J American Expressions and American Idioms

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. .

Jump on the bandwagon What does "Jump on the bandwagon" mean?	Do what everybody else is doing, whatever is popular.	When the Chicago Bears are winning, I will jump on the bandwagon and be a fan. Old time political campaigns would attempt to gain supporters with what amounted to a small parade including a band for a candidate with sufficient support. Jumping on the bandwagon was akin to providing your support for this popular candidate.

jump all over someone What does "jump all over someone" mean?	severely criticize / find fault with someone.	A: "What's wrong with Joe?"B: "He's feeling bad because his boss jumped all over him thismorning."
jump the gun What does "jump the gun" mean?	do something before it's time to do it.	A: "How did Marsha know about the party? It wassupposed to be a surprise."
jump to conclusions What does "jump to conclusions" mean?	decide something too quickly and without thinking about it or considering all the facts.	A: "Angela just doesn't like me. She won't even sayhello."B: "You're jumping to conclusions. Actually, she's very shy."
junk mail What does "junk mail" mean?	unsolicited mail (usually advertisements for something you're not interested in).	"I didn't have any letters today--only junkmail."
jack up (something) What does "jack up (something)" mean?	raise prices, raise something with a lifting device	The gas station jacked up their prices during the snow storm.
jam on the brakes What does "jam on the brakes " mean?	quickly put the brakes on in a car to stop	He jammed on the brakes and was able to avoid hitting the child.
jam-packed What does "jam-packed" mean?	crowded, full	The train that we took this morning was jam-packed with people.

Jekyll and Hyde What does "Jekyll and Hyde" mean?	someone with both an evil and a good personality	My co-worker is like Jekyll and Hyde. One minute he is very friendly but the next minute he is angry.
jockey for position What does "jockey for position" mean?	try to push one's way into an advantageous position	Several of the salesmen began to jockey for position when they learned that the director of sales was leaving.
jog (someone's) memory What does "jog (someone's) memory" mean?	stimulate someone's memory to recall something	The questions that the police officer asked helped to jog the man's memory.
John Doe What does "John Doe" mean?	a name used for an unknown/average person	The application forms use the name "John Doe" as the name of a person who is applying for something.
John Henry/John Hancock What does "John Henry/John Hancock" mean?	one's signature	"Please sign your John Henry here and we will process your order right away."
Johnny-come-lately What does "Johnny-come-lately" mean?	a new-comer	He`s a Johnny-come-lately and doesn`t really know what he is talking about.
Johnny-on-the-spot What does "Johnny-on-the-spot" mean?	someone who is at the right place when needed or is right on time	He is always Johnny-on-the-spot. Just when we need him he arrives.
join forces (with someone) What does "join forces (with someone)" mean?	unite/join with someone	The two high schools joined forces to try and raise money for the city library expansion.
join hands What does "join hands" mean?	hold hands with other people	Everybody in the group joined hands at the end of the meeting.
Join the club! What does "Join the club!" mean?	an expression used when the other person is in the same situation (usually bad) as the speaker	"Join the club. None of us have enough money to go on a holiday."
join the fray What does "join the fray" mean?	join a fight or argument	I did not want to join the fray and argue with the other members of the group.
jolt to a stop What does "jolt to a stop" mean?	stop moving suddenly which causes a jolt	The train jolted to a stop when the engineer put the brakes on.
judge (someone or something) on its own merits What does "judge (someone or something) on its own merits" mean?	judge or evaluate someone or something on its own good points and achievements	Our company always judges each employee on his or her own merits.
judging by (something) What does "judging by (something)" mean?	considering something	Judging by the weather, I don't think that we will be able to go to the festival today.
jump all over (someone) What does "jump all over (someone)" mean?	criticize/scold/blame someone	As soon as I began to talk about my plans for the summer my boss jumped all over me.
jump at (something) What does "jump at (something)" mean?	seize the opportunity to do something	He jumped at the chance to go to France on company business.
jump bail What does "jump bail" mean?	run away and fail to come to trial and therefore give up the money that you have already paid to the court	The man jumped bail and went to live in a foreign country.
