‘like a robber’s dog’: meanings and origin
Australia & UK—denotes physical ugliness; also used of temporary states such as tiredness, hangover, anger, etc. (Australia, 1946)—also denotes rapidity (Australia, 1947)
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‘like a beaten favourite’: meaning and origin
Australia, 1982—denotes physical ugliness
Read More‘silly as a wheel’: meaning and origin
Australia, 1931—extremely silly—the underlying notion is probably that anything is silly that does all the hard work
Read More‘to shoot the breeze’: meaning and early occurrences
USA, 1909—to converse idly, to gossip; to talk nonsense or to exaggerate the truth
Read More‘to throw a wobbly’: meaning and origin
also ‘to throw a wobbler’—New Zealand, 1964—to lose one’s self-control in a fit of nerves, temper, panic, etc.—‘wobbly’, also ‘wobbler’, denotes a fit of temper or panic
Read More‘little Aussie battler’: meaning and origin
a person who struggles for a livelihood, and who displays great determination in so doing—Australia, 1974—originally applied to the Australian television host, radio presenter and singer Ernie Sigley
Read More‘to kick the can down the road’: meaning, origin (?), and early occurrences
to delay dealing with a difficult situation—USA, 1983—may refer to toying idly with a discarded can while walking down a road or street
Read More‘to put one’s cue in the rack’: meaning and origin
USA, late 19th century—to give up, to retire, also, occasionally, to die—from the image of a billiard-player putting the cue back in the rack when the game is over
Read More‘to kick the tyres’: meaning and origin
USA, early 1960s—to test, check or research the condition or quality of a product, service, etc., before purchase or use—alludes to the practice consisting for a prospective buyer in kicking the tyres of a motorcar when inspecting it
Read More‘to kick into the long grass’: meaning and origin
UK politics, 1962—to delay dealing with something, in the hope that it will be forgotten—from the image of sending a ball into the tall grass off the playing field during a sporting event, which interrupts this event
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