all but »
nearly; except that
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all fired up »
Excited or energized; highly enthusiastic.
|
autem mort »
A married woman; also a female beggar with several children hired or borrowed to excite charity.
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ball-breaker »
A person or task which is excessively demanding or punishing.
|
balloon goes up »
Something exciting or dangerous begins.
|
bang up »
Excellent.
|
bar none »
Without exception; excluding nothing else of the same kind.
|
be still my heart »
Calm down, this situation is too exciting or overly distressing.
|
bee's knees »
Something excellent, outstanding.
|
blimp out »
To become fat or fatter, especially as a result of excessive eating.
|
blow this pop stand »
To exit or remove oneself from a less than exciting location or environment.
|
bog standard »
Especially plain, ordinary, or unremarkable; having no special, excess or unusual features; plain vanilla.
|
boys and their toys »
Used to evoke the idea that adult men sometimes dote excessively on machines, automobiles, and gadgets in a childish manner.
|
boys will be boys »
It is hard, often fruitless, to attempt to curb the natural playfulness and tendency to mischief of most growing boys.1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Chapter 13But just then there was a slight altercation between Master Tommy and Master Jacky. Boys will be boys and our two twins were no exception to this golden rule.Even grown men usually remain somewhat boyish in heart"Boys will be boys", grinned grandpa while he joined his adult son playing with the fancy train-set he gave his grandson for Christmas while the kid was in school.
|
break new ground »
To begin excavating and levelling earth for a new building, or, originally, for cultivation.
|
built like a brick shithouse »
Exceptionally well constructed; strong or tough.
|
built like a brick shithouse »
Of a person, with an exceptionally well-developed chest.
|
built like a tank »
Sturdy; exceptionally well constructed.
|
bumper crop »
A large yield; an excess of something.
|
bundle of nerves »
A person with an especially nervous, excitable, or fearful disposition.
|
burn one's candle at both ends »
To work extremely or excessively hard; to work too hard for good health or peace of mind.
|
bust one's butt »
To work exceptionally hard.
|
but who's counting »
Used as a retort or comeback, often to deprecate oneself or another for excessive concern or attention to.
|
by and large »
Mostly, generally; with few exceptions.
|
call it even »
To declare debts resolved or favors or other exchange equitable.
|
calling card »
Excrement, especially of a domestic animal.
|
carried away »
Made excessively emotional or excited.
|
check is in the mail »
A common excuse used by debtors to put off creditors.
|
check out »
Used to draw attention to something and stimulate excitement about it.
|
chew the scenery »
To display excessive emotion or to act in an exaggerated manner while performing; to be melodramatic; to be flamboyant.
|
cold snap »
A period of exceptionally cold weather.
|
coming out of one's ears »
In great or excess quantity.
|
controlled substance »
Except for very limited professional testing purposes.
|
cool one's jets »
To become less excited, intense, or active.
|
cop-out »
An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out.
|
corner the market »
To have exclusive possession; to possess something to a high or excessive degree.
|
cream in one's jeans »
To experience an orgasm while clothed; to be thoroughly excited or delighted.
|
cry one's eyes out »
To weep for an elongated time, or in an excessive manner.
|
cry someone a river »
To weep profusely or excessively in the presence of another person.
|
day out »
An excursion, returning home on the same day.
|
dead last »
The standings, often by a considerable margin to the next-to-last-place finisher or after an exceptionally poor showing or season.
|
dead weight »
That which is useless or excess; that which slows something down.
|
dig up »
To excavate something.
|
diplomatic flu »
An illness feigned by one or more government officials or other public figures as an excuse for an absence really based on political reasons.
|
down to a fine art »
Having or showing exceptional proficiency.
|
drag out »
To extend or lengthen excessively.
|
drive-by media »
Media professionals who "spray" a bunch of repetitive misstatements, mistaken and misinterpreted news reports to cause excitement and confusion. They then figuratively "drive off" leaving the cleanup of their mess and hysteria to others, to correct and properly explain and interpret.
|
drop a bomb »
To release faeces from the bowels; to excrete.
|
dry out »
To have excess water evaporate or be otherwise removed.
|
eager beaver »
Who is very excited or enthusiastic to begin a task.
|
enough is as good as a feast »
Just the right amount is as good as more than enough: there is no value in excess.
|
every last »
Every; without exception; used for emphasis.
|
every man Jack »
All the members of a group with no exceptions.
|
every rule has an exception »
Alternative form of there is an exception to every rule.
|
f**ing hell »
An exclamation of anger.
|
f**ing hell »
An exclamation of great surprise.
|
fire up »
To excite; to infuse with energy.
|
first class »
excellent
|
first rate »
Superb, exceptional; of the best sort; very high quality.
|
fit as a fiddle »
Perfectly fit; in excellent health.
|
flogging the land »
Damaging agricultural land through excessive grazing or clearing.
|
flutter in the dovecote »
I further argued that the principal cause for the political deadlock that persisted for thirty years after the guns fell silent was Israeli intransigence rather than Arab intransigence. The appearance of the first wave of revisionist studies excited a great deal of interest and controversy in the media and more than a flutter in the academic dovecote. — Israel Confronts Its Past.
