phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Wax lyrical

Posted by Bob on July 20, 2000

In Reply to: Wax lyrical posted by K Hitchen on July 20, 2000

: Anyone give an explanation of this phrase and it's origin please?

The intransitive verb to wax is normally seen in the sense of increasing, as the moon waxes and wanes in its cycle. But to wax also means to become, to tend towards, to grow towards. One can wax indignant, or wax lyrical, or wax rapturous, meaning you become/tend to that state. The word is old, tracing back from the high German to the Greek

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.