A kindred spirit - someone I can agree with.
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A man after my own heart
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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…
Examples of this expression can be found from the 17th century: 1677: "if his Fortune fall short, curses his confidence; and to eke out his revenge, takes forth a Capias for his…
The analysis is off by 247 years. The expression appeared almost exactly in its modern form way back in 1631 in a work entitled "Occasional Meditations" by Joseph Hall: "Outward…
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From the Phrase Finder Digest
- 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 A place in the sun A favourable or advantageous position; a share of success, prosperity or recognition. In modern British use, often a home somewhere warm.
- Meaning Daylight saving time The practice of putting clocks forward in spring so that waking hours make better use of natural daylight.
- Meaning Silver surfer An older person who uses the internet, especially one who has taken to it with enthusiasm.
- Meaning Sixth sense An intuitive ability to perceive or know things beyond the ordinary five senses. Someone with a sixth sense seems to sense danger, read situations or know things without any obvious source of information.
- Meaning About time Literally, nearly the right time. Said with feeling, as in "it's about time", it means long overdue, that something should have happened well before now.
- Meaning My humble abode A mock-modest way of referring to your own home, almost always said with a wink when welcoming guests.
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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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