Oxford Dictionary Of Idioms, 2e (2004)
The Oxford Dictionary of Idioms
IdiomsEdited byJudith SiefringOXPORDUNIVERSITY PRESS
OXFORDUNIVERSITY PRESSGreat Clarendon Street, Oxford 0x2 6DPOxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford.It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship,and education by publishing worldwide inOxford New YorkAuckland Bangkok Buenos Aires Cape Town ChennaiDar es Salaam Delhi Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi KolkataKuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai NairobiSào Paulo Shanghai Taipei Tokyo TorontoOxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Pressin the UK and in certain other countriesPublished in the United Statesby Oxford University Press Inc., New York Oxford University Press 1999, 2004The moral rights of the author have been assertedDatabase right Oxford University Press (maker)First published 1999Second edition 2004All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced,stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press,or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriatereprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproductionoutside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department,Oxford University Press, at the address aboveYou must not circulate this book in any other binding or coverand you must impose this same condition on any acquirerBritish Library Cataloguing in Publication DataData availableLibrary of Congress Cataloging in Publication DataData availableISBN 0-19-852711-X1Designed by Jane StevensonTypeset in Swift and Frutigerby Kolam Information Services IndiaPrinted in Great Britainby Clays Ltd.
ContentsPrefaceDictionary of IdiomsIndexvii1323
PrefaceThe aim of the Oxford Dictionary of Idioms is to provide clear definitions ofphrases and sayings for those who do not know what they mean, but also tooffer the curious reader interesting facts about the origins of phrases andexamples of their use. This second edition of the Oxford Dictionary ofIdioms isbased on the first edition, edited by Jennifer Speake. It maintains the firstedition's focus on contemporary and historical phrases, sayings, andproverbs, and uses a combination of definition and (where required)explanatory note and illustrative quotation to provide a rounded picture ofidiomatic usage. The coverage of the previous edition has been extended bythe inclusion of more than 350 new idioms, and a great many contemporaryillustrative quotations have also been added. These quotations have beentaken from a variety of sources: from novels to travel guides, broadsheetnewspapers to teenage magazines. They help to give the reader a betterunderstanding of how an idiom is used: a typical context, a certain tone, or aparticular resonance. The formation of new phrases and sayings is one ofthe most colourful aspects of language development, and by adding idiomssuch as chew the scenery, be in like Flynn, and give someone the hairyeyeball, and quotations from the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Arundhati Roy,Melvin Burgess, and Tom Clancy, the new edition hopes to reflect thiscolour.A new index section at the end of the book groups together idioms whichshare a common theme or subject, so giving readers a vivid snapshot ofthose areas and aspects of life that have generated a particularly rich varietyoffigurativeexpressions.My thanks must go to Richard Jones for his work on sourcing quotations,to Georgia Hole for proofreading, and above all to Sara Hawker for her helpand insight throughout the project.JUDITH SIEFRING
AaAabdabsA 1 excellent; first-rate.give someone the screaming abdabs inducean attack of extreme anxiety or irritation insomeone.i!jI!;O The full form of this expression is 47 atLloyd's. In Lloyd's Register of Shipping, thephrase was used of ships in first-classcondition as to the hull (A) and stores (1). TheUS equivalent is A No. 7; both have been infigurative use since the mid 19th century.j!jjO Abdabs (or habdabs) is mid 20th-century !slang whose origin is unknown. The word issometimes also used to mean an attack ofdelirium tremens.from A to B from your starting point to yourdestination; from one place to another.abet1987 K. Rushforth Tree Planting & Managementaid and abet: see AID.The purpose of street tree plantingis to. make the roads and thoroughfarespleasant in their own right, not just as placesaboutused to travel from A to B.know what you are about be aware of theimplications of your actions or of afrom A to Z over the entire range; in everysituation, and of how best to deal withparticular.1998 Salmon, Trout & Sea-Trout In order to have them, informalseen Scotland's gamefishingin its entirety,1993 Ski Survey He ran a 3-star guest housefrom A to Z, visiting 30 stretches ofriverandbefore this, so knows what he is about.350 lochs a year, you would have to betravelling for a hundred years.aboveabacktake someone aback