ou Idiom
a bad taste in my mouth
a feeling that something is false or unfair, a feeling of ill will I left the meeting with a bad taste in my mouth. There was a lot of dishonesty in the room.
a bawling out
a scolding, a lecture, an earful, catch it When I forgot to do my chores Dad gave me a bawling out.
a blackout (TV)
refusal to broadcast an event during that event A blackout is intended to encourage fans to attend an event.
a blackout (war)
a policy that requires lights to be turned off Blackouts prevented bombers from seeing their targets at night.
a blowout
to win by a large score, no contest """Did the Flames win?"" ""Ya, 11-2. It was a blowout."""
a contract out on
a contract that pays to have someone killed There's a contract out on Mike. The boss doesn't like him.
a crash course
a short course that has the main facts and skills He took a crash course in cooking and bought a cafe.
a double-edged sword
a device that can help you and hurt you Truth is a double-edged sword. It can imprison me or set me free.
a falling out
a disagreement, a break in friendship Guy and Jean had a falling out. They argued about religion.
a feather in your cap
an honor, a credit to you, chalk one up for you Because you are Karen's teacher, her award is a feather in your cap.
a full house (cards)
a pair plus three of a kind, e.g., 2 kings and 3 aces In our last game of poker, you dealt me a full house.
a handout
free food or money, freeload I'm not asking for a handout. I'll pay you back when I find work.
a household name
"a name everyone knows; name of a famous person" Mario Lemieux, the hockey star, soon became a household name.
a penny for your thoughts
tell me what you are thinking about "When I'm quiet, she will say, ""A penny for your thoughts."""
a picture is worth a thousand words
a picture is easier to understand than a report or essay Instead of more talk, I'll draw thousand words a diagram. A picture is worth a thousand words.
a rough time
a lot of teasing, a lot of bugging Did your friends give you a rough time about your funny haircut?
a rough time of it
a time of stress or bad luck, a tough time of it After the divorce he had a rough time of it.
a run for your money
strong competition, an opponent I should enter the election and give him a run for his money.
a soft touch
a person who will not refuse, an easy mark Barry's a soft touch. Let's ask him for a loan.
a touch of
a little illness, minor symptoms Mary's not feeling well today. She has a touch of the flu.
a tough act to follow
a performance that is not easy to equal Gail danced very well. That is a tough act to follow.
a tough call
a difficult decision, a hard choice Was the goal scored before the game ended? It's a tough call.
a tough row to hoe
(See a hard row to hoe)
a tough time of it
a time of stress or bad luck, a rough time of it When Bev left home she had a tough time of it. She had no job.
a wash-out
a failure, a lost cause No one attended the concert. It was a wash-out.
about time
nearly late, high time It's about time you got here. We've been waiting a long time.
about to do something
on the point of doing something She was about to leave when the phone rang.
act out
explain by movement and gestures Watch - I'll act out the meaning of pacifist.
actions speak louder than words
people judge by actions more than words, practice what you preach Parents should remember that actions speak louder than words. Kids imitate their parents.
all decked out
(See deck out)
all get-out
(See as all get-out)
all-out
all your effort, go all-out We looked day and night for the lost girl. It was an all-out effort.
all over but the shouting
(See it's all over but the shouting)
all your eggs in one basket
depending on one plan or one investment, hedge your bets If you invest all your money in one hotel, you'll have all your eggs in one basket.
an ace up your sleeve
an important card to play, an important fact to reveal To survive, one needs an ace up one's sleeve - a special talent.
an offer I couldn't refuse
an offer that contains a threat or force, a request that is a command The border guards invited me to stay for further questioning - it was an offer I couldn't refuse.
an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
prevent a problem so you don't have to solve it, a stitch in time... Forest fires deserve an ounce of prevention: public education in campfire safety.
anchor you
make you feel stable or confident When you have a crisis, your faith will anchor you.
another nail in your coffin
"another cigarette; harmful substance" Every cigarette he smoked was another nail in his coffin.
any way you slice it
(See no matter how you slice it)
around the bend
crazy or insane, off your rocker If I had to listen to that noise all the time, I'd go around the bend.
around the clock
twenty-four hours, 'round the clock Julie worked around the clock to finish her sewing project.
as all get-out
very much, a lot, like crazy, to the max Tracy is not only beautiful. She's as talented as all get-out.
as luck would have it
as luck is sometimes good and sometimes bad By the time we arrived, as luck would have it, the fight was over.
as poor as a church mouse
very poor, having little, the wolf is at the door How can they refuse to help her? She's as poor as a church mouse.
ask for trouble
behave in a way that trouble is likely He is asking for trouble if he misses another class.
at the eleventh hour
" at the last minute; almost too late. "
at your beck and call
serving you, doing everything for you You don't have to be at his beck and call, doing whatever he asks.
at your fingertips
easy to find, ready to use When I repair a car, I like to have all my tools at my fingertips.
away out
(See way out)
