The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

by Christine Ammer

  eagle eye Unusually keen sight; also, keen intellectual vision. For example, Antiques dealers have an eagle eye for valuable objects, or A good manager has an eagle eye for employee errors. [Late 1500s]

  ear → In addition to the idioms beginning with EAR, also see ALL EARS; BELIEVE ONE’S EARS; BEND SOMEONE’S EAR; CAN’T MAKE A SILK PURSE OUT OF SOW’S EAR; COMING OUT OF ONE’S EARS; CUTE AS A BUTTON (BUG’S EAR); FALL ON DEAF EARS; FLEA IN ONE’S EAR; HAVE SOMEONE’S EAR; IN ONE EAR AND OUT THE OTHER; LEND ONE’S EAR; MUSIC TO ONE’S EARS; OUT ON ONE’S EAR; PIN SOMEONE’S EARS BACK; PLAY BY EAR; PRICK UP ONE’S EARS; PUT A BUG IN SOMEONE’S EAR; TIN EAR; TURN A DEAF EAR; UP TO ONE’S EARS; WALLS HAVE EARS; WET BEHIND THE EARS.

  ear candy Light popular music that makes no demands on the listener. It mostly consists of gentle instrumental arrangements that are played in elevators, shopping malls, train stations, and so on. For example, To drown out the sound of the drill, our dentist turns on the radio to ear candy. An older synonym, dating from the 1960s, is elevator music. It is also called Muzak, named for the company that originated the technique of piping music into such surroundings in the 1930s. [Colloquial, c. 1980] See also EYE CANDY.

  early → In addition to the idioms beginning with EARLY, also see BRIGHT AND EARLY.

  early bird catches the worm Also, early bird gets the worm. One who arrives first has the best chance for success, as in She’s always the first one in line and does well at these auctions—the early bird catches the worm! This proverbial saying, first recorded in English in 1605, is so familiar that it is often shortened to early bird, a term also used in the sense of “early riser,” as in You can call me at seven—I’m an early bird, as well as “early diner” (This restaurant has early-bird specials at lower prices).

  early on At an early stage in a process or course of events, as in He started using computers very early on. [1920s]

  early to bed, early to rise (makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise) Prudent habits pay off, as in With final exams coming, you’d best remember, early to bed and early to rise. This ancient rhyming proverb, so familiar that it is often abbreviated as in the example, was long ascribed to Benjamin Franklin, who quoted it in this form in Poor Richard’s Almanack. However, slightly different versions existed in English in the mid-1400s and in Latin even earlier.

  earn → In addition to the idioms beginning with EARN, also see PENNY SAVED IS A PENNY EARNED.

  earnest → See IN EARNEST.

  earn one’s keep Also, be worth one’s keep or salt. Work well enough to deserve what one is paid, as in Get a job—it’s time you earned your keep, or With that batting average he’s not worth his salt. The keep in this phrase refers to “room and board,” which in former times sometimes constituted the only reward for working (on a farm, in a home, etc.). The salt stands for “salary” and alludes to the ancient Roman practice of paying soldiers an allowance to buy salt. [First half of 1800s]

  earn one’s stripes Gain a position through hard work and accumulated experience. For example, She’d earned her stripes by serving for years as the governor’s secretary and personal aide. This expression alludes to a military promotion or award, indicated by strips of chevron or braid added to the recipient’s uniform and known as stripes since the early 1800s.

  ears are burning, one’s Be disconcerted by what one hears, especially when one is being talked about. For example, Were your ears burning? Jim was telling us about your exploits. Similarly, make one’s ears burn means “to embarrass,” as in Mom’s stories about us as babies make my ears burn. These expressions allude to one’s ears turning red from blushing.

  earth → See DOWN TO EARTH; ENDS OF THE EARTH; FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH; MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH; NOT HAVE AN EARTHLY CHANCE; ON EARTH; RUN TO EARTH; SALT OF THE EARTH.

  ear to the ground, have one’s Also, keep one’s ear to the ground. Be or remain well informed; be on the watch for new trends and information. For example, She knew she’d succeed as a reporter if she kept her ear to the ground. This graphic expression probably alludes to listening for distant hoof­beats by putting one’s ear close to the ground. [Late 1800s]

  ease → In addition to the idioms beginning with EASE, also see AT EASE; ILL AT EASE. Also see under EASILY; EASY.

