It turns out that saying “pardon my French!” when we swear in English has more to do with class than I realised. “Spill the beans” comes from an ancient Greek voting style, and “stealing ...

And now, I’ve learned that “by and large” (meaning roughly, or on the whole) has unexpected origins too. According to Dictionary.com, the phrase has “nautical” origins and once meant “to the wind and ...

And now, I’ve learned that “by and large” (meaning roughly, or on the whole) has unexpected origins too. According to Dictionary.com, the phrase has “nautical” origins and once meant ...