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.
.
ready, willing, and able
What does ready, willing, and able mean? | to be eager or willing to do something | Everybody in the small village is ready, willing, and able to help the family who lost their house in the fire.
|
|
Some Random Idioms
| |
get over (something)
What does "get over (something)" mean? | to overcome a difficulty, to recover from an illness or shock |
The woman is having trouble getting over her father`s death.
|
|
| |
on the average
What does "on the average" mean? | generally, usually | On the average I get about eight hours of sleep every night.
|
old boy network
What does "old boy network" mean? | the situation where people (usually men) who went to the same school help each other get good jobs | It was an old law firm and being part of an old boy network was necessary to get a job there.
|
get a fix on (something)
What does "get a fix on (something)" mean? | to receive a reading of a distant object by electronic means |
We were able to get a fix on the island and took the boat safely to the harbor.
|
bargain on (something)
What does "bargain on (something)" mean? | to plan or expect something | We did not bargain on having heavy rain during our summer birthday party.
|
peyote
What does "peyote" mean? | mescaline |
|
cool as a cucumber
What does "cool as a cucumber" mean? | to be very calm and brave, to be not worried or anxious |
The woman was as cool as a cucumber when her canoe turned over in the river.
|
|
| |
Clean as a whistle
What does "Clean as a whistle" mean? | If something is as clean as a whistle, it is extremely clean, spotless. It can also be used to mean 'completely', though this meaning is less common nowadays. If somebody is clean as a whistle, they are not involved in anything illegal. |
|
on approval
What does "on approval" mean? | to buy something with the right to return it | We carefuly looked at the chair which we had bought on approval.
|
laid-back
What does "laid-back" mean? | relaxed, not worried by things | Our teacher has a very laid-back attitude about how long we should spend preparing for our class.
|
walk out on
What does "walk out on" mean? | abandon your partner and end a relationship | abandon your partner and end a relationshipThe man walked out on his wife and their small baby and nobody knew the reason why.
|