shock, surprise, ordisconcert someone.!i;iii! O The phrase is frequently used in thepassive form (be taken aback): this wasadopted in the mid 19th century fromearlier (mid 18th-century) nauticalterminology, to describe the situation of aship with its sails pressed back against themast by a headwind, preventing forwardmovement.above yourself conceited; arrogant.1999 Frank McCourt 'Tis Many a man made hisway in America by the sweat of his brow andhis strong back and it's a good thing to learnyour station in life and not be getting aboveyourself.not be above — be capable of stooping to anunworthy act.1991 Maureen Duffy Illuminations The copyistwas not above turning author or forger andseveral MS S from this period must be viewedas highly suspect.1991 Kathleen Jones Learning Not To Be FirstAbrahamThey were taken aback by the shabbiness ofthe hotel and lack of cleanliness in the cityin Abraham's bosom in heaven, the place ofgenerally.rest for the souls of the blessed, datedABCas easy (or simple) as ABC extremely easy orstraightforward.II!j O From the 15th to the 17th century, achild's first spelling and reading book wascommonly called an ABC, and this led to the jdevelopment of its metaphorical use, 'thebasic elements or rudiments of something'.jijjiIO The phrase is taken from Luke 16:22: 'Andit came to pass, that the beggar died, and wascarried by the angels into Abraham's bosom',In the Bible, Abraham was the Hebrewpatriarch from whom all Jews traced theirdescent.acceptablethe acceptable face of the tolerable orattractive manifestation or aspect of.!Ijj
accident1996 New York Review of Books He presentshimself as the acceptable face ofgambling. the man who, almost singlehandedly, has turned a huckster's paradiseinto a gangster-free zone.accident2iIIjIjO The a c e i s t n e highest playing card in itssuit in many card games, so a cheating player jmightwellhideonetouseagainstan unwary ;opponent. A North American variant is an ace \in the hole. The next two idioms are alsobased on this meaning of ace.an accident waiting to happen Q apotentially disastrous situation,usually caused by negligent or faultyprocedures. a person certain to causetrouble.01997 Times Accidents are often said to be'waiting to happen'. It does not take muchimagination to see that the chaotic start to theWhitbread round-the-world race. couldeasily have ended in tragedy.hold all the aces have all the advantages.play your ace use your best resource.within an ace of very close to.accidents will happen however careful youtry to be, it is inevitable that someunfortunate or unforeseen events willoccur.an Achilles heel a person's only vulnerablespot; a serious or fatal weakness.! O This phrase is a shortened form of thei early 19th-century proverb'accidents willi happen in the best regulated families'.a chapter of accidents: see CHAPTER.iji;O Ace here has the figurative meaning of 'a jtiny amount' and is used with reference tothesinglespotontheplayingcard.Thephrase iwas first recorded in the early 18th century.Achillesjji! jiO In Greek mythology, the nymph Thetisdipped her infant son Achilles in the water of jthe River Styx to make him immortal, but the iheel by which she held him was not touched jby the water; he was ultimately killed inbattle by an arrow wound in this onevulnerable spot.1998 Times The inclination to outlaw that ofwhich it disapproves. is, if not the clovenhoof beneath the hem of Tony Blair'sGovernment, certainly its Achilles heel.accordof your own accord voluntarily or withoutoutside intervention.accountacidgive a good (or bad) account of yourselfmake a favourable (or unfavourable)impression through your performance oractions.settle {or square) accounts with someone0 pay money owed to someone. Q haverevenge on someone.the acid test a situation or event whichfinally proves whether something is goodor bad, true or false, etc.accounting1990 Which? These deals are designed toencourage impulse buying, so the acid test iswhether you would have bought anyway.come the acid be unpleasant or offensive;speak in a caustic or sarcastic manner.put the acid on someone try to extract a loanor favour from someone. Australian & Newthere's no accounting for tastes it'simpossible to explain why different peoplelike different things, especially thosethings which the speaker considersunappealing, proverb1 ! O Since the late 18th century, this has been jthe usual English form of the Latin expression Ide gustibus non est disputandum 'there is no !disputing about tastes'.acehave an ace up your sleeve have an effectiveresource or piece of information kepthidden until it is necessary to use it; have asecret advantage.iIiiO The original use of the phrase was todescribe a method of testing for gold withnitric acid (gold being resistant to the effects jof nitric acid).Zealand informalacquaintancehave a nodding acquaintance withsomeone or something: see NODDING.scrape acquaintance with: see SCRAPE.acreGod's acre: see GOD.
