etymology - When did 'smoking gun' become a set phrase?
Sep 25, 2015 · Smoking gun: The term "smoking gun" is a reference to an object or fact that serves as conclusive evidence of a crime or similar act, just short of being caught in flagrante …
Why Are Guns Called 'Biscuits' In American Slang?
Dec 28, 2024 · A title like "Why have guns been called biscuits in parts of America?", or just "where did the slang 'biscuit' for 'gun' come from", would be appropriate if you want to ask about …
What's exactly the difference between "per se" and "ipso facto"?
Sep 13, 2015 · Look at all the examples provided: Possession of a smoking gun is not ipso facto evidence of guilt. Possession is a fact: it is either true or false that the defendant possesses a …
Origin of "son of a gun" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
American English In American folk idiom (American), this term has similar meaning to the British one, but was derived from military bureaucratic treatment of young enlisted men of uncertain …
Origin of "Fits [x] to a T"? - English Language & Usage Stack …
Oct 5, 2011 · In this case, although there is no smoking gun, the 'to a tittle' derivation would probably stand up in court as 'beyond reasonable doubt'. So the OED and Phrase Finder agree …
Understanding "ain't no fun when the rabbit got the gun"
Jul 2, 2021 · For the literal meaning, my understanding is "It is not a fun (not an enjoyable thing) when the rabbit got the gun". Is my understanding correct for the literal meaning? Then I want …
A verb that means “to prove someone is guilty of a crime”
Aug 26, 2015 · Lucy realized this was the smoking gun that would convict Robert. This does several things. First, we're highlighting the now-valuable object in question. Second, we're using …
"Staring down defeat" vs "Staring down the barrel of defeat"?
Jul 23, 2020 · This difference, I think, carries over to the meaning - "to stare down defeat" implies a certain degree of haughtiness and defiance that staring someone or something down would, …
Origin of "snipe" to mean "partially-smoked cigar (ette)"?
Oct 28, 2024 · The association of children with cigarette smoking is quite strong in early newspaper accounts, along with the supposed origin of cigarette tobacco as refurbished cigar …
meaning - Is "stife" a name for smoking cooking oil? - English …
Dec 4, 2023 · Stife (also styfe) is a dialectal adjective for "poor air" according to A Dictionary of North East Dialect; the author has quotations ranging from 1868 to 2001. That definition …
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