|
for kicks »
In order to obtain pleasure or excitement; for fun.
|
fruit of the poisonous tree »
And which is therefore excluded from being admitted as evidence in a trial.
|
full marks »
To exclaim complete satisfaction with someone's efforts.
|
garden variety »
Ordinary, common, or unexceptional.
|
get carried away »
To become excessively involved, to take something too far.
|
get out of here! »
An exclamation of disbelief.
|
get someone's nose out of joint »
To become angry; to take offense or take exception.
|
go overboard »
Go too far, be excessive.
|
go too far »
To exceed an unstated limit, especially a limit of acceptable behaviour.
|
good and »
Very; exceptionally; utterly.
|
good on you »
An exclamation of encouragement or congratulation; well done.
|
goodbye cruel world »
An exclamation made before commiting suicide, or in a suicide note.
|
gratuitous violence »
The artificial depiction of excessive violence.
|
grey area »
An area intermediate between two mutually exclusive states or categories where the border between the two is fuzzy.
|
hair-splitting »
The act of finding exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.
|
hair-splittingly »
With exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.
|
hand waving »
Discussion or argumentation involving approximation, vagueness, educated guessing, or the attempt to explain or excuse vagaries.
|
have a ball »
To enjoy thoroughly; to have lots of fun or excitement.
|
have a blast »
To thoroughly enjoy; to be excited or have lots of fun.
|
have a go »
Shout at or tell off unnecessarily or excessively.
|
have ants in one's pants »
To be sexually excited.
|
hear the grass grow »
To hear very well due to being in an exceptionally quiet environment.
|
heat wave »
A period of exceptionally hot weather.
|
here you are »
Said when you hand something over to someone or do a favour to them, usually to draw the recipient's attention to the exchange; Equivalent to “thank you” when receiving something..
|
highway robbery »
Said of excessive or exorbitant prices.
|
hit the bottle »
To continually drink alcohol to excess, particularly in response to a setback.
|
hold somebody's hand »
To guide somebody through the basics or assist with excessively small details.
|
hotheaded »
Easily excited or angered.
|
hung the moon »
To view or be viewed with uncritical or excessive awe, reverence, or infatuation.
|
in a league of one's own »
Far excelling even the closest contender; not having any worthy competition.
|
in spades »
To excess, a lot, considerably; without restraint.
|
in the fast lane »
In a lifestyle, employment position, or other set of circumstances where the rapid pace is exciting, frantic, or risky.
|
in your face »
An exclamation of derision or contempt.
|
jack of all trades »
One competent in many endeavors, especially one who excels in none of them.
|
jump about »
To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.
|
jump around »
To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.
|
kiss up to »
To pay false flattery to; to flatter in excess.
|
lean and mean »
Efficient because of having nothing in excess of what is needed, and single-minded in one's objective.
|
left and right »
All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.
|
left, right and center »
All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.
|
licence to print money »
The authority to print money, usually given to a central bank exclusively as the issuer of currency.
|
like crazy »
To a great or excessive degree; with great speed, output, enthusiasm, etc.
|
like it's going out of style »
Enthusiastically, to an excessive degree.
|
like nobody's business »
In an extreme manner; rapidly; excessively; like crazy.
|
lose the plot »
To have one's results decline severely in quality or suddenly fall below an acceptable standard, especially when compared to past excellence.
|
make out like a bandit »
To profit greatly; to get an excessively good deal.
|
meal ticket »
A ticket or voucher that can be exchanged for food.
|
mind-numbing »
Excessively boring, tedious, or dull; repetitive; of an activity, etc., lacking any interest or variety that might serve as intellectual stimulation.
|
money for old rope »
Money exchanged for goods of low value.
|
mouse potato »
A person who spends excessive amounts of time using a computer.
|
muck out »
To clean the excrement and other rubbish from the area where an animal is kept, such as a horse stable or a dog kennel.
|
my way or the highway »
Will be excluded.
|
nail biter »
An engaging or exciting cliffhanger.
|
no great shakes »
Unexceptional; not special or noteworthy; not very effective.
|
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
|
nothing to write home about »
Not exceptional; not noteworthy or especially good.
|
odd one out »
Something or someone in a group that is different or exceptional, that does not fit.
|
off the chain »
Crazy and exciting; delirious and wild. By analogy to a frenetic dog when unleashed.
|
on top of the world »
Delighted; ecstatic; exceptionally pleased, happy, or satisfied.
|
on wheels »
To a large degree, excessive.
|
out of sight »
Superb, excellent.
|
out of this world »
Exceptionally high quality; wonderful; marvellous.
|
out the wazoo »
Out the ass; excessive or excessively; too much.
|
over the top »
Bold; beyond normal, expected, or reasonable limits; excessive; outrageous.
|
overkill »
A destructive capacity that exceeds that needed to destroy an enemy; especially with nuclear weapons.
|
overkill »
An unnecessary excess of whatever is needed to achieve a goal.
|
pardon my French »
Please excuse my swearing or bad language.
|
party animal »
A person known for frequent, enthusiastic attendance at parties, especially one whose partying behavior is exuberant or excessive.
