An Alphabetical List of Popular Phrases – ‘N’

Here are commonly used phrases that start with the letter N. Select one of the sayings in the list below to find further details, such as its origin.


Phrases Starting With – N

Neck And Neck
Something that is evenly matched, such as a competition or a comparison.


Needle In a Haystack
Something that is difficult to find.


No-Brainer
A choice that’s so easy to make, it required almost no thinking.


No Ifs, Ands, Or Buts
Finishing a task without making any excuses.


No Questions Asked
Other than the information initially given, no further inquiries are to be made.


(Not) My Cup Of Tea
Something that a person does not like, e.g. this shirt is ‘not my cup of tea.’


Not The Sharpest Tool In The Shed
Someone who isn’t witty or sharp, but rather, they are ignorant, unintelligent, or senseless.


Note: More “N” phrases are listed below. They do not have their own page, but you can still learn their meaning.

Nickel And Diming
When companies add additional fees onto their services or products for the purpose of extracting as much money as possible from people.


Night Owl
A person who normally stays up late into the night.


Nine To Five
A job where someone works for 8 hours.


Nip It In The Bud
Putting a stop to something before it becomes a bigger issue.


No Dice
Trying to accomplish something, but it doesn’t work out. (e.g., I tried fixing my monitor, but no dice.)


No Spring Chicken
Someone who has gotten older. Similar to other sayings like: “long in the tooth.”


Not Made Of Money
Someone who does not have a lot of spending money; poor.


Nothing To Sneeze At
Something that should not be easily dismissed, but instead, it should be treated seriously and given consideration.