‘to kick the can down the road’: meaning, origin (?), and early occurrences
to delay dealing with a difficult situation—USA, 1983—may refer to toying idly with a discarded can while walking down a road or street
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‘what do you think this is, bush week?’: meaning and origin
Australia, 1938—an indignant response to someone who is taking the speaker for a fool—alludes to the condescending way in which townspeople treated people from the country during bush week (i.e., a festival held in a town or city, celebrating bush produce, activities, etc.)
Read Moremeaning and origin of the political term ‘dog whistle’
the targeting of a potentially controversial message to specific voters while avoiding offending those voters with whom the message will not be popular—Canada, 1995—the image is that, like the sound made by a dog whistle, the message is only fully audible to those at whom it is directly aimed
Read More‘to kick into the long grass’: meaning and origin
UK politics, 1962—to delay dealing with something, in the hope that it will be forgotten—from the image of sending a ball into the tall grass off the playing field during a sporting event, which interrupts this event
Read More‘when the band begins to play’: meaning (and origin?)
UK, 1879—when matters become difficult or serious—of obscure origin—perhaps originally in reference to a music-hall song of that title, interpreted from 1870 onwards by Annie Adams
Read More‘not with a bang but a whimper’: meaning and origin
early 1930s—in an anti-climactic, disappointing way (used of something that comes to an end)—alludes to the last line of The Hollow Men (1925), by T. S. Eliot
Read More‘the lunatics are running the asylum’: meaning and origin
UK, 1886—those in charge of an organisation, project or initiative lack the fundamental qualities needed to fulfil their responsibilities
Read More‘to face the music’: meaning and early occurrences
to accept or confront the inevitable, or the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions—USA, 1833—origin uncertain and disputed
Read More‘like a dog with a bone’: meanings, origin and early occurrences
UK, 1810—tenacious, persistent, obstinate—unwilling to yield, to relent or to let go—unable to set aside a preoccupation or obsession—the image is that a dog with a bone will not let go of that bone, no matter what
Read More‘(as) cunning as a Māori dog’: meaning and origin
very cunning—New Zealand, 1908—‘Māori dog’: a dog of Polynesian origin; also any mongrel dog associated with Māori settlements or living in a wild state
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