Category: English Phrase
On Cloud 9 Meaning A feeling of euphoric exaltation. Example Canadian Senate members, once appointed to their patronage positions, feel as though they’re on cloud 9. Origin Clouds are …
On a Lark Meaning To do something on a whim or just for fun. Example On a lark we diverted our journey from Rome to. Amsterdam. Origin A lark, …
Okey-Dokey Meaning Okay. There are some late 20th century alternative meanings, limited to the USA, e.g. ‘absurd or ridiculous’ and ‘to swindle or deceive’. Origin This little phrase is …
Off The Record Meaning Something said in confidence that the speaker doesn’t want attributed to them. Origin This is an American phrase and began to be used there in …
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Meaning Literal meaning. Example Origin The ‘wherefore’ here means why rather than where. What Juliet is asking, in allusion to the feud …
Nul Points Meaning ‘No points’ the lowest possible score awarded to performers in the Eurovision Song Contest. The term is also sometimes used as a jokey judgement on any …
No Way, Jose Meaning Absolutely not; never. Origin This slang expression originated in America sometime around the 1960s. In Chapman and Kipfer’s Dictionary of American Slang ‘no way’ is …
No Man is an Island Meaning Human beings do not thrive when isolated from others. Donne was a Christian but this concept is shared by other religions, principally Buddhism. …
No Dice Meaning A refusal to accept a proposition – equivalent to ‘nothing doing’. Origin This is a US phrase and originated there in the early 20th century. Gambling …
Nitty-Gritty Meaning The heart of the matter; the basic essentials; the harsh realities. Origin Any turn of phrase that is suspected as being racist is subject to close scrutiny, …
