American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

hand. see CALL OF NATURE; GOOD NATURE; SECOND NATURE.

naught

see COME TO NOTHING (NAUGHT).

near

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with NEAR, also see FAR AND NEAR; IN THE

NEAR FUTURE; NOT ANYTHING LIKE (ANYWHERE NEAR).

near at hand

hand. see AT HAND.

nearest and dearest

One's closest and fondest friends, companions, or relatives, as in It's a small gathering?

we're inviting only a dozen or so of our nearest and dearest. This rhyming expression has been used ironically since the late 1500s, as well as by Shakespeare in 1 Henry IV (3:2): "Why, Harry, do I tell thee of my foes, which art my nearest and dearest enemy?"

near miss

A narrowly avoided mishap; also, an attempt that falls just short of success. For example, It was a near miss for that truck, since the driver had crossed the center strip into oncoming traffic, or Her horse kept having a near miss in every race, so she decided to sell it. This expression originated during World War II, when it signified a bomb exploding in the water near enough to a ship to damage its hull. Soon afterward it acquired its present meanings.

near thing

Something just barely effected, as in That election was a near thing?

he won by a handful of votes. [Mid1700s]

near to one's heart Also, close to one's heart. Loved by or important to one, as in This last painting was very near to her heart, or His first grandson is close to his heart. [Late 1800s]

necessity

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with NECESSITY, also see MAKE A VIRTUE OF

NECESSITY; OF NECESSITY.

necessity is the mother of invention

Inventiveness and ingenuity are stimulated by difficulty. For example, The first prisoner to tie together bedsheets to escape knew that necessity was the mother of invention. This proverb first appeared in English in 1519 in slightly different form, "Need taught him wit," and exists in many other languages as well.

neck

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with NECK, also see ALBATROSS AROUND

ONE'S NECK; BREAK ONE'S BACK (NECK); BREATHE DOWN SOMEONE'S NECK; DEAD FROM THE NECK UP; MILLSTONE AROUND ONE'S NECK; PAIN IN THE NECK; RISK LIFE AND LIMB (ONE'S NECK); SAVE SOMEONE'S BACON (NECK); STICK ONE'S NECK OUT; UP TO ONE'S EARS (NECK).

neck and neck

So close that the advantage or lead shifts from one to the other or is virtually indistinguishable, as in The two are neck and neck in developing a new operating system for the computer. The term comes from horse racing, where the necks of two horses in competition appear to be side by side. [Early 1800s] For a synonym, see NIP AND TUCK.

neck of the woods

A neighborhood or region, as in He's one of the wealthiest men in our neck of the woods. Originally (mid-1800s) alluding to a forest settlement, this colloquial term is now used more loosely, for urban as well as rural locales.

need

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with NEED, also see CRY FOR (CRYING NEED

FOR); FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED.

needle

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with NEEDLE, also see ON PINS AND

NEEDLES.

needle in a haystack

An item that is very hard or impossible to locate, as in Looking for that screw in Dean's workshop amounts to looking for a needle in a haystack. Originating in the early 1500s, with meadow instead of haystack, this metaphor exists in many other languages as well.

needless to say

Very likely or obvious, self-evident, as in Needless to say, the availability of assault weapons is closely connected with crime. Although nonsensical at first glance (if unnecessary to say, why say it?), this phrase is generally used for emphasis. It originated as needless to speak in the early

1500s. Also see GO WITHOUT (SAYING).

need like a hole in the head

Have neither a need nor a desire for something, as in I needed that extra work like I need a hole in the head. This expression has such ancestors as "As much need of it as he has of the pip [a disease] or of a cough," from John Ray's English Proverbs (1678), and "As much need of it as a

toad of a side pocket," from Francis Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1785). [Slang; c. 1940]

neither fish nor fowl Also, neither fish nor flesh; neither fish, flesh, nor fowl. Not one or the other, not something fitting any category under discussion. For example, They felt he was neither fish nor fowl?

not qualified to lead the department, yet not appropriate to work as a staff member either. This expression appeared in slightly different form in John Heywood's 1546 proverb collection ("Neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red herring") and is thought to allude to food for monks (fish, because they abstained from meat), for the people (flesh, or meat), and for the poor (red herring, a very cheap fish).

neither here nor there

Unimportant, irrelevant, as in You pay for the movie and I'll get the dinner check, or vice versa?

it's neither here nor there. This expression was first recorded in 1583. Also see BESIDE THE

POINT.

neither hide nor hair

hand. see HIDE OR HAIR.

neither rhyme nor reason

hand. see RHYME OR REASON.

