[Nelly] See: NICE NELLY or NICE NELLIE, NERVOUS NELLIE.
[nerve] See: GET ON ONE'S NERVES, GET UP THE NERVE.
[nervous breakdown] <n.> A mild or severe attack of mental illness; a collapse of a person's ability to make decisions and solve problems because of overwork, great mental strain, or the like. * /When the mother saw her baby run over, she suffered a nervous breakdown./
[Nervous Nellie] <n.>, <informal> A timid person who lacks determination and courage. * /I say we will never win if we don't stop being Nervous Nellies!/
[nervous prostration] <n.> An illness of the mind that makes you feel very tired, worried, and bored, and that often causes headaches, upset stomach, and other sickness. * /Aunt Jane said that taking care of us children all day was enough to give any woman nervous prostration./
[nest] See: FEATHER ONE'S NEST, STIR UP A HORNET'S NEST.
[nest egg] <n.> Savings set aside to be used in the future. * /Herb says he doesn't have to worry about his old age because he has a nest egg in the bank./
[never] See: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS, LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE.
[never mind] <v. phr.> Don't trouble about it; don't worry about it; forget it; skip it. - Usually used in speaking or when writing dialogue. * /Never mind preparing a picnic lunch; we'll find a lunchstand when we get to the beach./ * /"What did you say?" "Oh, never mind."/ * /"What about money?" "Never mind that. I'll take care of it."/
[never say die] <v. phr.> Don't quit; don't be discouraged. * /"Never say die!" John said, as he got on his feet and tried to ice skate again./
[new] See: TURN OVER A NEW LEAF.
[new blood] <n.> Something or someone that gives new life or vigor, fresh energy or power. * /New blood was brought into the company through appointment of younger men to important positions./
[new broom sweeps clean] A new person makes many changes. - A proverb. * /The new superintendent has changed many of the school rules. A new broom sweeps clean./
[Newcastle] See: CARRY COALS TO NEWCASTLE.
[new deal] <n.>, <informal> 1. A complete change; a fresh start. * /People had been on the job too long; a new deal was needed to get things out of the old bad habits./ 2. Another chance. * /The boy asked for a new deal after he had been punished for fighting in school./
[newfangled] <adj.> Newly invented or contrived; excessively complex. * /Dorothy felt that many newfangled gadgets in Kate's all-electric kitchen weren't really necessary./
[new leaf] See: TURN OVER A NEW LEAF.
[new lease on life] <n. phr.> A new chance to live; an improved manner of living. * /After his illness and his retirement, living in Hawaii was a new lease on life./
[new man] <n.> A person who has become very much better. * /Diet and exercise made a new man of him./
[new money] <n. phr.> People who have become rich recently. * /Since Bobby's father invented a new computer component, Bobby and his family are new money./ Contrast: OLD MONEY.
[newshawk] <n.> A newspaper reporter. * /There are always a lot of newshawks following the president./
[next door] <adv.> or <adj.> 1. In or to the next house or apartment. * /He lived next door to me./ * /She telephoned next door to ask about John./ * /The house next door caught fire./ 2. Very close. - Used with "to". * /The sick man was next door to death./ * /Printing secrets about our country's missiles is next door to treason./
[next to(1)] <adv.> Almost; nearly. * /It was next to impossible to believe that in a month the grass would be green and flowers would be blooming./ * /It was next to unthinkable that the boy would steal./
[next to(2)] <prep.> Just after; second to. * /Next to his family, baseball was his greatest love./ * /Next to pizza, Bob liked hamburger best./
[next to nothing] <n. phr.> Very little; almost nothing. * /They gave me next to nothing for my old car when I traded it in for a new one./ * /When he first started to work, Mr. Black earned next to nothing./
[nice Nelly(1)] or [nice Nellie] <n.>, <informal> Someone who acts too good to be true; a prude; a prig. * /We took him for a nice Nelly when he wouldn't fight./
[nice Nelly(2)] or [nice Nellie] <adj.>, <informal> Too careful not to say or do anything wrong or improper; too proper; prudish. * /Her nice Nelly behavior made her unpopular at school./
[Nick] See: FULL OF THE OLD NICK.
