OAU
- Organization of African Unity
eg. The OAU is working very hard to promote free trade between its various countries.
OD
- Overdose - on drugs
eg. The man was died because of a drug OD.
OR
- Operating Room - in a hospital
eg. Before entering the OR the doctors carefully washed their hands.
oddball
- a person who doesn`t act like everyone else
eg. He is an oddball and nobody at his company likes to work with him.
odds and ends
- various items
eg. We made games for the children from odds and ends from around the house.
of age
- old enough to be allowed to do something (vote,drink etc.)
eg. When he came of age we had a big party for him to celebrate.
of course
- as one would expect
eg. Of course you can use my car if you want to.
off and on
- occasionally
eg. He`s been seeing the woman off and on but I don`t think that their relationship is very serious.
off balance
- not prepared, unable to meet the unexpected
eg. I was caught a little off balance when he asked me to deliver the speech instead of him.
off base
- inaccurate
eg. He was really off base on his estimate of next year`s budget.
off duty
- not working, having free time
eg. The police officer was off duty when he came across the bank robbery.
off guard
- not alert to the unexpected
eg. It caught me off guard when she suddenly asked me to lend her $800.
off one`s back
- stop from bothering someone
eg. I wish he would get off my back and stop always asking me when I am going to look for another job.
off one`s chest
- talk about a problem to someone so that it doesn`t bother you anymore
eg. I finally talked to my friend from work and was able to get some of my problems off my chest.
off one`s hands
- no longer in one`s care or possession
eg. I sold my old computer and finally got it off my hands.
off one`s high horse
- not acting proud and scornful
eg. We got him off his high horse when he was forced to admit that he had made many mistakes related to the new product launch.
off one`s rocker
- crazy
eg. He must be off his rocker if he thinks that he can spend all that money and not have a problem.
off one`s hands
- no longer in one's care or possession
eg. I would like to get my old refridgerator off my hands so that I can buy a new one.
off one`s back
- stop from bothering one, remove as an annoyance or pest
eg. I wish my boss would get off my back and stop bothering me.
off one`s chest
- tell something to someone so it doesn't bother one anymore
eg. I talked to my friend for a long time and was able to get my problems off my chest.
off the beam
- wrong, mistaken
eg. What he said about the new office was right off the beam and should be ignored by everyone.
off the beaten track
- not well known or often used, unusual
eg. We went to a small restaurant off the beaten track last night and liked it very much.
off the cuff
- without preparing ahead of time what one will say, without preparation
eg. He made a few remarks off the cuff but he has never really explained in full what he wants to do.
off the hook
- out of trouble or free from an embarrassing situation
eg. I think that I am off the hook now and won`t have to worry about the problem anymore.
off the record
- privately, unofficially
eg. He told the reporters off the record about the problems with the budget estimate.
off the top of one`s head
- from memory, spontaneously
eg. He knew all of the team`s members off the top of his head.
off the wagon
- begin to drink alcohol again after stopping for awhile
eg. He seems to be off the wagon again. I saw him yesterday and I am sure that he had been drinking.
off the cuff
- without preparation
eg. He made a very interesting off-the-cuff speech at the party last night.
off the top of one`s head
- without thinking hard, quickly
eg. I was unable to remember the name of the restaurant off the top of my head.
offbeat
- nonconventional, different from the usual
eg. The movie was very offbeat which is just the kind of movie that I like.
off-center
- different from the usual pattern, not quite like most others, odd
eg. The picture was off-center and didn`t really fit in with the rest of the photos.
off-color
- in bad taste, not polite, dirty
eg. He likes to tell off-color jokes which most people don`t like at all.
old hat
- old-fashioned, not new or different
eg. The job has become old hat and I am becoming a little tired of it.
on a dime
- in a very small space
eg. His new car has very powerful brakes and is able to stop on a dime.
on a shoestring
- with very little money
eg. He started the new company on a shoestring.
on a dime
- in a very small space
eg. I had to turn my car on a dime when I entered the parking lot.
on a shoestring
- with little money to spend, on a very low budget
eg. He started his business on a shoestring but now it is very successful.
on again, off again (off again, on again)
- not settled, changeable, uncertain
eg. The plans for the fireworks display were on again, off again because of the rainy and windy weather.
