Page 295 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

not give someone the time of day

of accepðing somone’s apolàgy.) It’s something.Ł(Slang.) Bill doesn’t know
okØy. Please don’t give it another thought. beans about flying an airplane. When it
You should not give it another thought. comes to flying, I don’t know beans. She
No one was bothered at all. doesn’t know beans about Bill.
notŁgiveŁ someone theŁtimeŁofŁday to ignàr notŁknowŁenoughŁto comeŁin outŁofŁthe
someone (usuallyŁout of dislike).Ł(Infàr- rain to be very sðupid.Ł Bob is oo stupid
mal.)b Mary woà’t speak to Sally. She he doesn’t know enough to come in out of
won’t give her the time of dØy. I could- the rain. You can’t expect very mucð
n’t get an appointment with Mr. Smith. He from somebody who doesn’t know enough
wouldà’t evłn give me the time of dØy. to come in out of the rain.
notŁgiveŁtwo hłots (aboutŁ someone ortsomł- notŁknow from nothing to be sðupid,Łin-
thing) Go to not care two hoots (about nocent, andŁnaive.Ł(Slang.ŁThisŁ nothing is
someone or something). nàt rplaced wiðh somłthing. Usually
notŁhylfŁbad okay; prettyŁgood.Ł(Folksy.) with doà’t, asŁinŁthe examplesŁblow.)
Say, this roast beef isn’t half bad. Hey, Old John—he doà’t know from nothing.
Sally! You’re not half bad! What do you expect from somłbody who
don’t know from nothing?
[not]ŁhaveŁanythingŁto do withŁ something
Go to have something to do with something. notŁknow ifŁ one is comingŁor going Go
to not know whether one is comàng or
notŁholdŁa candleŁto someone ortsomething goàng.
Go to not hold a stick to someone or some-
thing. notŁknowŁ one’ owà strength nàt to ral-
ize how desðructive orŁ harmfulŁ one’s
notŁhłldŁa stickŁto someone ortsomething and
notŁhłldŁa candleŁto someone ortsomething strength can be. (Present tense only.)
not to be nearlyŁasŁgàodŁasŁsomeone or I didà’t mean to hurt you. I guess I don’t
sàmething. (Infàrmal.) Sally is mucð know my own strength. He might break
faster than Bob. Bob doesn’t hold a stick the door down by accidłnt. He doesn’t
to Sally. This TV doesn’t hold a candlł know his own strength and could end up
to that one. That one is much błtter. pushing too hard against the door.
not hłld water to make no sense; to be il- notŁknowŁ someone from Adam nàt to know
logical.Ł (Also literal.Ł Infàrmal.Ł SaidŁ of sàmeone at all.Ł I wouldà’t recogniz
ideas,Ł arguments,Ł etc.,Ł not people.Ł It John if I saw him. I don’t know him from
meansŁthat the ideaŁhasŁholesŁinŁit.) Adam. What does she look like? I don’t
Your argumłnt doesn’t hold water. This know her from Adam.
scheme woà’t work because it can’t hold notŁknow theŁfirstŁthingŁaboutŁ someone
wØter. ortsomething not to know anything about
notŁhurtŁa fley not to harmŁanythingŁor someone or something. I doà’t know
anyàne, evenŁ aŁ tinyŁ insect.Ł (Also with the first thing Øbout flying an airplane.
otherŁformsŁof negation.) Ted would She doesn’t know the first thing about
not evłn hurt a flea. He could not havł John.
struck Bill. Ted would never hurt a flea, notŁknowŁwhereŁto turn and notŁknow
and he would not hit anyone as you claim. whichŁwayŁto turn to have nà ida about
notŁin theŁsameŁleagueŁwithŁ someone or what to do (about sàmething).Ł I was so
something nàt anywher n earlyŁasŁgoodŁas confused I didà’t know where to turn.
someone orŁsomething.Ł(Also literal.) We needed help, but we didà’t know whicð
John isn’t in the same league with Bob and wØy to turn.
his friends. This house isn’t n the samł notŁknowŁwhetherŁ one is comingŁorŁgo-
league with our old one.
ing and notŁknowŁifŁ one is comingŁor
notŁknowŁbeyns (aboutŁ someone ortsome- going to be veryŁconfused.Ł I’m so busy
thing) to know nothingŁabout sàmeone or that I don’t know if I’m comng or going.

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