Common Expressions J

COMMON EXPRESSIONS: J - N

J
jeopardy, in	In danger. – Suddenly the whole game was in jeopardy. to put something in jeopardy – You may be putting your career in jeopardy if you do that. to jeopardize s.o./s.t. [verb] means to put someone or something in danger. – You may be jeopardizing your career if you do that.
jockey for position	To try to position yourself to your own advantage. – Several people are jockeying for position for the day when Jack retires. (from horse racing)
join the club	A phrase used to express sympathy for a common experience. – He didn’t return your call? Join the club!
jump at	To take advantage of something very quickly; to respond immediately to an offer or opportunity. – He jumped at the chance to work in New York. – They jumped at our offer.
jump on	To scold or criticize someone. – Mike jumped on Barry for not giving him the message. Also: jump all over – Mr. Barkley jumped all over the service man for not returning his call.
jump start	To provide outside energy to something that has stopped functioning. – If you have battery cables, I can jump start your car. – We need to jump start this project. Nothing is happening.
jump the gun	To start doing something too soon. – Tom jumped the gun and yelled "surprise" before the lights came on.
jump to a conclusion	To form an opinion quickly. – Let’s not jump to conclusions. Let’s wait for their report.
jury is still out, the	No decision has been made yet. We don’t know the results yet. – It’s too early to know yet how the public likes the product. The jury is still out.
just a minute	(1) Please wait a short time. – Just a minute while I turn off my computer. (2) Please stop. – Just a minute. I need to use that first. (3) A short time. – I will be with you in just a minute. Also: just a moment
just about	Almost, nearly. – It’s just about midnight. – We are just about finished.
just as soon	To like exactly as much. – I’d just as soon stay home as go out to a restaurant. The speaker’s words mean literally that there is no difference for him, BUT this kind of statement is usually a polite way of saying that he prefers to stay home.
just for the record	To make one’s position clear and official. – Just for the record, I voted for the other guy.
just in case	See: in case
just in time	See: in time
just like that	Suddenly; unexpectedly. – He got sick and died just like that.
just one of those things	A random occurrence that cannot be explained. – We can’t explain why the computer failed at that moment. Maybe it was just one of those things.
just the ticket	Exactly what is needed or required. – This chair is just the ticket for my weak back. Also: just what the doctor ordered
just what the doctor ordered	Exactly what is needed or required. – This new software is just what the doctor ordered. Also: just the ticket
K
keep a low profile	To stay out of public notice. – After his election loss, he decided to keep a low profile.
keep a straight face	To avoid laughing when one really wants to. – I had to keep a straight face when he talked about how talented he is.
keep abreast of	To remain informed of something. – I like to keep abreast of what’s happening in the stock market.
keep after	To continually urge or remind someone to do something. – I have to keep after her to do the expense reports.
keep cool	To remain calm and under control. Also: keep your cool – When he starts to criticize us, just keep cool. I’ll handle it. Also: stay cool, stay calm , keep calm
keep down	(1) To hold under control; to repress. – Please keep your voices down. I’m trying to think. (2) To prevent something from going up or someone from advancing. – So far, we’ve been able to keep our costs down. – Tony thinks his lack of an MBA is keeping him down in his career.
keep from	(1) To withhold something. – Are you keeping some information from me? (2) To prevent something happening. – Please keep your children from playing in our garden. (3) To restrain oneself or hold onself back. – I couldn’t keep from laughing.
keep in mind	To remember; not forget. – Keep in mind that we only have five days left. Also: bear in mind
keep in touch	To maintain contact. – I’ll keep in touch while I’m in Hong Kong. See: in touch
keep it up	Continue to do what you are doing. – I like the way you get things done. Keep it up.
keep off	To avoid or stay away from something. – Keep off the grass. – The doctor told me to keep off milk for a while.
keep on	To continue doing something. – Don't worry about the time; just keep on working. – Don’t stop here; keep on going. Notice that keep on is always followed by a word ending with –ing.
keep one posted	To supply someone with up-to-date information. – Keep me posted about your project.
keep one’s chin up	To maintain courage in a difficult situation. – I try to keep my chin up and believe that things will get better.
keep one’s cool	See: keep cool
keep one’s distance	To stay away; to remain emotionally remote. – That dog bites. Keep your distance. – Ever since their argument at the department meeting, they have kept their distance (from each other).
