American Idioms and Expressions

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. .

sucker What does sucker mean?	person who is easily fooled or deceived	There's a sucker born every minute
sucker What does sucker mean?	thing; object; device
sucker What does sucker mean?	trick; con; swindle; deceive	Let's sucker John into this scheme
	Some Random Idioms
put away What does "put away" mean?	to put an animal to death, to kill an animal	We put away our dog because he tried to bite the small girl next door.
take the law into one's own hands What does "take the law into one's own hands" mean?	to act as a judge and jury for someone who has done something wrong	The soldiers took the law into their own hands when they entered the town.
fly by the seat of one`s pants What does "fly by the seat of one`s pants" mean?	to do something by instinct rather than by knowledge or logic	I was forced to fly by the seat of my pants when my computer broke and I had to try and fix it.
have the best of both worlds What does "have the best of both worlds" mean?	be able to enjoy two different opportunities	The man has the best of both worlds and can enjoy the outdoors and nature while he is working at his job.
Fat chance! What does "Fat chance!" mean?	This idiom is a way of telling someone they have no chance.
in the loop What does "in the loop" mean?	idiom. involved; connected; aware of what is going on
freeload What does "freeload" mean?	to accept food and housing at someone else`s expense	The boy was angry at his brother for freeloading and never trying to find a job.
tough What does "tough" mean?	difficult.
Left to your own devices What does "Left to your own devices" mean?	If someone is left to their own devices, they are not controlled and can do what they want.
baptism of fire What does "baptism of fire" mean?	a first experience of something (often difficult or unpleasant)	We went through a baptism of fire when we had to learn how to operate the small business.
go whole hog What does "go whole hog" mean?	to do everything possible, to be extravagant	We went whole hog in our effort to make the convention a success.
float (someone) a loan What does "float (someone) a loan" mean?	to loan someone money	I asked the bank to float me a loan so that I could buy a new car.
go down the tube(s) What does "go down the tube(s)" mean?	faill completely