‘low man on the totem (pole)’: meaning and origin

19th Apr 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

USA, 1941—the person with the least amount of experience, authority and/or influence in a group or organisation—apparently coined, as ‘low man on any totem pole’, by comedian Fred Allen in a portrait of his friend, humorist H. Allen Smith

‘champagne socialist’: meanings and early occurrences

18th Apr 2021.Reading time 14 minutes.

USA, 1906: a person who advocates equality for all people at a high level of prosperity (i.e., who believes in champagne for everybody)—UK, 1956: a person who espouses socialist ideals while enjoying a wealthy lifestyle

‘limousine liberal’: meaning and early occurrences

16th Apr 2021.Reading time 11 minutes.

USA, 1919—a person who espouses socialist ideals while enjoying a wealthy lifestyle—‘limousine’: a luxury motor car with a compartment for the passengers and a separate compartment for the driver

‘to have two left feet’ and synonymous phrases

15th Apr 2021.Reading time 13 minutes.

‘to have two left feet’: to be clumsy or awkward—postdates synonymous ‘to have two left hands’ (1815), loan translation of French ‘avoir deux mains gauches’—‘left’ has long been associated with inferior performance, awkwardness and insincerity

history of ‘piece of work’ (unpleasant person)

14th Apr 2021.Reading time 8 minutes.

literal meaning, 1473: something produced or manufactured—1534: an arduous task—1810: a commotion, a fuss—1623: ‘a filthy piece of work’ is applied to a person in Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens

‘pumpkinification’: meanings and origin

13th Apr 2021.Reading time 18 minutes.

UK, 1849—transformation into a pumpkin; extravagant or absurdly uncritical glorification—coined after Hellenistic Greek ‘ἀποκολοκύντωσις’, the title of a travesty ascribed to Seneca, according to which the deceased Roman emperor Claudius, instead of being elevated to divine status, is changed into a pumpkin

early figurative uses of ‘domino’

11th Apr 2021.Reading time 12 minutes.

USA, 1954—used of a theory that a political event or development in one country, etc., will lead to its occurrence in others—the image is of a falling domino causing an entire row of upended dominoes to fall

‘worm’s-eye view’: meaning and origin

10th Apr 2021.Reading time 9 minutes.

USA, 1898—a view as seen from below or from a humble position—refers to a view taken as from the standpoint of a worm, i.e. from ground-level—coined after ‘bird’s-eye view’ (1782), denoting a view of a landscape from above, such as is presented to the eye of a bird

‘to have a person’s name on it’: meanings and origin

8th Apr 2021.Reading time 7 minutes.

‘to be destined or appropriate for a particular person’—originated during the First World War as ‘to have a person’s name and number on it’, and meant, of a bullet, etc., ‘to be destined to hit a particular person’

‘to name and shame’: meaning and early occurrences

7th Apr 2021.Reading time 10 minutes.

Canada and UK, 1978—to publicly disclose perceived wrongdoing or failure on the part of a person or institution; to expose private behaviour to public censure—earlier longer phrases include ‘blame’