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[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./
[Nellie] See: NICE NELLY or NICE NELLIE, NERVOUS NELLIE.
[Nelly] See: NICE NELLY or NICE NELLIE, NERVOUS NELLIE.
[nerve] See: GET ON ONE'S NERVES, GET UP THE NERVE.
[nervous breakdown] <n.> A mild or severe attack of mental illness; a collapse of a person's ability to make decisions and solve problems because of overwork, great mental strain, or the like. * /When the mother saw her baby run over, she suffered a nervous breakdown./
[Nervous Nellie] <n.>, <informal> A timid person who lacks determination and courage. * /I say we will never win if we don't stop being Nervous Nellies!/
[nervous prostration] <n.> An illness of the mind that makes you feel very tired, worried, and bored, and that often causes headaches, upset stomach, and other sickness. * /Aunt Jane said that taking care of us children all day was enough to give any woman nervous prostration./
[nest] See: FEATHER ONE'S NEST, STIR UP A HORNET'S NEST.
[nest egg] <n.> Savings set aside to be used in the future. * /Herb says he doesn't have to worry about his old age because he has a nest egg in the bank./
[never] See: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS, LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE.
[never mind] <v. phr.> Don't trouble about it; don't worry about it; forget it; skip it. - Usually used in speaking or when writing dialogue. * /Never mind preparing a picnic lunch; we'll find a lunchstand when we get to the beach./ * /"What did you say?" "Oh, never mind."/ * /"What about money?" "Never mind that. I'll take care of it."/
[never say die] <v. phr.> Don't quit; don't be discouraged. * /"Never say die!" John said, as he got on his feet and tried to ice skate again./
[new] See: TURN OVER A NEW LEAF.
[new blood] <n.> Something or someone that gives new life or vigor, fresh energy or power. * /New blood was brought into the company through appointment of younger men to important positions./
[new broom sweeps clean] A new person makes many changes. - A proverb. * /The new superintendent has changed many of the school rules. A new broom sweeps clean./
[Newcastle] See: CARRY COALS TO NEWCASTLE.
[new deal] <n.>, <informal> 1. A complete change; a fresh start. * /People had been on the job too long; a new deal was needed to get things out of the old bad habits./ 2. Another chance. * /The boy asked for a new deal after he had been punished for fighting in school./
[newfangled] <adj.> Newly invented or contrived; excessively complex. * /Dorothy felt that many newfangled gadgets in Kate's all-electric kitchen weren't really necessary./
[new leaf] See: TURN OVER A NEW LEAF.
[new lease on life] <n. phr.> A new chance to live; an improved manner of living. * /After his illness and his retirement, living in Hawaii was a new lease on life./
[new man] <n.> A person who has become very much better. * /Diet and exercise made a new man of him./
[new money] <n. phr.> People who have become rich recently. * /Since Bobby's father invented a new computer component, Bobby and his family are new money./ Contrast: OLD MONEY.
[newshawk] <n.> A newspaper reporter. * /There are always a lot of newshawks following the president./
[next door] <adv.> or <adj.> 1. In or to the next house or apartment. * /He lived next door to me./ * /She telephoned next door to ask about John./ * /The house next door caught fire./ 2. Very close. - Used with "to". * /The sick man was next door to death./ * /Printing secrets about our country's missiles is next door to treason./
[next to(1)] <adv.> Almost; nearly. * /It was next to impossible to believe that in a month the grass would be green and flowers would be blooming./ * /It was next to unthinkable that the boy would steal./
[next to(2)] <prep.> Just after; second to. * /Next to his family, baseball was his greatest love./ * /Next to pizza, Bob liked hamburger best./
[next to nothing] <n. phr.> Very little; almost nothing. * /They gave me next to nothing for my old car when I traded it in for a new one./ * /When he first started to work, Mr. Black earned next to nothing./
[nice Nelly(1)] or [nice Nellie] <n.>, <informal> Someone who acts too good to be true; a prude; a prig. * /We took him for a nice Nelly when he wouldn't fight./
[nice Nelly(2)] or [nice Nellie] <adj.>, <informal> Too careful not to say or do anything wrong or improper; too proper; prudish. * /Her nice Nelly behavior made her unpopular at school./
[Nick] See: FULL OF THE OLD NICK.
[nick] See: IN THE NICK OF TIME.
[nigger in the woodpile] <n. phr.>, <slang> Something unexpected that changes a situation; a hidden factor or trick. - Racist and offensive, but commonly used in the past. * /I knew there had to be a nigger in the woodpile, because the man was being much too generous./ * /When the salesman gave him an extra tire for his bike, the boy suspected a nigger in the woodpile./
[night] See: FLY-BY-NIGHT, MAKE A NIGHT OF IT.
[night and day] See: DAY AND NIGHT.
