Meaning: american water ouzel

n.
a water ouzel of western North America

water Idiom, Proverb

blood is thicker than water

blood relationships are stronger than a marriage ceremony "When my wife supported her dad in a fight with me, I said, ""So blood is thicker than water."""

blow you out of the water

defeat you, humiliate you If you challenge his leadership, he'll blow you out of the water.

come hell or high water

no matter what happens, by any means I'll buy that ranch, come hell or high water. I'm determined.

dead in the water

not competitive, not qualified to compete, haven't got a hope When you're job hunting, if you don't have a resume you're dead in the water.

deep water

serious trouble or difficulty He will be in deep water if he doesn

fish out of water

someone who does not fit in He was like a fish out of water at the expensive restaurant.

head above water

out of difficulty, clear of trouble Although he works very hard he is not able to keep his head above water financially.

hell and high water

troubles or difficulties of any kind They went through hell and high water in order to get the food to the flood victims.

hold water

be logical, be sensible He can't be in two places at once. His story doesn't hold water.

hot water

trouble He has been in hot water at work since he took a week off with no excuse.

in hot water

in trouble I am in hot water over the extra expenses that I used during the conference.

keep your head above water

survive, have just enough to live, get by With a part-time job, I was able to keep my head above water.

like water off a duck

without effect, without changing one

make your mouth water

cause you to salivate, cause you to be hungry Your carrot cake smells so good it makes my mouth water.

miss the water till...

(See you don't miss the water till the well runs dry)

pass water

urinate, take a leak[B], take a pee The nurse came in and asked him if he'd passed water yet.

pour oil on troubled waters

calm down a quarrel, say something to lessen anger and bring peace to a situation They tried to pour oil on troubled waters after they noticed the argument among the students.

running water

tap water, water from a pressure system At the cabin in the woods we don't have running water.

test the water

check people's feelings, take a poll Wilson always tests the water before he introduces a budget.

throw cold water on

discourage, cause you to lose interest Don't be negative. Don't throw cold water on our travel plans.

throw the baby out with the bath water

throw away something good with the waste, discard everything Keep the good subjects when you revise the course. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!

throw the baby out with the bathwater

reject all of something because part of it is faulty When they decided to get rid of all of the computers because one was broken it was like throwing the baby out with the bath water. They only needed one new computer.

water-cooler talk

office news, gossip I believe water-cooler talk - unless it's about me.

water down

change and make weaker They tried to water down our proposal for the new quality control system.

water under the bridge

the past, history That failure is water under the bridge. Let's not live in the past.

watering hole

bar, pub, licensed premises The St. Louis Hotel is Ralph's favorite watering hole.

you can lead a horse to water but you can't make h

you can provide what they need but you cannot force them to use it We provide information, but I wonder if they read it. You can lead a horse to water... .

you don't miss the water till the well runs dry

you do not appreciate some things until they go away or become extinct Now we have only memories of of our song birds. You don't miss the water till the well runs dry.

better put some water on that shit

a strong recommendation to someone to improve their appearance:"You better put some water on that shit"

watered

to feel sad, hurt, low: "He's watered right now"

go through fire and water

suffer or experience danger or trouble赴汤蹈火；冒生命危险
These heroes have gone through fire and water for the revolutionary cause．这些英雄为了革命事业赴汤蹈火。
He said that he would go through fire and water to find out the truth of that matter．他说为了查明那件事的真相，他将不顾个人安危。

of the first water

of the finest quality； superior最好的；第一流的
He was no doubt a painter of the first water．他无疑是位一流的画家。
The jeweler chose diamonds of the first water for the queen's crown．珠宝商为王后的冠饰挑选头等钻石。

pour oil on the waters

quiet a quarrel平息风波；调解争端
The groups were nearing a bitter quarrel until the leader poured oil on the waters．要不是领导人出面调解，双方很快就会大吵起来。

won't hold water

Idiom(s): won't hold water

Theme: ADEQUACY

to be inadequate, insubstantial, or ill-conceived. (Informal.)
• Sorry, your ideas won't hold water. Nice try, though.
• The lawyer's case wouldn't hold water, so the defendant was released.

water sth down

Idiom(s): water sth down

Theme: DILUTION

to dilute something; to thin something out and make it lighter. (Figuratively or literal.)
• The punch was good until someone watered it down.
• Professor Jones sometimes waters down his lectures so people can understand them better.