on all fours
- on one's hands and knees
eg. The man was down on all fours in the store looking for the keys to his car.
on and off
- intermittently, now and then
eg. It has been raining on and off since early this morning.
on and on
- continually, at tedious length
eg. The speech continued on and on until we finally left the gathering.
on an even keel
- in a well-ordered way or condition
eg. We finally got the new department running on an even keel although it took a long time.
on behalf of
- representing a person
eg. The lawyer went to the meeting on behalf of his client.
on board
- on a ship, plane or similar form of transportation
eg. We had to get on board the airplane before it was able to take off.
on call
- available to be called out on duty
eg. He works as a computer repair man and is always on call which is very tiring.
on cloud nine
- very happy
eg. She has been on cloud nine ever since she decided to get married last month.
on easy street
- having enough money to live comfortably
eg. He has been on easy street since he sold his house and invested the money.
on edge
- be nervous or irritable
eg. He has really been on edge lately because of his exams.
on end
- seemingly endless
eg. We worked for hours on end last night but we still never finished the job.
on faith
- without question or proof
eg. I took it on faith that he would help me when I had a lot of extra work to do.
on guard
- careful, wary
eg. He has been keeping on guard since the accident last month.
on hand
- available
eg. I`m sorry but I don`t have any aspirin on hand at the moment.
on ice
- away for safekeeping or later use, aside
eg. The city decided to put the plans for a new stadium on ice until they can raise more money..
on one`s back
- making insistent demands of someone, being an annoyance or bother
eg. She has been on my back all week trying to get me to finish my monthly report.
on one`s chest
- worrisome thoughts or feelings that one might need to share with someone else
eg. I had a long talk with my friend last night and was able to get most of my problems off my chest.
on one`s coat-tails
- along with someone else, as a result of someone else doing something
eg. The mayor was elected on the coat-tails of his brother who was a famous singer.
on one`s feet
- recovering from sickness or trouble
eg. I was sick for a couple of weeks but now I am on my feet again.
on one`s high horse
- acting as if one is better than others, being very proud and scornful
eg. He is always up on his high horse and never bothers to think about how other people feel.
on one`s/its last legs
- at the end of someone/something`s strength or usefulness
eg. I think that his old car is on its last legs.
on one`s shoulders
- one`s responsibility
eg. Please don`t try to put the failure of his marriage on my shoulders.
on one`s toes
- be alert
eg. He always asks the students many questions to keep them on their toes.
on one`s feet
- recovering, getting better from sickness or trouble
eg. Our teacher was back on her feet shortly after she had her accident.
on one`s last legs
- failing, near the end
eg. My car is on its last legs and I will soon have to buy a new one.
on one`s toes
- alert, ready to act
eg. The speaker kept the audience on their toes by asking many interesting questions.
on one`s back
- making insistent demands of one, being an annoyance or bother
eg. My sister is always on her daughter's back to clean up her room.
on one's shoulders
- one's responsibility
eg. I don't want to have the failure of the project on my shoulders.
on one`s coat-tails
- as a result of someone else doing something
eg. She was elected to city council by running on her well-known husband`s coat-tails.
on pins and needles
- excited, nervous
eg. Her daughter has been on pins and needles all day waiting for the contest to begin.
on purpose
- intentionally
eg. I think that she spilled the drink on purpose.
on shaky ground
- unstable, not secure
eg. His position at the company has been on shaky ground for quite some time.
on the air
- broadcasting or being broadcast on radio or TV
eg. That television program has been on the air for over three years now.
on the ball
- intelligent, able to do things well
eg. He is really on the ball and can usually get all of his work done quickly.
on the bandwagon
- the newest popular group or activity, joining something because many others are doing it
eg. Everybody in our company is on the bandwagon now to try and eliminate smoking in the workplace
on the beam
- doing well, just right or correct
eg. What he said about the tax problem was right on the beam. .
on the blink
- not working
eg. My stereo has been on the blink for the last few months.
on the block
- to be sold, for sale
eg. Our house has been on the block for over a month now.
on the button
- exactly on time
eg. I arrived for the meeting right on the button.
on the dole
- receiving welfare
eg. The area is very poor and there are many people on the dole.
on the dot
- right on time
eg. He always arrives for his meetings on the dot.
on the edge of one`s seat
- nervously and excitedly waiting
eg. I have been on the edge of my seat all day while waiting for the contest to begin.
on the go
- busy running around
eg. He has been on the go since early morning trying to get ready for the meeting.
on the house
- provided free by a business - especially a bar or restaurant
eg. The room at the hotel was not ready when we arrived so they provided us with free drinks on the house.
on the level
- honest
eg. He was really on the level with me when he told me about my job possibilities.
on the loose
- free to go, not shut in or stopped by anything
eg. The animals at the zoo were on the loose for over three hours when the zookeeper discovered their escape.
on the make
- trying to get some advantage - money or sexual etc.
eg. Be careful of him. He is on the make and will try and cheat you out of your money.
on the mend
- healing, becoming better
eg. He broke his leg last week but it is on the mend now.
on the move
- moving around from place to place, in motion
eg. She is in Europe and has been on the move for several months now.
on the nose
- just right, exactly
eg. What he said about our new boss was right on the nose.
on the other hand
- looking at the opposite side of a matter
eg. He is very intelligent but on the other hand he is very lazy and always gets low marks.
on the Q.T.
- secretly, without anyone knowing
eg. I don`t want anyone to know about my plans so let`s go over them on the Q.T.
on the road
- travelling (especially as a salesman or performer)
eg. Her husband is a salesman and is often on the road.
on the rocks
- breaking up (relationship), ruined
eg. He has been married for seven years but his relationship seems to be on the rocks now.
on the same wavelength
- thinking similarly about something
eg. We have been on the same wavelength for months about the need for change in the company.
on the sly
- so that people won`t know, secretly
eg. We went to the restaurant on the sly so that nobody would know where we were.
on the spot
- in a difficult or embarrassing situation
eg. He was really put on the spot when the reporter asked him about the campaign donations.
on the spur of the moment
- on a sudden wish or decision, suddenly
eg. On the spur of the moment we went and bought some ice cream.
on the tip of one`s tongue
- not quite able to remember something
eg. The name of his latest movie is on the tip of my tongue.
on the up and up
- honest, trustworthy, sincere
eg. I decided not to work for the company because I didn`t think that it was on the up and up.
on the wagon
- not drinking alcohol
eg. He has been on the wagon for over seven months now.
on the warpath
- very angry, looking for trouble
eg. He is really on the warpath today so you should stay out of his way.
on the whole
- in general
eg. On the whole I think it is a good idea but I would still like to study it further.
on the block
- for sale
eg. As soon as they purchased the company they began to put some of the equipment on the block.
on the mend
- healing, becoming better
eg. My grandfather is on the mend after he broke his leg last week.
on the house
- paid for by the owner
eg. We went to the restaurant and all of the refreshments were on the house.
on time
- at the scheduled time
eg. Our train arrived right on time.
on top
- in the lead
eg. He was on top of his class in the economics department.
on top of .
- in addition to, along with
eg. On top of everything else he wants me to work on Sunday as well.
on top of ..
- managing very well, in control of
eg. We are able to keep on top of our work now that we have someone in to help us.
on top of ...
- knowing all about something, up-to-date
eg. He reads the newspaper every morning and is always on top of the latest news.
once and for all
- permanently
eg. I told him once and for all that I would not take the new job.
once in a blue moon
- rarely
eg. I only go to that restaurant once in a blue moon.
once in a while
- occasionally
eg. We like Japanese food so we go to that restaurant once in a while.
once or twice
- a few times
eg. We went to that restaurant once or twice but we quickly became tired of it.
once in a blue moon
- rarely
eg. We go out for Italian food once in a blue moon although we enjoy it very much.
once-over
- a quick look or examination of someone or something
eg. He gave the rental car a once-over before he signed the contract.
one and only
- the only person or thing
eg. The company has been selling the one and only compatible printer in the world.
one and the same
- exactly the same
eg. Doing the job at home or at the company is one and the same to me so feel free to do what you want.
one by one
- individually, one at a time
eg. The children entered the school building one by one and very quietly.
