- Home
- Idioms
- join
join
join the majority
euphemism To die. A: "I heard there was a death in your family." B: "Oh yeah, some distant relative joined the majority."
be joined at the hip
slang To spend a lot of time with someone else, often a close friend. Every time I see Jenna, Kelli is right there with her. Those two are really joined at the hip these days.
Could I join you?
and (Do you) care if I join you?; (Do you) mind if I join you?Will you permit me to sit with you? (An inquiry seeking permission to sit at someone's table or join someone else in some activity. Also used with can or may in place of could.) Tom came into the cafe and saw Fred and Sally sitting in a booth by the window. Coming up to them, Tom said, "Could I join you?"
If you can't beat them, join them.
and If you can't lick 'em, join 'em.Prov. If you have to give up fighting some group because you can't win, band together with them. (The version with lick is informal.) Jill: I just got a kitten. Jane: I can't believe it! You used to hatepeople who owned cats. Jill: If you can't beat them, join them. Alan: I hear you're a Republican now. Fred: Yeah, I figured, if you can't lick 'em, join 'em.
join forces (with someone)
Fig. to combine one's efforts with someone else's efforts. The older boys joined forces with the younger ones to sing the school song. Let's join forces with the other faction and run our own slate of candidates.
join hands
[for people] to hold hands so that each person is holding the hands of two other people; [for two people] to hold each other's hands. Let us join hands and pray together. The dancers joined hands and formed a circle that moved to the left.
join in (with something)
to participate in doing something. The older boys joined in with the singing. I'm glad they joined in. We needed basses.
join in (with something)
to participate in doing something. The older boys joined in with the singing. I'm glad they joined in. We needed basses.
join (someone) with (someone else)
and join (something) with (something else)to connect things or people. I joined Fred with the others. We joined the older puppies with the full-grown dogs.
join (something and something else) together
to connect or unite things. We joined the pipe and the hose together. He joined together all the blue wires and the red ones.
join (something) to (something else)
to connect something to something else. We joined our club to the other club. We joined our chorus to the other chorus, making a huge singing group.
join something with something else Go to join someone with someone
else.
Join the club!
Inf. an expression indicating that the person spoken to is in the same, or a similar, unfortunate state as the speaker. You don't have anyplace to stay? Join the club! Neither do we. Did you get fired too? Join the club!
join the fray
and jump into the fray; enter the frayFig. to join the fight or argument. After listening to the argument, Mary decided to jump into the fray. Tom joined the fray and immediately got knocked down.
join up
to join some organization. The club has opened its membership rolls again. Are you going to join up? I can't afford to join up.
join (up) with someone or something
to bring oneself into association with someone or something. I decided to join up with the other group. Our group joined with another similar group.
joined at the hip
Sl. closely connected; always together. Those two are joined at the hip. They are always together. Sam and Martha are joined at the hip.
take issue with someone
to argue with someone. I heard your last statement and I have to take issue with you. Tom took issue with Maggie about the cost of the house.
take issue with something
to disagree with or argue about something. I have to take issue with that statement. I want to take issue with the last statement you made.
with (one's) eyes (wide) open
Fig. totally aware of what is going on. I went into this with my eyes open. We all started with eyes open but didn't realize what could happen to us.
(Would you) care to join us?
Do you want to join us? Tom and Mary saw Fred and Sally sitting at another table in the restaurant. Tom went over to them and said, "Would you care to join us?" Mary: Isn't that Bill and Sue over there? John: Yes, it is. Shall I ask them to join us? Mary: Why not? John (after reaching the other table): Hi, you guys! Care to join us? Bill: Love to, but Sue's mom is going to be along any minute. Thanks anyway.
with your eyes (wide) open
understanding the true character of someone or something I knew Bill for a long time, and I went into this relationship with my eyes wide open.
enter the fray
also join the fray to become involved in a very competitive situation Cable TV companies have entered the fray, using their high-speed lines to provide Internet access.
join hands (with somebody)
to unite with other people or groups Many people are ready to join hands to improve health care around the world.