Nellie

hand. see NERVOUS NELLIE.

nerve

hand. see BUNDLE OF NERVES; GET ON SOMEONE'S NERVES; GET UP (ONE'S NERVE); HAVE A NERVE; LOSE ONE'S NERVE; OF ALL THE NERVE; WAR OF NERVES.

nervous Nellie

An unduly timid or anxious person, as in He's a real nervous Nellie, calling the doctor about every little symptom. This term does not allude to a particular person named Nellie; rather, the name was probably chosen for the sake of alliteration. [Colloquial; c. 1920]

nervous wreck

An individual suffering from extreme agitation or worry, as in Pat was a nervous wreck until her mother arrived at the wedding. This expression is nearly always used hyperbolically. [Colloquial; c. 1900] Also see BASKET CASE.

nest

hand. see EMPTY NEST; FEATHER ONE'S NEST; FOUL ONE'S NEST; STIR UP A HORNET'S NEST.

never

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with NEVER, also see BETTER LATE THAN

NEVER; IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS; LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE; NOW OR NEVER; WATCHED POT NEVER BOILS; WONDERS WILL NEVER CEASE; YOU NEVER CAN TELL.

never a dull moment

Something is always changing or happening, as in First Lauren spits up, then she coughs, then she sneezes?

never a dull moment with this baby! This expression was first recorded in 1889.

never fear

Don't worry that a thing will or won't occur, be confident, as in I'll get there, never fear. This phrase was used by Christopher Marlowe in Doctor Faustus (c. 1590): "'Tis but a surfeit; never fear, man."

never give a sucker an even break

Don't allow a person who's easily duped a fair chance, as in He's always trying to give out expired coupons for his store, firmly believing in never giving a sucker an even break. Probably a direct quotation, it has been attributed to showman P.T. Barnum (responsible for the oft-quoted "There's a sucker born every minute"); and comedian W.C. Fields (who popularized it in one of his films); and theater manager Edward Francis Albee, the most probable of the three. [Slang; early 1900s]

never had it so good, one

One is better off now than one has ever been before, as in She keeps complaining about her new job, but the truth is that she's never had it so good. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s]

never hear the end of

Be incessantly reminded of, as in If you do not send a wedding present to them you will never hear the end of it from your mother.

never mind

1. Don't worry about something, don't trouble yourself, it doesn't matter. For example, Never mind what I said, it wasn't important, or Never mind, you can always take the driver's test again. This expression employs mind in the sense of "care about something," a usage dating from the late 1700s. 2. Also, never you mind. Don't concern yourself with that, it's none of your business, as in

Never you mind where I plan to buy the new TV. [Early 1800s]

never miss a trick

hand. see NOT MISS A TRICK.

never-never land

A fantasy land, an imaginary place, as in I don't know what's gotten into Marge?

she's way off in never-never land. This expression gained currency when James Barrie used it in Peter Pan (1904) for the place where Peter and the Lost Boys live. However, in the second half of the 1800s Australians already were using it for vast unsettled areas of their continent (the outback), and there the term became popular through Mrs. Aeneas Gunn's We of the Never Never (1908). In Australia it still refers to northwest Queensland or northern Australia in general. Elsewhere it simply signifies a fantasy or daydream.

never put off until tomorrow

hand. see under PUT OFF.

never say die

Don't ever give up, do not despair, as in This stage set doesn't look too promising, but never say die, it may still work out. This maxim today is often used ironically and deprecatingly, for something that has already failed. [Early 1800s]

never say never

Nothing is impossible, anything can happen, as in Mary said Tom would never call her again, but I told her, "Never say never." This expression was first recorded in Charles Dickens's Pickwick Papers (1837).

new

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with NEW, also see BREAK (NEW) GROUND;

BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO; FEEL LIKE (NEW); NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN; RING IN THE NEW YEAR; TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS; TURN OVER A NEW LEAF; WHAT'S COOKING (NEW); WHOLE NEW BALLGAME.

new ballgame

hand. see WHOLE NEW BALLGAME.

new blood

Additional, fresh individuals regarded as an invigorating force, as in an organization. For example,

The board could really use some new blood next year. This metaphoric expression, first recorded in 1853, alludes to a blood transfusion and employs new in the sense of "fresh."

new broom sweeps clean, a

nip in the bud

Halt something at an early stage, or thoroughly check something. For example, By arresting all the leaders, they nipped the rebellion in the bud. This metaphoric expression, alluding to a spring frost that kills flower buds, was first recorded in a Beaumont and Fletcher play of 1606-1607.

no

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with NO, also see ALL TALK (AND NO

ACTION); ALL WORK AND NO PLAY; BY NO MEANS; CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR; COME TO AN END (TO NO GOOD); CUT NO ICE; DO ANY (NO) GOOD; FEEL NO PAIN; HELL HAS NO FURY; HOLD NO BRIEF FOR; IN NO CASE; IN NO TIME; IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS; LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED; LESS THAN (NO TIME); LONG TIME NO SEE; LOSE (NO) TIME; MAKE NO BONES ABOUT; MAKE NO DIFFERENCE; MAKE NO MISTAKE; MONEY IS NO OBJECT; NONE OF ONE'S (HAVE NO) BUSINESS; POINT OF NO RETURN; PULL NO PUNCHES; ROLLING STONE GATHERS NO MOSS; SHADOW OF A DOUBT, NO; TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER; THERE'S NO TELLING; TO LITTLE (NO) PURPOSE; TO NO AVAIL; UNDER ANY (NO) CIRCUMSTANCES; UP TO NO GOOD; YES AND NO.

no accounting for tastes, there's

Individual likes and dislikes defy explanation, as in They painted their house purple?

