Great things may come from small beginnings.
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The Phrase Finder
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Look up any phrase - we'll tell you what it means, where it came from, and how it's been used. 2236+ meanings, 692+ idioms, 10,636+ thesaurus entries.
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Mighty oaks from little acorns grow
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Here is another phrase erroneously attributed to Shakespeare. We find a much earlier citation in a 1579 translation of the sermons of John Calvin: "I pray you, ought not all the…
I was under the impression that "cloud 9" referred specifically to the ninth cloud in the cloud classification system—that this cloud is the cumulonimbus and is super fluffy and…
An exact quote of Aaron Hill's verse about grasping a nettle can be found in the 1990 computer RPG Ultima VI: The False Prophet, as a line uttered by the Shrine of Valor when…
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From the Phrase Finder Digest
- The Silly Season Has Its Own Phrasebook Of Nonsense
Late summer is when British newspapers traditionally run thin on real news and thick on odd ones, a stretch known as the silly season. The phrases we reach for to describe that filler, and the stories it produces, have their own overlooked histories.
7 August 2026
- We Are In The Dog Days. They Have Nothing To Do With Dogs
Late July is when Britain reaches for the phrase 'dog days'. The Romans who coined it were not thinking about exhausted labradors on hot pavements.
22 July 2026
Based on Google Books usage over the last ~25 years. Refreshes each build.
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- Meaning Can't lie straight in bed Said of a thoroughly dishonest person - they are so 'crooked' that, the joke goes, they couldn't even lie straight in bed.
- Meaning Old soak An old soak is a habitual heavy drinker, usually one of long standing, described with amusement or rueful affection rather than outright disapproval.
- Meaning Out of left field Completely unexpected; coming from nowhere and taking everyone by surprise.
- Meaning Trial by fire A severe test of someone's character or ability, especially a first attempt made under harsh, unforgiving conditions.
- Meaning Chaps my ass To say that something chaps your ass is to say that it irritates you intensely. It is American and informal, usually said of a nagging, recurring annoyance.
- Meaning Like kissing your sister Something technically pleasant but entirely without excitement, used above all of a tie in sport, a result that satisfies nobody.
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Phrases.org.uk has been documenting the meaning and origin of phrases, sayings and idioms since 1997. Every entry is researched and written by Gary Martin, with citations to the earliest printed use we can find.
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