This phrases and sayings discussion forum is no longer open for new posts. If you want to ask a question about the origin of any phrase or saying, please go to our page on 
The Phrases and Sayings Discussion Forum Archives are still open for you to view. and contain more than 70,000 questions and answers on the origins of English phrases and sayings. Whatever question you have on the meaning and origin of English phrases and sayings, it's probably been asked and answered here before.
Please note that the content in these posts as provided by the general public and contains some speculation as to the derivation of phrases and sayings. If you require derivations that are fully researched and which we stand by as correct, please go to our Meanings and Origins of Phrases. See our Research criteria.
Phrasefinder Bulletin Board Archives
- Archive 1 - Feb 98 - Dec 99
- Archive 2 - Dec 99 - Jan 00
- Archive 3 - Jan 00 - Mar 00
- Archive 4 - Apr 00 - May 00
- Archive 5 - Jun 00 - Sep 00
- Archive 6 - Sep 00 - Dec 00
- Archive 7 - Dec 00 - Feb 01
- Archive 8 - Mar 01 - Jun 01
- Archive 9 - Jun 01 - Aug 01
- Archive 10 - Aug 01 - Sept 01
- Archive 11 - Sept 01 - Nov 01
- Archive 12 - Nov 01 - Feb 02
- Archive 13 - Feb 02 - May 02
- Archive 14 - May 02 - Sept 02
- Archive 15 - Sept 02 - Oct 02
- Archive 16 - Oct 02 - Nov 02
- Archive 17 - Nov 02 - Dec 02
- Archive 18 - Jan 03 - Feb 03
- Archive 19 - Feb 03 - Mar 03
- Archive 20 - Mar 03 - May 03
- Archive 21 - May 03 - Jun 03
- Archive 22 - Jun 03 - Jul 03
- Archive 23 - Aug 03 - Sept 03
- Archive 24 - Sept 03 - Oct 03
- Archive 25 - Oct 03 - Nov 03
- Archive 26 - Nov 03 - Dec 03
- Archive 27 - Dec 03 - Feb 04
- Archive 28 - Feb 04 - Mar 04
- Archive 29 - Mar 04 - Mar 04
- Archive 30 - Mar 04 - Apr 04
- Archive 31 - Apr 04 - May 04
- Archive 32 - May 04 - July 04
- Archive 33 - July 04 - Aug 04
- Archive 34 - Aug 04 - Sept 04
- Archive 35 - Sept 04 - Oct 04
- Archive 36 - Oct 04 - Nov 04
- Archive 37 - Nov 04 - Dec 04
- Archive 38 - Dec 04 - Jan 05
- Archive 39 - Jan 05 - Mar 05
- Archive 40 - Mar 05 - Apr 05
- Archive 41 - Apr 05 - June 05
- Archive 42 - June 05 - Aug 05
- Archive 43 - Aug 05 - Nov 05
- Archive 44 - Nov 05 - Dec 05
- Archive 45 - Dec 05 - Feb 06
- Archive 46 - Feb 06 - Mar 06
- Archive 47 - Mar 06 - May 06
- Archive 48 - May 06 - Jun 06
- Archive 49 - Jun 06 - Aug 06
- Archive 50 - Oct 06 - Nov 06
- Archive 51 - Nov 06 - Jan 07
- Archive 52 - Jan 07 - Feb 07
- Archive 53 - Feb 07 - Apr 07
- Archive 54 - May 07 - Jul 07
- Archive 55 - Jul 07 - Oct 07
- Archive 56 - Oct 07 - Jan 08
- Archive 57 - Jan 08 - May 08
- Archive 58 - May 08 - Oct 08
- Archive 59 - Oct 08 - Mar 09
- Archive 60 - Mar 09 - Oct 09
- Archive 61 - Oct 09 - Aug 10
- Archive 62 - Sept 10 - Sept 11