AMERICAN IDIOMS AND SOUTHERN EXPRESSIONS

 (Provided by Auburn University / April, 1990)

 Beat up : worn out, shabby (said of a thing)

 Beat around the bush : avoid an issue

 Been had : to have been taken advantage of

 Big shot : a supposedly important person or someone who thinks  he/she is

 Big deal : anything important, exciting

 Break the ice : make a beginning

 Buck : dollar bill

 Bombed : see "high"

 Booze : alcoholic beverage

 Bummer : a term to designate that something undesirable has  happened

 Cash : paying someone with currency rather than a check

 Check out : look over a situation

 Cool or neat : slang term denoting approval for something or  someone

 Cool it : calm down

 Cop : slang for policeman

 Cut it out : stop it

 Crack up : to lose emotional control in laughter

  Date :   to go out with someone; also the person with whom you go

 Down : to feel depressed, sad

 Down to earth : practical, straightforward, (person)

 Drop : to withdraw from a course on or before the set date

 Drive one up the wall : drive one nuts; to make one very nervous,

 or upset

 Fall for : take a strong liking for

 Fed up : disgusted with, or tired of

 Freak out : to lose control of oneself, go crazy

 Give a ring : to call on the telephone

 Go to pot : to deteriorate

 Grass : slang term for marijuana

 Gripe : to complain

 Hang on : in reference to the telephone it means do not hang up the  receiver

 Hang in there : keep trying; do not be discouraged

 Hassled : troubled by  Have a lot on the ball : to be capable, talented, or efficient

 High : intoxicated ("loaded") from liquor or drugs

 Hit the sack : go to bed

 Hung up : to be in conflict over a problem

 I.D. : identification

 In a nutshell : very briefly and concisely

 Jock : an athlete

 Keep your shirt on : be clam, be patient

 Know the ropes : be familiar with the details of an undertaking

 Lemon : bad buy or purchase

 Loaded : to get intoxicated

 Make ends meet : budget within one's income

 Make up : (1) to apologize after a fight or disagreement

 (2)          to do an assignment after it was due

 (3)          cosmetics a woman uses

 Mid term : test given during the middle of the quarter

 On the house : free, no cost

 Old man : slang term for father

 Once in a blue moon : seldom, infrequently

 Out of it : (1) somebody whose mind is Far away or preoccupied, or

 (2) somebody not fitting into a certain group

 Out of the question : unthinkable, impossible

 Over my dead body : not if I can stop it !

 Out of sight : term of approval denoting something exciting or very  good

 Play it by ear : to respond to circumstances as they arise

 Phony : someone who is insincere, also fake

 Play second fiddle : be second in importance

 Pop-Quiz : a test given with no prior warning

 Pot : a term used for marijuana

 Psyched up : to mentally prepare yourself for something; excited  about something

 Pull one's leg : to tease someone

 Pull strings : use influence

 Pull the wool over someone's eyes : deceive or mislead someone

 Put someone on : to tease or try to fool. "Are you putting me on ?"

 Put your foot in your mouth : say something you regret having said

 Rip off : to steal; charge an exorbitant price for some item

 Redneck : hillbilly

 Run around with : be friends with

 Screwed up : confused

 Shook up : upset

 Show : movie or film, cinema

 Skip or cut : not go to class

 Stoned : to get high on grass

 Straight : one who goes along with the norms of society,   conservative

 Take a raincheck : to postpone an invitation, accepting it for a  later date

 Take for granted : to assume

 Through the grapevine : through gossip

 To the max : to the maximum or greatest degree

 Uptight : worried, tense

 Under the weather : sick, not feeling well

 With flying colors : with victory or success

 Wasted : an extreme lack of energy. Also can mean "high"

 Ya'll : You all

 Zero in on : focus or concentrate on

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