E 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. .

Eyes are bigger than your stomach What does "Eyes are bigger than your stomach" mean?	When a person wants more than is good for them.	Be careful not to pile the food up too high on your plate. I think your eyes are bigger than your stomach and you'll have to throw much of it away. A person seeing a table piled high with sumptuous food has a tendency to get too many and/or too large a portion. Since the problem is brought on by the eyes and a lack of reason, the person is portrayed a one whose eyes are bigger than their stomach. This statement can indicate that a person is immature or greedy. One who is not in control of wants, feelings, or emotions. One who does not consider the needs or feelings of those around them.

Easy does it! What does "Easy does it!" mean?	Be very careful! / Don't do anything too fast or too hard!	A: "I'm going to move the table just a little furtherfrom the window."B: "Easy does it! If you move too fast, you might knock overthe plant!"
elbow grease What does "elbow grease" mean?	hard work; effort.	"Yes, the car is pretty dirty, but it'll looknice again with a little elbow grease."
every other _____ What does "every other _____ " mean?	alternately; omitting the second one in each group of two.	"In your essays, please write on every otherline. That will make theessays much easier to read."
each and every What does "each and every" mean?	every	"I want each and every student to bring his or her textbook tomorrow."
eager beaver What does "eager beaver" mean?	a person who is always eager to work hard or do extra work	My colleague is an eager beaver and is always ready to work hard when we need him.
eagle eye What does "eagle eye" mean?	an eye with sharp visual powers	The woman watched her young child with an eagle eye.
earful What does "earful" mean?	a scolding, much talking in the form of complaints	The man gave his daughter an earful when she came home late.

early bird What does "early bird" mean?	a person who gets up early or arrives early for something	My sister is an early bird and gets up very early every morning.
early bird catches the worm What does "early bird catches the worm" mean?	a person who gets up early in the morning has the best chance of success	Our supervisor always goes to work before his colleagues because he knows that the early bird catches the worm.
early on What does "early on" mean?	at an early stage	We had a meeting early on to try and solve the problem.
earn one's keep What does "earn one's keep" mean?	to earn one's pay or a place to live by doing some work	I work hard in my uncle's garden in order to earn my keep when I stay with him.
ease off/up on (someone or something) What does "ease off/up on (someone or something)" mean?	to put less pressure on someone or something, to relax	The president was asked to ease off on his efforts to cut staff in the company.
easier said than done What does "easier said than done" mean?	to be easier to talk about than to do	I would like to change jobs but it is easier said than done.
easy come, easy go What does "easy come, easy go" mean?	something that you get easily can be lost easily	My cousin does not care if he loses his job or not. For him everything is easy come, easy go.
easy does it What does "easy does it" mean?	doing something slowly or without sudden movements	"Easy does it," I said as we moved the large piano.
easy-going What does "easy-going" mean?	to be tolerant and relaxed	Our boss has a very easy-going management style.
easy to come by What does "easy to come by" mean?	to be easy to find	Money is not easy to come by for many people with no education.
eat and run What does "eat and run" mean?	to eat a meal quickly and then leave	We had to eat and run in order to arrive at the soccer field early.
eat away at (someone) What does "eat away at (someone)" mean?	to bother someone	Money problems have been eating away at the man recently.
eat away at (something) What does "eat away at (something)" mean?	to rot/destroy something	The mildew has been eating away at the window frame all year.
eat crow What does "eat crow" mean?	to admit that one is mistaken or defeated	Our boss was forced to eat crow when the figures that he presented at the meeting were wrong.
eat dirt What does "eat dirt" mean?	to accept another`s insults or bad treatment	The accountant had to eat dirt because of the problems that he had caused.
eat humble pie What does "eat humble pie" mean?	to admit one`s error and apologize	The boy had to eat humble pie when his friends discovered his mistake.
eat like a bird What does "eat like a bird" mean?	to eat very little	He eats like a bird. That is why he cannot gain enough weight to join the football team.
eat like a horse What does "eat like a horse" mean?	to eat a lot	My friend eats like a horse but he never gains any weight.
eat one`s cake and have it too What does "eat one`s cake and have it too" mean?	to use or spend something but still keep it	The man wants to eat his cake and have it too and he will never give up anything.
eat one`s heart out What does "eat one`s heart out" mean?	to be envious, to be very sad	"You can eat your heart out. I am going to Hawaii for three weeks!"
eat one`s words What does "eat one`s words" mean?	to admit being wrong in something that one has said	The worker was forced to eat his words after his boss proved that he was wrong.
