Phrase origins

The sayings we use every day and where they come from. Each page gives the meaning, the classic book or story the phrase comes from, and how writers have used it.

A

• Achilles' heelA weak point that can bring down an otherwise strong person or plan
• Alas, poor YorickAn expression of sorrow for someone gone, often used with a touch of theatrical sadness
• All that glitters is not goldAn attractive appearance does not always mean that something has real value
• Apple of my eyeA deeply cherished person, pictured as something as precious and vulnerable as the eye
• ArmageddonA final, overwhelming conflict, named after the gathering place for battle in Revelation

B

• Beware the ides of MarchA warning of approaching danger, drawn from Caesar’s fatal day in Shakespeare’s play
• Brave new worldA strange new situation that promises progress but may bring unexpected dangers
• Break the iceTo make the first friendly move and help people feel less awkward together
• By the skin of my teethA narrow escape or success, with almost nothing to spare
• The blind leading the blindPeople without the knowledge they need guiding others who are equally unsure

C

• Cast the first stoneTo begin blaming someone, often with a warning to consider your own faults first
• Crocodile tearsA show of sadness or sympathy that hides a lack of real concern
• Cross the RubiconTake a decisive step that commits you to a course you cannot easily reverse
• Cry wolfTo give false alarms until people stop believing that help is needed

D

• A drop in the bucketAn amount too small to make much difference beside a much greater need or whole
• Dead as a doornailAn emphatic way to say something is completely dead, finished, or no longer working
• Dog in the mangerSomeone who blocks others from enjoying something they cannot or will not use themselves
• Don't count your chickens before they hatchA warning against treating hoped-for success as something already certain or safely in hand
• Double, double toil and troubleA witchlike chant used playfully to suggest brewing mischief, trouble, or a spooky atmosphere
• Doubting ThomasSomeone who wants clear evidence before accepting what others say is true
• Down the rabbit holeEntering a strange situation or following a subject deeper than expected

E

• An eye for an eyeA demand for equal punishment, now often used to describe revenge in kind
• Eaten out of house and homeA lively complaint about someone eating so much that feeding them becomes a burden
• Et tu, BruteA startled response to betrayal by someone thought to be a friend

F

• A fly in the ointmentA small fault or problem that spoils something otherwise good or enjoyable
• Fair playHonest treatment and equal chances, whether in games, arguments, or everyday life
• Fall from graceA loss of trust, respect, or favour after someone has been admired or accepted
• Faustian bargainA deal that brings power or pleasure at the cost of something deeply important
• Feet of clayA hidden weakness in someone admired, or in something that seems strong
• Foregone conclusionAn outcome treated as certain before events have had a chance to settle it

G

• Go the extra mileTo do more than is required, especially to help someone or finish a task well
• Good SamaritanA person who stops to help someone in trouble, especially a stranger
• Gordian knotA tangled problem that seems impossible to solve, until someone takes a bold shortcut
• Green-eyed monsterA picture of jealousy as a creature that feeds on suspicion and envy

H

• A Herculean taskA job that demands extraordinary effort, like the famous labours of Hercules
• Halcyon daysA peaceful, happy stretch of life, often remembered fondly after it has passed
• Heart of goldA way of saying that someone is deeply kind, generous, and good at heart

I

• In a pickleA familiar way to describe being in trouble or a difficult situation
• It's Greek to meA familiar way to say that something is impossible to understand

J

• Jekyll and HydeA person whose kind and cruel sides seem sharply at odds

L

• A labor of loveWork done out of love or deep interest, rather than for money or praise
• A land of milk and honeyA place imagined as rich in food, comfort, and chances for a better life
• Laughing stockA person or group treated as ridiculous and made the target of other people's laughter
• LilliputianA word for something very small, sometimes suggesting petty concerns or narrow thinking
• The lady doth protest too muchAn unusually strong denial can make people suspect the opposite is true
• The lion's shareThe largest part of something, often taken by the strongest or most powerful

M

• Man FridayA dependable helper, named after Friday in Robinson Crusoe, with an uneasy colonial history
• Mum's the wordA friendly request or promise to keep quiet about something that should stay secret
• The mark of CainA lasting sign of guilt or disgrace, drawn from the biblical story of Cain
• The Midas touchAn ability to turn almost any venture into a success, especially a financial one