one foot in the grave
- near death
eg. Her grandmother has one foot in the grave and is not expected to live much longer.
one for the books
- something very unusual or remarkable
eg. His latest complaint about noise at work is one for the books and is very stupid.
one foot in the grave
- near death
eg. The man next door is suffering from cancer and has one foot in the grave.
one for the road
- one last drink (of alcohol) before one leaves for home
eg. We decided to stay at the party and have one for the road before taking a taxi home.
one good turn deserves another
- if someone helps you it is fair to help them in return
eg. One good turn deserves another so we made a great effort to help those people who had helped us in the past.
one hell/heck of a something
- the emphasis that something is very good or bad
eg. The residents of the town gave the Prime Minister one heck of a welcome when he visited them last winter.
one in a million
- a great or unique person
eg. He is one of the finest coaches in the world and is definitely one in a million.
one of the boys
- an accepted member of a group
eg. He always tries to act like one of the boys but in reality nobody really likes him.
one of these days
- soon, before long
eg. One of these days they say that they will open a new movie theater but still we have been waiting many years.
one of those days
- a bad day where nothing goes right
eg. It was one of those days and right from early morning things went wrong.
one of those things
- something is unfortunate but must be accepted
eg. Her sudden illness is one of those things and there is nothing we can do about it.
one or two
- a few, a small number
eg. There were only one or two people at the meeting so it was postponed until later.
one too many
- too much alcohol
eg. The man drank one too many so his friends would not let him drive home.
one up
- having an advantage, being one step ahead
eg. His brother was one up on the other students because he had studied very hard.
one up on someone
- have an advantage over someone
eg. I am one up on my best friend because he is still looking for a job while I have already found one.
one-armed bandit
- a slot machine for gambling
eg. He spent the weekend with a one-armed bandit and now has no money.
one-track mind
- thinking about only one thing
eg. He has a one-track mind. All he thinks about is money.
one-two
- any quick or decisive action that takes the opposition by surprise
eg. The salesman gave them the one-two and before they knew it they had agreed to buy the product.
one-upmanship
- ability to keep ahead of others, trying to keep an advantage
eg. I get tired of his one-upmanship and his desire to always be better than everyone else.
one`s bark is worse than one`s bite
- someone`s words are worse than their action
eg. You shouldn`t worry about her. Her bark is worse than her bite and she is really a very nice person.
one's lucky number comes up
- someone is lucky or has good fortune
eg. My lucky number finally came up when I was chosen to go to Los Angeles in order to represent our company at the conference.
one's number is up
- something bad will happen to someone
eg. I think that the manager's number is up and he will soon be fired from his job.
one's opposite number
- someone who has the same position as oneself in another company or organization
eg. I spoke with my opposite number in the other company but he didn't agree with me about the new sales policy.
on/upon one`s head
- on one`s self
eg. He brought the anger on his own head and should not try and blame someone else.
open one`s heart
- talk about one`s feelings honestly, confide in someone
eg. I opened my heart to my friend when I saw her at the restaurant last night.
open secret
- a secret that so many people know it is no longer a secret
eg. It is an open secret that he will be leaving the company next month.
open one`s heart
- talk about one`s feelings honestly, confide in someone
eg. She suddenly opened her heart when I began talking to her on the bus.
other fish to fry
- have more important things to do
eg. I think he has other fish to fry and will not be content to continue with his current job.
out cold
- unconscious, in a faint
eg. He was out cold when the nurse went into his room to check on him.
out in left field
- far from the right answer
eg. What he said was totally out in left field. He has no idea what we were talking about.
out in the cold
- alone, not included
eg. I was left out in the cold when the rest of the class went to the movie without me.
out like a light
- fall asleep very quickly
eg. I was out like a light when I went to bed last night.
out of
- have none left
eg. The restaurant was out of fish so we had meat instead.
out of breath
- be tired and breathing quickly.
eg. He was out of breath after running from the station.
out of circulation
- not active, not joining in what others are doing
eg. He has a new girlfriend so he will probably be out of circulation for awhile.
out of favor with someone
- not have a person`s goodwill
eg. They have been out of favor with their boss for a few months now.
