next

(I'll) see you next year.

a good-bye expression said toward the end of one year. Bob: Happy New Year! Sue: You, too! See you next year. John: Bye. See you tomorrow. Mary: It's New Year's Eve. See you next year! John: Right! I'll see you next year!

See also: see, year

Better luck next time 

1. an expression that comforts someone for a minor failure. (Said with a pleasant tone of voice.) Bill: That does it! I can't run any farther. Hose! Bob: Too bad. Better luck next time. Mary: Well, that's the end of my brand new weight lifting career. Jane: Better luck next time.

2. an expression that ridicules someone for a failure. (Said with rudeness or sarcasm. The tone of voice distinguishes {2} from {2}.) Sally: I lost out to you, but I think you cheated. Mary: Better luck next time. Sue: You thought you could get ahead of me, you fool! Better luck next time! Joan: I still think you cheated.

See also: better, luck, time

buy a round (of drinks) and buy the next round (of drinks)

to buy a drink for each person present, with the expectation that one or more of those persons will later do likewise. Which one of you guys is going to buy the next round?

See also: buy, round

catch the next wave and wait for the next wave

Fig. to follow the next fad. He has no purpose in life. He sits around strumming his guitar and waiting to catch the next wave.

See also: catch, wave

Cleanliness is next to godliness.

Prov. It is very important to keep yourself clean. Child: How come I have to take a bath? Mother: Cleanliness is next to godliness. The woman sitting next to me on the bus had obviously never heard that cleanliness is next to godliness.

from here till next Tuesday

Rur. for a great distance; for a long time. If you try that again, I'll knock you from here till next Tuesday. You can lecture him from here till next Tuesday, but he won't listen.

See also: here, till

Good-bye for now. and (Good-bye) until next time.; Till next time.; Bye for now.; Till we meet again.; Until we meet again.

Good-bye, I'll see you soon.; Good-bye, I'll see you next time. (Often said by the host at the end of a radio or television program.) Alice: See you later. Good-bye for now. John: Bye, Alice. Mary: See you later. Bob: Good-bye for now. The host of the talk show always closed by saying, "Good-bye until next time. This is Wally Off, Slgning off."

See also: now

live next door (to someone)

to live in the house or dwelling next to someone. I live next door to John. John lives next door to me. John lives next door.

See also: door, live

Next question.

Inf. That is settled, let's move on to something else. (Usually a way of evading further discussion.) Mary: When can I expect this construction noise to stop? Bob: In about a month. Next question. Bill: When will the board of directors raise the dividend again? Mary: Oh, quite soon. Next question.

See also: question

next to someone or something

near to someone or something; adjacent to someone or something. I live next to a bank. Please sit next to me.

next to nothing

Fig. hardly anything; almost nothing. This car's worth next to nothing. It's full of rust. I bought this antique chair for next to nothing.

See also: nothing

next world

Euph. life after death. We will meet in the next world. He believed he had made contact with spirits from the next world.

See also: world

one's next of kin

one's closest living relative or relatives. The police notified the dead man's next of kin. My next of kin lives 800 miles away.

See also: kin

one's next-door neighbor

the person living in the house or apartment closest to one's own. My next-door neighbor came over to borrow a shovel. I will be visiting our next-door neighbor if you need me.

See also: neighbor

place someone or something next to someone or something

to put someone or something immediately adjacent to someone or something. Please don't place Donna next to Betty for the class photograph. They are wearing identical dresses. Please don't place the flowers next to me. I have hay fever.

See also: place

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Cleanliness is next to Godliness.  (old-fashioned)

something that you say which means that except for worshipping God, the most important thing in life is to be clean Could you try to wash behind your ears occasionally? Cleanliness is next to Godliness, you know.

from one moment to the next

if things change from one moment to the next, they change quickly or frequently The plans are being changed from one moment to the next. You never know from one moment to the next what kind of mood he'll be in.

See also: moment, one

in next to no time  (informal) also in no time (at all) (informal)

if something happens or is done in no time, it happens or is done extremely quickly It's only another mile or so. We'll be there in next to no time. He had the food ready in no time.

See also: time

the [first/highest/next etc.] rung on the ladder

the first, highest, next etc. position, especially in society or in a job In our society, a nurse is hardly on the same rung of the ladder as a judge. President of the Union at Oxford University was the first rung on the political ladder for him.

See also: ladder, rung

the boy/girl next door

used to describe someone who is completely ordinary, not rich, famous, etc We couldn't believe it when he got a record deal. To us, he was just the boy next door.

See in next to no time

See also: boy, door

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next to

almost It is supposed to be next to impossible to escape from a high-tech, maximum security prison.

next to nothing

very little She knows next to nothing about politics. The town has done next to nothing about the parking problem.

See also: nothing