What Makes (someone) Tick Idiom American Expressions and American Idioms - What does What Makes (someone) Tick Idiom mean?

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. .

what makes (someone) tick What does what makes (someone) tick mean?	what motivates or makes someone behave in a certain way	I really don't know what makes that woman tick. She is very strange.
	Some Random Idioms
(one's) back is against the wall What does "(one's) back is against the wall" mean?	one is in a very difficult position	The man's back was against the wall and there was nothing that he could do to change the situation.
toe the line/mark What does "toe the line/mark" mean?	to obey the rules and do what one is expected to do	The children were forced to toe the line when the new teacher arrived.
able to (do something) with one's eyes closed/shut What does "able to (do something) with one's eyes closed/shut" mean?	to be able to do something very easily	The car mechanic was able to fix my car with his eyes closed.
bite off more than one can chew What does "bite off more than one can chew" mean?	to try to do or eat more than you can manage	I bit off more than I can chew when I began to work in the evening.
do a land-office business What does "do a land-office business" mean?	to do much business in a short time	The children are doing a land-office business by selling the cold drinks next to the stadium.
have an edge on/over (someone or something) What does "have an edge on/over (someone or something)" mean?	have an advantage over someone or something	Our team has an edge over the other teams to win the high school football championship.
the exception that proves the rule What does "the exception that proves the rule" mean?	an exception to a rule proves that the rule exists	The salesman is very quiet and shy and he is the exception that proves the rule in his company. Everybody else is very talkative.

come back (into fashion) What does "come back (into fashion)" mean?	to become popular again	Recently bell-bottom pants have come back into fashion.
a millstone around (someone's) neck What does "a millstone around (someone's) neck" mean?	a burden or handicap for someone	My parents' condominium is a millstone around their neck and they want to sell it.
con (someone) out of (something) What does "con (someone) out of (something)" mean?	to trick someone to give you money or something valuable	The man on the street corner tried to con the woman out of some money.

American Idioms and Expressions

What Makes (someone) Tick Idiom