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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back-to-back
What does back-to-back mean? | something follows immediately after something else, two people touching backs | There were two back-to-back games today because of the rain last week.
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back-to-back
What does back-to-back mean? | next to each other and touching backs | The students were sitting back-to-back as they did their exercises for the gym class.
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Back to back
What does Back to back mean? | If things happen back to back, they are directly one after another. |
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back-to-back
What does back-to-back mean? | next to each other and touching backs |
The students were sitting back-to-back as they exercised in the gym class.
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back-to-back
What does back-to-back mean? | something follows immediately after something else, two people touching backs |
There were two back-to-back games today because of the rain last week.
We sat back-to-back during the contest.
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Some Random Idioms
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bird
What does "bird" mean? | aircraft; airplane |
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go down on one's knees/on bended knee
What does "go down on one's knees/on bended knee" mean? | to show a lot of emotion when you are asking someone for something | I was forced to go down on my knees and ask my supervisor for some free time from work.
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Not know you are born
What does "Not know you are born" mean? | This indicates that the person described is unaware of his or her good fortune or is unaware of how difficult day to day life was before he/she was born. Typical usage: 'Kids today don't know they are born'. |
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get the green light
What does "get the green light" mean? | to receive a signal to start or continue something |
We got the green light to begin a study of the security problems at our school.
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scarcer than hen's teeth
What does "scarcer than hen's teeth" mean? | very scarce or nonexistent |
People who know about computers are scarcer than hen's teeth in our company.
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Dirty dog
What does "Dirty dog" mean? | A dirty dog is an untrustworthy person. |
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bust
What does "bust" mean? | failure; poor performance. | It's a bust. Complete failure.
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every other _____
What does "every other _____ " mean? | alternately; omitting the second one in
each group of two. | "In your essays, please write on every otherline. That will make theessays much easier to read."
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double date
What does "double date" mean? | a date where two couples get together to do
something | a date where two couples get together to do somethingIt was a good idea to go on the double date even though everybody wanted to do something different.
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on the nose
What does "on the nose" mean? | in exactly the right place/amount, at exactly the right time | I arrived at 3:00 on the nose.
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