‘chalk and talk’: meaning and origin
USA, 1871—a traditional method of teaching consisting of lectures (talk) illustrated chiefly on the blackboard (chalk)
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‘sugar skull’: meaning and origin
1843—a representation of a human skull or skeleton, originally crafted from sugar and intended to be eaten and often given to children as a gift around Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead)
Read More‘to spill one’s guts (out)’: meaning and origin
U.S. criminals’ slang, 1915—to reveal the truth about something secret or private
Read More‘to wet the other eye’: meaning and origin
British slang, 1745—to have one alcoholic drink after another—the image is that the first drink wets one eye, and the second drink wets the other eye
Read More‘to wet the baby’s head’: meaning and origin
UK, 1845—to celebrate the birth of a child by drinking alcohol
Read More‘holy laugh’: meaning and origin
USA, 1826—a laugh by a person in a state of religious fervour—especially used in reference to Methodist camp-meetings
Read More‘bed and breakfast’ (verb): meanings and early occurrences
UK, 1883—to stay at a hotel, inn, etc., that provides a bed for the night and breakfast the following morning—to stay at an establishment known as a ‘bed and breakfast’
Read More‘housemaid’s knee’: meaning and origin
inflammation of the bursa over the kneecap (prepatellar bursa), typically induced by kneeling on hard floors—UK, from 1824 onwards in medical publications
Read More‘clergyman’s sore throat’: meaning and origin
chronic pharyngitis—first used in medical texts published in Philadelphia from 1837 onwards—in reference to preachers who overstrain their voice
Read More‘tennis elbow’: meaning and origin
UK, 1881—a form of repetitive strain injury (first identified in tennis players) that affects the tendons of forearm muscles attached to the lateral epicondyle of the humerus—synonym ‘lateral epicondylitis’
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