Browsing
Idioms starting with Y
56 expressions
yank someone's chain
To tease someone; to lead someone on; to goad someone into overreacting.
Yankee dime
A kiss.
yardarm it
To begin to drink alcohol once it is late enough in the day.
yardarm to
Very close to, very nearby.
yardarm to yardarm
Very close to each other.
ye gods
Used to express surprise or incredulity.
yeah, yeah
A sarcastic expression of disbelief.
year dot
A very long time ago, from the beginning or as far back as one can remember.
year in, year out
During every year; always.
yell silently
To think very strong thoughts that one wishes to yell out loud but does not.
yellow brick road
A proverbial path to a Promised Land of one's hopes and dreams.
yellow grease
Used vegetable oil purposed for use as biodiesel.
yellow journalism
Journalism which is sensationalistic and of questionable accuracy and taste.
yellow journalist
A journalist who writes material which is sensationalistic and of questionable accuracy an…
yellow light
Hesitance to proceed; limited approval or permission to proceed.
yellow press
Newspapers which publish sensationalist articles rather than well researched and sober jou…
yellow state
A state of the United States where the Libertarian Party is influential.
yeoman's service
Arduous work, performed in a vigorous, committed manner.
yes man
A person who always agrees with their employer or superior.
yes to death
To agree with someone, often sarcastically.
yes, Virginia
Used to express that something is true, despite skepticism by some people.
yield the ghost
To give up the ghost.
yield up the ghost
For a person, to die.
you all
You (with singular or plural referent); y'all.
you bet
Expresses support, agreement, certainty or emphasis.
you can say that again
That is very true.
you can't be half pregnant
Said of an either-or situation; there are only two available choices.
you can't judge a book by its cover
It is not possible to make reliable judgments about things or people by considering extern…
you can't polish a turd
Something inherently unfavourable or unpleasant cannot be improved.
you can't say fairer than that
That is fair, good, or reasonable; one cannot hope for a better decision or outcome.
you can't step in the same river twice
It is not possible to repeat past experiences, as time changes all things.
you gals
You (plural).
you know it
Indicates agreement, approval, encouragement.
you know what
Used, often as a question, to get someone's attention before announcing something.
you knows it
Indicates agreement, approval, encouragement.
you lot
You (plural).
you man
You (plural).
you name it
All kinds of things; expresses that further examples are unnecessary, often after a short …
you shouldn't have
Used to express gratitude at unnecessary generosity, especially when receiving a gift.
you think
A sarcastic, rhetorical response to an obvious statement.
you what
An intensified version of what or huh.
you wish
Used to express the speaker's skepticism about a preceding statement concerning some desir…
you'll never guess
I have something very surprising to say; you won't be able to guess what I'm about to say.
you're telling me
Used to indicate that the speaker was in agreement with the preceding statement before it …
young at heart
Having the joy and vitality associated with younger people, despite one's own advanced age…
young blood
Young or youthful people, especially as a source of revitalizing force (in a team, organiz…
young fogey
A young and overly conservative person.
young Turk
A young person who agitates for political or other reform; a young person with a rebelliou…
your ass
A sarcastic expression of disbelief.
your boy
I, me, or myself; yours truly.
your girl
I, me, or myself; yours truly.
your guess is as good as mine
I don't know; I have no idea.
your mileage may vary
It may work differently in your situation, or be different in your experience.
yours sincerely
A polite, formulaic phrase used at the end of a letter, especially when the sender knows t…
yours trulies
we, us, or ourselves
yours truly
I, me, or myself.