Meaning: aalto

n.
Finnish architect and designer of furniture (1898-1976)

alt Idiom, Proverb

a clean bill of health

a good report from the doctor, a good checkup You'll never get a clean bill of health if you eat fat meat!

a grain of salt

(See take it with a grain of salt)

a pinch of salt

a bit of salt, the salt held between thumb and finger Hector uses a pinch of salt when he makes chocolate fudge.

back to the salt mines

back to work, humorous expression to express going back to unpleasant work Well, lunch is over so let

clean bill of health

(See a clean bill of health)

grain of salt

(See take it with a grain of salt)

grind to a halt

slow down and stop (like a machine when it is turned off) The city ground to a halt when the power went off for five hours.

grinding halt

unplanned stop, forced stop When Andy lost his job, their marriage came to a grinding halt.

health nut

a person who eats health foods and does exercises to become healthy Gary is a health nut. He eats fruit and granola, and jogs five to ten kilometers every day.

kill a penalty (hockey)

prevent a goal while your player has a penalty Team Canada killed a penalty near the end of the game.

look the picture of health

be in good health My uncle was looking the picture of health when I saw him last week.

pay the penalty

pay a fine, endure, receive punishment He paid the penalty for his laziness: failure.

pinch of salt

(See a pinch of salt)

rub salt in the wound

cause it to be worse, aggravate, add insult to injury If you criticize a student's work in front of the class, you are rubbing salt in the wound.

salt away

save money She has salted away a few thousand dollars from her new job.

salt of the earth

"common people; honest, hard-working people" The Swensons are plain, decent people - salt of the earth, eh.

take it with a grain of salt

do not believe all of it, some of it is not true When Brian talks, take it with a grain of salt. Believe very little.

take something with a grain of salt

not take seriously something someone has said You can take everything that he says with a grain of salt.

take with a grain of salt

accept or believe only part of something You should take everything that he says with a grain of salt as everyone knows that he likes to exaggerate things when he is speaking.

the picture of health

looking very healthy, fit as a fiddle Rick looks very well these days. He's the picture of health.

alt

Australian slang for a follower of an alternative lifestyle

salt

see throw salt on my game and salt your game

salt your game

to interfere in another person's planned seduction

throw salt on my game

to interfere with my plans (or to mess up my scheme)

with a grain of salt

with reserve or doubt半信半疑；可疑
You'll have to take what he says with a grain of salt．他说的话你不可全信。
with a heavy hand oppressively压制；苛刻；用高压手段
He ruled his household with a heavy hand．他在家里太专横了。

with a grain/pinch of salt

with a pinch of salt

worth one's salt

capable；talented 有能力的；有才干的
The work he did really showed that he was worth his salt．他所做的工作的确表明他是位很能干的

take sth with a pinch of salt

Idiom(s): take something with a pinch of salt AND take something with a grain of salt

Theme: DISBELIEF

to listen to a story or an explanation with considerable doubt.
• You must take anything she says with a grain of salt. She doesn't always tell the truth.
• They took my explanation with a pinch of salt. I was sure they didn't believe me.

salt sth away

Idiom(s): salt sth away

Theme: STORAGE

to store or save something. (Originally referred to preserving food and storing it.)
• Mary salted some extra candy away for use during the holidays.
• I salted away about $1,000 when I worked as a clerk in the grocery store.

in the best of health

Idiom(s): in the best of health

Theme: HEALTH - GOOD

very healthy.
• Bill is in the best of health. He eats well and exercises.
• I haven't been in the best of health. I think I have the flu.

in the altogether

Idiom(s): in the altogether AND in the buff; in the raw

Theme: Nakedness

naked; nude. (Informal. In can be replaced with into.)
• We often went swimming in the altogether down at the creek.
• The museum has a painting of some ladies in the buff.
• Mary felt a little shy about getting into the altogether.
• Bill says he sleeps in the raw.

give sb a clean bill of health

Idiom(s): give sb a clean bill of health

Theme: MEDICAL

[for a doctor] to pronounce someone well and healthy.
• The doctor gave Sally a clean bill of health.
• I had hoped to be given a clean bill of health, but there was something wrong with my blood test results.

get a clean bill of health

Idiom(s): get a clean bill of health

Theme: MEDICAL

[for someone] to be pronounced healthy by a physician.
• Sally got a clean bill of health from the doctor.
• Now that Sally has a clean bill of health, she can go back to work.

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy,

Idiom(s): Early to bed, early to rise(, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.)

Theme: EARLY

A proverb that claims that going to bed early and getting up early is good for you. (Sometimes said to explain why a person is going to bed early. The last part of the saying is sometimes left out.)
• Tom left the party at ten o'clock, saying "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
• I always get up at dawn. After all, early to bed, early to rise.

take sth with a grain of salt

Alter ego

An alter ego is a very close and intimate friend. It is a Latin phrase that literally means 'other self'.

Back to the salt mine

If someone says they have to go back to the salt mine, they have to return to work.

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy w

It means that sleeping well and not staying up late will help you out physically and financially.

Healthy as a horse

If you're as healthy as a horse, you're very healthy.

In rude health

(UK) If someone's in rude health, they are very healthy and look it.

Salt in a wound

If you rub salt in a wound, you make someone feel bad about something that is already a painful experience. 'Pour salt on a wound' is an alternative form of the idiom.

Salty dog

A salty dog is an experienced sailor.

Unwavering loyalty

Unwavering loyalty does not question or doubt the person or issue and supports them completely.

Worth your salt

Someone who is worth their salt deserves respect.

back to the salt mines|back|mine|mines|salt|salt m

informal Back to the job; back to work; back to work that is as hard or as unpleasant as working in a salt mine would be.

An overworked phrase, used humorously. The lunch hour is over, boys. Back to the salt mines! "Vacation is over," said Billy. "Back to the salt mines."

call a halt|call|halt

v. phr. To give a command to stop. The scouts were tired during the hike, and the scoutmaster called a halt. When the children's play, got too noisy, their mother called a halt.

circumstances alter cases|cases|circumstances

formal The way things are, or happen, may change the way you are expected to act. John's father told him never to touch his gun, but one day when Father was away, John used it to shoot a poisonous snake that came into the yard. Circumstances alter cases.

clean bill of health|bill|clean|health

n. phr. 1. A certificate that a person or animal has no infectious disease. The government doctor gave Jones a clean bill of health when he entered the country. 2. informal A report that a person is free of guilt or fault. The stranger was suspected in the bank robbery, but the police gave him a clean bill of health.

grind to a halt|grind|halt

v. phr., informal To slow down and stop like a machine does when turned off. The old car ground to a halt in front of the house. The Cardinals' offense ground to a halt before the stubborn Steeler defense.