mode

à la mode

This French phrase literally means "in the fashion."
1. Served with ice cream. My favorite dessert is apple pie à la mode. Are you two looking to get dessert tonight? We have carrot cake, pecan pie à la mode, and several flavors of gelato. A: "You really don't want your pie à la mode?" B: "Nah, my teeth are too sensitive for ice cream at the moment."
2. Very fashionable. Big shoulder pads were à la mode in the 1980s, but most people now would not dare to wear them. The baggy jeans and crop tops of the '90s seem to be à la mode again these days. Remember, these past trends that you cringe at were à la mode at the time.
See also: la, mode

be in holiday mode

informal To be in a relaxed, carefree state resulting or as resulting from being on a break from work or school. Primarily heard in UK. The first week of school after the summer break is usually a write-off, as most students are still in holiday mode. A: "How's it going, Jim?" B: "Just trying to stay focused before I leave for Florida on Friday. I'm kind of in holiday mode already." I was so stressed out from work that it took me a couple of days on the beach before I was really in holiday mode.
See also: holiday, mode

be in vacation mode

informal To be in a relaxed, carefree state resulting or as resulting from being on a break from work or school. Primarily heard in US. The first week of school after the summer break is usually a write-off, as most students are still in vacation mode. A: "How's it going, Jim?" B: "Just trying to stay focused before I leave for Florida on Friday. I'm kind of in vacation mode already." I was so stressed out from work that it took me a couple of days on the beach before I was really in vacation mode.
See also: mode, vacation

get into holiday mode

informal To enter into a relaxed, carefree state resulting or as resulting from being on a break from work or school. Primarily heard in UK. A: "How's it going, Jim?" B: "OK, just trying to stay focused. I leave for Florida on Friday, so it's hard not to get into holiday mode yet." The last week of school before the summer break is usually a write-off, as most students have already gotten into holiday mode by then. I was so stressed out from work that it took me a couple of days on the beach before I really got into holiday mode.
See also: get, holiday, mode

get into vacation mode

informal To enter into a relaxed, carefree state resulting or as resulting from being on a vacation from work or school. Primarily heard in US. A: "How's it going, Jim?" B: "OK, just trying to stay focused. I leave for Florida on Friday, so it's hard not to get into vacation mode yet." The last week of school before the summer break is usually a write-off, as most students have already gotten into vacation mode by then. I was so stressed out from work that it took me a couple of days on the beach before I really got into vacation mode.
See also: get, mode, vacation

go into holiday mode

informal To enter into a relaxed, carefree state resulting or as resulting from being on a break from work or school. Primarily heard in UK. A: "How's it going, Jim?" B: "OK, just trying to stay focused. I leave for Florida on Friday, so it's hard not to go into holiday mode yet." The last week of school before the summer break is usually a write-off, as most students have already gone into holiday mode by then. I was so stressed out from work that it took me a couple of days on the beach before I really went into holiday mode.
See also: go, holiday, mode

go into vacation mode

informal To enter into a relaxed, carefree state resulting or as resulting from being on a vacation from work or school. Primarily heard in US. A: "How's it going, Jim?" B: "OK, just trying to stay focused. I leave for Florida on Friday, so it's hard not to go into vacation mode yet." The last week of school before the summer break is usually a write-off, as most students have already gone into vacation mode by then. I was so stressed out from work that it took me a couple of days on the beach before I really went into vacation mode.
See also: go, mode, vacation

holiday mode

informal A relaxed, carefree state resulting or as resulting from being on a break from work or school. Primarily heard in UK. A: "How's it going, Jim?" B: "OK, just trying not to slip into holiday mode before Friday." The first week of school after summer break is usually a write-off, as most students are still in holiday mode. I was so stressed out from work that it took me a couple of days on the beach before I was really in holiday mode.
See also: holiday, mode

in (one's) (something) mode

Behaving in a particular way (which is specified before "mode"). Watch out, that kitten tends to nip people when she's in her play mode. Don't try to talk to Nate today—he's in his angry mode. Hey, if the baby's in her sleep mode, don't disturb her!
See also: mode

in holiday mode

informal In a relaxed, carefree state resulting or as resulting from being on a break from work or school. Primarily heard in UK. The first week of school after the summer break is usually a write-off, as most students are still in holiday mode. A: "How's it going, Jim?" B: "Just trying to stay focused before I leave for Florida on Friday. I'm kind of in holiday mode already." I was so stressed out from work that it took me a couple of days on the beach before I was really in holiday mode.
See also: holiday, mode

in vacation mode

informal In a relaxed, carefree state resulting or as resulting from being on a break from work or school. Primarily heard in US. The first week of school after the summer break is usually a write-off, as most students are still in vacation mode. A: "How's it going, Jim?" B: "Just trying to stay focused before I leave for Florida on Friday. I'm kind of in vacation mode already." I was so stressed out from work that it took me a couple of days on the beach before I was really in vacation mode.
See also: mode, vacation

into holiday mode

informal Into a relaxed, carefree state resulting or as resulting from being on a break from work or school. Primarily heard in UK. A: "How's it going, Jim?" B: "OK, just trying to stay focused. I leave for Florida on Friday, so it's hard not to slip into holiday mode yet." The last week of school before the summer break is usually a write-off, as most students have gone into holiday mode by then. I was so stressed out from work that it took me a couple of days on the beach before I really got into holiday mode.
See also: holiday, mode

into vacation mode

informal Into a relaxed, carefree state resulting or as resulting from being on a break from work or school. Primarily heard in US. A: "How's it going, Jim?" B: "OK, just trying to stay focused. I leave for Florida on Friday, so it's hard not to slip into vacation mode yet." The last week of school before the summer break is usually a write-off, as most students have gone into vacation mode by then. I was so stressed out from work that it took me a couple of days on the beach before I really got into vacation mode.
See also: mode, vacation

slip into holiday mode

informal A relaxed, carefree state resulting or as resulting from being on a break from work or school. Primarily heard in UK. A: "How's it going, Jim?" B: "OK, just trying to stay focused. I leave for Florida on Friday, so it's hard not to slip into holiday mode yet." The last week of school before the summer break is usually a write-off, as most students have already slipped into holiday mode by then. I was so stressed out from work that it took me a couple of days on the beach before I really slipped into holiday mode.
See also: holiday, mode, slip

slip into vacation mode

informal To enter into a relaxed, carefree state resulting or as resulting from being on a vacation from work or school. Primarily heard in US. A: "How's it going, Jim?" B: "OK, just trying to stay focused. I leave for Florida on Friday, so it's hard not to slip into vacation mode yet." The last week of school before the summer break is usually a write-off, as most students have already slipped into vacation mode by then. I was so stressed out from work that it took me a couple of days on the beach before I really slipped into vacation mode.
See also: mode, slip, vacation

vacation mode

informal A relaxed, carefree state resulting or as resulting from being on a break from work or school. Primarily heard in US. A: "How's it going, Jim?" B: "OK, just trying not to slip into vacation mode before Friday." The first week of school after the summer break is usually a write-off, as most students are still in vacation mode.
See also: mode, vacation
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

in one’s something mode

phr. behaving in a specified mode. (The something can be replaced by work, sleep, hungry, angry, etc.) Todd is always in his play mode when he should be working.
See also: mode, something
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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