American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
.pdfAlpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord," where it is repeated three more times.
also-ran
Loser, failure, unsuccessful individual, as in Jane feared that her candidate, a terrible speaker, would end up as an also-ran, or As for getting promotions, Mark counted himself among the also-rans. This term comes from racing, where it describes a horse that finishes in fourth place or lower or does not finish a race at all. It first appeared in the 1890s in published racing results, and has since been transferred to losers in any kind of competition, and also more broadly to persons who simply don't do well.
ambulance chaser
An attorney who seeks to profit from someone's injury or accident; also, an inferior lawyer. For example, Karen refused to join any law firm that included ambulance chasers. The practice of suing for damages on behalf of the injured person in exchange for a contingency fee?
usually a large percentage of the amount so won?
may be older, but this derogatory term began to be used for lawyers who actively sought out individuals injured in accidents who required an ambulance. [Slang; late 1800s]
amends
hand. see MAKE AMENDS.
amiss
hand. see under TAKE THE WRONG WAY.
amount to
1. Add up, develop into, as in Even though she's careful with her money, her savings don't amount to much, or All parents hope that their children will amount to something. [Mid-1500s] 2. Be equivalent to, as in Twenty persons won't amount to a good turnout. [Late 1300s] Also see
AMOUNT TO THE SAME THING.
amount to the same thing Also, come to the same thing. Make no difference, be the same, as in Since it's supposed to rain all day, whether I go outdoors now or later will amount to the same thing, or Paying in cash or with a credit card, it comes to the same thing.
a must
A necessity; a requirement. For example, The Louvre is a must for visitors to Paris, or This book is a must for serious students of English. [Late 1800s]
an apple a day
hand. see APPLE A DAY.
an arm and a leg
hand. see ARM AND A LEG.
ancient history
A past event, as in She's talking about her sea voyage, but that's ancient history, or And then there was his divorce, but you don't want to hear ancient history. This hyperbolic idiom transfers the field of ancient history to a much-repeated tale.
and all Also, and all that. Et cetera, and so on; whatever else goes with this statement. For example, We can't afford eating out, since it's hard to find a babysitter, they charge a lot, and all, or The contractor will supply the paint and all that. [First half of 1500s]
and how!
Emphatically so. This idiom is an interjection used to stress agreement, as in Did you enjoy the play??
And how! it was wonderful. It probably originated as a direct translation of the German Und wie! [1920s]
and/or
Both or either of two options. For example, His use of copyrighted material shows that the writer is careless and/or dishonest. This idiom originated in legal terminology of the mid-1800s.
and so forth Also, and so on. And more of the same, also, and others. For example, At the mall, we shopped, had lunch, shopped some more, and so forth, or She planned to buy an entire outfit in blue?
dress, shoes, hat, and so on. The first term dates from the late 1500s, the variant from the early 1700s. Also see AND THE LIKE.
and the like
And more of the same, as in John just loves hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, and the like. [c. 1600]
and then some
And considerably more, as in I need all the help I can get and then some, or The speaker went on for an hour and then some. This idiom may originally have come from and some, a much older Scottish expression used in the same way. [Early 1900s]
an eye for an eye
hand. see EYE FOR AN EYE.
angels
hand. see FOOLS RUSH IN WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD; ON THE SIDE OF THE ANGELS.
anger
hand. see MORE IN SORROW THAN IN ANGER.
another
hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with ANOTHER, also see DANCE TO ANOTHER
TUNE; HAVE ANOTHER GUESS COMING; HORSE OF A DIFFERENT (ANOTHER) COLOR; ONE GOOD TURN DESERVES ANOTHER; ONE MAN'S MEAT IS ANOTHER MAN'S POISON; ONE WAY OR ANOTHER; SING A DIFFERENT (ANOTHER) TUNE; TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY; WEAR ANOTHER HAT.
another county heard from
An unexpected person has spoken up or arrived on the scene, as in Jane's cousin from California decided to contest the will?
another county heard from. This idiom originally alluded to the counting of returns on election night; it appears in that context in Clifford Odets's play, Awake and Sing (1931). However, it may echo the much older phrase, another Richmond in the field, alluding to Henry of Richmond
(later Henry VII of England), chronicled in Shakespeare's Richard III (5:4): "I think there be six Richmonds in the field; five have I slain today." Whatever the origin, today it simply refers to an unforeseen participant or attender.
an ounce of prevention
hand. see OUNCE OF PREVENTION.
answer
hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with ANSWER, also see KNOW ALL THE
ANSWERS; TAKE NO FOR
answer back
hand. see TALK BACK.
answer for
1. Take responsibility for, take charge of, as in The new alarm system has to answer for the security of the grounds. [Late 1200s] 2. Take the blame for, as in The kids who were caught shoplifting have a lot to answer for. [c. 1200] 3. To vouch for or sponsor someone, as in I'll answer
for John as a reliable employee. [Early 1700s]
answer to
Explain or justify something to someone, as in If Mary doesn't help us finish this project, she'll have to answer to the boss. This expression was at first used mainly for replying to legal charges. [c.
