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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For the love of Pete
What does For the love of Pete mean? | I am frustrated with this situation. | For the love of Pete, can we just pick a restaurant and stop searching? I am hungry.
This phrase and phrases like "for Pete's sake" are euphemisms for the phrases "for the love of God/Christ" or "for God's/Christ's sake" and hail from a time when those phases were considered blasphemous. Nowadays phrases like "for the love of God" are commonly used, but the euphemisms are still used.
Why Pete? Most likely it is a reference to the catholic Saint Peter. |
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Some Random Idioms
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fit the mold
What does "fit the mold" mean? | to do what you expect, to do what is considered usual (usually used in the negative - does not fit the mold)
| Our teacher does not fit the mold of someone who volunteers to help homeless people every Saturday.
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man-to-man
What does "man-to-man" mean? | frank or honest, direct | I had a man-to-man talk with my friend about his problem last night.
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take up where one left off
What does "take up where one left off" mean? | to start up again in the very place that one has stopped | We will take up where we left off during the next class.
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toss off (something)
What does "toss off (something)" mean? | to throw something off of oneself or something | I tossed off my jacket before I got into the car.
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laugh (something) out of court
What does "laugh (something) out of court" mean? | dismiss (a legal case) as being ridiculous | They laughed the case out of court when the woman tried to sue the dog's owner after the dog ate her flowers.
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hold one`s breath
What does "hold one`s breath" mean? | stop breathing for a moment, stop doing something and wait until something happens | I held my breath and waited to see if my name had been called for an interview with the movie company.
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on (something's) last legs
What does "on (something's) last legs" mean? | something is almost worn out or finished | My car is on its last legs and I will soon have to buy a new one.
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go together
What does "go together" mean? | to look/sound/taste good together | The red wall and the green sofa do not go together in the apartment.
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neither fish nor fowl
What does "neither fish nor fowl" mean? | not in any recognizable category | The movie was neither fish nor fowl and I did not know what category to put it into.
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make no mistake (about something)
What does "make no mistake (about something)" mean? | have no doubt about something, be certain about something | I told the man to make no mistake about the fact that he was not permitted to park his car in our parking area.
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no sooner said than done
What does "no sooner said than done" mean? | something that can be done quickly | My request for some repairs to the bathroom sink were no sooner said than done.
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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.
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skosh
What does "skosh" mean? | a little more |
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frak
What does "frak" mean? | fuck (from the TV series "Battlestar Galactica; all variants of fuck are reproduced with frak) |
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