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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let off steam
What does let off steam mean? | get rid of your extra energy or strong feelings by doing some activity | He was very angry at first but he has let off steam and has calmed down now.
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let off steam
What does let off steam mean? | to get rid of your extra energy or strong feelings by doing some activity |
The man was angry at first but now he has let off steam and has calmed down.
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Some Random Idioms
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stop-and-go
What does "stop-and-go" mean? | stopping and continuing repeatedly | The traffic is always stop-and-go during the morning rush hour.
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dead on one's feet
What does "dead on one's feet" mean? | very tired, worn out | I was dead on my feet when I returned from shopping all day.
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have a card up one`s sleeve
What does "have a card up one`s sleeve" mean? | to have a reserve plan or a secret advantage |
I do not know the manager's plans but I think that he has a card up his sleeve and he will soon make an important announcement.
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a brush with the law
What does "a brush with the law" mean? | a brief encounter or experience with the police because of a crime | The man had a brush with the law when he was young but now he is totally honest.
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rack one`s brain
What does "rack one`s brain" mean? | to try one's best to think about something, to make a great mental effort | I racked my brain for over an hour to try and decide what to do about the new computer.
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Strain every nerve
What does "Strain every nerve" mean? | If you strain every nerve, you make a great effort to achieve something. |
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Rings a Bell
What does "Rings a Bell" mean? | To sound familiar, to spark a memory. | I don't remember meeting him, but the name John Smith rings a bell.
Bells such as the type used in churches are large and loud. Their sound can be heard from a great distance. Bells sound a single, clear note so their sound is distinctive and not easily confused.
Before electric sirens and amplification systems, bells were a valuable means of signaling people and alerting of important events.
Further, accurate timepieces were not always as available as they are today. Bells were used to signal people of the start of events such as a church session, the start of school, or a celebration. The bells acted as a reminder of the start of the event for people who had an out of synch timepiece or no timepiece.
Someone would literally ring a bell as a reminder.
As an aside bells were later used on clocks to mark the hour. A large clock usually in the town square could be heard throughout the town. This clock acted as a master time reference for the town. The hourly bell ringing gave people an opportunity to synchronize their respective timepieces, and early watches required frequent adjustment. |
duck soup
What does "duck soup" mean? | a task that does not require much effort | The exam was duck soup. I am sure that I did very well.
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angels
What does "angels" mean? | altitude in thousands of feet |
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stern
What does "stern" mean? | buttocks; posterior |
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cover one`s tracks
What does "cover one`s tracks" mean? | to hide where one has been, to hide what one has done |
The man was trying to cover his tracks but it was easy to see where he had been.
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