naff off »
A mild version of f** off.
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nail biter »
A nervous or uncomfortable situation.
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nail biter »
An engaging or exciting cliffhanger.
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nail biter »
One who bites or chews his or her fingernails.
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nail down »
To attach with nails.
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nail down »
Firm or certain.
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naked ape »
A human being.
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naked as a jaybird »
Stark naked; nude; especially, naked in a public setting and without embarrassment.
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name and shame »
So as to single them out for individual blame and censure.
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ñapa »
the little something extra
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narrow down »
Make more specific.
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nary a »
Not one; none.
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ne'er cast a clout til May be out »
Advice not to change from winter clothes to summer clothes until June, as there is often a sudden cold snap in May.
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ne'er do well »
useless
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near miss »
narrowly avoided accident
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near the knuckle »
Risqué, sexual, suggestive of impropriety..
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nearly never bulled a cow »
(Irish) Near enough is not good enough.
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necessity is the mother of innovation »
Alternative form of necessity is the mother of invention.
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necessity is the mother of invention »
A person who is in great need of something will find a way to get it.
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neck and neck »
Very close in progress, as in a race or contest.
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neck of the woods »
A local neighbourhood or region.
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necker's knob »
A knob attached to the steering wheel of an automobile, especially before the widespread availability of power steering, helping the driver steer with one arm and leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion.
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necktie party »
An execution by hanging, especially a lynching.
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needle in a haystack »
Something that is difficult or impossible to locate; something impossibly complex or intractable.
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neither fish nor fowl »
Said of something not easily categorized or not fitting neatly into any established group.
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neither here nor there »
Not important; having no significance or influence on the question at hand; not related; not relevant; not germane; not pertinent.
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nervous as a cat »
"She's as nervous as a cat.".
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nervous as a cat »
Very nervous.
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nervous hit »
A production which receives generally favorably notice, but is not assured of success.
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nest egg »
A natural or artificial egg placed in a bird's nest, to encourage the bird to lay its own eggs there.
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nest egg »
A savings; a reserve of money.
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never change a running system »
Don't change something that is working
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never in a million years »
Absolutely not.
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never in a month of Sundays »
At no time whatsoever.
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never in a month of Sundays »
Never in a month of Sundays would I have imagined that you'd be this tall in real life!.
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never look a gift horse in the mouth »
Alternative form of don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
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never mind »
Do not be concerned.
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never mind »
I withdraw my previous statement.
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never mind »
It is not important; do not fret.
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never you mind »
Do not concern yourself with it; it is none of your business.
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new school »
A style, way of thinking, or method for accomplishing a task that is typical of the current era, as opposed to former eras.
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next to »
Almost; nearly.
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nice guy »
An adult male who seeks sexual attraction and romantic intimacy, but only finds cordial friendship and platonic love.
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nickel and dime »
Small time; operating on a small scale; involving small amounts of money; petty or cheap.
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nickel-and-dime »
Alternative spelling of nickel and dime.
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night owl »
One who stays up late at night or goes to bed late.
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night person »
A person whose preference or custom is to remain awake and active during the night and the early morning hours, and who usually sleeps during part of the daytime.
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nightcap »
A beverage drunk before bed that is usually alcoholic.
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nightcap »
A warm cloth cap worn while sleeping, often with pajamas. Nightcaps were common in northern Europe before central heating was available, when homes were cold at night.
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nightcap »
The second game of a doubleheader.
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nighthawk »
A New World nightjar.
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nighthawk »
A person whose preference or custom is to remain awake and active during the night and the early morning hours.
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nine day wonder »
Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.
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nine lives »
Durability; near immunity to damage.
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nip and tuck »
So evenly matched that the advantage shifts from one to the other, and the outcome is uncertain.
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nip in the bud »
To remove a bud from a plant to prevent flower and fruit from forming.
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nip in the bud »
To stop something at an early stage.
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no biggie »
Not a big deal, not something to worry about.
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no brainer »
Something that supposedly doesn’t take much intellectual thought. Whoever says that something is a no brainer is usually the one with no brains.
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no comment »
A refusal to say the obvious impolite retort.
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no comment »
An "official" refusal to relay any further information, as a response to a newspaper reporter's question.
