American Idioms (A) - American idioms starting with A

AMERICAN IDIOMS (A)

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

About time:
Nearly time, high time. ex. "It's about time you bought a new car!"

Absence makes the heart grow fonder:
Proverb that means that our feeling for those we love increases when we are apart from them.

(To) act high and mighty:
To act proudly and arrogantly. ex. "He has been acting all high and mighty ever since he chased away that burglar."

Actions speak louder than words:
Proverb meaning that's it's better to do something about a problem than to talk about it.

(To) act one's age:
To behave in a more mature way. Frequently said to a child or teen. ex. "Bill, stop throwing rocks! Act your age!"

(To) add fuel to the fire:
To make a bad problem even worse. ex. "He added fuel to the fire by bringing up old grudges while they were arguing."

(To) add insult to injury:
To make a bad situation even worse.

Against the clock:
To attempt to do something "against the clock" is to attempt to do something as fast as possible, usually in order to make a deadline. ex. "They were working against the clock to finish the project."

All out (adj./adv.):
Full-scale; complete. ex: "They said it was only a few skirmishes, but it was an all-out war."

All set:
Ready (to go). ex. "All set?"

All thumbs:
Awkward. Clumsy.

A little bird told me:
When someone says "a little bird told me", it means they don't want you to know who told them.

All in a day's work:
Typical; normal; par for the course. ex. "Talking to famous celebrities is all in a day's work for some Hollywood reporters."

(From) all walks of life:
(From) all social, economic, and ethnic groups. ex. "People from all walks of life voted for him, but he still lost the presidential election."

Apple of someone's eye:
Someone's favorite person (and sometimes thing). ex. "Sarah was the apple of Tom's eye for quite a long time. He was very much in love with her."

Armed to the teeth:
Heavily armed. ex. "The rebels were armed to the teeth."

At all hours (of the night):
Very late at night, throughout the night. ex. "Her boyfriend would call her at all hours of the night."

At each other's throats:
Fighting or arguing hard. ex. "They were at each other's throats. The arguments never stopped."

At this stage:
At this point. ex. "At this stage, it's difficult to say who will win the election."