out of kilter
- not balanced right, not in a straight line or lined up right
eg. The door handle seems to be out of kilter and doesn`t work well at all.
out of line
- unacceptable, not correct
eg. His proposal to go to New York was out of line. We can never accept that.
out of one`s element
- where one does not belong or fit in
eg. He is out of his element teaching the computer course. He doesn`t know anything at all about computers.
out of one`s hair
- get rid of someone who is a nuisance
eg. She finally got her children out her hair and was able to study for her exam.
out of one`s shell
- out of one`s silence or shyness, into friendly conversation
eg. We got her out of her shell and she decided to join in with the rest of the group.
out of order
- not working
eg. The public telephone was out of order.
out of place
- in the wrong place or at the wrong time, improper
eg. What he said at the party was totally out of place. He should talk about it at another time.
out of sorts
- in a bad mood
eg. He is a little out of sorts today so maybe you should wait until tomorrow to speak to him.
out of step
- not in step, not keeping pace with someone
eg. The soldiers were out of step when they were marching in the parade.
out of the blue
- unexpectedly, from nowhere
eg. From right out of the blue he asked her if she wanted to get married.
out of the frying pan and into the fire
- out of one trouble and into more trouble, from something bad to something worse
eg. When he changed jobs he went out of the frying pan and into the fire. His new job is much worse.
out of the question
- impossible
eg. You have no money so going to Hong Kong for your holiday is out of the question.
out of the way
- remote, no longer an obstacle
eg. We went to an out of the way place for our first dinner together.
out of the woods
- out of danger, in the clear
eg. His injury was very serious and I don`t think he is out of the woods yet.
out of thin air
- out of nothing or from nowhere
eg. The deer seemed to jump out of thin air and onto the road.
out of this world
- wonderful, fantastic
eg. The new dessert that she made last weekend was right out of this world.
out of tune
- not in agreement, not going well together
eg. They are out of tune with what the other members of the group think.
out on a limb
- in a dangerous or risky position
eg. He really went out on a limb to offer his brother the job.
out of the blue
- without any warning, by surprise
eg. I don`t understand what is the matter. Right out of the blue he decided to quit his job and go and live in Europe.
out of the frying pan and into the fire
- go from something bad to something worse
eg. She quit the job because of some small problems but she has jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire because now her problems are much worse.
out of one`s hair
- get rid of a nuisance or annoyance
eg. My sister wants to get her daughter permanently out of her hair.
out to lunch
- crazy, mad
eg. He is totally out to lunch but is still a very nice person.
outside of
- other than, except for
eg. Outside of the weather our vacation was really quite enjoyable.
out-of-date
- no longer current or in style
eg. Computers become out-of-date very quickly.
over a barrel
- in a helpless or trapped position
eg. I think that we have them over a barrel and should be able to win the contract easily.
over and over
- repeated many times
eg. I told him over and over that I do not want to go to that restaurant again.
over one`s dead body
- never, under no circumstances
eg. Over my dead body will I let him come to the party next week.
over one`s head
- too difficult for someone to understand
eg. The joke went over her head so we had to explain it to her.
over the hill
- past one`s prime, unable to function as one used to
eg. He thought that his friend was over the hill and shouldn`t be working so hard.
over the long run
- in the end, over a long period of time
eg. Over the long run he plans to expand his business and then sell it and retire.
over with
- at the end of, finished with
eg. When the game on television is over with we can eat dinner.
over one`s head
- not understandable, beyond one's ability to understand
eg. The mathematics lectures went over my head during the first few weeks.
over the worst
- recovering from an illness
eg. My brother is over the worst since his skiing accident last month.
own up
- take the blame, admit one`s guilt
eg. The suspected murderer finally owned up to the murder of his wife.
(as) old as the hills
- very old
eg. The old building at the library is as old as the hills.
(buy something) on credit
- pay for something not in cash
eg. He decided to buy the stereo on credit.
(buy) on credit
- buy something without paying cash
eg. My friend had no money so he decided to buy the furniture on credit.
(the) one that got away
- referring to a fish that you didn't catch or an opportunity that you missed
eg. My father said that he had caught many fish but the biggest one was the one that got away.
Last Update: 2005/12/18