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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Hell's half acre
What does Hell's half acre mean? | A long and frustrating trip. | I looked all over hell's half acre trying to find a left handed monkey wrench.
Hell's half acre is a lava flow about 15 miles west of Idaho Falls, Idaho. It is 4.5 miles of rough, irregular terrain that is very difficult to navigate. It is so named because its cracks, holes, and crags give the area an otherworldly, surreal, and perhaps hellish appearance. A search of Hell's half acre would indeed be a long and difficult task.
Many of the scenes in the 1997 film "Starship Troopers" (based on Robert Heinlein's novel of the same name) in which the characters were on an alien planet, were filmed at Hell's half acre. |
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Some Random Idioms
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as stubborn as a mule
What does "as stubborn as a mule" mean? | very stubborn | My friend is as stubborn as a mule and you can never make her change her mind.
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watch one`s P`s and Q`s
What does "watch one`s P`s and Q`s" mean? | be well-behaved, be careful | The boy was told to watch his P`s and Q`s by his teacher after he caused many problems at school.
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out of one`s hair
What does "out of one`s hair" mean? | to get rid of an annoying person or thing | My sister is trying to get her daughter out of her hair.
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line up (someone for something)
What does "line up (someone for something)" mean? | arrange, schedule someone for something | We were unable to line up a speaker for Sunday evening so we must cancel the meeting.
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goof off
What does "goof off" mean? | to fool around, to not work or be serious | He has been goofing off all afternoon and has not done any work.
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in arrears
What does "in arrears" mean? | overdue (bills or money), late | I have never been in arrears with my bill payments.
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PE
What does "PE" mean? | Physical Education | Physical EducationMy PE class was held indoors during the winter months.
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strapped for cash
What does "strapped for cash" mean? | to have little or no money available for something | I am strapped for cash so I will not be able to go away this summer.
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jump
What does "jump" mean? | physically attack or assault somebody |
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under one`s own steam
What does "under one`s own steam" mean? | by one`s own efforts, without help | He was able to go home under his own steam even though he was feeling very sick.
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zip
What does "zip" mean? | score of zero | It was 10 to zip, we won!
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go-getter
What does "go-getter" mean? | an ambitious person who works hard to become successful | My friend is a go-getter. He works hard and is very successful.
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get out from under (someone or something)
What does "get out from under (someone or something)" mean? | to escape from a situation that one does not like | I would like to get out from under my boss who is always watching my work.
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