[nick] See: IN THE NICK OF TIME.
[nigger in the woodpile] <n. phr.>, <slang> Something unexpected that changes a situation; a hidden factor or trick. - Racist and offensive, but commonly used in the past. * /I knew there had to be a nigger in the woodpile, because the man was being much too generous./ * /When the salesman gave him an extra tire for his bike, the boy suspected a nigger in the woodpile./
[night] See: FLY-BY-NIGHT, MAKE A NIGHT OF IT.
[night and day] See: DAY AND NIGHT.
[nightcap] <n.> A good-night drink; a drink taken just before bedtime. * /Let's have a nightcap and then go to sleep./ * /Would you like to come up to my place for a nightcap?/
[night letter] <n.> A telegram sent at night at a cheaper rate and delivered in the morning. * /I waited until after six o'clock in the evening before sending the telegram home because I can say more for the same price in a night letter./
[night life] <n. phr.> Entertainment at night. * /People in the city are able to find more night life than those who live in the country./
[night owl] <n. phr.> One who sleeps during the day and stays up or works during the night. * /Tom hardly ever sleeps at night; he prefers to work by lamp light and has become a regular night owl./ Compare: GRAVEYARD SHIFT.
[nine] See: CAT HAS NINE LIVES, ON CLOUD NINE.
[nine-to-five job] <n. phr.> A typical office job that starts at 9 A.M. and ends at 5 P.M. with a one-hour lunch break at 12 noon or 1 P.M. * /We professors are not too well paid but I could never get used to a nine-to-five job./
[ninety] See: GAY NINETIES.
[nip and tuck] <adj. or adv.>, <informal> Evenly matched; hard fought to the finish. * /The game was nip and tuck until the last minute./ * /A was a nip and tuck race right to the finish line./ * /The two salesmen fought nip and tuck for the contract all the way./ Compare: NECK AND NECK.
[nip in the bud] <v. phr.> To check at the outset; prevent at the start; block or destroy in the beginning. * /The police nipped the plot in the bud./ * /The teacher nipped the disorder in the bud./
[no account(1)] <adj.> Of no importance. * /The lowly clerk's opinion is of no account in this matter./
[no account(2)] <n. phr.> A person of low social station. * /Fred was first considered a no account but he soon proved himself to be a person of great ability./
[nobody] See: IT'S AN ILL WIND THAT BLOWS NOBODY GOOD.
[nobody home] <slang> 1. Your attention is somewhere else, not on what is being said or done here; you are absent-minded. * /The teacher asked him a question three times but he still looked out the window. She gave up, saying, "Nobody home."/ 2. You are feeble-minded or insane. * /He pointed to the woman, tapped his head, and said, "Nobody home."/
[nobody's fool] <n. phr.> A smart person; a person who knows what he is doing; a person who can take care of himself. * /In the classroom and on the football field, Henry was nobody's fool./ Contrast: BORN YESTERDAY.
[nod] See: LAND OF NOD.
[nodding acquaintance] <n.> Less than casual acquaintance. * /I have never spoken to the chancellor; we have only a nodding acquaintance./
[no deal] or [no dice] or [no go] or [no sale] or [no soap] <slang> Not agreed to; refused or useless; without success or result; no; certainly not. - Used in the predicate or to refuse something. * /Billy wanted to let Bob join the team, but I said that it was no deal because Bob was too young./ * /"Let me have a dollar." "No dice!" answered Joe./ * /I tried to get Mary on the telephone but it was no go./ * /"Let's go to the beach tomorrow." "No sale, I have my music lesson tomorrow."/ * /I asked Dad for a new bicycle but it was no soap./ Compare: NOTHING DOING, NO USE.