The Phrase Finder
Aug 20th, 2008 by Kimberly
I recently stumbled upon this gem of a web site:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/index.html
You might be “taken aback” to learn that some common phrases have nautical origins. If you’re “exceedingly well read,” you may have guessed that many more were coined by Shakespeare. But if you knew many common phrases have Biblical origins as well, then you’re a “man after my own heart!” Either way, if you’re the slightest bit of a word geek, it’s high time you bookmark this site.
Common phrases are organized alphabetically, and by common origins. You can subscribe to their free Phrase-a-Week e-mail service, or tool around their discussion boards with other word geeks. If it’s worth about $55/year to you, you can also subscribe to their phrase thesaurus.