the queen’s cushion, a Scottish makeshift seat
‘queen’s’, or ‘king’s’, ‘cushion’: a seat made by two people who cross arms and hold each other’s hands to form a support for another person—Scotland and northern England, 19th century
Read More‘beer o’clock’: 5 p.m. as the end of the working day
The original meaning of beer o’clock is 5 p.m. as the end of the working day. Its first known user was Stephen King (born 1947), American author of novels of horror and suspense.
Read MoreHow ‘Grub Street’ came to refer to hack work.
From the 17th century onwards, Grub Street, in Moorgate, London, was inhabited by literary hacks.
Read More‘Queer Street’, where people in difficulties reside
UK, early 19th century—an imaginary street where people in difficulties, now especially financial ones, are supposed to reside—urban counterpart of ‘Dicky’s meadow’
Read Moreorigin of the phrases containing ‘mustard’
The various phrases containing the word ‘mustard’ are based on the image of something which adds heat or pungency.
Read More‘Hands down’ originated in horse racing.
19th century—The adverb ‘hands down’ originated in horse racing: a jockey who is winning comfortably is able to lower his hands and relax his hold on the reins.
Read Morefolk-etymological origin of ‘squirrel’
Greek ‘skíouros’, ultimate origin of ‘squirrel’: folk-etymologically interpreted as meaning ‘shadow-tailed’ because when the animal sits erect, it raises its tail up against its back and over its head as if to shade itself
Read Moreorigin of ‘Shrovetide’ (‘les jours gras’)
Etymologically, ‘Shrovetide’ denotes the period during which it was customary to attend confession in preparation for Lent—but this period was also marked by feasting before the Lenten fast.
Read Moreorigin of the phrase ‘to sit below the salt’
The phrase ‘below the salt’ originated in the social differentiations materialised by the former custom of placing a large saltcellar in the middle of a dining table.
Read Morethe story of ‘greengrocer’s apostrophe’, a.k.a. ‘apostrofly’
UK, ‘greengrocer’s apostrophe’ – ‘apostrofly’: the mistaken use of an apostrophe, especially its insertion before the final ‘s’ of an ordinary plural form
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word histories 