Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook (67 page)

BOOK: Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook
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Caution! Differences to Watch Out For

Heads up! Attention! Here are some idioms that could cause embarrassment or at least confusion and odd looks if you aren’t aware of the differences in meaning. In some cases, the British expression is considered vulgar or impolite in American English. In other cases, a crude or impolite British expression may have a perfectly acceptable and common usage in American English. In some cases, the same words have opposite meanings, like the word
bomb
, or they may have slightly different usage, like the word
fetch.

Same Meaning, Different Words

American Idiom and Example
American and British Common Meaning
British Idiom
do it
♦The threat of AIDS has made people more cautious about
doing it
casually.
to have sex
Note:
In American English
on the job
is only used to mean while at work or working diligently.
on the job
give someone a call
♦I’ll
give you a call
tonight.
to telephone
Note:
In American English
tinkle
is a child’s word for urinate, as in “Mommy, I have to
tinkle
.”
give someone a tinkle
get it on
♦Movies show everything today, even people
getting it on
.
to have sex
Note:
In American English
have it off
means to have a day off from work, as in “Monday is a holiday; we have it off.”
have it off
horny
♦It’s one of those movies about a bunch of
horny
college guys at a party.
to be sexually excited or easily aroused
Note:
In American English
Randy
is only used as a man’s name.
randy
keep your chin up
♦Don’t get discouraged about it.
Keep your chin up
.
don’t get discouraged; keep hopeful
Note:
In American English
pecker
is slang for penis.
keep your pecker up
pouring down rain
♦It’s been
pouring down rain
all day.
raining very hard
Note:
In American English
pissing
is crude slang for urinating.
pissing down with rain
a screw up
♦Because of a
screw up
, the project went badly.
a mix-up, a big mistake
Note:
In American English
cock
is slang for penis.
a cock up
a smoke
♦Hey, can you give me
a smoke?
slang for cigarette
Note:
In American English
fag
is a derogatory slang for homosexual. [See
fag
in the next section.]
a fag
tired out
or
tuckered out
♦The kids were really
tuckered out
after Little League practice.
exhausted, very tired
fagged out

Same Idiom, Different Meaning

American English Meaning
Idiom
British English Meaning
a failure, as a movie, a play or a plan
♦ The play was
a bomb
and got very poor reviews.
Note:
A modern slang expression in American English, “You’re the bomb,” means “You’re the best!”
a bomb
a success
derogatory slang for a gay man, homosexual
♦Many gay men have been harassed and called
fag
.
fag
cigarette
a command, usually to a dog, to go get something
♦I’ve trained the dog to
fetch
the newspaper for me.
fetch
a request to a person to go get something
an attractive and sexy man or woman
♦I met a great guy last week. He’s smart, interesting . . . and a
hottie!
hottie
a hot water bottle
crude slang meaning to get someone pregnant unintentionally or carelessly
♦He married his high-school girlfriend at 17 because he
knocked her up
.
knock someone up
come to get or pick up someone
a condom
♦Using
rubbers
has helped decrease the incidence of AIDS.
rubber
an eraser
crude but often acceptable slang for angry, annoyed. Often said as
pissed off
.
♦I was really pissed when I saw the mess those kids made in the house.
pissed
drunk

INDEX

10 (a)

12-step

15 minutes of fame

20/20

20-something

24-7 or 24/7

30-something

40-hour week

50-50

9 to 5 (nine to five)

90th percentile

AA (Alcoholics Anonymous)

above board

absolutely

ace the test

act of kindness

act one’s age

act right

action film

active voice, with phrasal verbs

add on

add up to

adventure film

afraid not

against all odds

age gracefully

air kiss

air out

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

alky

all at once

all decked out

all ears

all in

all in one go, British

all over the place

all over town

all right (awright)

all thumbs

allow for

Am I making myself clear?

