Distance, Intensity or Emphasis, Extremity and 3 More Topics · English Idioms: Amounts

used to refer to a state or situation in which something is very close to being achieved

"She is within striking distance now."

"After months of training, the athlete is finally within striking distance of winning the gold medal."

a distance that is very short

"It is a stone's throw away."

"The beach is just a stone's throw from our hotel so we can walk there easily every day."

near one another

"We live cheek by jowl in this crowded city."

"In the crowded city the rich and poor live cheek by jowl in neighbouring apartments."

from one location to another location

"I just need a car to get from A to B."

"I do not care what car I drive as long as it gets me from A to B reliably."

in a place that is very far from where people usually go to

"We found a lovely cabin off the beaten track."

"We discovered a lovely little caf� that is completely off the beaten track."

very near to one's home or current location

"The beach is right on our doorstep."

"The beautiful national park is right on our doorstep so we can go hiking whenever we want."

in a distance that is considerably small

"The target is within striking distance."

"With the enemy's fortress within striking distance, the commander ordered the final assault to commence."

used to refer to something that is very close to a particular person, place, or thing

"The shop is around the corner."

"Don't worry about the deadline; a solution is just around the corner, so let's stay optimistic."

at a reachable distance

"Help is at hand."

"With the emergency services alerted and medical supplies at hand, the injured hiker received immediate attention."

used when two or more participants in a race or competition are very close and have an equal chance of winning

"The two horses ran neck and neck."

"The two runners were neck and neck as they approached the finish line of the race."

used to refer to someone or something that is accessible and near to one

"We have plenty of food on hand."

"There were plenty of security guards on hand to control the large crowd at the music festival."

in a way that is very high in speed, quality, or degree

"She worked like nobody's business."

"The dedicated chef prepared the elaborate meal for the banquet, working like nobody's business to ensure every dish was perfect and served on time."

in a very intense, energetic, or fast way

"He ran like the Devil."

"The determined athlete trained like the Devil for the marathon, pushing their physical limits to achieve their personal best time."

to make something, particularly something unpleasant, less severe or intense

"A cup of tea took the edge off my hunger."

"A cup of hot tea helped take the edge off my stress after a long difficult day at work."

to take away from the intensity of something unpleasant

"His kind words took the sting out of the criticism."

"The kind nurse gave the child a lollipop to take the sting out of the injection."

in a proper and correct way

"Do it according to cocker, by the book."

"She insisted that the recipe be followed exactly, according to cocker, for the best results."

in a complete manner

"I will support you all the way."

"She supported her friend's decision to change careers and encouraged her all the way through the process."

with all that one has

"She devoted herself body and soul to the cause."

"The artist poured her body and soul into her latest masterpiece, creating a truly captivating work."

completely and in every possible way

"The horse threw the rider neck and crop."

"The old, dilapidated building was torn down neck and crop to make way for the new park."

exactly in a place, especially the middle

"He landed smack dab in the middle."

"He landed smack dab in the middle of the mud puddle and got completely soaked and dirty."

used for emphasizing the correctness or accuracy of something

"Your guess was right on the nose."

"The blindfolded man hit the target on the nose with his very first throw."

in a complete and total way

"He's an out and out cheat."

"The politician was revealed to be an out and out fraud, deceiving voters for personal gain."

used for emphasizing the intensity, speed, etc. of something

"I ran the hell out of there."

"The comedian scared the hell out of the audience with his sudden loud scream."

in every single way

"She is loyal through and through."

"My grandfather is a gentleman through and through who always holds the door open for everyone."

used to emphasize that one has done or said something many times in the past

"For the thousandth time, clean your room."

"For the thousandth time please remember to put the milk back in the refrigerator after using it."

used to describe the intensity of something

"That was the mother of all storms."

"The huge storm was the mother of all storms and knocked out power for days."

used to emphasize that someone does something with excessive intensity or force

"The boxer beat the shit out of his opponent."

"The coach pushed the shit out of his players during training, demanding absolute commitment from every single one of them."

used when wanting to emphasize the extent of something one is saying

"That was one hell of a party!"

"She did a hell of a job organizing the entire event without any help from her colleagues."

to be extreme or excessive in one's doings

"Don't go overboard with decorations."

"He tends to go overboard when he starts buying gifts for his friends during the holidays."

in a manner that is too extreme or exaggerated

"His reaction was over the top."

"The actor's performance was a bit over the top, with dramatic gestures and loud pronouncements."

with great speed and in high numbers

"The questions came thick and fast."

