At A Loose End Idiom American Expressions and American Idioms

This database is a comprehensive collection of all the American idioms and slang available. American Idioms are many and varied. We hope you enjoy our collection. We are adding more all the time. .

At a loose end What does At a loose end mean?	(UK) If you are at a loose end, you have spare time but don't know what to do with it.
	Some Random Idioms
I've got a bone to pick with you What does "I've got a bone to pick with you" mean?	If somebody says this, they mean that they have some complaint to make against the person they are addressing.

go by the book What does "go by the book" mean?	to follow the rules exactly	Most police officers go by the book when they arrest a criminal.
see the color of (someone's) money What does "see the color of (someone's) money" mean?	to prove that someone has enough money for something	The car dealer would not let me take the car until he saw the color of my money.
on one`s toes What does "on one`s toes" mean?	alert, ready to act	The speaker kept the audience on their toes by asking many interesting questions.
high-handed What does "high-handed" mean?	disregarding other's feelings, overbearing	The employees took a high-handed approach to the negotiations and they were not successful.
to hem and haw What does "to hem and haw" mean?	to avoid giving a clear answer, to be evasive in speech	He hemmed and hawed when I asked him if he knew where the missing money was.
take up (something) What does "take up (something)" mean?	to begin an activity or hobby	My father has much free time lately and has decided to take up fishing as a hobby.

in the long run What does "in the long run" mean?	the distant future, in the end	For now he is losing money on his stocks but in the long run he should make money.
play possum What does "play possum" mean?	to pretend to be inactive/asleep/dead	My friend was playing possum and did not respond to the conversation around him.
fish for a compliment What does "fish for a compliment" mean?	to try to get someone to say something nice about you	The man is fishing for a compliment about his new Italian suit.
on hand What does "on hand" mean?	nearby, available, in one's possession	We did not have a screwdriver on hand so we could not fix the stove.
add fuel to the fire What does "add fuel to the fire" mean?	to make a problem worse, to make an angry person more angry	The company added fuel to the fire when they criticized the workers.

American Idioms and Expressions

At A Loose End Idiom