eat out What does "eat out" mean?	to eat in a restaurant	I eat out three or four times a week.
eat out of (someone's) hand What does "eat out of (someone's) hand" mean?	to do what someone else wants	The secretary had her boss eating out of her hand and she could do whatever she wanted.
eat (someone) out of house and home What does "eat (someone) out of house and home" mean?	to eat much food in someone's home	The two teenage boys were eating their parents out of house and home.
eat (something) up What does "eat (something) up" mean?	to enjoy something, to absorb something	The children ate up the stories that the teacher was telling.
eating someone What does "eating someone" mean?	to be bothering or worrying someone	I do not know what is eating my friend but she is not in a good mood today.
ebb and flow What does "ebb and flow" mean?	the decrease and increase of something like the tide	The ebb and flow of the singer's popularity was always a topic of conversation.
edge (someone) out What does "edge (someone) out" mean?	to win a competition against someone and get a job or position	I was able to edge out the other applicants to get the job.
egg (someone) on What does "egg (someone) on" mean?	to urge or push someone to do something	The boy is always egging his friend on to do stupid things.
either feast or famine What does "either feast or famine" mean?	to be/have either too much or not enough of something	It is either feast or famine for the woman. Sometimes she has lots of money and sometimes she has none.
eke out (a living) What does "eke out (a living)" mean?	to earn one's living with difficulty	My uncle was unable to eke out a living on the farm so he sold it.
elbow grease What does "elbow grease" mean?	the effort and strength to clean something	We will have to use a lot of elbow grease to clean the kitchen.
elbow room What does "elbow room" mean?	enough space to be comfortable	The couple moved to the country in order to have more elbow room.
elbow (someone) out of (somewhere) What does "elbow (someone) out of (somewhere)" mean?	to pressure someone out of somewhere	The woman elbowed the other shoppers out of the way so that she could buy some shoes.
eleventh-hour decision What does "eleventh-hour decision" mean?	a decision that is made at the last possible minute	The government made an eleventh-hour decision to save the hospital.
end of one`s rope What does "end of one`s rope" mean?	the last of one`s ability or ideas about how to do something	I am at the end of my rope regarding what to do about my job.
end up (doing something or going somewhere) What does "end up (doing something or going somewhere)" mean?	to do something that one had not planned to do, to go somewhere one had not planned to go	We ended up going to a restaurant after the movie last night.
end up (somewhere) What does "end up (somewhere)" mean?	to finish at a certain place	We ended up at a small coffee shop near the restaurant.
engage in small talk What does "engage in small talk" mean?	to talk about minor things rather than more important things	The sale staff engaged in small talk before the meeting.
enough to go around What does "enough to go around" mean?	to be enough of something to serve everyone	There was enough cake to go around and everybody had a piece.
enter one's mind What does "enter one's mind" mean?	to come into one's consciousness (an idea)	It never entered my mind to make a reservation at the restaurant.
equal to (something) What does "equal to (something)" mean?	to be able to deal with something	The apartment manager was more than equal to the task of managing the building.
escape (someone's) notice What does "escape (someone's) notice" mean?	to go unnoticed	The fact that my library books were overdue escaped my notice.
even so What does "even so" mean?	nevertheless, however	My friend always works but even so he has no money saved.
even steven What does "even steven" mean?	even with (someone or something)	Both teams were even steven by the middle of the game.
every cloud has a silver lining What does "every cloud has a silver lining" mean?	there is something good in every bad thing	Every cloud has a silver lining and although I lost my job other good things have happened.
every dog has his day What does "every dog has his day" mean?	everyone will have a chance for success someday	You should be patient and wait until you get a chance. Remember every dog has his day.
every inch a (something) What does "every inch a (something)" mean?	completely, in every way	Jack was every inch a sailor and loved to go out on the ocean with his boat.
every last one What does "every last one" mean?	every single one	Every last one of the children received a certificate from the swimming club.
every living soul What does "every living soul" mean?	everybody	We gave a free newspaper to every living soul in the apartment building.
every minute counts What does "every minute counts" mean?	time is very important	Every minute counts when the fire department goes to fight a fire.
every nook and cranny What does "every nook and cranny" mean?	every small hiding place where you can put something	I looked in every nook and cranny of my apartment but I could not find my house keys.
every other What does "every other" mean?	every second one	I have to work every other Saturday evening.
every so often What does "every so often" mean?	occasionally	You should stand up every so often when you are on a long plane trip.
every time one turns around What does "every time one turns around" mean?	frequently	Every time I turn around my little boy asks me a question.
