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.
.
a kickback
What does a kickback mean? | money paid illegally for favorable treatment | The construction company gave the politician an illegal kickback in order to win the contract.
|
a kickback
What does a kickback mean? | an amount of money that is paid illegally for favorable treatment | The construction company was giving kickbacks to the local politicians.
|
a kickback
What does a kickback mean? | an amount of money that is paid illegally for favorable treatment |
The construction company was giving kickbacks to the local politicians.
|
a kickback
What does a kickback mean? | money paid illegally for favorable treatment |
The construction company gave the politician a kickback in order to win the contract.
|
|
Some Random Idioms
| |
The smoking lamp is out
What does "The smoking lamp is out" mean? | No smoking! | California is a strange place. In restaurants and bars the smoking lamp is out, but in the cannabis buyers club you can smoke all you like.
The smoking lamp probably came into use during the 16th Century when seamen began smoking on board vessels. The lamp was used to light the smoke before matches were invented.
The smoking lamp was also a safety measure. It was devised mainly to keep the fire hazard away from highly combustible woodwork and gunpowder.
Most navies established regulations restricting smoking to certain areas on board. Usually, the lamp was located in the forecastle or the area directly surrounding the galley indicting that smoking was permitted in this area. |
|
| |
a slap on the wrist
What does "a slap on the wrist" mean? | a light punishment for doing something wrong |
The young man received a slap on the wrist for his crime.
|
a rush on (something)
What does "a rush on (something)" mean? | a large demand for something | There was a rush on candles after the electricity went off for three days.
|
go to bed with the chickens
What does "go to bed with the chickens" mean? | to go to bed as the sun is setting, to go to bed very early | My grandfather always goes to bed with the chickens because he works on a farm.
|
Both ends meet
What does "Both ends meet" mean? | If you make both ends meet, you live off the money you earn and don't go into debt. |
|
drop names
What does "drop names" mean? | to mention the names of famous people as if they were your friends |
Nobody likes the girl because she is always dropping names when she meets her friends.
|
play the market
What does "play the market" mean? | to invest in the stock market | My father likes to play the market and he sometimes makes a lot of money.
|
|
| |
line of products
What does "line of products" mean? | a group or category of products that are similar to each other |
Our company will introduce a new line of products in the autumn.
|
raise a fuss
What does "raise a fuss" mean? | to make trouble, to cause a disturbance | The woman at the restaurant raised a fuss when her meal arrived late.
|
Irons in the fire
What does "Irons in the fire" mean? | Having or pursuing multiple opportunities
simultaneously. | I have been out of work for 6 months, but I have a number of irons in the fire.
Blacksmiths traditionally worked iron into shape by hammering. The iron being worked would be heated in the fire until it was red-hot and malleable. The Smith removes the iron from the fire and shapes it with repeated blows from a hammer. They need to work quickly before the iron cools. Once the iron is cool, it becomes brittle and cannot be hammered.
Once removed from the fire, the iron cools quickly. It takes longer to heat the iron to red-hot than it takes for it to cool. Blacksmiths work more efficiently by having multiple pieces of iron in the fire heating simultaneously. In that way, the Smith can always have a piece of iron red-hot and ready for hammering. The cooled piece would be returned to the fire if it needed more hammering. |