“ad fontes!”
someone or something that is fashionably or artfully dishevelled or dilapidated—in early use: someone or something whose dishevelment or dilapidation is unintentionally attractive or fashionable—USA, 1901
Read More1615—a protruding belly caused by excessive beer drinking; a person (typically a man) who has a protruding belly caused by excessive beer drinking
Read MoreUSA (Louisiana), 1996—a dish consisting of a chicken which has been cooked with an open can of beer wedged inside the cavity
Read MoreUSA, 1784—a mythical snake that puts its tail in its mouth and then rolls after its intended victim—also, occasionally: ‘horn snake’, with reference to a horny sting in the snake’s tail
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Australia, 1967—a mythical creature, similar in appearance to a koala, that drops from trees to kill and eat prey, including humans
Read Moreeasily, readily—UK, 1825
Read Morealso ‘like water from a duck’s back’—UK, 1801—with no effect or reaction
Read More1680—also ‘would a duck swim?’ and ‘does a duck swim?’—expresses enthusiastic acceptance or confirmation
Read MoreAustralia, 1890, & New Zealand, 1891—is used, in sports, of slowness, in particular as a disparaging comment on a racehorse
Read MoreWelsh English, 1994—potato chips—alteration of the Welsh plural noun ‘sglodion’ (potato chips) with substitution of the English plural ending ‘‑s’ for the Welsh plural ending ‘‑ion’
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word histories 