‘foolometer’: meaning and origin 5th Apr 2022.Reading time 7 minutes. a standard or device for the measurement of foolishness or folly—coined by the British author Sydney Smith (1771-1845) in ‘Second Letter to Archdeacon Singleton, Being the Third of the Cathedral Letters’ (London, 1838) Read More
meaning and origin of the phrase ‘to get one’s knickers in a twist’ 30th Sep 2018.Reading time 8 minutes. (jocular) to become unduly agitated or angry—twisted clothing as a metaphor for mental confusion—UK, 1971, in the comic strip Andy Capp Read More
early instances of ‘butterfly kiss’ 25th Nov 2017.Reading time 7 minutes. ‘Butterfly kiss’ appeared in the second half of the 19th century to designate the act of lightly sweeping a person’s cheek with one’s eyelashes. Read More