning‘contrarytobelief’),orthatsettingtheThameson
firehadsomethingtodowithatoolcalledatemse(whichoverheatedwithexcessiveuse).In
manycases,suchasthelast,thesestorieswereinventedinthefaceofstraightforward
explanationsthatmadeperfectsenseinthemselves(andhistoricalevidenceforsettingthe
Thamesonfireestablishesanexplicitlinkwiththeriveratanearlystageofitsuse).Inthe
caseofthebrassmonkeys,anearlyuseofthephrasebyHermanMelvillein1847(‘hot
enoughtomeltthenoseoffabrassmonkey’)clearlyinvolvesameaningdirectlyoppositeto
theusualoneandseriouslyunderminesthetraditionaltheoryaboutitsorigin.AsfarasIam
aware,thisevidencehasnotbeenadducedbefore.
Manyphrasesareagreatdealolderthenonemightexpect,andothersagainaremuch
morerecent.ThoseforwhichIwasexpectingtofindearlierevidencethaninfactemerged
includeAchilles’heel(19thcent.),ashonestasthedayislong(20thcent.),aknightinshining
armour(20thcent.),andtheluckofthedraw(20thcent.).Therewerealsosomesurprisesin
theoppositedirection:chopandchangehasamodernringbutgoesbacktoTyndale’s
translationoftheNewTestamentintheearly16thcentury;coolasacucumberisfoundin
early17thcenturydrama;likemadoccursinitsmodernsenseasearlyastheworkofAphra
Behnlaterinthesamecentury;andsonofabitch,forallitsmodernAmericanresonance,is
thewayLordByronreferstoRobertSoutheyinaletterwrittenin1818.Amostinteresting
bywayofmyinvestigationintousageofthelate16thcenturywasthesettingofShakespeare
inthecontextofhistime.Somephrasescloselyassociatedwithhimorregardedashis
inventionsarealsofoundintheworkofhiscontemporariesandinsomecasesprecedehis

use;anotableexampleisnipinthebud,whichweowetoJohnFletcherandThomasDekker
andnottoShakespeare(whousesitintheformblastedinthebud).Otherphrases(suchas
cock-and-bullstoryandthestraight/straitandnarrow)emergegraduallyfromthemistsof
usage.
Iwasalsostruckbytheabundanceofrecentcoinages,ofphraseswithamodernresonance
thatformalinguisticcommentaryonourowntimes:smokinggun,beeconomicalwiththetruth,
herindoors,beunfittorunawhelkstall,joined-upgovernment,ladieswholunch,alevelplaying
field,getalife,overthelimit,thebottomline,getthemessage,missioncreep,thefullmonty,name
andshame,passone’ssell-bydate.
IntheIntroductionIhaveexplainedtheprinciplesthatunderliethechoiceofmaterial
included.Despitetheseattemptstoestablishboundariestokeepthebookwithinmanageable
proportions,thereaderwillfindafairnumberofentriesthatdefytheselectionprinciplesasI
haveoutlinedthem.IhaveusuallyincludedthembecauseIcouldnotresistit.Serendipity
andpersonalidiosyncrasyhelptomakeabooklikethis–andlanguageingeneral–alot
moreinterestingandalotmorefun.
Ishouldliketothankallthosewhohelpedmetowritethisbook,andtoimproveearlier


versionsofthetext:inparticularAnneSeaton,whocontributedhugelytothetaskof
establishingchronologyandtrackingdownearlyusesofphrases,andRosalindFergusson,
whocopy-editedthebookandbroughtgreaterordertoamassofdetailedinformation.Any
remaininginconsistenciesorerrorsareentirelymyfault.Iamalsoverygratefulforthe
supportandencouragementofthepublishers,especiallyNigelWilcocksonandSophieLazar.
Everyoneinvolvedintheprojectbecameawareofhowmuchthebookrepresentsworkin
progressandcanneverbethelastword.Iamsuretherearereaderswhowillhave
suggestionsandimprovementstooffer,andtheseespeciallywhenbackedupbyevidence–
willalwaysbewelcome.Pleasewritetothepublisherattheaddressonthetitleverso.
RobertAllen
Edinburgh2006
ForthepaperbackreprintIhavetakentheopportunitytomakeafewroutinecorrectionsto

thetext,toenteranoccasionalantedating,andtoaddafewphrasesthatcameinto
prominencealittletoolatefortheoriginaledition,includingaheadofthecurveandthe
elephantintheroom.
Edinburgh2008


Introduction
Theterms‘phrase’and‘idiom’(anidiom,asaunitoflanguage,asdistinctfromidiom,the
naturalwayofusinglanguage)reinforceeachother,andIhavenowishtoargueadistinction
betweenthetwo.Forourpurposesaphraseisagroupofwords,andanidiomisagroupof
wordsthatoccurregularlytogether,formingwhatlinguistscallafixed(orsemi-fixed)
expression,suchasroundthebendandpassthebuck.Anothercharacteristicofthephrases
explainedhere–inadditiontotheirconstantoccurrenceinthesameformorinsimilarforms
–isthattheyhaveaspecialmeaningthatisnot(invaryingdegrees)deduciblefromthe
wordsfromwhichtheyareformed.
Phrasesmayalsocontainaverbandformacompleteidea,suchasmindone’sownbusiness,
sitonone’shands,andtalkthroughone’shat.Someindeedcannotbecapturedasdictionary
headingsatallbuthavetobeexpressedasastatement,forexampletheballisinso-and-so’s
courtandthejuryisstilloutonsuch-and-such.Manyofthephrasesdealtwithhere,however,
areprepositional,i.e.theyconsistofaprepositionfollowedbyanoun,asinoverthemoonand
undertheweather.(Thesecanalsobeexpressedwithaprecedingverbsuchasbeorbecomeor
seem.)Amoredifficulttypetodistinguishasanidiomisthecompoundnounornounphrase:
ingeneralIhaveincludedthesewhentheyarephrasalinthesenseofstronglyimplyinga
stateoraction,i.e.aredynamicintermsofmeaningandstructure(andusuallyconstitutea
totalmetaphor,aswith.aredherring,aruleofthumb,andthebee’sknees),andnotwhenthey
arerelativelystaticandusuallycomparativelytransparentinmeaningorbasedonthe
figurativemeaningofasingleword(aswithwarbabyandpearlsofwisdom).
Mostoftheidiomsweareconcernedwithhereareproductive,thatistosaytheycanbe
fittedintosentencesandalteredasnecessaryinfunctionalwaystosuitthecontextinwhich
theyarebeingused,justasindividualwordscan.Forexample,youcansayItoldhimtomind

