N 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. .

No way! What does "No way!" mean?	Absolutely not! / Definitely not!	A: "You didn't open this letter addressed to me, didyou?"B: "No way! I'd never read look at else's mail!"

nosh What does "nosh" mean?	snack.	"There's plenty in the refrigerator if you wantsomething to nosh on."
Not on your life! What does "Not on your life!" mean?	Absolutely not! (a strong "no").	A: "Someone said you cheated on the test. Didyou?"B: "Not on your life!"
now and then What does "now and then" mean?	occasionally; from time to time.	A: "Do you see Jennifer often?"B: "No, not really. I see her now and then, but notregularly."
nuke What does "nuke" mean?	heat in a microwave.	"If your coffee's cold, just nuke it for abouta minute."
nuts What does "nuts" mean?	crazy.	A: "Stuart says some really strange thingssometimes."B: "Sometimes? All the time! He's nuts!"
Note What does "Note" mean?	This expression is used to describe something that will not change, no matter how long or how often it's done.
Note What does "Note" mean?	This expression is used in the same way as "until hell freezes over."

Note What does "Note" mean?	"What" and "for" can be separated--with "for" at the end of the question:
not know if one is coming or going What does "not know if one is coming or going" mean?	not know what to do	The new sales manager does not seem to know if he is coming or going.
not know the first thing about something What does "not know the first thing about something" mean?	lack basic knowledge about something	He does not know the first thing about computers.
not lay a finger/hand on (someone) What does "not lay a finger/hand on (someone)" mean?	not touch someone, not do something to someone	The man was told by the police never to lay a finger on his wife again.
not have a leg to stand on What does "not have a leg to stand on" mean?	not have a firm foundation of facts, not have the facts to support one`s claims	She doesn`t have a leg to stand on with her excuses for not finishing her work.
not a lick of work What does "not a lick of work" mean?	not even a small amount of work (usually used in the negative)	The children did not do a lick of work all morning when the teacher was away.
not lift a finger/hand What does "not lift a finger/hand" mean?	not do anything to help anyone	Although he is a nice person he will not lift a finger to help anyone else.
not make head nor tail of (something) What does "not make head nor tail of (something)" mean?	not be able to understand something	We could not make head nor tail of what he was trying to say during his speech.
not move a muscle What does "not move a muscle" mean?	not move even a small amount	The doctor told me not to move a muscle when he was fixing my leg.
nail down (someone or something) What does "nail down (someone or something)" mean?	to make certain/sure of something	I am trying to nail down the exact time that we can meet with our supplier.
naked eye What does "naked eye" mean?	the human eye (with no binoculars etc.)	It was difficult to see the bird with the naked eye.
name (someone) after (someone or something) What does "name (someone) after (someone or something)" mean?	to give someone the name of another person/place/thing	My cousin was named after his mother`s grandfather.
near at hand What does "near at hand" mean?	to be close or handy (to someone)	I looked for a pair of scissors that were near at hand.
neck and neck What does "neck and neck" mean?	to be equal or nearly equal in a race or contest	The two teams were neck and neck in the race to win the national championship.
neck of the woods What does "neck of the woods" mean?	an area or part of the country	He has never been to my neck of the woods since he was a child.
need (something) like (one needs) a hole in the head What does "need (something) like (one needs) a hole in the head" mean?	to not need something at all	My friend needs a new computer like he needs a hole in the head.
need (something) yesterday What does "need (something) yesterday" mean?	to need something in a very big hurry	I need a new computer yesterday.
neither fish nor fowl What does "neither fish nor fowl" mean?	something that does not belong to a definite group	The man's opinions were neither fish nor fowl and nobody could put them into an identifiable category.
neither here nor there What does "neither here nor there" mean?	not relevant to the thing being discussed, to be off the subject	"What you are saying is neither here nor there. We are talking about our plans this year - not five years in the future."
neither hide nor hair of (someone or something) What does "neither hide nor hair of (someone or something)" mean?	no sign or indication of someone or something	I have seen neither hide nor hair of my friend recently.
never fear What does "never fear" mean?	do not worry	"Never fear, I will finish work and meet you in time for the movie."
never in one's life What does "never in one's life" mean?	not in one's experience	I have never in my life seen such a strange person.
never mind What does "never mind" mean?	don`t worry, don`t bother	"If you don`t have time to pick up my laundry today, never mind, I will get it tomorrow."
never would have guessed What does "never would have guessed" mean?	never would have thought something to be the case	I never would have guessed that the woman on the bicycle was one of the richest women in the city.
new blood What does "new blood" mean?	fresh energy or power, someone or something that gives new life or vigor to something	She is a good employee and helped us to inject some new blood into our organization.
next-door neighbor What does "next-door neighbor" mean?	the person living in the house or apartment next to you	My next-door neighbor often brings over fresh bread that she has baked.
next of kin What does "next of kin" mean?	one's closest living relative or relatives	The police notified the dead woman's next of kin after the accident.
next to nothing What does "next to nothing" mean?	hardly anything	I was able to buy a new computer for next to nothing.
nice and (some quality) What does "nice and (some quality)" mean?	lots of some quality	The bed was nice and warm and I fell asleep immediately.
nickel and dime (someone) What does "nickel and dime (someone)" mean?	to charge someone many small amounts of money	The constant small repairs to my car are beginning to nickel and dime me.
night on the town What does "night on the town" mean?	a night of celebration	We went out for a night on the town when we finished the project.
night owl What does "night owl" mean?	a person who likes to stay up late at night	My friend is a night owl and stays up late every night.
nip and tuck What does "nip and tuck" mean?	evenly matched, almost even	They were running nip and tuck but he finally won the race in the end.
nip (something) in the bud What does "nip (something) in the bud" mean?	to stop something at the start	They found out about the computer problem but were able to nip the problem in the bud.
no bed of roses What does "no bed of roses" mean?	a difficult or bad situation	It is no bed of roses to have no job and a large family to support.
no cigar What does "no cigar" mean?	not agreed to, no, certainly not	I almost got the job but in the end it was no cigar.
no deal What does "no deal" mean?	not agreed to, no, certainly not	It was no deal when my plan was rejected at the meeting.
no dice What does "no dice" mean?	no, certainly not	"No dice. I will never lend you that much money."
no doubt What does "no doubt" mean?	without doubt, surely, certainly	No doubt he will be the one to win the contest again this year.
no end What does "no end" mean?	almost without stopping, continually	The little girl cried no end when she couldn't find her favorite doll.
no end of/to (something) What does "no end of/to (something)" mean?	seeming almost endless, very many/much of something	He had no end of problems when he lived overseas for a year.
no go What does "no go" mean?	not agreed to, no, certainly not	It is no go for our plan to have three games this weekend. We can only have two games.
no great shakes What does "no great shakes" mean?	to be mediocre, to be unimportant	The hotel was no great shakes and I wouldn`t recommend that you stay there.
no hard feelings What does "no hard feelings" mean?	no anger or resentment	There were no hard feelings between the two women after they got into a fight at work.
no holds barred What does "no holds barred" mean?	with no restraints	There were no holds barred during the debate between the politicians.
no ifs, ands, or buts about it What does "no ifs, ands, or buts about it" mean?	absolutely no discussion or doubts about something	"You are going to bed now - no ifs, ands, or buts about it," said the mother to her child.
no joke What does "no joke" mean?	a serious matter	The mistake with the meeting time was no joke. It caused many of us very serious problems.
no kidding What does "no kidding" mean?	honestly, really	"No kidding, are you really going to buy a house."
no laughing matter What does "no laughing matter" mean?	a serious matter	The incident was no laughing matter and was taken very seriously by the police.
no love lost between (two people/groups) What does "no love lost between (two people/groups)" mean?	bad feelings or ill will between two people or groups	There is no love lost between my father and our neighbor.
no matter What does "no matter" mean?	regardless	No matter how hard that I try, my piano teacher is never satisfied.
no matter what happens What does "no matter what happens" mean?	in any event, without regard to what happens	No matter what happens I plan to go swimming on Saturday.
no picnic What does "no picnic" mean?	not pleasant, difficult	It was no picnic trying to drive to the lake during the storm.
no point in (something) What does "no point in (something)" mean?	no purpose in doing something	There is no point in talking to my supervisor. He never listens to what I am saying.
