Where does the phrase "It was not there to protect me from you. It was there to protect you from me" come from? [more inside]
posted by seanyboy on Oct 30, 2009 - 9 answers

What is the origin of the phrase "in the not-too-distant future"? [more inside]
posted by unregistered_animagus on Oct 9, 2009 - 10 answers

Can you help me find phrases that include the word "amp" or "amped"? [more inside]
posted by niles on Jul 20, 2009 - 16 answers

I'm trying to locate the origin of the phrase "The righteous man champions the lost cause, knowing that all other causes are just merely events." [more inside]
posted by victoriab on Apr 15, 2009 - 2 answers

TattooFilter. Looking for a poetic version of the phrase "Nothing you do not need." [more inside]
posted by anthropoid on Apr 11, 2009 - 32 answers

Can I use a song lyric/title as my business name? Or is it copyright protected? [more inside]
posted by jourman2 on Feb 23, 2009 - 22 answers

Single word that means "to sing the praises of", poss. Greek or Roman in origin. Thinking paean, or ode but not quite. [more inside]
posted by jchinique on Feb 23, 2009 - 25 answers

Looking for a quote about sensitivity -- something like "Only those who suffer the prick of the thorn can appreciate the beauty of the rose." Anybody know?
posted by Brzht on Jan 21, 2009 - 3 answers

Have you ever heard the expression "Great seats at a bad show" or "Great tickets for a bad show" or something like that? Do you remember where you heard it?
posted by Brzht on Jan 13, 2009 - 3 answers

Searching for something Bill Clinton once said, when he was on Oprah. Help me find this quote! [more inside]
posted by gursky on Sep 4, 2008 - 6 answers

Need to "sayonara, sucker!" in Russian. [more inside]
posted by phunniemee on Jul 30, 2008 - 13 answers

Where does this phrase/proverb come from? [more inside]
posted by zooropa on Jun 20, 2008 - 10 answers

Please help me expand my base of quaint southern expressions, aphorisms and witticisms. [more inside]
posted by willie11 on May 8, 2008 - 103 answers

SpanishFilter: How can I politely say "I've had enough" or "I'm full" in Spanish? [more inside]
posted by cabingirl on May 6, 2008 - 14 answers

face down, ass up - what do you call that in bed? (possibly NSFW) [more inside]
posted by gcat on May 4, 2008 - 27 answers

Commonly misused phrases or expressions? [more inside]
posted by cosmic osmo on Apr 2, 2008 - 165 answers

From whence the phrase "oohh, not in the broccoli" spoken in a stereotype ESL japanese speaker accent? [more inside]
posted by Mitheral on Mar 8, 2008 - 5 answers

Given a word, how can I search for terms and idioms containing that word? [more inside]
posted by L. Fitzgerald Sjoberg on Feb 5, 2008 - 11 answers

Martha Stewart prepared a soup base using only carrots, celery and onion and then she said there was a French phrase for this method but I couldn't catch it.
posted by cda on Feb 1, 2008 - 11 answers

Does the phrase "It's a mad, mad world" have an origin? [more inside]
posted by misozaki on Jan 19, 2008 - 4 answers

I want a quote to go on my phone case. 2 lines. 21 characters per line. Preferable inspirational, possibly latin. [more inside]
posted by filmgeek on Aug 27, 2007 - 21 answers

What is the origin of the phrase "(you're) a gentleman and a scholar", or what popularized it? [more inside]
posted by Arasithil on Aug 23, 2007 - 16 answers

Where does the usage of "speaks to" to mean "speaks about" or "speaks of" come from. For example, "It speaks to our will to be goverened that we allow these things to happen"? Characters on Boston Legal are constantly using it also. It speaks to my frustration that I've not been able to find anything on its etymology on google.
posted by merocet on Jul 23, 2007 - 18 answers

What is the origin of the phrase "we are all [blank] now"? The earliest 'famous' usage I'm aware of is Nixon's "we are all Keynesians now," but I don't know if that was really where it started.
posted by Urban Hermit on Jun 29, 2007 - 7 answers

Does the phrase "Please, not in the face!" (in reference to a metaphorical imminent beating) have a definitive, particular origin from a famous film or some other piece of pop culture? Or has it just sort of established itself from actual beatings?
posted by so_necessary on Jun 15, 2007 - 16 answers

What is the origin of the "I | ___" phrasing? [more inside]
posted by lostburner on Apr 26, 2007 - 10 answers

Help me find a phrase that reads the same left-to-right as up-to-down. [more inside]
posted by Citizen Premier on Mar 5, 2007 - 12 answers