hisownbusiness,Whydon’tyoumindyourownbusiness,Iwasjustmindingmyownbusiness,and
soon,whichareallformsofthebasicphrasemindone’sownbusiness.Theleastproductive
(andinmanywaysleastinteresting)phrasesarethosethatallowlittleornovariation,
notablycatchphrases(suchasflavourofthemonth),onwhichmoreissaidbelow.Other
phrasesthatappeartobefixedinformaresubjecttovariation:forexamplewecansaya
pieceoftheaction,asliceoftheaction,orashareoftheaction.(Theseword-basedvariantsare
notedintheentryheadings.)Thephrasebasedonaballrollingcanbelaunchedwithanyof
theverbsget,set,orstart,aswellas(withashiftinmeaning)keep.Evenfreervariationis
possiblewhentheimagesuggestsit.Thetypicalformofthephrasethejuryisstilloutonsuchand-such,meaningthatitisstillunderconsideration,mightbemodifiedintheformthejury
remainsoutonsuch-and-suchoreventhejuryhasorderedsandwichesonsuch-and-such.Phrases
arebasedonimagination,andaresubjecttoextensivefreerealization.Themodernphrasea
sandwichshortofapicnic,forexample,meaning‘stupidorcrazy’,hasbeenmodifiedinall
sortsofways(beyondwhatcanbelistedintheentry)bothwithinandoutsideitsoriginal
imagedomain:twosandwichesshortofapicnic,twoslicesshortofatoastrack,afewpicklesshort
ofajar,onecardshortofafulldeck,onesideshortofapentagon,and(withanodtothe
surreal)onetreeshortofahammock.Wealsoseeamockadaptationofregister(levelof
formality)inmutationssuchasextractone’sdigit(frompullone’sfingerout)andextractthe


michael(fromtakethemickey),andironyinfluencesformssuchasasclearasmud.
Arecurringfeatureofthephrasesincludedhereis,aswehaveseen,thattheirmeanings
cannotbeexplainedintermsoftheirconstituentwords.Thisaspectisnot,however,an
absolute:somephrasesaremoreunderstandablethanothers,andwhatwearedealingwith
hereisaspectrumoftransparency.Atoneendofthespectrumarephrasesthataretotally
opaque–thatistosay,anindividualwhodidnotknowthemwouldhavenoideaofwhat
theymeantbyanalysingtheircontentandinmanycasesmightbestruckbytheirliteral
absurdity:bitethebullet,burythehatchet,givesomebodythecoldshoulder,offthecuff,goDutch,
nohardfeelings,sitonthefence,pullone’sfingerout,flyoffthehandle,leadsomebodyupthe
gardenpath,andloseone’shead.Afairnumberofidiomaticphrasesarebasedonwordsor
meaningsthatarenolonger(or,lessusually,haveneverbeen)usedoutsidethephrase:

familiarexamplesarerunamok,kithandkin,atsomebody’sbeckandcall,haleandhearty,
betwixtandbetween,bideone’stime,bearthebruntof,liedoggo,infinefettle.
Otherphrasesare‘semi-transparent’,whichistosaythataspeakerofEnglishmightbeable
toworkoutfromtheimagepresentedbythephrasewhatitismeanttosignify.Examplesof
thistypeareseethecolourofsomebody’smoney,callitaday,beallears,endintears,haveeyes
inthebackofone’shead,fairandsquare,taketoone’sfeet,makesomebody’sfleshcreep,beas
goodasone’sword,movethegoalposts,withallgunsblazing,andthrowinthetowel.The
transparencyofsomeofthesephrasesdependsonknowledgeabouttherealworld:anyone
whoknowshowafootballgameisplayedmightbeabletoworkoutwhatmovethegoalposts
means,andacorrespondingsituationariseswiththrowinthetowel,whichisanimagefrom
boxing.Butasportingignoramuswouldremainbaffled.Contrastthesewithbitethebulletand
flyoffthehandle,fromthe‘opaque’group,wherenoamountofspecialknowledgewillleadto
anexplanation.Indeed,specialknowledgemightleadoneastrayinthematterof‘losingone’s
head’,whichisthetraditionalfateoftraitorsinaveryliteralsense.Somephrasesarenow
betterknownfortheirgeneralizedmeaningsthanfortheirtechnicalorigins,forexamplein
theoffing,oneofmanyidiomstodowiththesea(theoffingisthepartofthehorizoninwhich
shipsarevisibleandthereforeshortlytoputintoharbour).Iwasstruckduringthewritingof
thisbookbythelargenumberofphrasesthathavenauticalorigins:aswellasthosealready
mentionedtherearegivesomebodyawideberth,broadinthebeam,gobytheboard,pushthe
boatout,cutandrun,andmanyothers.
Anotherimportantgroupconsistsofallusivephrases,i.e.phrasesthatallude(whether
knowinglyornotonthepartoftheuser)toanidentifiablefirstuseorcoinage,oftenin
translationsoftheBibleorintheworksofShakespeare.Examplesofthesearekillthefatted
calf(fromtheBible),itisallGreektome(fromShakespeare’sJuliusCaesar),inonefellswoop
(fromShakespeare’sMacbeth),andanalbatrossroundone’sneck(fromTheRimeoftheAncient
MarinerbyColeridge).Somephrasesbecomealteredtosuitthepragmaticsoflanguage(and
thereisnothingwrongwiththisdespitetheprotestationsoflanguagepurists):aclassic
exampleiseverydoghasitsday(Hamlet’swordstoLaertesinShakespeare’splayare‘Let
Herculeshimselfdowhathemay,|Thecatwillmew,anddogwillhavehisday’).Acommon
occurrencewiththesetypesisthelongintervalbetweenthelocusclassicusandthefirst

allusiveuses.ManyphrasesbasedonShakespeare,forexample,firstappearaslateasthe
19thcentury,somethreehundredyearsafterhisworksbecameknown.Thisistrueofbecruel
tobekindandthismortalcoil(bothfromHamlet),one’spoundofflesh(fromTheMerchantof


