The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms Page 2

  ace → In addition to the idioms beginning with ACE, also see HOLD ALL THE ACES; TRUMP SOMEONE’S ACE; 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 hold 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 concealed in a shoulder holster. By the 1920s it had become a metaphor for any surprise advantage or leverage.

  ace it Accomplish something with success, as in I’m sure he’ll ace it when he takes that bar exam. The verb ace originated in tennis with the meaning “to hit an unreturnable serve against an opponent.” The idiom ace it, however, originated as student slang for getting an “A” on an exam or in a course but soon was extended to other successful accomplishments. [Slang; mid-1900s]

  ace out 1. Get the better of, defeat, as in Our team is bound to ace them out, or Those calculus problems aced me out again. [Slang; mid-1900s] 2. Take advantage of or cheat someone, as in John thought they were trying to ace him out of his promised promotion. [Slang; c. 1920]

  ace up one’s sleeve → See CARD UP ONE’S SLEEVE.

  Achilles’ heel A fatal weakness, a vulnerable area, as in This division, which is rarely profitable, is the company’s Achilles’ heel. The term alludes to the Greek legend about the heroic warrior Achilles whose mother tried to make him immortal by holding the infant by his heel and dipping him into the River Styx. Eventually he was killed by an arrow shot into his undipped heel. [c. 1800]

  acid test A decisive trial to determine worth or quality, as in Exposure to brilliant sunlight is the acid test for showing this fabric won’t fade. Alluding to a 19th-century chemical test for distinguishing gold from other metals, this term was used figuratively by the early 1900s.

  acquaintance → See NODDING ACQUAINTANCE; SCRAPE UP AN ACQUAINTANCE.

  acquired taste Something one learns to like rather than appreciates immediately. For example, Because it is so salty, caviar for many individuals is an acquired taste, or With its lack of decorative detail, this china pattern is definitely an acquired taste. [Mid-1800s]

  across → In addition to the idiom beginning with ACROSS, also see COME ACROSS; CUT ACROSS; GET ACROSS; PUT ACROSS; RUN ACROSS.

  across the board Applying to all the individuals in a group, as in They promised us an across-the-board tax cut, that is, one applying to all taxpayers, regardless of income. This expression comes from horse racing, where it refers to a bet that covers all possible ways of winning money on a race: win (first), place (second), or show (third). The board here is the notice-board on which the races and betting odds are listed. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.

  act → In addition to the idioms beginning with ACT, also see CATCH RED-HANDED (IN THE ACT); CLEAN UP (ONE’S ACT); DO A DISAPPEARING ACT; GET ONE’S ACT TOGETHER; HARD ACT TO FOLLOW; HIGH-WIRE ACT; IN THE ACT; PUT ON AN ACT; READ THE RIOT ACT.

  action → In addition to the idiom beginning with ACTIONS, also see ALL TALK (AND NO ACTION); PIECE OF THE ACTION; SWING INTO ACTION.

  actions speak louder than words What one does is more important than what one says, as in Politicians need to be reminded that actions speak louder than words. This statement, a proverb found in many languages, including ancient Greek, was first worded in precisely this way in English in Colonial Currency (1736). Also see ALL TALK; DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO.

  active duty Full-time service, as in Julian is 81, but he still comes to the office every day and is very much on active duty. This term comes from the military, where it stands in opposition to reserve, which refers to troops still in the military but not actively engaged. It is occasionally transferred to civilian matters as well. [First half of 1800s]

  act of faith Behavior that shows or tests a person’s religious or other convictions, as in Rock climbing with a new, inexperienced partner was a real act of faith. The term is a translation of the Portuguese auto da fé, which referred to the sentencing and execution of heretics (often by burning at the stake) during the Inquisition, when punishing heresy was thought to constitute an assertion of faith. In modern times it is used for more benign circumstances. [Early 1700s]

  act of God An unforeseen and uncontrollable natural event, such as a hurricane, fire, or flood. For example, The publisher shall publish the work within twelve months except in case of delay caused by acts of God such as fires or floods or other circumstances beyond its control. It most often appears in legal contracts, where it is used to indemnify one party against a disaster that prevents it from carrying out the contract’s terms. [Mid-1800s]

  act on 1. Also, act upon. Conduct oneself in accordance with or as a result of information or another action, as in I will act on my lawyer’s advice, or The manager refused to act upon the hotel guest’s complaints. [c. 1800] 2. Influence or affect, as in The baby’s fussing acted on the sitter’s nerves. [c. 1800]

  act one’s age Behave more maturely. Although the phrase often is used in asking children to act in a more grown-up fashion (Only babies suck their thumbs; act your age), it also may refer to an adult who is, sometimes deliberately, acting much younger than might be considered appropriate (Grandpa, it’s time you stopped climbing ladders and acted your age).

