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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call (someone) names
What does call (someone) names mean? | to call a person unpleasant names | The children began to call the new student names.
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Some Random Idioms
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wear thin
What does "wear thin" mean? | become thin from use or the passing of time | The silver dollar began to wear thin after it was in use for many years.
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wash one's dirty linen in public
What does "wash one's dirty linen in public" mean? | talk about private or embarassing matters in public | The man began to wash his best friend's dirty linen in public after he became angry.
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for all I care
What does "for all I care" mean? | I do not care if something happens |
"For all I care, you do not have to meet me again."
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Decorate the mahogany
What does "Decorate the mahogany" mean? | When someone buys a round a pub or bar, they decorate the mahogany; putting cash on the bar. |
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Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
What does "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth" mean? | Do not be critical of a gift. | Okay, so the '72 Gremlin grandma gave you is not your idea of a babe magnet, but it was free - so don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Horses have gum lines that recede with age. Hence older horses have longer teeth than young horses.
To "look a horse in the mouth" is to examine the horse's mouth closely to determine its age (and therefore its usefulness and/or worth). To immediately judge a gift based on its worth or usefulness rather than the "thought" behind it considered rude, and ungrateful (it is a gift after all, and didn't cost the receiver anything).
The phrase is apparently quite old, a Latin version of it appeared in a work by St. Jerome in 420 AD, and it also exists in many languages. An Early english version (1510 AD) appears in John Standbridge's "Vulgari Standbrigi": "A gyuen hors may not (be) loked in the tethe." |
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separate but equal
What does "separate but equal" mean? | to be segregated but of equal value or quality | The teaching staff and adminstration were separate but equal regarding decisions that were made at the school.
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step on the gas
What does "step on the gas" mean? | to go faster, to hurry | I had to step on the gas in order to get to work on time.
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jam-packed
What does "jam-packed" mean? | crowded, full | The train that we took this morning was jam-packed with people.
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Butt of a joke
What does "Butt of a joke" mean? | If something or someone becomes the butt of a joke it or they are not taken seriously anymore. |
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hot under the collar
What does "hot under the collar" mean? | angry; upset |
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