| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| act up |
misbehave, do bad things
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She said that Kim was acting up at church - making noise.
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| act up |
not work right, give pain or problems
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My stomach is acting up today. I don't feel well.
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| actions speak louder than words |
people judge by actions more than words, practice what you preach
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Parents should remember that actions speak louder than words. Kids imitate their parents.
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| ad lib (ad libitum) |
improvise, create, at will, off the cuff
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After I learn the melody I like to ad lib. I play what I hear in my head.
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| add fuel to the fire |
cause more anger, aggravate a problem
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He's angry. Telling him bad news will add fuel to the fire.
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| add insult to injury |
add another negative, make it worse, put your foot in it
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If you say his answer is wrong, and then say he can't understand, you've added insult to injury.
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| afraid so |
sorry, but it is true; believe me, yeppers
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"Did he spend all of our money?" "Yes, 'fraid so."
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| after all |
after you consider all the facts, to be fair
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Will you help me with English? After all, I helped you with math.
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| against all odds |
not likely to happen, a slim chance
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Against all odds - poor weather, student pilot - we landed safely.
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| against the grain |
against the natural way, rub the wrong way
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Some words go against the grain. Their spellings aren't natural.
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