Meaning:
1 maccabees 
n.
an Apocryphal book describing the life of Judas Maccabaeus
ma Idiom, Proverb
a black mark
a mark beside your name means you are bad If you cause an accident, you get a black mark beside your name.
a bunch of malarkey
an untrue story, a lot of bunk, bull """Do you believe what the psychic said about your future?"" ""No. It's a bunch of malarkey."""
a kept woman
a woman who is paid to live with a man I'm tired of being a kept woman. I want to be free of him.
a major
a poor credit rating from a major credit card company The bank won't approve your loan if you have a major.
a man of few words
"a man who says little; who uses few words" Chung is a man of few words, but when he speaks, people listen.
a man of the cloth
a minister, a priest, a clergyman Being a man of the cloth, he has studied the Bible.
a marked man
a person known for political beliefs or criminal acts When they discovered I had been a Nazi, I was a marked man.
absence makes the heart grow fonder
when friends are apart they like each other more When she's away I'm very lonely. Absence does make the heart grow fonder.
all his marbles
normal, sensible Dan talks to the door. I wonder if he's got all his marbles.
all the marbles
all the money, the top prize How does it feel to be playing in the final - for all the marbles?
all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
do not work too long, take time for recreation, take time to smell... When I picked up my overtime cheque, Karen reminded me that All work and no play... .
an easy mark
one who can easily be persuaded, a soft touch Ask Charlie for a loan. He's an easy mark.
as a matter of fact
to state a fact, in fact, to be perfectly honest The burrowing owl is a protected species. As a matter of fact, it's an endangered species.
ball park figure/estimate
a rough estimate or figure The contractor gave us a ball park figure for the cost of repairing the new building.
big fish in a small pond
an important person in a small place He wasn
black mark
(See a black mark)
boiling mad
very angry, very upset, hopping mad By the time the car started, Emil was boiling mad.
bottle man
a man who finds bottles in garbage cans or dumpsters The bottle man walked down the alley pushing a cart full of junk.
can't make heads or tails of something
" can't understand something at all;"
capture the imagination
cause a person to imagine a scene or character The story of Jacob Two-Two will capture the kids' imagination.
chain of command
order of those in power, line of authority If you are a lieutenant, the chain of command goes up and down.
chairman of the boards (hockey)
a player who controls play along the boards In the 1970s Doug was chairman of the boards for the Hawks.
Christmas graduate
a student who leaves college at Christmas Among the Christmas graduates last year was Gerard Kutz.
company man
a person who always works hard and agrees with his employees My father was a true company man and was always putting in an extra effort for his company.
corner the market
become the main supplier, have a monopoly Japanese automakers are trying to corner the luxury car market.
crack shot/salesman etc.
a person who is highly skilled at shooting etc. Marvin has developed into a crack salesman. He's excellent.
crux of the matter
(See the crux of the matter)
damaged goods
abused, in poor condition One man described prostitutes as damaged goods.
devil-may-care
carefree, wild, on a lark Employers won't hire people with a devil-may-care attitude.
dog in the manger
a person who will not share something he does not use or need He's a dog in the manger about his office space. He doesn't use it, but he won't let us have it.
don't get mad; get even
"do not waste your energy on anger, do get revenge; actions speak louder..." "To the victims he said, ""Don't get mad. Get even. Report this to the police."""
don't get smart with me
show more respect, do not talk back "If you ask why, she'll say, ""Don't get smart with me."""
don't go away mad; just go away
"do not be angry, but leave; you are not welcome here" "He said to the heckler, ""Don't go away mad; just go away."""
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.
don't make me laugh
do not be ridiculous, don't give me that line "When I said I wrote the novel, he said, ""Don't make me laugh."""
don't make waves
do not do anything that will cause problems Our company has changed a lot. Don't make any more waves.
fallen woman
prostitute, hooker The priest was trying to save the fallen women in his parish.
flea market
a place where antiques or secondhand things are sold We went to a flea market last Saturday to try and buy some dishes.
for that matter
about that, with regard to that I don
forget your manners
forget to be polite, forget to say please etc. "When I reached in front of Mac, he said, ""Forget your manners?"""
front man
one who performs before the star goes on stage Mic is the front man for Dolly. He sings before she does her act.
get mad
become angry or cross, lose your cool When she gets mad, I leave the house. She has a bad temper.
get to the heart of (a matter)
understand the most important thing about something It took a long time but we finally got to the heart of the matter about the new employee.
go mad
become insane, go crazy, go nuts If he doesn't stop playing those drums, I'll go mad.
good and dead/mad/sick
very dead or mad or sick etc. That rodeo bull was good and mad. He tried to gore the rider.
got it made
be happy and successful and rich Brandy's got it made: she has a career, wealth and a loving family.
groaty to the max
very nice, way cool, totally awesome That bike is groaty to the max. I love those wide tires!
has the makings
has the potential, has the ingredients Darcy has the makings of a good teacher. He explains things well.
hatchet man
a politician etc. whose job it is to say negative things about the opposition, a person in a company who must fire extra workers or cut other expenses etc. He is acting as a hatchet man for the leader but I don
have a smash
have a drink of liquor, have a sip Here, Jon. Have a smash of the brandy before it's all gone.