A-Z Database

A-Z Database

All A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Ninepins

see Fall down like ninepins


Nineteen to the dozen

To talk nineteen to the dozen means to talk very rapidly with the implication that much of the chatter is unnecessary. It is a British expression that...

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Nip and tuck

This is originally an American expression meaning, neck and neck and describes a very close contest. Its origin remains obscure but it dates from the...

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Nip in the air

Since the mid-16th century, nip means a sharp bite. Thus, a nip in the air means there is a sharp bite of cold in the air. Shakespeare in King Henry V...

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Nip in the bud

Put a stop to something while in the early stage of its development dates from the late 16th century and derives from de-budding plants to prevent gro...

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Nit

A fool or simpleton, according to Eric Partridge the origin is Australian from c. 1925 and is a figurative use of nit as in louse, something that is n...

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Nitpick

To nitpick is an American expression that means to indulge in petty criticism or fault finding and dates from the early 1950s. This figurative meaning...

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Nitty gritty

To get down to the nitty gritty means to get down to basics, the bare fundamentals, in order to resolve an issue; dates from the 1930s in America and...

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Nitwit

A stupid person, a British colloquialism that dates from the early 1920s, most probably from a combination of nit as louse, something that is worthles...

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Nix

British slang for nothing or none, dates from the late 18th century, from the German nichts that means the same thing. One of the few slang expression...

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No big deal

see Big deal


No bones about it

see Make no bones about it


No brainer

A no brainer is an informal phrase that describes something that is easy to understand and is so obvious that it does not require any mental effort to...

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No dice

No dice is an expression used mainly as an exclamation and can have a several meanings depending on the context. Mostly, they all signify a negation o...

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No flies on me/you

No flies on you means that you are wide awake, sharp and well organised. It appears that the expression is originally Australian and was being used in...

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