A mixture of different things or ideas which do not go together

 

A: I hate writing reports but my boss says I should do more. What do you think of the latest one I've done?

B: To be honest it's a hotchpotch of ideas and opinions. I don't think your boss will like it at all.

A: That's wonderful. It means she'll never ask me to write one again!

The origin of the word is hotchpot which comes from the French hochepot which was used to describe a dish made of a mixture of lots of different ingredients. An alternative form of this word is hodgepodge which has an identical meaning.

 

Humdrum

Boring / ordinary / repetitive

 

A: Betty Boring leads a really humdrum life. She spends twelve hours a day at the factory, putting chocolates into boxes. At the weekends she stays at home and watches television all day.

B: That sounds very depressing. Why does she look so happy all the time?

A: Betty says it's because she's a humdrum person.

The origin of this word is a mystery but it is thought to have a connection with hum which can describe a continuous unchanging sound and therefore imply that something is monotonous or uninteresting.

 

 

Hurly-burly

Intense, noisy activity

 

A: My grandmother goes to Morello Market everyday. She's there when it opens and doesn't leave until it closes.

B: Yes I've heard that it's a very good market. It's very busy with lots of stalls selling everything from food to antiques. does your grandmother go early so that she can buy the best things?

A: No she doesn't buy anything. she only goes because she enjoys the hurly-burly!

This expression is based on the word hurling (now meaning throwing with force) which once described the sound of thunder and strong wind. It was originally rhymed with the nonsense word burling in the phrase hurling and burling before it developed to its present from.

 

 

Mumbo-jumbo

Language, ideas, beliefs which are either too complicated and difficult to understand or nonsensical

 

A: I met a scientist last week who explained Einstein's 'Theory of Relativity' to me.

B: I've always been interested in that. What's it all about then?

A: I don't know. He talked a lot of mumbo-jumbo about space and time and I didn't understand a word!

When British merchants visited West Africa in the 18th century, they discovered tribes who worshipped a god called Mama Dyumbo. Because they didn't believe in the god themselves, the merchants thought that the Africans' religion was silly and meaningless. They called it mumbo-jumbo (their pronunciation of Mama Dyumbo) and the expression became part of the English language.

 

 

Namby-pamby

Weak sentimental

 

A: My boyfriend says that he wants me to give up smoking. He says that I must choose between him and cigarettes. Do you think he'd be happy if I just smoked less?

B: No, I don't think so. You need to be brave and make a clear decision. It's no good being namby-pamby.

A: Yes you're right. I'll tell my boyfriend that I can't see him anymore!

Ambrose Phillips was an 18th century writer and politician who liked to write poetry. Unfortunately he was not very good! Another writer, called Henry Carey, gave Ambrose the nickname Namby-Pamby after he wrote a very sentimental poem for Lord Carteret's children. Over the years the nickname has become part of the English language and can be sued to describe a person or action which is feeble.

 

 

Pooh-pooh

Completely turn down / treat with contempt an idea or suggestion without further consideration or discussion

 

A: I asked my parents if I could go to Australia with my friends but they pooh-poohed the idea. They said that I wasn't old enough to travel so far on my own.

B: How did you change their mind?

A: I told them I'd pay for the trip myself!

One of the first known appearances of this word was in Shakespeare's play, 'Hamlet' in the form puh; 'Affection, puh! You speake like a greene girle.' During the 17th century the word became a double word -- pooh-pooh -- in order to provide greater emphasis.

 

 

Riff-raff

Undesirable and untrustworthy people who are of a low social class

 

A: Would you like to go to the Queen's Head pub?

B: I don't think so. It seems to attract all kinds of riff-raff. Why on earth do you want to go?

A: I'm meeting my friends there!

 

This word is normally used to refer to a group of people. Its origin is the Old French expression rif et raf which meant everyone / one and all.

 

 

Slapdash

Inefficient / of a low standard

 

A: I paid two decorators to paint my flat. What do you think?

B: It looks like a really slapdash job to me -- I think you should ask for your money back. They obviously aren't very experienced.

