‘spit and sawdust’: meaning and origin
UK, 1928—of a public-house: very basic and lacking in comforts—refers to the former practice of covering the floor of a public-house with sawdust into which customers spat
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‘for show and not for blow’ | ‘one for show and one for blow’
19th century—refer to two handkerchiefs, one used as a clothing accessory, the other for blowing the nose—hence, figuratively ‘for display rather than for use’ and ‘one for display and one for use’
Read More‘an accident waiting to happen’: meanings and early occurrences
USA, 1905—a situation that is likely to lead to disaster or misfortune, especially because of negligence or neglect; someone who behaves in a way that is likely to cause trouble
Read More‘the opera ain’t over until the fat lady sings’: meaning and origin
USA, 1976—the outcome of a situation cannot be assumed—may allude to the stereotype of a large female soprano singing the final aria of an opera—from ‘church ain’t out ’till the fat lady sings’ (1976), itself from ‘church ain’t out until the singing is over’ (1872)
Read More‘the night’s (only) a pup’: meaning and origin
colloquial, Australia, 1910—‘the night’s (only) a pup’, or ‘the day’s (only) a pup’, means the night, or the day, is young—refers to ‘pup’ in the sense of a young dog
Read More‘figures won’t lie, but liars will figure’: meaning and early occurrences
USA, 1872—the first clause refers to accurate calculations, the second punningly refers to the manipulation of those calculations—based on the figure called chiasmus, i.e., in which the order of words in the first clause is inverted in the second
Read More‘doesn’t buy (the) groceries’: meaning and early occurrences
USA, 1911—is applied to an act or activity that brings in no money—is often preceded by the third-person singular pronoun ‘it’
Read More‘to come up with the rations’: meaning and origin
military slang, derisive—of military medals and decorations: to be awarded automatically, without regard to merit—coined during the First World War
Read More‘Nacht und Nebel’: meanings and origin
the name of a decree issued in Nazi Germany in December 1941, under which individuals suspected of resistance or other underground activities were arrested and deported suddenly and without trace, frequently during the night—by extension: any situation, event, etc., characterised by mystery, obscurity or secrecy
Read More‘to be all hat and no cattle’: meanings and origin
USA, 1937—to have or cultivate a particular image or reputation which has no basis in reality; to engage in empty talk—now often thought of as referring to Texans, but originally attributed to Native Americans
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