[iron out]{v.}, {informal} To discuss and reach an agreement about (a difference); find a solution for (a problem); remove (a difficulty). •/The company and its workers ironed out their differences over hours and pay./ •/The House and Senate ironed out the differences between their two different tax bills./ Compare: MAKE UP(5).
[is] See: SUCH AS IT IS, THAT IS.
[island] See: SAFETY ISLAND.
[issue] See: AT ISSUE, TAKE ISSUE.
[is that so]{informal} 1. Oh, indeed? That’s interesting. — Used in simple acceptance or reply. •/"The Republicans have pulled a trick at city hall." "Is that so?"/ 2. Surely not? — Used in disbelief or sarcasm. •/"The moon is made of green cheese." "Is that so?"/ •/"I’m going to take your girlfriend to the dance," said Bob. "Oh, is that so!" said Dick. "Try it and you’ll be sorry."/
[itching palm]{n.}, {slang} A wish for money; greed. •/He was born with an itching palm./ •/The bellboys in that hotel seem always to have itching palms./
[I tell you] See: I’LL SAY.
[I tell you what] See: I’LL TELL YOU WHAT.
[item] See: COLLECTOR’S ITEM, CONSUMER ITEMS.
[it figures]{informal sentence} It checks out; it makes sense; it adds up. •/It figures that Bob got the highest raise at our firm; he is the most productive salesman./
[it is an ill wind that blows nobody good] No matter how bad a happening is, someone can usually gain something from it. — A proverb. •/When Fred got hurt in the game John got a chance to play. It’s an ill wind that blows nobody good./
[it never rains but it pours] One good thing or bad thing is often followed by others of the same kind. — A proverb, •/John got sick, then his brothers and sisters all got sick. It never rains but it pours./
[it’s a cinch]{informal sentence} It is very easy. •/"What about the final exam?" Fred asked. "It was a cinch" Sam answered./ Compare: PIECE OF CAKE.
[it’s a deal]{informal sentence} Consider it done; OK; it is agreed. •/"How much for this used car?" Bill asked. "Two thousand," the man answered. "I’ll give $1,500," Bill said. "It’s a deal!" the owner answered as they sealed the transaction./
[it’s been ---, it’s been real]{informal} Shortened form for "it has been real nice (being with you)" — used colloquially between very close friends.
[itself] See: END IN ITSELF.
[it’s high time]{informal sentence} It is overdue. •/It is high time for John Browning to be promoted to full professor; he has written a great deal but his books went unnoticed./
[Ivy League]{n.} A small group of the older and more famous eastern U.S. colleges and universities. •/Several Ivy League teams play each other regularly each year./ •/Harvard, Yale, and Princeton were the original Ivy League./
[Jack] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY.
[jack] See: EVERY LAST MAN also EVERY MAN JACK.
[jack of all trades]{n.}, {informal} (Often followed by the words "master of none.") A person who is knowledgeable in many areas. Can be used as praise, or as a derogatory remark depending on the context and the intonation. •/Peter is a jack of all trades; he can survive anywhere!/ •/"How come Joe did such a sloppy job?" Mary asked. "He’s a jack of all trades," Sally answered./
[jackpot] See: HIT THE JACKPOT.
[jack-rabbit start]{n.}, {informal} A very sudden start from a still position; a very fast start from a stop. •/Bob made a jack-rabbit start when the traffic light turned green./
[Jack Robinson] See: BEFORE ONE CAN SAY JACK ROBINSON.
[jack up]{v.} 1. To lift with a jack. •/The man jacked up his car to fit a flat tire./ 2. {informal} To make (a price) higher; raise. •/Just before Christmas, some stores jack up their prices./
[jailbait]{n.}, {slang} A girl below the legal age of consent for sex; one who tempts you to intimacy which is punishable by imprisonment. •/Stay away from Arabella, she is a jailbait./
[jailbird]{n.}, {informal} A convict; someone who is in jail or has been recently released from prison. •/Because Harry was a jailbird, it was understandably hard for him to find a job after being imprisoned./
[jake flake]{n.}, {slang} A boring person whose company is usually not wanted. •/Please don’t invite Turner, he is a jake flake./
[jar on]{v. phr.} To irritate. •/The constant construction noise was beginning to jar on the nerves of the members of the meeting./
[jaw] See: GLASS JAW.
[jawbreaker]{n.} 1. A large piece of hard candy or bubblegum. •/Billy asked his mother for a quarter to buy some jawbreakers and a chocolate bar./ 2. [informal] A word or name that is hard to pronounce. •/His name, Nissequogue, is a real jawbreaker./
[jaw drop] or [jaw drop a mile] {informal} Mouth fall wide open with surprise. — Used with a possessive. •/Tom’s jaw dropped a mile when he won the prize./
[jaws tight]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Angry; uptight; tense. •/Why are you getting your jaws so tight?/
[jazz up]{v.}, {slang} To brighten up; add more noise, movement, or color; make more lively or exciting. •/The party was very dull until Pete jazzed it up with his drums./
[Jehu] See: DRIVE LIKE JEHU.
[jerk] or [jerker] See: SODA JERK or SODA JERKER.
[jerry-built]{adj.} 1. Built poorly or carelessly of cheap materials; easily broken. •/That jerry-built cabin will blow apart in a strong wind./ 2. Done without careful preparation or thought; planned too quickly. •/When the regular television program didn’t come on, a jerry-built program was substituted at the last minute./
[Jesus boots] or [Jesus shoes] {n.}, {slang} Men’s sandals, particularly as worn by hippies and very casually dressed people. •/I dig your Jesus boots, man, they look cool./
[jig’s up] See: GAME’S UP.
