The Powers That Be Idiom American Expressions and American Idioms

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. .

the powers that be What does the powers that be mean?	the people who are in authority	The powers that be have decided that the summer festival will not be held this year.
	Some Random Idioms
Knock something on the head What does "Knock something on the head" mean?	If you knock something on the head, you stop it or stop doing it.

put on the feed bag What does "put on the feed bag" mean?	to eat a meal (like a horse would)	We put on the feed bag immediately after we got home.
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.
for all practical purposes What does "for all practical purposes" mean?	for what might be reasonably expected	For all practical purposes, our car was no longer suitable for our large family.
Take the flak What does "Take the flak" mean?	If you take the flak, you are strongly criticised for something.('Take flak' is also used.)
keep one`s nose to the grindstone What does "keep one`s nose to the grindstone" mean?	to continue to work hard at something, to continue to keep busy at something	My friend is keeping his nose to the grindstone in order to save enough money to buy a new car.
can't stomach (someone or something) What does "can't stomach (someone or something)" mean?	to dislike or hate someone or something	I can't stomach the idea of meeting my old girlfriend.
AOK What does "AOK" mean?	great, doing well	great, doing wellHe said that he was feeling AOK even after the truck had hit him.
chotchke What does "chotchke" mean?	small item; trinket
have ants in one`s pants What does "have ants in one`s pants" mean?	to be nervous and restless	The teacher asked the little boy if he had ants in his pants when he kept moving around in his seat.
saving grace What does "saving grace" mean?	something that saves someone or something that would otherwise be a total disaster	The man's saving grace was his mathematical ability. His other personality traits were very strange.

American Idioms and Expressions

The Powers That Be Idiom