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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fruity
What does fruity mean? | of or pertaining to silly behavior |
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Some Random Idioms
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pride comes before a fall
What does "pride comes before a fall" mean? | if you have too much pride then you may soon meet a difficulty that will make you humble | The president of the company was arrogant about his business practices. However, pride comes before a fall and he lost his position because of a business scandal.
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yellow streak
What does "yellow streak" mean? | cowardice in a person`s character | He has a yellow streak and will not help defend his friends.
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from the old school
What does "from the old school" mean? | having ideas that were popular in the past but which are no longer popular or common | My grandmother was from the old school and always made her children make their own lunches and walk to school.
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Across the pond
What does "Across the pond" mean? | (UK) This idiom means on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, used to refer to the US or the UK depending on the speaker's location. |
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Home is where you lay your hat
What does "Home is where you lay your hat" mean? | Wherever you are comfortable and at ease with yourself is your home, regardless where you were born or brought up.('Home is where you lay your head' and 'Home is where you hang your hat' are also used.) |
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give (someone) the third degree
What does "give (someone) the third degree" mean? | to question someone in great detail | The woman gave her son the third degree when he returned home.
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be all things to all people
What does "be all things to all people" mean? | to be everything that is wanted by all people |
The politician tries to be all things to all people and it is difficult to know what he really believes.
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guard against (someone or something)
What does "guard against (someone or something)" mean? | to take care to avoid someone or something | When we go to the beach we must guard against the hot sun.
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join hands
What does "join hands" mean? | to hold hands so that one person is holding the hand of another person |
The children joined hands as they crossed the road.
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Quarrel with bread and butter
What does "Quarrel with bread and butter" mean? | Bread and butter, here, indicate the means of one’s living. (That is why we say ‘he is the bread winner of the family’). If a sub-ordinate in an organisation is quarrelsome or if he is not patient enough to bear the reprimand he deserves, gets angry and retorts or provokes the higher-up, the top man dismisses him from the job. So, he loses the job that gave him bread and butter. Hence we say, he quarrelled with bread and butter (manager or the top man) and lost his job. |
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Root hog or die poor
What does "Root hog or die poor" mean? | It's a expression used in the Southern USA that means that you must look out for yourself as no one's going to do it for you. (It can be shortened to 'root hog'. A hog is a pig.) |
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to the letter
What does "to the letter" mean? | precisely, exactly | The lawyer always suggests that his clients follow the judge's decisions to the letter.
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pig
What does "pig" mean? | messy, dirty person |
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