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no cover »
Without a cover charge.
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no dice »
An unacceptable alternative.
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no dice »
An unfavorable result.
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no fear »
certainly not
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no frills »
Basic or simple; providing only what is necessary, without anything extra or fancy.
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no glove, no love »
Without a condom, there will be no sex.
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no good deed ever goes unpunished »
Used to express the idea that beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility.
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no good deed goes unpunished »
Used to express the idea that beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility.
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no great shakes »
Unexceptional; not special or noteworthy; not very effective.
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no holds barred »
Without reserve; in an especially ruthless or vicious manner.
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no holds barred »
Without restrictions on holds or what opponents may do.
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no ifs, ands, or buts »
Period; exactly so; without modification, limitation, or addendum.
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no joy »
A negative outcome.
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no love lost »
Dislike, animosity.
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no man is an island »
All people are connected to other people and dependent on other people.1623, John Donne,
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no matter »
regardless of
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no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney »
Regardless of how many clever points or fine distinctions one makes, what one is saying is still false or is still nonsense.
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no nevermind »
No difference.
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no news is good news »
A lack of information about a situation suggests that nothing bad has happened.
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no pain, no gain »
One must be willing to endure some inconvenience or discomfort in order to achieve worthwhile goals.
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no pressure »
The situation at hand is rife with emotional pressure.
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no prize for guessing »
Used to form expressions emphasizing the unsurprising nature of what follows.
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no rest for the wicked »
(humorous) People who are wicked must work harder than normal people.
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no score »
In a sporting event, a score of zero to zero.
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no screaming hell »
Something that is not particularly effective or impressive; something that is below expectations.
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no skin off one's back »
No harm to one.
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no skin off one's nose »
No harm to one.
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no slave to fashion »
A person whose style of clothing and appearance are unconventional, informal, or slovenly; a person who takes little interest in how he or she is dressed.
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no slouch »
Pretty good; not bad.
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no smoke without fire »
Indicative of the fact that gossip or accusations are often substantiated by fact.
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no spring chicken »
Said of a person who is no longer particularly young.
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no strings attached »
Without conditions or obligations; without a catch.
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no sweat »
See: no problem.
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no time like the present »
A shortened form of there's no time like the present
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no two ways about it »
No other possible action, choice or option.
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no way »
In no way; nowise.
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no-show »
An absence; somebody who doesn't show up or a failure to show up.
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noarch »
Short for "no architecture". It is a term used mainly in package management systems to mark packages which are architecture independent. Such packages usually contain graphics, documentation or similar data that can be used on any architecture.
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nobody's perfect »
Used when someone's mistakes or flaws are acknowledged, to remind that everyone else makes mistakes and has flaws1995, New York Magazine Vol. 28, No. 5, 30 January 1995, The de-moralization of society (Book Review)Hypocrisy, particularly in sexual matters, is excused on the grounds that hey, nobody's perfect, and at least folks back then felt bad enough to lie.2000, Madonna, Nobody's PerfectI feel so sad. What I did wasn't right. I feel so bad and I must say to you: Sorry, but nobody's perfect. Nobody's perfect. What did you expect? I'm doing my best
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nod off »
To fall asleep, especially while in a seated position or in inappropriate circumstances.
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nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat »
The idea/proposed action is inconsequential to the current situation.
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non-starter »
An idea or argument that cannot be sensibly debated.
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non-starter »
Someone or something who was listed to start in a race, but did not start in the race.
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non-starter »
Something that is not going to happen.
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none of someone's business »
A matter that someone is not entitled to be involved in or informed about.
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none too »
Not very
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nose candy »
Cocaine.
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nose test »
An informal method for determining whether something is authentic, credible, or ethical, by using one's common sense or sense of propriety.
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nose test »
An inspection of an object using the sense of smell, as for freshness of food.
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nose test »
An inspection of the nasal passages or a trial of their function, as for breathing difficulties.
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nose to the grindstone »
Hard at work.
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nose-pick »
To pick boogers from the nose.
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nose-picker »
One who picks their nose.
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nose-picking »
To insert a finger into one's nostril, especially to remove mucus.
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nosebleed seat »
A seat high in the back of bleachers, stands, or the balcony at a theater.
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not a chance »
Absolutely not; no way.
