the authentic origin of the phrase ‘(as) bold as brass’
UK, 1789—aided by alliteration, arose from a long-established figurative use of ‘brass’, sometimes in association with ‘bold’
Read MoreTag: theatre
meanings and origin of the phrase ‘all dressed up with nowhere to go’
USA, 1910—originated as a line in the musical comedy The Girl of My Dreams—allegedly coined by music-hall artist Nita Allen
Read Morenotes on ‘the Scottish play’ (euphemism for ‘Macbeth’)
early 20th century—according to theatrical superstition, ‘Macbeth’ is a very unlucky play—the origin of this belief is unknown
Read More‘(just) what the doctor ordered’ (exactly what is needed)
‘(just) what the doctor ordered’: very beneficial or desirable under the circumstances—origin: USA, second half of the 19th century
Read More‘bull in a china shop’ – ‘éléphant dans un magasin de porcelaine’
‘like a bull in a china shop’ (UK, 1802)—French equivalent with ‘elephant’ instead of ‘bull’ (1849)
Read Moreorigin of the Irish-English phrase ‘up the pole’ (‘pregnant’)
probably refers to pregnancy as an awkward condition, the image being apparently of an uncomfortable position at the top of a pole
Read More‘a legend in one’s lifetime’ | ‘a legend in one’s lunchtime’
UK—‘a legend in your lifetime’ (1913): allegedly said by Benjamin Jowett to Florence Nightingale—‘a legend in his own lunchtime’ (1969): first recorded in a theatrical review by John Cunningham
Read Morethe theatrical origin of the phrase ‘top banana’
USA, 1947—the leading comic in a burlesque entertainment—also ‘first banana’, in contrast to ‘second banana’ and ‘third banana’
Read More‘don’t give up the day job’ (your performance fails to impress)
USA, 1951—used as a humorous way of recommending someone not to pursue something at which they are unlikely to be successful
Read Morethe authentic origin of ‘the ghost walks’
payday—UK, 1831, theatrical slang—from ‘Hamlet’, where Horatio asks the Ghost if he walks because he has “hoorded treasure in the wombe of earth”
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word histories 