“ad fontes!”
Australia, 1940 (?)—UK, 1963—origin unknown—either somehow derived from the sense ‘to be parched’ of the phrase ‘to spit feathers’ or a distinct phrase which happens to be identical in form
Read MoreUSA, 1850—based on the image of a thirsty person whose mouth is so parched that it feels as if it were filled with feathers and that the person thus feels choked
Read MoreUSA, 1892—severe but usually short-lived headache induced by the consumption of very cold food or drink
Read Moreto smoke tobacco very heavily —UK, 1824, as “smoking away like the chimney of the King of the Netherlands”
Read Moreto chatter, i.e., to talk continuously about things regarded as trivial or unimportant—USA, 1940
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USA, 1961—the type of body, typically slim and shapely, conventionally considered to look attractive in a bikini—hence also, by synecdoche: a woman whose body is of that type
Read Morerefers to a school’s bicycle-shed as a place of seclusion in which pupils pursue prohibited activities such as fighting, smoking, etc.—1909—‘bicycle-shed’: a shed for storing bicycles when not in use
Read Morea floating position, used as a survival technique, consisting in lying on one’s back in the water—UK, 1841
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USA, 1968: colloquial humorous appellation for a crash-helmet—also, USA, 1942: protective head-covering worn by soldiers
Read MoreUK, 1809—the level of physical force deemed appropriate or justifiable by law in protecting oneself or one’s family or property; also: in apprehending a criminal suspect or preventing a crime
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