Meaning: alaska

n.
a state in northwestern North America; the 49th state admitted to the union

ask Idiom, Proverb

a basket case

a person who is very nervous, in bad shape If Gloria has one more crisis, she'll be a basket case.

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.

ask for it

invite or deserve an attack When you called him a thief, you asked for it. You made him mad.

ask for trouble

behave in a way that trouble is likely He is asking for trouble if he misses another class.

asking price

a starting price, a price to begin negotiations The asking price for the lot was $29,500. It sold for $28,000.

basket case

(See a basket case)

breadbasket

stomach, belly The ball hit him just below his chest - right in the breadbasket.

don't put all your eggs in one basket

do not invest all the money in one company Balance your investments. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

for the asking

by asking, on request You can get a free ticket to the concert for the asking from the front office.

go to hell in a handbasket

go to hell feeling peaceful or unconcerned, ignorance is bliss We don't get involved in issues. We're wasting our lives and going to hell in a handbasket!

no questions asked

you will not be asked to explain or pay If he returns the stolen car, there will be no questions asked.

Saskatchewan pheasant

magpie, black and white bird Two Saskatchewan pheasants flew out of the bush.

take to task

scold for a fault or error I was taken to task by the supervisor for not arriving at work on time.

take you to task

ask you to explain, haul you up on the carpet Did Reverend Klinck take you to task for drinking beer?

basket

a euphemism for a bastard

ask about

request information concerning询问情况；打听消息
The director is asking about the two papers you promised to write．主任在询问关于你答应要写的两篇论文的情况。
The reporters have been asking about the missing child all day．记者们整天都在打听那个失踪孩子的消息。

ask after

enquire about sb．'s health 问候；探问（某人的健康）
He asked after his father．他探问父亲的健康情况。
She asked after you and the children．她向你和孩子们问好。

ask for

1．request；ask to be given请求；向…要
The workers are asking for an increase in pay．工人在请求增加工资。
She asked for time to think all this over．她要求给她时间把这一切仔细想一想。
2．demand；ask to see要求（见）
Here's a gentleman asking for the manager．这里有位先生要求见经理。
3．run the risk of sth．招惹；自找（麻烦）
He is foolish to behave in that way；he is asking for trouble．他那样做是愚蠢的，是自找麻烦。
She had been teasing the dog for weeks， and I'm not surprised it bit her—she certainly asked for it．她好几个星期一直在逗弄那条狗，那狗咬了她并不奇怪，这是自作自受。

ask of

request sth． from sb．向…询问；请求
I would like to ask a favour of you．我想请你帮个忙。
It's not too much to ask of you to wash your own clothes．请你把自己的衣服洗一下，这要求并不过份。

ask off

ask for leave请假
You are not allowed to ask off．不准你请假。

take sbto task

blame； find fault with责备；挑剔
He often takes his son to task for not studying hard．他常常责备儿子学习不努力。

take sb to task

Idiom(s): take sb to task

Theme: SCOLDING

to scold or reprimand someone.
• The teacher took John to task for his bad behavior.
• I lost a big contract, and the boss took me to task in front of everyone.

put all one's eggs in one basket

Idiom(s): put all one's eggs in one basket

Theme: RISK

to risk everything at once. (Often negative.)
• Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Then everything won't be lost if there is a catastrophe.
• John only applied to the one college he wanted to go to. He put all his eggs in one basket.

one's for the asking

Idiom(s): one's for the asking

Theme: REQUESTING

can become one's property if one asks for it.
• I have a cherry pie here. A slice is yours for the asking if you want it.
• Uncle Mac said we could have his old car if we wanted it. It was ours for the asking.

go to hell in a hand-basket

Idiom(s): go to hell in a hand-basket

Theme: RUIN

to become totally worthless; to go to (hell). (Informal. Use hell with caution. Not used as a command.)
• The whole country is going to hell in a hand-basket.
• Look at my lawn—full of weeds. It's going to hell in a hand-basket.

blow a gasket

Idiom(s): blow a gasket AND blow a fuse; blow one's cork; blow one's top; blow one's stack

Theme: ANGER - RELEASE

to become very angry; to lose one's temper. (Slang.)
• I was so mad I almost blew a gasket.
• I've never heard such a thing. I'm going to blow a fuse.
• I blew my cork when he hit me.
• I was so mad I could have blown my top.
• I makes me so mad I could blow my stack.

ask sb out

Idiom(s): ask sb out

Theme: SOCIAL - DATING

to ask a person for a date.
• Mary hopes that John will ask her out.
• John doesn't want to ask out his best friend's girl.

ask for the moon

Idiom(s): ask for the moon

Theme: DEMANDS

to ask for too much; to make great demands.
• When you re trying to get a job, it's unwise to ask for the moon.
• Please lend me the money. I'm not asking for the moon!

