alive (redirected from aliveness)

alive and kicking and alive and well

Fig. well and healthy. Jane: How is Bill since his illness last month? Mary: Oh; he's alive and kicking. The last time I saw Tom, he was alive and well.

See also: and, kick

alive with (people or things)

Fig. covered with, filled with, or active with people or creatures. Look! Ants everywhere. The floor is alive with ants!

Land(s) sakes (alive)! and Sakes alive!

Rur. My goodness! (A mild oath.) Lands sakes! I sure am glad to get home! Sakes alive! Can't you even set the table without making a fuss?

See also: land

Look alive!

Act alert and responsive! "Come on, Fred! Get moving! Look alive!" shouted the coach, who was not happy with Fred's performance. Bill: Look alive, Bob! Bob: I'm doing the best I can.

See also: look

more dead than alive

Fig. exhausted; in very bad condition; near death. (Almost always an exaggeration.) We arrived at the top of the mountain more dead than alive. The marathon runners stumbled one by one over the finish line, more dead than alive.

See also: dead, more

skin someone alive

Fig. to be very angry with someone; to scold someone severely. (Fig. on being angry enough to do this kind of bodily harm to someone.) I was so mad at Jane that I could have skinned her alive. If I don't get home on time, my parents will skin me alive.

See also: skin

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be alive and kicking

to continue to live or exist and be full of energy She said she'd seen him last week and he was alive and kicking. Theatre in Madrid is alive and kicking.

See also: and, kick

be alive and well

to continue to be popular or successful Despite rumours to the contrary, feminism is alive and well. (often + and doing sth) Quadrophonic sound is alive and well and making money for its inventor.

See also: and, well

be alive with something

to be covered with or full of something that is moving Don't sit there - the grass is alive with ants.

See eat alive, skin alive

eat somebody alive

to criticize someone very angrily If we get our facts wrong we'll be eaten alive by the press.

See also: eat

skin somebody alive

to punish someone very severely Sharon will skin me alive if I'm late.

See nearly jump out of skin, save skin

See also: skin

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alive and well also alive and kicking

1. involved or active As long as our star players are alive and well, this championship isn't over yet.

2. having influence or importance Traditional jazz is still alive and well in New Orleans.

See also: and, well

eat you alive

1. to cause you to suffer Without my own lawyer, the defendants' lawyers would have eaten me alive in court. The state income tax is just eating me alive, so I think I may move.

2. to bite you repeatedly The only bad thing about camping by the river was the mosquitoes that ate us alive.

Usage notes: used only of insects, as in the example

See also: eat