American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

THAN ONE) HAT; WHAT IS MORE.

more and more

Increasingly, to a steadily growing extent or degree. For example, As night came on, we were getting more and more worried, or More and more I lean toward thinking he is right. [c. 1200]

more bang for the buck Also, more bounce for the ounce. More value for one's money, a greater return on an investment. For example, Buying a condominium is better than renting for years and years; more bang for the buck, or We always get the largest packages of dog food?

more bounce for the ounce. The first term originated in the late 1960s in the military for expenditures for firepower and soon was extended to mean an increased financial return or better value. The variant originated in the mid-1900s as an advertising slogan for a carbonated soft drink.

more dead than alive

Exhausted, in poor condition, as in By the time I got off that mountain I was more dead than alive.

This idiom may be used either hyperbolically or literally. [c. 1900]

more fun than a barrel of monkeys

Very amusing or diverting, as in That video game was more fun than a barrel of monkeys. This expression, first recorded in 1895, alludes to the playful behavior of these primates.

more in sorrow than in anger

Saddened rather than infuriated by someone's behavior. For example, When Dad learned that Jack had stolen a car, he looked at him more in sorrow than in anger. This expression first appeared in 1603 in Shakespeare's Hamlet (1:2), where Horatio describes to Hamlet the appearance of his father's ghost: "A countenance more in sorrow than in anger."

more often than not Also, often as not. Fairly frequently, more than or at least half the time, as in More often than not we'll have dinner in the den, or Dean and Chris agree on travel plans, often as not. [First half of 1900s]

more or less

1. Approximately, as in The truck will hold nine yards of dirt, more or less. This usage was first recorded in 1589. 2. Basically, essentially, as in We more or less agree on the substance of the letter. This usage was first recorded about 1225.

more power to someone

Best wishes to someone, as in He's decided to climb Mount Everest?

well, more power to him. [Mid1800s] For a more recent synonym, see RIGHT ON.

more sinned against than sinning

Less guilty than those who have injured one, as in It's true she took the money but they did owe her quite a bit?

in a way she's more sinned against than sinning. This expression comes from Shakespeare's King Lear (3:2), where the King, on the heath during a storm, so describes his plight.

more than meets the eye

A hidden significance, greater than is first apparent, as in This agreement involves more than meets the eye. [Mid-1800s]

more than one bargained for

An unexpected outcome, especially an unfavorable one, as in Serving on the board this year has involved more work than I bargained for. This expression alludes to a higher than anticipated cost for a transaction. [Mid-1800s]

more than one can shake a stick at

A large quantity, more than one can count, as in Our town has more banks than you can shake a stick at. This idiom presumably refers to brandishing a stick as a weapon, but the precise allusion is unclear. [Colloquial; c. 1800]

more than one way to skin a cat

More than one method to reach the same end, as in We can get around that by renting instead of buying a computer?

there's more than one way to skin a cat. This expression may be an American version of the earlier British more ways of killing a cat, but why the death of a cat should be alluded to at all is not clear. [Second half of 1800s]

more the merrier, the

The larger the number involved, the better the occasion. For example, John's invited all his family to come along, and why not? The more the merrier. This expression was first recorded in 1530, when it was put as "The more the merrier; the fewer, the better fare" (meaning "with fewer there would be more to eat"), an observation that made its way into numerous proverb collections.

morning

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with MORNING, also see GOOD DAY

(MORNING); MONDAYMORNING QUARTER-BACK.

morning after, the

The unpleasant results of an earlier activity, especially overindulgence in alcohol. For example, A headache is just one of the symptoms of the morning after. This expression originated in the late 1800s as a synonym for a hangover (and was often put as the morning after the night before). By the mid1900s, however, it was also being used more loosely for the aftereffects of staying up late.

mortar

hand. see BRICKS AND MORTAR.

moss

hand. see ROLLING STONE GATHERS NO MOSS.

most

hand. see AT MOST; FOR THE MOST PART; MAKE THE MOST OF.

mothballs

hand. see PUT IN MOTHBALLS.

mother

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with MOTHER, also see NECESSITY IS THE

MOTHER OF INVENTION.

mother of

The best or greatest of a type, as in That was the mother of all tennis matches. This expression originated during the Gulf War as a translation of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's term umm al-ma' arik, for "major battle"; the Arabic "mother of" is a figure of speech for "major" or "best.'' It was quickly adopted and applied to just about any person, event, or activity. [Slang; late 1980s]

motion

hand. see GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS; SET IN MOTION; SET THE WHEELS IN MOTION.

mountain

hand. see IF THE MOUNTAIN WON'T COME TO MUHAMMAD; MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL.

mouse

hand. see PLAY CAT AND MOUSE; POOR AS A CHURCHMOUSE; QUIET AS A MOUSE. Also see under MICE.

mouth

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with MOUTH, also see BAD MOUTH; BIG

MOUTH; BUTTER WOULDN'T MELT IN ONE'S MOUTH; DOWN IN THE DUMPS (MOUTH); FOAM AT THE MOUTH; FOOT IN ONE'S MOUTH; FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH; HAND TO MOUTH; HAVE ONE'S HEART IN ONE'S MOUTH; KEEP ONE'S MOUTH SHUT; LAUGH OUT OF THE OTHER SIDE OF ONE'S MOUTH; LEAVE A BAD TASTE IN ONE'S MOUTH; LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH; MAKE ONE'S MOUTH WATER; MELT IN ONE'S MOUTH; NOT OPEN ONE'S MOUTH; OUT OF THE

MOUTHS OF BABES; PUT ONE'S MONEY WHERE ONE'S MOUTH IS; PUT WORDS IN SOMEONE'S MOUTH; RUN OFF AT THE MOUTH; SHOOT OFF ONE'S MOUTH; TAKE THE BIT IN ONE'S MOUTH; TAKE THE BREAD OUT OF SOMEONE'S MOUTH; TAKE THE WORDS OUT OF SOMEONE'S MOUTH; WORD OF MOUTH.

mouthful

hand. see SAY A MOUTHFUL.

mouth off

1. Complain or express one's opinions loudly and indiscreetly, as in She was always mouthing off about the other members. [Slang; 1960s] 2. Speak impudently, talk back, as in He got in trouble by mouthing off to his teacher. [Slang; 1960s]

move

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with MOVE, also see GET A MOVE ON; ON THE

MOVE. Also see

move a muscle

Bestir oneself even slightly. This idiom is usually put negatively, either with implied criticism, as in

She won't move a muscle to help get dinner, or not, as in When I saw the deer, I stayed quite still, not daring to move a muscle. It was first recorded in 1889.

move heaven and earth

Exert the utmost effort, as in I'd move heaven and earth to get an apartment here. This hyperbolic expression was first recorded in 1792.

move in

1. Begin to occupy a residence or working place, as in We are scheduled to move

in next month, or Helen is moving in with her sister. [Late 1800s] 2. move in on. Intrude on; also, try to take over or get control of. For example, Their sales force is moving in on our territory, or

The police moved in on the gang. [Mid-1900s]

move on

Continue moving or progressing; also go away. For example, It's time we moved on to the next item on the agenda, or The police ordered the spectators to move on. [First half of 1800s]

mover

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with MOVER, also see PRIME MOVER.

mover and shaker

A person who wields power and influence in a particular activity or field, as in He's one of the movers and shakers in the art world. At first the two nouns referred specifically to God, alluding to the belief that a divine force was responsible for all events. The current usage refers only to human beings. [Second half of 1800s]

move up Also, move up in the world. Advance, rise to a higher level, succeed, as in Gene hoped he would move up in the new division, or That new house and car show they are moving up

in the world. Also see COME UP, def. 4.

mow down

1. Destroy in great numbers, especially in battle, as in The machine gun mowed them down as they advanced. [Late 1500s] 2. Overwhelm, as in He mowed down the opposition with his arguments. This usage, like the first, alludes to mowing, the cutting of grass with a scythe or other implement.

much

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with MUCH, also see AS MUCH; AS MUCH

AS; MAKE MUCH OF; NOT MISS A TRICK (MUCH); NOT THINK MUCH OF; NOT UP TO MUCH; PRETTY MUCH; SO MUCH; SO MUCH FOR; SO MUCH THE BETTER; (MUCH) SOUGHT AFTER; TAKE IT (JUST SO MUCH); TAKE ON (TOO MUCH); TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING; WITHOUT SO MUCH AS.

much ado about nothing

A big fuss over a trifle, as in Jerry had everyone running around looking for his gloves?

much ado about nothing. Although this expression is best remembered as the title of Shakespeare's comedy, the phrase much ado was already being used for a big commotion or trouble in the early 1500s.

much as

hand. see AS MUCH AS, def. 2.

much less

And certainly not, as in He rarely talks about his outside activities, much less his family. The earliest record of this idiom is in John Milton's Paradise Lost (1671): "The world thou hast not seen, much less her glory."

much sought after

hand. see SOUGHT AFTER.

muck up

Bungle, damage, make a mess of, as in Don't let him write the review; he's sure to muck it up. This idiom alludes to the verb muck in the sense of "spread manure on." [Early 1900s] For a synonym,

see FOUL UP.

mud

hand. see CLEAR AS MUD; NAME IS MUD; SLING MUD AT.

muddle through

Blunder through something, manage but awkwardly, as in The choir never knows how to line up, but we muddle through somehow. [Early 1900s]

muddy the waters

Confuse the issue, as in Bringing up one irrelevant fact after another, he succeeded in muddying the waters. This metaphoric expression, alluding to making a pond or stream turbid by stirring up mud from the bottom, was first recorded in 1837.

mule

hand. see STUBBORN AS A MULE.

mull over

Ponder, think about, as in She mulled over the offer for some time and then turned it down. [Late 1800s]

multitude of sins, cover a

Compensate for numerous evils, as in You may not be offering to help with the fair, but that big donation covers a multitude of sins. This expression originated in the New Testament (I Peter 4:8): "And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins."

mum's the word

Say nothing about this, it's a secret, as in Mum's the word on tonight's surprise party. This expression dates from about 1700, but mum, meaning "silence," is much older. In 2 Henry VI (1:2) Shakespeare wrote, "Seal up your lips, and give no words but mum."

murder

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with MURDER, also see GET AWAY WITH

(MURDER); SCREAM BLOODY MURDER.

murder will out

Certain news cannot be suppressed, as in He's being charged with embezzlement and fraud?

murder will out, you know. This expression already appeared in Chaucer's The Nun's Priest's Tale:

"Murder will out that we see day by day." [Late 1300s]

Murphy's law

If anything can go wrong, it will, as in We may think we've covered all the details for the benefit, but remember Murphy's law. The identity of Murphy, if ever a real person, is unknown. Some think it alludes to (but was not invented by) a feckless Irishman named Murphy. [c. 1940]

muscle

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with MUSCLE, also see FLEX ONE'S MUSCLES;

MOVE A MUSCLE.

muscle in Also, muscle in on. Forcibly intrude on or interfere with something, as in The children were determined not to allow the school bully to muscle in, or No more muscling in on our policy decisions! [Colloquial; 1920s]

museum piece

An elderly or old-fashioned item or person, as in When are you going to sell that museum piece of a car? or Aunt Jane comes from another era?

she's a real museum piece. This expression originated about 1900 for an article valuable enough for museum display but began to be used disparagingly from about 1915.

music

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with MUSIC, also see FACE THE MUSIC.

musical chairs, play

Move around from position to position, such as the jobs in an organization. For example, Bob took over for Tom, who took over for Mary, who got Bob's title?

the boss loves to play musical chairs with the staff. This expression alludes to the children's game in which children walk around a number of seats while music plays, and there is one less chair than players. When the music stops the players must sit down, and the player who is left standing is eliminated. Then another chair is removed, and the game goes on until only one player is left sitting. [c. 1900]

music to one's ears

Very pleasing information, excellent news, as in So they're getting married? That's music to my ears.

must

hand. see A MUST; SHOW MUST GO ON.

mustard

hand. see CUT THE MUSTARD.

muster

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with MUSTER, also see PASS MUSTER.

muster in Enlist in military service. For example, They were mustered in at Fort Dix. The antonym is muster out, meaning "to leave or be discharged from military service," as in

He was mustered out and given a dishonorable discharge. [First half of 1800s]

mutual admiration society

A relationship in which two people have strong feelings of esteem for each other and often exchange lavish compliments. The term may signify either genuine or pretended admiration, as in

Each of them praised the other's book?

it was a real mutual admiration society. The expression was invented by Henry David Thoreau in his journal (1851) and repeated by Oliver Wendell Holmes and others.

my eye

Like hell, that's nonsense, as in You were at the library all day? My eye, you were! This slangy expression of disbelief was first recorded in 1842. From about 1800 to the 1930s the same term was used to indicate surprise (My eye, she's been promoted after all.) but this usage seems to be obsolete.

my God Also, my goodness. Expressions of shock, surprise, or dismay, as in My God, don't tell me he's dying, or My goodness, what an awful outfit. The first term dates from about 1800; goodness in the variant is a euphemism for God.

my heart bleeds for you

I don't feel at all sorry for you, I don't sympathize, as in You only got a five percent raise? My heart bleeds for you. Originating in the late 1300s, this hyperbolic expression of sympathy has been used ironically since the mid-1700s.

my name is mud

hand. see under NAME IS MUD.

N

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with NAIL, also see BITE ONE'S NAILS; FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL; HARD AS NAILS; HIT THE BULL'S-EYE (NAIL ON THE HEAD); ON THE NAIL.

nail down

Establish conclusively, as in The reporter nailed down the story by checking all the facts. This

metaphoric expression alludes to fixing or fastening something down with nails. [c. 1600]

nail in one's coffin

Something that might hasten or contribute to one's death, as in Every cigarette you smoke is another nail in your coffin. This expression, alluding to fastening down a coffin lid, is today almost always used for a harmful habit such as tobacco use (giving rise to the slang term coffin nail for a cigar or cigarette). The idea was first expressed in an ode by Pindar (the pseudonym of John Wolcot) in 1792: "Care to our coffin adds a nail, no doubt."

naked as a jaybird

Bare, unclothed, as in I came straight out of the shower, naked as a jaybird. This simile replaced the 19th-century naked as a robin and is equally unclear, since neither bird is normally stripped of its feathers. Further, the bird it refers to is more often called simply "jay" rather than "jaybird," yet the latter is always part of the simile. [c. 1940]

naked eye

Sight unassisted by an instrument such as a microscope or telescope. For example, These insects are too small to be seen with the naked eye. This expression was first recorded in 1664.

naked truth

Plain unadorned facts, without concealment or embellishment. For example, What I've told you is the naked truth. This expression supposedly alludes to a fable in which Truth and Falsehood went bathing, Falsehood then dressed in Truth's clothes, and Truth, refusing to take another's clothes, went naked. [Late 1500s]

name

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with NAME, also see CALL NAMES; CLEAR

ONE'S NAME; DROP NAMES; GIVE A BAD

NAME; GO BY (THE NAME OF); HANDLE TO ONE'S NAME; IN NAME ONLY; IN THE NAME OF; MAKE A NAME FOR ONESELF; ON A FIRST-NAME BASIS; TAKE SOMEONE'S NAME IN VAIN; TO ONE'S NAME; WORTHY OF THE NAME; YOU NAME IT.

name after Also, name for. Give someone or something the name of another person or place. For example, They named the baby after his grandfather, or The mountain was named for President McKinley.

name is mud, one's

One is in trouble, disgraced, or discredited, as in If they find out I broke it, my name will be mud, or If his estimate is completely wrong, his name will be mud. A popular theory for this expression's

origin derives it from Dr. Samuel Mudd, the physician who was convicted as conspirator after he set the broken ankle of President Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth. But the expression was first recorded in 1823, when mud was slang for a stupid person or fool, a usage dating from the early 1700s. Later the term mud simply alluded to discredit.

name names

Specify persons by name, especially those who are accused of something. For example, More than one person was involved in the robbery, and his lawyer said he would get a shorter sentence if he named names. It is also put negatively, name no names, as in Some of our neighbors disobey the town's leash law, but I'm naming no names. The negative form was first recorded in 1792.

name of the game, the

that's the name of the game, or Parents don't approve of a coach who insists that winning any way one can is the name of the game. This rhyming idiom uses name in the sense of "identity." [Mid-1900s]

The crux of the matter; also, the main goal. For example, Getting them to admit they're wrong?

name the day

Fix the date for a wedding, as in Her parents pressed her to name the day. This expression was first recorded in 1766. However, similar usages for specifying a time, such as name the time, date from the late 1500s.

napping

hand. see CATCH NAPPING.

narrow

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with NARROW, see STRAIGHT AND NARROW.

narrow escape

A barely successful flight from or avoidance of danger or trouble, as in He had a narrow escape, since the bullet came within inches of his head. This expression uses narrow in the sense of "barely sufficient." [Late 1500s] For a newer synonym, see CLOSE CALL.

nary a

Not one, as in There's nary a mention of taxes in that speech, or Nary an officer could be seen.

This archaic-sounding contraction of "never a" remains in current use. [Mid-1700s]

natural

hand. see under BIG AS LIFE.

nature