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[money burns a hole in one's pocket] See: BURN A HOLE IN ONE'S POCKET.
[money is no object] <informal sentence> The price of something is irrelevant. * /Please show me your most beautiful mink coat; money is no object./
[money to burn] <n. phr.>, <informal> Very much money, more than is needed. * /Dick's uncle died and left him money to burn./ * /When Joe is twenty-one he will have money to burn./ * /Jean is looking for a husband with money to burn./ Compare: MADE OF MONEY.
[monkey] See: GREASE MONKEY, MAKE A FOOL OF or MAKE A MONKEY OF.
[monkey around] See: FUCK AROUND, HORSE AROUND, MESS AROUND.
[monkey business] <n.>, <slang>, <informal> 1. Any unethical, illegitimate, or objectionable activity that is furtive or deceitful, e.g., undercover sexual advances, cheating, misuse of public funds, etc. * /There is a lot of monkey business going on in that firm; you'd better watch out who you deal with!/ 2. Comical or silly actions; goofing off. * /Come on boys, let's cut out the monkey business and get down to work!/
[monkey on one's back] <n. phr.>, <informal> An unsolved or nagging problem. * /"My math course is a real monkey on my back," Jack complained./ Compare: ALBATROSS AROUND ONE'S NECK, MILLSTONE AROUND ONE'S NECK.
[monkey wrench] See: THROW A MONKEY WRENCH.
[monster] See: GREEN-EYED MONSTER.
[month in, month out] See: DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
[month of Sundays] <n. phr.>, informal A very long time. - Used for emphasis after "for" or "in" and usually with a negative verb. * /I have not had devil's food cake in a month of Sundays./ * /When he got her first letter, he felt that he had not heard from her for a month of Sundays./ Syn.: DOG'S AGE.
[moon] See: ASK FOR THE MOON or CRY FOR THE MOON, DARK OF THE MOON, FULL OF THE MOON, ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, PROMISE THE MOON.
[moonshine] <n.> Illegally distilled alcoholic beverage made at home, mostly on a farm. * /Grandpa is at it again in the barn, making moonshine out of plums./
[mop the floor with] or [mop up the floor with] or [wipe the floor with] or [wipe up the floor with] <v. phr.>, <slang> To defeat very clearly or quickly; to beat badly. * /The bully threatened to mop up the floor with Billy./ * /Our team wiped the floor with the visiting team./
[mop up] <v. phr.> To disperse or liquidate isolated groups or detachments of opposing forces. * /Our forces won the basic battle but there still remain pockets of resistance they must mop up./
[mop up the floor with] See: MOP THE FLOOR WITH.
[more] See: BITE OFF MORE THAN ONE CAN CHEW.
[more often than not] <adv. phr.> More than half the time; fifty-one or more times out of a hundred; not quite usually, but fairly regularly. * /Nancy comes over on Saturday more often than not./ * /Ben is a fairly good runner. He wins more often than not./
[more or less] <adv. phr.> 1. Somewhat; rather; mostly; fairly. * /Earl made some mistakes on the test, but his answers were more or less right./ * /Ed is more or less intelligent./ * /Betty believes more or less in fairies./ Compare: IN A WAY. 2. About; nearly; not exactly, but almost. * /The new building cost more or less what the builder figured./ * /It is a mile, more or less, from his home to the school./ * /He has wanted to date her more or less since he first saw her./ Compare: OR SO.
[more than] <adv.> Over what you might expect; very. * /They were more than glad to help./ * /He was more than upset by the accident./ Contrast: LESS THAN.
[more than one can chew] See: BITE OFF MORE THAN ONE CAN CHEW.
[more than one could shake a stick at] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Very many; a great many; more than you can count. * /There were more people at the game than you could shake a stick at./ * /I had more assignments for homework than I could shake a stick at./
[more the merrier] <n. phr.> The more people who join in the fun, the better it will be. - Used in welcoming more people to join others in some pleasant activity. * /Come with us on the boat ride; the more the merrier./
[morning after] <n.>, <slang> The effects of drinking liquor or staying up late as felt the next morning; a hangover. * /One of the troubles of drinking too much liquor is the morning after./ * /Mr. Smith woke up with a big headache and knew it was the morning after./
[Moses] See: HOLY CATS or HOLY MOSES.
[moss] See: ROLLING STONE GATHERS NO MOSS.
[most] See: AT MOST, MAKE THE MOST OF.
[mother] See: TIED TO ONE'S MOTHER'S APRON STRINGS.
[motion] See: GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS.
[mountain] See: MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL.
[mouse] See: PLAY CAT AND MOUSE WITH.
