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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send (someone) about his or her business
What does send (someone) about his or her business mean? | to send someone away (in an unfriendly manner) | I sent the man about his business when he interrupted my work last evening.
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Some Random Idioms
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Drag your feet
What does "Drag your feet" mean? | If someone is dragging their feet, they are taking too long to do or finish something, usually because they don't want to do it. |
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until hell freezes over
What does "until hell freezes over" mean? | forever. | "Chris can practice the piano until hell freezesover, but he'll never playwell because he's tone-deaf."
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hustle
What does "hustle" mean? | plan for making money (usually through deception) |
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take (something) at face value
What does "take (something) at face value" mean? | to accept something as the truth and with no hidden meaning | I was forced to take what my boss said at face value.
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step down from (a job/position)
What does "step down from (a job/position)" mean? | to leave an important position | My father recently stepped down from his job as president of his company.
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precious few/little
What does "precious few/little" mean? | very few, very little | I had precious little time to prepare for my final exam.
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clean out (someone) or clean (someone) out
What does "clean out (someone) or clean (someone) out" mean? | to rob someone of almost everything, to steal almost everything from someone |
The robber enterd the store at night and cleaned out the owners.
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Make a mint
What does "Make a mint" mean? | If someone is making a mint, they are making a lot of money. |
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get (someone's) back up
What does "get (someone's) back up" mean? | to make someone become angry |
I got my friend's back up when I asked to borrow her notes from school.
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all right
What does "all right" mean? | okay, satisfactory | She said that it would be all right for me to bring my friend to the party.
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tongue in cheek
What does "tongue in cheek" mean? | jokingly, insincerely, mockingly, not really meaning something | The remark was made tongue in cheek and the man did not mean it.
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gravy train
What does "gravy train" mean? | a job or some work that pays more than it is worth |
The job was a gravy train and I earned much money there.
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