"The questions from the journalists came thick and fast during the press conference."

in an extreme manner or in every aspect possible

"He is a gentleman to the core."

"The honest politician was committed to fighting corruption to the core of his being."

in a very enthusiastic and energetic way

"The kids were eating up a storm."

"The young pianist played up a storm during the concert and received a standing ovation."

used for emphasizing the intensity or extent of something

"They fought to the death."

"The two warriors fought to the death in the arena with no mercy shown."

used to show the extent or intensity of something

"I was chilled to the bone."

"The freezing wind chilled the poor homeless man to the bone during the winter night."

with all the resources, determination, and strength that one has

"They fought tooth and nail to keep their home."

"The workers fought tooth and nail to protect their jobs when the factory announced possible layoffs."

used to say that something is extremely good or abundant

"I have a whale of a problem to solve."

"The fisherman told us a whale of a story about the huge fish that got away."

as loud as one is capable of

"He shouted at his top's lungs."

"The crowd cheered at the top of their lungs when the team scored the winning goal."

with as much effort as possible

"She laughed her guts out yesterday."

"He was running his guts out during the marathon, pushing himself beyond his physical limits."

used to emphasize the intensity or speed of something

"He ran like hell."

"She worked like hell all night to finish the urgent project on time."

with a significant amount of effort and dedication

"I worked my butt off today."

"She studied her ass off for the final exam and managed to get the highest grade."

in an intense, energetic, and enthusiastic way

"They sang their hearts out at karaoke."

"The children danced their hearts out at the school talent show, entertaining everyone in the audience."

in a very loud and unrestrained manner

"He screamed his head off last night."

"The baby was crying her head off because she was hungry and tired after a long day."

used to emphasize the intensity or extremeness of something, often a negative quality or characteristic

"He is as ugly as sin."

"The old man is as ugly as sin but he has the kindest heart in the village."

used when emphasizing how large the number, amount, or range of something is

"I tried everything under the sun."

"The traveller has seen almost every country under the sun during his long career."

available or existing in large quantities

"Apples are as plenty as blackberries."

"During the summer festival, food stalls were as plenty as blackberries, offering treats on every corner."

used to refer to the fact that even something pleasant can become unpleasant or harmful if not done or kept in moderation

"Too much chocolate is too much of a good thing."

"Eating chocolate is nice but too much of a good thing will make you feel sick."

a group consisting of thirteen things or people

"She bought a baker's dozen of bagels."

"She bought a baker's dozen of bagels and received thirteen instead of twelve for the same price."

used when there is more of something than the required or necessary amount

"We have food enough and to spare."

"After the harvest we had enough and to spare so we gave the extra food to the poor."

used to say that something is not wanted or needed at all

"I need it like hole."

"With my current workload, I need another meeting like a hole in the head."

the portion that is larger than the rest

"My brother took the lion's share of the cake."

"The greedy older brother took the lion share of the inheritance and left almost nothing for his siblings."

a greater number of things or people involved or present, will make a situation more enjoyable

"The more, the merrier."

"You can bring your friends to the party because the more the merrier we have plenty of food and drinks."

more of the thing in question is available or can be provided

"Do not worry, there is more where that came from."

"The supplier reassured them that stock was plentiful — there was plenty more where that came from."

existing or available in great quantities

"Tourists are thick on the ground in summer."

"During the summer tourists are thick on the ground in the popular beach town."

used to indicate how much distance vehicle has undertaken, often in miles

"My car has fifty thousand on the clock."

"The old truck already had two hundred thousand miles on the clock when he finally decided to sell it."

used to suggest doing something to an extreme degree or with great enthusiasm

"She can talk for England."

"My uncle can talk for England and never stops chattering even when nobody is listening."

(of things or people) to unexpectedly appear or emerge out of someowhere, often in great numbers

"People came out of the woodwork to help."

"After the company announced its generous severance package, former employees started to come out of the woodwork."

to be filled with a large number of something, often to the point of being overwhelming

"The kitchen was crawling with ants."

"The old abandoned house was crawling with spiders and other insects that had made it their home."

the larger or more significant portion of a whole

"I waited the better part of an hour."

"He spent the better part of his vacation exploring the ancient ruins and local markets."

an amount that is very small in comparison to what is desired or needed to have a significant effect

"Our donation is a drop in the bucket."

"The small donation was just a drop in the bucket compared to the millions needed for the hospital."

jobs or things that are different in type and small either in size, number, or significance

"I packed all the bits and pieces."