there's really no accounting for tastes. This expression, first put as no disputing about tastes, dates from the mid-1600s; the present wording was first recorded in 1794. A mid-20th-century synonym that originated in the American South is different strokes for different folks. For a far older

synonym, see ONE MAN'S MEAT.

nobody

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with NOBODY, also see LIKE CRAZY

(NOBODY'S BUSINESS).

nobody home

1. No one is paying attention, as in She threw the ball right past him, yelling "Nobody home!" 2.

The person being discussed is mentally impaired and so cannot understand, as in When the woman did not answer, he concluded it was a case of nobody home. Both usages transfer the absence of someone in a dwelling to absent-mindedness or mental deficiency, and are thought to have been invented by cartoonist and journalist Thomas Aloysius Dorgan ("TAD") around 1900. He often

embellished his column with such punning amplifications as "Nobody home but the telephone and that's in the hands of the receiver," or "Nobody home but the oyster and that's in the stew."

nobody's fool

A person who cannot be duped or taken advantage of, as in You can't put anything over on Ryan?

he's nobody's fool. [Early 1900s]

no buts

hand. see NO IFS OR BUTS.

no call for Also, no call to. No requirement or reason for doing something, as in There was no call for your condescending suggestions; she knew quite well what to do. This idiom, first recorded in 1779, uses call in the sense of "duty" or "need." The variant is always used with a verb, as in

There was no call to get the police involved because it's a simple dispute between neighbors.

no can do

It's impossible; I can't do this. For example, When Bill asked me to write a speech, I told him bluntly no can do. This colloquial phrase was first recorded in 1914.

nod

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with NOD, also see GET THE NOD.

nodding acquaintance

Superficial knowledge of someone or something, as in I have a nodding acquaintance with the company president, or She has a nodding acquaintance with that software program. This expression alludes to knowing someone just well enough to nod or bow upon meeting him or her. [Early 1800s]

no dice Also, no go; no soap. No, certainly not; also, impossible. For example, Anthony wanted to borrow my new coat, but Mom said no dice, or We tried to rent the church for the wedding, but it's no go for the date you picked, or Jim asked Dad to help pay for the repairs, but Dad said no soap. All of these slangy expressions indicate refusal or an unsuccessful attempt. No dice, from the 1920s, alludes to an unlucky throw in gambling; no go, alluding to

lack of progress, dates from about 1820; and no soap dates from about 1920 and possibly alludes to the phrase it won't wash, meaning ''it won't find acceptance." Also see NOTHING DOING;

WON'T WASH.

nod off

Fall asleep momentarily, doze, as in Grandma spends a lot of time in her rocking chair, nodding off now and then. This expression alludes to the quick involuntary dropping of one's head from an upright position when drowsy or napping. The verb nod alone was so used from the mid-1500s.

Also see DROP OFF, def. 1.

no doubt

1. Probably, most likely, as in No doubt you've heard the news about Mother. [Early 1300s] 2. Also, without doubt or a doubt. Certainly, without question, as in He's guilty, no doubt, but he doesn't deserve such a long sentence, or That basketball player is without doubt the tallest man I've ever

seen. [Early 1300s] Also see BEYOND A DOUBT.

no end

1.A large number, a great deal, as in He made no end of campaign promises. This expression sometimes is put as no end to or no end of, meaning "no limit to" or "an incalculable amount of," as in There is no end to the junk mail we get, or There are no end of books in this house. [c. 1600]

2.Immensely, exceedingly, as in This situation puzzles us no end. [c. 1900]

no flies on one

One is wide awake; there is nothing slow or dull about one. For example, She may be new to this field, but there are no flies on her. This slangy expression, which alludes to flies settling on a sluggish animal, was being used in Australia in the 1840s but did not appear in America until the last decades of the 1800s.

no fool like an old fool, there's

An old fool is the worst kind of fool, as in He's marrying a woman fifty years his junior?

there's no fool like an old fool. This adage, now considered somewhat offensive for stereotyping old people, appeared in John Heywood's 1546 proverb collection and has been repeated ever since.

no go

hand. see NO DICE.

no good

Unsatisfactory, inadequate; also, no use. For example, This work is no good; it'll have to be done over, or It's no good complaining since there's nothing we can do, or I tried to appeal to his sense of generosity, but it did no good. [Mid-1800s] Also see COME TO AN END (TO NO GOOD),

def. 2; DO ANY (NO) GOOD.

no great shakes

Nothing out of the ordinary, mediocre, as in I'm afraid the new pitcher is no great shakes, or What I did with this decorating project was no great shakes. This term possibly alludes to the shaking of dice, which most often yields a mediocre result, but there is no evidence to support this theory.

[Early 1800s]

no hard feelings

No resentment or anger, as in I hope there are no hard feelings about excluding your group. This idiom uses hard in the sense of "severe" or "harsh," a usage dating from about A.D. 1000.

no holds barred

Without any restrictions, as in Telephone companies are entering the market for Internet users with no holds barred. This expression comes from wrestling, where certain holds are illegal, or barred, and has been used figuratively since about 1940.