Put all your eggs in one basket

Risk everything by relying on one plan (by putting all one's money in one business).

ASK IN

(separable) to request someone to come in
" At the end of the date, I asked Mary in."

ASK OUT

(separable) to request someone to go on a date with you
" I asked Mary out again. She refused."

ask out

invite on a date
"Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie."

ask around

ask many people the same question
"I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet."

Take someone to task

If you take someone to task, you scold them for something they have done wrong.

Hell in a Handbasket

Deteriorating and headed for complete disaster.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Spread your risks widely and wisely.

ask over

invite to one's home
"Why don't we ask the Johnsons over for dinner?"

ask for|ask

v., informal To make (something bad) likely to happen to you; bring (something bad) upon yourself. Charles drives fast on worn-out tires; he is asking for trouble. The workman lost his job, but he asked for it by coming to work drunk several times.
Compare: HAVE IT COMING, SERVE RIGHT, SIGN ONE'S OWN DEATH WARRANT.

ask for one's hand|ask|ask for|hand

v. phr. To ask permission to marry someone. "Sir," John said timidly to Mary's father, "I came to ask for your daughter's hand."

basket case|basket|case

n., slang, also informal 1. A person who has had both arms and both legs cut off as a result of war or other misfortune. 2. A helpless person who is unable to take care of himself, as if carted around in a basket by others. Stop drinking, or else you'll wind up a basket case!

blow a fuse|blow|blow a gasket|blow one's stack|bl

v. phr., slang To become extremely angry; express rage in hot words. When Mr. McCarthy's son got married against his wishes, he blew a fuse. When the umpire called Joe out at first, Joe blew his top and was sent to the showers.
Synonym: BLOW UP(1b), FLIP ONE'S LID, LOSE ONE'S TEMPER.
Compare: BLOW OFF STEAM².

cry for the moon|ask|ask for the moon|cry|moon

v. phr. To want something that you cannot reach or have; try for the impossible. John asked his mother for a hundred dollars today. He's always asking for the moon.
Compare: PROMISE THE MOON.

for the asking|asking|for

adv. phr. By asking; by asking for it; on request. John said I could borrow his bike any time. It was mine for the asking. Teacher said her advice was free for the asking.

masking tape|mask|masking|tape

n. A paper tape that is stuck around the edges of a surface being painted to keep the paint off the surface next to it. The painters put masking tape around the window frames to keep the paint off the glass.

put all one's eggs in one basket|basket|egg|eggs|p

v. phr. To place all your efforts, interests, or hopes in a single person or thing. Going steady in high school is putting all your eggs in one basket too soon. To buy stock in a single company is to put all your eggs in one basket. He has decided to specialize in lathe work, although he knows it is risky to put all his eggs in one basket.

take to task|take|task

v. phr. To reprove or scold for a fault or error. He took his wife to task for her foolish wastefulness. The principal took Bill to task for breaking the window.

ask

ask
In addition to the idioms beginning with ask, see don't ask; for the asking.
* * *
- ask a stupid question and you'll get a stupid answer
- ask for
- ask for the moon
- ask out

ask a stupid question and you'll get a stupid answ

ask a stupid question and you'll get a stupid answer
Also, ask a silly question. Your query doesn't deserve a proper answer, as in Am I hungry? ask a stupid question! One authority believes this idiom is a variant of ask me no questions and I'll tell you no fibs, which appeared in Oliver Goldsmith's play She Stoops to Conquer (1773) and was frequently repeated thereafter. [Early 1800s]

askance

askance
see look askance.

don't ask

don't ask
A phrase used to fend off questions about a situation one finds awkward, unpleasant, or unsatisfactory. For example, How did we do in the bridge tournament? Don't ask! [Colloquial; 1960s] For a similar phrase, see forget it.

More Idioms/Phrases

dog-and-pony show doghouse dollar dollars to doughnuts, it's dolphin don't ask don't change horses at midstream don't cross that bridge till you come to it don't let the grass grow under one's feet don't put off done deal