(as) mad as a meat axe
Primarily heard in Australia.
1. Enraged; extremely or inconsolably angry. My dad was mad as a meat axe after I crashed his car. You make me as mad as a meat axe with the way you carry on sometimes, you know that? Tiffany will be mad as a meat axe when she finds out that her so-called friends started that awful rumor about her.
2. Insane or eccentric. Don't leave me alone with Uncle Stu—he's mad as a meat axe! Who know what he'll do or say! I know some of my students think I'm as mad as a meat axe because of my weird methods. You're as mad as a meat axe if you believe this ridiculous scheme will work.
(old) battle-ax(e)
A strong-willed, argumentative woman, typically older in age, who is considered overbearing or domineering. My grandmother was always the matriarch of the entire family, an old battle-axe who answered to no one but God. I gained a reputation of being a bit of a battle ax in the office because of how outspoken and unbending I am about certain issues. Good luck getting that old battle-axe to sign off on any drastic changes you want to make to the department.
an ax(e) hanging over (someone or something)
1. The threat of being fired. There's definitely going to be an axe hanging over me if the boss finds out that printing error was my fault. Tommy already had an axe hanging over him, so I'm not surprised he got fired after showing up late again today. You're the one who messed up that account? Hoo boy, you've got an ax hanging over you now!
2. The threat of being destroyed or ended. I worry that there's an axe hanging over our initiative now that our funding's been slashed. If we still don't have positive results to show the board by Friday, I worry that there will be an axe hanging over our whole project. If the dictator has set his sights on his neighbor to the west, there's an ax hanging over them now.
an ax(e) to grind
1. A complaint or dispute that one feels compelled to discuss. I think the boss has a bit of an axe to grind with you over the way the account was handled. If Jenny said she forgives you, then it sounds like she doesn't have an ax to grind with you after all. Hey, I've got an axe to grind with you—are you the one who stole my lunch out of the communal fridge today?
2. A personal motivation or selfish reason for saying or doing something. It was boy's-club attitudes like yours that made my time at school a living hell, so yeah, I have a bit of an ax to grind. I don't have an axe to grind here—I just want to know the truth. Those two have always been enemies, so if Henry is leading the investigation into Jerry's business practices, it's because he's got an axe to grind.
be (as) mad as a meat axe
Primarily heard in Australia.
1. To be enraged; to be extremely or inconsolably angry. My dad was mad as a meat axe after I crashed his car. I would leave Tina alone for a while. She's as mad as a meat axe after what you did. Janet was as mad as a meat axe when she found out she had missed her connecting flight.
2. To be insane or eccentric. Don't leave me alone with Uncle Stu—he's mad as a meat axe! Who know what he'll do or say! I know some of my students think I'm as mad as a meat axe because of my weird methods. You're as mad as a meat axe if you believe this ridiculous scheme will work.
get axed
To be fired. I'm going to get axed if the boss finds out that printing error was my fault. After messing up that account, I'm terrified that I'm going to get axed any day now. Tommy had been warned numerous times, so I'm not surprised he got axed after showing up late again today.
get the ax(e)
1. To be fired. I'm going to get the axe if the boss finds out that printing error was my fault. The new accountant got the ax after a miscalculation cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars. Tommy had been warned numerous times, so I'm not surprised he got the axe after showing up late again today.
2. To be ended or stopped abruptly. I'm so disappointed that my favorite show got the axe this year. Your know our charity program will be the first to get the ax if the hospital loses funding. If there's not enough interest in the school newspaper, will it get the axe?
give (one) the ax(e)
To dismiss one from one's job; to fire one. The boss is going to give me the axe if he finds out that printing error was my fault. Management promptly gave the new accountant the ax after his miscalculation cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars. They'll give me the axe if they ever find out I came into work drunk.
have an ax(e) to grind
1. To have a complaint or dispute that one feels compelled to discuss. I think the boss has a bit of an axe to grind with you over the way the account was handled. If Jenny said she forgives you, then it sounds like she doesn't have an ax to grind with you after all. Hey, I have an axe to grind with you—are you the one who stole my lunch out of the communal fridge today?
2. To have a personal motivation or selfish reason for saying or doing something. It was boy's-club attitudes like yours that made my time at school a living hell, so yeah, I have a bit of an ax to grind. I don't have an ax to grind here—I just want to know the truth. Those two have always been enemies, so if Henry is leading the investigation into Jerry's business practices, it's because he has an axe to grind.
no ax(e) to grind
1. No complaint or dispute that one feels compelled to discuss. No, the boss has no axe to grind with us, thanks to Bob taking full responsibility for that printing mishap.
2. No personal motivation or selfish reason for saying or doing something. If Jenny said she forgives you, then it sounds like she's got no ax to grind with you. During the interview, the senator promised there was no axe to grind ahead of the Ethics Committee's investigation.
take an axe to
To destroy or attempt to destroy something, usually something intangible. I'm worried that Sarah will want to take an axe to her whole project after hearing your criticism. Congress is going to take an axe to some of the existing laws once the new term starts. I'm afraid I'm going to have to take an axe to the treehouse since it's so rotted.
the ax(e)
Dismissal from employment. Usually used after "get" or "give." They gave me the ax for sleeping on the job. After they announced cutbacks, a lot of us were afraid of getting the axe.
wait for the ax(e) to fall
To remain in expectation of some swift or sudden negative outcome without doing anything to avoid or deter it. Typically said of being fired from one's job. If you think you're at risk of losing your job, then don't just sit there waiting for the ax to fall! You've got to get your résumé together and start seeing what other career opportunities are out there. Analysts have been predicting this crisis for years, yet those in government did nothing, choosing instead to wait for the axe to fall while praying that it never would.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
an axe hanging over someone
If there is an axe hanging over someone, they are likely to lose their job soon. Note: `Axe' is spelled `ax' in American English. I wouldn't say there's an axe hanging over him but he's only got another season to put everything right.
an axe hanging over something
If there is an axe hanging over something, that thing is likely to be destroyed or ended soon. Note: `Axe' is spelled `ax' in American English. The axe was hanging over 600 jobs at oil giant BP last night.
get the axe
or get the chop
1. If someone gets the axe or gets the chop, they lose their job. Note: `Axe' is spelled `ax' in American English. Business managers, executives and technical staff are all getting the axe. I've often wondered whether I'd have got the chop, if I'd stayed long enough to find out. Note: You can also say that someone is given the axe or is given the chop. She was last night given the axe from the hit TV show.
2. If something such as a project or part of a business gets the axe or gets the chop, it is ended suddenly. Note: `Axe' is spelled `ax' in American English. That is one of the TV shows likely to get the axe. Services to major towns and cities across England are getting the chop or being reduced. Note: You can also say that something is given the axe or is given the chop. A few days previously, the Westoe Colliery, the last pit in the region, was given the axe.
have an axe to grind
COMMON If someone has an axe to grind, they have particular attitudes about something, often because they think they have been treated badly or because they want to get an advantage. Note: `Axe' is spelled `ax' in American English. Lord Gifford believed cases should be referred by an independent agency which, as he put it, doesn't have an axe to grind. He didn't have a critical ax to grind. He was very open-minded about other people's work. Note: You can also say that you have no axe to grind to deny that your strong opinions about something are based on personal reasons. The unions insist they have no axe to grind, because they will represent operators wherever they work. Note: There are several explanations for the origin of this expression. One is a story told by Benjamin Franklin about a man who managed to get his own axe sharpened by asking a boy to show him how his father's grindstone worked.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012