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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Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown
What does Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown mean? | This means that people with serious responsibilities have a heavy burden. |
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Some Random Idioms
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like pulling teeth
What does "like pulling teeth" mean? | to be very difficult to do | It was like pulling teeth to try and get the boy to lend us his bicycle.
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shank
What does "shank" mean? | knife; blade |
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listen to reason
What does "listen to reason" mean? | yield to a reasonable argument | The woman would not listen to reason when she went to complain about the coat that she had bought.
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as hungry as a bear
What does "as hungry as a bear" mean? | very hungry |
I was as hungry as a bear when I returned home from work yesterday.
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splash
What does "splash" mean? | commotion; noise; something noticable or even remarkable. | He made a big splash with his new ideas
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use (someone or something) as an excuse
What does "use (someone or something) as an excuse" mean? | blame someone or something | My friend always uses his busy schedule as an excuse not to help us.
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deaf and dumb
What does "deaf and dumb" mean? | to be unable to hear or speak | The man was deaf and dumb and could not communicate with the woman on the train.
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One Red Cent
What does "One Red Cent" mean? | A single symbolic penny. | I refuse to pay even one red cent for the work until you complete the whole job.
The "Red" refers to both the color of a penny (one cent) and the image that used to be on the penny, an American Indian head. Redskin is a slang term used for American Indians.
Before today's Lincoln penny was the Indian Head penny.
The Indian Head penny was first issued in 1859 and looks just like that as issued in 1908 (before the Lincoln Cent). The only difference was that those from 1859-1864 were of a different copper-nickel alloy while 1864 started the common bronze, which was used until 1982. (You didn't know it changed then, did you?)
The copper-nickel alloy has a reddish tint, which turns redder with time and skin oil.
Before the Indian Head penny was the "Buzzard Cent", as the One Cent coins in 1856-1858 were called. The flying eagle on the coin was damned as an ugly bird and it wasn't popular.
However, it was the first "small cent" using about the same size as our penny today. In the half century before this, One Cent coins were about the size of today's Half Dollar! |
lull before the storm
What does "lull before the storm" mean? | a quiet period just before a period of great activity or excitement | It was the lull before the storm when the school principal walked into the assembly hall to speak to the students about the new policy.
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