VOCABULARY - IDIOMS
Idioms beginning with A
Idioms beginning with A
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A Bit Much
Meaning: More than is reasonable; a bit too much
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A Bite at The Cherry
Meaning: A good opportunity that isn’t available to everyone
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A Busy Bee
Meaning: A busy, active person who moves quickly from task to task.
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A Cat Has Nine Lives
Meaning: Cats seem to get away with dangerous things
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A Cat in Gloves Catches No Mice
Meaning: You can’t get what you need if you’re too careful.
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A Cat Nap
Meaning: A short sleep during the day
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A Cold Day In July
Meaning: (Something that) will never happen
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A Cold Fish
Meaning: Someone who is not often moved by emotions, who is regarded as being hard and (unfeeling.
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A Cut Above
Meaning: Slightly better than
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A Cut Below
Meaning: Inferior to; somewhat lower in quality than
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A Day Late And A Dollar Short
Meaning: Too delayed and insignificant to have much effect
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A Dog in The Manger
Meaning: A person who selfishly prevent others from using, enjoying or profiting (from something even though he/ she cannot use or enjoy it himself.
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A Few Sandwiches Short Of A Picnic
Meaning: Abnormally stupid, not really sane
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A Good Deal
Meaning: To a large extent, a lot
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A Great Deal
Meaning: To a very large extent
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A Guinea Pig
Meaning: Someone who is part of an experiment or trial
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A Hair’s Breadth
Meaning: A very small distance or amount
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A Home Bird
Meaning: Somebody who prefers to spend his social and free time at home.
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A Hundred And Ten Percent
Meaning: More than what seems to be the maximum
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A Lame Duck
Meaning: A person or enterprise (often a business) that is not a success and that has to be (helped.
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A Leg Up
Meaning: An advantage, a boost
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A Lemon
Meaning: A vehicle that does not work properly
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A Life Of Its Own
Meaning: An indepdendent existence
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A Little Bird Told Me
Meaning: I got this information from a source I cannot reveal.; I don’t wish to divulge where I got the information
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A Little Bird Told Me
Meaning: I got this information from a source I cannot reveal.; I don’t wish to divulge where I got the information
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A Little from Column A a Little from Column B
Meaning: A course of action drawing on several different ideas or possibilities
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A Lone Wolf
Meaning: Someone who is not very social with other people
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A Lot on One’s Plate
Meaning: A lot to do
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A Million and One
Meaning: Very many
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A Notch Above
Meaning: Superior to; higher in quality
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A Penny for Your Thoughts
Meaning: What are you thinking?
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A Penny Saved is A Penny Earned
Meaning: Every small amount helps to build one’s savings
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A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
Meaning: A visual presentation can communicate something very (effectively
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A Plum Job
Meaning: An easy and pleasant job that also pays well
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A Rare Bird
Meaning: Somebody or something of a kind that one seldom sees.
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A Scaredy-Cat
Meaning: Someone who is excessively scared or afraid.
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A Second Bite At The Cherry
Meaning: A Second chance to do something
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A Sight for Sore Eyes
Meaning: Someone that you’re pleased to see
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A Sitting Duck
Meaning: A person or object in a vulnerable position that is easy to attack or injure.
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A Snowball’s Chance in Hell
Meaning: Little to no likelihood of occurrence or success
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A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
Meaning: Fix something quickly, because if you don’t, it will just get more (difficult to fix
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A Stone’s Throw
Meaning: A very short distance
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A Storm in a Teacup
Meaning: Unnecessary anger or worry about an unimportant or trivial matter
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A Tall Order
Meaning: A difficult task
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A Week Is A Long Time In _____
Meaning: In the field mentioned, the situation may change rapidly
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About Time
Meaning: Far past the desired time
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About To
Meaning: On the point of, occurring imminently
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Above And Beyond
Meaning: More than is expected or required
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Above Board
Meaning: Openly, without deceit. Honestly, reputably.
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Above The Law
Meaning: Exempt from the laws that apply to everyone else.
