‘off one’s pannikin’: meaning and origin

14th Oct 2023.Reading time 6 minutes.

Australia, 1879—the noun ‘pannikin’ has been used figuratively in the sense of ‘the head’ in the dated slang phrase ‘off one’s pannikin’, meaning: ‘off one’s head’, ‘out of one’s wits’, ‘crazy’

‘glitterati’: meaning and origin

13th Oct 2023.Reading time 14 minutes.

the celebrities of the fashionable literary and show-business world—USA, 1944—blend of ‘glitter’ ((to make) a brilliant appearance or display) and of ‘literati’ (intellectuals)

‘to come down on someone like a ton of bricks’: meanings and early occurrences

11th Oct 2023.Reading time 11 minutes.

to attack or punish someone with great vigour; to reprimand someone severely—USA, 1862; New Zealand, 1863

‘to have a shot in the locker’: meanings and origin

10th Oct 2023.Reading time 13 minutes.

to have something in reserve but ready for use; to have a chance or opportunity remaining—nautical, USA, 1789—‘shot’: a projectile designed for discharge from a firearm—‘locker’: the compartment for keeping ammunition on a ship

‘(as) thick as a brick’: meaning and origin

9th Oct 2023.Reading time 8 minutes.

very stupid—popularised by Jethro Tull’s ‘Thick as a Brick’ (1972), but already existed—in early use (19th century) applied to nouns such as ‘skull’ and ‘head’, used metonymically for ‘intelligence’

‘under the weather’: meaning and origin

8th Oct 2023.Reading time 10 minutes.

USA, 1815—not completely well; slightly ill or depressed—the image is of a ship caught in a storm (the noun ‘weather’ has long been used to denote a storm)

‘hip-pocket nerve’: meaning and origin

7th Oct 2023.Reading time 5 minutes.

Australia, 1946—an imaginary nerve that reacts whenever demands are made on one’s money, especially in the context of government proposals to increase taxes—first used, if not coined, by Ben Chifley, Prime Minister of Australia (1945-49)

‘to kick the can down the road’: meaning, origin (?), and early occurrences

6th Oct 2023.Reading time 8 minutes.

to delay dealing with a difficult situation—USA, 1983—may refer to toying idly with a discarded can while walking down a road or street

‘to put one’s cue in the rack’: meaning and origin

2nd Oct 2023.Reading time 8 minutes.

USA, late 19th century—to give up, to retire, also, occasionally, to die—from the image of a billiard-player putting the cue back in the rack when the game is over

‘what do you think this is, bush week?’: meaning and origin

1st Oct 2023.Reading time 22 minutes.

Australia, 1938—an indignant response to someone who is taking the speaker for a fool—alludes to the condescending way in which townspeople treated people from the country during bush week (i.e., a festival held in a town or city, celebrating bush produce, activities, etc.)