American Idioms and Expressions

Waste Ones Breath 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. .

waste one's breath What does waste one's breath mean?	to waste one's time talking, to talk in vain	I am wasting my breath to ask my parents to use the car this weekend.
	Some Random Idioms
pass oneself off as (someone or something) else What does "pass oneself off as (someone or something) else" mean?	to claim to be someone one is not, to pretend to be someone else	My friend passed himself off as a reporter and was able to get into the concert free.
el cheapo What does "el cheapo" mean?	cheapest one, choice, or option
tell (someone) a thing or two What does "tell (someone) a thing or two" mean?	to scold someone, to express one's anger to someone	The woman became angry and decided to tell her neighbor a thing or two.
too many irons in the fire What does "too many irons in the fire" mean?	to have too many things that you are trying to do	My friend has too many irons in the fire at the moment and has no time for other things.
not for hire What does "not for hire" mean?	(a taxi is) not available to take new passengers	The first taxi was not for hire so we had to wait for another one.
whip up What does "whip up" mean?	make active, stir to action	The union leader whipped up the crowd with his speech.

To all intents and purposes What does "To all intents and purposes" mean?	This means in all the most important ways.
turn a blind eye to (someone or something) What does "turn a blind eye to (someone or something)" mean?	to ignore someone or something troublesome and pretend not to see it	Our teacher sometimes turns a blind eye to the bad behavior of the students in her class.
you can't make an omelette without breaking the eggs What does "you can't make an omelette without breaking the eggs" mean?	you cannot do something without causing some problems or having some effects	"You can't make an omelette without breaking the eggs and if you want to change the work schedules, then you are going to cause problems." f
go off half-cocked What does "go off half-cocked" mean?	to act or speak without thinking	Our boss often goes off half-cocked when he is at a meeting.
in the twinkling of an eye What does "in the twinkling of an eye" mean?	very quickly	In the twinkling of an eye the little boy disappeared in the department store.

Search

Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional

Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional