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®
The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
Christine Ammer
OTHER BOOKS BY CHRISTINE AMMER
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The inclusion of any word or phrase in this book is not an expression of the
Publisher's opinion as to whether or not it is subject to proprietary rights. No
definition in this book is to be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark.
®
American Heritage and the eagle logo are registered trademarks of Forbes Inc.
Their use is pursuant to a license agreement with Forbes Inc.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust.
No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any
information storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission of
Houghton Mifflin Company unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal
copyright law. Address inquiries to Reference Permissions, Houghton Mifflin
Company, 222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ammer, Christine. The American Heritage dictionary of idioms / Christine Ammer.
p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-395-72774-X (cloth)
1. English language???
2. United StatesIdiomsDictionaries.
1. English language??
2. United StatesTerms and phrases.
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1. Americanisms?
Dictionaries. I. Title. PE 2839.A47 1997 423'.1?97-12390
dc21 CIP
Manufactured in the United States of America
Preface
This book is a comprehensive survey of the idioms currently used in American
English. An idiom is a set phrase of two or more words that means something
different from the literal meaning of the individual words. For instance, the phrase
to change one's tune has nothing to do with music but means "to alter one's
attitude." Similarly, to hit the nail on the head often has nothing to do with
carpentry but means simply "to be absolutely right." Idioms are the idiosyncrasies
of a language. Often defying the rules of logic, they pose great difficulties for
non-native speakers. English abounds with phrases such as if worst comes to
worst, far and away, and how do you do, which, if translated literally, make no
sense. Indeed, the true test of an idiom is whether it changes meaning when
rendered word for word in another language.
In addition to idioms, this book includes common figures of speech, such as dark
horse and blind as a bat; interjections and formula phrases, such as all the best
and take care; emphatic redundancies whose word order cannot be reversed, such
as far and wide and cease and desist; common proverbs, especially ones that
often occur in abbreviated form, such as a bird in the hand; colloquialisms such as
off the beam and out in left field; and slang phrases such as push the envelope.
Each expression is defined and illustrated by at least one sample sentence
showing how it is used in context. In most cases the literal meaning of a phrase is
omitted; thus the entry hold up omits the definition "keep upright" or "support."
Wherever possible I have included information regarding the expression's origin or
background, along with its date of first appearance. I have given approximate
dates for most idioms to allow for their probable use in speech before being
written down.
The ultimate origin of many idioms is unknown. Some idioms, such as by hook or
crook, use familiar words in obscure ways. Some preserve words that are
otherwise obsolete, such as hue in hue and cry and fell in in one fell swoop. I have
tried to explain these lost origins and obscure meanings whenever research can
shed light on them. The result is a dictionary that treats almost 10,000 English
expressions in greater detail and depth than any other book available today. I
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hope that all speakers of English will find it both useful and enjoyable.
Heartfelt thanks are due to the many friends and acquaintances who have offered
valuable suggestions, advice, and help, especially my husband Dean Ammer.
Special mention must be made of Joseph Pickett, Senior Lexicographer, and Susan
Chicoski, Associate Editor, of Houghton Mifflin Company, and of their colleagues
David A. Jost and Kaethe Ellis for their invaluable expertise. I would also like to
thank Jesse Sheidlower of Random House for his generous help dating some of
the slang expressions. The dictionary has been vastly improved through their
assistance.
CHRISTINE AMMER
Guide to Using this Book
Entries
All entry phrases and synonymous variants are given in boldface type at the
beginning of an entry before the definition. Related or similar expressions are
given in boldface in the text of the entry. Historical precedents and obsolete
phrases appear in italic type. Where a phrase has more than one meaning,
definitions are numbered, and whenever possible, ordered by frequency of use.
Example sentences appear in italic type, quotations in roman type within quotation
marks, and cross-references in small capitals.
Alphabetization and Cross-References
Entries are arranged alphabetically, letter by letter up to the comma in the case of
inverted or appended elements.
To locate an entry, it sometimes may be hard to decide which word in a phrase
will come first in the alphabetical listing. For example, is as luck would have it
under as or luck? To help sort out these problems, entries listing cross-references
for key words appear alphabetically among the main entries. By checking these
key-word entries, readers can locate every phrase treated as an entry in this book.
The reader who does not find as luck would have it under as can look under the
entries beginning with the next word, luck. If more help is needed, the entry for
the word luck itself lists all the idioms containing that word which appear
elsewhere in the book.
Variants or related expressions that are covered under other entry words appear in
parentheses in the cross-references. Thus, at the entry soft the reader is referred
to HARD (SOFT) SELL, which means that the entry hard sell also treats the phrase
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soft sell. Note, however, that words in parentheses are not considered part of the
alphabetical order, so one should look for hard sell, not hard soft sell.