A.D. 950]
ante up
Pay what is due, contribute; by extension, do one's share. For example, The trustees were asked to ante up $10,000 each for the new scholarship, or Tired of watching Joe sit around while they cleaned up, the roommates told him to ante up or move out. This expression comes from poker and other betting games, where to ante signifies making a bet or contribution to the pot before the cards are dealt. It was being used more loosely by the mid-1800s. Also see RAISE THE ANTE.
ants in one's pants, have
1. Be extremely restless, uneasy, impatient, or anxious, as in This child just can't sit still; she must have ants in her pants. This rhyming idiom calls up a vivid image of what might cause one to be jumpy. [Slang; 1920s] 2. Be eager for sexual activity, as in Bill's got ants in his pants for Rita. This usage is less common today. [Slang; 1920s]
a number of
A collection of persons or things; several. For example, A number of tours are available, or We've visited a number of times. This idiom often is modified by an adjective giving some idea of quantity, as in Only a small number are going. [1300s] Also see ANY NUMBER OF.
any
hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with ANY, also see AT ANY RATE; BY ANY
MEANS; GO TO ANY LENGTH; HARDLY ANY; IN ANY CASE; UNDER ANY (NO) CIRCUMSTANCES.
any day
1. No particular time, as in It doesn't matter when; any day is fine with me. 2. Also, any day now. Quite soon, as in I might get a call any day, or There could be a snowstorm any day now. 3. Also, any day of the week. Every day, as in I could eat fresh corn any day of
the week. All three senses employ any in the sense of "no matter which," a usage dating from
A.D. 1000.
any longer
1. With added length, as in If this skirt were any longer it would sweep the floor. 2. Still, any more, as in They don't make this model any longer. This negative form is often put as
any number of
Many; also, no particular amount of. The meaning here depends on the context. I can give you any number of reasons for John's absence means I can offer many reasons. Any number of subscribers might stay home means that an unknown number will not attend.
any old
No particular, whichever or whatever, as in Any old brand of detergent suits me. [Colloquial; mid1800s]
anyone's guess
Something that no one knows for sure, as in Will it rain next Sunday? That's anyone's guess.
[Mid1900s] Also see YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE.
any port in a storm
Any solution to a difficult situation (is better than none), as in John's plan isn't ideal, but any port in a storm. This metaphor was first recorded in 1749.
anything
hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with ANYTHING, also see CAN'T DO
ANYTHING WITH; IF ANYTHING; LIKE ANYTHING; NOT ANYTHING LIKE; NOT FOR ANYTHING (IN THE WORLD).
anything but
By no means, not at all, as in He is anything but ambitious for a promotion. William Wordsworth in his long poem, The Prelude (1805-1806), wrote: "Grief call it not, 'twas anything but that."
anything goes
Everything is permitted, as in You're wearing sneakers to the office??
Why not? Anything goes these days. This idiom began life as everything goes, which appeared in George Meredith's novel The Egoist (1879). In America anything was the preferred word, which gained further currency with Cole Porter's use of the term as the title of his 1934 song and musical comedy, Anything Goes!
anything like
hand. see NOT ANYTHING LIKE.
A-one Also, A-1; A-number-one. First-class, of the best quality, as in This is an A-one steak. The term comes from Lloyd's, the British insurance company, which in its 1775 shipping register designated the condition of a ship's hull by a letter grade (A, B, etc.) and of its cables, anchor, and other equipment by a number grade (1, 2, etc.). By the early 1800s A-1, the best possible grade, was being transferred to anything of superior quality.
hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with APART, also see COME APART; FALL APART;
PICK APART; POLES APART; SET APART; TAKE APART; TEAR APART; TELL APART.
apart from Also, aside from. Besides, except for. For example, Apart from jogging occasionally in the park, she gets no exercise, or Aside from Sunday dinner with his parents they have not gone out for months. The first term dates from the early 1600s, the variant from the early 1800s.
