How Long Is A Piece Of String Idiom American Expressions and American Idioms - What does How Long Is A Piece Of String Idiom mean?

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. .

How long is a piece of string What does How long is a piece of string mean?	If someone has no idea of the answer to a question, they can ask 'How long is a piece of string?' as a way of indicating their ignorance.
	Some Random Idioms
do a snow job on (someone) What does "do a snow job on (someone)" mean?	to deceive or confuse someone	The salesman tried to do a snow job on me but I did not believe him.

talk big What does "talk big" mean?	to talk boastfully, to brag	The man is always talking big but nobody believes what he says.
cross swords with (someone) What does "cross swords with (someone)" mean?	to have an argument with someone	I do not want to cross swords with my supervisor again.
act up What does "act up" mean?	to misbehave	The children began to act up during the field trip.
sew (something) up What does "sew (something) up" mean?	to complete or secure something	The candidate for the nomination sewed up his victory last week.
lock (something) in What does "lock (something) in" mean?	make something (such as a rate of interest) permanent over a period of time	We locked in the mortgage of our house for a period of five years because the interest rates were low.
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.

at best What does "at best" mean?	as the best one can say, in the best view	The doctors told the man that he had ten months at best to live.
like shooting fish in a barrel What does "like shooting fish in a barrel" mean?	one side in a competition is so weak that they have no chance of winning	The contest was like shooting fish in a barrel. It was very easy to win.
blow smoke What does "blow smoke" mean?	say something so as to avoid telling the truth.	Stop blowing smoke and say something useful.
sell out (someone or something) What does "sell out (someone or something)" mean?	to be disloyal, to betray someone or something	The man does not want to sell out his moral values when he begins work for the new company.

American Idioms and Expressions

How Long Is A Piece Of String Idiom