From Spilling Beans to Spilling Tea: British Council unveils the history and evolution of 100 English phrases

Web Release

25-04-2025

Launched to coincide with World English Day, Phrase-ology explores how English is constantly evolving—shaped by global influences and pop culture—while preserving expressions that date back as far as Ancient Greece.
Led by computational linguistics expert Dr. Barbara McGillivray and Natural Language Processing specialist Iacopo Ghinassi, the research analysed millions of online documents to track the emergence and usage of expressions, from breaking the ice to ate and left no crumbs (meaning to do something flawlessly). The British Council then curated a final list of 100 phrases with intriguing linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
Spilling Beans and Serving Tea – New Phrases, Familiar Meanings
While classic idioms like kill two birds with one stone remain widely used, newer phrases are rising in popularity.
Spill the beans (first recorded in the early 1900s) surged in usage during the 1990s, while spill the tea, originating from African American and LGBTQ+ communities, skyrocketed in popularity from 2017—fueled by social media trends.
All That Glisters Is Not Gold – Phrases Reinvented by Pop Culture
The digital age has birthed expressions like let them cook and main character energy, but linguistic reinvention is hardly new.
All that glisters is not gold traces back to a 1229 Middle English phrase, 'Nis hit nower neh gold al þet ter schineð,' centuries before its appearance in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.
Some expressions, such as bucket list, emerged rapidly and unexpectedly—the term was virtually unknown before the release of the 2007 film The Bucket List.
No Cap – Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z Still 'Keep It Real'
The study examined generational language use online, analysing comments across platforms with strong age group engagement.
While phrases like better late than never and pipe down are used widely across generations, modern slang such as glow up is more prevalent among millennials and Gen Z.
Some expressions have managed to bridge age gaps—keep it real, popular since the 1960s, remains current, while YOLO (popularised by Drake in 2011) continues to resonate thanks to social media.
Long Time No See – The Forgotten Global Origins of English Phrases
The research also looked at familiar English phrases with international origins. Moment of truth stems from the Spanish 'hora de la verdad', a bullfighting term. Long time no see may derive from Chinese Pidgin English or early 20th-century American Western novels. Chin chin, now a casual toast, originates from the Chinese 'q?ng', meaning 'please.' It also highlights linguistic parallels across cultures, like the Nigerian phrase to yarn dust, which mirrors the English to talk rubbish or to spin a yarn.
The collection categorises phrases into eight groups overall. They include:
• Global English – Borrowed from other languages and cultures (e.g., let the genie out of the bottle, from Arabic).
• Classic Evergreen – Long-standing phrases (e.g., raining cats and dogs, dating to 1661).
• Generational – Popular in specific eras (e.g., instant karma, coined by John Lennon in 1970, common in the 2000s).
• Pop Culture – Popularised by media across the ages (e.g., let them cook).
• Sports – Derived from sports (e.g., straight off the bat).
• Gen Z – Recent expressions and slang (e.g., no cap).
• Language of Belief – Rooted in religion (e.g., turn the other cheek).
• Shakespeare – Originating from or popularised by his works (e.g., wearing one's heart on one's sleeve, Othello).
Mark Walker, Director of English & Exams at the British Council, said: 'This latest study into the evolution of English explores the phrases we use to express shared ideas and experiences – it shows how much English is shaped by people around the world and how it continues to grow and adapt. By celebrating the richness of our language, we're not just looking at its past, but also at the future of English. Whether for work, study, travel, relationships, or lifelong learning, as the global lingua franca, English is one of the key ways that people connect and engage across cultures.'
Dr. Barbara McGillivray, leading expert in computational linguistics and digital humanities said: 'Working on this collection, we had the chance to explore the deep historical roots of English expressions while applying modern computational techniques to trace their evolution. Analysing the frequency and emergence of idioms, proverbs, and phrases, we uncover not only the impact of historical events but also how the digital era shapes the language we use today. This collection offers a unique perspective on how English, as both a living and historical entity, continues to adapt and reflect the changing world.'