|
pay for »
To exchange for, especially money for goods or services.
|
pay through the nose »
To pay a high price, especially an exorbitant or excessive amount, either in money or in some other manner.
|
pelt of the dog »
An immoderate, excessive quantity of alcohol drunk the morning after whilst suffering withdrawal symptoms or a hangover, which goes beyond alleviating the complaint to causing drunkenness; cf. hair of the dog.
|
piss and vinegar »
Exuberance or enthusiasm, especially to an excessive degree; bravado; youthful energy.
|
play hooky »
To miss school, work, or other duties without permission or an excuse.
|
pony in the barn »
An exciting and real prospect, something to be legitimately excited about.
|
private branch exchange »
Telephone lines.
|
pulcher »
Noble, honorable, excellent.
|
pump up »
To excite a person or group to a frenzy.
|
push one's luck »
To take an excessive risk or to attempt some task unlikely to succeed, especially after having already been unexpectedly lucky.
|
quote unquote »
Emphasizes the following word or phrase for irony, as used almost exclusively in spoken language.
|
rags to riches »
In a biographical context, from poverty to exceptional wealth.
|
real job »
A job which requires the employee to, work regular hours for a consistent wage that often exceeds the provisions of applicable minimum wage legislation. A job that produces a living wage.
|
red tape »
A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.
|
ring off the hook »
Of a telephone, to ring constantly or excessively.
|
ringside seat »
Any vantage point providing an excellent view.
|
rocking horse shit »
A metaphor for something exceedingly rare or, more likely, nonexistent.
|
run into the ground »
To wear out, especially through excessive use.
|
run over »
To exceed the allotted time.
|
run rampant »
To go unchecked or without control; to be wild or excessive.
|
run somebody ragged »
To exhaust; to demand excessive effort or work from somebody.
|
screen out »
Figuratively, to exclude.
|
sell »
To agree to transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money.
|
seller's market »
An excess of demand over supply, leading to abnormally high prices; a market condition favoring the seller.
|
shit a brick »
To react strongly or excessively, especially in anger or fear.
|
short of »
Except; without resorting to; up to the point of.
|
show somebody the door »
To dismiss or reject; to exclude someone who was formerly included.
|
simmer down »
To decrease in intensity of anger, agitation, or excitement.
|
social death »
The alienation of certain people from society to the point of being forgotten, excluded, or ignored in society.
|
song and dance »
An excessively complex set of instructions.
|
song and dance »
An excessively elaborate story or excuse used to justify something.
|
sound as a bell »
In excellent condition.
|
spare tire »
Excess weight or fat accumulated near the waist.
|
standard fare »
Something which is normal, routine, or unexceptional; something which is commonly provided or encountered.
|
suck up »
To adulate or flatter somebody excessively, generally to obtain some personal benefit or favour.
|
tail between one's legs »
A reaction to a confrontation, specifically one with excessive shame and hurt pride.
|
take exception »
To take offense; to object or protest.
|
take exception to »
Express offense at; to.
|
talk a mile a minute »
To speak quickly or excessively.
|
talk somebody under the table »
With excessive talk or numerous arguments.
|
talk someone's ear off »
To talk excessively or far more than is wanted or appreciated.
|
the bee's knees »
Most excellent; surpassingly wonderful; cool.
|
there is an exception to every rule »
Usually said in a situation when the rule is incorrect and unusable.
|
throw one's weight around »
To exercise influence or authority especially to an excessive degree or in an objectionable manner.
|
tin god »
An individual that abuses or exceeds his authority over others, frequently in petty ways; for example a low-level manager in situational comedies and other entertainment.
|
to a fault »
To an excessive degree; extremely.
|
to die for »
Very good; exquisite; excellent; particularly desirable.
|
tone up »
To strengthen and make the muscles of the body firmer by regular excercise.
|
touchy-feely »
Having a fondness for physical contact with other people, especially to an excessive degree.
|
trigger-happy »
Inclined to react excessively or violently at the slightest provocation.
|
up the wazoo »
Up the ass; excessive or excessively; too much.
|
urban fabric »
The physical aspect of urbanism, emphasizing building types, thoroughfares, open space, frontages, and streetscapes; while excluding without prejudice to this useful term, environmental, functional, economic and sociocultural aspects.
|
warm down »
Gentle excercise at the end of a training session before cooling off.
|
wax lyrical »
To talk about something with much interest or excitement.
|
way out »
excellent, amazing
|
well, I never »
An exclamation of great surprise.
|
white-knuckle »
Causing fear, excitement, apprehension, suspense, or nervousness.
|
whoop it up »
To have a great time; to party or revel excessively or noisily.
|
with flying colors »
Extremely well; in an exceptional, noteworthy, or extraordinary manner.
|
work one's arse off »
Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.
|
work one's butt off »
To work very hard or to excess.
|
work one's tail off »
Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.
|
worked up »
Excessively emotional, excited or aroused.
|
worry wart »
One who worries excessively or unnecessarily.
|
wouldn't say boo to a goose »
Describing a quiet, exceptionally shy person.
|
| BTW, Why won't you become an editor? |
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