‘kissogram’: meanings and origin
UK & 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 MoreTag: human body
‘beau-catcher’: meaning and origin
USA, 1815—a circular curl of hair (sometimes artificial), usually pressed flat against the temple or forehead
Read More‘anything in trousers’: meaning and origin
USA, 1858—any man—often in contexts in which a person, especially a woman, is disparagingly characterised as sexually promiscuous or indiscriminate
Read Moreearly occurrences of ‘mother-in-law’s chair’ (i.e., cactus)
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
Read More‘mother-in-law seat’: meaning and origin
an uncovered extra seat at the back or on the side of a two-seater motor car—USA, 1907
Read More‘skin and grief’: meaning and origin
British, 1771—as an adjective: emaciated; weak and starving—as a noun: an emaciated or starving person
Read More‘close shave’: meaning and origin
a 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 More‘green about the gills’: meaning and origin
looking 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 More‘grumpy-drawers’: meaning and origin
a bad-tempered, sullen person—UK, 1981—here, the noun ‘drawers’ means ‘underpants’
Read More‘bedroom eyes’: meaning and origin
1901—a look inviting sexual interest—hence, the adjective ‘bedroom-eyed’ (1925), which means: giving a look inviting sexual interest
Read More
word histories 