A person away from his or her usual environment or activities. For example, Using a computer for the first time, Carl felt like a fish out of water, or On a hiking trail, Nell was a fish out of water. This expression alludes to the fact that fish cannot survive for long on dry land. [ Late 1300s]
Simply so What is the meaning of nip in the bud? Definition of nip (something) in the bud
: to stop (something) immediately so that it does not become a worse problem Inflation will only get worse if the government doesn’t do something right now to nip it in the bud.
Can’t cut the mustard meaning? What does “cut the mustard” mean? … Most often, the phrase is used in negative constructions for when something doesn’t live up to expectations or can’t do the job, e.g., The quarterback couldn’t cut the mustard in the playoffs.
also What is the meaning of idiom a red letter day? Definition of red-letter day
informal. : a very happy and important day.
What does a chip of the old block mean?
An expression used of people who closely resemble their parents in some way: “Mark just won the same sailboat race his father won twenty years ago; he’s a chip off the old block.”
What does the saying shag on a rock mean? If someone feels like a shag on a rock, they are lonely or isolated. A shag is an Australian bird that often perches alone on a rock.
What is the meaning of the phrase to pick holes?
If you pick holes in an argument or theory, you find weak points in it so that it is no longer valid. [informal] He then goes on to pick holes in the article before reaching his conclusion.
What does bolt from the blue mean? Definition of bolt from the blue
: a complete surprise : something totally unexpected.
What does the term Bob’s your uncle mean?
Definition of and Bob’s your uncle
—used to say that something is easy to do or use Just complete the form, pay the fee, and Bob’s your uncle!
Why do we say 40 winks? As a blink lasts for a fraction of a second, forty winks take a few seconds. Hence the phrase ”forty winks” has come to mean a few moments of sleep, or a very short nap, especially taken during the daytime, while not in a sleeping position.
Where did kick the bucket come from?
The term is known to date from at least the 16th century. The more interesting (and probably apochryphal) origin relates to suicides who would stand on a large bucket with noose around the neck and, at the moment of their choosing, would kick away the bucket.
What does spilling the beans mean? Disclose a secret or reveal something prematurely, as in You can count on little Carol to spill the beans about the surprise. In this colloquial expression, first recorded in 1919, spill means “divulge,” a usage dating from the 1500s.
What does the phrase Achilles heel mean?
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.
What is tied the knot?
Get married; also, perform a marriage ceremony. For example, So when are you two going to tie the knot? or They asked their friend, who is a judge, to tie the knot. [
What is the meaning of the idiom in a pickle? But you know what it means: to be stuck in a difficult situation. English idioms are funny things, pulled out of the wordy hodgepodge of history, and “in a pickle” is one of the more obscure of the bunch.
What does throw a wet blanket on mean? To make something be or seem less enjoyable, successful, or important. The court’s decision throws a wet blanket over the president’s plans for healthcare reform. Her crappy attitude really threw a wet blanket over the party.
What is the meaning of it cost an arm and a leg?
Definition of cost an arm and a leg
informal. : to be too expensive I want a new car that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
What does up a gum tree mean? Definition of up a gum tree
British, informal. : in a very difficult situation that one cannot get out of If they don’t deliver the parts we need, we’ll really be up a gum tree!
What does pulling teeth mean?
Definition of like pulling teeth
—used to say that something is very difficult and frustrating Getting him to make a decision is like pulling teeth.
What does the idiom asleep at the wheel mean? Asleep at the wheel also means inattentive, not taking care of one’s responsibilities, failing at one’s duty, not doing one’s job. … The idiom asleep at the wheel came into use about twenty years after the appearance of the idiom asleep at the switch, and is related to driving a truck or automobile.
What is the meaning of to make clean breast of?
: to speak openly and honestly about (something that previously has been lied about or kept secret) I decided to make a clean breast of it/things and admit that I was to blame.
What is the meaning of idiom black sheep? In the English language, black sheep is an idiom used to describe a member of a group, different from the rest, especially within a family, who does not fit in.
What does play the second fiddle mean?
Definition of second fiddle
: one that plays a supporting or subservient role.