Variable Pronouns
Many idioms can be used with different pronouns, as, for example, clean up his
act, clean up her act, clean up my act. Consequently, the pronouns one and
someone are used in entry words and variants to indicate that the object or
possessive pronoun in the idiom may vary according to context. One or one's
means that the antecedent of the pronoun must be the subject of the clause, or in
some cases an inanimate noun or a gerund must be the subject. For example, the
idiom hit one's stride can appear in a sentence such as She finally hit her stride, or
the idiom serve one right can be used in a sentence such as It serves him right to
be thrown off the team. But note that sentences like She finally hit his stride are
not possible.
The use of someone or someone's in the idiom means that the pronoun can be
replaced only by a noun or pronoun that does not refer to the grammatical subject
of the clause. In other words, the action of the verb is directed from one person to
another (the "someone"). For example, the idiom call someone's bluff implies that
you (or he or she or they) can only call someone else's bluff, never your (or his or
her or their) own.
Labels
The labels in brackets preceding the date of an idiom's first appearance indicate
the degree of formality or offensiveness. The label colloquial means that a phrase
is used in ordinary speech and informal writing but not in more formal contexts.
Slang generally refers to phrases that are appropriate only to very informal
contexts or are used in irreverent humor. Vulgar slang indicates that a phrase is
generally considered offensive. The absence of such a label indicates that a term
is considered standard English.
Note that these labels are bound to change, as are the idioms themselves. What is
slang today may be standard English tomorrow. Furthermore, what is common
usage for a time may die out (in this book indicated as obsolescent) or it may
change its meaning, as the idiom beg the question may be doing. As
E.B. White put it, "The living language is like a cowpath; it is the creation of the
cows themselves, who, having created it, follow it or depart from it according to
their whims or their needs. From daily use, the path undergoes change."
Dating
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Nearly all entries provide some indication of the idiom's history. For many entries
the date when the expression was invented or first used appears within brackets.
These dates are often approximate because in many cases a phrase has been
used for some time in speech before being recorded in writing. In some cases, as
when the expression first appeared in the work of a well-known writer, the precise
date and location of its first recorded use are given. Within brackets the
abbreviation c. (for Latin circa) is used to mean "about," as in "c. 1400." The
abbreviation A.D. is used for the years 1 through 1000; B.C. is used to indicate
years before A.D. 1.
Quotations
Unless otherwise specified, biblical quotations are from the King James translation
of 1611. To avoid the difficulties posed to some readers by the English of earlier
writers such as Chaucer, many quotations have had their spelling normalized, and
some have been rendered into Modern English.
Sources
Among the principal sources used for dates and citations are, first and foremost,
The Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition; The American Heritage Dictionary
of the English Language, Third Edition; J.E. Lighter, Historical Dictionary of
American Slang, Volume I; The Random House Dictionary of the English
Language, Second Edition; Eric Partridge, A Dictionary of Catch Phrases, American
and British, from the 16th Century to the Present Day; Webster's Dictionary of
English Usage; Wolfgang Mieder, A Dictionary of American Proverbs; Richard H.
Thornton, An American Glossary; Mitford M. Mathews, A Dictionary of
Americanisms; Burton Stevenson, Home Book of Proverbs, Maxims, and Familiar
Phrases; John Algeo, Fifty Years Among the New Words; Clarence Barnhart, Sol
Steinmetz, and Robert Barnhart, The Barnhart Dictionary of New English since
1963 and The Second Barnhart Dictionary of New English; and William Safire, "On
Language" column, The New York Times.
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A
hand. see TAKE ABACK.
abide
In addition to the idioms beginning with ABIDE, also see CAN'T STAND
hand.
(ABIDE).
abide by
Accept and act in accordance with a decision or set of rules; also, remain faithful
to. For example, All members must agree to abide by the club regulations, or A
trustworthy man abides by his word. An older sense of the verb abide, "remain," is
still familiar in the well-known 19th-century hymn "Abide with Me," which asks
God to stay with the singer in time of trouble. [Early 1500s]
a bit
1. A small amount of anything; also, a short period of time. For example, Here's a
bit of wrapping paper, or It'll be ready in a bit, or Just wait a bit. [c. 1600] 2.
Somewhat or rather, as in It stings a bit, or Will you have a bit more to eat?
[Second half of 1600s] Also see BIT BY BIT; NOT A BIT.
about
In addition to the idioms beginning with ABOUT, also see AT ABOUT;
hand.
BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH; BRING ABOUT; CAST ABOUT; COME ABOUT; DO AN
ABOUT-FACE; GET ABOUT; GO ABOUT (ONE'S BUSINESS); HOW ABOUT (THAT);
JUST ABOUT; KNOCK ABOUT; LAY ABOUT; MAN ABOUT TOWN; MUCK ABOUT;
NOSE ABOUT (AROUND); NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT; ORDER SOMEONE ABOUT;
OUT AND ABOUT; SEE ABOUT; SEND SOMEONE ABOUT SOMEONE'S BUSINESS;
SET ABOUT; THAT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF IT; UP AND ABOUT; WHAT ABOUT
SOMEONE (SOMETHING).
about time
Long past the right time; also, approximately the right time. Thus, It's about time
you went to bed can mean either that you should have gone to bed much earlier
(often stated with emphasis on the word time), or that now is the appropriate time
for you to retire. [Early 1900s] For a synonym, see HIGH TIME.
