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 with
What does in with mean? | in friendship/favor/closeness with someone | I think that he was in with the wrong group of people when he was in high school.
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Some Random Idioms
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kick around
What does "kick around" mean? | have nearby; be in one's position |
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Back to back
What does "Back to back" mean? | If things happen back to back, they are directly one after another. |
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dish out (food)
What does "dish out (food)" mean? | to serve food from a large bowl or plate |
I began to dish out the food when the guests arrived.
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fender-bender
What does "fender-bender" mean? | automobile accident. | "Traffic was really slow on the freeway thismorningbecause of a fender-bender in one of the westbound lanes."
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Run into the sand
What does "Run into the sand" mean? | If something runs into the sand, it fails to achieve a result. |
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jazzed
What does "jazzed" mean? | excited; in a good frame of mind |
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all talk (and no action)
What does "all talk (and no action)" mean? | to talk about doing something but never really doing it |
Our boss is all talk and no action and nothing new is ever done in our department.
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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. |
every dog has his day
What does "every dog has his day" mean? | everyone will have his chance or turn | My friend is very discouraged because of his recent bad luck. However, every dog has his day and he should soon overcome those problems and find success.
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