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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firsthand
What does firsthand mean? | directly | I learned the news from my sister firsthand.
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firsthand
What does firsthand mean? | directly |
I learned the news from my sister firsthand.
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Some Random Idioms
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have something down pat
What does "have something down pat" mean? | know/understand something
completely and thoroughly. | "I know I did well on the test. I had all thematerial down pat."
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by a hair
What does "by a hair" mean? | just barely, by a very small amount |
I only passed the exam by a hair.
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Under your skin
What does "Under your skin" mean? | If someone gets under your skin, they really annoy you. |
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toe jam
What does "toe jam" mean? | smelly gunk between toes on unwashed feet |
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not playing with a full deck
What does "not playing with a full deck" mean? | mentally deficient (like a deck of playing cards with some
cards missing) | mentally deficient (like a deck of playing cards with some cards missing)The student told unlikely stories about his life which made us believe that he was not playing with a full deck.
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Hell's half acre
What does "Hell's half acre" mean? | A long and frustrating trip. | I looked all over hell's half acre trying to find a left handed monkey wrench.
Hell's half acre is a lava flow about 15 miles west of Idaho Falls, Idaho. It is 4.5 miles of rough, irregular terrain that is very difficult to navigate. It is so named because its cracks, holes, and crags give the area an otherworldly, surreal, and perhaps hellish appearance. A search of Hell's half acre would indeed be a long and difficult task.
Many of the scenes in the 1997 film "Starship Troopers" (based on Robert Heinlein's novel of the same name) in which the characters were on an alien planet, were filmed at Hell's half acre. |
take after (someone)
What does "take after (someone)" mean? | to resemble or act like someone (usually a parent or relative) | The boy is tall and handsome like his father and takes after him in other ways as well.
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teacher's pet
What does "teacher's pet" mean? | the teacher's favorite student | My sister was always the teacher's pet when she was in school.
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