Update

You are looking at 1-20 of 32,066 entries  for:

  • Type: Subject Reference x
  • History of English x
  • Literary theory and cultural studies x
clear all

View:

10

10   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

A comedy film (1979) starring Dudley Moore as a sexually obsessed middle-aged composer who marks his girls 1

1984

1984   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

A year of the 20th century long regarded as apocalyptic and entered as such in the Oxford English Dictionary.

24/7

24/7   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

Every day; all the time. The reference is to something that occurs or is available 24 hours a day, seven

4′ 33′′

4′ 33′′   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

A controversial and certainly unusual work by the US composer John Cage (1912–92), scored for any instrument or

404

404   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

A slang term for someone who is clueless. It derives from the World Wide Web error message ‘404 not found’,

4×4

4×4   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

Shorthand for ‘four by four’, as a colloquialism for a four-wheel drive vehicle, i.e. one that provides power directly from

7/7

7/7   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

The designation given by the press to the London bombings of 7 July 2005, on the model of 9/11

7:84

7:84   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

A radical touring theatre company founded in 1971 by the left-wing British playwright John McGrath (1935–2002). The name

9/11

9/11   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

The predominant shorthand way of referring to September 11 2001, the day on which Al-Qaida launched airborne attacks on the

99

99   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

An ice cream with a chocolate flake in it. The ‘99’ was originally so called because the flake it carried

999

999   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

In Britain and Ireland the telephone number for summoning the emergency services (police, ambulance or fire brigade). It was introduced

A

A   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable (19 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2013

This letter evolved from the Hebrew and Phoenician character known as aleph, ‘ox’, supposedly because it originally represented an

A

A   Quick reference

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2006

The first letter of the modern English alphabet and of the ancient Roman one, corresponding to Greek alpha and Hebrew ...

A-OK

A-OK   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable (19 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2013

Excellent; in good order. A US space-age expression, allegedly standing for ‘all systems OK’. It is said to have been

A-waitin'-on

A-waitin'-on   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Irish Phrase & Fable

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

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'

A-wantin'   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Irish Phrase & Fable

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

A cry used by children to indicate a parental summons as in, ‘Jimmy, you're a-wantin' for your tea!’

A4

A4   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

A standard European size of paper, slightly narrower and longer than standard US letter paper. The basis of the series

A6 murder

A6 murder   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable (19 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2013

The name given to the murder in August 1961 of Michael Gregsten. He and his lover Valerie Storie were

A6 murder

A6 murder   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable (2 ed.)

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

In August 1961 Michael Gregsten and his lover Valerie Storie were shot in their car in a lay-by off the

Aachen

Aachen   Reference library

Brewer's Dictionary of Irish Phrase & Fable

Reference type:
Subject Reference
Current Version:
2011

A city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, where many of the Holy Roman Emperors were crowned up to the 16th century.

View: