A dictionary of idiomatic phrases
Phrasebank
The headword is a phrase. That is the level where use follows a power law: a few expressions do the work, over and over.
37 phrases in six languages. Search reads the headword, the reading, the gloss, the explanation, the sense, the examples, the equivalents, and the notes. Nothing is sent off the machine.
Languages
Open on these
- Japanese猫の手も借りたいSo short of help that any hands would do.
- GermanTomaten auf den Augen habenTo miss something that is right in front of you.
- Frenchavoir le cafardTo feel low, for no grand reason.
- Spanishtomar el peloTo tease someone, or to string them along.
- Chinese马马虎虎Careless; or only just all right.
- Englishkick the bucketTo die, said lightly or bluntly.
What an entry holds
A headword with its language. A reading, where the script needs one. A word-for-word gloss, a literal line, and a short explanation of how the words yield the sense. The idiomatic sense, which is allowed to disagree with that picture. One or two examples, translated as English rather than as a tracing of the original sentence. Equivalents marked exact, near, partial, or none. Notes, and a source line that says what was checked.
Read the preface, including the credit to EDRDG, JMdict, and WWWJDIC.