American Idioms and Expressions

Rake (someone) Over The Coals 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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rake (someone) over the coals
What does rake (someone) over the coals mean?
to scold/reprimand someoneMy boss raked me over the coals when he heard about the lost sales report.

Some Random Idioms
go downhill
What does "go downhill" mean?
to become worse and worseThe local economy has been going downhill for many years.
put the cart before the horse
What does "put the cart before the horse" mean?
to do things in the wrong or usual orderI think that he is putting the cart before the horse to talk about remodeling the house before he even buys it.
Fur coat and no knickers
What does "Fur coat and no knickers" mean?
Someone with airs and graces, but no real class is fur coat and no knickers.
fish for a compliment
What does "fish for a compliment" mean?
to try to get someone to say something nice about you The man is fishing for a compliment about his new Italian suit.

go/turn beet-red
What does "go/turn beet-red" mean?
to become red in the face because you are embarrassedThe girl turned beet-red when her friend asked her about her boyfriend.
come about
What does "come about" mean?
to happen Everybody believes that the plans for the new community center will never come about.

know (something) in one's bones
What does "know (something) in one's bones" mean?
know and sense something, have an intuition about somethingI know it in my bones that I am not going to pass my English exam.
upper hand
What does "upper hand" mean?
controlling power, advantageThe union members have the upper hand in their negotiations with the company.
put down (someone)
What does "put down (someone)" mean?
to criticize someone, to make someone feel badHe is always putting down his girlfriend in front of his friends.
Fair crack of the whip
What does "Fair crack of the whip" mean?
(UK) If everybody has a fair crack of the whip, they all have equal opportunities to do something.

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