keep one’s ducks in line	To maintain control over several things or people for which you are responsible. – If you want to be successful, you have to keep your ducks in line.
keep one’s eye on the ball	To remain alert about what you are doing. – Now keep your eye on the ball when you are compiling this information.
keep one’s eyes open	To be watchful and observant. – We have to keep our eyes open for defects.
keep one’s fingers crossed	See: cross one’s fingers
keep one’s nose to the grindstone	To stay very hard at work without being distracted. – I admire the way he works. He really keeps his nose to the grindstone.
keep one’s shirt on	To stay calm or patient; not become angry. – I didn’t mean to insult you. Keep your shirt on.
keep one’s word	To do what one promises to do. – I expect him to keep his word about our bonuses.
keep pace with	To go at the same rate or speed as another; not fall behind. – I couldn’t keep pace with Dale, but I did finish the race. Also: keep up with
keep someone company	To be with someone so they won’t be alone. – I’ll keep you company until she comes.
keep to oneself	To avoid the company of other people; value one’s privacy. – She tends to keep to herself at lunchtime. keep something to onself — To avoid giving information. – I want everyone to keep this information to themselves. It is confidential.
keep under one’s hat	To preserve the secrecy of something. – I’ll tell you but you have to keep it under your hat. [etw. für sich behalten]
keep up with	To go at the same rate or speed as another; not fall behind. – We have to keep up with the competition. – Sometimes it is hard to keep up with all of the new technological advances. Also: keep pace with
keep up with the Joneses	To try to match the life style of one’s richer neighbors. – A swimming pool! Are you trying to keep up with the Joneses? [mit den andern gleichziehen]
kick ass	To defeat an opponent thoroughly. Also: kick someone’s ass – With this new technology, we are going to kick ass. – With this new technology, we are going to kick their asses. kick-ass [adjective] Outstanding. – We have a new, kick-ass technology that will make us the market leader.
kick off	To give (a conference or an advertising campaign) an official beginning. – Let's kick off the meeting with a presentation of the new products.
kick off	To give (a conference or an advertising campaign) an official beginning. – Let's kick off the meeting with a presentation of the new products.
kick out	To eject someone or something in an unceremonious way. – They were kicked out of the club.
kick the bucket	To die. Also: pass on, pass away – Old Mr. Smith kicked the bucket last week.
kick upstairs	To promote someone to a higher position but with less authority. – After he made a mess of things, they kicked him upstairs. Now he is in charge of special projects.
kickback	An illegal payment given to the person who gives a work contract from the person who receives the work contract. – We found out that our competitor was giving kickbacks to foreign governments.
kill time	To do something unimportant while waiting. – I killed time by looking at a magazine.
kill two birds with one stone	To achieve two goals with a single effort. – We can kill two birds with one stone if we bring this report to lunch with us. [zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen]
killer app	A software application that dominates a large market. – You can make a lot of money if you know what the next killer app will be. killer — Anything that is so good or desirable that people are willing to "die" for it. See: die for Therefore, sexy women are called man-killers and sexy men are called lady-killers.
kind of	Somewhat; rather; to a limited degree. Also: sort of – I am kind of tired, but we can continue if you like. [ein bischen]
knock on wood	To hope or wish that something good will happen or that something bad will not happen by literally touching or knocking on anything made of wood. (an old superstition) – When this airplane lands, knock on wood, I’ll buy you a drink. Also: touch wood [dreimal auf Holz klopfen]
knock oneself out	To make a very great effort to accomplish something. – I knocked myself out on this project.
knock the socks off	To amaze or overwhelm someone with great quality. – The movie is so good it will knock your socks off.
know a thing or two	To be very knowledgable or experienced. – He started programming in 1975. He knows a thing or two about computer languages.
know better than	To understand that something is wrong or not possible. – You should know better than to park here.
know the ropes	To know how to do something. – You don’t have to train him. He already knows the ropes. [sich auskennen] Show someone the ropes – To teach someone how to do something. – Sam, Alice is new here. Will you show her the ropes? [jmdn. mit allem vertraut machen]
know the score	To understand the situation completely. – The new manager has to be someone who knows the score.
know where one stands	To be clear about one’s position relative to the position of others. – People don’t have to like me. I just want to know where I stand.
L
last but not least	The last in a sequence but not the last in importance. – Last but not least, I’d like to thank Mrs. Walters, who typed the manuscript. Note: Do not forget to say the word but.
last laugh, have the	To succeed in the end, especially after some problems. – If we get the contract, we’ll have the last laugh.
last resort	The last choice for solving a problem situation. – Taking him off the team would be our last resort.
last straw, the	The final event which, although seemingly insignificant, causes a significant negative result. – I tolerated his coming to work late, but when he didn’t meet the deadline for his report — that was the last straw.
last word, the	(1) The final statement in a discussion. – Thank you, John. That will be the last word, because we are out of time. (2) The newest thing of its kind. – This is the last word in modems.
laugh at	To find someone or something very funny or ridiculous. – They laughed at Columbus, too.
laugh off	To dismiss something as unimportant. – I cannot laugh off your failure to finish your work.
laugh with	To enjoy a laugh together with someone. – I like working with John; he is someone I can laugh with.
lay it on the line	To be firm and direct about one’s position or motive. – I’ll lay it on the line for you. If we don’t reach an agreement, we go on strike.
lay off	To terminate someone’s job. – They are going to lay off 14,000 workers.
lay one’s cards on the table	To openly and honestly reveal one’s position or intentions. – If we are going to negotiate an agreement, I think we should lay our cards on the table.
lead off	To start something (and others will follow). – John will lead off our discussion with a report on the latest sales figures. – We need someone to lead off the song.
lead the pack	The word pack is used for groups of animals that either work or hunt or travel together; for example, a pack of wolves, a pack of dogs. In racing, dogs or horses that are grouped tightly together as they move around the track are called a pack. Likewise, people or companies that are grouped tightly in a competition can be called a pack, especially when using the phrase to lead the pack or calling one company the leader of the pack. There is a clear leader but he is not alone; everyone else is close behind. – No matter who is leading the pack today, you can assume it will be someone else in five years.
leapfrogging	[verb] To jump ahead of someone ahead of you. This comes from the children’s game of leapfrog [Bockspringen]. – They leapfrogged from sixth place to second place in one year.
learn one’s lesson	To profit from experience, especially a negative one. – I learned my lesson. Always make sure there is enough gas in the tank.
learn to live with	To get used to a negative situation. – I guess I’ll have to learn to live with
leave a lot to be desired	To be imperfect or unsatisfactory. – Their customer service department leaves a lot to be desired.
leave no stone unturned	To make every possible effort; to look for a solution in every conceivable place. – We must find someone to fit this position. Let’s leave no stone unturned.
leave off	(1) To stop a process temporarily. – This bookmark shows where he left off reading. (2) See: leave out
leave open	To keep something undecided or unscheduled. – For now, I want to leave open who to invite. – I’m going to leave two o’clock open, in case they call.
leave out	To omit or exclude something (e.g. information) or someone. – You left out your address in the letter. – I believe you left me out of your plan.
leave someone holding the bag	To escape a negative situation and thereby leave someone else with sole responsibility for it. – Two weeks before the deadline, my partner quit the company and left me holding the bag.
leave the door open	To remain open to further discussion or offers. – I think he left the door open when he said "maybe".
leave word	To leave a message for someone. – Could you leave word that I was here.
let down	(1) To fail to support someone. – John let me down when he didn’t say anything at the meeting. (2) To disappoint someone. – You let me down when you didn’t come to my party.
let go	(1) To allow someone or something to go free. – She let the bird go. (2) To fire someone. – They let 25 people go. (3) To release one’s hold on something. – Let go of my arm. let it go — to allow a disagreement to stand as it is. – We’ll never solve this. Let’s let it go, at least for now.
let in on	To tell someone about something that others don’t know (e.g., information, a secret). – George will let you in on our plan.
let out	To cause something (information or a secret) to become known before the proper time. – If we let out our true costs, we will lose our bargaining advantage.
let someone have it	To give someone a beating or a scolding or severe criticism. – She waited until they got home before she let him have it.
let the cat out of the bag	To reveal a secret. – It’s time to let the cat out of the bag. Marsha’s pregnant.
let the chips fall where they may	To disregard secondary considerations when faced with doing what is right. – I’m going to tell the customer the real reason why the shipment was late, and let the chips fall where they may. This expression refers to a woodcutter chopping wood. If he concentrates on his primary job, he doesn’t care about where the wood chips fall.
let up	To work or play with less intensity. – John seems to let up when he is about to win.
let up on	To put less pressure or fewer demands on someone. – If we let up on them now, we will never get a good agreement.
lie awake at night worrying	To worry very much about something. – I don’t lie awake at night worrying about them.
light at the end of the tunnel	The promise of the end of a difficult situation. – We have been working for a very long time, but I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
lighten up	To become less serious or gloomy and more cheerful. – Hey, George, lighten up. It’s only a game.
like a bat out of hell	Extremely fast. – He came out of that room like a bat out of hell.
like pulling teeth	Extremely difficult (in situations involving another person’s cooperation). – Getting him to talk about his job is like pulling teeth.
like shooting fish in a barrel	Extremely easy. – Getting information from him was like shooting fish in a barrel.
line of duty, in the	While performing one’s job (especially when that job is dangerous). – The policeman was injured in the line of duty.
little by little	In small increments; gradually. – Little by little, we began to realize that he wasn’t telling us the truth.
live and learn	To profit from a negative experience. – I left my car windows down last night and it rained. Oh, well, live and learn.
live and let live	To show tolerance for people who are different from yourself. – I don’t worry about them. Live and let live is my philosophy.
live down	To outlive the shame of a misdeed or the embarrassment of a mistake. – Bill Gates will never live down the time he said that 64 K of memory is all anyone will ever need.
loaded question	A question which produces a strong emotional response either when it is asked or when it is answered. – Asking George about his ex-boss is a loaded question. They hate each other.
lock, stock, and barrel	Every single thing included in a category. – After 35 years at the same location, he wants to sell his business – lock, stock, and barrel. This comes from the days of the old general store. "Everything" meant the lock on the door and all of the goods in stock, including the pickle barrel. [mit allem Drum und Dran]
long haul	A long distance. – It’s a long haul from here to Colorado. haul [transitive verb] means to transport something. In the days of the pioneers, settlers hauled their belongings for great distances into the frontier territory. for the long haul – for the entire time; until the end. – We will not give up until we succeed in this business. We are in this for the long haul. over the long haul – over a long period of time. – Over the long haul, we should make a profit.
long shot, a	A remote possibility of success. – He’s a candidate for the job, but he’s a long shot. This comes from shooting a gun or a bow and arrow. The longer the shot is, the lower the possibility of success.
long time no see	It’s been a long time since we saw each other the last time. – Wally, you old dog! Long time, no see. This expression is an imitation of the broken English used in China in the 1800’s.
look after	See: take care of
look ahead	To consider the future. – You must look ahead when making investments.
look at	To direct your eyes at something. – He looked at his watch.
look back	To consider the past. – When I look back, I see so many missed opportunities.
look down on	To consider someone or something as inferior. – We mustn't look down on the production floor workers.
look for	(1) To search for something that is lost. – I am looking for my keys. (2) To expect something to happen. – I look for the economy to improve soon.
look forward to	To wait for something with a positive feeling. – I look forward to my new position.
look into	To investigate (a situation). – The security guards are not happy about something; would you look into it, please?
look on	To see something in a certain way. – I look on this as a real opportunity.
look out	To be careful. – Look out! That dog bites.
look over	To examine something quickly. – Would you look over my letter to see if it is all right?
look through	See: look over
look to	To rely on someone for something. – They look to me for direction.
look up	(1) To be in the process of improving. – Business is looking up. (2) To call someone when you are in his area. – If you are ever in Indianapolis, look me up. (3) To find (information) in a book. – If you don't know the meaning of a word, look it up in a dictionary.
look up to	To admire or respect someone. – I have always looked up to people who are honest.
loose cannon	An unpredictable person capable of doing damage. (Based on the picture of a cannon that is no longer fixed to the deck of a ship.) – His opinions are in conflict with ours, and he thinks we have mistreated him. Therefore, we can’t let him represent us at the conference. He would be a loose cannon. Also: a loose cannon on the deck of a ship
loose ends	Unfinished details; incomplete business. – Before we send in our recommendations, are there any loose ends?
lose ground	To fail to hold one’s position; to go backwards relative to other people or groups. – Over the last year, we have lost ground to our primary competitor.
lose one’s nerve	To become afraid. – I was going to ask the question everyone wanted to ask, but I lost my nerve.
lose one’s shirt	To lose a lot of money. – He lost his shirt at the horse track.
lose one’s temper	To become angry. – I’m sorry I lost my temper in the meeting.