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Above The Salt
Meaning: Of high standing or honor
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Above Water
Meaning: Not in extreme difficulty. Especially said of finances
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Accident Of Birth
Meaning: Luck in something due to family good fortune
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Accident Waiting To Happen
Meaning: A dangerous way of setting up or organizing something
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According To Hoyle
Meaning: Properly, in accordance with established procedures
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Ace In The Hole
Meaning: A hidden advantage
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Ace Up One’s Sleeve
Meaning: A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
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Acid Test
Meaning: A crucial event that determines the worth of something
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Acknowledge The Corn
Meaning: Admit to a mistake, especially a small one; point out one’s own (shortcomings, or another’s
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Acquired Taste
Meaning: Something one learns to appreciate only after trying it repeatedly
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Across The Board
Meaning: In relation to all categories, for everyone
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Across The Pond
Meaning: On or to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
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Act High and Mighty
Meaning: Be arrogant, presume that one is better than others
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Act Of Congress
Meaning: Hard to get, said of authorization
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Act One’s Age
Meaning: To be mature, not childish
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Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Meaning: One’s character and intentions are shown more accurately by one’s actions than by one’s words.
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Achilles’ Heel
Meaning: The weak point of an otherwise powerful person or organization
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Add Fuel To The Fire
Meaning: Worsen already existing tension
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Add Insult To Injury
Meaning: Compound a defeat with humiliation or mockery
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Add Insult to Injury
Meaning: Humiliate someone in addition to doing damage to him or her
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After One’s Own Heart
Meaning: Similar in a pleasing way
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After The Fact
Meaning: Too late; after something is completed or finalized
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After The Lord Mayor’s Show (UK)
Meaning: Anticlimactic; occurring after something impressive
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Against The Clock
Meaning: Forced to hurry to meet a deadline
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Against the Clock
Meaning: In a very limited amount of time; with a shortage of time being the main problem.
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Against The Grain
Meaning: Contrary to one’s natural inclinations
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Against The Run Of Play
Meaning: A typical of the way a game has been going
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Age Before Beauty
Meaning: Something said by a younger woman to an older one, for instance allowing her (to pass through a doorway
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Agree To Disagree
Meaning: Accept or set aside a disagreement
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Agreement In Principle
Meaning: In a negotiation, an agreement in which not all details have been (worked out
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Aha Moment
Meaning: Sudden realization, the point at which one suddenly understands something
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Ahead Of One’s Time
Meaning: Offering ideas not yet in general circulation; highly creative
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Ahead Of The Curve
Meaning: Innovative, devising new ideas in advance of others
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Ahead Of The Curve
Meaning: Offering ideas not yet in general circulation; highly creative
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Ahead Of The Game
Meaning: Making faster progress than anticipated; ahead of schedule
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Air Rage
Meaning: Angry behavior inside an airplane
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Airy Fairy
Meaning: whimsical, nonsensical, impractical
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Albatross Around One’s Neck
Meaning: Something from one’s past that acts as a hindrance
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Alive and Kicking
Meaning: In good health despite health problems
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All Along
Meaning: For the entire time something has been happening
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All And Sundry
Meaning: Everyone(separately) Each one.
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All Bark And No Bite
Meaning: Tending to make verbal threats but not deliver on them
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All Bets Are Off
Meaning: What seemed certain is now unclear
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All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go
Meaning: Prepared (with clothing or otherwise) for an event that does not occur
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All Ears
Meaning: Listening willingly, waiting for an explanation
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All Eyes And Ears
Meaning: Attentive
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All Eyes Are On
Meaning: Watching alertly or attentively. Having prominent eyes. Everyone is paying (attention to
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All Fur Coat And No Knickers
Meaning: Superficially attractive, physically or otherwise
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All Hands on Deck
Meaning: Everyone must help.
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All Hat And No Cattle
Meaning: Pretentious, full of bluster
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All Hell Breaks Loose
Meaning: The situation becomes chaotic.
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All In A Day’s Work (Excl.)
Meaning: That’s what I’m here for; although I have accomplished something, (it is part of what I’m expected to do
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All In Good Time
Meaning: Eventually; at a more favorable time in the future. This phrase encourages one to be patient.
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All in One Piece
Meaning: Safely
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All It’s Cracked Up To Be
Meaning: As good as claims or reputation would suggest
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All Mouth And No Trousers
Meaning: Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance
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All Over But The Shouting
Meaning: Certain to end in a specific way
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All Over Hell’S Half Acre
Meaning: All over the place; everywhere.
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All Over The Board
Meaning: Everywhere, in many different locations
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All Over The Map
Meaning: Everywhere; in many different locations
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All Over The Place
Meaning: Everywhere; in many different locations
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All Rights Reserved
Meaning: Said of a published work; all reproduction rights are asserted by the (copyright holder
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All Roads Lead to Rome
Meaning: There is more than one effective way to do something; many different (methods will produce the same result
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All Set
Meaning: Ready, prepared, finished
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All Sizzle And No Steak
Meaning: Failing to live up to advance promotion or reputation
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All Talk and No Trousers
Meaning: Prone to empty boasts
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All Told
Meaning: With everything taken into consideration
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All That Jazz
Meaning: Similar things, similar qualities, et cetera
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All The Marbles
Meaning: The entire prize or reward
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All The Rage
Meaning: Very fashionable
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All the Rage
Meaning: Very much in fashion
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All The Same
Meaning: Anyway; nevertheless; nonetheless.
