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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in a jam
What does in a jam mean? | in trouble, in a difficult situation | He is in a jam now that his car is not working properly.
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in a jam
What does in a jam mean? | in trouble, in a difficult situation |
My neighbor is in a jam now that his car is not working properly.
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Some Random Idioms
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change of pace
What does "change of pace" mean? | the addition of some variety to one's life | We decided to go to the lake for a change of pace and to get away from our busy schedules.
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caught in the middle
What does "caught in the middle" mean? | to be caught between two opposing people or groups so it is difficult to remain neutral |
I was caught in the middle when my friend and his girlfriend began to fight.
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thumb one`s nose at (someone or something)
What does "thumb one`s nose at (someone or something)" mean? | to look with disfavor or dislike at someone or something, to refuse to obey someone | My friend thumbed his nose at me when I asked him to stop talking so loud.
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fish in troubled waters
What does "fish in troubled waters" mean? | to involve oneself in a difficult or confused or dangerous situation in order to get something |
The woman was fishing in troubled waters when she began to ask questions about the crime.
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bump
What does "bump" mean? | remove a passenger with a confirmed reservation as a result of the flight being overbooked. | I got bumped from my flight and am stuck here for two hours.
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lean on (someone)
What does "lean on (someone)" mean? | pressure someone by blackmail or threats of physical violence to make him or her do something | The gang decided to lean on the small shop owner to get him to sell his property.
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Dressed to the nines
What does "Dressed to the nines" mean? | Dressed flamboyantly, dressed well. | New years eve is the one day of the year when people like to go out dressed to the nines.
Common lore has it that a tailor making a high quality suit uses more fabric. The best suits are made from nine yards of fabric. This may seem like a lot but a proper suit does indeed take nine yards of fabric. This is because a good suit has all the fabric cut in the same direction with the warp, or long strands of thread, parallel with the vertical line of the suit. This causes a great amount of waste in suit making, but if you want to go "dressed to the nines", you must pay for such waste. |
for certain
What does "for certain" mean? | without doubt, certainly, surely | He will not be playing in the game tonight for certain.
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get the feel of (something)
What does "get the feel of (something)" mean? | to become used to or learn about something | After you get the feel of the new computer it is very easy to use.
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pitch a tent
What does "pitch a tent" mean? | to put up a tent | We pitched the tent in a field beside a stream.
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out of circulation
What does "out of circulation" mean? | to be not active, to not join in what others are doing | He has a new girlfriend so he will be out of circulation for awhile.
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rest on one's oars
What does "rest on one's oars" mean? | relax one's efforts | relax one's effortsThe negotiating team decided to rest on their oars and wait until their partners had a chance to consider the offer.
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off-center
What does "off-center" mean? | to be not exactly in the center or middle of something | The picture was off-center and did not look good on the wall.
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round-robin meeting/discussion/debate
What does "round-robin meeting/discussion/debate" mean? | a meeting or discussion in which each person in a group takes part | We had a round-robin panel discussion on what we could do to help protect the environment.
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