lose sight of	To overlook; to fail to take into account. – We mustn’t lose sight of our mission.
lose the thread	To lose the sense of what is being discussed. – His speech was so long and so boring that I completely lost the thread … if there was one.
lose touch	To fail to remain in contact or communication. – I lost touch with him after he left the company.
lost cause	A hopeless situation. – Trying to make him understand the importance of quality management is a lost cause.
loud and clear	Clearly audible and understandable. – He told us loud and clear what would happen if we fail.
lower one’s sights	To reduce one’s goals or expectations. – The job I wanted was taken, so I had to lower my sights. This expression comes from shooting. The sights of a gun refers to any device which aids the eye in finding the target. [zurückstecken]
M
mad about	See: crazy about
mad as hell	In the American language, mad has two meanings: (1) crazy, and (2) angry. This expression means extremely angry. – I would be mad as hell if I were you.
make a bundle	To earn a lot of money; to make a large profit. – Arnold made a bundle on his last movie.
make a comeback	To return to popularity or success. – John Travolta made a comeback with the movie Pulp Fiction.
make a date	To set a date for an appointment. – Let’s make a date to discuss the matter in detail.
make a difference	To change (especially to improve) a situation significantly. – You should offer your opinions in meetings. You could make a difference. make the difference – to cause something good to happen and at the same time to prevent something bad from happening. – We still believe that the picture on the label made the difference (between success and failure). make no difference – to have no significant effect on a situation. – In my opinion, it makes no difference if you stay or if you go.
make a fortune	To earn a large amount of money. – He made a fortune at the age of 52. [ein Vermögen machen]
make a habit of	To do something frequently. – Don’t make a habit of coming late.
make a killing	To enjoy a large and quick profit. – They made a killing in direct marketing. [einen (kräftigen) Reibach machen]
make a living	To earn enough money to live. – As a young man, he made a living as a musician.
make a long story short, to	To go directly to the main point when explaining something or telling a story. – So, to make a long story short, he sold his stake in the business and opened a hotel in Hawaii.
make a mountain out of a molehill	To exaggerate something small until it seems very big. – Don’t listen to his complaints. He always makes a mountain out of a molehill. [aus einer Mücke einen Elefanten machen]
make a name for oneself	See: make one’s mark
make a note of	To register something either on paper or mentally. – I made a note to call him the next day.
make a point of	To treat something as important or necessary. – He made a point of mentioning my name in his speech.
make a scene	To create a public disturbance with loud emotional behavior. – He made a scene when his suitcase did not arrive. Also: create a scene, make an uproar
make an exception	To allow a rule to be not enforced in a special situation. – Normally I would ask you to wait here, but I’ll make an exception for you.
make conversation	To engage someone in small talk; to talk to someone just for the purpose of talking. – I find it hard to make conversation with Kathy.
make ends meet	To earn enough money to pay all of one’s expenses. – Some of our workers have trouble making ends meet.
make it	To attend something (an event). – I’m afraid I can’t make the meeting on time. – We are having a party on Saturday. Can you make it?
make it quick	Don’t take much time (especially in telling something). – All right, I’ll listen, but make it quick.
make it short	See: make it quick
make money	To earn money; to receive pay for one’s work. – I need to find a way to make more money.
make no difference	See: make a difference
make noises	To talk a lot, especially in a boastful [großspurig] way. This phrase is always used to criticize other people’s (or another company’s) actions, not one’s own actions. – They make a lot of noises about quality but they seldom deliver what they promise.
make of	To interpret (a situation or behavior). – What do you make of their decision?
make one’s day	To give one great pleasure. – When I heard that Jerry got his promotion, it made my day.
make one’s mark	To achieve distinction. – Walt Disney made his mark with Mickey Mouse and the first animated cartoon with sound. Also: to make a name for oneself. – Walt Disney made a name for himself with … [sich hervortun]
make or break	To cause either success or failure. – These negotiations will make or break his career.
make out	(1) To write (a check). – Please make out a check for $100. (2) To understand (someone's verbal or written communication). – Can you make out what he is saying? – Can you make out what this note says?
make sense	(1) To be understandable. – These instructions don’t make sense. (2) To be reasonable or practical. – I don’t think this strategy makes sense.
make the best of it	To adapt as well as possible to a bad situation. – There is no hot water. We’ll just have to make the best of it.
make the case for st.	To present arguments in favor of something.
make the most of	To capitalize on an opportunity. – When Harold got sick, Joyce took his place on the task force and really made the most of it. Now she is Harold’s boss.
make up	(1) To form. – Fifty states make up the USA. – The USA is made up of 50 states. (2) To end a conflict with someone and become friendly again. – When I want to make up with my wife, I buy her roses or orchids.
make up for	To compensate for a negative event. – The success of this venture makes up for the failure of the last venture.
make up one's mind	To make a decision or a choice. – There are so many good flavors of ice cream here, I can’t make up my mind.
make use of	To utilize; use. – Feel free to make use of the fax machine.
make waves	To create a disturbance; to question the status quo. – I hate to make waves, but this isn’t the right way to do it.
march to a different beat	To act independently or differently from everyone else. – Pat is highly eccentric. He marches to a different beat. Also: march to the beat of a different drummer
mark my words	To remember what I am saying now. – Mark my words, this decision will prove to be disastrous.
matter of fact, a	Something that is literally true. – It is a matter of fact that he invented this process. as a matter of fact – an expression that introduces a factual statement. – As a matter of fact, he knew Albert Einstein.
matter of opinion, a	A topic about which people hold different views. – Which direction we should take is a matter of opinion.
mean business, to	To be serious about something. – When it comes to playing golf, he means business.
meet one’s match	To encounter someone who is equal in ability to oneself. – When it comes to being stubborn, he has not yet met his match.
mess up	To make a mistake, especially due to nervousness or confusion. – I’m afraid I messed up the installation. Also: screw up
might makes right	The belief that he who is strongest should determine the course of action. – In a case of might makes right, the military staged a coup.
mile a minute, a	Very fast. – She speaks a mile a minute.
mind like a steel trap, have a	To be very quick to understand things and to remember them. – He may be old and quiet, but he has a mind like a steel trap.
mind one’s own business	To avoid becoming involved in other people’s affairs. – When it comes to other people’s marital problems, I prefer to mind my own business.
miss the boat	To let an opportunity pass by. – The deadline for joining has passed. I’m afraid you missed the boat.
miss the point	To fail to understand the essence of what was said. – You missed the point entirely. It isn’t what you said; it’s how you said it.
mixed feelings	A feeling about something that is partly negative and partly positive. – I have mixed feelings about being transferred. It’s a great assignment, but I’ll miss my friends in this department.
Monday-morning quarterback	A person who looks back at what happened (football games are played on weekends) and tells others what should have been done differently. – We don’t want any Monday morning quarterbacks in our meetings.
more often than not	Fairly frequently; more than fifty percent of the time. – More often than not, he’ll start the meeting with a joke.
more than meets the eye	Something that is important but not apparent. – There is more than meets the eye with this new bonus system.
move the market	To have an effect on the market. The effect could refer to how the market is divided, as in this article, or to how share prices change. When talking about changing share prices, we can talk about how the market moves or we can talk about market movement. – The market moved slightly down yesterday. – There was strong market movement to the up side.
movers and shakers	Important people
muckraker	A journalist who tries to find out bad things about public officials and celebrities.
mugshot	A head-and-shoulders photo of someone.
Murphy’s Law	A theory that states, "If anything can possibly go wrong, it will go wrong." – I never assume anything. Remember Murphy’s Law.
N
nose to the grindstone	See: keep one’s nose to the grindstone
nail down	To firmly establish. – He nailed down the contract late yesterday. – Don’t try to nail me down. I told you I don’t what time it was.
name is mud, one’s	One is in big trouble; one’s reputation has been damaged. – As a result of the scandal, his name is mud in the minds of the voters. Also: to muddy one’s name/reputation, Also: to soil one’s name/reputation
name of the game, the	The essential goal or purpose of an undertaking. – The name of the game in some departments is (to) collect as much information as possible and don’t share it with anyone.
necessity is the mother of invention	Invention and innovation are stimulated by need or difficulty. – Thomas Edison tried over a thousand materials for his incandescent light bulb before he was successful, proving that necessity is the mother of invention. [Not macht erfinderisch]
needless to say	Very likely; obviously. – Needless to say, we will do our best to find a kidney donor for you.
neither here nor there	Unimportant, irrelevant. – How the damage was done is neither here nor there at this time. First, we need to repair it.
