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1 of 10


hush-hush

Categories: adjective cars informal
A Dictionary of American Idioms
1 of 10
[hush-hush]  {adj.},  {informal}
Kept secret or hidden; kept from public knowledge; hushed up; concealed.
The company had a new automobile engine that it was developing, but kept it a hush-hush project until they knew it was successful.
Categories: adjective cars informal
A Dictionary of American Idioms
2 of 10


howling success

Categories: informal noun success
A Dictionary of American Idioms
2 of 10
[howling success]  {n.},  {informal}
A great success; something that is much praised; something that causes wide enthusiasm.
The party was a howling success.
The book was a howling success.
Categories: informal noun success
A Dictionary of American Idioms
3 of 10


lowbrow

Categories: noun
A Dictionary of American Idioms
3 of 10
[lowbrow]  {n.}
A person of limited culture; a nonintellectual.
Some people claim that only lowbrows read the comics.
Contrast: [HIGH BROW].
Categories: noun
A Dictionary of American Idioms
4 of 10


culture vulture

Categories: informal noun slang
A Dictionary of American Idioms
4 of 10
[culture vulture]  {n.},  {slang},  {informal}
A person who is an avid cultural sightseer, one who seeks out cultural opportunities ostentatiously, such as going to the opera or seeing every museum in a town visited, and brags about it.
Aunt Mathilda is a regular culture vulture; she spends every summer in a different European capital going to museums and operas.
Categories: informal noun slang
A Dictionary of American Idioms
5 of 10


spaced out

Categories: adjective informal slang
A Dictionary of American Idioms
5 of 10
[spaced out]  {adj.},  {slang},  {informal}
Having gaps in one's train of thought, confused, incoherent; resembling the behavior of someone who is under the influence of drugs.
Joe's been acting funny lately — spaced out, you might say.
Categories: adjective informal slang
A Dictionary of American Idioms
6 of 10


jake flake

Categories: bother noun slang
A Dictionary of American Idioms
6 of 10
[jake flake]  {n.},  {slang}
A boring person whose company is usually not wanted.
Please don't invite Turner, he is a jake flake.
Categories: bother noun slang
A Dictionary of American Idioms
7 of 10


scare away

Categories: verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
7 of 10
[scare away] or [off]  {v. phr.}
To cause to flee; frighten away.
Jake is a confirmed bachelor; the best way to scare him off is to start talking about marriage.
Categories: verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
8 of 10


scare out of one's wits

Categories: informal verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
8 of 10
[scare out of one's wits] or [scare stiff] or [scare the daylights out of]  {v. phr.},  {informal}
To frighten very much.
The owl's hooting scared him out of his wits.
The child was scared stiff in the dentist's chair.
Pete's ghost story scared the daylights out of the smaller boys.
Categories: informal verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
9 of 10


scare up

Categories: informal money verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
9 of 10
[scare up] or [scrape up]  {v.},  {informal}
To find, collect, or get together with some effort when needed.
The boy scared up enough money to go to college.
"Will you stay for supper?" she asked. "I can scare up enough for us all."
He managed to scrape up the money for his speeding fine.
Categories: informal money verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
10 of 10


run out

Categories: informal time verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
10 of 10
[run out]  {v.}
1a. To come to an end; be used up.
Jerry almost got across the brook on the slippery stones but his luck ran out and he slipped and fell.
We'd better do our Christmas shopping; time is running out.
Syn.: [GIVE OUT] (5).
1b. To use all of the supply; be troubled by not having enough.
The car ran out of gas three miles from town.
Millie never runs out of ideas for clever party decorations.
Compare: [RUN SHORT].
2.  {informal}
To force to leave; expel.
Federal agents ran the spies out of the country.
Syn.: [KICK OUT], [RUN OFF].
Categories: informal time verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms