‘Rachmanism’: meaning and origin
the exploitation and intimidation of tenants by unscrupulous landlords—UK, 1963—refers to Peter Rachman, a London landlord whose unscrupulous practices became notorious in the early 1960s
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‘to paint the Forth Bridge’: meaning and origin
used of any never-ending or arduous task—UK, 1923—alludes to the huge task of maintaining the painted surfaces of the railway bridge over the Firth of Forth, in central Scotland
Read More‘Iron Weathercock’ (as applied to Liz Truss)
UK, 2022— translates French ‘girouette de fer’—a derisive nickname for Liz Truss, in reference both to ‘Iron Lady’ (a nickname for Margaret Thatcher) and to Liz Truss’s changing views on a variety of subjects
Read More‘bothsideism’ | ‘bothsidesism’: meanings and early occurrences
USA, 1974—the news media’s practice of giving credence to the other side of an opinion or action in order to seem fair, even though that other side is objectionable
Read More‘panda’ (as applied to a police patrol car)
UK, 1966—a police patrol car having a broad white stripe painted on a dark background—alludes to the black-and-white fur of the giant panda
Read More‘panda’ (as applied to a pedestrian crossing)
UK, 1962—a type of pedestrian crossing distinguished by black-and-white chevrons marked on the road, and having traffic warning lights activated by people wishing to cross—alludes to the black-and-white fur of the giant panda
Read More‘a long streak of pelican shit’: meaning and origin
a tall person—Australia, 1968, in the stage play Norm and Ahmed, by Alexander Buzo—gained currency from occurring in the film Gallipoli (1981), scripted by David Williamson
Read More‘Dorothy Dix’ (as used in Australian politics)
a parliamentary question which the respondent knows will be asked, intended to prompt a prepared reply—1934—refers to the question-and-answer column by Dorothy Dix, pseudonym of U.S. journalist Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer
Read More‘winter of discontent’ (as applied to the winter of 1978-79 in Britain)
has been used since September 1978 to denote the winter of 1978-79 in the United Kingdom, during which widespread strikes took place in protest against the then Labour government’s wage limits
Read More‘Morrison hour’: meaning and origin
UK, 1949—an extra hour added to the end of a prison officer’s working day—from the fact that this extra hour was introduced during WWII by Herbert Stanley Morrison, Secretary of State for Home Affairs and Home Security
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word histories 