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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make a name for oneself
What does make a name for oneself mean? | become well-known or famous | He has made a name for himself in the field of computers.
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Some Random Idioms
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tide (someone) over
What does "tide (someone) over" mean? | to help someone through a difficult situation, to last until someone can get more of something | I gave my friend some money to tide him over until he gets paid.
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pick up (someone)
What does "pick up (someone)" mean? | to take someone to the police station, to arrest someone | The police picked up the man for drinking and driving.
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bugger off
What does "bugger off" mean? | go away; leave; get out of here |
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Dressed to the nines
What does "Dressed to the nines" mean? | Dressed flamboyantly, dressed well. | New years eve is the one day of the year when people like to go out dressed to the nines.
Common lore has it that a tailor making a high quality suit uses more fabric. The best suits are made from nine yards of fabric. This may seem like a lot but a proper suit does indeed take nine yards of fabric. This is because a good suit has all the fabric cut in the same direction with the warp, or long strands of thread, parallel with the vertical line of the suit. This causes a great amount of waste in suit making, but if you want to go "dressed to the nines", you must pay for such waste. |
boxed in
What does "boxed in" mean? | having few choices or possibilities; having few options |
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not by a long shot
What does "not by a long shot" mean? | not at all | Not by a long shot was I able to find enough time to finish reading the book.
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kink in my neck
What does "kink in my neck" mean? | a cramp in one's neck that causes pain | I woke up this morning with a kink in my neck.
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With flying colours (colors)
What does "With flying colours (colors)" mean? | If you pass something with flying colours (colors), you pass easily, with a very high mark or grade. |
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keep (someone or something) in check
What does "keep (someone or something) in check" mean? | keep under control, restrain | The economic policy was designed to keep inflation in check.
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come down in price
What does "come down in price" mean? | to lower the price of one's product | We decided to come down in price and try and sell our products quickly.
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clean up
What does "clean up" mean? | to make a lot of money, to make a big profit | I cleaned up at the horse races last year and I still have some of the money left.
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up and away
What does "up and away" mean? | up into the air and into flight | My parents got on the airplane and were up and away before we knew it.
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get on in years
What does "get on in years" mean? | grow old; become older |
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