turn on the waterworks

Idiom(s): turn on the waterworks

Theme: EMOTION

to begin to cry. (Slang.)
• Every time Billy got homesick, he turned on the waterworks.
• Sally hurt her knee and turned on the waterworks for about twenty minutes.

through hell and high water

Idiom(s): through hell and high water

Theme: DIFFICULTY

through all sorts of severe difficulties. (Use hell with caution.)
• I came through hell and high water to get to this meeting on time. Why don't you start on time?
• You'll have to go through hell and high water to accomplish your goal, but it'll be worth it.

pour cold water on

Idiom(s): pour cold water on something AND dash cold water on something; throw cold water on something

Theme: DISCOURAGEMENT

to discourage doing something; to reduce enthusiasm for something.
• When my father said I couldn't have the car, he poured cold water on my plans.
• John threw cold water on the whole project by refusing to participate.
• I hate to dash cold water on your party, but you cannot use the house that night.

not hold water

Idiom(s): not hold water

Theme: MEANING - LACKING

to make no sense; to be illogical. (Informal. Said of ideas, arguments, etc., not people.)
• Your argument doesn't hold water.
• This scheme won't work because it cant hold water.

muddy the water

Idiom(s): muddy the water

Theme: CLARITY

to make something less clear; to make matters confusing; to create difficulty where there was none before.
• Things were going along quite smoothly until you came along and muddied the water.
• The events of the past month have muddied the water as far as our proposed joint venture is concerned.

meet one's Waterloo

Idiom(s): meet one's Waterloo

Theme: ENDINGS

to meet one's final and insurmountable challenge. (Refers to Napoleon at Waterloo. )
• The boss is being very hard on Bill. It seems that Bill has finally met his Waterloo.
• John was more than Sally could handle. She has finally met her Waterloo.

make one's mouth water

Idiom(s): make one's mouth water

Theme: HUNGER

to make someone hungry (for something). (Informal.)
• That beautiful salad makes my mouth water.
• Talking about food makes my mouth water.

like water off a duck's back

Idiom(s): like water off a duck's back

Theme: EASY

easily; without any apparent effect.
• Insults rolled off John like water off a duck's back.
• The bullets had no effect on the steel door. They fell away like water off a duck's back.

like a fish out of water

Idiom(s): like a fish out of water

Theme: LOCATION - WRONG

appearing to be completely out of place; in a very awkward manner.
• Vincent stood there in his rented tuxedo, looking like a fish out of water.
• Whenever I am with your friends, I feel like a fish out of water. What on earth do you see in them—or me?
• At a formal dance, John is like a fish out of water.

keep one's head above water

Idiom(s): keep one's head above water

Theme: SURVIVAL

to stay ahead of one's responsibilities; to remain financially solvent.
• Now that I have more space to work in, I can easily keep my head above water.
• While I was out of work, I could hardly keep my head above water.

in deep water

Idiom(s): in deep water

Theme: DANGER

in a dangerous or vulnerable situation; in a serious situation; in trouble. (As if one were swimming in or fell into water that is over one's head.)
• John is having trouble with his taxes. He's in deep water.
• Bill is in deep water in algebra class. He's almost failing.
• He really got himself into deep water.

get one's head above water

Idiom(s): get one's head above water

Theme: SURVIVAL

to get ahead of one's problems; to catch up with one's work or responsibilities.
• I can't seem to get my head above water. Work just keeps piling up.
• I'll be glad when I have my head above water.

get into hot water

Idiom(s): get in(to) hot water

Theme: TROUBLE

to get into trouble or difficulty; to get involved in something that is complicated or troublesome.
• When you start trying to build your own computer, you are getting into hot water.
• When Fred was caught cheating on his exam, he got into hot water.

fish in troubled waters

Idiom(s): fish in troubled waters

Theme: RISK

to involve oneself in a difficult, confused, or dangerous situation, especially with a view to gaining an advantage.
• Frank is fishing in troubled waters by buying more shares of that company. They are supposed to be in financial difficulties.
• The company could make more money by selling armaments abroad, but they would be fishing in troubled waters.

dull as dishwater

Idiom(s): (as) dull as dishwater AND (as) dull as ditchwater

Theme: BOREDOM

very uninteresting.
• I'm not surprised that he can't find a partner. He's as dull as dishwater.
• Mr. Black's speech was as dull as ditchwater.