jump down (someone`s) throat What does "jump down (someone`s) throat" mean?	criticize or become angry with someone	As soon as I reached the office my boss jumped down my throat over the missing file.
jump on (someone) What does "jump on (someone)" mean?	scold/criticize/blame someone	Everybody jumped on the supervisor because they were angry about the new schedules.
jump/climb/get on the bandwagon What does "jump/climb/get on the bandwagon" mean?	join a popular activity/campaign	Everybody jumped on the bandwagon to try and stop smoking in the workplace.
jump out of one`s skin What does "jump out of one`s skin" mean?	be badly frightened	I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw the man at the window.
jump the gun What does "jump the gun" mean?	start before you should	He jumped the gun and started selling the tickets before he should have.
jump the track What does "jump the track" mean?	jump off the rails, change suddenly from one thing to another	The train jumped the track near the edge of the town.
jump through a hoop What does "jump through a hoop" mean?	do whatever one is told to do, obey any order	He is always ready to jump through a hoop for his boss so he is not very popular with the other employees.
jump to conclusions What does "jump to conclusions" mean?	make a quick conclusion without thinking about it	"Please don`t jump to conclusions over who broke the computer."
jumping-off place/point What does "jumping-off place/point" mean?	the starting place of a long trip, start of something	We gathered early in the morning at the jumping-off place for our hike to the mountains.
just about What does "just about" mean?	nearly, almost	I waited just about one hour before the concert started.
just in case (something happens) What does "just in case (something happens)" mean?	if something happens	I plan to take my umbrella just in case it rains today.
just now What does "just now" mean?	this very moment, almost at this moment	The accident happened just now. The police haven`t even arrived yet.
just one of those things What does "just one of those things" mean?	something that you really can't do anything about	The fact that I failed the driver's test was just one of those things and there is nothing that I can do about it.
just so What does "just so" mean?	done with great care, done very carefully	She always makes sure that her hair is just so before she goes out.
just the same What does "just the same" mean?	nevertheless	I told her not to come early but just the same she came early anyway.
join hands What does "join hands" mean?	to hold hands so that one person is holding the hands of another person	All of the children joined hands as they crossed the road.
joined at the hip What does "joined at the hip" mean?	two people spend all their time together	The two boys are joined at the hip and never spend any time apart.
jump down (someone`s) throat What does "jump down (someone`s) throat" mean?	suddenly become very angry at someone	The man's wife jumped down his throat when he came home late for the third day in a row.
jump out of one`s skin What does "jump out of one`s skin" mean?	be badly frightened, be very surprised	I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw my boyfriend at the movie theater with another girl.
jack up the price of (something) What does "jack up the price of (something)" mean?	to make a price higher	The steel company decided to jack up the price of steel at the beginning of the year.
judge (someone or something) on its/their own merit(s) What does "judge (someone or something) on its/their own merit(s)" mean?	judge or evaluate someone or something on their own achievements and virtues	We judged the man on his own merits and not by what other people were saying about him.
jump to conclusions What does "jump to conclusions" mean?	judge or decide something without having all the facts	The manager had jumped to conclusions when she accused the employee of stealing from the company.
JP What does "JP" mean?	Justice of the Peace	Justice of the PeaceThey went to a JP when they decided to get married.
jump bail What does "jump bail" mean?	fail to appear in court and therefore give up the money that you paid for bail	The criminal jumped bail and went to another city to hide.
just what the doctor ordered What does "just what the doctor ordered" mean?	exactly what is needed or wanted	A nice hot bath was just what the doctor ordered after the long day at work.
jack up (the price) What does "jack up (the price)" mean?	to raise the price of something	The store jacked up the prices of their summer stock at the beginning of the summer.
jockey for position What does "jockey for position" mean?	try to put yourself in a better position at the expense of others (as a jockey would do in a horse race)	try to put yourself in a better position at the expense of others (as a jockey would do in a horse race)The salesmen started to jockey for position as soon as they learned that the sales manager was leaving the company.
jump the gun What does "jump the gun" mean?	start before the starting signal or before you should start (as in a race)	start before the starting signal or before you should start (as in a race)My friend jumped the gun and applied for the job before applications were being accepted.
