Idioms Translator

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
Base language: EN

Letter: n

Total idioms: 9849 - currently selected: 240 (50 per page)

Not be caught dead

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not be caught dead
1. (idiomatic) To refuse completely to do something.
? I would not be caught dead in such a skimpy dress.

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Not by any means

Details:
not by any means (not comparable)
1. (idiomatic) Not at all, not in the slightest


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Not cricket

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not cricket (not comparable)
1. (idiomatic, figuratively, humorous) unsportsmanlike.

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Not cut out for something

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If you are not cut out for something, you are not the sort of person to succeed or be happy in a particular activity.

Examples:
I started studying medicine but I quickly realized that I wasn't cut out for it.



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Not enough room to swing a cat

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not enough room to swing a cat (uncountable)
1. (idiomatic) Very little space (available) (of a very small room).


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Not for love ormoney

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If you say that you cannot or will not do something for love or money, you mean that you will not do it under any circumstances.

Examples:
I would not try bungee jumping for love or money!



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Not for the world

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not for the world
1. (idiomatic) Absolutely not; under no circumstances. A defiant no. [from 18th c.]
? Would you like to go for dinner with me? Not for the world!
? I will never see that movie again. Not for the world!

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Not getting anywhere

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If you are not getting anywhere, you are making no progress at all.

Examples:
I've spent the whole day looking for a solution but I'm not getting anywhere.



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Not give a hang

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If you do not give a hang about something, you are totally indifferent to it and do not care at all about it.

Examples:
I'm not interested in football so I don't give a hang about which team wins.



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Not give a monkey's

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not to give a monkey’s
1. (idiomatic, UK) Not to have the slightest interest or concern


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Not give someone the time of day

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not give someone the time of day
1. (idiomatic, informal) To ignore someone deliberately; to refuse to talk or pay attention to someone.
? I think I've really annoyed him this time - he won't even give me the time of day!

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Not half bad

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not half bad (not comparable)
1. (idiomatic) Pretty good; okay; decent.
? It was his first attempt at cooking, but I tried it and it was not half bad.

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Not have a clue

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If you don't have a clue about something, you don't know anything about it.

Examples:
My wife's grandmother's maiden name? I don't have a clue!



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Not have a leg to stand on

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To say that someone does not have a leg to stand on means that they cannot prove what they say.
not have a leg to stand on
1. (idiomatic) To lack support, as in an argument, debate, or negotiation.
? There are still those who argue that the Earth is flat, but with modern technology and satellite photos they really do not have a leg to stand on.

Examples:
Three people testified against him.  He didn't have a leg to stand on.



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Not have the faintest

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not have the faintest
1. (idiomatic) To not know; to have no idea.
? Talking to him for a few minutes, it was clear he hadn't the faintest what to do.

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Not in a million years

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not in a million years
1. (idiomatic) Alternative form of never in a million years.

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Not in kansas anymore

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not in Kansas anymore
1. (idiomatic, colloquial, US) No longer in quiet and comfortable surroundings
? As soon as I walked into that party I thought, "I'm not in Kansas anymore."

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Not in one's right mind

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Someone who is not in their right mind is not behaving in a logical or sensible way.

Examples:
Julie wasn't in her right mind the day she bought that outfit.  It doesn't suit her at all!



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Not in the least

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not in the least (not comparable)
1. (idiomatic) not at all, not in any way

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Not in the same league

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If something is not in the same league, it is of much lower standard than something else.

Examples:
He had a good voice but he wasn't in the same league as Pavarotti.



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Not in the same league as

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If something  is not in the same league, it is of much lower standard than something else.

Examples:
He had a good voice but he wasn't in the same league as Pavarotti.



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Not in the slightest

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not in the slightest (not comparable)
1. (idiomatic) not at all, not in any way

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Not invented here

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not invented here (not comparable)
1. (business, engineering, idiomatic) Invented outside one's own company (referring to the knee-jerk dismissal of products, technologies, etc. that come from third parties).

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Not know which end is up

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not know which end is up
1. (idiomatic) To have no common sense; to be ignorant of the most basic facts; to be very confused.


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Not leave one's thoughts

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not leave one's thoughts
1. (idiomatic) To remain in one's mind for a long duration.
? the accident hasn't left my thoughts in years

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Not let grass grow under feet

Details:
If someone does not let the grass grow under their feet, they do not delay in getting something done.

Examples:
As soon as he received the permit, he started to build.  He never lets the grass grow under his feet!



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Not lift a finger

Details:
Someone who does not lift a finger makes no effort to help or provide assistance when it is needed.

Examples:
Many people saw the boy falling off his bike but not one of them lifted a finger.



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Not long

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not long
1. Used other than as an idiom: see not,‎ long.
? "How long have you been in the service?" ?"Not long."
2. (UK) Fairly recently.


