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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Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
What does Don't look a gift horse in the mouth mean? | Do not be critical of a gift. | Okay, so the '72 Gremlin grandma gave you is not your idea of a babe magnet, but it was free - so don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Horses have gum lines that recede with age. Hence older horses have longer teeth than young horses.
To "look a horse in the mouth" is to examine the horse's mouth closely to determine its age (and therefore its usefulness and/or worth). To immediately judge a gift based on its worth or usefulness rather than the "thought" behind it considered rude, and ungrateful (it is a gift after all, and didn't cost the receiver anything).
The phrase is apparently quite old, a Latin version of it appeared in a work by St. Jerome in 420 AD, and it also exists in many languages. An Early english version (1510 AD) appears in John Standbridge's "Vulgari Standbrigi": "A gyuen hors may not (be) loked in the tethe." |
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Some Random Idioms
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newbie
What does "newbie" mean? | person who is new to a situation |
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more to (someone or something) than meets the eye
What does "more to (someone or something) than meets the eye" mean? | more interesting/intelligent/complicated than it seems | The problem appeared to be very simple but there was more to it than meets the eye.
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get even (with someone)
What does "get even (with someone)" mean? | to get revenge on someone | My sister wants to get even with her friend for being late for the concert.
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You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
What does "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." mean? | people become used to their way of doing things and you can't get them to change | You can't teach an old dog new tricks and my grandfather will never miss drinking a glass of milk before he goes to bed.
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snorting
What does "snorting" mean? | using inhalants |
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if the cap fits wear it
What does "if the cap fits wear it" mean? | if you criticize another person and you also deserve criticism then you should accept the criticism and try and change | The girl criticized her friend for borrowing money. However, she herself always borrowed money so she should remember that if the cap fits wear it.
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continue down to the wire
What does "continue down to the wire" mean? | to near a deadline, to have little time remaining | The negotiations continued down to the wire but they finally ended successfully.
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roll out the red carpet
What does "roll out the red carpet" mean? | to welcome an important guest by putting a red carpet down for him or her to walk on | They rolled out the red carpet when the Queen came for a visit.
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count (someone) in
What does "count (someone) in" mean? | to include someone in something | I know that my friends will count me in if they go to the zoo.
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a no-win situation
What does "a no-win situation" mean? | a situation where there is no satisfactory solution | It was a no-win situation for the school when they had to deal with the problem student.
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see fit to (do something)
What does "see fit to (do something)" mean? | to decide to do something | I hope that my company sees fit to spend more time training its employees.
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in need
What does "in need" mean? | someone requires basic things like food/clothing/housing | The victims of the hurricane were very much in need after the storm was over.
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stressed
What does "stressed" mean? | anxious; upset; agitated; annoyed. | I'm so stressed because of all this work.
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