Venice),andone’ssaladdays(fromAntonyandCleopatra).Readerswillunderstandthatthe
datesnormallygiveninthesecasesareoftheallusiveuses,andonlyexceptionallyofthe
originaluse(forexample,incaseswherethisdoesnotdiffermarkedlyinformorsensefrom
thelateruses).
Someotherspecialkindsofphraseareworthmentioningastheyformanimportantpartof
thepicture.Theseincludesetsimiles(e.g.asdrunkasalord,asmerryasagrig,etc)and
proverbs(phrasesthatgiveadviceorstateageneraltruth,e.g.ifyoucan’tbeatthem,jointhem
andtheendjustifiesthemeans).TheprincipleIhavefollowedinincludingproverbshasbeen
toconcentrateonthosethathavegivenrisetotruncatedallusivefreeforms,oftenwiththe
freeformitselfastheheading(aswithbeanearlybird,whichalludestotheproverbtheearly
birdgetstheworm,andcountone’schickens,whichoriginatesintheadmonitiondon’tcount
yourchickensuntiltheyarehatched).Thirdlytherearecatchphrases,fairlyrigidphrasesthat
alludetowell-knownhistoricaleventsandtoareasofpubliclifesuchasliterature,
entertainment,sport,andpolitics:examplesincludecuttheGordianknot(associatedwith
AlexandertheGreat),likeCaesar’swife(Pompeia),meetone’sWaterloo(thefateofNapoleon),
andinmorerecenttimesflavourofthemonth(derivedfromAmericanmarketingoficecream
inthe1940s),beeconomicalwiththetruth(aeuphemismforlying,redolentoftheThatcher
yearsinBritain),anddon’task,don’ttell(denotingtoleranceinmoralbehaviour,fromtheend
ofthe20thcentury).
Thephrasesmentionedsofararepredominantlybasedonmetaphor,drawingonimages
fromtherealworld.Others,whichforourpurposesbelongtoadifferentclassofphrase,are
moreabstract,notdrawingatallonphysicalimagesbutusingbasicfunctionwordsinspecial
ways,ofteninwaysthatdonotconformtothenormalpatternsofEnglish(forexample,stay
put).Withinthisclassaremanytransparentformulaeofthetypebyallmeans,I’msorrytosay,
moreorless,etc,whichareidiomaticandfitthecriteriaoffixednessbuthavenospecial

significanceintermsofmeaningandarenotbasedonmetaphororanydistinctimagery.
ThesemoreabstractidiomsareofinteresttolearnersofEnglishandformanimportantpart
ofthedictionarieswrittenforthem,butfalloutsideourpresentscope,whereas(forexample)
byandlargeisincludedbecauseofitsoriginandthefactthatitisgrammaticallyanomalous
(whatlinguistscall‘ill-formed’);andhaleandhearty,whichwenotedabove,isalsoincluded
becausethewordhaleis,incurrentuse,restrictedtothisphrase.Theemphasishereison
metaphorandanecdote,aswellasspecialbehaviourwithinthephrase.Ihavealsobeen
sparingwithso-calledphrasalverbs(verbsconsistingofabaseverbandanadverb),except
wheretheseformpartofamoreextendedphrase(soturnoverisnotincludedbutturnovera
newleafis),orshowsomeotherspecialfeatureofinterest.
Thecitationsfromliteratureareanimportantpartofthetreatment.Theyaremeantto
supporttheconclusionsreachedandtoshowthehistoricaldevelopmentofeachphrase,and
drawonsourcesrangingindatefromMiddleEnglish(theEnglishinuseaftertheNorman
Conquestofthe11thcentury)tothepresent.Throughout,theemphasisisonearlyrather
thancurrentusage,andtogivethismoresubstanceIhaveexercisedsomefreedomregarding
theformaphrasetakesinaparticularquotation,whichwillnotalwaysbeidenticaltothat
givenintheheading.NormallyIhavetriedtoillustratephraseswithcitationsfromthe
literatureofthecenturyinwhichthephrasefirstoccursinaformnowrecognizable.WhereI
havebeenunabletotracematerialofmyown,Ihave(withpermission)usedquotations


givenintheOxfordEnglishDictionaryorotherpublishedsources.Othermaterialhasbeen
drawnfromlanguagedatabases,includingtheBritishNationalCorpus(acollectionofabout
100millionwordsofprintedandspokenBritishEnglishofmanykindsmadebyanumberof
academicinstitutions)andtheChadwyckHealeydatabaseLiteratureOnline.Asmallamount
ofmaterialhasbeensentinbycontributors,towhomIammostgrateful.
Themostimportantandfamiliarauthors,suchasChaucer,Shakespeare,Scott,Dickens,
andHardy,arecitedbysurnamealone;othersaregivenwithfirstnamesorinitialstoenable
identification.Chaucer,wholivedfromc1343to1400,iscitedwithoutspecificdatesfrom
theRiversideedition(Oxford,1988),andShakespearefromtheOxfordtexteditedbyWells