jump out of the frying pan and into the fire What does "jump out of the frying pan and into the fire" mean?	to leave one dangerous or bad situation for a situation that is worse	My friend jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. He changed jobs and had more problems in his new job than in his old one.
just what the doctor ordered What does "just what the doctor ordered" mean?	something that is good for someone to have or to do	The holiday was just what the doctor ordered and the employee returned to work energetic and refreshed.
jack What does "jack" mean?	Jack Daniel's whiskey.	Give me a glass of jack, straight.
jack What does "jack" mean?	steal a car with a driver or passenger in it.	My car got jacked but at least I'm all right.
jack around What does "jack around" mean?	mess around; do little or nothing; waste time
jack off What does "jack off" mean?	waste time or energy; do little or nothing
jack off What does "jack off" mean?	masturbate (men only)
jack off What does "jack off" mean?	masturbate (said of men)
jack up What does "jack up" mean?	motivate or stimulate somebody or something
jack up What does "jack up" mean?	raise the price of something
jacked What does "jacked" mean?	damaged; injured; harmed; messed up
jacked up What does "jacked up" mean?	aroused, excited
jacked up What does "jacked up" mean?	upset; distressed
jacknife What does "jacknife" mean?	fold in; fold in half (said of a tractor-trailer that forms a "V" shape after a collision)
jackshit What does "jackshit" mean?	nothing; nothing at all
Jag What does "Jag" mean?	Jaguar car
jam What does "jam" mean?	problem; difficulty
jam What does "jam" mean?	play musical instruments together in an improvisational style
jammed up What does "jammed up" mean?	in difficulty; in trouble
jammed up What does "jammed up" mean?	stuffed with food; constipated
jamming What does "jamming" mean?	very good; excellent; outstanding
jaw What does "jaw" mean?	chat; talk nonsense
jay What does "jay" mean?	marijuana cigarette
jazz up What does "jazz up" mean?	make somebody or something more interesting or sexually appealing
jazzed What does "jazzed" mean?	excited; in a good frame of mind
jazzed up What does "jazzed up" mean?	excited; in a good frame of mind
jazzy What does "jazzy" mean?	appealing; enticing
jerk What does "jerk" mean?	dumb, unappealing person
jerk around What does "jerk around" mean?	harass or waste somebody's time
jerk off What does "jerk off" mean?	waste time or energy; do little or nothing
jerk off What does "jerk off" mean?	masturbate (men only)
jerk off What does "jerk off" mean?	masturbate (said of men)
jerry-rigged What does "jerry-rigged" mean?	temporary and inefficient (solution to a problem)
jive What does "jive" mean?	inaccurate; deceptive; flashy but meaningless
jive What does "jive" mean?	lie; lies, nonsense
jive What does "jive" mean?	retort; back talk
jive What does "jive" mean?	drugs
jive talk What does "jive talk" mean?	slang; currently popular words and phrases
jive turkey What does "jive turkey" mean?	dumb person	You're such a jive turkey, John. You couldn't have messed up more!
jive-ass What does "jive-ass" mean?	nonsensical
jock What does "jock" mean?	athlete; athletic supporter (clothing)
Joe Six-Pack What does "Joe Six-Pack" mean?	ordinary man (typically one who sits in front of the television and drinks beer)
joggers What does "joggers" mean?	jogging shoes; running shoes; sneakers
john What does "john" mean?	customer of a prostitute
john What does "john" mean?	toilet; bathroom; restroom
John Wayne What does "John Wayne" mean?	try to be a hero; be heroic; ham it up for the media
joint What does "joint" mean?	prison; jail
joint What does "joint" mean?	marijuana cigarette
joint What does "joint" mean?	bar; tavern; grill
joint What does "joint" mean?	low-quality place for food or drink
jonesing What does "jonesing" mean?	need for drugs; need for anything in particular.	He was jonesing for some smack.
juice What does "juice" mean?	electricity; power
juice What does "juice" mean?	interest paid to organized crime on a loan
jump What does "jump" mean?	physically attack or assault somebody
jump What does "jump" mean?	have sex with somebody
jump in a lake What does "jump in a lake" mean?	idiom. leave; get out; go away
jump start What does "jump start" mean?	starting one car by using power (via jumper cables) from another car
jump street What does "jump street" mean?	start; beginning; outset (of something)
junk What does "junk" mean?	drugs (heroin in particular)
junk it What does "junk it" mean?	discard it; get rid of it
junkie What does "junkie" mean?	addict
junkie What does "junkie" mean?	drug user; drug addict
just off the boat What does "just off the boat" mean?	newly arrived (usually from another country)
Jam on your face What does "Jam on your face" mean?	If you say that someone has jam on their face, they appear to be caught, embarrassed or found guilty.
