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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across the board
What does across the board mean? | equally for everyone or everything | The taxes were increased across the board and everyone had to pay more.
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across the board
What does across the board mean? | including everyone or everything | The computer company decided to give the workers an across-the-board increase in their salary.
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across the board
What does across the board mean? | applying to all (in horse racing a bet where an equal amount
of money is placed on a horse to finish in any top winning
position) | applying to all (in horse racing a bet where an equal amount of money is placed on a horse to finish in any top winning position)The workers received an across the board wage increase and most of them were happy.
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across the board
What does across the board mean? | equally for everyone or everything |
The taxes have increased across the board and everyone must pay more.
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across the board
What does across the board mean? | including everyone or everything |
The computer company decided to give the workers an across-the-board increase in their salary.
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across the board
What does across the board mean? | applying to everybody or everything (in horse racing this is a bet where an equal amount
of money is placed on a horse to finish in any top winning
position) | The workers received an across the board wage increase and
most of them are happy.
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Some Random Idioms
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on the whole
What does "on the whole" mean? | in general | On the whole I think that it is a good idea but I would like to study it further.
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according to (someone or something)
What does "according to (someone or something)" mean? | as said or told by someone, in agreement with something, in the order of something, in proportion to something | According to our teacher, there will be no class next week.
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Worth its salt
What does "Worth its salt" mean? | To be competent, reasonably skilled. | Not to worry about your new suit, any detergent worth its salt can remove blood stains.
Today salt is inexpensive and universally available, but that wasn't always the case. Salt has been a valuable commodity in many cultures throughout history.
Salt is sodium chloride. It can be obtained from mines or the oceans. Today salt is commonly mined from large deposits left by dried salt lakes. Modern mining and transportation methods have made salt an inexpensive commodity.
Salt is an effective food preservative and before refrigeration was widely available, the demand for salt as a preservative was much greater. The human body requires salt for the regulation of fluid balance. Salt used as a seasoning adds to the taste of many foods.
Because of salt's high value, it was used as a method of exchange. Roman soldiers received a salt allowance as part of their pay. In fact the word "salary" is derived from the Latin "salarium" meaning "of salt".
To say that someone is "worth his salt" is to say they have earned their pay. |
jay
What does "jay" mean? | marijuana cigarette |
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dead duck
What does "dead duck" mean? | a person or a thing in a hopeless situation | The man is a dead duck and he has no hope of recovering his former position.
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bad
What does "bad" mean? | intense; powerful; suitable; excellent |
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go sky-high
What does "go sky-high" mean? | to reach a very high price/level | The price of gasoline has gone sky-high recently.
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from hand to hand
What does "from hand to hand" mean? | from one person to another person | We passed the dictionaries from hand to hand until everybody had one.
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Rule of thumb
What does "Rule of thumb" mean? | A basic rule that is usually but not always correct. | As a rule of thumb, plant tomato seeds three inches deep.
Based on the use of ones thumb as a rough measurement tool. Generally correct for course measures.
Most old English measures of distance were based on the body measurements of the king -- the length of the foot, inch (thumb tip to first knuckle), cubit (elbow-to-fingertip), and yard (nose-to-fingertip). |
slime
What does "slime" mean? | disgusting, worthless person |
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butt heads with (someone)
What does "butt heads with (someone)" mean? | to quarrel or argue about something with someone |
The man often butts heads with his boss during a meeting.
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