N

• Neither a borrower nor a lender beAdvice to avoid borrowing or lending money, especially when friendship could suffer
• No rest for the wickedA joking way to say that work keeps coming and there is no time to rest

O

• An odysseyA long, eventful journey, often full of difficulties and unexpected turns
• Once more unto the breachA call to face a difficult task again, drawn from Henry’s rallying speech
• Open sesameA word, quality, or connection that opens doors or makes something suddenly possible

P

• A pound of fleshA harsh demand for payment or repayment, made without concern for the suffering it causes
• A Pyrrhic victoryA victory that costs so much it leaves the winner worse off
• PandemoniumA word for noisy confusion, drawn from the gathering place of Milton’s fallen angels
• Pandora's boxA seemingly small action that releases many troubles which are hard to control
• Paradise lostA happy place or way of life that has been lost, perhaps forever
• Pearls before swineSomething valuable offered to people who cannot or will not appreciate it
• PollyannaA person who looks for the good, sometimes without facing the facts
• Pride goes before a fallA warning that too much confidence can lead to failure or humiliation
• Prodigal sonSomeone who returns after going astray and is welcomed back with forgiveness
• The patience of JobRemarkable patience through suffering or frustration, named after a man tested by terrible losses
• The powers that beThe people or institutions in charge, often mentioned with resignation or mild criticism

Q

• QuixoticIdealistic and brave in a way that ignores what is possible or practical

R

• A rose by any other nameA different name does not change what someone or something really is
• Reap what you sowYour choices and actions bring consequences, just as planted seeds produce a harvest
• The root of all evilA phrase for the underlying cause of wrongdoing, often linked to greed

S

• Salad daysYouthful, inexperienced years, often remembered later as a happy or carefree time
• Salt of the earthA warm description of honest, dependable people whose everyday kindness helps those around them
• ScapegoatA person or group made to carry blame that belongs elsewhere
• ScroogeA name for someone who hoards money and resents spending or giving
• Short shriftA quick dismissal that gives someone or something little time, sympathy, or serious attention
• Slow and steady wins the racePatient, regular effort can succeed where speed and careless confidence fail
• Sodom and GomorrahA biblical name for a place thought to be deeply wicked or corrupt
• Something is rotten in the state of DenmarkA warning that hidden wrongdoing lies beneath an apparently orderly situation
• Sour grapesDismissing something as worthless because it is wanted but cannot be obtained
• Star-crossed loversLovers whose relationship is thwarted by fate, family conflict, or circumstances beyond their control
• SvengaliA controlling person who shapes another person's talent or career for selfish ends
• Sweet sorrowPleasure mixed with sadness, especially when saying goodbye to someone dear
• Sword of DamoclesA serious threat that hangs over someone, even during apparent success or happiness
• The straight and narrowAn honest, morally upright way of life

T

• Thirty pieces of silverA reward for betrayal, recalling the money Judas accepted for handing Jesus over
• Tilting at windmillsFighting imagined enemies or wasting effort on a battle based on a mistake
• To be or not to beA question about existence, now often used for a difficult or dramatic choice
• To thine own self be trueAdvice to live honestly by your values, drawn from a father's farewell in Shakespeare
• Tower of BabelA place where confused speech or many competing voices make understanding difficult
• Trojan horseSomething welcomed as useful or harmless that secretly lets danger in
• Turn the other cheekChoose not to strike back when someone insults, hurts, or treats you unfairly

U

• UtopiaAn imagined perfect society, or a hopeful plan that seems impossible to achieve

V

• Vanity FairA world of display and ambition, where wealth and status crowd out deeper values

W

• A wolf in sheep's clothingSomeone who seems harmless or kind but hides a dangerous or dishonest purpose
• The world is my oysterA confident way to say that life offers opportunities ready to be seized
• The writing on the wallA warning sign that trouble, failure, or the end of something is coming
• Wear your heart on your sleeveTo show your feelings openly, rather than keeping them hidden from other people
• Wild goose chaseA fruitless search or pursuit that wastes time and leads nowhere useful