NTC's Thematic Dictionary of American Idioms

433 Pages·2006·8.39 MB·English

by  Richard A. Spears

NTC's
Thematic
Dictionary
of
American
Idioms
Richard A. Spears, Ph.D.
JS^ NTC Publishing Group
N lC NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Spears, Richard A.
NTC's thematic dictionary of American idioms / Richard A. Spears.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-8442-0830-2
1. English language—United States—Idioms—Dictionaries.
2. Figures of speech—Dictionaries. 3. Americanisms—Dictionaries.
I. Title.
PE2839.S66 1997
123'.1— dc21 97-2440
CIP
Interior design by Terry Stone
Published by NTC Publishing Group
An imprint of NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company
4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood (Chicago), Illinois 60646-1975 U.S.A.
Copyright © 1998 by NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of
NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company.
Manufactured in the United States of America
International Standard Book Number: 0-8442-0830-2
7890 BC 0987654321
Introduction v
List of Themes vii
Idioms, Thematically Arranged l
Idioms Index 355

Most of the world's languages have phrases or sentences that can
not be understood literally. Even if you know all the words in a
phrase and understand all the grammar of the phrase completely, the
meaning may still be elusive. A phrase or sentence of this type is said
to be idiomatic. Many proverbs, informal phrases, and common say
ings are idiomatic, and offer special problems to readers, writers, and
language learners. This dictionary is a collection of the idiomatic
phrases and sentences that occur frequently in American English.
The idiomatic expressions in this dictionary are arranged ac
cording to theme. There is a list of themes on page vii. Writers and
students seeking an idiomatic way of expressing something can eas
ily find likely candidates by using the themes to locate a selection of
expressions.
There is an index on page 355 that allows the user to find a par
ticular idiom by showing the theme under which the idiom is listed.
v

