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.
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At the eleventh hour
What does At the eleventh hour mean? | At the very last moment. | The union negotiator went right down to the eleventh hour before accepting the company's final offer.
On a 12-hour clock (rather than the 24-hour clock used by scientists, the military, et al) the hours of 12 noon and 12 midnight seem to hold special significance. De-marking the transition from morning to afternoon and the end of the day, they are often used as deadlines (high noon, the stroke of midnight).
To come at "the eleventh hour" implies that it comes in the last hour before the deadline. The choice of "the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" as the time to end W.W.I was quite apt. |
at the eleventh hour
What does at the eleventh hour mean? | at the last minute; almost too late. | "Yes, I got the work done in time. I finished it at the eleventh hour, but I wasn't late.
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at the eleventh hour
What does at the eleventh hour mean? | at the last possible moment | The company and union settled the strike at the eleventh hour.
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at the eleventh hour
What does at the eleventh hour mean? | at the last possible moment | At the eleventh hour the city and the garbage collectors settled their contract dispute.
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at the eleventh hour
What does at the eleventh hour mean? | at the last possible moment |
The company and the union settled the strike at the eleventh hour.
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at the eleventh hour
What does at the eleventh hour mean? | at the last possible moment |
At the eleventh hour the city and the garbage collectors settled their contract dispute.
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Some Random Idioms
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off the record
What does "off the record" mean? | unofficial, informal | The judge told the lawyers off the record what they could expect the lawsuit to settle for.
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Shot across the bow
What does "Shot across the bow" mean? | A shot across the bow is a warning to tell someone to stop doing something or face very serious consequences. |
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Fall on our feet
What does "Fall on our feet" mean? | If you fall on your feet, you succeed in doing something where there was a risk of failure. |
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Cry-baby
What does "Cry-baby" mean? | A cry-baby is a person who gets emotional and cries too easily. |
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eat one`s cake and have it too
What does "eat one`s cake and have it too" mean? | to use or spend something and still keep it, to have something both ways | The man refuses to give up anything and he always wants to eat his cake and have it too.
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turn tail
What does "turn tail" mean? | to run away from trouble or danger | The young boys turned tail when the farmer began to chase them from the field.
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a gray area
What does "a gray area" mean? | something that is not clearly defined and does not conform to an existing set of rules, neither black or white, neither one way or another way |
The issue of the tax on children's toys is a gray area for the accountant.
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in case
What does "in case" mean? | if, if something should happen | I will take my umbrella in case it rains.
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in one breath
What does "in one breath" mean? | spoken rapidly without stopping to breathe |
I told my friend in one breath what happened at the party.
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