appearance
hand. see KEEP UP APPEARANCES; PUT IN AN APPEARANCE.
appear as
Act the part of in public, usually alluding to a performance on stage. For example, She got wonderful reviews when she appeared as Portia. This idiom uses appear in the sense of "to come before the public," a usage dating from the late 1500s.
appetite
hand. see WHET ONE'S APPETITE.
apple
hand. In addition to the idioms beginning
with APPLE, also see POLISH THE APPLE; ROTTEN APPLE; UPSET THE APPLECART.
apple a day
A small preventive treatment wards off serious problems, as in He exercises regularly?
an apple a day is his motto. This idiom shortens the proverb An apple a day keeps the doctor away, first cited about 1630.
apple of one's eye
Special favorite, beloved person or thing, as in The youngest was the apple of his father's eye. This term, which rests on the ancients' idea that the eye's pupil is apple-shaped and that eyes are particularly precious, appears in the Bible (Deuteronomy 32:10). [Early 1600s]
apple-pie order
Extreme neatness, as in David keeps his financial records in apple-pie order. This term is generally believed to be an English corruption of the French nappes pliées, "neatly folded linen." [Early 1600s]
apple polisher
hand. see POLISH THE APPLE.
apples and oranges
Unlike objects or persons, as in Assessing the problems of the neighborhood grocery by examining a giant supermarket is comparing apples and oranges. This metaphor for dissimilarity began as apples and oysters, which appeared in John Ray's proverb collection of 1670. It is nearly always accompanied by a warning that one cannot compare such different categories.
appointment
hand. see MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.
approval
hand. see ON APPROVAL; SEAL OF APPROVAL.
apron strings
hand. see TIED TO SOMEONE'S APRON STRINGS.
apropos of
Concerning, in connection with, as in Apropos of keeping in touch, I haven't heard from her in months. This idiom was a borrowing of the French à propos de ("to the purpose of") in the 17th century. At first it was used without of and meant "fitting" or ''opportune," as in Their prompt arrival was very apropos. By the 1700s it was also being used with of, as in the current idiom, for "concerning" or "by way of."
area
hand. see GRAY AREA.
argument
hand. see under PICK A QUARREL.
arm
hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with ARM, also see AT ARM'S LENGTH; BABE
IN ARMS; FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED; GIVE ONE'S EYETEETH (RIGHT ARM); LONG ARM OF THE LAW; ONE-ARMED BANDIT; PUT THE ARM ON; SHOT IN THE ARM; TAKE UP ARMS; TALK SOMEONE'S ARM OFF; TWIST SOMEONE'S ARM; UP IN ARMS; WITH ONE ARM TIED BEHIND; WITH OPEN ARMS.
arm and a leg
An exorbitant amount of money, as in These resort hotels charge an arm and a leg for a decent meal, or Fixing the car is going to cost an arm and a leg. According to Eric Partridge, this hyperbolic idiom, which is always used in conjunction with verbs such as "cost," "charge," or "pay," and became widely known from the 1930s on, probably came from the 19th-century American
criminal slang phrase, if it takes a leg (that is, even at the cost of a leg), to express desperate determination.
armed to the teeth
Overly well equipped or prepared, as in With her elaborate gown and makeup, she was armed to the teeth for her first New York appearance. The expression to the teeth meant "well equipped" in the 14th century, when knights often wore head-to-foot armor. The idiom, however, only gained currency in the mid-1800s, at first still applied to weapons or other military equipment. Today it is used still more figuratively.
arm in arm
With one person's arm linked around another's; also, closely allied or intimate, as in Both couples walked arm in arm around the grounds of the estate, and This candidate is arm in arm with the party's liberal wing. The literal expression dates from the late 1300s, when Chaucer so used it:
"They went arm in arm together into the garden" (Troilus and Cressida). The figurative usage dates from about 1600. Also see HAND IN HAND.
armor
hand. see CHINK IN ONE'S ARMOR; KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR.