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not a pretty sight »
Something disappointing, disquieting, disreputable, or otherwise unworthy of admiration.
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not a pretty sight »
Something visually unappealing, ranging from mildly unattractive to utterly disgusting in appearance.
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not a sausage »
Absolutely nothing, none of something.
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not a sausage »
Jill: Not a sausage I'm afraid, I'm just visiting.
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not a sausage »
John: Do you know how I get to the town center from here?.
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not a zack »
No amount of money; no money at all.
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not all it's cracked up to be »
Not as good as claimed; falling short of expectations.
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not at all »
Not.
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not at all »
Used similarly to you're welcome, as a conventional reply to an expression of gratitude.
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not bad »
Reasonably good.
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not be able to get a word in edgeways »
To be unable to say a single word because of someone else's talkativeness.
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not be caught dead »
To refuse completely to do something.
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not cricket »
Unsportsmanlike.
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not give a monkey's »
Not to have the slightest interest or concern.
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not half bad »
Pretty good; okay; decent.
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not have a leg to stand on »
To lack support, as in an argument, debate, or negotiation.
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not have the faintest »
To not know; to have no idea.
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not in Kansas anymore »
No longer in quiet and comfortable surroundings; in the big city.
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not leave one's thoughts »
Said when one keeps thinking about something.
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not long for this world »
Unlikely to remain for much time.
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not much of anything »
Very little; not a lot.
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not on your life »
Absolutely not; under no circumstances.
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not on your nelly »
Not on your life, an emphatic form of no.
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not on your tintype »
An answer indicating outright rejection or denial; no way; absolutely not.
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not quite »
Almost, very nearly.
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not the end of the world »
It's of minor importance, at least not as important as it first seemed.
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not to put too fine a point on it »
Used to apologise for a possibly impolite statement one is making.
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not touch something with a ten foot pole »
Ambrose Bierce , The Fiend's Delight In conclusion, his respect for letter-writing ladies is so great that he would not touch one of them with a ten-foot pole.
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not touch something with a ten foot pole »
Ambrose Bierce, The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Vol. 8.
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not touch something with a ten foot pole »
Francis Lynde, The Quickening.
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not touch something with a ten foot pole »
To approach something or someone.
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not touch something with a ten foot pole »
To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; signifies a strong aversion.
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not very »
Not.
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not win for losing »
To repeatedly fail in one's gambles or efforts.
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not worth a brass farthing »
Worth nothing or next to nothing.
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not worth a dime »
Worthless, lacking in value.
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not worth a plug nickel »
Having no or almost no value; worthless.
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notch up »
To achieve something.
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nothing flat »
Amount of time; no time at all.
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nothing special »
Ordinary, run-of-the-mill.
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nothing to it »
Easy; simple or straightforward.
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nothing to sneeze at »
Not bad; decent; acceptable; worthwhile.
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nothing to write home about »
Not exceptional; not noteworthy or especially good.
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nothing ventured, nothing gained »
If one takes no risks, one will not gain any benefits.
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noughts and crosses »
pen and paper game
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now and then »
Sometimes; occasionally.
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now you mention it »
The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling.
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now you're cooking »
A phrase, often given in response, meaning that the subject has switched to a more suitable or more efficient approach.
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now you're talking »
A phrase indicating agreement with a previously stated suggestion to change a course of action.
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nudge nudge wink wink »
A phrase added at the end of the sentence to hint that the speaker is referring to something else, euphemistically.
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nugget of truth »
A small amount of truth in a generally untrue statement.
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nugget of truth »
January 2008, Chicago Tribune - Clinton's Hispanic edge over Obama.
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number one »
First; foremost; best.
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number one with a bullet »
Superlative; impossible to beat.
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nut-cutting time »
Time to exert maximum effort, for example, due to an approaching deadline or a looming competitive situation.
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nut-cutting time »
Time to gather nuts before they are taken by other animals or buried in snow.
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nutfarm »
An insane asylum.
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nuthouse »
A lunatic asylum.
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nuts and bolts »
The basic, inner workings of something; the fundamentals or basics; that which makes something operate, on a basic level.
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nutty as a fruitcake »
Behaving in an eccentric, foolish, or kooky manner; very nutty.
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