American Idioms and Expressions

Tail Wagging The Dog 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. .

tail wagging the dog What does tail wagging the dog mean?	a situation where a small part controls the whole thing	It is like the tail wagging the dog when the receptionist is able to control everything in the office.
tail wagging the dog What does tail wagging the dog mean?	a situation where a small part of something controls the larger part	The tail is wagging the dog and the receptionist controls everything in the office. take Idioms
	Some Random Idioms
at face value What does "at face value" mean?	from outward appearances	The antique table is worth very little money at face value.

ebb and flow What does "ebb and flow" mean?	the decrease and increase of something like the tide	The ebb and flow of the singer's popularity was always a topic of conversation.
cheat on (someone) What does "cheat on (someone)" mean?	to be unfaithful to someone	The man began cheating on his wife which was the cause of their divorce.
Cross that bridge when you come to it What does "Cross that bridge when you come to it" mean?	If you will cross that bridge when you come to it, you will deal with a problem when it arises, but not until that point
go hand in hand (with something) What does "go hand in hand (with something)" mean?	to be closely related and must be considered together	The change in school hours goes hand in hand with the new policy of decreasing class sizes.

bugger about What does "bugger about" mean?	behave carelessly or dumbly.	Stop buggering about and get to work.
know where all the bodies are buried What does "know where all the bodies are buried" mean?	to know all the important details and secrets about something	Our new boss knows where all the bodies are buried in our company and knows how to keep a secret.
knock (someone's) block off What does "knock (someone's) block off" mean?	to strike someone hard in the head	The young boy said that he was going to knock his friend's block off.
Newfangled What does "Newfangled" mean?	People who don't like new methods, technologies, etc, describe them as newfangled, which means new but not as good or nice as the old ones.

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