olé Idiom
ace in the hole
a hidden strength or talent Sam's ace in the hole is honesty, which his clients soon discover.
bean pole
tall and thin, string bean Carl is a bean pole - tall and skinny - just like his father.
burn a hole in one
money that you want to spend quickly I just got paid today and this money is burning a hole in my pocket.
burn a hole in your pocket
feel that you have to spend your money If money burns a hole in your pocket, invest it.
buttonhole you
stop you and talk to you, corner you and bore you At the meeting, Al buttonholed me and asked me to vote Reform.
cooler heads prevailed
sensible people spoke, violence was avoided There was nearly a riot, but cooler heads prevailed.
don't know your ass from a hole in the ground
you are ignorant, you are mistaken, mixed up He said one member of the cult was so confused he didn't know his ass from a hole in the ground.
don't make a mountain out of a molehill
do not cause a big fuss about a small problem So I scratched the car. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.
go the whole hog
make a thorough job of something They really went the whole hog in their efforts to welcome the foreign visitors.
go whole hog
do something completely or thoroughly They went whole hog in their effort to make sure that the convention was a success.
hole in one (golf)
hit the ball from the tee into the cup in one stroke There's a $50 prize for a hole in one at the Pines Golf Course.
hole in the wall
a small place to live, stay in or work in; small hidden or inferior place We went for a drink at a little hole in the wall near the university last night.
hole up
hide and wait, find a place to stay until it is safe The robbers were holed up in a motel on Hastings Street.
holy Toledo
how exciting, holy Moses, wow Holy Toledo, he has big muscles! They're huge!
in a hole
in some trouble, in an embarrassing or difficult position He is really in a hole now that he has problems both at work and at home.
in the hole
in debt, owing money I think that we are going in the hole in our attempts to make our business prosper.
lock the barn door after the horse is stolen
be careful or try to make something safe when it is too late If you try and prevent a flood after the rains have started it is like locking the barn door after the horse is stolen.
look like he was dragged through a knothole
appear to be very tired, burn out, run down After a divorce and a funeral, Anne looked like she'd been dragged through a knothole.
make a mountain out of a mole hill
make a problem bigger, exaggerate a problem I spent $50, not $500! Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill.
make a mountain out of a molehill
make a big problem out of a small one He is really making a mountain out of a molehill by worrying about his son
no shrinking violet
a bold woman, not a timid woman Barb will defend her rights. She's no shrinking violet.
not touch something with a ten-foot pole
consider something completely undesirable or uninteresting That class may be alright but because I hate the professor I wouldn
on parole
still supervised, not free of prison He's on parole now. He can leave the prison duing the day.
on the dole
receiving welfare The area is very poor and there are many people on the dole.
on the whole
in general On the whole I think it is a good idea but I would still like to study it further.
pick holes in
criticize, look for errors or faults, nitpick Grant won't show you his work because you pick holes in it.
pimple pole
youth with pimples, teenager with zits Hey, pimple pole! You left your locker door open.
rigmarole
(See what a rigmarole)
shrinking violet
(See no shrinking violet)
shuck on down to the fraidy hole
go to the cellar for shelter from a cyclone or tornado, hide when you are afraid When my uncle saw the sky turn black in the afternoon, he would shuck on down to the fraidy hole.
square peg in a round hole
a person who does not fit into a job or position He is like a square peg in a round hole trying to do the job of an accountant.
the whole ball of wax
all related things, all that jazz, the whole nine yards Being in love means commitment, sacrifice, patience, understanding - the whole ball of wax.
the whole caboodle
(See kit and caboodle)
the whole nine yards
including all the work, doing the whole job, the whole ball of wax My goals include a degree, career, marriage, children - the whole nine yards.
the whole shebang
everything, every bit/piece/person When the cable broke, the whole shebang fell in the river.
the whole shooting match
everything, every bit/piece/person Wagon, horses, load - the whole shootin' match disappeared.
the whole works
the whole building, all the equipment, everything The warehouse and stock - the whole works burned in the fire.
touch it with a ten-foot pole
reply, answer, comment on it, beat around the bush If anyone in your audience asks a question about religion, don't touch it with a ten-foot pole.
two pee holes in the snow
small holes, tiny holes He looks very tired. His eyes are like two pee holes in the snow.
water-cooler talk
office news, gossip I believe water-cooler talk - unless it's about me.
watering hole
bar, pub, licensed premises The St. Louis Hotel is Ralph's favorite watering hole.
what a rigmarole
what a process, what a a hassle To get a refund, I had to answer 50 questions. What a rigmarole!
whole hog
every effort, all your energy, gung ho When I play racquetball, I work hard. I go whole hog.
whole shebang
(See the whole shebang)
whole shooting match
(See the whole shooting match)
arse-hole
1. (derog) British slang for an idiot, contemptible person
2. the anus
arseholed
very drunk
big ole' six
Crips and GD's (gangs)"Watch out for him; he's a big ole' six"
cake-hole
the mouth:"Shut your cake-hole"
dole
a paper towel roll stuffed with dryer sheets to dissipate marijuana smoke:"I got the dole if you got the bowl"