andTaylor(secondedition,2005).ReferencestotheBiblearetotheAuthorizedVersionof
1611unlessanotheredition(suchastheNewEnglishBible)isspecified.OlderEnglish
spellingshavebeenmodernizedwhennecessarytoaidcomprehensionoravoidconfusion,
andglossesinsquarebracketshavebeenaddedtoquotationstoexplainwordsthatwillnot
befamiliartomostreaders.In17thand18thcenturyprinting,commonnounswereoften
giveninitialcapitalletters;thesehavebeenmodifiedinplacestoconformwithmodern
practice.
Itmightbehelpfultoaddafewwordsonsomeofthelesswell-knownearlysourcesthat
arecitedthroughoutthebook.Inparticular,EnglishversionsoftheBibleformedakey
mediumfortheearlydevelopmentofphraseandidiom.Inthe14thcentury,theBiblewas
translatedintoEnglishbyJohnWyclif(c1330-84),althoughhowmuchoftheworkwasdone
byWyclifhimselfisdisputed.Twocenturieslater,WilliamTyndale(c1495-1536),who
communicatedwithThomasMoreandMartinLuther,producedatranslationoftheNew
TestamentinColognein1525,andhiscontemporaryMilesCoverdale(1488-1568),a
LutheranpriestwhohadstudiedatCambridge,translatedtheBibleinAntwerp,using
GermanandLatinversionsanddrawingontheworkofTyndale.Earlynon-biblicalsources
citedfrequentlyincludetheworksofJohnLydgate(c1370-1449),amonkfromSuffolkwho
visitedParis,spentmostofhislifeinthemonasteryatBury,andwrotepoetryinthestyleof
Chaucer.HisTroyBook,publishedc1420,wasatranslationofa13th-centurySicilianwriter
ofromancesnamedGuidodelleColonne(whowasalsoanimportantsourceforEnglish
writersonthethemeofTroilusandCressida).TheCursorMundiisapoemfromtheNorthof
Englanddatingfromabout1300basedonearlierworkswritteninLatinanddealingwiththe
sevenagesofmankind’sspiritualcoursefromtheCreationtotheLastJudgement.TheMiddle
EnglishpoemPiersPlowman,aworkattributedtoWilliamLangland(aboutwhomverylittle
isknown),isanallegoricalseriesofdreamvisionsnarratedby‘Will’,whichdescribethe
progressoftheploughmanPierstoserenityandsalvation.Itwaswrittendowninthesecond
halfofthe14thcentury.
Somephrasesarerecordedforthefirsttimeinnumerouscollectionsofphrasesand
proverbsdatingfromthe16thcenturyonwards.Themostimportantoftheseareshown
below.Readersshouldbeawarethatthedistinctionbetweenphraseandproverbwasnot

alwaysasrigorousasitistoday.Mostcollectionsunderstoodthetermproverbinmuch
broaderterms,andconsequentlyincludedawiderrangeofexpressionsthatwewould
describeasidiomaticratherthanproverbial.Somecollections,suchasHazlitt’sand
Apperson’s,includedtheterm‘proverbialphrases’intheirtitles.Thisbroadenedconcept
extendstothethirdedition(1970)oftheOxfordDictionaryofEnglishProverbs(arevisionbyF


PWilsonofaworkcompiledin1935byWilliamGeorgeSmith),whichadmitteditemsthat
arenotbyanystretchoftheimaginationproverbsinthewaynowunderstood:byalong
chalk,tochoplogic,andmanysetsimilessuchasflatasapancakeandmerryasagrig.
Someimportantcollectionsofphrasesandproverbs
RTaverner,ProverbsoradagieswithneweaddicionsgatheredoutoftheChiliadesofErasmus,
1539
JohnHeywood,Dialogueconteinyngthenomberineffectofalltheprouerbesintheenglishe
tongue,1546
GeorgeHerbert,OutlandishProverbs,1640
JohnRay,CollectionofEnglishProverbs,1670
WCarewHazlitt,EnglishProverbsandProverbialPhrases,1869
JamesMainDixon,DictionaryofIdiomaticEnglishPhrases,1891
GLApperson,EnglishProverbsandProverbialPhrases,1929
WGSmith,TheOxfordDictionaryofEnglishProverbs,1935
MPTilley,DictionaryoftheProverbsinEnglandintheSixteenthandSeventeenthCenturies,1950
EricPartridge,ADictionaryofCatchPhrases,1977,secondeditionrevisedbyPaulBeale,1985
BJWhiting,EarlyAmericanProverbsandProverbialPhrases,1977
JSpeake,TheOxfordDictionaryofProverbs,2003
Abbreviationsused
cent.century
NAmerNorthAmerican
NZNewZealand
OEDOxfordEnglishDictionary

transltranslating,translation


Layoutofentries
Phrasesbytheirnaturedefyarationalordering,andnoarrangementhasbeenfoundthat
satisfieseverybody.Inthisbook,theyaregroupedforconvenienceunderkeywords.The
keywordchosenisnormallythemostsignificantwordinthephrase,wheresuchawordcan
beidentified;otherwise,thefirstsignificantwordthatisastablefeatureofthephrase.
Accordingly,intheactandputonanactaregivenatAST,butactone’sageandactthefool
aregivenatAGEandFOOL.respectively,andreadtheriotactisgivenatRIOT.Normal
dictionarypracticeisadoptedforhomographs,suchasLASTasanadjective(meaning‘final’)
andasanoun(meaning‘ashoemaker’stool’),butkeywordsarenotnormallydividedby
wordclass(partofspeech):forexample,BACKisasinglekeywordcombiningitsusesasnoun,
adjective,adverb,andverb.
Variantsandalternativewordsareshownbymeansofparenthesesandslashes,sothat(for
example)puton/giveoneselfairs(andgraces)embodiestheformsputonairs,putonairs
andgraces,giveoneselfairs,andgiveoneselfairsandgraces.Setsimilesarenormallyenteredat
thefirstword,sothat(as)boldasbrassisgivenatBOLD.But(as)merry/livelyasagrigwill
befoundatGRIGbecauseneithermerrynorlivelyisastableelementinthephrase.
Cross-referencesaregivenattheendsofentriestodirectreaderswholookinthewrong
place:forexample,anyonelookingforraincatsanddogsattheentryfororRAINwillbe
redirectedtotheentryforCAT.Inthesereferences,thetargetkeywordisgiveninsmall
capitals,eitherembeddedinthephrasewhentheformisthesameorgivenseparatelywhen
itisnot:
Seealso…raincatsanddogsatCAT;rainon
somebody’sPARADE.

Phrasesaredatedaccordingtothecenturyforwhichtheearliestdatableevidencehasbeen
found,e.g.17thcent.Phrasesfirstrecordedinthe20thcenturyareallocated,whenthe
evidencepermits,toearly(1900-30),mid(1931-1970),orlate(1971-2000)partsofthe

century.Theexplanationsarefollowedinmanycasesbyexamplesofusearranged
historically.Thedateofeachcitationisgivenafterthetitleoftheworkcited.Inthecaseof
workspublishedbeforeabout1800thesedatesarenotalwayssowellestablished,andin
thesecasesIhavetriedtofindaconsensus.ThedatesgivenforShakespeare’splaysfollow
theonesgiveninTheNewPenguinEncyclopedia(2003edition).