[nightcap] <n.> A good-night drink; a drink taken just before bedtime. * /Let's have a nightcap and then go to sleep./ * /Would you like to come up to my place for a nightcap?/
[night letter] <n.> A telegram sent at night at a cheaper rate and delivered in the morning. * /I waited until after six o'clock in the evening before sending the telegram home because I can say more for the same price in a night letter./
[night life] <n. phr.> Entertainment at night. * /People in the city are able to find more night life than those who live in the country./
[night owl] <n. phr.> One who sleeps during the day and stays up or works during the night. * /Tom hardly ever sleeps at night; he prefers to work by lamp light and has become a regular night owl./ Compare: GRAVEYARD SHIFT.
[nine] See: CAT HAS NINE LIVES, ON CLOUD NINE.
[nine-to-five job] <n. phr.> A typical office job that starts at 9 A.M. and ends at 5 P.M. with a one-hour lunch break at 12 noon or 1 P.M. * /We professors are not too well paid but I could never get used to a nine-to-five job./
[ninety] See: GAY NINETIES.
[nip and tuck] <adj. or adv.>, <informal> Evenly matched; hard fought to the finish. * /The game was nip and tuck until the last minute./ * /A was a nip and tuck race right to the finish line./ * /The two salesmen fought nip and tuck for the contract all the way./ Compare: NECK AND NECK.
[nip in the bud] <v. phr.> To check at the outset; prevent at the start; block or destroy in the beginning. * /The police nipped the plot in the bud./ * /The teacher nipped the disorder in the bud./
[no account(1)] <adj.> Of no importance. * /The lowly clerk's opinion is of no account in this matter./
[no account(2)] <n. phr.> A person of low social station. * /Fred was first considered a no account but he soon proved himself to be a person of great ability./
[nobody] See: IT'S AN ILL WIND THAT BLOWS NOBODY GOOD.
[nobody home] <slang> 1. Your attention is somewhere else, not on what is being said or done here; you are absent-minded. * /The teacher asked him a question three times but he still looked out the window. She gave up, saying, "Nobody home."/ 2. You are feeble-minded or insane. * /He pointed to the woman, tapped his head, and said, "Nobody home."/
[nobody's fool] <n. phr.> A smart person; a person who knows what he is doing; a person who can take care of himself. * /In the classroom and on the football field, Henry was nobody's fool./ Contrast: BORN YESTERDAY.
[nod] See: LAND OF NOD.
[nodding acquaintance] <n.> Less than casual acquaintance. * /I have never spoken to the chancellor; we have only a nodding acquaintance./
[no deal] or [no dice] or [no go] or [no sale] or [no soap] <slang> Not agreed to; refused or useless; without success or result; no; certainly not. - Used in the predicate or to refuse something. * /Billy wanted to let Bob join the team, but I said that it was no deal because Bob was too young./ * /"Let me have a dollar." "No dice!" answered Joe./ * /I tried to get Mary on the telephone but it was no go./ * /"Let's go to the beach tomorrow." "No sale, I have my music lesson tomorrow."/ * /I asked Dad for a new bicycle but it was no soap./ Compare: NOTHING DOING, NO USE.
[no doubt] <adv.> 1. Without doubt; doubtless; surely; certainly. * /No doubt Susan was the smartest girl in her class./ 2. Probably. * /John will no doubt telephone us if he comes to town./
[no end] <adv.>, <informal> 1. Very much; exceedingly. * /Jim was no end upset because he couldn't go swimming./ 2. Almost without stopping; continually. * /The baby cried no end./
[no end to] or <informal> [no end of] So many, or so much of, as to seem almost endless; very many or very much. * /There was no end to the letters pouring into the post office./ * /Bob and Dick became close friends and had no end of fun together./
[no frills] <n. phr.> A firm or product that offers no extras; a generic product that carries no expensive label. * /We went on a no frills trip to Europe with few luxuries./
[noggin] See: USE ONE'S HEAD or USE ONE'S NOGGIN.
[no go] See: NO DEAL.
[no good] <adj. phr.> Not satisfactory; not adequate; not approved. * /"That's no good," I told him when he began to cry./ * /He was no good at arithmetic./ * /He tried appealing to the man's pride, but it did no good./
[no great shakes] <adj.>, <informal> Mediocre; unimportant. * /Joe Wilson is no great shakes./
[no hard feelings] <n. phr.> A lack of resentment or anger; a state of peace and forgiveness. * /"No hard feelings," he said. "You should feel free to make constructive criticism any time."/
[no kidding] <n. phr.> Without jokes or teasing; honestly spoken. * /"You actually won the lottery?" Dick asked. "No kidding," Joe replied. "I really did."/
[no longer] <adv.> Not any more; not at the present time. * /He could no longer be trusted and they had to let him go./ * /The shore was no longer in sight./
[no love lost] <n. phr.> Bad feeling; ill will. * /Bob and Dick both wanted to be elected captain of the team, and there was no love lost between them./ * /There was no love lost between the sales and the accounting departments./
[no matter] 1. Not anything important. * /I wanted to see him before he left but it's no matter./ 2. It makes no difference; regardless of. * /She was going to be a singer no matter what difficulties she met./ * /He had to get the car fixed no matter how much it cost./ * /No matter what you try to do, it is important to be able to speak well./ * /You can't go in no matter who you are./ * /Mary wanted to get to school on time, no matter if she went without breakfast./
[no matter what] <adv. phr.> Under any circumstances. * /We will go to Europe this summer, no matter what./ * /Charles had decided to go to the football game and he felt he must go no matter what./ Compare: COME HELL OR HIGH WATER.
