10 Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)
A comedy film (1979) starring Dudley Moore as a sexually obsessed middle-aged composer who marks his girls 1
1984 Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)
A year of the 20th century long regarded as apocalyptic and entered as such in the Oxford English Dictionary.
24/7 Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)
Every day; all the time. The reference is to something that occurs or is available 24 hours a day, seven
4′ 33′′ Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)
A controversial and certainly unusual work by the US composer John Cage (1912–92), scored for any instrument or
404 Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)
A slang term for someone who is clueless. It derives from the World Wide Web error message ‘404 not found’,
4×4 Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)
Shorthand for ‘four by four’, as a colloquialism for a four-wheel drive vehicle, i.e. one that provides power directly from
7/7 Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)
The designation given by the press to the London bombings of 7 July 2005, on the model of 9/11
7:84 Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)
A radical touring theatre company founded in 1971 by the left-wing British playwright John McGrath (1935–2002). The name
9/11 Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)
The predominant shorthand way of referring to
99 Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)
An ice cream with a chocolate flake in it. The ‘99’ was originally so called because the flake it carried
999 Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)
In Britain and Ireland the telephone number for summoning the emergency services (police, ambulance or fire brigade). It was introduced
A Quick reference
The Oxford Companion to the English Language (2 ed.)
The 1st
A Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable (19 ed.)
This letter evolved from the Hebrew and Phoenician character known as aleph, ‘ox’, supposedly because it originally represented an
A Quick reference
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology
used in the symbol A1, applied in Lloyd's Register to ships in first-class condition in respect of hull (A)
A Quick reference
The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.)
The first letter of the modern English alphabet and of the ancient Roman one, corresponding to Greek alpha and Hebrew ...
a-1 Quick reference
A New Dictionary of Eponyms
A-OK Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable (19 ed.)
Excellent; in good order. A US space-age expression, allegedly standing for ‘all systems OK’. It is said to have been
A-waitin'-on Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Irish Phrase & Fable
An expression, found usually in Ulster, to indicate that someone is close to death, as in, ‘Mary's father is a-waitin'-on.
A-wantin' Reference library
Brewer's Dictionary of Irish Phrase & Fable
A cry used by children to indicate a parental summons as in, ‘Jimmy, you're a-wantin' for your tea!’
a- 1 Quick reference
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology
reduced form of ON prep. (in late OE., but not gen. before XII); the first el. of many predicative adjs.