A
A
Thefirstletterofthealphabet,usedtodenoteastartingpointorthehighestlevelinasystem
ofgrades.
A1
first-class,excellent.FirstusedinLloyd’sRegisterofShippingtoindicateshipsinthebest
condition.Aclassifiesthehulloftheshipand1classifiesitsstores.19thcent.
DickensPickwickPapers1837

‘Is’posetheothergen’l’menassleepshere,aregen’l’men.’‘Nothingbutit,’saidMr.Roker.‘Oneof’emtakeshistwelvepintsofale
a-day,andneverleavesoffsmoking,evenathismeals.’‘Hemustbeafirst-rater,’saidSam.‘A1,’repliedMr.Roker.

fromAtoB
fromoneplacetoanother,representingawholejourneyfromthestarting-point(A)tothe
destination(B).Occasionallyusedfigurativelyaboutlengthytasksandventuresthatare
comparedtojourneys.18thcent.
TMathiasThePursuitsofLiterature1798

Beregular:fromAtoBproceed;Ihateyourzig-zagverse,andwantonheed.

fromAtoZ
frombeginningtoend;ineverydetail;overthewholerange.Thephrasehasoftenbeenused
inthetitlesofbooksthatdealwiththeessentialsofasubject,e.g.WinesandLiqueursfromA

toZ,butthisuseisnowdated.19thcent.
JaneAustenPersuasion1818

ThisveryawkwardhistoryofMr.Elliot,wasstill,afteranintervalofseveralyears,feltwithangerbyElizabeth,whohadlikedthe
manforhimself,andstillmoreforbeingherfather’sheir,andwhosestrongfamilypridecouldseeonlyinhim,apropermatchfor
SirWalterElliot’seldestdaughter.TherewasnotabaronetfromAtoZ,whomherfeelingscouldhavesowillinglyacknowledged
asanequal.

aback
betakenaback
tobesurprisedordisconcerted.AbackisanOldEnglishwordmeaning‘backward’,‘tothe
rear’,andsurvivesinmodernEnglishonlyinthisphrase:earlierphrases,suchasholdaback


andstandaback,whichcorrespondtothemodernformsholdback(=restrainoneself)and
standback(=remainalooforuninvolved),havefallenoutofuse.Takeabackoriginatedasa
nauticalterm(18thcent.)usedtodescribeashipthatispreventedfrommovingforwardbya
headwindpressingthesailsagainstthemast.19thcent.
CharlotteBrontëShirley1849

Mr.Helstone,thusaddressed,wheeledaboutinhischair,andlookedoverhisspectaclesathisniece:hewastakenaback.Her
fatherandmother!Whathadputitintoherheadtomentionherfatherandmother,ofwhomhehadnever,duringthetwelve
yearsshehadlivedwithhim,spokentoher?

ABC
(as)easy/simpleasABC
veryeasyorstraightforward.TheuseofABCtomeanthealphabetasawholedatesfrom
MiddleEnglish,andexpressionssuchasknowone’sABCandlearnone’sABCarefoundfrom
anearlydate.AseasyasABCoccursasthetitleofabookbyKipling(1912).Early20thcent.

abdabs
givesomebodythe(screaming)abdabs
informaltomakesomebodyfeelextremelyagitatedorirritated:abdabs(orhabdabs)isa
fancifulwordofelusiveorigin,ormorelikelyofnooriginatall,beingplaininvention.Late
20thcent.

about
knowwhatoneisabout
informaltobewellawareofwhatoneisdoingorwhatishappeninganditsimplications.
that’saboutit
anexpressionofrelieforsatisfactionattheconclusionofataskordiscussion.Thenotionis
thateverythinghasbeendoneorconsidered,althoughthereisoftentheimplicationthat
moremighthavebeendone,giventheopportunity.Late20thcent.
MichaelFraynSweetDreams1976

Oneiswhooneis.That’saboutit,Isuppose.

above
be/getaboveoneself
tobeorbecomeconceitedandarrogant.Thisispossiblyanextensionofthenotionof
marryingorformingfriendships‘aboveoneself’,i.e.atahighersociallevelthanone’sown,


whichoccursofteninromanticliterature.Thereisalsotheideaofrisingaboveoneselfin
excellingone’sownnormallevelofachievement.Finallythereisthemeaning‘outofcontrol
fromhighspirits’,whichisusedofhorsesaswellaspeople.Allthesemeaningsprobably
influencedeachotherandaffectedthemainmeaningweareconcernedwithhere.19thcent.
JHIngrahamTheGipsyoftheHighlands1843

Paul’sintimacywithDuncanPowell,hadearlyinitiatedhimintothefirststepsofdissipation;and,bybringinghimintothesocial

circleofyoungmen,whomhishumbleconditionwouldpreventhimfromafterwardsassociatingwith,inspiredhimwithideas

abovehimselfandhiscircumstances,whichwouldpreventhimfromengaging,withproperfeelings,inthepursuitforwhichhis
motherdesignedhim.

KiplingFromSeatoSea1900

Ihaveseenmoredecentmenaboveorbelowthemselveswithdrink,thanIcaretothinkabout.

notbeabove(doing)something
tobequitepreparedtodosomethingunworthyordisreputable.
SeealsoaboveBOARD.

Abraham
inAbraham’sbosom
inheaven,orinastateofeternalhappiness.UsedwithallusiontoLuke16:22‘Anditcameto
pass,thatthebeggardied,andwascarriedbytheangelsintoAbraham’sbosom.’The
referenceistotheOldTestamentfatheroftheHebrews,andancestorofthethreegreat
religionsthatprofessoneGod(Judaism,Christianity,andIslam).IntheGenesisaccounthe
wasbornintheSumeriantownofUr(oftheChaldees)inMesopotamia(modernIraq),and
movedwithhisfamilytothecityofMariontheEuphratesandthenontothepromisedland
ofCanaan.18thcent.
ThomasHolcroftTheAdventuresofHughTrevor1794

Youmayguzzlewinehere,butyoushallwantadropofwatertocoolyourtonguehereafter!Youmayguttle,whilerighteous

Lazarusislyingatyourgate.Butwaitalittle!HeshallsoonlieinAbraham’sbosom,whileyoushallroastonthedevil’sgreat
gridiron,andbeseasonedjusttohistooth!