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All The Tea In China
Meaning: Great wealth, a large payment
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All Things Being Equal
Meaning: In the event that all aspects of a situation remain the same
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All Things Considered
Meaning: Taking all factors into consideration
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All Thumbs
Meaning: Clumsy
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All Very Well
Meaning: True to a certain extent
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All Wet
Meaning: Completely mistaken
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Along The Lines Of
Meaning: In general accordance with, in the same general direction as
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Amateur Hour
Meaning: A display of incompetence
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Amber Gambler
Meaning: Someone who accelerates to try to cross an intersection before a traffic light (turns red
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Amber Nectar
Meaning: Beer
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American Dream
Meaning: The belief among Americans that hard work leads to material success
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An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
Meaning: Eating healthy foods will keep one from getting sick (and (needing to see a doctor)
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An Axe
Meaning: To Grind A grievance, a disagreement with someone that justifies confrontation.
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An Early Bird
Meaning: A person who gets up early in the morning, or who starts work earlier than (others.
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An Eye for an Eye
Meaning: Justice in which reparation or vengeance exactly matches the harm caused to (the victim
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An Offer One Can’t Refuse
Meaning: An extremely attractive offer
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Ancient History
Meaning: Something, such as a disagreement, that happened long ago and ought to be
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And Counting
Meaning: And the number just mentioned is increasing (or decreasing)
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And Change
Meaning: And an additional amount of money that’s less than the next round number
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And His Mother
Meaning: An intensifier for an inclusive noun or phrase such as everyone, everybody
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And So Forth
Meaning: Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner, etc.
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And So On
Meaning: Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner, etc.
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And The Like
Meaning: And other similar items, etc.
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And Then Some
Meaning: And even more than what has just been mentioned
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Another Nail In One’s Coffin
Meaning: Something that leads to someone’s death, literally or (figuratively.
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Answer Back
Meaning: Respond impertinently; to talk back.
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Ants In Your Pants
Meaning: Restlessness
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Any Port in a Storm
Meaning: If you’re in trouble, you’ll turn to anything that improves the situation.
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Any Tom, Dick or Harry
Meaning: Any ordinary person
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Angel’s Advocate
Meaning: Someone who takes a positive outlook on an idea or proposal
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Angle For
Meaning: Aim toward something, try to obtain something, often indirectly or secretly
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Apple of One’s Eye
Meaning: A favorite person or thing, a person especially valued by someone
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Apple of Someone’s Eye
Meaning: The person that someone loves most of all and is very proud of
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Apples and Oranges
Meaning: Of two different classes, not comparable
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Apples and Oranges
Meaning: Of two different classes, not comparable
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Arm Candy
Meaning: An attractive woman accompanying a powerful or famous man at a social event
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Armed to the Teeth
Meaning: Carrying many weapons
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Around the Clock
Meaning: At all times
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As American as Apple Pie
Meaning: Very or typically American
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As Far as I Can Throw (someone)
Meaning: Only slightly
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As Fit as A Fiddle
Meaning: To be healthy and physically fit
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As Pale as A Ghost
Meaning: Extremely pale
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As Pale as Death
Meaning: Extremely pale
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As Poor as a Church Mouse
Meaning: Very poor; extremely poor
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As Red as A Cherry
Meaning: Very red
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Asleep at the Wheel (Switch)
Meaning: not paying attention to one’s work; not doing one’s job diligently.
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At Death’s Door
Meaning: Very near death
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At Each Other’s Throats
Meaning: Constantly and strongly arguing
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At Loggerheads
Meaning: In a state of persistent disagreement
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At Loggerheads
Meaning: In a state of persistent disagreement.
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At Sixes and Sevens
Meaning: Someone is in a state of confusion or not very well organized.
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At the Drop of a Hat
Meaning: Spontaneously, suddenly
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At the Eleventh Hour
Meaning: It happens when it is almost too late.
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At the End of One’s Rope (Tether)
Meaning: Running out of endurance or patience
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At the End of the Day
Meaning: In the final analysis; when all is said and done
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At Wit’s End
Meaning: Frustrated because all measures to deal with something have failed
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at cross purposes
Meaning: With aims or goals that conflict or interfere with one another.