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Not long for this world

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not long for this world (not comparable)
1. (idiomatic) Unlikely to endure for much more time.


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Not lose (any) sleep

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When something happens that in your opinion is not a cause for worry, you can say that you will not lose (any) sleep over it.

Examples:
I've mislaid the book but i'm not going to lose any sleep over it.



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Not mince one's words

Details:
Someone who does not mince their words expresses their opinions, ideas or thoughts very clearly, even if they offend others by doing so.

Examples:
Come on John!  Tell us what you really think - and don't mince your words.



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Not miss a trick

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If a person never misses a trick, they are very alert and aware of everything that is happening around them.

Examples:
The old lady next door will know if Bill is there or not - she never misses a trick!



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Not much of anything

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not much of anything
1. (idiomatic) Very little; not a lot.


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Not on your life

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not on your life
1. (idiomatic) Absolutely not; under no circumstances.
? Do you think I will ever go back after that? Not on your life!

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Not on your nelly

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not on your nelly
1. (idiomatic, Cockney rhyming slang) not on your life, an emphatic form of no.

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Not on your tintype

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not on your tintype
1. (idiomatic) An answer indicating outright rejection or denial; no way; absolutely not.
? He got out an enlistment blank, and placing his finger on a blank line said, "Sign here." I answered, "Not on your tintype." "I beg your pardon?" Then I explained to him that I would not sign it without first reading it. — Arthur Guy Empey, "Over the top", 1917

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Not out

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not out (not comparable)
1. Used other than as an idiom. not out; in.
2. (cricket, of a batsman at the end of an innings) not dismissed and having not retired.

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Not playing with a full deck

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not playing with a full deck
1. (idiomatic, chiefly pejorative, colloquial) (chiefly US, Canada) (of a person) Not acting completely sanely, or mildly mentally retarded or diminished.


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Not playing with a full deck (of cards)

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Someone who is not playing with a full deck (of cards) lacks intelligence or does not have full mental abilities.

Examples:
Old Mrs.Whitehead was not playing with a full deck when she bought that fancy lawnmower!



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Not quite

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not quite (not comparable)
1. (idiomatic) almost, very nearly

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Not see straight

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not see straight
1. Used other than as an idiom: see not,‎ see,‎ straight.
2. (figuratively, colloquial) To be unable to think clearly.
? I was so tired I was not able to see straight.
? I am so angry that I can't see straight.

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Not so fast

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not so fast
1. (idiomatic) Used to tell someone to stop doing something.

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Not the end of the world

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(it's) not the end of the world
1. (idiomatic) It's of minor importance, at least not as important as it first seemed.
? Don't worry; it's not the end of the world if he doesn't attend.

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Not the only pebble on the beach

Details:
To say that someone is not the only pebble on the beach means that they are not the only person worth considering.

Examples:
He thinks his refusal to join the team will cause problems, but there are other alternatives ...he's not the only pebble on the beach!



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Not to be able to say boo to a goose

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not to be able to say boo to a goose
1. (idiomatic) to be extremely timid or diffident

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Not to mention

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not to mention
1. (idiomatic) Used by the speaker to mention another important point; an apophasis.
? The city was already having staffing difficulties, not to mention having a three million dollar budget shortfall.

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Not to put too fine a point on it

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not to put too fine a point on it
1. (idiomatic) used to apologise for a possibly impolite statement one is making.


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Not to say

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not to say
1. Used other than as an idiom: see not,‎ to,‎ say.
2. Even; perhaps; almost.


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Not touch something with a barge / ten foot pole

Details:
1. To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something in any way; signifies a strong aversion.
2. To be unable (perhaps figuratively) to approach something or someone.

Examples:
If I were you, I wouldn't touch that property with a barge pole.

Origin:
May have been derived by the 10-foot poles that river boatmen used to pole their boats with, along in shallow water, or from the barge poles that bargemen used to fend off wharfs and other boats.
Many believe this expression originates from a burial practice in New Orleans. The Spanish developed burial system of present day proceeds by first placing the casket of the patron in an above ground tomb. Exactly 1 year and 1 day after burial, the tomb is opened and the casket removed. The body is next wrapped in a sheet and shoved to the bottom of the tomb using a ten foot pole. The weather of the area caused the remains to decompose quickly and tombs are subsequently reused for many burial. The expression, "I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole," is thought to have originated from this burial process.

A te/se feri ca dracu' de tamaie

Detalii:
A evita ceva cu orice chip; a refuza sa te asociezi cu ceva in orice fel; semnifica o aversiune puternica.

Exemple:
In locul tau, m-as feri de proprietatea aia ca dracu de tamaie.

Not turn a hair

Details:
If someone does not turn a hair, they show no emotion in circumstances where a reaction is expected.

Examples:
When the police came to arrest him, he didn't turn a hair.



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