Jumping Off Place/point Idiom American Expressions and American Idioms - What does Jumping Off Place/point Idiom mean?

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. .

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.
	Some Random Idioms
in two shakes of a lamb`s tail What does "in two shakes of a lamb`s tail" mean?	quickly, in no time at all	"I will have this finished in two shakes of a lamb`s tail and then I will give it to you."

fall over backwards (to do something) What does "fall over backwards (to do something)" mean?	to do everything possible to do something to please someone	The teacher fell over backwards to help his students.
in pencil What does "in pencil" mean?	written or signed with a pencil	I wrote the test in pencil so that I could change my answers easily.
tight spot What does "tight spot" mean?	a difficult situation	The computer company has been in a tight spot since the shortage of computer chips appeared.
put (something) past (someone) What does "put (something) past (someone) " mean?	to be surprised by what someone does (usually used in the negative)	I would not put it past my friend to try and change jobs for the second time this year.
go out of one`s way What does "go out of one`s way" mean?	to make an extra effort	My aunt went out of her way to help me when I visited her.
from hand to hand What does "from hand to hand" mean?	from one person to another person	We passed the dictionaries from hand to hand until everybody had one.
have a frog in one's throat What does "have a frog in one's throat" mean?	have a feeling of a hoarse throat, be unable to speak	I had a frog in my throat and couldn't speak easily in front of the class.
in other words What does "in other words" mean?	say something in a different (usually more direct) way	In other words, if I don`t finish the assignment by Wednesday I will not pass the course.
A little learning is a dangerous thing What does "A little learning is a dangerous thing" mean?	A small amount of knowledge can cause people to think they are more expert than they really are.eg. he said he'd done a course on home electrics, but when he tried to mend my table lamp, he fused all the lights! I think a little learning is a dangerous thing
Nerves of steel What does "Nerves of steel" mean?	If someone has nerves of steel, they don't get frightened when other people do.

American Idioms and Expressions

Jumping Off Place/point Idiom