  act out 1. Perform or portray something or someone, as in As she read to the class, the teacher had each child act out a different character in the story. [c. 1600] 2. Express unconscious feelings or impulses through one’s behavior, without being aware of it. For example, She acted out her anger at her father by screaming at her husband. This meaning comes from 20th-century psychological theory and usually (but not always) refers to negative or hostile impulses and emotions. The term is sometimes used without an object to mean “misbehave” or “behave disruptively,” as in The child is acting out in class. [First half of 1900s] In both usages, out means “openly” or “publicly.”

  act up 1. Misbehave. For example, With an inexperienced rider, this horse always acts up. [c. 1900] 2. Malfunction, as in I’m not sure what’s wrong with my car, but the transmission is acting up. In both usages up means “abnormally.”

  act upon → See ACT ON.

  Adam → See NOT KNOW SOMEONE FROM ADAM.

  add fuel to the fire Also, add fuel to the flames. Worsen an already bad situation, as by increasing anger, hostility, or passion, as in Bill was upset, and your making fun of his mishap just added fuel to the fire. This metaphor dates from Roman times—Livy used it in his history of Rome—and it remains in common use. For similar metaphors, see ADD INSULT TO INJURY; FAN THE FLAMES.

  add insult to injury Hurt a person’s feelings after doing him or her harm; also, make a bad situation worse. For example, Not only did the club refuse him, but it published a list of the rejected applicants—that’s adding insult to injury, or The nearest parking space was half a mile away, and then, to add insult to injury, it began to pour. The phrase is an ancient one, even older than its often cited use in the Roman writer Phaedrus’s fable of the bald man and the fly. A fly bit the head of a bald man, who, trying to crush it, gave himself a heavy blow. The fly then jeered, “You want to avenge an insect’s sting with death; what will you do to yourself, who have added insult to injury?” In English it was first recorded in 1748.

  addition → See IN ADDITION.

  add up 1. Amount to an expected or correct total, as in These figures don’t add up, meaning they are not correct. [Mid-1800s] 2. Be consistent, make sense, as in I’m not sure that all this testimony will add up. [First half of 1900s] 3. Assess, form an opinion of, as in He looked across the track and added up the competition. Also see ADD UP TO.

  add up to Amount to, signify, as in The smooth airline connections, luxury hotel, and fine weather added up to the best vacation we’d ever had. [Early 1
900s] Also see ADD UP.

  ad hoc For the special purpose or end at hand; also, by extension, improvised or impromptu. The term, Latin for “to this,” is most often used for committees established for a specific purpose, as in The committee was formed ad hoc to address health insurance problems. The term is also used as an adjective (An ad hoc committee was formed), and has given rise to the noun adhocism for the tendency to use temporary, provisional, or improvised methods to deal with a particular problem. [Early 1600s]

  admiration → See MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY.

  ad nauseam To ridiculous excess, to a sickening degree. For example, I wish he’d drop the subject; we have heard about budget cuts ad nauseam. The term, Latin for “to [the point of] nausea,” has been used in English since the early 1600s.

  a drag A tedious experience, a bore, as in After several thousand times, signing your autograph can be a drag. This seemingly modern term was army slang during the Civil War. The allusion probably is to drag as something that impedes progress. [Colloquial; mid-1800s]

  advance → See IN ADVANCE; MAKE ADVANCES.

  advantage → See GET THE ADVANTAGE OF; SHOW TO ADVANTAGE; TAKE ADVANTAGE OF; TO ADVANTAGE.

  advocate → See DEVIL’S ADVOCATE.

  a far cry → See FAR CRY FROM.

  a few A small number of persons or things. This phrase can differ slightly from few used alone, which means “not many.” For example, The party was to end at eight, but a few stayed on indicates that a small number of guests remained, whereas The party began at eight, and few attended means that hardly any guests came. [Late 1200s] Also see QUITE A BIT (FEW).

