“ad fontes!”
UK, 1851—a person (or persons) or a thing (or things) considered unattractive, inferior or unpleasant, compared to others of the same type or group—alludes to Cinderella’s ugly and unpleasant stepsisters in the fairy tale Cinderella
Read MoreUK & USA, early 20th century—used in a variety of meanings, among which: ‘a postcard on which the sender could leave the imprint of a kiss’, and ‘a brief statement about kissing’
Read MoreUSA, 1815—a circular curl of hair (sometimes artificial), usually pressed flat against the temple or forehead
Read MoreUSA, 1858—any man—often in contexts in which a person, especially a woman, is disparagingly characterised as sexually promiscuous or indiscriminate
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UK, 1951—‘mother-in-law’s chair’, ‘mother-in-law’s cushion’ and ‘mother-in-law’s seat’ are colloquial appellations for the globular spiny cactus Echinocactus grusonii, native to Mexico
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an uncovered extra seat at the back or on the side of a two-seater motor car—USA, 1907
Read MoreBritish, 1771—as an adjective: emaciated; weak and starving—as a noun: an emaciated or starving person
Read Morea narrow escape from danger, disaster or mishap—UK, 1820—refers to the act of shaving with a cutthroat razor, which may result in injury
Read Morelooking or feeling ill or nauseated—1843, in a letter by Charles Dickens—when applied to a person, the plural noun ‘gills’ designates the flesh under the jaws and ears; also the cheeks
Read Morea bad-tempered, sullen person—UK, 1981—here, the noun ‘drawers’ means ‘underpants’
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word histories 