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about to
1. Ready to, on the verge of, as in I was about to leave when it began to rain, or
He hasn't finished yet but he's about to. This usage was first recorded in Miles
Coverdale's 1535 translation of the Bible (Joshua 18:8). 2. not about to. Having
no intention of doing something, as in The shop steward was not about to cross
the picket line, or Are you staying longer??
No, I'm not about to. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s]
above
In addition to the idioms beginning with ABOVE, also see ALL (NONE) OF
hand.
THE ABOVE; CUT ABOVE; HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE; OVER AND ABOVE.
above all
More than anything else, as in A winter hike calls for good equipment, but above
all it requires careful planning. This phrase first appears in William Langland's Piers
Ploughman (1377), in which the narrator exhorts readers to love the Lord God
above all. Also see FIRST AND LAST.
above and beyond
More than is required. This somewhat redundant expression?
above and beyond here both denote excess?
often precedes the call of duty, which means exceeding what a particular job
requires. Thus Putting in overtime without pay is above and beyond the call of
duty. Also see OVER AND ABOVE.
aboveboard
hand. see OPEN AND ABOVEBOARD.
above suspicion
So trustworthy as never to be suspected of wrongdoing, as in "The wife of Caesar
must be above suspicion" (Charles Merivale, A History of the Romans under the
Empire, 1850). The phrase was given further currency when it was used for the
title of a very popular World War II spy film starring Joan Crawford (Above
Suspicion, 1943). A similar idiom using above in the sense of "beyond" is above
the law, usually describing an individual or business behaving as though exempt
from rules or laws that apply to others.
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above the law
hand. see under ABOVE SUSPICION.
absence
hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with ABSENCE, also see
CONSPICUOUS BY ITS ABSENCE.
absence makes the heart grow fonder
Separation intensifies love, as in After a year in another country she accepted his
proposal, so I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder, or, used ironically, The
boss leaves earlier every day; oh well, absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Although versions of this saying date from Roman times, it only became popular
after Thomas Haynes Bayly used it as the last line of a song in The Isle of Beauty
(1850). The opposite sentiment is expressed by FAMILIARITY BREEDS
CONTEMPT.
absent without leave
Away without permission or explanation, as in Her daughter went to the mall but
got in trouble for being absent without leave. The term and its acronym, AWOL,
originated in the American military during World War I for soldiers absent from
duty without permission (leave). It later was transferred to civilian situations, as in
John didn't just cut his Tuesday classes; he went AWOL.
accidentally on purpose
hand. see ON PURPOSE, def. 2.
accord
hand. see OF ONE'S OWN ACCORD.
according to all accounts
hand. see BY ALL ACCOUNTS.
according to Hoyle
In keeping with established rules; on the highest authority, as in The tax records
are in excellent order, all according to Hoyle. Edmond Hoyle (1679-1769) of
England, author of books of rules for card games, was so highly regarded that
numerous writers used his name on their own rule books, even for games that
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had not been invented by the time of Hoyle's death, so that his name became
synonymous with any rules.
account
hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with ACCOUNT, also see ALL
PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR; BY ALL ACCOUNTS; CALL TO ACCOUNT; GIVE A
GOOD ACCOUNT; NO ACCOUNTING FOR TASTES; ON ACCOUNT OF; ON NO
ACCOUNT; ON ONE'S OWN ACCOUNT; ON SOMEONE'S ACCOUNT; TAKE
ACCOUNT OF; TAKE INTO ACCOUNT; TURN TO GOOD ACCOUNT.
account for
1. Be the determining factor in; cause. For example, The beat wave accounts for
all this food spoilage, or Icy roads account for the increase in accidents. 2. Explain
or justify, as in Jane was upset because her son couldn't account for the three
hours between his last class and his arrival at home. Both of these related usages
are derived from the literal meaning of the phrase, that is, "make a reckoning of
an account." [Second half of 1700s]
accustomed to
Used to something or someone; having the habit of doing something. For
example, In Spain we gave up our usual schedule and became accustomed to
eating dinner at 10 P.M. Professor Higgins in the musical My Fair Lady (1956)
ruefully sang the song "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" after his protege
Eliza walked out on him. [Second half of 1400s]
ace
hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with ACE, also see HOLD ALL THE
ACES; WITHIN AN ACE OF.
ace in the hole
A hidden advantage or resource kept in reserve until needed, as in The prosecutor
had an ace in the hole: an eyewitness. The term comes from stud poker, where
each player is dealt one card face down?
the so-called hole card?
and the rest face up. Should the hole card be an ace, the player has a hidden
advantage. Hole here simply means "a hiding place." In the 19th-century American
West, the expression was used to refer to a hidden weapon, such as a gun
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