American Idioms

Idiom of the day :- You don’t say

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Used to show surprise at something that is being said. ex. “You don’t say! He was really struck by lightning?” 

Idiom of the day :- Laugh up one’s sleeve

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

From the fact that people sometimes hid their laughs behind their hands, we have this idiom. It means to be secretly amused — and usually because a person is quietly laughing at someone for failing or for being wrong. ‘I could sense that Jerome waslaughing up his sleeve at me when I didn’t pass my history quiz,’ Ron said.

Idiom of the day :- Davy Jones’s Locker

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

A locker is a chest for storing things. Many years ago, sailors called the evil spirit of the sea ‘Day Jones’. Anything sinking to the bottom of the sea — even an entire ship with all its crew — ended up in what they called Davy Jones’s locker. To this day,Davy Jones’s locker means the bottom of the sea.

Idiom of the day :- Bring home the bacon

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

The person in a family who brings home the baconprovides the family with the money they need to live. Who brings up the baby and who brings home the bacon

Idiom of the day :- Eat humble pie

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

If you eat humble pie, you speak or behave in a way which tells people that you admit you were wrong about something. Anson was forced to eat humble pie and publicly apologizes to her.

Idiom of the day :- No picnic

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Not easy. Very difficult and problematic. ex. “Let me tell you, driving in that snowstorm was no picnic.” 

Idiom of the day :- To save his/her life

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

At all/ completely. ex. “She can’t sing to save her life.” 

Idiom of the day :- Go like a house on fire

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Mr. Bell’s gas heater wouldn’t work. He thought he would repair it himself. That proved to be a terrible mistake and he had to go like a house on fire to the nearby fire department for help. When a person goes like a house on fire he moves very, very quickly.

Idiom of the day :- Ahead of one’s time

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

The way Ray dresses confuses his father. He wears strange clothes and has an even stranger haircut. ‘Why do you dress like that ?’ his father asked. ‘Because, dad, I’m ahead of my time,’ Ray replied. to be ahead of one’s time is to be very modern, very advanced. ‘Is there such a thing as being too far ahead of one’s time ?’ his father asked.

Idiom of the day :- close to the bone

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

it is close to the truth in a way that might offend some people. Of course it upset Mei Ling to hear what Lian had to say about Meng. Don’t you see it was a little close to the bone ?