absence

absencemakestheheartgrowfonder
(proverb)onebecomesnostalgicallyfondofapersonorplaceafteraperiodofseparation.
Thesentimentcanbefoundasearlyasthe1stcent.bcinapoembytheRomanpoet
Propertius(Elegiesii.xxxiii):semperinabsentesfelicioraestusamantes(‘Passionisalways
strongerinabsentlovers’).InEnglishthephraseappearsasalineinamid19thcent.song
‘TheIsleofBeauty’byTHaynesBayly(1797-1839).Theemotionaleffectsofabsencefeature
inmuchearlierwriting,e.g.a16thcent.sourceofferstheassurancethat‘Absenceworks


wonders’and,morespecifically,thediplomatandpoetSirHenryWottonwrotein1589that
‘nothingwasabletoaddmoreto[affection]thanabsence’.Butcontrarynotionsarealso
found:‘threethingstherebethathinderlove,that’sabsence,fear,andshame’(WAverell,
CharlesandJulia,1581);andthereisanimplicitcontradictioninoutofsight,outofmind(see
sight).Inthecurrentformthephrasedatesfromthe19thcent.
absenceofmind
aninabilitytoconcentrateorremembereverydaythings.18thcent.
SmollettTheAdventuresofFerdinandCountFathom1753

Hewasblindtotheobjectsthatsurroundedhim;hescarceeverfelttheimportunitiesofnature;andhadnottheybeenreinforced

bythepressingentreatiesofhisattendant,hewouldhaveproceededwithoutrefreshmentorrepose.Inthisabsenceofminddidhe
traverseagreatpartofGermany,inhiswaytotheAustrianNetherlands,andarrivedatthefortressofLuxemburg,wherehewas
obligedtotarryawholedayonaccountofanaccidentwhichhadhappenedtohischaise.

absolutely
absolutelyfabulous
excellent,first-class:representinganupper-classutterance,oftenusedironically.Thephrase
wasgivenprominenceasthetitleofatelevisionsitcombroadcastfrom1992andfeaturinga
pairofwomenfriendswhobehaveoutrageously,oneanostentatiouslyneuroticandsocially
aspiringPRagent,theotherahard-drinkingchain-smokingmutton-dressed-as-lambtype.

Somerecentusesofthephrasealludetothisassociation.Absolutelyhasseveralstrandsof
meaning,ofwhichtheonerelevanthere(‘completely,perfectly’)is16thcent.(occurringin
Shakespeare),anditoccurswithfabulousintheirseparatemeaningswithouttheconnotations
ofthepresentusage.Late20thcent.
AnnPillingHenry’sLeg1987

Shethoughthisatticbedroomwasabsolutelyfabulous.

abyss
look/stareintotheabyss
tobefacedwithcatastrophe:abyss(fromGreekabussos(a=without)meaning‘bottomless’)
datesfromMiddleEnglishinthesense‘bowelsoftheearth,primalchaos’andthen‘a
bottomlesschasmorgulf’.Figurativeusesdatefromthe17thcent.;intheBrontëpassage
belowtheuseseemstobeinapositivesense.19thcent.
CharlotteBrontëJaneEyre1847

IthoughtMissIngramhappy,becauseonedayshemightlookintotheabyssatherleisure,exploreitssecretsandanalysetheir
nature.

SamuelBeckettinVogue1970

Peoplelookunhappyhere[NewYork]…Itistheweightofeveryman’sfearandemptinessthatproducesthislook.Somewherehe


mustknowthatself-perceptionisthemostfrighteningofallhumanobservations.Hemustknowthatwhenmanfaceshimself,heis
lookingintotheabyss.

acceptable
SeetheacceptableFACE.

accident
accidentswillhappen(inthebestregulatedfamilies)
(proverb)onecannotalwayspreventthingsfromgoingwrong.Useofaccidentinthesense‘an
unfortunateoccurrenceormisfortune’,whichisnowdominant,emergesinthe17thcent.The
phrasedatesfromthe18thcent.andthefullformoccursin19thcent.literature.Itwasa
favouriteexpressionofCharlesDickens,whouseditinvaryingformsinPickwickPapers
(1837),DombeyandSon(1848),andDavidCopperfield(1850:seebelow).
RichardGravesTheSpiritualQuixote1773
‘Awholeheapofsoothasfallendownintothefishkettle,andentirelyspoiledthecarps.Iveryprovidentiallycaughtuptheloinof

vealuponthespit;orelsethatwouldhavebeencoveredwithdustandashes.’‘Well,well,’(saysMr.Slicer)‘accidentswillhappen;
itiswellitisnoworse;wemustdinewithoutthecarp,then.’
DickensDavidCopperfield1850

‘Copperfield,’saidMrMicawber,‘accidentswilloccurinthebest-regulatedfamilies;andinfamiliesnotregulatedby…the

influenceofWoman,intheloftycharacterofWife,theymustbeexpectedwithconfidence,andmustbebornewithphilosophy.’

anaccidentwaitingtohappen
informalasituationthatwasboundtoleadtodisasterormisfortune,especiallybecauseof
negligenceorneglect.Thephraseisconstantlyusedwithhindsightbythosewhoarewise
aftertheevent(seewise).Itwasmuchheardinthe1980safterasuccessionofdisastersthat
wereattributedtonegligenceorincompetence,includingthecapsizingoftheZeebrugge
ferry,afireatKingsCrossundergroundstationinLondon,andcrowddeathsatHillsborough
footballstadium.Mid20thcent.
TheTimes1988

ThecrashthatbeganonWallStreetonOctober19istraceabletotwosimpleandrelatedcauses.Itwasnot,asMrAlan

Greenspan,chairmanoftheFederalReserveBoard,suggested,‘anaccidentwaitingtohappen’;primarilyitwascausedbythe

determinationofAmericanstoconsumemorethantheyproduce.

achapterofaccidents
aseriesofunfortunateeventsormishaps:fromanearlier(18thcent.)phrasethechapterof
accidentsmeaning‘theunpredictablewayeventsunfold’.ItistheheadingofachapterinSir
WalterScott’sWaverley(1814),andofasectionofThomasHughes’TomBrown’sSchooldays
(1857).19thcent.


