a hypothesis as to the origin of the phrase ‘a Chinaman’s chance’
USA, 1893—a negligible likelihood—might refer to the fact that the Chinese had little prospect of obtaining reparations for racial discrimination
Read MoreCategory: USA & Canada
meaning and origin of the phrase ‘too many chiefs and not enough Indians’
USA, 1947, of post-war need for soldiers—origin: when playing cowboys and Indians, a child would rather be the chief than an average Indian
Read Moremeaning and origin of the phrase ‘curiosity killed the cat’
1868, but late 16th century as ‘care [= disquiet] killed a cat’—the image is perhaps that disquiet would exhaust the nine lives allotted to a cat
Read Morethe cinematographic origin of the phrase ‘off the cuff’ (spontaneously)
USA, 1928—originally referred to scenario improvising during the silent-film era—the image is of notes written on a shirt-cuff
Read Morethe story of ‘John Lennon spectacles’
USA, 1967—metal-framed spectacles with small, round lenses—worn and popularised by the English singer, musician and songwriter John Lennon (1940-80)
Read Morethe authentic origin of the phrase ‘Elvis has left the building’
first used on 22 September 1956 in order to stop hysterical fans from pursuing Elvis Presley at the end of a concert at Toledo
Read Moreorigin of the phrase ‘to act one’s age, and not one’s shoe size’
USA, 1967—‘to act one’s age, and not one’s shoe size’—humorous extension of ‘to act one’s age’—in turn jocularly modified as ‘to act one’s shoe size, and not one’s age’
Read Moremeaning and origin of ‘Matthew effect’ and of ‘Matthew principle’
USA, 1960s—those who already have will receive more—refers to gospel of Matthew—coined by sociologist Robert King Merton
Read Moremeaning and early instances of the phrase ‘like taking candy from a baby’
USA, 1896—very easy to accomplish, sometimes with an implication of unscrupulousness
Read Moremeaning and early instances of the phrase ‘like shooting fish in a barrel’
very easy to accomplish—USA, 1902, although recorded in 1898 with perhaps a different meaning
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