One In A Thousand 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. .

one in a thousand What does one in a thousand mean?	one out of one thousand	The chance of getting the job is about one in a thousand.
one in a thousand What does one in a thousand mean?	one out of one thousand	The chance of getting the job is about one in a thousand.
	Some Random Idioms
do lunch What does "do lunch" mean?	eat lunch with another person.	Let's do lunch sometime. It'll be fun.

lay a guilt trip on What does "lay a guilt trip on" mean?	berate; criticize (somebody)
take (someone) under one's wings What does "take (someone) under one's wings" mean?	to begin to look after and care for a person	The teacher took the young boy under her wings when he first came to the school.
Hang it! What does "Hang it!" mean?	a rather old expression used to express annoyance or disappointment	"Hang it", the man said when he hit his finger with the hammer.
cut out to be (something) What does "cut out to be (something)" mean?	to have the ability or interest or qualifications to be something	The man is not cut out to be a salesman.
learn the ropes What does "learn the ropes" mean?	learn how to do a job	He is a new employee and is still learning the ropes.
put (something) on the back burner What does "put (something) on the back burner" mean?	to delay or postpone something	We have put our plans for a holiday on the back burner as we try to do some repairs to our house.
make hay while the sun shines What does "make hay while the sun shines" mean?	do something at the right time, take advantage of an opportunity	You should make hay while the sun shines and paint the house while the weather is good.
What one doesn't know won't hurt one. What does "What one doesn't know won't hurt one." mean?	something that you don't know won't worry or harm you	What she doesn't know won't hurt her and we don't need to tell her about the broken dishes.
jolt to a stop What does "jolt to a stop" mean?	stop moving suddenly which causes a jolt	The train jolted to a stop when the engineer put the brakes on.
Living hand to mouth What does "Living hand to mouth" mean?	To be poor, to have difficulty supporting yourself.	Most people who marry young start out living hand to mouth. During the Great Depression and other times of economic scarcity, people often did not know when or where the next meal was coming from. In such a case, when you get something in your hand that can be eaten, it goes into the mouth immediately: ergo "hand to mouth."
shoot the breeze/bull What does "shoot the breeze/bull" mean?	to talk idly	I met my friend at the supermarket and we decided to shoot the breeze for a few minutes.

American Idioms and Expressions

One In A Thousand Idiom