American Idioms and Expressions

Make It Up To (someone) Idiom

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 it up to (someone)
What does make it up to (someone) mean?		 do something for someone to compensate for an unfulfilled promise or debtI can`t help you tonight but I will make it up to you later.

Some Random Idioms
eager beaver
What does "eager beaver" mean?		 a person who is always eager to work hard or do extra work My colleague is an eager beaver and is always ready to work hard when we need him.

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."
somebody up there loves/hates me
What does "somebody up there loves/hates me" mean?		 an unseen power in heaven has been favorable/unfavorable to you"Somebody up there loves me," he said when he found the money on the side of the road.
on one's coat-tails
What does "on one's coat-tails" mean?		 as a result of someone else doing somethingThe mayor was elected on the coat-tails of his brother who is a famous actor.
burn down
What does "burn down" mean?		 to burn completely (usually used for buildings)My neighbor`s house burned down last night.
share (someone's) sorrow
What does "share (someone's) sorrow" mean?		 to grieve as someone else grievesThe neighbors shared the sorrow of the family who lost their house in a fire.
you can't teach an old dog new tricks
What does "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" mean?		 it is difficult for older people to learn new things You can't teach an old dog new tricks and I do not think that my father will ever change his eating habits.

cat Idioms

Slip through one's fingers
What does "Slip through one's fingers" mean?		 If something slips through one’s fingers it escapes or is lost through carelessness.
according to Hoyle
What does "according to Hoyle" mean?		 according to the rules (Hoyle wrote a well-known book about card games) According to Hoyle, we were not permitted to enter the convention center early but in reality we were able to enter at almost any time.

stand head and shoulders above (the rest/someone/something)
What does "stand head and shoulders above (the rest/someone/something)" mean?		 to be much better than anyone or everything else in the same groupOur new principal stands head and shoulders above the one who we had before.
by way of (something)
What does "by way of (something)" mean?		 as a substitute for something, as a form/example of somethingBy way of introduction the man gave everyone his business card.
on guard
What does "on guard" mean?		 to be careful/waryHe has been on guard since he was robbed last month.
make a mistake
What does "make a mistake" mean?		 make an errorI made a mistake on the math test.
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