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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have an itchy/itching palm
What does have an itchy/itching palm mean? | to ask for tips or money | The hotel clerk has an itchy palm and he is always asking for money.
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Some Random Idioms
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go head to head with (someone)
What does "go head to head with (someone)" mean? | to compete in a direct and determined way with another person or group | We plan to go head to head with the other team in order to win the city championship.
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across the board
What does "across the board" mean? | including everyone or everything | The computer company decided to give the workers an across-the-board increase in their salary.
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go back to square one
What does "go back to square one" mean? | to go back to the beginning | The meeting was a failure and we were forced to go back to square one.
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cakewalk
What does "cakewalk" mean? | something simple, easy, or straight-forward. | Total cakewalk, that test.
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Worth its salt
What does "Worth its salt" mean? | To be competent, reasonably skilled. | Not to worry about your new suit, any detergent worth its salt can remove blood stains.
Today salt is inexpensive and universally available, but that wasn't always the case. Salt has been a valuable commodity in many cultures throughout history.
Salt is sodium chloride. It can be obtained from mines or the oceans. Today salt is commonly mined from large deposits left by dried salt lakes. Modern mining and transportation methods have made salt an inexpensive commodity.
Salt is an effective food preservative and before refrigeration was widely available, the demand for salt as a preservative was much greater. The human body requires salt for the regulation of fluid balance. Salt used as a seasoning adds to the taste of many foods.
Because of salt's high value, it was used as a method of exchange. Roman soldiers received a salt allowance as part of their pay. In fact the word "salary" is derived from the Latin "salarium" meaning "of salt".
To say that someone is "worth his salt" is to say they have earned their pay. |
catch (someone) red-handed
What does "catch (someone) red-handed" mean? | to catch someone in the middle of doing something wrong |
The woman was caught red-handed when she tried to steal some cosmetics.
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shoot from the hip
What does "shoot from the hip" mean? | to speak directly and frankly, to fire a gun that is at one's side | The man often shoots from the hip and gets into trouble over what he says.
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eat
What does "eat" mean? | worry or bother (somebody). | What's eating you? Why so upset?
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in jeopardy
What does "in jeopardy" mean? | in danger, at risk | Our contract with the large company was in jeopardy because of our inability to quickly provide them with our products.
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contradiction in terms
What does "contradiction in terms" mean? | a statement that seems to have a contradiction |
It was a contradiction in terms for the woman to pretend that she had no money while living in a mansion.
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