Where did the phrase "beat seven bells" (out of someone) come from? [more inside]
posted by pdb on Feb 27, 2007 - 8 answers

Where does the phrase "more [whatever] than you can shake a stick at" originate? [more inside]
posted by informity on Jan 30, 2007 - 12 answers

What's the term (if there is one) for a previously-unfamiliar concept that you suddenly encounter all over the place for no apparent reason? [more inside]
posted by vytae on Jan 24, 2007 - 38 answers

Where was the phrase "strangely intriguing" popularized? [more inside]
posted by hidinginabunker on Jan 21, 2007 - 7 answers

A Mexican friend of mine recently used a Spanish phrase that literally translates out to, "The world is like a handkerchief." He says it means the same as "it's a small world." However, he doesn't know the origins of this phrase or why it means that. Being mathematicians, we think it's that any point on the handkerchief can be brought arbitrarily close to any other point on the handkerchief. Does anyone know the origin of this phrase?
posted by bluefly on Dec 22, 2006 - 6 answers

What is the original origin of the phrase "Falling in love with you wasn't part of the plan?" Movie quote? Book? Anyone?
posted by John Kenneth Fisher on Aug 19, 2006 - 8 answers

What's the origin of the phrase "out like Lottie's eye"? [more inside]
posted by redteam on Aug 18, 2006 - 3 answers

What is the origin of the phrase "right up my (his, her, etc.) alley"??? Is it as simple as referring to being "in my neighborhood of expertise" or is there some sort of bowling reference going on? Google's letting me down here -- but maybe my search capacities are a little rusty.
posted by punkbitch on Jul 18, 2006 - 2 answers

What is the origin of the saying "Wherever we go, there we are"? [more inside]
posted by unSane on Jul 13, 2006 - 35 answers

Does anyone know the origin of the phrases 'after the jump' or 'more after the jump'? [more inside]
posted by feelinglistless on Jan 30, 2006 - 12 answers

Why is "some of my best friends are black/jewish/gay/whatever" seen not only as unconvincing when it comes to disclaiming bias but also as a stereotypical response by one who is biased? [more inside]
posted by Firas on Jan 25, 2006 - 41 answers

Does anyone know, loosely or extensively, of Kyrgystan's methods of web censorship of religion? [more inside]
posted by vanoakenfold on Dec 31, 2005 - 1 answer

What is the origin of the "I just threw up a little bit in my mouth" phrase? [more inside]
posted by tegoo on Dec 6, 2005 - 27 answers

You got the powwwer! Which movie was this from? [more inside]
posted by PurplePorpoise on Oct 10, 2005 - 35 answers

What is the etymology behind the word "Cohee"? [more inside]
posted by Third on Sep 13, 2005 - 2 answers

The hurricane has my mother remembering a saying from back in the 1930s or 1940s. She says men who were trying to show off their muscles (flexing, striking a pose) would commonly say "Powerful Katrina!" Somewhat in the way I guess we might make a Popeye joke. Try Googling "Powerful Katrina" today of course and I get only hurricane news. Does anyone know: Is the phrase from an old comic strip, radio show, an opera, or did my mom dream the whole thing?
posted by GaelFC on Sep 1, 2005 - 8 answers

What is a 'moment of (something) zen'? I keep seeing this (on blogs in particular) and I don't know what it means. [more inside]
posted by chrismear on Jul 22, 2005 - 17 answers

Where does the phrase "X, Y, Z Oh my!" come from? I read it all over the web, but I don't get the reference.
posted by DangerIsMyMiddleName on Feb 16, 2005 - 5 answers

What's the origin of the phrase "hunt you down like a dog?" I can seem to find the origins of other phrases involving dogs pretty easily but not this one.
posted by DyRE on Feb 3, 2005 - 16 answers

What's the original source of the phrase "we lose more [noun] that way"? Googling has failed me, since I'm not sure which of the many nouns I've heard inserted in there is the correct one.
posted by Johnny Assay on Jan 29, 2005 - 6 answers

What is the origin of saying shocked twice to indicate emphasis (e.g., "I'm shocked, SHOCKED, that you would insinuate such a thing.")? Googling just brings up examples of it in speech and no origin.
posted by trey on Jan 14, 2005 - 29 answers

Is there a good online dictionary of idioms and phrases? I know there are online thesauri, but they don't have the colorful expressions from the original Roget's I.
posted by inksyndicate on Dec 16, 2004 - 6 answers

LanguageFilter: Any Arabic speakers here? I'm trying to decipher an Arabic phrase: "Baashake ya halo." I might have spelled it wrong, but I know it's not a common Arabic phrase so much as it is slang. Any ideas?
posted by symphonik on Dec 12, 2004 - 9 answers