[nonce] See: FOR THE TIME BEING also FOR THE NONCE.
[none] See: HALF A LOAF IS BETTER THAN NONE, HAVE NONE OF.
[none too] <adv.> Not very; not at all. * /The doctor arrived none too soon as Lucy's fever was alarmingly high./
[nonsense] See: STUFF AND NONSENSE.
[nonstarter] <n.> An idea, plan, or project that doesn't work or is obviously no good. * /His plan to start a new private school is a nonstarter because he is unable to organize anything./
[noodle] See: USE ONE'S HEAD or USE ONE'S NOODLE.
[no picnic] <n. phr.> Something arduous; something that requires great effort to accomplish. * /It is no picnic to climb Mount Everest./ Contrast: A PIECE OF CAKE, A CINCH, EASY AS APPLE PIE.
[nor] See: NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL, NEITHER HERE NOR THERE, NEITHER HIDE NOR HAIR.
[no sale] See: NO DEAL.
[nose] See: COUNT HEADS or COUNT NOSES, CUT OFF ONE'S NOSE TO SPITE ONE'S FACE, FOLLOW ONE'S NOSE, GO INTO A TAIL SPIN or GO INTO A NOSE DIVE, HARD-NOSED, KEEP ONE'S NOSE CLEAN, KEEP ONE'S NOSE TO THE GRINDSTONE, LEAD BY THE NOSE, LOOK DOWN ONE'S NOSE AT, ON THE NOSE, PAY THROUGH THE NOSE, PUT ONE'S NOSE OUT OF JOINT, SEE BEYOND ONE'S NOSE, SKIN OFF ONE'S NOSE, THUMB ONE'S NOSE, TURN UP ONE'S NOSE AT, UNDER ONE'S NOSE.
[nose about] or [nose around] <v. phr.>, <informal> To look for something kept private or secret; poke about; explore; inquire; pry. * /In Grandmother's attic, Sally spent a while nosing about in the old family pictures./ * /The detective was nosing around in the crowd looking for pickpockets./
[nose down] <v.>, <of an aircraft> To head down; bring down the nose of. * /The big airliner began to nose down for a landing./ * /The pilot nosed the plane down toward the runway./
[nose in(1)] or [nose into(1)] <informal> Prying or pestering interest in; unwelcome interest in; impolite curiosity. * /He always had his nose in other people's business./ Contrast: NOSE OUT OF.
[nose in(2)] or [nose into(2)] <v.> To move in close; move slowly in with the front first. * /The ship nosed into the pier./ * /The car nosed into the curb./
[nose in a book] <n. phr.> Busy interest in reading. - Used with a possessive. * /Mother can't get Mary to help do the housework; she always has her nose in a book./
[nose is out of joint] See: PUT ONE'S NOSE OUT OF JOINT.
[nose out] <v.>, <informal> 1. To learn by effort (something private or secret); uncover. * /The principal nosed out the truth about the stolen examination./ 2. To defeat by a nose length; come in a little ahead of in a race or contest. * /The horse we liked nosed out the second horse in a very close finish./ * /The Democratic candidate nosed out his rival for Congress by a few hundred votes./
[nose out of] <informal> Curious attention; bothering. - Usually used with a possessive and usually used with "keep". * /When Billy asked his sister where she was going she told him to keep his nose out of her business./ Contrast: NOSE IN.
[nose over] <v.> To turn over on the nose so as to land upside down. * /The airplane made a faulty landing approach and nosed over./
[nose up] <v.> To head up; incline the forward end upwards; move up. * /The airplane nosed up through the cloud bank./ * /The pilot nosed the plane up from the field./
[no-show] <n.>, <informal> A person who makes a reservation, e.g., at a hotel or at an airline, and then neither claims nor cancels it. * /The airlines were messed up because of a great number of no-show passengers. /
[no sooner --- than] As soon as; at once when; immediately when. * /No sooner did he signal to turn than the other car turned in front of him./ * /No sooner were the picnic baskets unpacked than it began to rain./
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