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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time and time again
What does time and time again mean? | repeatedly, over and over | The teacher told the students time and time again that they must do their homework.
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time and time again
What does time and time again mean? | repeatedly, over and over |
The teacher told the students time and time again that they must do their homework.
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Some Random Idioms
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Wheels fall off
What does "Wheels fall off" mean? | When the wheels fall off something, it goes wrong or fails.
('Wheels come off' is an alternative.) |
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swelled head
What does "swelled head" mean? | a feeling that one is very important or more important than one really is | My sister has had a swelled head since she got her new job.
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a breach of promise
What does "a breach of promise" mean? | the breaking of a promise which may also be a breach of contract | The couple was accused of breach of promise when they broke the contract to buy the condominium.
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out of style/fashion
What does "out of style/fashion" mean? | to be not fashionable, to be obsolete | The kind of jeans that my friend wears have been out of style for a long time now.
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done to a T/turn
What does "done to a T/turn" mean? | to be cooked just right (just as one would cook a steak perfectly) | The steaks were done to a T when my friend cooked them on the barbecue.
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big stink
What does "big stink" mean? | a scandal; a major issue. | Don't make a big stink out of such a small problem.
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Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
What does "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth" mean? | Do not be critical of a gift. | Okay, so the '72 Gremlin grandma gave you is not your idea of a babe magnet, but it was free - so don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Horses have gum lines that recede with age. Hence older horses have longer teeth than young horses.
To "look a horse in the mouth" is to examine the horse's mouth closely to determine its age (and therefore its usefulness and/or worth). To immediately judge a gift based on its worth or usefulness rather than the "thought" behind it considered rude, and ungrateful (it is a gift after all, and didn't cost the receiver anything).
The phrase is apparently quite old, a Latin version of it appeared in a work by St. Jerome in 420 AD, and it also exists in many languages. An Early english version (1510 AD) appears in John Standbridge's "Vulgari Standbrigi": "A gyuen hors may not (be) loked in the tethe." |
in turn
What does "in turn" mean? | each following another | We went up to the front of the class in turn in order to pick up our diplomas.
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PTO
What does "PTO" mean? | Please Turn Over - written on a piece of paper to tell someone
to look at the other side | Please Turn Over - written on a piece of paper to tell someone to look at the other sideI wrote PTO on the last page of my essay to make sure that the professor would look at the last page.
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bring up
What does "bring up" mean? | to raise or care for a child | My sister is bringing up three children.
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