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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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.
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Some Random Idioms
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stick to one's guns
What does "stick to one's guns" mean? | to defend an action or opinion despite an unfavorable reaction | We stuck to our guns during the meeting and asked for more time to consider the proposal.
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(to be) under a cloud (of suspicion)
What does "(to be) under a cloud (of suspicion)" mean? | to be suspected of doing something wrong or illegal | The manager of the coffee shop was fired from her job under a cloud of suspicion.
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far from it
What does "far from it" mean? | not at all | "Far from it," I answered when the supervisor asked me if I was finished my work.
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lesser of the two
What does "lesser of the two" mean? | the smaller of two things, the one with the least amount | I ordered the food and when the two plates arrived I took the lesser of the two.
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back of beyond
What does "back of beyond" mean? | remote, isolated area (often far from even a small town) |
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take one's eye off the ball
What does "take one's eye off the ball" mean? | fail to keep one's attention focused on the ball or the matter
at hand | fail to keep one's attention focused on the ball or the matter at handHe took his eye off the ball for only a second and the other team quickly scored a goal.
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zero in on
What does "zero in on" mean? | give one`s full attention to | We zeroed in on the problem of what to do with the excess space in our office.
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fat is in the fire
What does "fat is in the fire" mean? | something unwise has been said or done which may cause problems or trouble | The woman said that her colleague was stealing office materials. Now, the fat is in the fire and a serious problem may be developing.
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at sea (about something)
What does "at sea (about something)" mean? | to be confused, to be lost | Most of the class was at sea when the difficult theory was explained.
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Send someone packing
What does "Send someone packing" mean? | If you send someone packing, you send them away, normally when they want something from you. |
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cover ground
What does "cover ground" mean? | to talk about the important facts and details of something | The number of questions seemed endless and we were unable to cover much ground during the meeting.
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bare bones (of something)
What does "bare bones (of something)" mean? | the most basic and important parts of something | The company had to restructure and most services were cut to the bare bones of the operation.
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give out (a sound)
What does "give out (a sound)" mean? | to utter a sound | The girl gave out a loud scream when she saw the spider.
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