ax Idiom, Proverb
an axe to grind
axe to grind
battleaxe
get axed
get the ax
give someone the ax
give you the axe
groaty to the max
the whole ball of wax
to the max
wax eloquent
wax poetic
axe
2. a guitar
axe wound
axeman
axle grease
banjax
banjaxed
2. drunk, by extension of meaning 1.
max
tax
2. to take away something after you kick a sucka's ass
3. to dig into or estimate
wax
2. synonym to tax as in "wax his ass" from the black popular "mop up the floor with your ass"
3. describing refinement as in 'waxed, buffed and simonized' from the Mister Magic radio show
4. to have sexual intercourse
5. to make a car appear very shiny
whole ball of wax
Idiom(s): whole ball of wax AND whole shooting matchTheme: COMPLETELY
the whole thing; the whole matter or affair; the entire affair or organization.
• John is not a good manager. Instead of delegating jobs to others, he runs the whole shooting match himself
• There's not a hard worker in that whole shooting match.
• I will be glad to be finished with this project. I want to be done with the whole ball of wax.
• I am tired of this job. I am fed up with the whole ball of wax.
wax and wane
Idiom(s): wax and waneTheme: ALTERNATIVES
to increase and then decrease, especially with reference to the phases of the moon.
• As the moon waxes and wanes, so does the height of the tide change.
• Voter sentiment about the tax proposal waxes and wanes with each passing day.
tax-and-spend
Idiom(s): tax-and-spendTheme: POLITICS
spending freely and taxing heavily. (Referring to a legislative body that repeatedly passes expensive new laws and keeps raising taxes to pay for the cost. Fixed order.)
• I hope that people do not elect another tax-and-spend Congress this time.
• The only thing worse than a tax-and-spend legislature is one that spends and runs up a worsening deficit.
none of one's beeswax
Idiom(s): none of one's beeswaxTheme: KNOWLEDGE - PRIVATE
none of someone's business. (Slang.)
• The answer to that question is none of your beeswax.
• It's none of your beeswax what I do with my spare time.
have an ax to grind
Idiom(s): have an ax to grind (with sb)Theme: ARGUMENT
to have something to complain about. (Informal.)
• Tom, I need to talk to you. I have an ax to grind with you.
• Bill and Bob went into the other room to argue. They had an ax to grind.
give sb the ax
Idiom(s): give someone the ax AND give someone the sackTheme: DISMISSAL - EMPLOYMENT
to fire someone; to terminate someone's employment.
• I gave Tom the sack, and he has to find a new job.
• I had to give three people the ax yesterday. We are having to reduce our office staff.
death and taxes
Idiom(s): death and taxesTheme: DAYDREAM
death, which is inevitable, and the payment of taxes, which is unavoidable. (A saying that emphasizes the rigor with which taxes are collected. Fixed order.)
• There is nothing as certain on this old planet as death and taxes.
• Max said he could get out of anything except death and taxes.
Get the axe
If you get the axe, you lose your job. ('Get the ax' is the American spelling.)Mind your own beeswax
(USA) This idiom means that people should mind their own business and not interfere in other people's affairs.Have an Axe to Grind
To have a dispute with someone.Tijuana taxi|Tijuana|taxi
., slang, citizen's band radio jargon A police car. I've got a Tijuana taxi in sight.ax to grind|ax|grind
n. phr., informal Something to gain for yourself: a selfish reason. In praising movies for classroom use he has an ax to grind; he sells motion picture equipment. When Charles told the teacher he saw Arthur copying his homework from Jim, he had an ax to grind; Arthur would not let Charles copy from him.cap the climax|cap|climax
v. phr. To exceed what is already a high point of achievement. Sam's piano recital was great, but Bill's performance capped the climax.get the ax|ax|get
v. phr., slang 1. To be fired from a job. Poor Joe got the ax at the office yesterday. 2. To be dismissed from school for improper conduct, such as cheating. Joe got caught cheating on his final exam and he got the ax. 3. To have a quarrel with one's sweetheart or steady ending in a termination of the relationship. Joe got the ax from Betsie
they won't see each other again.give the ax|ax|give
v. phr., colloquial 1. Abruptly to finish a relationship. She gave me the ax last night. 2. To fire an employee in a curt manner. His boss gave John the ax last Friday.on the wane and on the wax|on|wane|wax
adv. phr. Decreasing and increasing. Said of the moon. The moon is regularly on the wane and on the wax at regular intervals lasting half a month.tax trap|tax|trap
n., informal Predicament in which taxpayers in middle-income brackets are required to pay steeply progressive rates of taxation as their earnings rise with inflation but their personal exemptions remain fixed, resulting in a loss of real disposable income. Everybody in my neighborhood has been caught in a tax trap.ax
axIn addition to the idiom beginning with ax, also see get the ax.
ax to grind
ax to grindA selfish aim or motive, as in The article criticized the new software, but the author had an ax to grind, as its manufacturer had fired his son. This frequently used idiom comes from a story by Charles Miner, published in 1811, about a boy who was flattered into turning the grindstone for a man sharpening his ax. He worked hard until the school bell rang, whereupon the man, instead of thanking the boy, began to scold him for being late and told him to hurry to school. “Having an ax to grind” then came into figurative use for having a personal motive for some action. [Mid-1800s]
axis
axisthe Axis
the countries aligned against the Allies in WWII: originally applied to Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (Rome-Berlin Axis), later extended to include Japan, etc. (Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis)
death and taxes, certain as
death and taxes, certain asAlso, sure as death and taxes. Bound to occur, inevitable, as in His business is going to fail, certain as death and taxes. This phrase was invented by Benjamin Franklin in a letter (1789) and has been repeated ever since, the government's recurring need for revenue probably assuring its continued popularity.
max out
max out1) Exhaust one's options, capacity, or the like by producing or performing to the maximum, as in The weight lifter maxed out at 180 kilograms. [Slang; late 1900s]
2) Reach a point at which no more growth, improvement, or benefit is possible, as in The salary for this job maxes out at $90,000. [Slang; late 1900s]
3) Relax, take things easy, as in Let's go to the beach and max out. [Slang; late 1900s]
tax with
tax withCharge, accuse, as in He was taxed with betraying his fellows. [Mid-1600s]
whole ball of wax, the
whole ball of wax, theAlso, the whole enchilada or shooting match or shebang. Everything, all the elements, the entire affair. For example, The union demanded higher wages, a pension plan, job security—the whole ball of wax, or The contract includes paperback rights, film rights, electronic media—the whole enchilada, or She lost her job, her pension, her health-care coverage, the whole shooting match. Not all the allusions in these slangy terms are clear. Ball of wax may refer to a 17th-century English legal practice whereby land was divided among heirs by covering scraps of paper representing portions of land with wax, rolling each into a ball, and drawing the balls from a hat. An enchilada combines several foods inside a tortilla; a shooting match denotes a shooting competition; and a shebang is a rude hut or shelter. The first two of these slangy terms date from the second half of the 1900s, the last two from the late 1800s. For synonyms, see whole kit and caboodle, the; whole megillah.
English Vocalbulary
An ax idiom dictionary is a great resource for writers, students, and anyone looking to expand their vocabulary. It contains a list of words with similar meanings with ax, allowing users to choose the best word for their specific context.
Dictionary of similar words, Different wording, Synonyms, Idioms for Idiom, Proverb ax
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