[mouth] See: BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN ONE'S MOUTH, BUTTER WOULDN'T MELT IN ONE'S MOUTH, BY WORD OF MOUTH, DOWN IN THE DUMPS or DOWN IN THE MOUTH, FOAM AT THE MOUTH, HEART IN ONE'S MOUTH, KEEP ONE'S MOUTH SHUT, LAUGH ON THE WRONG SIDE OF ONE'S MOUTH, LEAVE A BAD TASTE IN ONE'S MOUTH, LIVE FROM HAND TO MOUTH, LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH, MAKE ONE'S MOUTH WATER, MELT IN ONE'S MOUTH, PUT ONE'S FOOT IN IT or PUT ONE'S FOOT IN ONE'S MOUTH, PUT WORDS INTO ONE'S MOUTH, SHOOT OFF ONE'S MOUTH, STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH, TAKE THE BIT IN ONE'S MOUTH, TAKE THE BREAD OUT OF ONE'S MOUTH.
[mouthful] See: SAY A MOUTHFUL.
[mouth-watering] <adj.> Smelling or looking very good to eat. * /It was a mouth-watering meal./
[move] See: GET A MOVE ON, ON THE MOVE.
[move a muscle] <v. phr.> To move even a very little. - Used in negative sentences and questions and with "if". * /The deer stood without moving a muscle until the hunter was gone./ * /The girls were so startled that they did not move a muscle./ * /You're sitting right where you were when I left! Have you moved a muscle?/ * /The robber said he would shoot the bank worker if he moved a muscle./
[move heaven and earth] <v. phr.> To try every way; do everything you can. * /Joe moved heaven and earth to be sent to Washington./ Compare: LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED.
[move in on] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <colloquial> To take over something that belongs to another. * /He moved in on my girlfriend and now we're not talking to each other./
[movement] See: LABOR MOVEMENT.
[moving spirit] <n. phr.> The main figure behind a business or an activity; the one who inspires the others. * /Mr. Smith is the moving spirit behind our expansion plans./
[much] See: AS MUCH AS, FOR AS MUCH AS, MAKE MUCH OF, SO MUCH, SO MUCH FOR, THINK A GREAT DEAL OF or THINK MUCH OF.
[much as] See: AS MUCH AS(1).
[much less] <conj.> And also not; and even less able or likely to. - Used after a negative clause. * /I never even spoke to the man, much less insulted him./ * /John couldn't even pick up the box, much less carry it upstairs./ * /George can hardly understand arithmetic, much less algebra./ Compare: LET ALONE, NOT TO MENTION.
[mud] See: NAME IS MUD, STICK-IN-THE-MUD.
[mud in your eye] <n. phr.>, <informal> A cheering exclamation when people drink, much like "cheers!" * /Each time John raised his glass he said, "Well, here's mud in your eye!"/
[mug shot] <n. phr.> A police photograph showing the arrested person's full face and profile. * /"Go over these mug shots," Sergeant O'Malley said, "and tell me if you find the person who held up the liquor store!"/
[Muhammad] See: IF THE HILL WON'T COME TO MUHAMMAD, THEN MUHAMMAD MUST COME TO THE HILL.
[mull over] <v. phr.> To consider; think over. * /He mulled over the offer for some time, but finally rejected it./
[mum is the word] You must keep the secret; keep silent; don't tell anyone. - Often used as an interjection. * /We are planning a surprise party for John and mum is the word./ * /"Mum is the word!" the robber captain told his men./
[murder] See: SCREAM BLOODY MURDER.
[muscle] See: MOVE A MUSCLE.
[muscle-bound] <adj.> Having your muscles large, hard, and tight from too much exercising; having muscles so developed that you can hardly move. * /Bob was big and strong, but he was muscle-bound, and Bill could beat him./ * /An athlete must train properly so as not to become muscle-hound./
[muscle in on] <v. phr.> To intrude; penetrate; force oneself into another's business or territory. * /The eastern Mafia muscled in on the western Mafia's turf and a shooting war was started./
[music] See: FACE THE MUSIC.
[musical chairs] <n. phr.> (Originally the name of a children's game.) The transfer of a number of officers in an organization into different jobs, especially each other's jobs. * /The boss regularly played musical chairs with department heads to keep them fresh on the job./
[music to one's ears] <n. phr.> Something one likes to hear. * /When the manager phoned to say I got the job, it was music to my ears./
[mustard] See: CUT THE MUSTARD.
[muster] See: PASS MUSTER.
[my God] or [my goodness] <interj.> Used to express surprise, shock, or dismay. * /My God! What happened to the car?/
[my lips are sealed] <informal sentence> A promise that one will not give away a secret. * /"You can tell me what happened, " Helen said. "My lips are sealed."/
N
[nail] See: HARD AS NAILS, HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD, TOOTH AND NAIL.
[nail down] <v. phr.>, <informal> To make certain; make sure; settle. * /Joe had a hard time selling his car, but he finally nailed the sale down when he got his friend Sam to give him $300./ * /The New York Yankees nailed down the American League Championship when they beat the Red Sox 3 to 0 on September 15./
[nail one's colors to the mast] <literary> To let everyone know what you think is right and refuse to change. * /During the election campaign the candidate nailed his colors to the mast on the question of civil rights./
[name] See: CALL NAMES, HANDLE TO ONE'S NAME, IN NAME, TAKE ONE'S NAME IN VAIN, TO ONE'S NAME.