  afoul of → See RUN AFOUL OF.

  afraid of one’s own shadow Very timid and fearful, as in Richard constantly worries about security; he’s afraid of his own shadow. This hyperbole has been used in English since the early 1500s, and some writers believe it originated in ancient Greece.

  after → In addition to the idioms beginning with AFTER, also see DAY AFTER DAY; GET AFTER; GO AFTER; INQUIRE AFTER; KEEP AFTER; LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER; LOOK AFTER; MORNING AFTER; NAME AFTER; RUN AFTER; SEE AFTER; SOUGHT AFTER; TAKE AFTER; THROW GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD; TIME AFTER TIME.

  after a fashion Also, after a sort. Somehow or other; not very well, as in John can read music, after a fashion, or He managed to paint the house after a sort. The first phrase, in which fashion means “a manner of doing something,” has been so used since the mid-1800s, when it replaced in a fashion. The variant dates from the mid-1500s. Also see IN A WAY; OR OTHER.

  after all 1. Despite everything, nevertheless, as in The plane took off half an hour late but landed on time after all. 2. After everything else has been considered, ultimately, as in Mary has final approval of the guest list; after all, it’s her wedding. The two usages are pronounced differently, the first giving stress to the word after and the second to the word all. Both date from the early 1700s. Also see WHEN ALL’S SAID AND DONE.

  after all’s said and done → See WHEN ALL’S SAID AND DONE.

  after a sort → See AFTER A FASHION.

  after a while → See IN A WHILE.

  after hours After normal working hours, after closing time; also, after legal or established opening hours. For example, I haven’t time while the shop is open, but I can see you after hours, or The restaurant employees sometimes stayed for a meal after hours. This term originally referred to laws governing business hours. It also gave rise to the term afterhours club, for a drinking club that ­remained open later than similar establishments. [Mid-1800s]

  after one’s own heart To one’s own personal liking, as in He’s very patient with the slower pupils; he’s a teacher after my own heart. This idiom appears in the King James Bible of 1611 (I Samuel 13:14). [Late 1500s]

  after the fact → After an actual occurrence, particularly after a crime. For example, I know the brakes should have been repaired, but that doesn’t help much after the fact. The use of fact for a crime dates from the first half of the 1500s. The word became standard in British law and is still used in this way today. The idiom was first recorded in 1769 in the phrase accessories after the fact, referring to persons who assist a lawbreaker after a crime has been committed. Now it is also used more loosely, as in the example above.

  again → In addition to the idiom beginning with AGAIN, also see COME AGAIN; DO OVER (AGAIN); EVERY NOW AND THEN (AGAIN); HERE (ONE) GOES (AGAIN); NOW AND AGAIN; OFF AND ON (OFF AGAIN, ON AGAIN); OVER AGAIN; SOMETHING ELSE AGAIN; TIME AFTER TIME (TIME AND TIME AGAIN); YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN.

  again and again Repeatedly, often, as in I’ve told you again and again, don’t turn up the heat. This idiom uses repetition for the purpose of emphasis (as does its synonym, OVER AND OVER). Shakespeare used it in Othello (1:3): “I have told thee often, and I retell thee again and again.” [c. 1600]

  against → In addition to the idioms beginning with AGAINST, also see BEAT ONE’S HEAD AGAINST THE WALL; CARDS ARE STACKED AGAINST; COME UP AGAINST; COUNT AGAINST; DEAD SET AGAINST; HAVE SOMETHING AGAINST; HOLD SOMETHING AGAINST; OVER AGAINST; PIT AGAINST; RAISE A HAND AGAINST; RUN AGAINST; SET AGAINST; SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT; TURN AGAINST; TWO STRIKES AGAINST; UP AGAINST.

  against all odds In spite of seeming very unlikely, as in Against all odds we had a snowstorm in early May, or Against all odds the slower team won. This transfer of a betting term to general usage occurred about 1900.

  against one’s better judgment Despite serious misgivings or objections, as in Against my better judgment, I told her to come whenever she pleased.