admirable3acrossacross the board applying to all.!jiIO , n the USA, this expression refers to ahorse-racing bet in which equal amounts are jstaked on the same horse to win, place, orshow in a race.1999 Wall Street Journal The decline for theeuro across the board was mainly attributed tothe further erosion of global investors'confidence toward the euro-zone economy.be across something fully understand thedetails or complexity of an issue orsituation. AustralianI O Originally, this was an order to naval; personnel to go to their allocated positionsj ready to engage the enemy.man of action a man whose life ischaracterized by physical activity or deedsrather than by words or intellectualmatters.a piece of the action: see PIECE.where the action is where important orinteresting things are happening, informal1971 Gourmet You can dine outside,weather permitting, or in the bar wherethe action is.actactualact your age behave in a manner appropriateto your age and not to someone muchyounger.your actual — the real, genuine, orimportant thing specified, informal1968 Kenneth Williams Diary There's no doubtabout it, on a good day, I look quite lovely inyour actual gamin fashion.act the goat: see GOAT.act of God an instance of uncontrollablenatural forces in operation.I O This phrase is often used in insurancej contracts to refer to incidents such asj lightning strikes or floods.a class act: see CLASS.clean up your act: see CLEAN.do a disappearing act: see DISAPPEARING.get your act together organize yourself inthe manner required in order to achievesomething, informal2002 New York Times There are still many whothink all that the dirty, homeless man on thecorner talking to himself needs is just to gethis act together.a hard (or tough) act to follow anachievement or performance which setsa standard difficult for others to measureup to.1996 Independent Her determination andchampioning of tourism will be a tough act tofollow.in on the act involved in a particularactivity in order to gain profit oradvantage, informal1997 What Cellphone Conference calls arebecoming big business for the fixed-lineoperators, and now there are signs that themobile networks are getting in on the act.read someone the riot act: see R E A D .actionaction stations an order or warning toprepare for action.Adamnot know someone from Adam not know orbe completely unable to recognize theperson in question, informalthe old Adam unregenerate human nature.! O In Christian symbolism, the old Adam! represents fallen man as contrasted with the \\ second Adam, Jesus Christ.1993 Outdoor Canada It is the Old Adam in us.We are descendants of a long line of dirtfarmers, sheepherders. and so forth.addadd fuel to the fire: see FUEL.add insult to injury: see INSULT.adderdeaf as an adder: see DEAF.admirablean admirable Crichton a person whoexcels in all kinds of studies andpursuits, or who is noted for supremecompetence. jji!ijiO This expression originally referred toJames Crichton of Clunie (1560-85?), aScottish nobleman renowned for hisintellectual and physical prowess. In J. M.Barrie's play The Admirable Crichton (1902),the eponymous hero is a butler who takescharge when his master's family is shipwrecked on a desert island.i
adriftadriftcast (or cut) someone adrift leavesomeone in a boat or other craft which hasnothing to secure or guide it. abandon orisolate someone.01998 Oldie The various dissenting movements . should be cut adrift and left to theirown devices.advanceany advance on —? any higher bidthan —?jIjIO This phrase is said by an auctioneer toelicit a higher bid, and so is used figuratively ias a query about general progress in aparticular matter.4something because neither party willcompromise or be persuaded.agreementa gentleman's agreement: see GENTLEMAN.aheadahead of the game ahead of yourcompetitors or peers in the same sphereof activity.1996 Daily Telegraph The smart money headedfor Chinatown, where you can pick up allthose Eastern looks the designers arepromoting for next spring ahead of thegame.ahead of your (or its) time innovative andradical by the standards of the time.advocatestreets ahead: see STREET.play devil's advocate: see DEVIL.aidafraidaid and abet help and encourage someoneto do something wrong, especially tocommit a crime.afraid of your own shadow: see SHADOW.Africaj O Abet comes from an Old French termj meaning 'to encourage a hound to bite'.for Africa in abundance; in large numbers.South African informal1986 Frank Peretti This Present Darkness Shestrained to think of. any friend who would1980 C. Hope A Separate Development An entirestill aid and abet a fugitive from the law,museum of vintage stuff including.without questions.Bentleys for Africa.inaidof in support of; for the purpose ofafterraising