Jam tomorrow What does "Jam tomorrow" mean?	(UK) This idiom is used when people promise good things for the future that will never come.
Jet-black What does "Jet-black" mean?	To emphasise just how black something is, such as someone's hair, we can call it jet-black.
Jet set What does "Jet set" mean?	Very wealthy people who travel around the world to attend parties or functions are the jet set.
Jog my memory What does "Jog my memory" mean?	If you jog someone's memory, you say words that will help someone trying to remember a thought, event, word, phrase, experience, etc.
Jump through hoops What does "Jump through hoops" mean?	If you are prepared to jump through hoops for someone, you are prepared to make great efforts and sacrifices for them.
Just around the corner What does "Just around the corner" mean?	If something is just around the corner, then it is expected to happen very soon.
Just coming up to What does "Just coming up to" mean?	If the time is just coming up to nine o'clock, it means that it will be nine o'clock in a very few seconds. You'll hear them say it on the radio in the morning.
Just for the heck of it What does "Just for the heck of it" mean?	When someone does something just for the heck of it, they do it without a good reason.
Just for the record What does "Just for the record" mean?	If something is said to be just for the record, the person is saying it so that people know but does not necessarily agree with or support it.
Jack Frost What does "Jack Frost" mean?	If everything has frozen in winter, then Jack Frost has visited.
Jane Doe What does "Jane Doe" mean?	Jane Doe is a name given to an unidentified female who may be party to legal proceedings, or to an unidentified person in hospital, or dead. John Doe is the male equivalent.
Job's comforter What does "Job's comforter" mean?	Someone who says they want to comfort, but actually discomforts people is a Job's comforter. (Job's is pronounced 'jobes', not 'jobs')
John Q Public What does "John Q Public" mean?	John Q Public is the typical, average person.
Johnny on the spot What does "Johnny on the spot" mean?	A person who is always available; ready, willing, and able to do what needs to be done.('Johnny-on-the-spot' is also used.)
Jumping Judas! What does "Jumping Judas!" mean?	An expression of surprise or shock.
Jump down someone's throat What does "Jump down someone's throat" mean?	If you jump down someone's throat, you criticise or chastise them severely.
Juggle frogs What does "Juggle frogs" mean?	If you are juggling frogs, you are trying to do something very difficult.
Jump the shark What does "Jump the shark" mean?	Said of a salient point in a television show or other activity at which the popularity thereof begins to wane: The Flintstones jumped the shark when a man from outer space came to visit them. The expression derives from an episode of the television sitcom 'Happy Days' in which Fonzie, clad in leather jacket and on water skis, jumps over a shark. That episode was widely seen as the beginning of the end for the formerly popular series.
Jersey justice What does "Jersey justice" mean?	(UK) Jersey justice is very severe justice.
Judge, jury and executioner What does "Judge, jury and executioner" mean?	If someone is said to be the judge, jury, and executioner, it means they are in charge of every decision made, and they have the power to be rid of whomever they choose.
Jury's out What does "Jury's out" mean?	If the jury's out on an issue, then there is no general agreement or consensus on it.
Jungle out there What does "Jungle out there" mean?	If someone says that it is a jungle out there, they mean that the situation is dangerous and there are no rules.
Just in the nick of time What does "Just in the nick of time" mean?	If you do something in the nick of time, you just manage to do it just in time, with seconds to spare.
Jobs for the boys What does "Jobs for the boys" mean?	Where people give jobs, contracts, etc, to their friends and associates, these are jobs for the boys.

American Idioms and Expressions

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