American Dream

American English, idiom’s development

American versus British idioms

amount to something

an angel of mercy

an Einstein

an ethnic/racial/sexist joke

an eye for an eye

an honest Joe

an inside joke

an item

an old hand at

an old married couple

an open book

And your point is?

Angel

anytime

apple of your eye

Are you with me?

arm

arm candy

arm in arm

arm’s length

art lovers

as cool as a cucumber

as happy as a clam/lark

as luck would have it

as mad as hell

as old as the hills

as plain as the nose on one’s face

as pleased as punch

ask for

ask for a handout

ask for one’s hand (in marriage)

ask for someone’s hand

ask in

ask out

at breakneck speed

at death’s door

at first

at home

at one’s fingertips

at school

at sixes and sevens

at the eleventh hour

at the end of one’s patience

at the head of the class

at university, British

ATM

atta girl/boy

autumn of one’s life

avoid junk food

away

awesome

awkward age

Babe

babe in arms

Baby

Baby Boomers

baby fat

baby of the family

back

back off

back on one’s feet

back someone up

back to back

back to square one

back up

backbone

backstage

backup lights

bad hair day

bad luck

balanced meal

bambino

bang to rights, British

bank note, British

banquet

bar hopping

bar none

bare-faced lie

bathroom/restroom

be (right) under one’s nose

be a big/light/picky eater

be a one-off event, British

be ageless

be all ears

be as good as one’s word

be attracted to

be away

be back on one’s feet

be dead set on

be down on one’s luck

be eaten up with jealousy

be edgy

be fired

be fit

be full up, British

be given the ax/boot

be gutless

be gutsy

be had

be hard up

be head over heels in love

be hung up on

be in

be in good hands

be in luck

be in shape

be in someone’s hair

be in someone’s shoes

be interested (in)

be jittery

be kicked to the curb

be let go

be neck-and-neck

be on a diet

be on edge

be on one’s own

be on the safe side

be one one’s feet

be out in a second

be out like a light

be out of hand

be out of luck

be out of work

be out (asleep) the minute one’s head hits the pillow

be positive

be quiet

be ripped off

be someone’s right arm

be stuffed

be taken

be the one

be the spitting image of someone

be true to their word

be up to one’s neck (in something)

be without

be working

be/get canned/sacked

be/keep quiet about it

bean pole

bear with

beats me

bed head

bedridden

been snowed

beer belly

beginner’s luck

behave yourself

behind one’s back

behind someone’s back

behind the eight ball

being full

being in dreamland

being in love

being out of a job

believe it or not

bend someone’s ear

bend the truth

beside oneself

better be going

better half

better luck next time

better safe than sorry

big daddy

big eater

big five-oh

big four-oh

big spender

bill

biological parent

bitchy

bite one’s nails

bite the dust

bite to eat

black

black and blue

black and white

black eye

black gold

black hole

black mark

black mood

black sheep

blast off

Blaxploitation

blended family

blind date

blood

blood brother

blow a fuse

blow it

blow money

blow one’s top/stack

blow over

blue

blue hairs

blue-collar

blue-collar workers

blues

Bollywood

bomb

bomb the test

bombshell

Bon Appetit

bonehead

boo him/her off the stage

booking a ticket

bookstall, British

booze

boozer

born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth

borrow money

bosom buddy

bought the farm

bouncer

bouncing baby boy/girl

box office

box office hit/success

boy meets girl

boyfriend

brain

brainstorm

bravo

bread

breadwinner

break bread

break down

break in/into

break in/out

break it off

break one’s back

break one’s neck

break one’s (marriage) vows

break through

break up

breaking up

breakneck speed

breathe down someone’s neck

breathed one’s last

brew

bring around

bring down

bring ‘em on!

bring him/her on!

bring home the bacon

bring it on!

bring on

bring out (the food)

