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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you can lead a horse to water (but you can't make it drink)
What does you can lead a horse to water (but you can't make it drink) mean? | you can give someone the opportunity to do something but you cannot force him or her to do it if they do not want to | You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink and no matter how hard we try to help my cousin get a job he will not make any effort when we introduce him to someone who knows about a job.
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Some Random Idioms
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make a bed
What does "make a bed" mean? | arrange the sheets and blankets of a bed neatly | My mother always told me to make my bed when I was a child.
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lend (someone) a hand
What does "lend (someone) a hand" mean? | to help someone with something | I will ask my friend to lend me a hand when I move.
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Come to bear
What does "Come to bear" mean? | If something comes to bear on you, you start to feel the pressure or effect of it. |
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teething problems
What does "teething problems" mean? | difficulties and problems experienced in the early stages of a project/activity | The project has many teething problems that we must deal with.
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in the running
What does "in the running" mean? | to be a candidate (from horse racing when two horses are running evenly) | to be a candidate (from horse racing when two horses are running evenly)The lawyer is in the running for a job on the city school board.
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chown down
What does "chown down" mean? | eat; have a meal |
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Pop your clogs
What does "Pop your clogs" mean? | When someone pops their clogs, they die. |
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(live) hand-to-mouth
What does "(live) hand-to-mouth" mean? | have only enough money for basic living | He was living a hand-to-mouth existence until he was finally able to find a job.
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make a meal of (something)
What does "make a meal of (something)" mean? | to eat enough/much of one kind of food for one meal | We made a meal of the fish that we caught in the lake.
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Belt and suspenders
What does "Belt and suspenders" mean? | Someone who wears belt and suspenders is very cautious and takes no risks. |
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break down
What does "break down" mean? | to lose control of one's emotions | The woman broke down while the lawyer questioned her at the trial.
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Throw your toys out of the pram
What does "Throw your toys out of the pram" mean? | To make an angry protest against a relatively minor problem, in the process embarrassing the protester. The analogy is with a baby who throws toys out of the pram in order to get their parent to pay attention to them. The implication in the idiom is that the protester is acting like a baby. |
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armed and dangerous
What does "armed and dangerous" mean? | to have a weapon that may be used (usually by a suspected criminal) | The criminal was armed and dangerous when the police arrested him.
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make a great show of (something)
What does "make a great show of (something)" mean? | do something in a showy fashion | The woman made a great show of telling everybody about her new and rich boyfriend.
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