no skin off (someone's) teeth/nose What does "no skin off (someone's) teeth/nose" mean?	no difficulty for someone	It will be no skin off my teeth if the meeting is not held.
no sooner said than done What does "no sooner said than done" mean?	something that can be done quickly	My request for some repairs to the bathroom sink were no sooner said than done.
no spring chicken What does "no spring chicken" mean?	not young anymore	My aunt is no spring chicken but she always has lots of energy.
no sweat What does "no sweat" mean?	easily accomplished, uncomplicated	Finishing the job was no sweat. I finished it in about two hours.
no sweat What does "no sweat" mean?	no problem	"No sweat. I will help you all day tomorrow if you need me."
no trespassing What does "no trespassing" mean?	no entry to a place	There was no trespassing on the field next to the large oil tanks.
no two ways about it What does "no two ways about it" mean?	no choice about it	"No two ways about it, you must do your homework and go to bed now."
no wonder What does "no wonder" mean?	not surprising	No wonder he is so tired after staying up all night.
nobody`s fool What does "nobody`s fool" mean?	a smart person, a person who can take care of himself or herself	She is nobody`s fool. You will not have to worry about her at all when she starts her new job.
nobody's home What does "nobody's home" mean?	one`s attention is somewhere else, one has a simple mind	It seems like nobody`s home I thought, as I tried to have a conversation with the strange man.
nod off What does "nod off" mean?	to fall asleep (usually while sitting or driving etc.)	I nodded off last night while I was watching television.
none of (someone's) business/beeswax What does "none of (someone's) business/beeswax" mean?	to be not of someone's concern	My personal financial situation is none of my friend's business.
none other than (someone) What does "none other than (someone)" mean?	the very person (that one may be talking/thinking about)	I went to the airport and I saw none other than the president of our company.
none the wiser What does "none the wiser" mean?	not knowing any more	We put all of the old magazines in the garbage and my sister was none the wiser.
none the worse for wear What does "none the worse for wear" mean?	no worse because of use or effort	We were none the worse for wear after our long trip through the mountains.
none too (something) What does "none too (something)" mean?	not very something, not at all something	The boy was none too smart to try and steal the CDs from the store.
nose around/about What does "nose around/about" mean?	to look for something kept private or secret, to pry into something	The secretary nosed around her boss's desk to try and discover what was happening in the company.
nose into (something) What does "nose into (something)" mean?	to move into something, to go front end first	We stopped our car and nosed into the parking space.
nose (someone) out What does "nose (someone) out" mean?	to push someone away, to exclude someone	The famous basketball player nosed out the other players to win the award for the best player in the league.
not a bit What does "not a bit" mean?	none at all	I had not a bit of free time last weekend.
not a living soul What does "not a living soul" mean?	nobody	There was not a living soul at the restaurant when I arrived early last night.
not a moment to spare What does "not a moment to spare" mean?	to be just in time, to have no extra time	We arrived at the airport with not a moment to spare.
not able to call one's time one's own What does "not able to call one's time one's own" mean?	to be too busy to control one's own schedule	I am not able to call my time my own and I have absolutely no time to relax.
not able to go on What does "not able to go on" mean?	to be unable to continue	I felt that I was not able to go on so I stopped running in the marathon.
not able to see the forest for the trees What does "not able to see the forest for the trees" mean?	to allow the details of a situation to obscure the situation as a whole	The man is not able to see the forest for the trees and always allows his obsession with small details to obscure the larger picture of what he is trying to do.
not all (someone or something) is cracked up to be What does "not all (someone or something) is cracked up to be" mean?	to be not as good as someone or something is said to be	The new cook is not all that he is cracked up to be and we have received several complaints about his food.
not all there What does "not all there" mean?	to be not mentally adequate, to be crazy or silly	The man is not all there and sometimes he does very strange things.
not at all What does "not at all" mean?	certainly not	I am not at all happy with my new computer.
not bat an eye What does "not bat an eye" mean?	to not show any signs of being nervous even when something shocking or bad happens	The policeman did not bat an eye when the criminal began to reach for his knife.
