NTC's Thematic Dictionary of American Idioms Richard A. Spears, Ph.D. JS^ NTC Publishing Group N lC NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Spears, Richard A. NTC's thematic dictionary of American idioms / Richard A. Spears. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-8442-0830-2 1. English language—United States—Idioms—Dictionaries. 2. Figures of speech—Dictionaries. 3. Americanisms—Dictionaries. I. Title. PE2839.S66 1997 123'.1— dc21 97-2440 CIP Interior design by Terry Stone Published by NTC Publishing Group An imprint of NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company 4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood (Chicago), Illinois 60646-1975 U.S.A. Copyright © 1998 by NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company. Manufactured in the United States of America International Standard Book Number: 0-8442-0830-2 7890 BC 0987654321 Introduction v List of Themes vii Idioms, Thematically Arranged l Idioms Index 355 Most of the world's languages have phrases or sentences that can not be understood literally. Even if you know all the words in a phrase and understand all the grammar of the phrase completely, the meaning may still be elusive. A phrase or sentence of this type is said to be idiomatic. Many proverbs, informal phrases, and common say ings are idiomatic, and offer special problems to readers, writers, and language learners. This dictionary is a collection of the idiomatic phrases and sentences that occur frequently in American English. The idiomatic expressions in this dictionary are arranged ac cording to theme. There is a list of themes on page vii. Writers and students seeking an idiomatic way of expressing something can eas ily find likely candidates by using the themes to locate a selection of expressions. There is an index on page 355 that allows the user to find a par ticular idiom by showing the theme under which the idiom is listed. v The following is a list of the 900 themes used to classify the idiomatic expressions found in this dictionary. The themes are also used as guide words at the top of each page in the dictionary. Use this list to explore the various themes conveniently. ABANDONMENT 1 AMOUNT- RARE 18 BASEBALL See SPORTS - ABILITY 1 AMOUNT- SMALL 18 BASEBALL 306 ABILITY - LACKING 2 ANGER 19 BASIC 37 ABSENCE 2 ANGER- RELEASE 19 BATHROOM 37 ABUNDANCE 2 ANNOYANCE 20 BECAUSE 37 ABUSE 3 ANNOYANCE - DELIBERATE BEGINNINGS 38 ACCEPTANCE 3 22 BEGINNINGS - AGAIN 40 ACCIDENT 4 ANNOYANCE - RIDDANCE 23 BEGINNINGS - ASSIST 40 ACCOMPANIMENT 5 ANXIETY 23 BEGINNINGS - CAUTIOUS 40 ACCOMPLISHMENT 5 ANXIETY - ANTICIPATION 24 BEGINNINGS - EARLY 40 ACCOUNTING 6 ANXIETY - REPRESSED 24 BEGINNINGS - EFFORT 40 ACCURACY 6 ANXIETY - SEVERE 24 BEGINNINGS - FAST 41 ACHIEVEMENT 6 ANYWAY 24 BEGINNINGS - INITIAL 41 ACQUISITION 6 APPEARANCE 24 BEHAVIOR 41 ACTIVITY 7 APPEARANCE - EVIDENCE 24 BEHAVIOR - CHANGE 42 ACTUALLY 7 APPEARANCE - IMPRESSION BEHAVIOR - IMPROPER 42 ADDITIONALLY 8 25 BEHAVIOR - IMPROVEMENT ADEQUACY 8 APPEARANCE - LOOKS 25 43 ADEQUACY - LACKING 8 APPEARANCE - PUBLIC 25 BEHAVIOR - WILD 43 ADMISSION 8 ARGUMENT 25 BELIEF 43 ADVANCEMENT 9 ARGUMENT - SETTLE 27 BELIEF - GULLIBILITY 44 ADVANTAGE 9 ARRANGEMENT 27 BENEFIT 44 ADVANTAGE - GAIN 10 ARRANGEMENT - WRONG 28 BEST 45 ADVANTAGE -TAKE 10 ARREST 28 BETTER 45 AFFINITY 11 ARRIVAL 28 BETTER - LOCATION 45 AGE 11 ARROGANCE 28 BETWEEN 45 AGE - OLD 11 ASPIRATION 28 BIRTH 45 AGE - YOUTH 12 ASSISTANCE 29 BLAME 45 AGREEABLE 12 ATTACK 30 BOASTING 46 AGREEMENT 12 ATTENDANCE 31 BOASTING - CONCEIT 46 ALERTNESS 13 ATTENTION 32 BOREDOM 46 ALERTNESS - LACKING 14 ATTRACTION 32 BOTHER See ANNOYANCE 20 ALMOST 14 AVAILABILITY 33 BRAVERY See COURAGE 86 ALONE 14 AVAILABILITY - LACKING BREATH 47 ALOOF 14 33 BRIBERY 47 ALTERNATIVES 15 AVIATION 33 BROADCASTING 47 ALWAYS 15 AVOIDANCE 33 BUILDINGS 47 AMAZING 16 AWAKEN 34 BUILDINGS - EXCAVATION 48 AMOUNT 16 AWARENESS 35 BURDEN 48 AMOUNT- LARGE 16 AWARENESS - LACKING 35 BUSINESS See COMMERCE 64 AMOUNT- MANY 17 AWKWARDNESS 35 BUSY 49 AMOUNT- MAXIMUM 17 BAD 36 CALCULATION 50 AMOUNT- MORE 17 BALANCE 36 CALMNESS 50 AMOUNT- MUCH 17 BALANCE - PHYSICAL 37 CAREFREE 51 AMOUNT-NONE 18 BARGAIN 37 CARELESSNESS 51 VII NTC'S THEMATIC DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN IDIOMS CARING - LACKING 51 COMPROMISE 77 DESIRE 103 CASUAL 52 CONCISENESS 77 DESTRUCTION 103 CATCHING 52 CONFESSION 77 DETAILS 103 CAUSES 52 CONFIDENCE 77 DETERIORATION 104 CAUTION 53 CONFIDENCE - MUCH 77 DETERMINATION 104 CELEBRATION 53 CONFORMING 77 DEVELOPMENT 104 CERTAINTY 54 CONFRONTATION 77 DIFFERENCE 105 CERTAINTY - LACKING 55 CONFUSION 78 DIFFICULTY 105 CHALLENGE 55 CONFUSION - EMOTIONAL DIGESTION 107 CHANCE 56 79 DILUTION 107 CHANGE 57 CONGESTION 80 DIMINISHING 107 CHANGE - LACKING 58 CONSCIENCE 80 DIRECTION 108 CHEAPNESS 58 CONSEQUENCES 80 DIRECTION - DISTANCE 109 CHILDHOOD 58 CONSIDER 80 DIRECTION -WRONG 109 CHILDREN 58 CONSPICUOUS 81 DISAGREEMENT 109 CHOICE 58 CONSTRUCTION 81 DISAPPEARANCE 110 CHOICE - LAST 59 CONSUME 81 DISBELIEF 110 CHOICE - TASTE 59 CONTINUATION 81 DISCOURAGEMENT 110 CLARITY 59 CONTINUOUSLY 82 DISCOVERY 110 CLARITY - LACKING 60 CONTROL 82 DISCUSSION 111 CLEANING 60 CONTROL - DIMINISH 84 DISGUST 112 CLEVERNESS 60 CONTROL - END 84 DISLIKE 112 CLOSE See PROXIMITY 259 CONTROL - LACKING 84 DISMISSAL 112 CLOTHING 61 COOL 85 DISMISSAL- EJECT 112 CLOTHING - LAUNDRY 61 COOPERATION 85 DISMISSAL - EMPLOYMENT COERCION 62 CORE 85 113 COLDNESS 62 CORRECTNESS 85 DISORDER 113 COLLAPSE 62 COUNTING 86 DISPLAY 113 COLLECT 62 COURAGE 86 DISPLEASURE 113 COLLEGE 62 CRAZINESS 87 DISPLEASURE- FROWN 113 COMBINATION 62 CREATION 88 DISPOSAL 113 COMFORT 63 CRIME 88 DISREGARD 114 COMFORT - LACKING 63 CRITICISM 89 DISSUADE 114 COMMENTS 63 CRUELTY 90 DISTANCE 114 COMMERCE 64 CRYING 90 DISTRACTION 114 COMMERCE - DEBT 66 CURRENT See FASHION 152, DISTURBANCE 114 COMMERCE - PROFIT 66 NOW 231 DIVERSION 115 COMMUNICATION 66 DANGER 91 DIVISION 115 COMMUNICATION - DARKNESS 91 DOMINATION 115 KEYBOARD 68 DAYDREAM See IMAGINATION DOMINATION - DIMINISH COMMUNICATION - 186 116 PROCEDURES 68 DEATH 91 DOMINATION - END 116 COMMUNICATION - PUBLIC DEATH - KILLING 94 DOOM 116 68 DECAY See DETERIORATION DOUBT 117 COMMUNICATION - SWEAR 104 DRINKING 117 68 DECEPTION 94 DRUNK 117 COMMUNICATION - DECISION 98 DRYNESS 118 TELEPHONE 69 DEED 98 EAGERNESS 119 COMMUNICATION - VERBAL DEFENSE 99 EARLY 120 69 DEGRADATION 99 EASY 120 COMMUNICATION - WRITTEN DELAY 99 EATING 122 71 DEMANDS 100 EATING - DIET 123 COMPARISON 72 DEPART 100 EATING - ENTERTAINMENT COMPASSION 73 DEPART- EXIT 101 123 COMPETITION 73 DEPART- FAST 101 EATING - FAST 123 COMPLAINT 73 DEPENDABILITY 102 EATING - ILLNESS 123 COMPLETELY 74 DEPRESSION 102 EATING - LITTLE 123 COMPLETION 74 DEPTH 102 EATING -MUCH 124 COMPLIMENT 76 DESCRIPTION 102 EATING - NIBBLE 124 VIII