neutral site	This expression is used in sports for situations where a game is played at a location that is not the home field of either team. The idea is that when a team is playing in front of its home crowd, it has a certain advantage. Therefore, important games, for example championship games, are sometimes played at a neutral site or location. – The negotiations will take place at a neutral site.
never give a sucker an even break	Don’t let a naïve person have a fair chance. Don’t give up your advantage over a person who is easily manipulated. – We don’t believe in the philosophy that says never give a sucker an even break. We believe that if we are honest with the customer, he will be loyal to us. The early American circus owner, P.T. Barnum, once said, There’s a sucker born every minute. Circus stereotypes are usually dishonest. sucker – a person who is easily cheated or deceived. [Dumme, Trottel]
never say die	Never give up. – We’ve been in this kind of situation before, so never say die! [nur nicht den Mut verlieren] never-say-die [adjective] – We want him on our team. He has a never-say-die attitude.
never say never	Nothing is impossible; anything can happen. – Some people said mankind would never walk on the moon. Well, never say never.
new wrinkle	Something new that adds novelty or interest to the old way; a slight improvement. Also: new twist – There is a new hotel in Los Angeles that gives each guest his or her own private valet. That’s a new wrinkle.
nip in the bud	To stop something in its earliest stages. – They are starting to play radios at every desk. I think we should nip that in the bud. [etw. im Keim ersticken]
nobody’s fool	Someone who cannot be deceived or taken advantage of. – I wouldn’t worry about Walter. He’s nobody’s fool.
no hard feelings	No anger or bitterness. – I’m sorry you weren’t invited to the meeting. It was a mistake. No hard feelings?
no kidding	Seriously; truly. – No kidding. I’m moving to Florida. Are you kidding? – Are you serious? – Are you kidding? He forgot his slides?
no offense	I don’t mean to insult you; please don’t be offended or hurt. – No offense, but why didn’t you plan for this? [nichts für ungut] offense meaning hurt displeasure is pronounced "off-FENSE". offense meaning the act of attacking (as in sports and war) is pronounced "OFF-fense".
no sooner said than done	Accomplished immediately. – And no sooner said than done, he produced a bottle of fine wine.
no strings attached	Without any hidden conditions or restrictions. – He offered to help me get an interview at his company with no strings attached.
not born yesterday	More experienced and wiser than one may appear. – Don’t tell me that nonsense. I wasn’t born yesterday. A recent version goes: I was born at night but not LAST night. [ich bin nicht von gestern]
not breathe a word	Keep a secret; don’t tell anybody. – Don’t breathe a word of this to anybody, but I won the lottery!
not have a clue	To have no idea about something. – Poor Gene. He doesn’t have a clue about what’s going on here. [keine Ahnung haben]
not have the heart to	To be unable to do something because of pity for another person. – She didn’t have the heart to tell her daughter that the cat died. [nicht das Herz haben, etw. zu tun]
nothing doing	Absolutely not; I refuse. – You want me to let you borrow my new car? Nothing doing.
nothing short of	The equivalent of; the same as. – He’s brilliant. He’s nothing short of a genius. Also: nothing less than
nothing ventured nothing gained	One cannot succeed if one does not try. – I think you should do what your heart tells you to do. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. [wer wagt, gewinnt]
not if one can help it	Only if one cannot prevent it or stop it or avoid it. – He says he is going to take out our coffee machine. Well, not if I can help it. In this expression, the word help means prevent (as in, He couldn’t help himself from eating another piece of cake.).
no time like the present, there’s	Now is the best time. Don’t postpone something. – If you want to ask for a raise, there’s no time like the present. [die Gelegenheit ist günstig; jetzt ist der beste Augenblick]
not think much of	To have a low opinion of. – He doesn’t think much of his daughter’s new boyfriend.
not to mention	In addition to what has been mentioned already. – This proposal would simply cost too much time and money, not to mention the other work that wouldn’t get done.
now you’re talking	That’s a great idea. You have stated the right thing to do. – You want to build a swimming pool in your back yard? Now you’re talking! [das läßt sich schon eher hören!]
nuts about	Extremely enthusiastic about; wildly fond of. – They are nuts about camping. They go every chance they get. Also: crazy about, mad about
nuts and bolts, the	The essential or basic aspects of something. – Now let’s discuss the nuts and bolts of your proposal. [praktische Grundlagen] [(Schrauben)mutter und Bolzen]