English Idioms and Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms A, page 3,
from: 'all along' to: 'all the rage'
- all along
- If something has existed or been somewhere
all along, it has been there all the time, from the beginning.
"I had been looking for my keys for some time before I realized they had been in my pocket all along."
- If something has existed or been somewhere
all along, it has been there all the time, from the beginning.
- all the better for (something)
- If you are all the better for something, you benefit from it or feel much better as a result of it.
"You'll be all the better for a good night's rest."
- If you are all the better for something, you benefit from it or feel much better as a result of it.
- all brawn and no brain
- Someone who is physically very strong but not very intelligent is said to be all brawn and no brain.
"He's an impressive player to watch, but he's all brawn and no brain."
- Someone who is physically very strong but not very intelligent is said to be all brawn and no brain.
- all clear
- If you are allowed to do something after a check-up to make sure that everything is all right, you get the all clear.
"Dad says he's going to play golf again as soon as he gets the all clear from his doctor"
- If you are allowed to do something after a check-up to make sure that everything is all right, you get the all clear.
- all but
- The expression all but means almost completely or nearly totally.
"In some small towns train stations have all but disappeared."
- The expression all but means almost completely or nearly totally.
- (be) all for (something)
- If you say that you are all for something, you completely support it or agree 100% with the idea.
"The teacher suggested an end-of-the-year picnic and I’m all for it."
- If you say that you are all for something, you completely support it or agree 100% with the idea.
- (be) all ears
- To say that you are all ears means that you are listening very attentively
"Of course I want to know - I'm all ears!"
- To say that you are all ears means that you are listening very attentively
- all hands on deck
- When there is a need for all hands on deck,
everyone must help, especially when there is a lot of work to be done in a short amount of time.
"As the opening day approached, it was all hands on deck to have everything ready in time."
- When there is a need for all hands on deck,
everyone must help, especially when there is a lot of work to be done in a short amount of time.
- all in your head
- If something is all in your head, it is not real. It is in your imagination.
"Don't be silly. Nobody is trying to harm you. It's all in your head!"
- If something is all in your head, it is not real. It is in your imagination.
- all hell broke loose
- If you say that all hell broke loose, you mean that there was a sudden angry or noisy reaction to something.
"All hell broke loose when it was announced that the plant was going to close down."
- If you say that all hell broke loose, you mean that there was a sudden angry or noisy reaction to something.
- all that jazz
- This expression means 'all that stuff', 'other similar things', or 'everything of that kind'.
"Let's get out the tinsel, the fairy lights and all that jazz to decorate the Christmas tree."
- This expression means 'all that stuff', 'other similar things', or 'everything of that kind'.
- of all people
- To use the term 'of all people' emphasizes that the person you mention, more than anyone else, is the one you would expect to do something.
"As an artist, you, of all people, should support the new art gallery."
- To use the term 'of all people' emphasizes that the person you mention, more than anyone else, is the one you would expect to do something.
- (be) all over town
- When information about an event is all over town, it becomes known to many people in a town or city.
"News of the Mayor’s arrest for fraud was all over the town before noon."
- When information about an event is all over town, it becomes known to many people in a town or city.
- all systems go
- When everything is ready for an activity or event to begin, you can say that all systems go.
"We've got an office, a telephone and the internet, so on Monday it's all systems go!"
- When everything is ready for an activity or event to begin, you can say that all systems go.
- all things to all people
- If you are all things to all people, you please or satisfy everyone.
"She's exhausted trying to be a good wife, a good mother and a good teacher, but she can't be all things to all people."
- If you are all things to all people, you please or satisfy everyone.
- all things being equal
- This expression refers to a probable situation if, in all other ways, the conditions remain unchanged or equal.
"All (other) things being equal, a reduction in the cost of transport should enable us to lower our prices."
- This expression refers to a probable situation if, in all other ways, the conditions remain unchanged or equal.
- all the rage
- When something is all the rage, it has become very popular or trendy.
"Sending text messages is all the rage these days, both among individuals and companies."
- When something is all the rage, it has become very popular or trendy.
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