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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up in the air (about something)
What does up in the air (about something) mean? | not settled, undecided | Whether or not I will be able to go to London is still up in the air.
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Some Random Idioms
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dosh
What does "dosh" mean? | money; cash |
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pouring rain
What does "pouring rain" mean? | very heavy rain | I went outside in the pouring rain and became very wet.
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arrive on the scene
What does "arrive on the scene" mean? | to appear in a certain place | When the fire department arrived on the scene the fire was almost out.
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at the crack of dawn
What does "at the crack of dawn" mean? | when the first light of the day appears | We left for our holiday at the crack of dawn.
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have (someone's) hide
What does "have (someone's) hide" mean? | scold or punish someone (a hide is the skin of an animal) | The woman promised to have the little boy's hide if he didn't behave well.
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plow into (someone or something)
What does "plow into (someone or something)" mean? | to crash into someone or something with force | The truck plowed into the group of people waiting for the bus.
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inch by inch
What does "inch by inch" mean? | little by little, one inch at a time | I checked the park inch by inch to try and find my watch.
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Hell's half acre
What does "Hell's half acre" mean? | A long and frustrating trip. | I looked all over hell's half acre trying to find a left handed monkey wrench.
Hell's half acre is a lava flow about 15 miles west of Idaho Falls, Idaho. It is 4.5 miles of rough, irregular terrain that is very difficult to navigate. It is so named because its cracks, holes, and crags give the area an otherworldly, surreal, and perhaps hellish appearance. A search of Hell's half acre would indeed be a long and difficult task.
Many of the scenes in the 1997 film "Starship Troopers" (based on Robert Heinlein's novel of the same name) in which the characters were on an alien planet, were filmed at Hell's half acre. |
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clam up
What does "clam up" mean? | to stop talking | The girl clammed up when her boyfriend entered the room.
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Under the weather
What does "Under the weather" mean? | To be ill. | I'd love to help you move all your furniture next weekend, but I expect to be feeling a bit under the weather.
Passengers aboard ships become seasick most frequently during times of rough seas and bad weather. Seasickness is caused by the constant rocking motion of the ship. Sick passengers go below deck, which provides shelter from the weather, but just as importantly the sway is not as great below deck, low on the ship.
On a ship the greatest swaying action is on deck, and the most stable point is down near the keel. Hence seasick passengers tend to feel better below deck. |
in black and white
What does "in black and white" mean? | in writing | I want to get the information in black and white before I go to the meeting.
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by the dozen
What does "by the dozen" mean? | twelve at a time | We usually buy bottles of water by the dozen.
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have a crush on (someone)
What does "have a crush on (someone)" mean? | to be attracted to someone | The girl has a crush on someone at her university.
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bear with (someone or something)
What does "bear with (someone or something)" mean? | to be patient with someone or something, to endure someone or something | We had to bear with our teacher as she explained the material to the new students.
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