floor

*floor

Fig. the exclusive right to address the audience. (*Typically: get ~; have ~; hold ~; grant someone~.) When I get the floor, I'll make a short speech. The last time you had the floor, you talked for an hour.

*in on the ground floor

Fig. involved at the very beginning of something. (Alludes to riding in an elevator that will become increasingly crowded as it ascends. You will be able to get in most easily at the lowest level. *Typically: be ~; get ~; let someone ~.) If you are starting a new project, I want to get in on the ground floor. Invest now so you can get in on the ground floor.

See also: ground

clean the floor up with someone

Fig. to beat someone up. If you don't shut up, I'll clean up the floor with you. You won't clean the floor up with me!

See also: clean, up

crash to the floor

to fall onto the floor and make a crashing sound. The tray of dishes crashed to the floor. Everything crashed to the floor and was broken.

See also: crash

floor someone

to surprise and astound someone. His brashness simply floored me!

floor it

Fig. to press down hard and fast on the accelerator of a vehicle. She floored it and sped off over the hill.

mop the floor up with someone

to overwhelm and physically subdue someone; to beat someone. Stop talking like that, or I'll mop the floor up with you! Did you hear that? He threatened to mop up the floor with me!

See also: mop, up

so clean you could eat off the floor

[of a room or a house] very clean. Her kitchen is so clean you could eat off the floor! It's so clean here you could eat off the floor. I prefer a little mess, myself.

See also: clean, could, eat

take the floor 

1. Fig. to stand up and address the audience. When I take the floor, I'll make a short speech. The last time you had the floor, you talked for an hour.

2. Fig. to go to the dance floor in order to dance. They took the floor for the foxtrot. When the band played, everyone took the floor.

See also: take

this is my floor

a phrase said by someone at the back of an elevator suggesting that people make way for that person to exit at a particular floor. Mary said, "This is my floor," and everyone made room for her to get out of the elevator. "Out, please," said Tom loudly. "This is my floor!"

See also: this

walk the floor

Fig. to pace nervously while waiting. While Bill waited for news of the operation, he walked the floor for hours on end. Walking the floor won't help. You might as well sit down and relax.

See also: walk

wipe the floor up with someone

Inf. to beat or physically abuse someone. (Usually said as a threat.) You say that to me one more time, and I'll wipe the floor up with you. Oh, yeah! You're not big enough to wipe up the floor with anybody!

See also: up, wipe

---

fall/go through the floor

if the price or value of something falls through the floor, it becomes very low House prices have gone through the floor this year.

See also: fall, through

floor it  (American informal)

to drive a car as fast as it will go He likes to take his sports car out on the road and floor it.

get in on the ground floor

to become involved in something from the beginning It is potentially a very lucrative market and those who get in on the ground floor might well make a fortune.

See also: get, ground

on the factory floor 

1. if someone works on the factory floor, they are one of the ordinary people who work in a factory He spent five years on the factory floor before being promoted to supervisor.

2. in the part of a factory where goods are produced The problem was only discovered when the system was tested on the factory floor.

See also: factory

put your foot to the floor  (American)

to suddenly increase your speed when you are driving I put my foot to the floor and reached the apartment in less than an hour.

See also: foot, put

wipe the floor with somebody   (British, American & Australian) also mop the floor with somebody (American)

to defeat someone easily Alex is always really good in a debate, she'll wipe the floor with them.

See also: wipe

---

(get) in on the ground floor

to become involved in something from its beginning Can someone tell me how you get in on the ground floor of a money-making deal like that?

See also: ground

floor it

to drive as fast as you can Some drivers seem to believe a yellow traffic light means floor it and rush through an intersection as fast as possible.

Related vocabulary: (put) the pedal to the metal

Etymology: based on the idea that you push the pedal (part worked with the foot) down to the floor of a car to go as fast as you can

on the cutting room floor

not included Some real ballplayers were used in the movie's baseball scenes, but they ended up on the cutting room floor. In the rush to finish this session, legislators left some very important bills on the cutting room floor.

See also: cutting, room