A Nervous Nellie Idiom American Expressions and American Idioms

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 nervous Nellie What does a nervous Nellie mean?	a timid person who lacks determination and courage	He is a nervous Nellie and is afraid of the other students in the school.
	Some Random Idioms
hang on (someone's) every word What does "hang on (someone's) every word" mean?	listen with complete attention to everything someone says	The audience hung on every word of the speaker.
duck soup What does "duck soup" mean?	a task that does not require much effort	The exam was duck soup. I am sure that I did very well.
Moot point What does "Moot point" mean?	If something's a moot point, there's some disagreement about it: a debatable point. In the U.S., this expression usually means that there is no point in debating something, because it just doesn't matter. An example: If you are arguing over whether to go the beach or to the park, but you find out the car won't start and you can't go anywhere, then the destination is said to be a moot point.
scope out What does "scope out" mean?	assess or evaluate somebody visually
Turf war What does "Turf war" mean?	If people or organisations are fighting for control of something, it is a turf war.
at the hands of (someone or something) What does "at the hands of (someone or something)" mean?	because of someone or something else	We were at the hands of nature as we waited for the storm to end.
fall flat on one's face What does "fall flat on one's face" mean?	to be completely unsuccessful	I fell flat on my face when I tried to make a speech at the wedding.
throw oneself at (someone's) feet What does "throw oneself at (someone's) feet" mean?	to behave in a very humble and contrite manner	I was forced to throw myself at the manager's feet and apologize for the mistake that I had made.
as busy as a one-armed paperhanger What does "as busy as a one-armed paperhanger" mean?	very busy	I was as busy as a one-armed paperhanger during the last two weeks.
You reap what you sow What does "You reap what you sow" mean?	This means that if you do bad things to people, bad things will happen to you, or good things if you do good things. It is normally used when someone has done something bad.

American Idioms and Expressions

A Nervous Nellie Idiom