N Idioms

(English Idioms & Sayings) Idioms start with N

nail down (someone or something)

- to make certain/sure of something
I am trying to nail down the exact time that we can meet with our supplier.

a nail in (someone's) coffin

- something that will harm someone
Fighting with his boss was a nail in my friend's coffin. He will not get a promotion now.

naked eye

- the human eye (with no binoculars etc.)
It was difficult to see the bird with the naked eye.

one's name is mud

- a person`s reputation is bad
His name is mud now that he has been charged by the police with stealing money from his company.

the name of the game

- the main part of a matter
The name of the game is selling cars and not worrying about other things.

name (someone) after (someone or something)

- to give someone the name of another person/place/thing
My cousin was named after his mother`s grandfather.

a narrow escape

- an escape with little chance of error
He had a narrow escape when he almost fell from his bicycle.

near at hand

- to be close or handy (to someone)
I looked for a pair of scissors that were near at hand.

neck and neck

- to be equal or nearly equal in a race or contest
The two teams were neck and neck in the race to win the national championship.

neck of the woods

- an area or part of the country
He has never been to my neck of the woods since he was a child.

need (something) like (one needs) a hole in the head

- to not need something at all
My friend needs a new computer like he needs a hole in the head.

need (something) yesterday

- to need something in a very big hurry
I need a new computer yesterday.

a needle in a haystack

- something that is very hard to find
Looking for the lost receipt among the thousands of other receipts was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

neither fish nor fowl

- something that does not belong to a definite group
The man's opinions were neither fish nor fowl and nobody could put them into an identifiable category.

neither here nor there

- not relevant to the thing being discussed, to be off the subject
"What you are saying is neither here nor there. We are talking about our plans this year - not five years in the future."

neither hide nor hair of (someone or something)

- no sign or indication of someone or something
I have seen neither hide nor hair of my friend recently.

a nervous Nellie

- a timid person who lacks determination and courage
He is a nervous Nellie and is afraid of the other students in the school.

a nest egg

- money that someone has saved up
He has a large nest egg and will have no financial problems if he leaves his company.

never fear

- do not worry
"Never fear, I will finish work and meet you in time for the movie."

never in one's life

- not in one's experience
I have never in my life seen such a strange person.

never mind

- don`t worry, don`t bother
"If you don`t have time to pick up my laundry today, never mind, I will get it tomorrow."

never would have guessed

- never would have thought something to be the case
I never would have guessed that the woman on the bicycle was one of the richest women in the city.

Posted by Learning English through Idioms and Sayings|Proverbs