‘Coggeshall job’: meaning and origin
any muddle-headed business—UK, 1813—the stupidity of the people of Coggeshall, a small town in Essex, England, has been proverbial since the mid-17th century
Read MoreTag: judicial
‘behind the eight ball’: meaning and origin
in trouble; at a disadvantage—USA, 1923—refers to a position in a game of pool in which a player cannot make a direct shot at the target ball because the black eight ball obstructs the cue ball
Read Morea male-chauvinistic phrase: ‘barefoot(ed) and pregnant’
USA, 1938—male-chauvinistic phrase meaning that the place of women is in the home and that their role is to bear children—also ‘pregnant and barefoot(ed)’
Read More‘home, James (and don’t spare the horses)’: meaning and early occurrences
used as a humorous exhortation to a driver (‘James’: generic posh Christian name)—USA—shorter form: late 19th century—extended form: 1911
Read More‘to tap the Admiral’: meaning and early occurrences
applied to someone who will drink anything—UK, 1790—from the tale of the sailor(s) who stole spirits from the cask in which a dead Admiral was being preserved for interment in England
Read Morehistory of the acronym ‘ACAB’
1970—British and Irish English—acronym from the phrase ‘all coppers are bastards’—customarily written (tattooed in particular) rather than spoken
Read Morethe ‘Apaches’ of Paris: meaning and origin
circa 1900: by association with the reputed ferocity of the North-American Indian people, ‘Apache’ came to designate a violent street ruffian in Paris
Read More‘you’ll be smoking next’: meaning and early occurrences
used to rebuke someone, especially, jocularly, for an act far more improper or audacious than mere tobacco-smoking—USA, 1889
Read More‘accidents will happen in the best-regulated families’
UK, 1808—elaboration on ‘accidents will happen’, meaning accidents will happen despite efforts taken to prevent them
Read More‘girls are like streetcars, or buses’: meaning and history
USA, 1900—followed by ‘there’ll be another one right along’ and variants, means ‘there will be many more romantic opportunities in the future’
Read More