On a par with


As good as, equal to, as in This violinist may be an amateur but he’s on a par with professional orchestral players. The noun par has meant “that which is equal” since the mid-1600s; the idiom here was first recorded in 1832.

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  • On a plate

    adverb without requiring any effort on the part of the recipient Examples They handed him the world on a plate. Usage Note slang adverb In an easy situation; easily acquired: a win on a plate (1935+)

  • On a rampage

    Behaving violently, as in There was a near riot after the game, when some of the spectators went on a rampage. This term comes from the Old Scots verb ramp, meaning “to storm and rage.” [ Mid-1800s ]

  • On a shingle

    Related Terms shit on a shingle

  • On a shoestring

    adverb For very little money; on a tight budget: put the party together on a shoestring With very limited financial means, as in The newlyweds were living on a shoestring. The precise allusion in this term is unclear. One fanciful theory is that debtors in British prisons would lower a shoe by its laces from […]

  • On a tangent

    On a sudden digression or change of course, as in The professor’s hard to follow; he’s always off on a tangent. This phrase often occurs in the idioms fly off or go off on a tangent, as in The witness was convincing until he went off on a tangent. This expression alludes to the geometric […]


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