“ad fontes!”
a picture conveys far more than words—USA, 1877, as ‘a picture tells more than printed words’—from 1866 to 1876 the notion had been used with specific reference to pictures by the cartoonist Thomas Nast
Read MoreUK, 1917—‘what an idiot!’—a borrowing from French
Read MoreUSA, 1835—to assume a pretence of courage—originally (from 1801 onwards): with explicit reference to a child putting on a brave front by whistling in the dark
Read Morea cake made with the ingredients available during wartime—first used during the First World War (1914-1918)—came back into usage during the Second World War (1939-1945)
Read Moreearly 19th century—chiefly U.S.—to be forced by another to walk on tiptoe—to walk cautiously—to be discharged or dismissed—to discharge or dismiss (someone)—origin unknown
Read More
Australia, 1934—an inexhaustible supply of something, especially money—alludes to The Magic Pudding (1918), by Norman Lindsay, in which a pudding instantly renews itself as it is sliced or eaten into
Read MoreUSA, 1946—a feeling of regret experienced after making a purchase—also, in extended use: a feeling of regret experienced after voting for a particular person or programme
Read More
UK, 1958—a type of moustache in which the two ends extend downwards to the chin—refers to Emiliano Zapata, who was portrayed with a moustache of this kind by Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata! (1952)
Read More1785—Britain and Ireland—meaning: ‘more harshness than kindness’
Read MoreUK, 1801—said of a dead person: to be likely to have reacted with horror to something if they were still alive to experience it
Read More
word histories 