About the Author

Bob Lippi grew up in Minnesota and lives in California. He is a graduate of the University of California and works in the printing industry. His wife, Etsuko, is a native of Tokyo and software engineer.

Why I authored this web site

Idioms perplex my Japanese wife; she understands English but our American idioms don’t always make sense to her, in a “nutshell”, they “throw her for a loop”. This list aids foreign speakers who want to visit or move to America or who conduct business with Americans. ESL begins the American English learning experience and idioms expand that understanding.

This website covers a broad variety of words and phrases to give you a good beginning with easy-to-understand definitions, many with examples.

It is specifically American usage; British, Australian, New Zealander, Canadian or South African English idioms are not included.

I hope you find this website helpful. I encourage you to contact me with any idioms or slang not listed so I can evaluate whether to add them.