"She packed the last few bits and pieces into her suitcase before zipping it closed and leaving."

used to describe something happening or being available in very small amounts

"People arrived in dribs and drabs."

"The information came in dribs and drabs so it took a long time to understand the whole story."

a score that is equivalent to zero in a match or game

"They got a goose egg."

"Despite their best efforts, the visiting team failed to score any points, ending the game with a goose egg."

having finished one's supply of something very recently

"We are fresh out of milk."

"I am sorry but we are fresh out of milk so you will have to drink your coffee black today."

to be careful to consume or use something in moderation

"Go easy on the salt, please."

"You should go easy with the salt because too much of it is bad for your blood pressure."

the small or insignificant details of something

"I agree with every jot and tittle of the report."

"The perfectionist lawyer paid attention to every jot and tittle of the legal contract."

to lessen the amount of a thing, particularly tasks or money

"We made a dent in our work."

"I tried to make a dent in my homework, but there is still a lot left to finish."

a person or thing that is really challenging or almost impossible to find

"Finding my keys is like finding a needle in a haystack."

"Finding my lost earring in this huge park is like looking for a needle in a haystack."

various small things that have no importance or value

"I have some odds and ends."

"My drawer is full of odds and ends like old buttons rubber bands and broken pencils that I never use."

the smallest amount of something, particularly fuel or money, that is necessary for surviving or functioning

"We lived on the smell of an oily rag."

"We only had the smell of an oily rag left in the tank, so we drove slowly to the nearest gas station."

existing or available in very little quantities

"Good ideas are thin on the ground today."

"Good teachers are thin on the ground so we were lucky to hire such a talented woman."

to have a limited amount or number of something left

"It is down to you now to finish the job."

"It is down to the last few tickets, so you should buy yours quickly before they sell out."

due to the absence or lack of a specific thing

"The plan failed for want of money."

"The project failed for want of funding even though everyone worked very hard on it."

to experience a sudden setback, failure, or decline

"The stock market took a tumble today."

"The old man took a tumble on the icy pavement and broke his wrist."

a distance or amount that is very small or inconsiderable

"We won by a hair's breadth."

"The car missed the pedestrian by a hair breadth and everyone screamed in terror."

not easy to find or restricted in quantity

"Jobs here are scarce as hens' teeth."

"Affordable apartments in this city are as scarce as hens' teeth, so many people struggle to find one."

in limited or small quantities, typically referring to something that should be experienced or consumed in moderation

"I like him, but only in small doses."

"I like my brother in small doses but he can be very annoying if we spend too much time together."

to have a limited amount or number of something left

"Time is down to minutes."

"Unfortunately, our supplies of this rare ingredient are down to the last few grams, so we must ration them carefully."

in a rapid and nonstop way

"She was talking nineteen to the dozen."

"The children were chattering ten to the dozen, excited about their upcoming field trip to the zoo."

extremely low in speed

"The snail is very slow."

"The traffic was as slow as a snail, so we arrived two hours late to the party."

very low in speed

"The internet is slow as molasses today."

"Traffic on the highway was as slow as molasses because of the heavy rain and an accident ahead."

with very high speed

"Her English improved in leaps and bounds."

"The company has grown by leaps and bounds since they launched their new product last year."

in a speedy and intense way

"The action in the movie was fast and furious."

"The action in the movie came fast and furious and I could hardly keep up."

with extremely high speed

"He completed the test at lightning speed."

"The cheetah ran at lightning speed across the savannah to catch its prey."

in extremely high speed

"The cat ran away like greased lightning."

"The thief ran away like greased lightning when he heard the police siren."

with great speed

"He drove off like a bat out of hell."

"The startled deer ran like a bat out of hell when it heard the hunter gunshot."

in a very quick way

"The horse ran like the wind."

"The Olympic runner sprinted like the wind and broke the world record."

to run with a lot of speed

"I ran like the wind to catch the bus."

"The horse ran like the wind and easily won the prestigious race."

in a manner that is very fast

"He disappeared like a rat up a drainpipe."

"The child ran up the stairs like a rat up a drainpipe when he heard the ice cream van."

as soon or fast as one can

"We rode hell for leather to get home."

"The firefighters raced hell for leather towards the burning building, determined to save those trapped inside."

used to say that a vehicle is driven with great speed

"I put the pedal to the metal and drove fast."

"We had to put the pedal to the metal to make sure we arrived at the airport on time."

movements or actions that happen with a lot of speed

"The car passed with touch and go."

"The athlete's recovery was touch and go for a while, but thankfully, he is now making a steady progress."