every Tom, Dick and Harry What does "every Tom, Dick and Harry" mean?	the average person	The man said that he is not the same as every Tom, Dick and Harry.
every which way What does "every which way" mean?	in all directions	The small children at the birthday party were running every which way.
everything but the kitchen sink What does "everything but the kitchen sink" mean?	almost everything	We took everything but the kitchen sink on our camping trip.
everything humanly possible What does "everything humanly possible" mean?	everything in the range of human powers	The doctors did everything humanly possible to save the man after the accident.
excuse (someone) What does "excuse (someone)" mean?	to forgive someone	We excused the man for his rude comments because he did not know any better.
explain (oneself) What does "explain (oneself)" mean?	to give an explanation for something wrong that you may have done	The director was forced to explain himself after the accounting problems were discovered.
explain (something) away What does "explain (something) away" mean?	to explain something so that it seems less important	The sales clerk tried to explain away the problem with the sales receipt.
express (one's) anger What does "express (one's) anger" mean?	to release one's anger	The man often loses his temper which is not a good way to express his anger.
extend credit to (someone) What does "extend credit to (someone)" mean?	to permit someone to buy something on credit	The bank extended credit to the small company so that they could continue to operate.
extend one's sympathy to (someone) What does "extend one's sympathy to (someone)" mean?	to express sympathy to someone	We extended our sympathy to the family of the dead woman.
extenuating circumstances What does "extenuating circumstances" mean?	the special circumstances that cause something to happen	We were able to avoid paying the parking ticket because of extenuating circumstances.
eye of the storm What does "eye of the storm" mean?	the center of a problem	The politician was in the eye of the storm because of the accounting scandal.
eyeball-to-eyeball What does "eyeball-to-eyeball" mean?	face to face	I sat eyeball-to-eyeball with our boss during the meeting.
eyes are bigger than one`s stomach What does "eyes are bigger than one`s stomach" mean?	to take or want more food than you can eat	The man's eyes are bigger than his stomach. He will never finish all of the food that he took.
eyes in the back of one`s head What does "eyes in the back of one`s head" mean?	the ability to know what is happening behind one`s back	He has eyes in the back of his head and you can never borrow anything without him knowing about it.
eager beaver What does "eager beaver" mean?	a person who is always eager to work or do something extra	The woman is an eager beaver and I am sure that she will do very well in this company.
eat high on/off the hog What does "eat high on/off the hog" mean?	to eat good or expensive food	We were eating high off the hog during our ocean cruise.
eat like a horse What does "eat like a horse" mean?	to eat a lot	My brother eats like a horse.
every dog has his day What does "every dog has his day" mean?	everyone will have his chance or turn, everyone will get what he deserves	"Don`t worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing."
eat out of (someone's) hand What does "eat out of (someone's) hand" mean?	to do what someone else wants	I usually can get my supervisor to eat out of my hand.
elbow (someone) out of (something) What does "elbow (someone) out of (something)" mean?	to force or pressure someone out of something (an office or position)	The new manager got his new position by elbowing many others out of the way.
everything one can lay/get his or her hands on What does "everything one can lay/get his or her hands on" mean?	to use everything of a particular type that you can find	We used everything that we could lay our hands on to build the small storage building.
eagle eye What does "eagle eye" mean?	an intently watchful eye	The boy has an eagle eye and he never misses anything.
early bird What does "early bird" mean?	someone who arrives someplace early or starts something early	I am an early bird and I like to arrive early at work every morning.
eat crow What does "eat crow" mean?	to admit that you are mistaken or defeated	Our boss was forced to eat crow when he discovered that what he had said was totally wrong.
eat like a bird What does "eat like a bird" mean?	to eat very little	The boy must be sick. He has been eating like a bird recently.
eyes are bigger than one's stomach What does "eyes are bigger than one's stomach" mean?	take more food than one can eat	My eyes were bigger than my stomach when I went to the buffet table and put too much food on my plate.
ears are red What does "ears are red" mean?	one's ears are red from embarrassment	My ears were red after hearing what the teacher said about me.
eagle eye What does "eagle eye" mean?	a very careful watchful eye (like the eye of an eagle)	The woman has an eagle eye and she never misses a thing.
ears are burning What does "ears are burning" mean?	someone is talking about you when you are not there	My ears are burning and I am sure that someone is talking about me.
ears are ringing What does "ears are ringing" mean?	one hears a ringing sound because of a very loud sound	My ears were ringing after the three fire trucks passed me.
ears become red What does "ears become red" mean?	one's ears become red from embarrassment	My ears became red when our teacher asked me a question.
evil eye What does "evil eye" mean?	the power to harm people just by looking at them (as some people believe)	The man seemed to give me the evil eye when I met him at the ceremony.
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth What does "eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" mean?	a system of punishment where you punish someone in a similar way that they hurt you	Some people call for an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth when they hear of a terrible crime.
eye of the storm What does "eye of the storm" mean?	at the center of a storm/controversy	The company scandal is stressful for everybody and at the moment we are right in the eye of the storm.
eyeball-to-eyeball What does "eyeball-to-eyeball" mean?	face to face	I had an eyeball-to-eyeball encounter with an angry dog at the park.
eyes are bigger than one`s stomach What does "eyes are bigger than one`s stomach" mean?	one takes more food than one can eat	My eyes were bigger than my stomach when I went to the restaurant and ordered too much food.
eyes pop out (of one's head) What does "eyes pop out (of one's head)" mean?	one is very surprised	My eyes popped out of my head when I saw the new computer that I got for my birthday.
eager beaver What does "eager beaver" mean?	someone who works very hard and is very enthusiastic	The young girl was an eager beaver and always came to class before the other students.
eat and run What does "eat and run" mean?	to eat a meal and then quickly leave	I had to eat and run in order to be on time for my evening class.
eat crow What does "eat crow" mean?	to admit that one is mistaken or defeated, to take back a mistaken statement	I was forced to eat crow and apologize for the things that I had said about my co-worker.
eat dirt What does "eat dirt" mean?	to act humble, to accept another person's insults or bad treatment	We made the boy eat dirt after he accused us of lying.
eat high on/off the hog What does "eat high on/off the hog" mean?	to eat expensive and high quality food	My uncle has been eating high on the hog since he got his new job.
eat humble pie What does "eat humble pie" mean?	to be humbled, to admit one`s error and apologize	Our boss was forced to eat humble pie after he made the wrong budget estimate for next year.
eat like a bird What does "eat like a bird" mean?	to eat only a small amount of food	The girl eats like a bird and is very slim.
eat like a horse What does "eat like a horse" mean?	to eat a large amount of food	I usually eat like a horse after I work hard all day.
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.
eat one's heart out What does "eat one's heart out" mean?	to be envious of someone or something	I ate my heart out when I saw my friend and his new bicycle.
eat one`s words What does "eat one`s words" mean?	to take back something that one has said, to admit that something is not true	I told my boss that I would soon quit my job but later I had to eat my words and tell him that I wanted to stay.
eat out What does "eat out" mean?	to eat a meal at a restaurant	My aunt and uncle eat out often at very nice restaurants.
eat out of (someone's) hands What does "eat out of (someone's) hands" mean?	to do what someone else wants	The young secretary is always eating out of her bosses hands.
eat (someone) for breakfast What does "eat (someone) for breakfast" mean?	to defeat someone easily	The young wrestler can eat the older wrestler for breakfast.
eat (someone) out of house and home What does "eat (someone) out of house and home" mean?	to eat a lot of food in someone's house	The young boy is eating his parents out of house and home.
eat (something) up What does "eat (something) up" mean?	to enjoy/absorb/appreciate something	The students were eating up the comments by their professor.
egg (someone) on What does "egg (someone) on" mean?	to encourage someone to do something (often something bad/wrong/dangerous)	The boys egged their friend on to jump into the water.
either feast or famine What does "either feast or famine" mean?	either too much or not enough of something	Either I have too much time or too little time. It is either feast or famine..
everything from soup to nuts What does "everything from soup to nuts" mean?	almost everything that one can think of	We brought everything from soup to nuts for our weekend holiday.
eyes are bigger than one's stomach What does "eyes are bigger than one's stomach" mean?	the amount of food that one takes is greater than what one could possibly eat	My eyes were bigger than my stomach and I took too much food at the buffet dinner.
enter (someone's) mind What does "enter (someone's) mind" mean?	to come into someone's mind (used for an idea or thought)	It never entered my mind that my friend would leave his job.
exercise one's brain What does "exercise one's brain" mean?	to exercise one's intelligence	I always do puzzles in order to exercise my brain.
eat one`s heart out What does "eat one`s heart out" mean?	to suffer from excessive longing or envy	"You can eat your heart out but I will not give you a piece of this chocolate cake."
ECG What does "ECG" mean?	Electrocardiogram - an electronic test of a person's heart	Electrocardiogram - an electronic test of a person's heartMy father was asked to take an ECG test by his doctor.
eg What does "eg" mean?	Exempli Gratia - the Latin which means for example	Exempli Gratia - the Latin which means for exampleThe company has hundreds of small factories around the world - eg Italy, Mexico, Thailand and Korea.
ER What does "ER" mean?	Emergency Room - the place in a hospital which deals with emergency situations	Emergency Room - the place in a hospital which deals with emergency situationsThe victims of the accident were quickly taken to the ER.
ESL What does "ESL" mean?	English as a Second Language	English as a Second LanguageThe ESL classes at the college have been held for almost ten years now.
ESP What does "ESP" mean?	Extrasensory Perception	Extrasensory PerceptionThe movie was about a small boy who had the ability of ESP.
ETA What does "ETA" mean?	Estimated Time of Arrival	Estimated Time of ArrivalWhat will your ETA be when you return home next month?
examination for discovery What does "examination for discovery" mean?	an oral examination that is taken under oath in which each side to a lawsuit has the right to examine the other side's witnesses before a trial or hearing	The man spent several hours in an examination for discovery session in connection with his case.
expert witness What does "expert witness" mean?	an expert or specialist whose opinions are used as evidence in a trial or hearing	The lawyer called in an expert witness to discuss the handwriting of the accused man.
extenuating circumstances What does "extenuating circumstances" mean?	special circumstances that explain an irregular or improper way of doing something	Because of extenuating circumstances, the man was able to avoid going to jail for stealing the money.
easy money What does "easy money" mean?	money that you do not need to work hard to get	I was able to make some easy money from my job during the summer.
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth What does "eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" mean?	a system of punishment where you punish someone in the same way that they hurt you	The citizens wanted an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth when they learned about the child's murder.
eleventh-hour decision What does "eleventh-hour decision" mean?	a decision that is made at the last possible minute	The sport's federation made an eleventh-hour decision about suspending the star player.
every once in a while What does "every once in a while" mean?	occasionally, infrequently	Every once in a while I try and play tennis with my friend.
early bird catches the worm What does "early bird catches the worm" mean?	arriving early gives one an advantage	My boss always comes to work early because he believes that the early bird catches the worm.
early to bed, early to rise What does "early to bed, early to rise" mean?	going to bed early is good for you	going to bed early is good for youThe man believed that early to bed, early to rise was good for him and he always went to bed at 9:30 every night.
early to bed, early to rise makes one healthy, wealthy and wise What does "early to bed, early to rise makes one healthy, wealthy and wise" mean?	going to bed early is good for you	going to bed early is good for youEarly to bed, early to rise makes one healthy, wealthy and wise was the advice that my grandmother gave me.
easier said than done What does "easier said than done" mean?	something is easier to suggest or talk about than to actually do	It is easier said than done to decide that you will never eat chocolate again.
easy come, easy go What does "easy come, easy go" mean?	something that you easily acquire may be easily spent/lost/wasted	The man always found a new job easily but then he would often quit the job quickly. For him it was always easy come, easy go.
eat, drink, and be merry What does "eat, drink, and be merry" mean?	enjoy yourself while you can without thinking about the future	The sailors always tried to eat, drink and be merry before they went on a voyage.
empty vessels make the most noise What does "empty vessels make the most noise" mean?	people who are the least intelligent are often the loudest and talk the most	The man talked endlessly but he never knew much about what he was saying. He was a good example that empty vessels make the most noise.
enough is as good as a feast What does "enough is as good as a feast" mean?	what you have or have done should be satisfactory/enough	Enough is as good as a feast and having just enough can be as good as having much of something.
every cloud has a silver lining What does "every cloud has a silver lining" mean?	there is always something good in every problem or bad event	Although the fire destroyed the small business, every cloud has a silver lining and the business owners were able to build a new building which was better than the original one.
every dog has his day What does "every dog has his day" mean?	everyone will have his chance or turn	My friend is very discouraged because of his recent bad luck. However, every dog has his day and he should soon overcome those problems and find success.
exception proves the rule What does "exception proves the rule" mean?	something that is different from what you believe or expect can prove that the belief is often true	All of the salespeople at the office are very talkative and outgoing but one person is the exception that proves the rule. He is very quiet and shy.
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth What does "eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" mean?	a crime or injury should be paid back equally	The athlete believed in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and he attacked the player who had hurt him during the previous game.
eyes are bigger than one's stomach What does "eyes are bigger than one's stomach" mean?	when someone takes more food than he or she can eat	My eyes were bigger than my stomach at the buffet and I was unable to eat all of the food that I took.

American Idioms and Expressions

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