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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Cooking with gas
What does Cooking with gas mean? | To be working fast, proceeding rapidly. | After working with those old hand tools, power tools will make you feel like you are really cooking with gas.
Although common place today, gas stoves have not always been the norm. Gas stoves started to be available in the 1800's, and until that time wood stoves were the standard.
Now you're "cooking with gas" comes from an old advertisement for gas stoves. The phrase suggests that gas is faster, easier, cleaner, better than cooking with wood. |
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Some Random Idioms
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follow orders
What does "follow orders" mean? | to do as one has been instructed | The soldiers said that they were following orders when they attacked the village.
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as quiet as a mouse
What does "as quiet as a mouse" mean? | very quiet, shy | I was as quiet as a mouse when I left my house early this morning.
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word up
What does "word up" mean? | right; true; right on |
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lose sight of (something)
What does "lose sight of (something)" mean? | forget something, fail to see something | "Don't lose sight of the main reason that you are planning to take the class."
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spiffy
What does "spiffy" mean? | good; nice; excellent. | Very spiffy clothes. Where are going?
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put (someone or something) out of one's head/mind
What does "put (someone or something) out of one's head/mind" mean? | to try to forget someone or something | I was forced to put my holidays out of my head when we had the emergency problems at our company.
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muscle
What does "muscle" mean? | strong person brought in as a threat or for enforcement |
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by a hair's breadth
What does "by a hair's breadth" mean? | just barely, by a very small distance | I got to the concert in time to see the beginning but only by a hair's breadth.
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fall ill
What does "fall ill" mean? | to become sick or ill | The man fell ill last winter and has not recovered yet.
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Army brat
What does "Army brat" mean? | child in a regular Army family |
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milk (someone) for (something)
What does "milk (someone) for (something)" mean? | to pressure someone into giving information or money | The man was trying to milk the elderly lady for much of her money.
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mean well
What does "mean well" mean? | to have good intentions, to try to be kind and helpful | Although the woman means well, she always seems to cause herself many problems.
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Grey suits
What does "Grey suits" mean? | The men in grey suits are people who have a lot of power in business or politics, but aren't well-known or charismatic. |
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make it one's business to (do something)
What does "make it one's business to (do something)" mean? | do something even if you may interfere in something that does not directly concern you | The mother always makes it her business to know exactly what her children are doing.
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