[name calling] See: CALL NAMES.
[named after] <adj. phr.> Given the same name as someone. * /Archibald was named after his father./
[name day] <n.> The day of the saint for whom a person is named. * /Lawrence's name day is August 10, the feast of St. Lawrence./
[namedropper] <n. phr.> A person who is always mentioning well-known names. * /Since her move to Hollywood she has become a regular namedropper./
[name is mud] <informal> (You) are in trouble; a person is blamed or no longer liked. - Used in the possessive. * /If you tell your mother I spilled ink on her rug my name will be mud./ * /Your name will be mud if you tell the teacher about the bad thing we did./ Compare: IN THE DOG HOUSE.
[name of the game] <n.>, <informal> The crux of the matter; that which actually occurs under the disguise of something else. * /Getting medium income families to support the rest of society - that's the name of the game!/
[narrow down] <v. phr.> To limit within very strict margins. * /Of the numerous applicants, the list has been narrowed down to just a few./
[narrow escape] <n. phr.> An escape by a very small margin; a near miss. * /If the truck that hit his car had been coming faster, it would have killed him; it was certainly a narrow escape that he only had a broken arm!/
[narrow-minded] <adj. phr.> Limited in outlook; resistant to new ideas; bigoted. * /He is generally very open about everything, but when it comes to politics, he is terribly narrow-minded./
[nary a] <informal> Not a single; not one; never a. * /One afternoon a large dark cloud came in the sky. John thought it would rain so he took his raincoat - but nary a drop fell./ * /John went fishing but he caught nary a one./
[nasty-nice] <adj.> Unkind in a polite way; disagreeable while pretending to be gracious. * /The bus driver has a nasty-nice way of showing his dislike./
[natural] See: BIG AS LIFE or BIG AS LIFE AND TWICE AS NATURAL.
[natural-born] <adj.> 1. Being a (citizen) because you were born in the country. * /Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt came to the United States from Germany and are naturalized citizens but their children are natural-born citizens./ 2. Born with great ability to become (something); having great ability (as in a sport or art) almost from the start. * /Joe had never played baseball before trying out for the team but he showed that he was a natural-born pitcher and he became the best in the league./ * /Mozart was a natural-born musician. He could play the piano well when he was only six years old./
[nature] See: SECOND NATURE.
[naught] See: GO FOR NOTHING also GO FOR NAUGHT.
[near] See: FAR AND NEAR.
[near at hand] See: AT HAND.
[necessity] See: MAKE A VIRTUE OF NECESSITY, OF NECESSITY.
[neck] See: BREATHE DOWN ONE'S NECK, BREAK ONE'S NECK, CATCH IT IN THE NECK or GET IT IN THE NECK, PAIN IN THE NECK, SAVE ONE'S NECK, STICK ONE'S NECK OUT.
[neck and neck] <adj. or adv.>, <informal> Equal or nearly equal in a race or contest; abreast; tied. * /At the end of the race the two horses were neck and neck./ * /For months John and Harry seemed to be neck and neck in Alice's favor./ Compare: NIP AND TUCK.
[neck of the woods] <n. phr.>, <informal> Part of the country; place; neighborhood; vicinity. * /We visited Illinois and Iowa last summer; in that neck of the woods the corn really grows tall./ * /We were down in your neck of the woods last week./
[necktie party] <n.>, <slang> A hanging by a mob; lynching. * /Cattle thieves were stealing the rancher's cattle, but the cowboys caught them and had a necktie party./ Compare: STRING UP.
[ned] See: RAISE THE DEVIL.
[needle] See: ON PINS AND NEEDLES.
[needle in a haystack] <n. phr.>, <informal> Something that will be very hard to find. * /"I lost my class ring somewhere in the front yard," said June. Jim answered, "Too bad. That will be like finding a needle in a haystack."/
[neither fish nor fowl] also [neither fish, flesh, nor fowl] Something or someone that does not belong to a definite group or known class; a strange person or thing; someone or something odd or hard to understand. * /The man is neither fish nor fowl; he votes Democrat or Republican according to which will do him the most good./ * /Mrs. Harris bought a piece of furniture that was both a table and a chair. Mr. Harris said it was neither fish nor fowl./ * /The movie is neither fish nor fowl; it is a funny love story./
[neither here nor there] <adj. phr.> Not important to the thing being discussed; off the subject; not mattering. * /Perhaps you did stay up late finishing your homework. That's neither here nor there. You still must come to school on time./ * /The boys all like the coach but that's neither here nor there; the question is, "Does he know how to teach football?"/ Compare: BESIDE THE POINT. Contrast: HAVE TO DO WITH, COME TO THE POINT.
[neither hide nor hair] See: HIDE OR HAIR.
[neither rhyme nor reason] <n. phr.> No emotional or intellectual substance. * /As far as I am concerned, his proposal makes no sense; it has neither rhyme nor reason./
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