American Idioms and Expressions

Rub Someone The Wrong Way 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. .

rub someone the wrong way What does rub someone the wrong way mean?	irritate someone; bother or annoy someone.	"All my little brother says is 'Why?' Usually I'mpatient with him,but sometimes all his questions rub me the wrong way."
rub (someone) the wrong way What does rub (someone) the wrong way mean?	to irritate someone (just as you would irritate a dog or cat if you rub their fur the wrong way)	The woman who I work with rubs me the wrong way.
rub (someone) the wrong way What does rub (someone) the wrong way mean?	to irritate others with something that one says or does, to make someone dislike you	The woman's rude behavior always rubs me the wrong way.
	Some Random Idioms
turn to (someone or something) What does "turn to (someone or something)" mean?	to go to someone or something for help	We turned to my wife`s parents for advice about buying a house.

serve as a guinea pig What does "serve as a guinea pig" mean?	to allow some kind of test to be performed on someone	The students served as a guinea pig for the school board's plan to change the school curriculum.
assault the ears What does "assault the ears" mean?	to be very loud or persistent	The music was very loud and it assaulted my ears.
right as rain What does "right as rain" mean?	to be correct, to be genuine	The figures that I gave to my supervisor are as right as rain.
like a bump on a log What does "like a bump on a log" mean?	unresponsive	The boy spent the morning at home like a bump on a log.
above board What does "above board" mean?	honest, not secret (originally players showed their honesty by keeping their hands above the board when playing a game)	honest, not secret (originally players showed their honesty by keeping their hands above the board when playing a game)The real estate agent was always above board when dealing with people who were trying to buy a house.
serve (someone) right What does "serve (someone) right" mean?	to get the punishment or results that one deserves	My friend never studies at all so it serves him right to fail his exam.
fly in the face of (someone or something) What does "fly in the face of (someone or something)" mean?	to disregard/defy someone or something	The complaints of the woman were beginning to fly in the face of a reasonable conversation.

a cat in gloves catches no mice What does "a cat in gloves catches no mice" mean?	if you are too careful and polite you may not get what you want	A cat in gloves catches no mice and I advised my friend that he should be more aggressive at work or he will not be successful. catch
ship shape What does "ship shape" mean?	in good condition; functioning well
cut short (something) or cut (something) short What does "cut short (something) or cut (something) short" mean?	to make something shorter, to interrupt something	The man had to cut short his speech. We decided to cut short our holidays and come home early.
take the wind out of someone's sails What does "take the wind out of someone's sails" mean?	to challenge someone's boasting or arrogance	It took the wind out of the man's sails when he lost his job.
room and board What does "room and board" mean?	food to eat and a place to live	The young man received room and board as part of his salary at the restaurant.

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