not believe one's eyes What does "not believe one's eyes" mean?	to not believe what one is seeing	I did not believe my eyes when my father gave me a television set for my birthday.
not born yesterday What does "not born yesterday" mean?	to be experienced in the ways of the world	I was not born yesterday and I do not believe what the woman is saying.
not breathe a word about (someone or something) What does "not breathe a word about (someone or something)" mean?	to keep a secret about someone or something	I promised my friend that I would not breathe a word about his plans for the weekend.
not breathe a word of it What does "not breathe a word of it" mean?	to not tell something (to anyone)	I will not breathe a word of it to my friend.
not buy (something) What does "not buy (something)" mean?	to not accept something to be true	I do not buy the excuse that the man does not have enough money to pay for his dinner.
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.
not enough room to swing a cat What does "not enough room to swing a cat" mean?	not very much space	There was not enough room to swing a cat in the small hotel room.
not for a moment What does "not for a moment" mean?	not at all, never	I did not for a moment believe what the man was saying.
not for anything in the world What does "not for anything in the world" mean?	not for anything	I will not for anything in the world go to the restaurant with that woman.
not for hire What does "not for hire" mean?	(a taxi is) not available to take new passengers	The first taxi was not for hire so we had to wait for another one.
not for love nor money What does "not for love nor money" mean?	not for anything	I will not for love nor money agree to work weekends starting next month.
not for publication What does "not for publication" mean?	to be secret, not to be published	The documents from the court trial are not for publication.
not for the world What does "not for the world" mean?	not at any price, not for anything	I would not go on a date with that woman for the world.
not give it another thought What does "not give it another thought" mean?	to not worry/think about something	I did not give it another thought when I agreed to help my friend move from his apartment.
not give (someone) the time of day What does "not give (someone) the time of day" mean?	to dislike someone so strongly that you totally ignore him or her	I dislike her and would not give her the time of day.
not give/care two hoots about (someone or something) What does "not give/care two hoots about (someone or something)" mean?	to not care at all about someone or something	I do not give two hoots about what my neighbor thinks about me.
not half bad What does "not half bad" mean?	to be okay, to be pretty good	The restaurant meal was not half bad and everybody seemed to like it.
not have a leg to stand on What does "not have a leg to stand on" mean?	to have no good proof or excuse for something, to have no good evidence or defence to offer someone	"The company does not have a leg to stand on if they refuse to pay the money that they owe you."
not hold a candle to (someone or something) What does "not hold a candle to (someone or something)" mean?	to not be nearly as good as someone or something	The new secretary does not hold a candle to the one who just quit.
not hold water What does "not hold water" mean?	to be illogical, to make no sense	The excuses of the young man do not hold water.
not hurt a flea What does "not hurt a flea" mean?	to not harm anything or anyone (even a tiny insect)	My mother would not hurt a flea and she is very kind to everyone who she meets.
not in the same league with (someone or something) What does "not in the same league with (someone or something)" mean?	to be not anywhere nearly as good as someone or something	The new coach is not in the same league as the coach who we had last season.
not know enough to come in out of the rain What does "not know enough to come in out of the rain" mean?	to be very stupid	The woman is not very smart and does not know enough to come in out of the rain.
not know one's own strength What does "not know one's own strength" mean?	to not realize how destructive or harmful one's strength can be	The little boy does not know his own strength and does much damage when he plays.
not know (someone) from Adam What does "not know (someone) from Adam" mean?	to not know someone at all	I did not know the man who came to our door from Adam.
not know the first thing about (someone or something) What does "not know the first thing about (someone or something)" mean?	to not know anything about someone or something	I do not know the first thing about carpets so we asked a specialist to repair the carpet in our apartment.
not know where to turn What does "not know where to turn" mean?	to have no idea what to do (about something)	The young woman did not know where to turn when she lost her job.
not know whether/if one is coming or going What does "not know whether/if one is coming or going" mean?	to be very confused	My friend did not know whether he was coming or going after he got off the long airplane flight.
not let (someone) catch you (doing something) What does "not let (someone) catch you (doing something)" mean?	to not let someone find you doing something	"Do not let me catch you doing that again or you will be in trouble," said the mother to her child.
