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161 Phrases 'Coined in the USA'

American phrases and SayingsNo country has a closer association with the language of Olde Englande than the USA. From the days of the first Puritan settlers to recent cross-Atlantic tweetings, the two countries have shared in the development of English.

Many words and phrases used in the USA have retained their Elizabethan English meanings and pronunciations that have long disappeared in England itself.

There are many American phrases which are used in the USA but haven't been adopted anywhere else. Example of this are:

These, and many others, are widely understood in the US, but would procure puzzled looks in other English-speaking countries.

The list below are of (some of) the many English phrases that were 'coined in the USA' and now wisely used around the world.

A bigger bang for your buck Link to American expression

A piece of cake Link to American expression

A rose is a rose is a rose Link to American expression

A shot in the arm Link to American expression

A sledgehammer to crack a nut Link to American expression

Acid test - The Link to American expression

All singing, all dancing Link to American expression

An accident waiting to happen Link to American expression

An arm and a leg Link to American expression

Another day, another dollar Link to American expression

As easy as pie Link to American expression

As easy as taking candy from a baby Link to American expression

As happy as a clam Link to American expression

Attack is the best form of defence Link to proverb

Baby boomer Link to American expression

Back to the drawing board Link to American expression

Back-seat driver - A Link to American expression

Bad hair day - A Link to American expression

Balling the jack Link to American expression

Ballpark figure - A Link to American expression

Barking up the wrong tree Link to American expression

Bass-ackwards Link to American expression

Bats in the belfry Link to American expression

Bee's knees - The Link to American expression

Between a rock and a hard place Link to American expression

Big fish in a small pond - A Link to American expression

Bigger bang for your buck - A Link to American expression

Birds and the bees - The Link to American expression

Blast from the past - A Link to American expression

Blaze a trail Link to American expression

Blonde bombshell - A Link to American expression

Born again Link to American expression

Break a leg Link to American expression

Bronx cheer Link to American expression

Brownie points Link to American expression

Bunny boiler - A Link to American expression

Bury the hatchet Link to American expression

Card-sharp - A Link to American expression

Catch 22 Link to American expression

Chaise lounge Link to American expression

Chick flick - A Link to American expression

Climb on the bandwagon Link to American expression

Close, but no cigar Link to American expression

Coin a phrase Link to American expression

Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey Link to American expression

Compassion fatigue Link to American expression

Cold turkey Link to American expression

Concrete overcoat Link to American expression

Cost an arm and a leg Link to American expression

Customer is always right - The Link to American expression

Cut to the chase Link to American expression

Dead ringer - A Link to American expression

Doom and gloom Link to American expression

Double whammy Link to American expression

Down the tubes Link to American expression

Drop-dead gorgeous Link to American expression

Ethnic cleansing Link to American expression

Face the music Link to American expression

Fancy pants Link to American expression

Fashion victim - A Link to American expression

Feeding frenzy - A Link to American expression

Fifteen minutes of fame Link to American expression

Filthy rich Link to American expression

Five o'clock shadow Link to American expression

Flavor of the month - The Link to American expression

Fly off the handle Link to American expression

Foot in the door - A Link to American expression

Fuddy-duddy - A Link to American expression

Funny farm - The Link to American expression

Generation X Link to American expression

Get down to brass tacks Link to American expression

Get your dander up Link to American expression

Get your goat Link to American expression

Gild the lily Link to American expression

Go haywire Link to American expression

Go the whole hog Link to American expression

Go postal Link to American expression

Go pound sandLink to American expression

Go to hell in a handbasket Link to American expression

Good riddance to bad rubbish Link to American expression

Goody, goody gumdrops Link to American expression

Gung ho Link to American expression

Have an axe to grind Link to American expression

Heads up - A Link to American expression

Heavy metal Link to American expression

Heebie-jeebies - The Link to American expression

Hell's half acre Link to American expression

High on the hog Link to American expression

High, wide and handsome Link to American expression

Hissy fit - A Link to American expression

Hold your horses Link to American expression

Hooray Henry - A Link to American expression

Hunky-dory Link to American expression

Identity theft Link to American expression

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen Link to American expression

In an interesting condition Link to American expression

In like Flynn Link to American expression

In spades Link to American expression

In the bag Link to American expression

In the sticks Link to American expression

Indian summer - An

Jobs for the boys Link to American expression

Joined at the hip Link to American expression

Jump on the bandwagon Link to American expression

Jump the gun Link to American expression

Jump the shark Link to American expression

Jury is still out - The Link to American expression

Kangaroo court - A Link to American expression

Keep the ball rolling Link to American expression

Keep your chin up Link to American expression

Kit and caboodle - The Link to American expression

Knock into a cocked hat Link to American expression

Know your onions Link to American expression

Lame duck - A Link to American expression

Lead-pipe cinch - A Link to American expression

Level playing field - A Link to American expression

Loose cannon - A Link to American expression

Lose your marbles Link to American expression

Make a bee-line for Link to American expression

Memory lane Link to American expression

Middle of the road Link to American expression

More bang for your buck Link to American expression

Mother country - The Link to American expression

My bad Link to American expression

My way or the highway Link to American expression

New kid on the block - The Link to American expression

Nitty-gritty - The Link to American expression

No dice Link to American expression

No-brainer - A Link to American expression

Off the record Link to American expression

On cloud nine Link to American expression

On the wagon Link to American expression

On the warpath Link to American expression

Paddle your own canoe Link to American expression

Paint the town red Link to American expression

Pass the buck Link to American expression

Peg out Link to American expression

Peter out Link to American expression

Pie in the sky Link to American expression

Piece of cake - A Link to American expression

Pipe dream - A Link to American expression

Play by ear Link to American expression

Power dressing Link to American expression

P.D.Q. - pretty damn quick Link to American expression

Pride comes before a fall Link to American expression

Prime time Link to American expression

Pull the wool over your eyes Link to American expression

Quality time Link to American expression

Red letter day - A Link to American expression

Rise and shine Link to American expression

Road rage Link to American expression

Run a mile Link to American expression

Run of the mill Link to American expression

Sacred cow - A Link to American expression

Security blanket Link to American expression

Seven-year itch - The Link to American expression

Sitting pretty Link to American expression

Six ways to Sunday Link to American expression

Skid row Link to American expression

Smart casual Link to American expression

Smoke and mirrors Link to American expression

Sold down the river Link to American expression

Sound bite - A Link to American expression

Spill the beans Link to American expression

Spin doctor - A Link to American expression

Spring forward, fall back Link to American expression

Square meal - A Link to American expression

Stool pigeon - A Link to American expression

Tail wagging the dog - The Link to American expression

Take the cake Link to American expression

Taken for a ride Link to American expression

Talk to the hand Link to American expression

Talk through one's hat Link to American expression

Tell me about it

Real McCoy - The Link to American expression

That's all she wrote Link to American expression

The best defense is a good offence Link to proverb

The road less travelled Link to American expression

That's All Folks! Link to American expression

The pits Link to American expression

The whole nine yards Link to American expression

The whole shebang Link to American expression

There's no such thing as a free lunch Link to American expression

To beat the band Link to American expression

Top notch Link to American expression

Tuckered out Link to American expression

Up a gum tree Link to American expression

Up shit creek without a paddle Link to American expression

Wear the trousers Link to American expression

Well heeled Link to American expression

What you see is what you get Link to American expression

What's not to like? Link to American expression

Whoops-a-daisy Link to American expression

Wild and woolly Link to American expression

Zero tolerance Link to American expression