Meaning:
a lot 
adv.
to a very great degree or extent
ot Idiom, Proverb
a big shot
an important person, a boss, a big wheel On payday he spends money like a big shot, buying drinks for all.
a chicken in every pot
enough food for every family No one will be hungry if there's a chicken in every pot.
a fine-toothed comb
a careful search, a search for a detail She read the file carefully - went over it with a fine-toothed comb.
a hoot
a time of laughter, a good time, a riot Last night we went to Maude's party. It was a hoot.
a hot hand
lucky in card games or at gambling Walter's got a hot hand tonight. He's won four games of poker.
a hot number
a couple (or topic) that everyone is talking about Paul and Rita are a hot number now. They're in love.
a hot potato
a situation likely to cause trouble to the person handling it The issue of the non-union workers is a real hot potato that we must deal with.
a hot ticket
a popular item, a product that people want Anything with James Dean's picture on it is a hot ticket.
a hot topic
popular topic, the talk of the town Sex is a hot topic. Sex will get their attention.
a hotdog
one who plays only for the crowd, a show-off Eddie was a hotdog - always trying to excite the crowd.
a hothead
"a person who gets angry easily; hot tempered" Phil, don't be such a hothead. Try to control your anger.
a hotshot
"a person who displays; show-off, showboat" What a hotshot he is - showing everybody his new car.
a long shot
a poor chance of winning, a slim chance The Leafs winning the Stanley Cup - now that's a long shot.
a lot of bunk
a lot of lies, a lot of bull, a pack of lies The President's speech was a lot of bunk. It contained no facts.
a lot of falderal
a lot of foolish talk, a lot of bunk When you hear me speak Latin, you'll think it's a lot of falderal.
a lot on the ball
intelligent, smart Melvin may not look intelligent, but he's got a lot on the ball.
a man of the cloth
a minister, a priest, a clergyman Being a man of the cloth, he has studied the Bible.
a notch below
inferior, not as good That bicycle is a notch below the Peugeot. It's not quite as good.
a riot
a lot of fun, a good time, a hoot You should've gone to Maude's party. It was a riot!
a shot in the arm
energy, encouragement, a lift Billy Graham's sermon was inspiring - a shot in the arm.
a shot in the dark
a wild guess, a try, hazard a guess His answer was incorrect. It was a shot in the dark.
a snootful
a lot to smell or drink, get wind of When the coyotes get a snootful of our campfire, they'll run.
a spot of tea
a small cup of tea, a drink of tea When I visit Mrs. Smith, we always have a spot of tea.
a stitch of clothes
(See didn't have a stitch of clothes on)
a sweet tooth
a need to eat candy, a craving for sugar After dinner we'll serve mints. Daddy has a sweet tooth, eh.
a tempest in a teapot
a lot of excitement about a small problem The argument was over quickly. It was a tempest in a teapot.
a total stranger
one you have never seen, a perfect stranger """Can I give you a ride home?"" ""No. You're a total stranger."""
a wolf in sheep's clothing
an evil person who looks innocent The priest looked harmless, but he was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
an eye for an eye (a tooth for a tooth)
equal punishment or revenge Canadian laws do not demand an eye for an eye.
another nail in your coffin
"another cigarette; harmful substance" Every cigarette he smoked was another nail in his coffin.
at a moment's notice
with little warning, on short notice We may call you at a moment's notice - whenever we need help.
best foot forward
(See put your best foot forward)
best of both worlds
(See the best of both worlds)
Big Foot
"a large ape-man living in the forests of western N. America; Big Foot" Gary told me he saw Big Foot's tracks in the sand beside the Kootenay River.
big shot
rich or important person, VIP, big boys Randy's a big shot in the movie industry. He owns four studios.
blotto
exhausted, bushed After studying for twelve hours, she was blotto - very tired.
blow it up (photo)
enlarge it, magnify it If you want to see details in the photo, blow it up.
boot it
drive fast, highball it, pedal to the metal If you boot it, Betty won't ride with you. She hates going fast.
boot out
make someone go or leave, get rid of someone, dismiss He was booted out of high school for smoking on the school grounds.
boot up
start or switch on a computer Wait until I boot up the Mac. Then we can print your letter.
botch it
ruin it, do it wrong, blow it When you bake bread for the first time, it's easy to botch it.
bottle drive
going to houses asking for pop and liquor bottles The bottle drive was a success. The girls earned $350.
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.
bottle up
not talk about, keep in your mind Don't keep all those feelings bottled up inside you. Talk!
bottom dollar
one
bottom fall out/drop out
to fall below an earlier lowest price When the bottom fell out of the coffee market many companies had to stop doing business.
bottom fell out
(See the bottom fell out)
bottom line
the total, the final figure on a balance sheet When they examined the bottom line of the company they decided not to invest in it.
bottom out
reach the lowest or worst point of something The value of the stock has begun to bottom out and should soon begin to increase in value.
bottom rung
the first step, the lowest position Jerry, my boy, in this company you start at the bottom rung.