Etymology: based on the literal meaning of join hands (to hold the hand of the person next to you, connecting all of the people in a group)
joined at the hip
1. very closely connected The two companies have been joined at the hip since their founders went camping together a hundred years ago.
2. together The new law would keep unhappy couples joined at the hip for the sake of their children.
take issue with somebody
to disagree with someone or something I take issue with people who say it is unpatriotic to criticize our government. Thorogood took issue with the story that he had a drinking problem, calling it a nasty rumor.
join in
to take part with others in an activity We play touch football on Saturdays if the weather is good, so bring sneakers with you and join in.
join up
to become a member of the military Levy joined up in World War II, received his citizenship and ended up a corporal in the combat engineers.
join the ranks of something
to become part of a larger group or organization Their country will join the ranks of the most developed nations of the world in four or five years.
Join the club!
(British, American & Australian) also Welcome to the club! (American & Australian) something that you say to someone who has just told you about an experience or problem that they have had in order to show that you have had the same experience or problem too 'I can't stop eating chocolate.' 'Join the club!' 'We can't afford a vacation this year.' 'Welcome to the club!'
with your eyes open
knowing about all the problems there could be with something that you want to do 'You want to get married? But you're only 18!' 'I'm doing this with my eyes open, so don't worry about me.' It was difficult to succeed in the acting profession but I went into it with my eyes open.
See Close your eyes and think of England, couldn't believe eyes, cry eyes out, feast eyes on, hit between the eyes, keep eyes peeled, open eyes to, be up to ears inenter/join the fray
to become involved in an argument or a fight Members of the royal family rarely enter the political fray.
join the ranks of something
to become part of a large group Thousands of young people join the ranks of the unemployed each summer when they leave school.
See Join the club!, enter the fraybe joined at the hip
if you say that two people are joined at the hip, you mean that they are very friendly with each other and spend more time together than is usual I can go to London without Mike. We're not joined at the hip, you know.
if you can't beat 'em, join 'em
Also, if you can't lick 'em, join 'em. If you can't defeat your opponents you might be better off by switching to their side. For example, Seeing that no one else was willing to stick with the old software program, Marcia learned the new one, noting if you can't beat 'em, join 'em , or I opposed a new school library, but the town voted for it, so I'll support it-if you can't lick 'em, join 'em . This expression dates from about 1940 and originally alluded to political opponents. The opposite idea is expressed in an advertising slogan used in the 1960s and 1970s by a cigarette company, in which the smoker would fight rather than switch brands.
join forces
Act together, combine efforts. For example, The public relations people joined forces to get better coverage for their candidates. This expression originally referred to combining military forces. [Mid-1500s]
join the club
A phrase used to express sympathy for a common experience. For example, You waited three hours for the doctor? Join the club! [c. 1940]
take issue with
Disagree with, as in I take issue with those figures; they don't include last month's sales. This idiom comes from legal terminology, where it was originally put as to join issue, meaning "take the opposite side of a case." [Late 1600s]
join in
v. To take part in something; participate in something: The tenors started singing, and then the sopranos joined in. The adults joined in the celebration.
join up
v.1. To become a member of some group or organization: After the recruiter's speech, I decided to join up.
2. To collaborate or team up with someone: The advertising firm joined up with the baseball team to promote the new manager.
3. To connect together: The points join up to form a straight line.
4. To connect something with some other thing: Join up the dots, and you'll see a picture. When we join these pieces up, the puzzle will be completed.
joined at the hip
mod. closely connected; as thick as thieves. (As Siamese twins are joined.) Those two are joined at the hip. They are always together.
Welcome to the club
and Join the club and WTTC sent. & comp. abb. The rest of us are in the same situation. So you’re short of cash? Welcome to the club. You’re just like us. Join the club; we’ve got jackets.
Join the club
verbwith eyes open
verb with (one's) eyes open
Aware of the risks involved.
join issue
1. To enter into controversy.
2. Law To submit an issue for decision.