around
hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with AROUND, also see BEAT ABOUT
(AROUND) THE BUSH; BEEN AROUND; BOSS SOMEONE AROUND; BRING AROUND; CAST ABOUT (AROUND); COME AROUND; ENOUGH TO GO AROUND; EVERY TIME ONE TURNS AROUND; FOOL AROUND; FUCK AROUND; FULL CIRCLE (WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND); GET AROUND; GET AROUND TO; GO AROUND IN CIRCLES; HAND AROUND; HORSE AROUND; KICK AROUND; KID AROUND; KNOCK ABOUT (AROUND); KNOW ONE'S WAY AROUND; MESS AROUND; NOSE ABOUT (AROUND); PAL AROUND WITH; PLAY AROUND; POKE AROUND; PUSH AROUND; RALLY AROUND; ROLL AROUND; RUN AROUND IN CIRCLES; RUN AROUND LIKE A CHICKEN; RUN AROUND WITH; RUN RINGS AROUND; SCREW AROUND; SCROUNGE AROUND; SHOP AROUND; SLEEP AROUND; STICK AROUND; TALK AROUND; TEAR AROUND; THROW ONE'S WEIGHT AROUND; TURN AROUND; TWIST AROUND ONE'S FINGER; UP AND ABOUT (AROUND). Also see under ROUND.
around the bend
1. Around a curve or corner on a road or pathway, as in Peter's house is just around the bend. Also see
Throwing out that perfectly good steak? Have you gone round the bend?
[Colloquial; early 1900s]
around the corner
1. On the other side of a street corner, as in The doctor's office is around the corner from our house. [First half of 1800s] 2. Nearby, a short distance away, as in The nearest grocery store is just around the corner. [Early 1800s] 3. Very soon, imminent, as in You never know what stroke of luck lies just around the corner. [First half of 1900s]
arrangements
hand. see
arrears
hand. see
arrest
hand. see
arrive at
MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR.
IN ARREARS.
UNDER ARREST.
Reach an objective, as in We arrived at the party right on time, or It took Harry only a few minutes to arrive at a solution. [Early 1500s]
art
hand. see FINE ART; STATE OF THE ART.
as . . . as Also, so . . . as. Used with an adjective or adverb to show similarity or equality of one thing with another. The as . . . as construction appears in numerous similes, including the idioms as rich as Croesus, as big as life, as good as done. (In this book, when such idioms occur without the first as, they can be found under the adjective or adverb, RICH AS . . .; BIG AS . . .;
GOOD AS . . .; etc.; those that do not, like as far as, as long as, as well as, are found under AS below.) The construction so . . . as is often preferred in negative statements like I couldn't sleep, not so much as a wink, a usage dating from the 1200s. Also see AS FAR AS.
as all getout
To the ultimate degree, as in She made him furious as all getout. The American writer Joseph C. Neal had it in his Character Sketches (1838): "We look as elegant and as beautiful as get out." Today it always includes all. [Colloquial; first half of 1800s]
as a matter of course
hand. see MATTER OF COURSE.
as a matter of fact
hand. see MATTER OF FACT.
as a rule
In general, usually, as in As a rule Irene does not eat meat. [Mid-1800s] as a whole
All parts or aspects considered, altogether, as in I like the play as a whole, though the second act seemed somewhat slow.
[Early 1800s] Also see ON THE WHOLE.
as best one can
To the ultimate of one's ability, as in We'll have to get along without it as best we can. [Mid-1800s]
Also see DO ONE'S BEST.
as big as life
hand. see BIG AS LIFE.
as far as Also, so far as. To the extent, degree, or amount that. This phrase alone is always used to modify a verb, as in As far as I can tell it's an authentic antique, or It's a good job as far as it goes, but it may need more work, or James said that, so far as he can remember, be's never met Mike. [c. 1300] Also see the subsequent idioms beginning with AS FAR AS.
as far as I can see Also, so far as I can see. According to my judgment or understanding, as in
As far as I can see you've got an excellent chance of getting that job. This idiom was first recorded in 1577.
as far as possible Also, so far as possible. To the greatest extent, degree, or amount that is attainable. For example, I want to drive as far as possible today, or It was very complicated, but he promised to explain it so far as possible.
as far as that goes Also, so far as that goes; as or so far as that is concerned. Concerning that, actually, moreover. For example, As far as that goes, Bill doesn't understand it, or My husband has never gotten along with Henry, and so far as that goes, Henry doesn't like him either, or As far as that is concerned, Patrice can take care of herself. Also see AS FOR.
as follows
What comes next, usually in the form of a list. For example, Mary planned her day as follows: returning all phone calls; a department meeting; lunch with her colleagues; library research. This term is always put in the singular ("follows") even though it applies to numerous items and is frequently followed by a colon. It was first recorded in 1548.
as for Also, as to. With regard to, concerning. For example, As for dessert, I'd better skip it today and We are not sure as to how to pay the bill. A particularly well-known use of this idiom is in Patrick Henry's speech before the Virginia Convention in 1775: "As for me, give me liberty or give