American Idioms and Expressions

By A Long Shot Idiom

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. .

by a long shot What does by a long shot mean?	by a big difference	The soap company beat out the bids of the other companies by a long shot.
by a long shot What does by a long shot mean?	by a big difference	Our company beat out the bids of the other companies by a long shot.
	Some Random Idioms
calculated risk What does "calculated risk" mean?	an action that may fail but has a good chance to succeed	The company took a calculated risk when they opened a new store in a very quiet area. call Idioms

to mix up (something) What does "to mix up (something)" mean?	to confuse things, to make a mistake about something	The teacher mixed up the DVDs and played the wrong one in front of the class.
as gruff as a bear What does "as gruff as a bear" mean?	gruff, unsociable	Our neighbor is as gruff as a bear when we meet him in the morning.
every so often What does "every so often" mean?	occasionally	You should stand up every so often when you are on a long plane trip.
well-off What does "well-off" mean?	wealthy	Her parents are quite well-off and don`t need to worry about money during their retirement.
without fail What does "without fail" mean?	absolutely, for certain	The postman came at noon everyday without fail.
go for broke What does "go for broke" mean?	to risk everything on one big effort, to try as hard as possible	We are going for broke to try and win the new contract.

until you're blue in the face What does "until you're blue in the face" mean?	forever.	"You can talk until you're blue in the face,but I won't change my mind."
ball park figure/estimate What does "ball park figure/estimate" mean?	a rough estimate or figure	The contractor gave us a ball park figure for the cost of repairing the new building.
everything from soup to nuts What does "everything from soup to nuts" mean?	almost everything that one can think of	We brought everything from soup to nuts for our weekend holiday.
on the mend What does "on the mend" mean?	healing, becoming better	My grandfather is on the mend after he broke his leg last week.
hold the reins What does "hold the reins" mean?	be the most influential person	He has been holding the reins in his company for many years.

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