money for. chiefly Britishbe after doing something be on the point of1999 Teesdale Mercury A wine and savourydoing something or have just done it. Irishevening in aid of cancer research will be1988 Roddy Doyle The Commitments I'm afterheld. on Friday.rememberin'. I forgot to bring mine back. It'sunder me bed.agewhat's all this in aid of? what is the purposeof this? British informalact your age: see ACT.airthe awkward age: see AWKWARD.airs and graces an affected manner ofbehaving, designed to attract or impress.Britishgive yourself airs act pretentiously orsnobbishly.1948 Christopher Bush The Case of the SecondChance It was said she gave herself airs, and itwas also hinted that she was no better—asthey say—than she might be.come of age Q (of a person) reach adultstatus, (of a movement or activity)become fully established.feel your age: see FEEL.a golden age: see GOLDEN.under age: see UNDER.agendaa hidden agenda: see HIDDEN.agonypile on the agony: see PILE.prolong the agony: see PROLONG.agreeagree to differ cease to argue about:jIijO Air in the sense of 'an affected manner'has been current since the mid 17th century; jfrom the early 18th century the pluralform has been more usual in this derogatory isense.hot air: see HOT.up in the air (of a plan or issue) still to besettled; unresolved.
all51990 Times Thatcherism may be dying on its1995 Scientific American Prospects for federalfeet in Britain, but it is alive and well in foreignresearch and development are up in the air asparts.Republicans looking for budget cuts takecontrol on Capitol Hill.on (or off) the air being {or not being)allbroadcast on radio or television.all and sundry everyone.take the air go out of doors.1991 Sunday Times In the manner of an Oscarwalk on air feel elated.winner, she thanks all and sundry for theirhelp.1977 Bernard MacLaverty Secrets 'I'm sureyou're walking on air,' my mother said to Paulall comers anyone who chooses to takeat his wedding.part in an activity, typically acompetition.aisle1992 AI Gore Earth in the Balance He hashave people rolling in the aisles make antraveled to conferences and symposia in everyaudience laugh uncontrollably, be verypart of the world, argued his case, andamusing, informalpatiently taken on all comers.O1940 P. G. Wodehouse Quick Service I madeall-in with everything included.the speech of a lifetime. I had them tearing up exhausted. British informalthe seats and rolling in the aisles.all my eye and Betty Martin: see EYE.all of as much as (often used ironically of anaitchamount considered very small by thedrop your aitches: see DROP.speaker or writer).1995 Bill Bryson Notesfroma Small Island InAladdin1992, a development company. tore downan Aladdin's cave a place full of valuablefive listed buildings, in a conservation area,objects.was taken to court and fined all of 675.an Aladdin's lamp a talisman that enables itsbe all one to make no difference toowner to fulfil every desire.someone.i O , n t r , e Arabian Nights tale of Aladdin,allout using all your strength or resources.i the hero finds a magic lamp in a cave. Heall over the place in a state of confusion ori discoversthatrubbingitsummonsapowerful jj genie who is able to carry out all his wishes.disorganization, informalalarmalarms and excursions confused activity anduproar, humorous!IIj;jO Alarm was formerly spelled alarum,representing a pronunciation with a rollingof the 'r'; the phrase was originally a callsummoning soldiers to arms. The wholephrase is used in stage directions inShakespeare to indicate a battle scene.alightset the world alight: see SET.alivealive and kicking prevalent and very active.informal1991 Mark Tully No Full Stops in India Youdeliberately choose unknown actors,although India is a country where the starsystem is very much alive and kicking.alive and well still existing or active (oftenused to deny rumours or beliefs thatsomething has disappeared or declined).!!!jO Other variants of this phrase include a//over the map and all over the lot which areNorth American, and all over the shop which iis mainly British.1997 Spectator The government. proposedequalising standards and making themcomparable. there could be no cleareradmission that standards are all over theplace.all the rage: see RAGE.all round in all respects, for or by eachperson.all-singing, all-dancing with every possibleattribute; able to perform any necessaryfunction. British informalO This phrase is used particularly in the areaof computer technology, but it was originallyused to describe show-business acts.Ultimately, it may come from a series of 1929posters which advertised the addition ofsound to motion pictures. The firstHollywood musical, MGM's BroadwayMelody, was promoted with the slogan AllTalking All Singing All Dancing.