RLStevensonNewArabianNights1882

Hewasreckoningwithoutthatchapterofaccidentsthatwastomakethisnightmemorableaboveallothersinhiscareer.

morebyaccidentthandesign
bychanceratherthandeliberately:alsoinvariantforms.Thetwowordsoccurtogetherin
contrastiveformfromthe18thcent.
HenryFieldingTheLifeandDeathofJonathanWild1743

IrejectedthemoftenwiththeutmostIndignation,tillatlast,castingmyeye,ratherbyaccidentthandesign,onadiamond

necklace,athought,likelightning,shotthroughmymind,and,inaninstant,Iremembered,thatthiswastheverynecklaceyou
hadsoldthecursedCount,thecauseofallourmisfortunes.

accidentally
Seeaccidentallyonpurpose.

according
SeeaccordingtoCocker;accordingtoHoyle;accordingtoone’slightsatLIGHT2.

account

Thenounisparticularlyprolificinthegenerationofidioms,thenotionbeingofaperson’s
‘account’representingtheirstandinginrelationtoanotherindividualortosocietyasa
whole.Somephrasesarederivedfromanotherbranchofmeaning,‘astatementornarrative
ofathingoranevent’:byallaccountsbelongshere,whereasgiveagoodaccountofoneself
overlapsinmeaning.
byallaccounts
asageneralconsensus;intheopinionofmostpeople.18thcent.
SmollettTheAdventuresofPeregrinePickle1751

Itisnowhightimeforyoutocontractthatunboundedspiritofgallantry,whichyouhaveindulgedsolong,intoasincere
attachmentforthefairEmilia,who,byallaccounts,deservesthewholeofyourattentionandregard.

giveagoodaccountofoneself
tobesuccessful,todowell.Togiveagoodaccountofsomethingoccursfromthe17thcent.in
themeaning‘todowellby’or‘tobesuccessfulby’,andthereflexiveuseisadevelopmentof
thissense.18thcent.
FannyBurneyCecilia1782

Heassuredherhedoubtednotgivinghershortlyagoodaccountofhimself,andthatlivinginthecountrywasaresourceof
desperationwhichneednotbeanticipated.


onnoaccountInotonanyaccount
notinanycircumstances.18thcent.
FannyBurneyCecilia1782

Thephysiciandeclinedgivinganypositiveopinion,but,havingwrittenaprescription,onlyrepeatedtheinjunctionofthesurgeon,
thatsheshouldbekeptextremelyquiet,andonnoaccountbesufferedtotalk.

settle/squareaccountswithsomebody

tohaveone’srevengeonsomebody.Derivedfromthemoreconcretemeaning‘topayadebt
owedtosomebody’.18thcent.
JohnClelandMemoirsofaWomanofPleasure1748

Afterdinner,whichweeata-bedinamostvoluptuousdisorder,Charlesgotup,andtakingapassionateleaveofmeforafew

hours,hewenttotown,whereconcertingmatterswithayoungsharplawyer,theywenttogethertomylatevenerablemistress’s,

fromwhenceIhadbutthedaybeforemademyelopement,andwithwhomhewasdetermin’dtosettleaccountsinamannerthat
shouldcutoffallafter-reckoningsfromthatquarter.

takeaccountofsomething/takesomethingintoaccount
toconsidersomethingasafactorwhenmakingadecision.16thcent.
BrianMelbanckePhilotimus1583

PhilotimusbegantorecounteArcharetoshisletters,&totakeaccountofhispassedlife,howeheshoulddeservehispassing
goodwill.

thereisnoaccountingfortaste(s)
(proverb)people’stastesandpreferencesdiffer.Usuallysaidwithreferencetoanindividual’s
strangeorunusuallikingorappetite.ItisaversionoftheLatintagdegustibusnonest
disputandum‘thereisnodisputingabouttastes’,whichisfoundinEnglishliterarycontexts
fromthe16thcent.Thephraseissusceptibletovariationandextendeduses.18thcent.
AnnRadcliffeTheMysteriesofUdolpho1794

Ihaveoftenthoughtthepeoplehedisapprovedweremuchmoreagreeablethanthoseheadmired;–butthereisnoaccountingfor
tastes.Hewasalwayssomuchinfluencedbypeople’scountenances.
BarbaraWhiteheadSweetDeathComeSoftly1993

Therewasnoaccountingforthestrangebehaviouroffemales.

turnsomethingtogoodaccount
toderiveanadvantageorprofitfromsomething.Fromthegeneralmeaning‘profitor
advantage’,asinStPaul’sEpistletothePhilippians4:17‘Idesirefruitthatmayaboundto
youraccount.’17thcent.
Head&KirkmanTheEnglishRogueDescribed1668

Iwasentrustedwith100l.worthofcommodities,withwhichIsetupanothertradeinthecountry:thisturnedtogoodaccount:for
Iseldomventuredonanything,butitwaseffectualandtopurpose.


ace
Aceoriginallydenotedtheoneonadice,andwaslaterextendedtorefertoaplayingcard
whichhasthenumericalvalueof‘one’butoftenrankshighestofall.Thisambiguousstatusof
theaceincardshasledtotwostrandsofidiom,itslownominalvaluegivingrisetophrases
associatedwithmisfortuneorbadluck(itoccursinthissenseinChaucer),anditshighvalue
beingreflectedinmorerecentidiomsasthedominantunderlyingmeaning.Thelatteris
reflectedalsointhe20thcent.meaning‘somethingoutstandinglygood’,whichisalsofound
inquasi-adjectivaluse(it’sace).Anaceisalso(19thcent.)anunbeatableserveintennis,and
wasusedintheFirstWorldWarasatermforacrackairman.
anaceupone’ssleeveIinthehole
aneffectiveargumentoradvantageheldinreserve.ThevariantaceintheholeischieflyNorth
American;itwasthetitleofa1940ColePortersongandofa1951filmaboutamantrapped
inacave,hisrescueunscrupulouslydelayedbyajournalistwhowantedtokeepthestory
goingandclaimascoop.Bothversionsofthephrasealludetocardplaying:inthefirst
versiontoacardsharpkeepingacardliterallyuphissleeve,andinthesecondtostudpoker,
inwhichacardiskeptfacedownuntilafterthebettingiscompleted,andthenturnedoverin
thehopeofitsbeinganace.ThephraseisalludedtointhetitleofanovelbyAnnieProulx,
ThatOldAceintheHole(2002).Early20thcent.
MOndaatjeIntheSkinofaLion1987

Therewasalways,hethought,thispleasureaheadofhim,anaceofjoyuphissleevesohecouldsayyoucandoanythingtome,
takeeverythingaway,putmeinprison.

have/holdalltheaces
tohavealltheadvantages.Late20thcent.
TheTimes1985

Bairn,runner-uptoShaweedinthe2,000GuineasandthefluentwinneroftheStJames’sPalaceStakesatAscot,wentsmoothly
intotheleadaquarterofamileoutbutitwasimmediatelyobviousthatStarkeywasholdingalltheacesintheshapeof
Rousillon’ssuperiorspeed.
playone’sace(card)

touseadecisiveargumentorstratagem.Thisusesthesameimageasanaceupone’ssleeveabove.Late20thcent.
Guardian1985

HopesintheWhiteHousethatMrReagan’sillnesswouldencouragetheCongresstopassthebudgetthisweekoutofsympathyfor
hisplightappeartohavebeendashed,thoughtherewerehintsyesterdaythatthePresidentmaystillplayhisacecard–a
presidentialphonecall.

