American Idioms and Expressions

In Time Idiom

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 time
What does in time mean?
not late."I thought I was going to be late for my flight, butit was delayed, so I was still in time."
in time
What does in time mean?
early enoughI didn`t come home in time to meet my cousin.
in time
What does in time mean?
before the time necessary (to do something) I did not arrive in time to meet my cousin.


Some Random Idioms
keep a stiff upper lip
What does "keep a stiff upper lip" mean?
to be brave, to face trouble bravelyWe tried to keep a stiff upper lip when the company announced that they would close our office.
publish or perish
What does "publish or perish" mean?
university professors often have to publish books or articles in journals or they will not be successful in their jobs at the university The university professor wrote many scientific papers. He was forced to publish or perish.

Close to your heart
What does "Close to your heart" mean?
If something is close to your heart, you care a lot about it. ('Dear to your heart' is an alternative.)
make believe
What does "make believe" mean?
act as if something is true although one knows that it is not, pretendThe children were playing make believe and pretended that they lived in a castle.
splash
What does "splash" mean?
commotion; noise; something noticable or even remarkable. He made a big splash with his new ideas
fishy
What does "fishy" mean?
to be suspicious or unlikely "Something is fishy with these numbers. There are too many people on this list."

pick up (something)
What does "pick up (something)" mean?
to pick up something that has fallen on the floor"Could you please pick up my pen from the floor."
the straw that broke the camel`s back
What does "the straw that broke the camel`s back" mean?
a small final trouble or problem which follows other troubles and causes everything to collapse or something to happenThe supervisor accusing me of not working hard enough was the straw that broke the camel`s back and I asked for a transfer to another section of the company.
foam at the mouth
What does "foam at the mouth" mean?
to be very angry (a sick dog foams at the mouth)The girl's father was so angry that he was almost foaming at the mouth.
burn the midnight oil
What does "burn the midnight oil" mean?
to study until very late at nightWe burned the midnight oil for three nights in order to study for the exam.
after the fact
What does "after the fact" mean?
after something has happened The man said that he was sorry but it was after the fact. He had already caused many problems.

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