not lift a finger/hand (to help someone) What does "not lift a finger/hand (to help someone)" mean?	to do nothing to help someone	The girl will not lift a finger to help her mother.
not long for this world What does "not long for this world" mean?	to be about to die	My uncle is very sick and is not long for this world.
not made of money What does "not made of money" mean?	to not have a lot of money	My father always says that he is not made of money when I ask him to give me some.
not miss much What does "not miss much" mean?	to not miss observing any part of what is going on	Our teacher does not miss much and we must be very careful how we behave in her class.
not move a muscle What does "not move a muscle" mean?	to remain perfectly motionless	I was told to not move a muscle while the dentist was working on my teeth.
not much of (something) What does "not much of (something)" mean?	to be rather bad, to be not so good	It is not much of a hotel but I think that it will be okay for one night.
not on your life What does "not on your life" mean?	definitely not	"May I borrow your car?"
not one iota What does "not one iota" mean?	not even a tiny bit	There is not one iota of truth in what that man is saying about me.
not one's place What does "not one's place" mean?	not one's role to do something	It is not my place to tell other people what they should do with their free time.
not see past/farther than the end of one's nose What does "not see past/farther than the end of one's nose" mean?	to not care about the future or about what is happening elsewhere or to other people	My friend cannot see farther than the end of her nose and is not interested in the lives of other people.
not set foot (somewhere) What does "not set foot (somewhere)" mean?	to not go somewhere	We did not set foot in the old factory that we passed on our hike.
not show one's face What does "not show one's face" mean?	to not appear	We asked the man to not show his face at our restaurant if he was not going to behave properly.
not sleep a wink What does "not sleep a wink" mean?	to not sleep at all	I am tired today because I could not sleep a wink last night.
not so hot What does "not so hot" mean?	to be not very good	I have been feeling not so hot lately because I had a cold last week.
not (someone's) cup of tea What does "not (someone's) cup of tea" mean?	to be not something that one likes	Classical music is not her cup of tea so she did not go the the concert with the others.
not take no for an answer What does "not take no for an answer" mean?	to not accept someone's refusal	My aunt would not take no for an answer when I said that I would not eat dinner at her house.
not tell a (living) soul What does "not tell a (living) soul" mean?	to not reveal something to anyone	I did not tell a soul about what happened during the fight with my friend.
not touch (something) with a ten-foot pole What does "not touch (something) with a ten-foot pole" mean?	to consider something completely undesirable or uninteresting	That car is dangerous and I would not touch it with a ten-foot pole.
not up to scratch/snuff What does "not up to scratch/snuff" mean?	to be not adequate	My uncle's golf game is not up to scratch and he always gets a bad score.
not with it What does "not with it" mean?	to be not able to think clearly	My grandmother was not with it today and we were not able to have a very good visit.
not worth a dime What does "not worth a dime" mean?	to be worthless	Our old sofa is not worth a dime so we put it in the garbage.
not worth a hill of beans What does "not worth a hill of beans" mean?	to be worthless	Anything that our supervisor says is not worth a hill of beans so nobody trusts him.
not worth a plugged nickel What does "not worth a plugged nickel" mean?	to be worthless	His promise to pay back the money is not worth a plugged nickel.
not worth mentioning What does "not worth mentioning" mean?	to be not important enough to require a comment	The problem that we had with the former manager was not worth mentioning so we did not say anything to anybody.
not worth one's while What does "not worth one's while" mean?	to be not worth bothering with	It is not worth my while to go downtown if it is only to do one small thing.
not worth the trouble What does "not worth the trouble" mean?	to be not important enough to require a comment or to do something	It was not worth the trouble to repair the old stove so we threw it in the garbage.
nothing but skin and bones What does "nothing but skin and bones" mean?	to be very thin or emaciated	The young man was nothing but skin and bones when he returned from the camping trip.
nothing but (something) What does "nothing but (something)" mean?	to be only something	There were nothing but people who played wind instruments at the music camp.
nothing doing What does "nothing doing" mean?	I will not do it, certainly not	"Nothing doing. I am not going to stay and work late again this evening."
nothing down What does "nothing down" mean?	to not require a down payment	The young couple purchased the house with nothing down.

American Idioms and Expressions

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