The following is a list of the 900 themes used to classify the idiomatic
expressions found in this dictionary. The themes are also used as
guide words at the top of each page in the dictionary. Use this list
to explore the various themes conveniently.
ABANDONMENT 1 AMOUNT- RARE 18 BASEBALL See SPORTS -
ABILITY 1 AMOUNT- SMALL 18 BASEBALL 306
ABILITY - LACKING 2 ANGER 19 BASIC 37
ABSENCE 2 ANGER- RELEASE 19 BATHROOM 37
ABUNDANCE 2 ANNOYANCE 20 BECAUSE 37
ABUSE 3 ANNOYANCE - DELIBERATE BEGINNINGS 38
ACCEPTANCE 3 22 BEGINNINGS - AGAIN 40
ACCIDENT 4 ANNOYANCE - RIDDANCE 23 BEGINNINGS - ASSIST 40
ACCOMPANIMENT 5 ANXIETY 23 BEGINNINGS - CAUTIOUS 40
ACCOMPLISHMENT 5 ANXIETY - ANTICIPATION 24 BEGINNINGS - EARLY 40
ACCOUNTING 6 ANXIETY - REPRESSED 24 BEGINNINGS - EFFORT 40
ACCURACY 6 ANXIETY - SEVERE 24 BEGINNINGS - FAST 41
ACHIEVEMENT 6 ANYWAY 24 BEGINNINGS - INITIAL 41
ACQUISITION 6 APPEARANCE 24 BEHAVIOR 41
ACTIVITY 7 APPEARANCE - EVIDENCE 24 BEHAVIOR - CHANGE 42
ACTUALLY 7 APPEARANCE - IMPRESSION BEHAVIOR - IMPROPER 42
ADDITIONALLY 8 25 BEHAVIOR - IMPROVEMENT
ADEQUACY 8 APPEARANCE - LOOKS 25 43
ADEQUACY - LACKING 8 APPEARANCE - PUBLIC 25 BEHAVIOR - WILD 43
ADMISSION 8 ARGUMENT 25 BELIEF 43
ADVANCEMENT 9 ARGUMENT - SETTLE 27 BELIEF - GULLIBILITY 44
ADVANTAGE 9 ARRANGEMENT 27 BENEFIT 44
ADVANTAGE - GAIN 10 ARRANGEMENT - WRONG 28 BEST 45
ADVANTAGE -TAKE 10 ARREST 28 BETTER 45
AFFINITY 11 ARRIVAL 28 BETTER - LOCATION 45
AGE 11 ARROGANCE 28 BETWEEN 45
AGE - OLD 11 ASPIRATION 28 BIRTH 45
AGE - YOUTH 12 ASSISTANCE 29 BLAME 45
AGREEABLE 12 ATTACK 30 BOASTING 46
AGREEMENT 12 ATTENDANCE 31 BOASTING - CONCEIT 46
ALERTNESS 13 ATTENTION 32 BOREDOM 46
ALERTNESS - LACKING 14 ATTRACTION 32 BOTHER See ANNOYANCE 20
ALMOST 14 AVAILABILITY 33 BRAVERY See COURAGE 86
ALONE 14 AVAILABILITY - LACKING BREATH 47
ALOOF 14 33 BRIBERY 47
ALTERNATIVES 15 AVIATION 33 BROADCASTING 47
ALWAYS 15 AVOIDANCE 33 BUILDINGS 47
AMAZING 16 AWAKEN 34 BUILDINGS - EXCAVATION 48
AMOUNT 16 AWARENESS 35 BURDEN 48
AMOUNT- LARGE 16 AWARENESS - LACKING 35 BUSINESS See COMMERCE 64
AMOUNT- MANY 17 AWKWARDNESS 35 BUSY 49
AMOUNT- MAXIMUM 17 BAD 36 CALCULATION 50
AMOUNT- MORE 17 BALANCE 36 CALMNESS 50
AMOUNT- MUCH 17 BALANCE - PHYSICAL 37 CAREFREE 51
AMOUNT-NONE 18 BARGAIN 37 CARELESSNESS 51
VII
NTC'S THEMATIC DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN IDIOMS
CARING - LACKING 51 COMPROMISE 77 DESIRE 103
CASUAL 52 CONCISENESS 77 DESTRUCTION 103
CATCHING 52 CONFESSION 77 DETAILS 103
CAUSES 52 CONFIDENCE 77 DETERIORATION 104
CAUTION 53 CONFIDENCE - MUCH 77 DETERMINATION 104
CELEBRATION 53 CONFORMING 77 DEVELOPMENT 104
CERTAINTY 54 CONFRONTATION 77 DIFFERENCE 105
CERTAINTY - LACKING 55 CONFUSION 78 DIFFICULTY 105
CHALLENGE 55 CONFUSION - EMOTIONAL DIGESTION 107
CHANCE 56 79 DILUTION 107
CHANGE 57 CONGESTION 80 DIMINISHING 107
CHANGE - LACKING 58 CONSCIENCE 80 DIRECTION 108
CHEAPNESS 58 CONSEQUENCES 80 DIRECTION - DISTANCE 109
CHILDHOOD 58 CONSIDER 80 DIRECTION -WRONG 109
CHILDREN 58 CONSPICUOUS 81 DISAGREEMENT 109
CHOICE 58 CONSTRUCTION 81 DISAPPEARANCE 110
CHOICE - LAST 59 CONSUME 81 DISBELIEF 110
CHOICE - TASTE 59 CONTINUATION 81 DISCOURAGEMENT 110
CLARITY 59 CONTINUOUSLY 82 DISCOVERY 110
CLARITY - LACKING 60 CONTROL 82 DISCUSSION 111
CLEANING 60 CONTROL - DIMINISH 84 DISGUST 112
CLEVERNESS 60 CONTROL - END 84 DISLIKE 112
CLOSE See PROXIMITY 259 CONTROL - LACKING 84 DISMISSAL 112
CLOTHING 61 COOL 85 DISMISSAL- EJECT 112
CLOTHING - LAUNDRY 61 COOPERATION 85 DISMISSAL - EMPLOYMENT
COERCION 62 CORE 85 113
COLDNESS 62 CORRECTNESS 85 DISORDER 113
COLLAPSE 62 COUNTING 86 DISPLAY 113
COLLECT 62 COURAGE 86 DISPLEASURE 113
COLLEGE 62 CRAZINESS 87 DISPLEASURE- FROWN 113
COMBINATION 62 CREATION 88 DISPOSAL 113
COMFORT 63 CRIME 88 DISREGARD 114
COMFORT - LACKING 63 CRITICISM 89 DISSUADE 114
COMMENTS 63 CRUELTY 90 DISTANCE 114
COMMERCE 64 CRYING 90 DISTRACTION 114
COMMERCE - DEBT 66 CURRENT See FASHION 152, DISTURBANCE 114
COMMERCE - PROFIT 66 NOW 231 DIVERSION 115
COMMUNICATION 66 DANGER 91 DIVISION 115
COMMUNICATION - DARKNESS 91 DOMINATION 115
KEYBOARD 68 DAYDREAM See IMAGINATION DOMINATION - DIMINISH
COMMUNICATION - 186 116
PROCEDURES 68 DEATH 91 DOMINATION - END 116
COMMUNICATION - PUBLIC DEATH - KILLING 94 DOOM 116
68 DECAY See DETERIORATION DOUBT 117
COMMUNICATION - SWEAR 104 DRINKING 117
68 DECEPTION 94 DRUNK 117
COMMUNICATION - DECISION 98 DRYNESS 118
TELEPHONE 69 DEED 98 EAGERNESS 119
COMMUNICATION - VERBAL DEFENSE 99 EARLY 120
69 DEGRADATION 99 EASY 120
COMMUNICATION - WRITTEN DELAY 99 EATING 122
71 DEMANDS 100 EATING - DIET 123
COMPARISON 72 DEPART 100 EATING - ENTERTAINMENT
COMPASSION 73 DEPART- EXIT 101 123
COMPETITION 73 DEPART- FAST 101 EATING - FAST 123
COMPLAINT 73 DEPENDABILITY 102 EATING - ILLNESS 123
COMPLETELY 74 DEPRESSION 102 EATING - LITTLE 123
COMPLETION 74 DEPTH 102 EATING -MUCH 124
COMPLIMENT 76 DESCRIPTION 102 EATING - NIBBLE 124
VIII