<p>I don’t usually comment on non-math posts, but this is actually a very interesting thread. It reveals just how difficult our language can be and what a mighty effort is required to pick up all of these idioms when it is not your native language…</p>
<p>There are so many verbal scholars on this site who can help you to fine-tune your list, much of which is accurate (or nearly accurate) but some not so much…</p>
<p>I’ll help with two…</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I think you misheard: to have “clout” is to have power or at least influence.</p></li>
<li><p>When something “slips through your fingers” it means you lost an opportunity that you nearly had and could have had, but didn’t quite manage to hold on to.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>As a math person, I like to solve puzzles. So some of your items are like a game, where the goal is to figure out what was really said. But I am not making fun of you – it is a challenging task that you have set yourself. Good luck.</p>
<p>Suleyman, I think #1 was probably “to step back to the hallway.” That would mean literally or metaphorically going out of the room to start over, perhaps with a better perspective. I’ve never heard #1 as you’ve written it.</p>
<p>Also “pull over” doesn’t really mean “shut down” or “stop” although I can see how you would deduce that. “Pull over” said to a driver means “pull to the side of the road and stop.” It would normally be said in two circumstances: one, if the rider needs to get out or has detected some emergency, or two, if a police officer is telling the driver to pull over.</p>
<p>Hmm I will help u out here too :)</p>
<p>82) to keep it down - to slow down; to relief; mitigate; easy</p>
<p>easy–> to ease</p>
<p>As I sampled your list, I saw many phrases that you wrote incorrectly. #56 “to turn back on someone” is actually “to turn your back on someone”. This can be easily understood once you imagine seeing one person literally turning their back to someone else’s request for help or for simple consideration. #15 “to plant” means to place something. It is a reference to planting a seed. However it has a connotation of secrecy and dishonesty. A dishonest policeman may ‘plant’ an illegal drug in your car in order to ‘frame’ you (imagine a picture frame with a picture of your face in it) for a crime you didn’t commit. A spy may plant a ‘bug’ (a hidden microphone) in your apartment.</p>
<p>Many of these idioms will have to be memorized by rote unless you have some idea of their origins. ‘Bury the hatchet’, for example, is generally believed to be an idiom borrowed from the Native American (or American Indian) culture. It suggests burying a weapon as a symbolic gesture to end a conflict. ‘Smoke the peace pipe’ is another such phrase with basically the same meaning.</p>
<p>I would suggest you go to an online bookstore and look for a ‘dictionary of American slang’. (‘Slang’ is a less formal word for idiom.) There are many to choose from. Try to find one that includes explanations of the idiom’s origin, since that will make it much easier to remember. If you have such a reference with you, you would be able on your own to accomplish what you are trying to do on this thread. </p>
<p>In the meantime, I suggest you look again at the link posted by Silverturtle. It doesn’t have the origins of the idioms it lists, but it’s a place to start.</p>
<p>@pckeller
Thanks. I’ll add more idioms and improve my list in a couple of hours.
@QuantMech @Sakata Gintoki
As I said before, I didn’t find these idioms from web-sites or so. I watch an American movie and at the same time, I write down all idioms I hear. In this way, I don’t need to try so hard to memorize them; and it’s an advantage.
@Wood5440
As I said before, silverturtle’s link is not an option because there are more than 1000 idioms; moreover, I have no idea how to memorize them. The best course of actions is watching an American movie and writing down all idioms.
@All
I’ll enhance my list today.</p>
<p>1) To step back to the hallway - to go away for a while and then return back.
2) To imagine in head - to plan something
3) It’s 411 - seeking for some kind of information
4) To pull out - to go away
5) To pull over - to shut down or to stop. Ex. pull over the car
6) To do something round the clock - to do something without interruptions; again and again.
7) 24/7 - anytime
8) As a rule - usually
9) To be about to do something - to be close to doing something.