all-clear1991 Computing Each of the majorindependents launched an all-singingall-dancing graphics-oriented version lastyear.all systems go: see SYSTEM.be all that be very attractive or good.US informal2002 Guardian I can't believe how she throwsherself at guys, she thinks she's all that.not all there not in full possession of yourmental faculties, informal6!iijijO Alpha and omega are respectively thefirst jand last letters of the Greek alphabet,Christians
This second edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Idioms is based on the first edition, edited by Jennifer Speake. It maintains the first edition's focus on contemporary and historical phrases, sayings, and proverbs, and uses a combination of definition and (where required) explanatory note and illustrative quotation to provide a rounded picture of
2. Illustrating Idioms Two 3. Illustrating Idioms Three 4. Illustrating Idioms Four 5. Illustrating Idioms Five 6. Illustrating Idioms Six 7. Illustrating Idioms Seven 8. Illustrating Idioms Eight 9. Illustrating Idioms Nine 10. Illustrating Idioms Ten These pages are great for big kids to practice using and understanding idioms during reading .
learners of English: Cambridge Idioms Dictionary. and . Oxford Idioms Dictionary . in focus _ by Anna Stachurska studies English idioms and focuses on the question of how usage of English idioms is marked within two most representative idioms dictionaries, namely . Oxford Idioms Dictionary
1 Few idioms stay in frequent usage for a long time. 2 Your English may sound unnatural if you use certain idioms. 3 Idioms can be used for dramatic effect. 4 Idioms are frequently used to comment on people and situations. 5 Headline writers always use idioms in their correct form. 6 Idioms
Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms Common idioms 1 Some of the most common idioms in English are highlighted in the dictionary. Below on the left are some common idioms. Choose the correct meaning from the list on the right. 1. be par for the course a find compromises 2. give the game away b make people feel relaxed with each other 3.
to 7000 idioms in McCarthy and Walter's Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms [ McCarthy and Walter 1998] while it goes up to 10000 in Oxford Idioms Dictionary for Learners of English. The lack of a uniform definition and the inclusion of massive words under the category of idioms
of idioms, see, for example the Longman Dictionary of English Idioms, 1979. and the Oxford Dictionary ojCurrent Idiomatic English .Vol 1 1975(2ndedn 1993), Vol 2 1983, and Alexander (1987) and Lattey (1986)) Most views of idioms agree that idioms
representative idioms dictionaries, namely Oxford Idioms Dictionary and Cambridge Idioms Dictionary. Additionally, it provides a number of reasons why this area may be problematic for students of English. Key words: usage labels, lexicography, idioms dictionaries, user needs, dictionary
Their Origins (DITO) and Oxford Idioms Dictionary for Learners of English (OIDLE), which were also used as reference dictionaries. In the DITO, all the idioms that can be found in the Index of themes on pages 317-320 under the following titles were included: Idioms from ancient legends, Idioms from the Bible, Idio
