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 Let there be light

Meaning: 2011 sees the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James
Version of the Bible (or Authorized Version). The KJV is a strong contender for the accolade of 'the book
that has had more influence on the development of English than any other'.

 Murphy's Law
Meaning: The so-called law is usually expressed as 'If anything can go wrong, it will'.

 My husband and I
Meaning: This turn of phrase has often been used by Queen Elizabeth II in public speeches. The Queen
married the Duke of Edinburgh (formerly Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark) on 20 November 1947.
Since that day he has been resigned to walking a few paces behind her in public. Putting the husband
first in 'my husband and I' was a device used to indicate the dominance of the male in marriage. The
stilted form of address became rather out of touch with modern thoughts about marriage and was
satirized in the UK in the 1960s and onwards. The Queen now rarely, if ever, uses the phrase.

 Nine days' wonder

Meaning: A novelty that loses its appeal after a few days.

 Pie in the sky

Meaning: A promise of heaven, while continuing to suffer in this life.

 Grand slam
Meaning: Winning all that's on offer in a sports competition, e.g. all the tricks in a game of bridge, or
the all the major competitions in a sport in a single year - especially associated with tennis and golf.
More generally, any all-out achievement.

 The Big Easy

Meaning: Nickname for New Orleans, USA, referring to the easy-going, laid back attitude to life that jazz
musicians and local residents indulge in there.

 Faith will move mountains

Meaning: Faith is immensely powerful.

 Knock off
Meaning: To finish work for the day. Alternatively, to work quickly and complete a task - similar to
polish off. A third alternative is a slang term meaning to steal.

 Pulling one's leg

Meaning: To deceive someone in a humorous or playful way.

 O ye, of little faith

Meaning: This is the rebuke levelled at the disciples of Christ, when seeming to doubt his divinity. The
phrase is also more widely used to describe any Christian doubter. In a secular setting it may be
intended as a humorous jibe when doubting someone's abilities.

 Charley horse
Meaning: Leg cramp or stiffness.

 A wide berth
 Meaning: A goodly distance.

 When it comes to the crunch

Meaning: When a decisive point at which one's future course is determined.

 A bunch of fives
Meaning: A fist. The fives are the five fingers.

 Have an inkling
Meaning: Have a vague intimation of; have a slight knowledge of.

 Rule of thumb
Meaning: A means of estimation made according to a rough and ready practical rule, not based on
science or exact measurement.

 Pitch dark
Meaning: Intensely dark, usually in reference to a moonless, starless night.

 If the mountain will not come to Muhammad...

Meaning: If one's will does not prevail, one must submit to an alternative.

 The devil makes work for idle hands to do

Meaning: 'The devil makes work for idle hands' is one of the numerous variants of phrase that express
the idea that trouble or evil arises from not keeping busy.