10) To be on one’s way- To start going somewhere
11) Something is Up to somebody - someone is in charge for something
12) to be together like traffic and weather
13) get long - be friends
14) out of mind - crazy
15) to plant - to make up. Ex. to plant evidence
16) set up - fake guilt
17) in fame - for someone
18) double-cross -
19) step down - to ■■■■■■
20) turn in - give up
21) that’s your game - someone’s behavior in future/current actions
22) freeze - no move
23) something is up - something is happened/ing
24) 3 to 1 do the math - showing someone’s advantage
25) 2 plus 2 do the math - obviously easy thing
26) to work out for everyone - to find a compromise
27) to blow clean off - to shot to pieces
28) to be locked up - to be in jail/prison
29) pulling strings - one controls/stands on top of someone’s actions
30) folk tone - to shake someone
31) way out - solution
32) turn out - resulted
33) to clean slights - to correct past mistakes
34) save it - don’t say something
35) hard look - to deal with reality
36) come down - in action
37) come forward - to sign that one emerged
38) somewhere down the road - in future
39) step up - come
40) settle up
41) pull off -solve
42) clean the air - to reach an agreement
43) hang around - to have fun
44) head down open eyes - to be careful
45) put down - finish
46) history in the room - people’s relationships
47) sharp the video - enhance a quality
48) to step foot - come
49) to start over - start again
50) to make something with one hand on one’s junk - no hard work
51) to put hands on something - to have something
52) to throw a bone - to help
53) shake a line - wipe out
54) don’t let something leave one’s side - to look all time
55) to get through - to call
56) to turn back on someone - to provide no help or no support
57) a big deal - a serious problem
58) to want/need badly - to have a strong desire to get something
59) tide time - quick turn of events
60) to recall - to remember
61) to bury the hatchet with somebody - to become friends after fight (not sure)
62) part ways - different ways
63) to sign - to order
64) cover the tracks - to make impossible someone to find you
65) put off - solve
66) my cut - my piece
67) to wait from the break ground - to wait too long (not sure)
68) to pull gravities on the table - to settle up
69) to move forward - to go further
70) to have a clout - to have a power
71) a pay day - a money
72) to get out morning - to start a new work without thoughts about last one.
73) all in house - by ourselves
74) to put hands on someone - to beat someone
75) to come up with - to find something
76) to pull off - to find
77) that’s we all for now - that’s all
78) to walk away from - to leave; to go
79) to be noisy - to be interested in other’s business
80) to step in for someone
81) to come back - to return
82) to keep it down - to slow down; to relief; mitigate; to ease
83) a foundation - a thesis
84) a time line - estimated time
85) to go get someone - to find and brink here someone
86) to come down - to break
87) to leave a name behind - to sign
88) to go throw that glass - [scaring someone] Ex. go with me or go throw that glass
89) to take a little while - to take sometime
90) the best course of actions - a decision
91) to own a life - to live in a freedom
92) to stack around - to trap
93) to stay out - to avoid
94) to have [something] on someone
94) to move on - to go next
95) to slip up - to uncover a secret non-intentionally
96) to sweep the area - to scan the area
97) to step off - to go away
98) to carry on - to continue
99) to figure out - to understand
100) to put off - to refuse (depends on context)
101) to touch down - to land
102) to land - to arrive
103) to be able to live with myself - to have a clean conscience
104) to be in the same room - no change
105) to be in the same boat - to be in the same situation
106) 106) to go away - to run
107) to do homework - to do a work
108) speaking of = by the way
109) slipping through our fingers - going away
110) time is on one’s side - to have a time advantage
111) as we speak - now
112) to put in work - to do a work
113) here and out - last
114) to engineer - to create
115) I need a hand - I need a help
116) that’s on you - something is on someone’s responsibility
117) to be up for something - to be able to handle something
118) right away - now
119) right now - now
120) second after - after
121) it won’t be too cool - it won’t be the best course of actions
122) to hook me up - to help
123) to stand by - to wait
124) to be right back (brb) - to return
125) to value a bird in hand than two in the bush
126) one down one to go - one is dead another one is going to be
127) to talk alone - to talk in privacy
128) your rights are not my first concern - i don’t care about your rights or rules
129) right - rule
130) to step outside - to go away
131) to close the door behind you - when you go close the door
132) your opinion means a little to me - i don’t value or consider your opinion
133) I doubt - I don’t think so
134) to lower it down for someone - to be more specifically
135) to keep it in family - not to tell other people
136) it’s up to you - choose
137) keep your cap on - don’t be stupid
138) a cooperation - a help
139) the same root - the same thing with no change
140) ahead - over
142) in saying - crazy
143) a paper work - documents
144) on stage - online
145) to take my word for - to trust me
146) the way things are done - a conventional way or as usually
147) to end this all - to finish
148) to bring evidence to light - to come up with evidence
149) to be save - good luck
150) to play boll - to do as someone wants things to go
151) if you want to take a ride you have got to buy a ticket
152) a situation comes to light - a situation requires immediate action
153) to step down from position</p>
<p>this is a very useful thread. let it be!</p>