  ease off 1. Also, ease up. Lessen in severity, relax; abate. For example, I wish you’d ease off on Harold; he’s doing the best he can, or The wind’s eased up, so I think the storm is just about over. [Late 1800s] Also see LET UP. 2. Fall away, gradually decrease, as in The market’s easing off, so we may get some stocks more cheaply. [Late 1800s]

  ease out Extract or remove someone or something gradually or gently. For example, He carefully eased the car out of the garage, or We were trying to ease him out of office without a public scandal. [Mid-1900s]

  easier said than done Also, more easily said than done. Describing something more readily talked about than accomplished, as in Keeping the cats off the sofa is easier said than done. This expression also was put as sooner or better said than done. Today, the variant (more easily) is still heard less often than the original. [c. 1450]

  easily → See BREATHE EASY (EASILY); EASIER (MORE EASILY) SAID THAN DONE.

  easy → In addition to the idioms beginning with EASY, also see BREATHE EASY; FREE AND EASY; GET OFF (EASY); GO EASY; LET SOMEONE DOWN (EASY); ON EASY STREET; TAKE IT EASY.

  easy as pie Also, easy as falling or rolling off a log. Capable of being accomplished with no difficulty, as in This crossword puzzle is easy as pie. The first term presumably alludes to consuming pie (since making pie requires both effort and expertise). The variants most likely allude to standing on a log that is moving downstream, a feat in which falling off is a lot easier than remaining upright. Mark Twain had it in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889): “I could do it as easy as rolling off a log.” The first colloquial term dates from the early 1900s, the colloquial variants from the 1830s. Another variant is easy as ABC, first put as plain as ABC in the late 1600s. The current locution dates from the mid-1800s; both allude to being as elementary as the first letters of the alphabet. For a synonym, see PIECE OF CAKE.

  easy come, easy go Readily won and readily lost, as in Easy come, easy go—that’s how it is for Mark when he plays the stock market. This phrase states a truth known since ancient times and expressed in numerous proverbs with slightly different wording (lightly come, lightly go; quickly come, quickly go). The adverb easy was substituted in the early 1800s.

  easy does it Go carefully, don’t hurry, as in That chest is heavy, so easy does it. [1920s] Also see GO EASY.

  easy money Money obtained readily, with little effort and, often, illegally. For example, Winning the lottery—that’s easy money! or I was wary of making easy money with the insider tips I’d been given. [c. 1900] Also see FAST BUCK.

  easy on the eyes Also, easy to look at. Attractive, beautiful, as in That model is definitely easy on the eyes. [Colloquial; c. 1900]

  easy sledding Effortless progress, as in It’s easy sledding from here on. This expression alludes to coasting smoothly down a hill and was first recorded as smooth sledding in 1898. Also see SMOOTH SAILING and the antonym TOUGH SLEDDING.

  easy street, on A condition of financial security and comfort, as in If he actually makes partner, he will be on easy street. [Colloquial; c. 1900] Also see FAT CITY.

  eat → In addition to the idioms beginning with EAT, also see DOG EAT DOG; PROOF OF THE PUDDING (IS IN THE EATING); WHAT’S EATING YOU.

  eat and run Depart immediately after consuming a meal; also, leave in a hurry. For example, Sorry, but I’ll have to eat and run or I’ll miss the last train, or Jim runs a meeting so efficiently that in effect it’s eat and run. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s]

  eat away at Destroy gradually, erode; also, worry one constantly. For example, The sea has been eating away at the outer banks for years, or The fact that he failed the test is eating away at him. [Early 1800s]

  eat crow Also, eat dirt or
humble pie. Be forced to admit a humiliating mistake, as in When the reporter got the facts all wrong, his editor made him eat crow. The first term’s origin has been lost, although a story relates that it involved a War of 1812 encounter in which a British officer made an American soldier eat part of a crow he had shot in British territory. Whether or not it is true, the fact remains that crow meat tastes terrible. The two variants originated in Britain. Dirt obviously tastes bad. And humble pie alludes to a pie made from umbles, a deer’s undesirable innards (heart, liver, entrails). [Early 1800s] Also see EAT ONE’S WORDS.

  eat high off the hog → See HIGH OFF THE HOG.

  eat in Have a meal at home, as in Are we eating in tonight? [Colloquial; second half of 1900s] Also see EAT OUT, def. 1.

  eat like a bird Eat very little, as in Jan is very thin—she eats like a bird. This simile alludes to the mistaken impression that birds don’t eat much (they actually do, relative to their size), and dates from the first half of the 1900s. An antonym is eat like a horse, dating from the early 1700s, and alluding to the tendency of horses to eat whatever food is available. For example, I never have enough food for Ellen—she eats like a horse!