A: But they must have lots of experience -- they are both over ninety years old!

This word is based on the phrase a slap and a dash. The verbs slap and dash both indicate hurry and communicate the idea of not being careful.

 

 

Tit for tat

An unpleasant action given in return for one received

 

A: Andrew was furious when I got the job which he wanted. He came round to my house with a ladder in the middle of the night to splash red paint over my windows.

B: That's outrageous. If I were you I would go round to his house and pour paint over his car.

A: No, I don't believe in tit for tat. Anyway Andrew fell off the ladder and broke his leg -- so now he's even more angry!

In the 16th century tip and tap both meant a hit or a blow. The expression tip for tap therefore meant a blow in exchange for a blow. Over the time the spelling has altered to the current tit for tat.

 

 

Topsy-turvy

Chaotic / upside down; reversed / having changed places

 

A: When we returned home from holiday last night we found everything was topsy-turvy. Books and furniture had been thrown around, plates and glasses had been smashed -- the flat was a complete mess.

B: Oh my goodness, you must ell the police immediately that you've been burgled.

A: But it wasn't a burglary. Our daughter had thrown a party for her friends while we were away!

This expression comes from two words, top and the Old English verb terve which meant turn or turn over.

 

 

Whodunnit

A detective novel or play

 

A: My Aunt Nellie loves to read whodunnits so I send her an Agatha Christle each birthday. She's read about so many murders over the years she must be an expert by now.

B: Yes I'm sure. How is her husband, Uncle George? Do you send him presents as well?

A: Now that's strange. You know I haven't heard from him for ages.

This expression is an abbreviation of the question 'Who has done it?' This of course means' Who did the murder?' All crime novels and plays contain this puzzle which the reader attempts to solve.

Brouhaha

Loud noises due to intense activity or a long and heated argument

 

A: What's the matter with Harry? He's in such a bad mood.

B: Oh, there's been a bit of a brouhaha because I left a tube of glue in the bathroom.

A: What's so awful about that?

B: He mistook it for toothpaste and brushed his teeth with it!

The French word imitates a loud noise: it sounds like the noise it is describing. The use of the sound of word to imitate what the word refers to is called onomatopieia.

 

 

Carte blanche

Freedom to decide everything / anything

 

A: The new art gallery is certain to look awful. I've heard that the architects, 'Devastating Designs', have been given carte blanche.

B: Some modern architecture is very attractive -- so it might not look as bad as you think. What was their last building like?

A: A rabbit hutch!

This French expression literally means blank sheet of paper. It originated from the military tradition of giving a blank piece of paper to the leader of a beaten army. The leader had to sign his name on the paper so that the victors could write above it all the conditions which they wanted. Obviously anything could be written so the defeated side were giving the victors carte blanche.

 

 

Tete-a-tete

A private / intimate conversation between just two people

 

A: I don't like Chris -- he has no sense of humor.

B: That's rubbish. I saw you having a tete-a-tete with him last night. You looked really amused.

A: Yes I know. Just before he sat down next to me I noticed there was a great lump of chewing gum on the chair!

This French expression literally means head to head. It describes the tendency for two people to lean their heads near to each other when talking so that others cannot hear.

 

 

Tear someone off a strip

Talk to someone angrily

 

A: The next time I see Charlie I'm going to tear him of a strip. I lent him a book called 'Improve Your Memory' and he hasn't given it back. He's had it for over a year now.

B: Why doesn't he return it?

A: He says he keeps forgetting.

This is based on the Old English verb tear which meant rage/ be violently angry. As is quite common in the evolution of a word, it has become confused with the more modern version, nowadays tear means pull apart/rip.

 

 

Wind someone up

Tease someone

 

A: My goodness, there's a huge black insect on your head. It's got five pairs of eyes and hairy legs.

B: How horrible! Please get it off me! Quickly!

A: No don't worry, I'm winding you up. There's nothing there at all.

The expression comes from the action of winding up a clock in order to make it go. The idea of being in control is carried over to its slang use. One can control or affect the behavior of a person by winding him up.

 

 

Bete noire