British versus American idioms

broke

broken heart

brokenhearted

brown-bag it

brownie points

brown-nose

bucks

buddy/pal

bum a cigarette

bummed (out)

bumped

bumper-to-bumper traffic

bundle of joy

bundle of nerves

burn out

burn the candle at both ends

burn the midnight oil

burned up

burning a hole in your pocket

burning the midnight oil

burning up

burst into tears

burst out laughing

bushed

business is booming

bust a gut

bust up

busy signal

but

butt

butt in/out

butt of jokes

butterflies in one’s stomach

butterfly kiss

bye

bye-bye

call for

call it a night

call it quits

call me up

call off

call on

call out

call someone up

called up

calm down

came down with

came up just short

can (toilet)

can do without

can/could I trouble you to

canned laughter

can’t stop laughing

Capeesh?

cards stacked against one

care for

carry on

carry the weight of the world on one’s shoulders

carry-on

case of the nerves

cash dispenser, British

cash point, British

cat/dog lovers

catch

catch a cold

catch one’s eye

catch red-handed

catch someone red-handed

catch up

caught short

c’est la vie

chain smoker

character

cheap

cheat

cheat behind someone’s back

cheat on

cheat out of

check in

check in/out

check out

check something off (a list)

cheer up

Cheer up!

chick-flick

child of the ’60s/’70s/’80s

child of the Depression

child of the twenty-first century

chill

chill (out)

chill pill

chip on his shoulder

chow

chow down

chow time

chronic condition

chronic illness

clam up

clan

clapping

classic couple

clean and sober

clean it off

clean out

clean up

cleaned from top to bottom

cleaning lady

clear off/away

clear (off) the table

climb on/off

climb over

cloakroom, British

close up

close/shut down

closed book

closed down

close-knit family

closest to home

clothes hound

clotheshorse

club/pub crawling

cock up, British

cock-and-bull story

cocktail

cocktail lounges

cocktail party

codger

cold

cold and flu season

cold feet

cold-hearted

college age

college dropout

colloquialism, defined

color

colorful

come, go versus

Come again?

come around

come back

come clean

come down on

come down to

come down with

come eat

come for

come hell or high water

come on

come out

come out with

come over

come round, British

come through

come to

come to anything

come to nothing

come under

come unglued

come up

come up in the world

come up short

come up to

come up with

come what may

come with

comedy

comes along

comes down

comes to a standstill

comes up with

coming-of-age story

common cold

consumed with guilt

cooked up

cool as a cucumber

cool-headed

cop

cost a fortune

cost a pretty penny

cost an arm and a leg

cost of living

couch potato

could be

could do without

could I ask you to

could use a hand

could/can I trouble you to

couldn’t sleep a wink

couldn’t/could care less

count for nothing

count me in

count sheep

couple

couples

cover charge

cover someone

crack a joke

crack of dawn

crack the books

crack up

crack you up

cram session

cranky

crash and burn

crash/crash out

crawl/climb into bed

crazy about/for

creep along

cross one’s fingers

crushed

cry like a baby

cry one’s eyes out

curtain call

curtain time

cut

cut class/school

cut down

cut in

cut in line

cut it out

cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face

cut someone off

cut the apron strings/umbilical cord

cut up

daddy’s girl

daily grind

Darling

date someone

dating

day job

day shift

dead drunk

dead to the world

dead-end job

deal with

decked out

declining years

deejay

definitely

desk job

Did you get that?

didn’t make it

die laughing

dieting

different from

different to, British

dig in

dig someone

dilly-dally

dine out

dirty deal

dirty joke

dirty money

disaster zone

disco

dishwashing detergent

dispense with

ditch

ditch class/school

dive in

do a good deed

do a number

do a performance

do a presentation

do a speech

do away with

do chores

do exercise

do for others

do housework

do it

do laundry

do not care for

do nothing

do okay

do one’s best

do one’s hair/make-up/nails/teeth

do over

do poorly

do something behind someone’s back

do something when one’s back is turned

do the cleaning up

do the dishes

do the dusting

do the floors

do the laundry

do the lawn

do the vacuuming

do time

do well

do with

do without

Do you get it?

Do you get my drift?

Do you get the picture?

do you mind

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