[jim-dandy]{n.}, {slang} Something wonderful; something very good. •/Tommy’s new boat is really a jim-dandy! I wish I had one like it./
[jink] See: HIGH JINKS.
[job] See: DO A JOB ON, FALL DOWN ON THE JOB, LIE DOWN ON THE JOB, ON THE JOB.
[Joe Doakes]{n.} A name used informally for the average man. •/Let us say that Joe Doakes goes to the movies three times a year./ Compare: MAN IN THE STREET, SO-AND-SO.
[John Doe]{n.} A name used for an unknown person, especially in police and law business. •/The alarm went out for a John Doe who stole the diamonds from the store./
[John Hancock] or [John Henry] {n.}, {informal} Your signature; your name in writing. •/The man said, "Put your John Hancock on this paper."/ •/Joe felt proud when he put his John Henry on his very first driver’s license./
[Johnny-come-lately]{n.} Someone new in a place or group; newcomer; also: a new person who takes an active part in group affairs before tlie group has accepted him; upstart. •/Everybody was amazed when a Johnny-come-lately beat the old favorite in the race./ •/When it looked as though Mr. Brown had a good chance of winning, many Johnny-come-latelies began to support him./
[Johnny-on-the-spot]{adj. phr.} At the right place when needed; present and ready to help; very prompt; on time. •/A good waterboy is always Johnny-on-the-spot./ •/The firemen were Johnny-on-the-spot and put out the fire in the house soon after it started./ Compare: ON THE JOB.
[John Q. Public]{n.} A name used informally for the average citizen. •/It is John Q. Public’s duty to vote at each election./ Compare: JOE DOAKES.
[join forces] or [join hands] {v. phr.} To get together for the same aim; group together for a purpose; unite. •/The students and the graduates joined forces to raise money when the gym burned down./ •/The American soldiers joined hands with the British in the war against Germany./ Compare: THROW IN ONE’S LOT WITH.
[join hands] See: JOIN FORCES.
[joint] See: CLIP JOINT, PUT ONE’S NOSE OUT OF JOINT.
[joke] See: CRACK A JOKE.
[joking apart] See: JOKING ASIDE.
[joking aside] or [joking apart] {v. phr.}, {informal} No fooling; without exaggerating: seriously. •/Joking aside, although the conditions were not very comfortable, we had a wonderful time./ •/Joking apart, there must have been over a hundred people in the room./
[Jones] See: KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES.
[jot down]{v. phr.} To quickly commit to writing; make a quick note of something. •/Let me jot down your address so that I can send you a postcard from Europe./
[judgment seat]{n.} A place where you are judged; a place where justice and punishment are given out. •/Mrs. Smith is so bossy, she always acts as though she is in the judgment seat./
[jug-eared]{adj.} With ears that stick out like the handles of a jug. •/Tommy was a redheaded, freckle-faced, jug-eared boy./
[juice] See: STEW IN ONE’S OWN JUICE.
[juice dealer]{n.}, {slang} An underworld money lender who charges exorbitant fees to his clientele and frequently collects payment by physical force. •/No matter how broke you are, never go to a juice dealer./
[jump] See: GET THE JUMP ON or HAVE THE JUMP ON, GO JUMP IN THE LAKE, NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO TURN or NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO JUMP.
[jump all over] See: JUMP ON.
[jump at]{v.} To take or accept quickly and gladly. •/Johnny jumped at the invitation to go swimming with his brother./ Compare: TAKE UP(7).
[jump bail] or [skip bail] {v. phr.}, {informal} To run away and fail to come to trial, and so to give up a certain amount of money already given to a court of law to hold with the promise that you would come. •/The robber paid $2000 bail so he wouldn’t be put in jail before his trial, but he jumped bail and escaped to Mexico./ •/The man skipped bail because he was afraid the court might put him in jail for a long time./
[jump ball]{n.} The starting of play in basketball by tossing the ball into the air between two opposing players, each of whom jumps and tries to hit the ball to a member of his own team. •/Two players held onto the ball at the same time and the referee called a jump ball./
[jump down one’s throat]{v. phr.} To suddenly become very angry at someone; scold severely or angrily. •/The teacher jumped down Billy’s throat when Billy said he did not do his homework./
[jump from the frying pan into the fire] See: OUT OP THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE.
[jumping-off place]{n. phr.} 1. A place so far away that it seems to be the end of the world. •/Columbus' sailors were afraid they would arrive at the jumping-off place if they sailed farther west./ •/So you visited Little America? That sounds like the jumping-off place!/ 2. The starting place of a long, hard trip or of something difficult or dangerous. •/The jumping-off place for the explorer’s trip through the jungle was a little village./
[jump on] or [jump all over] or [land on] or [land all over] {v. phr.}, {informal} To scold; criticize; blame. •/Tom’s boss jumped all over Tom because he made a careless mistake./ •/Janice landed on Robert for dressing carelessly for their date./ •/"I don’t know why Bill is always jumping on me; I just don’t understand him," said Bob./ Compare: FIND FAULT, GET ON, LAY OUT(7).
[jump on the bandwagon] or [get on the bandwagon] {v. phr.}, {informal} To join a popular cause or movement. •/At the last possible moment, the senator jumped on the winning candidate’s bandwagon./