  eat one’s cake and have it, too Also, have one’s cake and eat it, too. Have a dual benefit, consume something and still possess it, as in Doug was engaged to Ann and still dating Jane; he was trying to eat his cake and have it, too. This metaphoric expression is often put negatively, as it already was in John Heywood’s proverb collection of 1546: “You cannot eat your cake and have your cake.”

  eat one’s hat An expression used to declare one’s certainty that something will not happen or is untrue. This hyperbolic expression almost always follows an if-clause, as in If he’s on time, I’ll eat my hat, that is, “I’ll consume my headgear if I’m wrong.” Charles Dickens used it in Pickwick Papers (1837): “If I knew as little of life as that, I’d eat my hat and swallow the buckle whole.” [First half of 1800s]

  eat one’s heart out Feel bitter anguish, grief, worry, jealousy, or another strong negative emotion. For example, She is still eating her heart out over being fired, or Eat your heart out—my new car is being delivered today. This hyperbolic expression alludes to strong feelings gnawing at one’s heart. [Late 1500s]

  eat one’s words Retract something one has said, as in The incumbent won easily, so I had to eat my words. This expression was already proverbial in John Ray’s English Proverbs (1670). [Second half of 1500s]

  eat out 1. Also, dine out. Have a meal outside one’s home, usually at a restaurant. For example, We’re almost out of groceries, so let’s eat out tonight. [Second half of 1900s] The variant was used by Jane Austen in Emma (1816). For the antonym, see EAT IN. 2. eat someone out Also, eat someone up. Rebuke or scold someone sharply, as in He was always eating out the kids, or Why are you eating me up? I haven’t done anything wrong. This slangy synonym for CHEW OUT probably originated as a euphemism for EAT SOMEONE’S ASS OUT. It dates from the 1940s, the variant from the 1840s. Also see the subsequent entry beginning with EAT OUT.

  eat out of someone’s hand Be manipulated or dominated by another, be submissive, as in He had the press eating out of his hand. This metaphoric expression alludes to a tame animal eating out of one’s hand. [Early 1900s]

  eat shit Also, eat crap. Submit to degrading treatment, as in He refused to eat shit from the coach. James T. Farrell had the one term in Grandeur (1930), “They don’t eat nobody’s crap,” and Mario Puzo the other in Dark Arena (1955), “He’d eaten shit all week.” [Vulgar slang; second half of 1800s]

  eat someone alive Overwhelm or defeat someone thoroughly, make short work of someone. For example, Lacking experience in manufacturing, he was eaten alive by his competitors. This slangy hyperbole dates from the early 1900s. A newer slangy variant is eat someone’s lunch, dating from the mid-1900s. For example, It was a decisive victory; he ate the incumbent’s lunch.

  eat someone out → See EAT OUT, def. 2.

  eat someone out of house and home Eat so much as to deplete someone’s resources, as in The kids are eating her out of house and home. This hyperbole was well known by the time Shakespeare used it (2 Henry IV, 2:1): “He hath eaten me out of house and home.”

  eat someone’s ass out Rebuke or scold harshly, as in Watch it or the sergeant will eat your ass out. This expression became widespread especially in the armed forces. [Vulgar slang; c. 1940]

  eat someone’s lunch → See under EAT SOMEONE ALIVE.

  eat someone up → See EAT OUT, def. 2.

  eat up 1. Consume completely, as in No television until you eat up your dinner, or This quarter’s expenses have eaten up all my spare cash. The literal use (first example) dates from the early 1500s, the figurative from the early 1600s. 2. Enjoy avidly, as in She simply eats up the publicity. [Late 1800s] 3. Believe unquestioningly, be gullible, as in He’ll eat up whatever the broker tells him. [Slang; early 1900s] 4. Defeat completely, as in This new fighter just eats up every opponent. [Slang; c. 1830] 5. See EAT OUT, def. 2.

  ebb → In addition to the idiom beginning with EBB, also see AT A LOW EBB.

  ebb and flow A decline and increase, constant fluctuations. For example, He was fascinated by the ebb and flow of the Church’s influence over the centuries. This expression alludes to the inward and outward movement of ocean tides. [Late 1500s]

  edge → In addition to the idioms beginning with EDGE, also see CUTTING EDGE; GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE; HAVE AN EDGE ON; ON EDGE; ON THE EDGE; OVER THE EDGE; SET ONE’S TEETH ON EDGE; TAKE THE EDGE OFF; THIN EDGE OF THE WEDGE.

  edge in Work into a limited space or time; move gradually or hesitantly; insert. For example, The train was crowded but I managed to edge in, or Everyone was talking at once and he barely managed to edge in a word. [Mid-1600s] Also see GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE.

  edge out Surpass or defeat by a small margin, as in She edged out her opponent on the home stretch. [Late 1800s]

  edgewise → See GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE.

  educated guess, an A speculation based on past experience or knowledge, as in I’m not sure how much meat we need to feed twelve, but I’ll make an educated guess and say six pounds. [Mid-1900s]

  eel → See SLIPPERY AS AN EEL.

  effect → See IN EFFECT; INTO EFFECT; TAKE EFFECT; TO THAT EFFECT.

  effigy → See IN EFFIGY.

  effort → See ALL OUT (EFFORT); LAST-DITCH EFFORT.

  egg → In addition to the idioms beginning with EGG, also see BAD EGG; GOOD EGG; GOOSE EGG; KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGGS; LAY AN EGG; PUT ALL ONE’S EGGS IN ONE BASKET; WALK ON EGGS.

  egg in your beer A bonus, something for nothing, as in What do you want—egg in your beer? This expression dates from about 1940 and became widespread during World War II. The origin is unknown, since adding egg to beer does not improve the taste.

  egg on Incite, urge ahead, provoke, as in Jack is always egging me on to drive faster, or Seemingly quiet, Margo actually eggs on Donald to quarrel with his staff. This expression has nothing to do with hen’s eggs but comes from an Old Norse word, eggja, “to edge.” Both edge on and egg on were used interchangeably, but today the latter is preferred. [c. 1200]

  egg on one’s face, have Look foolish or be embarrassed, as in If you ask any more personal questions, you’ll end up with egg on your face. This expression possibly alludes to dissatisfied audiences pelting performers with raw eggs. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]

  ego trip Behavior or activities undertaken mainly out of vanity or for self-gratification. For example, She’s really on an ego trip, trying out for the lead. [1960s]

  eight → See BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL.

  eke out 1. Supplement, make last, as in The survivors eked out their food and water until they were rescued. [Late 1500s] 2. Get with great difficulty or effort, as in The soil was terrible but they managed to eke out a living by rotating crops. [Early 1800s]

  elbow → In addition to the idioms beginning with ELBOW, also see AT SOMEONE’S ELBOW; CROOK ONE’S ELBOW; OUT AT THE
ELBOWS; RUB ELBOWS WITH.

  elbow grease Strenuous physical effort, as in You’ll have to use some elbow grease to get the house painted in time. This term alludes to vigorous use of one’s arm in cleaning, polishing, or the like. It soon was extended to any kind of hard work, and Anthony Trollope used it still more figuratively (Thackeray, 1874): “Forethought is the elbowgrease which a novelist... requires.” [First half of 1600s]

  elbow room Enough space to move about, as in Two hundred on the stage? There won’t be any elbow room. This term alludes to having enough room to extend one’s elbows. [Late 1500s]

  element → See BRAVE THE ELEMENTS; IN ONE’S ELEMENT.

  elephant → In addition to the idiom beginning with ELEPHANT, also see SEE THE ELEPHANT; WHITE ELEPHANT.

  elephant in the room Something that is inconsistent but cannot be overlooked. First cited in 1935, the phrase has been used more and more. For example, “The elephant in the room in the struggle to avoid government shutdown is that there are, in fact, two elephants in the room: Republican Congressional leaders...seeking meaningful concessions...and the Republican Tea Party wing...trying...to roll back government” (Boston Globe, April 7, 2011).

  elevator music → See under EAR CANDY.

  eleventh hour The latest possible time, as in We turned in our report at the eleventh hour. This term is thought to allude to the parable of the laborers (Matthew 20: 1–16), in which those workers hired at the eleventh hour of a twelve-hour working day were paid the same amount as those who began in the first hour. [Early 1800s]

  else → See IN SOMEONE’S (SOMEONE ELSE’S) SHOES; OR ELSE; SOMETHING ELSE; SOMETHING ELSE AGAIN.

  embarrassment of riches An overabundance of something, too much of a good thing, as in All four of them have their own cars but there’s no room in the driveway—an embarrassment of riches. This term originated in 1738 as John Ozell’s translation of a French play, L’Embarras des richesses (1726).