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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go to bed with the chickens
What does go to bed with the chickens mean? | to go to bed as the sun is setting, to go to bed very early | My grandfather always goes to bed with the chickens because he works on a farm.
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go to bed with the chickens
What does go to bed with the chickens mean? | to go to bed as the sun is setting, to go to bed very early |
My grandfather always goes to bed with the chickens because he works on a farm.
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Some Random Idioms
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cash in one's chips
What does "cash in one's chips" mean? | to die, to pass away |
After an honorable and fruitful career the judge cashed in his chips at the age of ninety years old.
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Open all hours
What does "Open all hours" mean? | If a shop or suchlike is open all hours, it only closes, if at all, terribly late. |
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do time
What does "do time" mean? | to spend time in prison |
The man was doing time when we first heard about him.
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On the fly
What does "On the fly" mean? | If you do things on the fly, you do things without preparation, responding to events as they happen. |
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Here today, gone tomorrow
What does "Here today, gone tomorrow" mean? | Money, happiness and other desirable things are often here today, gone tomorrow, which means that they don't last for very long. |
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one and all
What does "one and all" mean? | everyone | One and all were invited to the community center to listen to the famous author speak.
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Throw your toys out of the pram
What does "Throw your toys out of the pram" mean? | To make an angry protest against a relatively minor problem, in the process embarrassing the protester. The analogy is with a baby who throws toys out of the pram in order to get their parent to pay attention to them. The implication in the idiom is that the protester is acting like a baby. |
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forbidden fruit
What does "forbidden fruit" mean? | something that one finds attractive partly because it is illegal/immoral/prohibited | Entering the old building was forbidden fruit for the young boys.
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On your high horse
What does "On your high horse" mean? | When someone is on their high horse, they are being inflexible, arrogant and will not make any compromises. |
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a bull in a china shop
What does "a bull in a china shop" mean? | a tactless person who upsets others or upsets plans, a very clumsy person |
The boy is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if you invite him to your house.
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pop up
What does "pop up" mean? | to appear suddenly or unexpectedly | I had not seen my friend for a year but suddenly he popped up for a visit last week.
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tighten one`s belt
What does "tighten one`s belt" mean? | to live on less money than usual | We decided to tighten our belt and try to save up some money for a holiday.
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rub shoulders with (someone)
What does "rub shoulders with (someone)" mean? | to be in the same place as someone, to meet and mix with others |
We went to the party and were able to rub shoulders with some interesting artists.
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eyes are bigger than one's stomach
What does "eyes are bigger than one's stomach" mean? | take more food than one can eat | My eyes were bigger than my stomach when I went to the buffet table and put too much food on my plate.
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