Commonly-Used Idioms, Sayings and phrasal verbs - "N" Idioms doc

Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 551 N nail down (someone or something) - to make certain/sure of something I am trying to nail down the exact time that we can meet with our supplier. a nail in (someone's) coffin - something that will harm someone Fighting with his boss was a nail in my friend's coffin. He will not get a promotion now. naked eye - the human eye (with no binoculars etc.) It was difficult to see the bird with the naked eye. one's name is mud - a person`s reputation is bad His name is mud now that he has been charged by the police with stealing money from his company. the name of the game - the main part of a matter The name of the game is selling cars and not worrying about other things. name (someone) after (someone or something) - to give someone the name of another person/place/thing My cousin was named after his mother`s grandfather. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 552 a narrow escape - an escape with little chance of error He had a narrow escape when he almost fell from his bicycle. near at hand - to be close or handy (to someone) I looked for a pair of scissors that were near at hand. neck and neck - to be equal or nearly equal in a race or contest The two teams were neck and neck in the race to win the national championship. neck of the woods - an area or part of the country He has never been to my neck of the woods since he was a child. need (something) like (one needs) a hole in the head - to not need something at all My friend needs a new computer like he needs a hole in the head. need (something) yesterday - to need something in a very big hurry I need a new computer yesterday. a needle in a haystack - something that is very hard to find Looking for the lost receipt among the thousands of other receipts was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 553 neither fish nor fowl - something that does not belong to a definite group The man's opinions were neither fish nor fowl and nobody could put them into an identifiable category. neither here nor there - not relevant to the thing being discussed, to be off the subject "What you are saying is neither here nor there. We are talking about our plans this year - not five years in the future." neither hide nor hair of (someone or something) - no sign or indication of someone or something I have seen neither hide nor hair of my friend recently. a nervous Nellie - a timid person who lacks determination and courage He is a nervous Nellie and is afraid of the other students in the school. a nest egg - money that someone has saved up He has a large nest egg and will have no financial problems if he leaves his company. never fear - do not worry "Never fear, I will finish work and meet you in time for the movie." Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 554 never in one's life - not in one's experience I have never in my life seen such a strange person. never mind - don`t worry, don`t bother "If you don`t have time to pick up my laundry today, never mind, I will get it tomorrow." never would have guessed - never would have thought something to be the case I never would have guessed that the woman on the bicycle was one of the richest women in the city. new Idioms new blood - fresh energy or power, someone or something that gives new life or vigor to something She is a good employee and helped us to inject some new blood into our organization. a new broom sweeps clean - a new person makes many changes A new broom sweeps clean and when our new boss came he changed many things in our organization. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 555 a new deal - a complete change, a fresh start, another chance The player was given a new deal by the team although the previous year he had not played well. a new hire - a person who has recently been hired The man at the gas station is a new hire and is very slow at his job. a new lease on life - a renewed outlook on life I gave my car a new lease on life after I took it to the mechanic for repairs. a new person - a person who has become much better He is a new person now that he has quit smoking and drinking. . next-door neighbor - the person living in the house or apartment next to you My next-door neighbor often brings over fresh bread that she has baked. next of kin - one's closest living relative or relatives The police notified the dead woman's next of kin after the accident. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 556 next to nothing - hardly anything I was able to buy a new computer for next to nothing. nice and (some quality) - lots of some quality The bed was nice and warm and I fell asleep immediately. in the nick of time - at the very last moment He was able to board the airplane in the nick of time. nickel and dime (someone) - to charge someone many small amounts of money The constant small repairs to my car are beginning to nickel and dime me. night on the town - a night of celebration We went out for a night on the town when we finished the project. night owl - a person who likes to stay up late at night My friend is a night owl and stays up late every night. a nine day's wonder - someone or something that is of interest to people only for a short time The actor was a nine day's wonder and everyone forgot him after a couple of months. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 557 a nine-to-five-job - a job with regular and normal hours Many people like the regular hours of a nine-to-five job. nip and tuck - evenly matched, almost even They were running nip and tuck but he finally won the race in the end. nip (something) in the bud - to stop something at the start They found out about the computer problem but were able to nip the problem in the bud. no Idioms no bed of roses - a difficult or bad situation It is no bed of roses to have no job and a large family to support. no cigar - not agreed to, no, certainly not I almost got the job but in the end it was no cigar. no deal - not agreed to, no, certainly not It was no deal when my plan was rejected at the meeting. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 558 no dice - no, certainly not "No dice. I will never lend you that much money." no doubt - without doubt, surely, certainly No doubt he will be the one to win the contest again this year. no end - almost without stopping, continually The little girl cried no end when she couldn't find her favorite doll. no end of/to (something) - seeming almost endless, very many/much of something He had no end of problems when he lived overseas for a year. no go - not agreed to, no, certainly not It is no go for our plan to have three games this weekend. We can only have two games. no great shakes - to be mediocre, to be unimportant The hotel was no great shakes and I wouldn`t recommend that you stay there. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 559 no hard feelings - no anger or resentment There were no hard feelings between the two women after they got into a fight at work. no holds barred - with no restraints There were no holds barred during the debate between the politicians. no ifs, ands, or buts about it - absolutely no discussion or doubts about something "You are going to bed now - no ifs, ands, or buts about it," said the mother to her child. no joke - a serious matter The mistake with the meeting time was no joke. It caused many of us very serious problems. no kidding - honestly, really "No kidding, are you really going to buy a house." no laughing matter - a serious matter The incident was no laughing matter and was taken very seriously by the police. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 560 no love lost between (two people/groups) - bad feelings or ill will between two people or groups There is no love lost between my father and our neighbor. no matter - regardless No matter how hard that I try, my piano teacher is never satisfied. no matter what happens - in any event, without regard to what happens No matter what happens I plan to go swimming on Saturday. no picnic - not pleasant, difficult It was no picnic trying to drive to the lake during the storm. no point in (something) - no purpose in doing something There is no point in talking to my supervisor. He never listens to what I am saying. a no-show - a person who makes a reservation for something and then neither comes nor cancels it There were many no-shows at the concert last night. no skin off (someone's) teeth/nose - no difficulty for someone It will be no skin off my teeth if the meeting is not held. [...]... trespassing - no entry to a place There was no trespassing on the field next to the large oil tanks no two ways about it - no choice about it "No two ways about it, you must do your homework and go to bed now." a no-win situation - a situation where there is no satisfactory solution It was a no-win situation for the school when they had to deal with the problem student 561 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com no wonder -. .. leg to stand on - to have no good proof or excuse for something, to have no good evidence or defence to offer someone "The company does not have a leg to stand on if they refuse to pay the money that they owe you." not hold a candle to (someone or something) - to not be nearly as good as someone or something The new secretary does not hold a candle to the one who just quit not hold water - to be illogical,... (living) soul - to not reveal something to anyone I did not tell a soul about what happened during the fight with my friend not touch (something) with a ten-foot pole - to consider something completely undesirable or uninteresting That car is dangerous and I would not touch it with a ten-foot pole not up to scratch/snuff - to be not adequate My uncle's golf game is not up to scratch and he always gets... in the garbage nothing Idioms nothing but skin and bones - to be very thin or emaciated The young man was nothing but skin and bones when he returned from the camping trip nothing but (something) - to be only something There were nothing but people who played wind instruments at the music camp nothing doing - I will not do it, certainly not "Nothing doing I am not going to stay and work late again this... to write home about - nothing exciting or interesting happened "Did anything interesting happen during your holiday." "Nothing to write home about," I replied now and then - occasionally I like to go to that restaurant now and then now or never - at this time and no other It was now or never so the young man asked his girlfriend to marry him 576 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com nowhere near - not nearly There... come to the meeting null and void - to be canceled, to be worthless The credit card was null and void and I was unable to use it on my holiday a number of things or people - an indefinite number of things or people There were a number of reasons why I did not want to study at my father's university number one - oneself, one`s own interests He is always looking out for number one and will never do anything... score not with it - to be not able to think clearly My grandmother was not with it today and we were not able to have a very good visit not worth a dime - to be worthless Our old sofa is not worth a dime so we put it in the garbage not worth a hill of beans - to be worthless Anything that our supervisor says is not worth a hill of beans so nobody trusts him not worth a plugged nickel - to be worthless... her child not lift a finger/hand (to help someone) - to do nothing to help someone The girl will not lift a finger to help her mother not long for this world - to be about to die My uncle is very sick and is not long for this world not made of money - to not have a lot of money My father always says that he is not made of money when I ask him to give me some not miss much - to not miss observing any... been nuts about cars ever since he was a little boy nuts and bolts (of something) - the basic facts about something The nuts and bolts of the housing loan were carefully discussed by the bank and their client nutty as a fruitcake - to be very crazy The woman who lives next door to us is nutty as a fruitcake nuzzle up to (someone or something) - to nestle or cuddle against someone or something (especially... (someone) the time of day - to dislike someone so strongly that you totally ignore him or her I dislike her and would not give her the time of day not give/care two hoots about (someone or something) - to not care at all about someone or something I do not give two hoots about what my neighbor thinks about me not half bad - to be okay, to be pretty good The restaurant meal was not half bad and everybody seemed . nine-to-five-job - a job with regular and normal hours Many people like the regular hours of a nine-to-five job. nip and tuck - evenly matched, almost even They were running nip and. next to nothing - hardly anything I was able to buy a new computer for next to nothing. nice and (some quality) - lots of some quality The bed was nice and warm and I fell asleep immediately close or handy (to someone) I looked for a pair of scissors that were near at hand. neck and neck - to be equal or nearly equal in a race or contest The two teams were neck and neck in