  against one’s will Without one’s consent, forcibly, as in The defendant knew he could not be made to testify against his will. Originally one meaning of will was “acquiescence” or “consent,” but this sense survives only in this idiom, which today nearly always implies some use of force. [c. 1400]

  against the clock Also, against time. In a great hurry, as fast as possible, as in With her term paper due on Monday, she was racing against the clock to finish it, or They were working against time to stay on schedule. The term comes from various sports in which the contestants do not directly compete against each other but instead are timed individually, the winner being the one who is fastest. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.

  against the grain Opposed to one’s inclination or preference, as in We followed the new supervisor’s advice, though it went against the grain. This metaphor refers to the natural direction of the fibers in a piece of wood, called its grain; when sawed obliquely, or “against the grain,” the wood will tend to splinter. [c. 1600] For a synonym, see RUB THE WRONG WAY.

  against the current → See SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT.

  age → See ACT ONE’S AGE; AWKWARD AGE; COON’S AGE; GOLDEN AGE; IN THIS DAY AND AGE; OF AGE; RIPE OLD AGE; UNDER AGE.

  a goner Something or someone that is dead, doomed, ruined, or past recovery, as in If this new drug doesn’t work, he’s a goner, or Without a working transmission, my car’s a goner. Synonyms of this idiom, such as a gone goose or chicken or gosling, are no longer heard as much. [Slang; mid-1800s]

  a good deal Also, a great deal. → See under GOOD DEAL.

  ahead → In addition to the idioms beginning with AHEAD, also see COME OUT AHEAD; DEAD AHEAD; FULL SPEED AHEAD; GET AHEAD; GO AHEAD; ONE JUMP AHEAD; QUIT WHILE ONE’S AHEAD.

  ahead of one’s time In advance of current ideas, customs, or methods, as in His treatment of light showed this painter to be well ahead of his time, or Wearing trousers and smoking cigars marked Amy Lowell as a woman ahead of her time. This idiom uses time in the sense of “era” or “generation,” a usage at least a thousand years old. The phrase is usually but not always used to express approval. [First half of 1900s]

  ahead of the game In a position of advantage, ­especially financially; succeeding or winning. For example, If we can sell 2,000 units of this product by next month, we’ll be well ahead of the game. This idiom uses ahead of in the sense of “in advance of,” a usage dating from the mid-1700s, and transf
ers success in gambling (the game) to winning in other areas. Also see COME OUT AHEAD.

  ahead of time Earlier, sooner, as in The meeting was scheduled for three o’clock, but most people ­arrived ahead of time. [Early 1900s]

  aid and abet To assist or encourage something or someone. The term, which pairs two verbs of nearly the same meaning, comes from criminal law, where it means helping in the commission of a crime. Still so used, it also is transferred to non-criminal situations, as in Feeding marmots aids and abets an explosion in their population. [Late 1700s]

  aim → In addition to the idiom beginning with AIM, also see TAKE AIM.

  aim to Try or intend to do something, as in We aim to please, or She aims to fly to California. This term derives from aim in the sense of “direct the course of something,” such as an arrow or bullet. [Colloquial; c. 1600]

  air → In addition to the idiom beginning with AIR, also see BREATH OF FRESH AIR; CASTLES IN THE AIR; CLEAR THE AIR; GIVE SOMEONE THE AIR; HOT AIR; IN THE AIR; INTO THIN AIR; NOSE IN THE AIR; OFF THE AIR; PUT ON AIRS; UP IN THE AIR; WALK ON AIR; WASH (AIR) ONE’S DIRTY LINEN IN PUBLIC.

  air one’s grievances Complain publicly, as in Jane was afraid to complain at work but freely aired her grievances at home. This figurative exposure to the open air is far from new; to air one’s opinions or ideas dates from the early 1800s, and the precise idiom appears in James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922).

  à la Like, in the manner of, as in He hoped to break all records, à la Babe Ruth. This expression, an abbreviation of the French à la mode de (for “in the manner of”), has been used in English since the late 1500s.

  alarm → See FALSE ALARM.

  albatross around one’s neck A heavy burden of guilt that becomes an obstacle to success, as in The failed real estate scheme became an albatross around her neck, for now she could not interest other investors in a new project. This idiom comes from Samuel Coleridge’s narrative poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798), which is based on the widespread superstition that it is unlucky to kill this large white sea bird. In the poem a sailor does kill an albatross, and when the ship then is becalmed near the equator and runs out of water, his shipmates blame him and force him to wear the dead bird around his neck.