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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easy to come by
What does easy to come by mean? | to be easy to find | Money is not easy to come by for many people with no education.
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Some Random Idioms
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get a lot of mileage out of (something)
What does "get a lot of mileage out of (something)" mean? | to get much use from something (like a car) | I hope to get a lot of mileage out of the new sneakers that I bought last week.
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good sport
What does "good sport" mean? | a person who loses a competition/game without complaining | My friend is a good sport and he never complains about losing.
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stand one's ground
What does "stand one's ground" mean? | to maintain and defend one's position | Although the other negotiating team was very aggressive we stood our ground and bargained hard.
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out in left field
What does "out in left field" mean? | to be far from the right answer | His question was out in left field. He has no idea what we were talking about.
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tell time
What does "tell time" mean? | to report the correct time, to be able to read time from a clock or watch | The child is only now learning to tell time.
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praise (someone or something) to the skies
What does "praise (someone or something) to the skies" mean? | to give someone or something much praise | The teachers praised the principal to the skies for the new policies at the school.
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In my good books
What does "In my good books" mean? | If someone is in your good books, you are pleased with or think highly of them at the moment. |
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an open-and-shut case
What does "an open-and-shut case" mean? | a legal matter that is simple and uncomplicated | It was an open-and-shut case after the lawyer presented the evidence to the judge.
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hedge one's bets
What does "hedge one's bets" mean? | reduce one's loss on something by counterbalancing the loss in some way | We will hedge our bets and go to a movie if the weather isn't good enough for camping.
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cat gets one`s tongue
What does "cat gets one`s tongue" mean? | one cannot speak because of shyness | The cat got the woman's tongue and she could not say anything at all.
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Hit the ground running
What does "Hit the ground running" mean? | If someone hits the ground running, they start a new job or position in a very dynamic manner. |
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sixth sense
What does "sixth sense" mean? | a power to know or feel that things are beyond the five senses of sight/hearing/smell/taste/touch | The woman has a sixth sense and she seems to know what everyone is thinking.
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hold one's nose
What does "hold one's nose" mean? | to accept that you have to do something that you do not want to do | I had to hold my nose and sign the legal contract which I did not want to sign.
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