What is the meaning of the idiom down to the wire?
Definition of down-to-the-wire : full of suspense especially : unsettled until the very end.
What does the term out of the woods mean?
Out of difficulties, danger or trouble, as in We’re through the worst of the recession—we’re out of the woods now, or That pneumonia was serious, but Charles is finally out of the woods. This expression, alluding to having been lost in a forest, dates from Roman times; it was first recorded in English in 1792.
What does buy a lemon mean?
To buy a lemon means to purchase something that is worthless, broken, unsatisfactory, not of its purported value, or disappointing. Often, the word lemon is applied to a new car or other mechanical device that never works properly. A lemon is a small, oval, yellow citrus fruit that is tart.
What does the phrase slap on the wrist mean?
“When you do something wrong, and you get a slap on the wrist, it means that the punishment that you were given was rather mild or light.” But the Registrar gave him a slap on the wrist.” “When an actor in our country does something wrong, he’s merely given a slap on the wrist.
What does it mean to get the sack?
informal. : to be dismissed suddenly from a job : to get fired She got the sack for always being late.
What is the meaning of idiom cost an arm and a leg?
Definition of cost an arm and a leg informal. : to be too expensive I want a new car that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
What does acting the goat mean?
a silly way
to deliberately behave in a stupid way. Synonyms and related words. To behave in a silly way. fool around.
Is on its last legs meaning?
Extremely tired, close to collapsing, as in We’ve been cleaning house all day and I’m on my last legs. This hyperbolic expression originally meant “close to dying,” and in John Ray’s 1678 proverb collection it was transferred to being bankrupt.
What does the idiom’long in the tooth’mean?
(be) ˌlong in the ˈtooth. (humorous, especially British English) old: I’m a bit long in the tooth for all-night parties.This idiom refers to the fact that some animals’ teeth keep growing as they grow older.
Why do people call a horse long in the tooth?
The phrase “long in the tooth” is an unflattering term that alludes to the fact that a horse is getting older. This is due to the fact that the gums of a horse recede as it gets older. This phenomenon was then transferred to humans.
When did the saying old people start to appear in writing?
Definition: Old. This expression is a less direct way to describe older people, or possibly animals, rather than things or places. This idiom began to appear in writing in the first half of the 1800s.
How old is LeBron James when he is long in the tooth?
When 2020 rolls around, James will be 35, which is long in the tooth for any NBA player, let alone one with aspirations of being among the select few chosen for Team USA. – Washington Post In our second excerpt, the idiom describes an actor who was too old for a part in a James Bond movie.