English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

No quarter

This means without mercy. We can say no quarter given or asked.

No question

This idiom means that something is certain or definite.

No questions asked

If something is to be done and no questions asked, then it doesn't matter what methods are used or what rules are broken to ensure that it gets done.

No rest for the weary

No rest for the weary means that you must keep on working even though you're exhausted or tired.

No rest for the wicked

Bad people will not be at ease or will be tormented.('No peace for the wicked' is also used.)

No skin off my nose

If something's no skin off your nose, it doesn't affect or bother you at all.

No smoke without fire

This idiom means that when people suspect something, there is normally a good reason for the suspicion, even if there is no concrete evidence.  ('Where's there's smoke, there's fire' is also used.)

No spine

If someone has no spine, they lack courage or are cowardly.

No spring chicken

If someone is no spring chicken, they are not young.

No strings attached

If something has no strings attached, there are no obligations or requirements involved.

No Sweat

No Sweat means something is easy. For example, "This contest is just no sweat." meaning "This contest is just easy."

No time for

If you have no time for an activity, you have absolutely no desire to spend or waste any time doing it. You can have no time for people, too.

No time like the present

If people say that there's no time like the present , they believe that it is far better to do something now than to leave it for later, in which case it might never get done.

No time to lose

If there's no time to lose, then it's time to get started otherwise it won't be finished on time.

No two ways about it

If there are no two ways about something, there is no other possible interpretation.

No use to man or beast

If something or someone is no use to man or beast, they it or they are utterly useless.

Nod's as good as a wink

(UK) 'A nod's as good as a wink' is a way of saying you have understood something that someone has said, even though it was not said directly.  The full phrase (sometimes used in the UK ) is 'a nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse'.

Noddy work

(UK) Unimportant or very simple tasks are noddy work.

None so blind as those who will not see

This idiom is used when people refuse to accept facts presented to them. ('None so deaf as those who will not hear' is an alternative.)

Nose in the air

If someone has their nose in the air, they behave in a way that is meant to show that they are superior to others.

Nosy parker

(UK) A nosy parker is someone who is excessively interested in other people's lives. ('Nosey parker' is an alternative spelling.)

Not a snowball's chance in hell

There is absolutely no possibility of something hapening if there's not a snowball's chance in hell.

Not all there

If someone isn't all there, they are a little bit stupid or crazy.

Not bat an eye

If someone doesn't bat an eye, they do not react when other people normally would.

Not born yesterday

When someone says that they weren't born yesterday, they mean that they are not naive or easily fooled.

Not cricket

(UK) If something is not cricket, it is unfair.

Not enough room to swing a cat

If a room is very small, you can say that there isn't enough room to swing a cat in it.

Not for nothing

Usually followed by the word "but," this is essentially a call to pay attention to the next words out of the speaker's mouth, e.g., "Not for nothing, but did you see the way he looked at you?"

Not give a fig

If you don't give a fig about something, you don't care about it at all, especially used to express how little one cares about another's opinions or actions.

Not give a monkey's

(UK) If you couldn't give a monkey's about something, you don't care at all about it.

Not give the time of day

If you wouldn't give the time of day to someone, you dislike them so much that you would not even use common courtesy.

Not have the heart

If you don't have the heart to do something, you don't have the strength or courage to do something. (Usually used in the negative)

Not have two nickels to rub together

(USA) If a person doesn't have two nickels to rub together, they are very poor.

Not have two pennies to rub together

If someone hasn't got two pennies to rub together, they are very poor indeed.

Not hurt a fly

Somebody who would not hurt a fly is not aggressive.

Not know beans about

(USA) If someone doesn't know beans about something, they know nothing about it.

Not know enough to come in out of the rain

Someone who doesn't know enough to come in out of the rain is particularly stupid.

Not know you are born

This indicates that the person described is unaware of his or her good fortune or is unaware of how difficult day to day life was before he/she was born. Typical usage: 'Kids today don't know they are born'.

Not miss a trick

If someone doesn't miss a trick, they take advantage of everything that could help them or might be an opportunity for them.

Not much cop

Describing a film or something as not much cop is a way of saying that you didn't think much of it.

Not my brother's keeper

If you say that you are not your brother's keeper, it means that you are not responsible for someone or what happens to them as a consequence of their actions.

Not my cup of tea

If something is not your cup of tea, you don't like it very much.

Not our bag

If something is not your bag, it is not really suitable for your needs or you don't like it much.

Not the only pebble on the beach

If something is not the only pebble on the beach, there are other possibilities or alternatives.

Not to be sneezed at

If something is not to be sneezed at, it should be taken seriously.

Not wash

If a story or explanation will not wash, it is not credible.

Not with a bang but a whimper

To end on a muted note - most likely in a situation where one would have expected a more spectacular finish. This expression was coined by T.S. Elliot in his 1925 poem, The Hollow Men, which ends: This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper.

Not worth a red cent

(USA) If something is not worth a red cent, it has no value.

Not worth a tinker's dam

This means that something is worthless and dates back to when someone would travel around the countryside repairing things such as a kitchen pot with a hole in it. He was called a 'tinker'. His dam was used to stop the flow of soldering material being used to close the hole. Of course his 'trade' is passé, thus his dam is worth nothing.

Notch on your belt

A success or achievement that might help you in the future is a notch on your belt.

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