bag (redirected from bundle of nerves)

bag and baggage (slightly formal)

with all the things that you own. We were told we'd have to be out of the house, bag and baggage, in a week's time.

a bag lady

a woman who has no home and carries everything she owns around with her in plastic bags. Did you see that bag lady looking through the rubbish at the side of the road?

See also: lady

a bag of bones (informal)

a person or animal that is extremely thin. All the plumpness she'd acquired in middle age had gone. She was a bag of bones.

See also: bone

someone's bag of tricks

all the clever methods by which someone achieves something. It remains to be seen what this side will pull out of their bag of tricks for the semi-final.

See also: trick

be a bundle of nerves (British, American & Australian, informal, British, informal)

to be very nervous. You should have seen me before the interview. I was a bundle of nerves.

See also: bundle, nerve

not be your bag (informal)

to not be something that you are interested in. Country music isn't really my bag.

be left holding the baby (British, American)

to suddenly have to deal with a difficult problem or responsibility because someone else has decided they do not want to deal with it. He abandoned the project after a year because he felt that it was going to fail and I was left holding the baby.

See also: baby, holding, left

brown-bag

brown-bagging - taking your own food, usually in a brown paper bag, to eat in the middle of the day when you are not at home. We had our meeting over a brown-bag lunch. (always before noun)

couldn't [act/argue/fight] your way out of a paper bag (humorous)

if someone couldn't act, argue, fight etc. their way out of a paper bag, they act, argue, fight etc. very badly. It's no good asking Jim to protect you - he couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag.

See also: act, argue, couldn't, fight, paper, way

a grab bag (American & Australian)

a mixture of different types of things. Airlines are offering a grab bag of discounts, air miles and car rentals to attract customers. (often + of)

See also: grab

in the bag (informal)

if something is in the bag, you are certain to get it or to achieve it. Once we'd scored the third goal, the match was pretty much in the bag. Nobody knows who'll get the job, despite rumours that Keating has it in the bag.

let the cat out of the bag

to tell people secret information, often without intending to. I was trying to keep the party a secret, but Jim went and let the cat out of the bag.

See also: cat, let

a mixed bag

a combination of different things or different types of people. The group is quite a mixed bag - we have members with all levels of experience.

See also: mixed

pack your bags

to leave a place or a job and not return. The Chief of Police has defied the order to pack his bags.

See also: pack

pull something out of the bag

to suddenly do something which solves a problem or improves a bad situation. They're really going to have to pull something out of the bag tonight if they want to qualify for the championship.

See also: pull, something

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have bags under your eyes

to have dark circles under the eyes. I can always spot the new parents — they're the ones who have bags under their eyes.

See also: eye

in the bag

safe or certain. When the score reached 12 to 2 we knew the game was in the bag.

Usage notes: usually said about the result of a competition or election

something is your bag

you like or care about something. There are some good jobs available if marketing is your bag.

Usage notes: often used with not: Camping is not my bag.

leave someone holding the bag

to make someone else take all of the responsibility. If we loan the company money we want to be sure it won't fail and leave us holding the bag.

See also: holding, leave

let the cat out of the bag

to tell something that is a secret, often without intending to. Amazingly, not one of the people who knew about the surprise let the cat out of the bag.

See also: cat, let

pack your bags

to leave a place or a job and not return. Several members of the city council feel the chief of police should pack his bags.

See also: pack