On Guard Idiom 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. .

on guard What does on guard mean?	to be careful/wary	He has been on guard since he was robbed last month.
on guard What does on guard mean?	careful or wary	The store owner has been on guard since he was robbed last month.
	Some Random Idioms
work like a dog What does "work like a dog" mean?	to work very hard	The boy worked like a dog on his school project.

put (someone) on hold What does "put (someone) on hold" mean?	to leave someone waiting during a telephone call	I phoned the bank and the receptionist put me on hold.
take effect What does "take effect" mean?	a law or rule becomes effective or in use	There is a new law related to Internet advertising that will soon take effect.
like shooting fish in a barrel What does "like shooting fish in a barrel" mean?	one side in a competition is so weak that they have no chance at all of winning	The contest was like shooting fish in a barrel. It was very easy to win.
Nip it in the bud What does "Nip it in the bud" mean?	If you nip something in the bud, you deal with a problem when it is still small, before it can grow into something serious.
thin on top What does "thin on top" mean?	to be balding	The manager of our apartment building is a little thin on top.
by all accounts What does "by all accounts" mean?	from all reports, from what everyone is saying	By all accounts the new manager is a very good person.

A chain is no stronger than its weakest link What does "A chain is no stronger than its weakest link" mean?	This means that processes, organisations, etc, are vulnerable because the weakest person or part can always damage or break them.
Put you in the picture What does "Put you in the picture" mean?	If you put someone in the picture, you tell them the information they need to know about something.
ball is in (someone's) court What does "ball is in (someone's) court" mean?	it is the decision of another person/group to do something	The ball was in the union's court after the company made their final offer.
not enough room to swing a cat What does "not enough room to swing a cat" mean?	idiom. very little space to move around
three R's What does "three R's" mean?	the three basic skills for a basic education (reading, (w)riting, and (a)rithmetic)	My father studied in a small country school where they studied the three R's.

American Idioms and Expressions

On Guard Idiom