‘skin and grief’: meaning and origin
British, 1771—as an adjective: emaciated; weak and starving—as a noun: an emaciated or starving person
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‘every herring must hang by its own gill’: meaning and origin
everyone is accountable for their own actions—17th century—may refer to herrings being hung when up for sale (that is to say: every piece of merchandise must sell on its own merits)
Read More‘like herrings in a barrel’: meaning and origin
crowded or confined tightly together—Britain, 1706—in early use, this phrase often referred to the transatlantic slave trade
Read More‘(as) thick as herrings’: meaning and origin
said of a great number of persons or things, especially when pressed against one another—UK, 1776—refers to herrings in a barrel
Read More‘three hots and a cot’: meaning and origin
three daily meals plus a bed for the night (i.e., basic food and shelter)—USA, 1929—chiefly used in relation to the military, prison, and shelters for homeless people—‘hot’ designates a hot meal
Read More‘the juice is worth the squeeze’: meaning and origin
the benefits of an endeavour are enough to outweigh the effort of pursuing it—USA, 1959—refers to the labour-intensive process of squeezing fruit to produce fresh juice
Read More‘one’s cheese slipped off one’s cracker’: meaning and origin
one is no longer rational or sane—USA, 1983
Read More‘bread-and-cheese living’: meaning and origin
subsistence-level living—UK, 1833—since the 17th century, ‘bread and cheese’ has been used attributively to mean: ordinary, simple, basic
Read More‘Cuban sandwich’: meanings and origin
USA, 1898—a type of sandwich consisting of a long crusty roll filled with ham, pork, cheese, pickles and mustard, often toasted—originally: any of various types of sandwich associated with Cuban cuisine
Read More‘flour bomb’: meaning and origin
UK, 1871—a paper bag, balloon, etc., filled with flour and thrown or dropped such that it bursts and disperses its contents over the target on impact, usually as a prank or as part of a protest or public demonstration
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