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 for leather
What does Hell for leather mean? | If you do something hell for leather, especially running, you do it as fast as you can. |
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Some Random Idioms
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follow (someone's) lead
What does "follow (someone's) lead" mean? | to do as someone else does |
Everybody followed my lead and came to work early.
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If you will
What does "If you will" mean? | 'If you will' is used as a way of making a concession in a sentence:
He wasn't a very honest person, a liar if you will.
Here, it is used a way of accepting that the reader or listener might think of the person as a liar, but without commit the writer or speaker to that position fully. |
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boom box
What does "boom box" mean? | a large, portable stereo system. | Turn that damned boom box down.
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work one`s fingers to the bone
What does "work one`s fingers to the bone" mean? | to work very hard |
The woman worked her fingers to the bone in order to make enough money to feed her children.
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a sacred cow
What does "a sacred cow" mean? | a person or thing that is never criticized or changed even if it should be (from a cow which is sacred in India) |
The school lunch program is a sacred cow which they will never change.
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all that glitters is not gold
What does "all that glitters is not gold" mean? | many things that look attractive and valuable actually have no value at all | many things that look attractive and valuable actually have no value at allThe man learned that all that glitters is not gold when he invested his money in the stock market and lost much of it.
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Window dressing
What does "Window dressing" mean? | If something is done to pretend to be dealing with an issue or problem, rather than actually dealing with it, it is window dressing. |
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by means of
What does "by means of" mean? | with the use of something |
We were able to enter the old building by means of a small window in the back.
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time is a great healer
What does "time is a great healer" mean? | pain or sorrow will be less strongly felt as time passes | Time is a great healer and the parents could only hope that this was true as they tried to deal with the death of their only daughter.
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go with (something)
What does "go with (something)" mean? | to go well with something, to match something |
My green shirt does not go with my red hat.
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to be reminiscent of (someone or something)
What does "to be reminiscent of (someone or something)" mean? | to remind someone of someone or something, to seem like someone or something | The music festival is reminiscent of the large music festivals of fifty years ago.
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