Withinanaceofsomething
onthepointofsomething,veryclosetosomething.18thcent.
ThomasBrownAmusementsSeriousandComical1700


Theirrashnessmakesmetremble,whenIseebruteheavybeastshurrythroughsomanystreets,andrunuponslippery
unevenstones,wheretheleastfalsestepbringsthemwithinanaceofdeath.

Achilles
Achilles’heel/Achillesheel

asinglevulnerablespotorweakness.TheallusionistothestoryoftheGreekheroAchilles,
whowasdippedintotheRiverStyxbyhismotherThetistorenderhiminvulnerable.Butthe
waterdidnotcovertheheelbywhichsheheldhim,anditwasinthisspotthathewasfatally
woundedbyanarrowfiredbytheTrojanParis.Earlyfigurativeusesofthephrase(whichis
surprisinglyrecent)referredtoIrelandinrelationtoBritain(Coleridge)anddivorcein
relationtomarriage(GBShaw).ItwasdeploredbyGeorgeOrwellin1946asa‘lumpof
verbalrefuse’:seetheacidtest.TheAchilles’tendon,whichconnectstheheelandcalf,carries
thesameallusion.19thcent.
AnnaCoraRitchieArmand1855

Ah!youtouchusnearlywhenyoutalkofher!Ourloveforthe‘illusivesex’–forsuchwedeemthem–isourAchilles’heel–our
vulnerablepoint!

acid
FrancisBacon,inhisnaturalhistorymiscellanySylvaSylvarum(1627),describedsorrelas‘a
coldandacidherb’,anadjectivaluseofacidthatpredatesthenoun.Thechemicalmeaningis
firstrecordedinPhillips’Dictionaryof1696butitdoesnotappearinarealcontextuntilthe
early18thcent.The1960sslanguserelatingtothedrugLSDunderliessomemodernuses.
acidhouse
extremelyloudrepetitivemusicproducedoriginallybysamplingexistingsongsandfeaturing
strongcomplexpercussionpatterns;suchmusicisplayedatgatheringsoftenassociatedwith
theactivitiesofdrug-pushers.HouseisderivedfromWarehouse,thenameofaChicago
nightclubwherethiskindofmusicwasplayed;andacidheremaybetakenfromAcidTrax,
thenameofarockrecordproducedinChicago,ratherthanbeingdirectlyassociatedwiththe
drugsterm.Late20thcent.
acidrain
raincontaininghighlevelsofacid,especiallysulphurandnitrogencompoundsandother
pollutantsreleasedbyindustrialfossilfuelsintotheatmosphere.Thereisastrayuseofthis
terminthe19thcent.,butitcameintorealprominenceinthe1970s,whenconcernforthe
environmentandawarenessofthedangerstoitintensified.19thcent.

theacidtest
aconclusiveorsearchingtest.Themeaningisdevelopedfromtheslightlyolderphysical
senseofatestforgoldusingnitricacid,towhichgoldreacts.FowlerinModernEnglishUsage
(1926)listedtheexpressionamonghis‘popularizedtechnicalities’andidentifieditas‘the


termofthissortmostinvogueatthetimeofwriting’.Sometwentyyearslater,George
OrwellinhisuncompromisingarticlePoliticsandtheEnglishLanguage(firstpublishedinthe
periodicalHorizonin1946andreprintedinseveralcollectionsofhisessays)includedit
amongthe‘verbalrefuse’–alongwithAchilles’heel,hotbed,meltingpot,andotherphrases–
thatshouldbeconsigned‘tothedustbinwhereitbelongs’.Early20thcent.
WoodrowWilsoninTheTimes1918

ThetreatmentaccordedRussiabyhersisternationsinthemonthstocomewillbetheacidtestoftheirgoodwill.

comethe(old)acid
informaltobeoffensiveorunpleasant;literally,tospeakinan‘acid’manner:originallyforces’
slang.Early20thcent.
HHodgeCab,Sir?1939

Anyattemptto‘cometheacid’,sofarfromfrighteningthecabman,willprobablyresultinthecabman’sgivinghimalittlefatherly
advice.

puttheacidonsomebody
Australian,informaltoapplypressureonsomebodyforafavour.Theconnection,ifany,with
acidtestisuncertain.Early20thcent.

acquaintance
maketheacquaintance(ofsomebody)
tocometoknowsomebody(replacingtakeacquaintancewith,whichreferredtoknowledgeof

peopleandthings).18thcent.
FannyBurneyCamilla1796
Shethenspokeoftheball,publicbreakfast,andraffle;chattingbothuponpersonsandthingswith,aneasygaiety,andsprightly

negligence,extremelyamusingtoCamilla,andwhichsoon,indespightoftheunwillingnesswithwhichshehadenteredherhouse,
broughtbackheroriginalpropensitytomaketheacquaintance,andleftnoregretforwhatLionelhaddone.

scrape(an)acquaintancewithsomebody
tobecomeacquaintedwithsomebodywithdifficultyorbymakinggreatefforts.17thcent.
JohnDuntonAVoyageRoundtheWorld1691

Ben’tearthandheavenenough,thatthoumustgo|Toviewthekingdomsoftheworldbelow;|Bothofthypocketsandthyself
takecare,|Forsholesofbooksellerswillscrapeacquaintancethere.

Seealsobeonnoddingterms/haveanoddingacquaintancewithsomebodyatnod.

acre