‘to reinvent the wheel’: meaning and origin
USA, 1956—to recreate something that already exists, especially at the expense of unnecessary time and effort; to repeat effort needlessly
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‘like a red rag to a bull’: meaning and origin
‘red rag’—a piece of red cloth used to provoke an animal—hence, figuratively, a source of provocation or annoyance, something which excites violent indignation—the notion occurs in the late 16th century
Read More‘red-light district’: meaning and origin
USA, 1893—the part of a town or city in which prostitution and other commercial sexual activities are concentrated—originally used of Louisville, Kentucky—from the use of a red light as a sign outside a brothel
Read More‘Buckley’s (chance): meaning and origin
Australia, 1887—a forlorn hope, no prospect whatever—may refer to the British convict William Buckley (1780-1856), who escaped from custody in 1803 and lived for thirty-two years with Aboriginal people
Read More‘men in buckram’: meaning and origin
1733—denotes imaginary or non-existent people—refers to John Falstaff’s vaunting tale in the First Part of King Henry the Fourth, by William Shakespeare, in which two men in buckram suits gradually become eleven
Read More‘to be past one’s sell-by date’: meaning and origin
UK, 1985—to be ‘stale’, to be no longer innovative, relevant, or effective—refers to the practice introduced in Britain in the early 1970s of stamping perishable goods with the latest date by which they may be sold
Read More‘to ride shotgun’: origin and sense developments
USA—literally (1905): to travel as an armed guard next to the driver of a vehicle—in extended use (1948): to accompany, to escort, especially in ‘to ride shotgun on somebody’—figuratively (1949): to assist, to protect, especially in ‘to ride shotgun on somebody’
Read More‘it is all over bar the shouting’: meaning and origin
UK, 1831—used when the result of a contest or the outcome of an action appears certain—originally used of horse racing—the noun ‘shouting’ denotes a loud and enthusiastic show of appreciation
Read More‘to spin a yarn’: meaning and origin
UK and USA, 1816—to tell a long, far-fetched story—of nautical origin? (perhaps alludes to making ropes from lengths of yarn on board ship: the men would have told one another stories while performing this long and tedious task)
Read More‘to go from zero to hero’ | ‘to go from hero to zero’
USA—(1893) ‘to go from zero to hero’: to experience a sudden increase in popularity or success, especially having previously been in a position of low achievement or esteem—(1899) ‘to go from hero to zero’: to suffer a sudden decline in popularity or success
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