origin and meanings of ‘shotgun wedding’, or ‘shotgun marriage’
USA, 1878—an enforced wedding—from the fact that, on occasions, men were actually coerced at gunpoint into marriage
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meaning and origin of the phrase ‘Benjamin’s portion’
UK, 1753—the largest share—alludes to Genesis, 43:34, where Benjamin receives the largest portion of food from his brother Joseph
Read Morethe early uses of ‘cool Britannia’ and their meanings
UK and Canada, from 1903 onwards—punningly alludes to ‘Rule Britannia’ (1740), the title of a popular patriotic song
Read MoreThe phrase ‘to be left holding the baby’ originated in money markets.
UK, 1875, stock-exchange phrase—alludes to a stranger’s accidental (as opposed to a parent’s legal) responsibility for an infant
Read Moreorigin of the Scottish and Irish phrase ‘on the buroo’ (‘on the dole’)
Scotland, 1914: ‘buroo’, informal form of ‘bureau’ (generic sense)—later used specifically in the sense of Labour Bureau, hence of unemployment benefit (1921)
Read Moremeaning and origin of the British phrase ‘to be all mouth and (no) trousers’
1961—to be all talk and no action—originally without the negative determiner ‘no’—refers to verbal and sexual arrogance
Read Moremeaning and origin of the British phrase ‘sitting by Nellie’
1956—learning a job by observing how an experienced worker does it—‘Nellie’ is simply a generic name for a trained worker.
Read Morean investigation into the origin of the portmanteau word ‘bankster’
USA, 1931—presented as being of French origin, but French earliest known uses, in 1933, are from American English
Read Moremeaning and origin of ‘Matthew effect’ and of ‘Matthew principle’
USA, 1960s—those who already have will receive more—refers to gospel of Matthew—coined by sociologist Robert King Merton
Read Moremeaning and early instances of the phrase ‘like taking candy from a baby’
USA, 1896—very easy to accomplish, sometimes with an implication of unscrupulousness
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