a soccer phrase: ‘where’s your white stick?’

17th Apr 2020.Reading time 4 minutes.

UK, 1935—used to express disagreement with the referee during a soccer match—alludes to the white walking stick carried by a blind person

‘little man, you’ve had a busy day’: meaning and origin

17th Apr 2020.Reading time 8 minutes.

USA, 1934—addressed, often with ironic pity, to someone who has had an arduous day—from very popular 1934 song, ‘Little Man, You’ve Had a Busy Day’

‘little rabbits have big ears’: meaning and origin

16th Apr 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

children are inclined to eavesdrop; used as a warning (“children are listening”)—USA, 1901—perhaps a modification of synonymous ‘little pitchers have big ears’

the birth of ‘little old ladies in tennis shoes’

15th Apr 2020.Reading time 7 minutes.

USA, 1961—coined by Howard Jewel, Assistant Attorney General, Sacramento, California, as a description of female members of the John Birch Society

‘look (mum, or ma), no hands!’: meaning and origin

14th Apr 2020.Reading time 10 minutes.

used of something done cleverly—British and American—originated as the proud exclamation of a child riding a bicycle with no hands on the handlebars

‘real George’: meaning and origin

13th Apr 2020.Reading time 14 minutes.

fine—USA, 1950—probably coined by comedian Jerry Lester on the late-night television variety series Broadway Open House, telecast from 29 May 1950 onwards

history of ‘that schoolgirl complexion’

12th Apr 2020.Reading time 10 minutes.

American English 1921–British and Irish English 1923—although it was already a cliché, ‘schoolgirl complexion’ was popularised by the advertising slogan for Palmolive Soap