army

an army marches on its stomach

proverb A well-fed army is most effective. The cook may be the most important person in the unit because an army marches on its stomach. There's been a delay in getting rations to the boys on the front? Well, that's just great—we all know an army marches on its stomach! You've gotta keep morale high and keep these guys well-fed. An army marches on its stomach, after all.

See also: an, army, Marches, on, stomach

army brat

A child whose parent is in the army. The phrase is often associated with the fact that such a child has lived in many different places (as relocations are common for members of the military). After being an army brat, I'm very happy to have lived in the same place for the last 20 years. Yep, Susie's an army brat—her father is a decorated soldier. I was an army brat, so my family moved around Europe throughout my childhood.

See also: army

army volunteer

To select, nominate, or assign someone to carry out a task or duty that they are unwilling or unprepared to undertake. My boss always army volunteers me to pick up lunch for the office. Of course I didn't offer to stuff all these envelopes—I was army volunteered for it! I'm so annoyed they army volunteered me to say a few words at the starts of the event. I hate public speaking!

See also: army, volunteer

enough (food) to feed Coxey's Army

A very large, perhaps excessive, amount of food. "Coxey's Army" was a group of unemployed workers who marched on Washington, DC, in 1894, led by US businessman Jacob Coxey. Aw, stay for dinner. My mom always makes enough to feed Coxey's Army anyway. We have enough food here to feed Coxey's Army, so please take some over to Maria and Al. I made enough to feed Coxey's Army, so no one is allowed to leave this table hungry!

See also: army, enough, feed, to

You and what army?

Who is going to back you up when it comes time for you to follow through on your threat? A phrase meant to challenge one suspected of bluffing. A: "I'll make sure you don't get away with this." B: "Oh yeah? You and what army? I've got more resources at my disposal than you could even dream of!" What are you going to do, force me to stop? You and what army?

See also: and, what

You and who else?

Who is going to back you up when it comes time for you to follow through on your threat? A phrase meant to challenge one suspected of bluffing. A: "I'll make sure you don't get away with this." B: "Oh yeah? You and who else? I've got more resources at my disposal than you could even dream of!" What are you going to do, force me to stop? You and who else?

See also: and, who

You and whose army?

childish A vague response to a threat, implying that an adversary is not powerful enough to carry out the threat alone (hence the need for an "army"). A: "If you don't leave, I'll make you get off this playground!" B: "Oh yeah? You and whose army?"

See also: and, whose

your mother wears army boots

A humorous phrase intended as a vague insult. Once I started hearing them trade stupid insults—really eye-roll-inducing stuff like, "Your mother wears army boots!"—that was my cue to step outside for some air. A: "You're a clod!" B: "Oh yeah? Well, you're mother wears army boots!"

See also: army, boot, mother, wear

You're in the army now!

A reference to the intensity and rigidity that accompanies military training that a new recruit is going to face. You've left the cushy life of a college student behind, kid—you're in the army now!

See also: army

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

An army marches on its stomach.

Prov. An army needs a regular supply of food in order to keep on fighting. The invading army will soon have to pull back. An army marches on its stomach, and they're out of food.

See also: an, army, Marches, on, stomach

You and who else?

 and You and what army?

Inf. a phrase that responds to a threat by implying that the threat is a weak one. Bill: I'm going to punch you in the nose! Bob: Yeah? You and who else? Tom: Our team is going to slaughter your team. Bill: You and what army? Bill: If you don't stop doing that, I'm going to hit you. Tom: You and who else?

See also: and, who

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

you and whose army?

INFORMAL

People say you and whose army? to tell someone who has threatened them that they will not be able to do what they have threatened because they are not strong enough. `I'll make you sorry.' — `Oh yeah? You and whose army?'

See also: and, whose

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

you and whose army?

used to express disbelief in someone's ability to carry out a threat. informal

See also: and, whose

an army marches on its stomach

soldiers or workers can only fight or function effectively if they have been well fed.

The saying has been attributed to both Frederick the Great and Napoleon I. It is a version of the French phrase c'est la soupe qui fait le soldat .

See also: an, army, Marches, on, stomach

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

army brat

n. a child born to a parent in the army. (Such a child will live in many different places.) I was an army brat and went to seven different schools before I got out of high school.

See also: army

You and who else?

and You and what army?

interrog. Who besides you is threatening me? You and what army are gonna yank my chain?

See also: and, who

You and what army?

verb

See You and who else?

See also: and, what

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Army brat

A child of a member of the regular army. Although brat is not a flattering term, the phrase is not at all derogatory. It dates from the first half of the 1900s. Because regular army personnel often are transferred from station to station, their children frequently had to change schools, and this circumstance is what is most often referred to. A New York Post article in 1971 had it, “I was in sixteen different grammar schools. Then I’d be whisked away because my father was in the Army and I was an Army brat.”

See also: army

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer

You're in the army now!

Shape up—things are done differently here. One of the stock comedy bits in World War II movies was the rude awakening that recruits received during basic training. Any buck private who tried to oversleep or do anything else that wasn't according to military procedure would be chewed out by his drill sergeant, with an unceremonious, “Hey, you ain't no civilian no more, mister—you're in the army now!” The phrase followed the soldiers home, and well into the '50s anyone who was corrected by an ex-GI was liable to be told, “Do it right, mister—you're in the army now!”

See also: army

Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price Copyright © 2011 by Steven D. Price