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skip
without skipping a beat
Without slowing down, pausing, or losing one's place, especially in spite of a potential distraction or disruption. When his son-in-law staggered into the meeting reeking of booze, the boss continued his talk without skipping a beat.
not skip a beat
To not slow down, pause, or lose one's place, especially in spite of a potential distraction or disruption. The boss didn't skip a beat during the meeting when his son-in-law staggered in, reeking of booze. You can't fluster my mother. No matter how you try to shock or annoy her, she never skips a beat.
three skips of a louse
obsolete Some infinitesimal or trivial amount. Sir, I care not even three skips of a louse for the censures of a reprobate such as yourself.
hop, skip, and a jump
A short distance away from a certain location. My apartment's location is so convenient. It's just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the train station and the grocery store.
skip a beat
1. To slow down, pause, or lose one's place, especially when faced with a potential distraction or disruption. Typically used in the negative. The boss didn't skip a beat during the meeting when his son-in-law staggered in, reeking of booze. You can't fluster my mother. No matter how you try to shock or annoy her, she never skips a beat.
2. Of the human heart, to flutter, often from nervousness or excitement. I swear, my heart skipped a beat the first time I saw my wife. My heart skips a beat every time I'm called into my boss's office.
skip town
To leave town secretly and/or hastily. You can't just skip town every time you end a relationship. I think Adam skipped town—no one has seen or heard from him in weeks.
a hop, skip, and a jump
Fig. a short distance. Bill lives just a hop, skip, and a jump from here. We can be there in two minutes. My car is parked just a hop, skip, and a jump away.
jump bail
and skip bailFig. to fail to appear in court for trial and forfeit one's bail bond. Not only was Bob arrested for theft, he skipped bail and left town. He's in a lot of trouble. The judge issued a warrant for the arrest of the man who jumped bail.
Skip it!
Inf. Never mind!; Forget it! (shows impatience or disappointment.) John: I need some help on this project. Mary: What? John: oh, skip it! Jane: Will you be able to do this, or should I get someone with more experience? Bob: What did you say? Jane: oh, skip it!
skip off (with something)
Fig. to leave and take something with one. The little kid with the freckles skipped off with a candy bar. He took the candy bar I offered him and skipped off.
skip (out)
Inf. to leave; to run away without doing something, such as paying a bill. The guy skipped when the waitress wasn't looking. Fred skipped out, leaving me with the bill.
skip out (on someone or something)
Fig. to sneak away from someone or some event; to leave someone or an event suddenly or in secret. I heard that Bill skipped out on his wife. I'm not surprised. I thought he should have skipped out long ago.
skip out with something
Fig. to leave and take something with one; to steal something. The hotel guest skipped out with the towels. someone skipped out with the petty cash box. skip over someone or something not to choose someone or something next in line. she skipped over me and chose the next one in line. I skipped over the red ones and took a blue one.
skip rope
to jump over an arc of rope that is swung beneath one's feet then over one's head, repeatedly. The children skipped rope on the playground. The boxer skipped rope while training.
skip through something
to go through a book or a stack of papers without dealing with every page. I skipped through the book, just looking at the pictures. Ted skipped through the report, not bothering to read it.
jump bail
also skip bail to fail to appear in court after giving money to obtain your release before trial McPhee jumped bail and was never heard from again.
not miss a beat
also not skip a beat to not pause
George didn't miss a beat when we asked him what kind of car we should buy for our daughter. Even when she's asked embarrassing questions, she doesn't skip a beat. Usage notes: sometimes used in the form without missing a beat: Ella forgot the words she had memorized but, without missing a beat, she made up new ones.
Etymology: based on the idea of the regular beat of music or the heart
your heart skips a beat
also your heart stands still you are suddenly surprised, excited, or frightened Ben walked into the room and her heart skipped a beat. When the shark came toward us, my heart stood still.
skip it
do not worry about it a€?Why is New York called the Empire State?a€? a€?What did you say?a€? a€?Skip it - it's not important.a€?
Related vocabulary: never mind (somebody/something)Etymology: based on the literal meaning of skip something (to not have or do something)
skip out (on somebody)
to suddenly leave someone Our roommate skipped out on us just before the rent was due.
skip out (on something)
also skip out (of something) to avoid something He's been skipping out on hockey practice to go skateboarding.
skip over somebody/something
to omit or not choose someone or something I skipped over the boring parts of the exhibition. The director skipped over me when choosing a managing editor.
somebody's heart misses/skips a beat
if someone's heart misses a beat, they suddenly feel so excited or frightened that their heart beats faster Ben walked into the room and her heart skipped a beat.
heart misses a beat, one's
Also, one's heart skips a beat or stands still . One is startled, frightened, or very excited. For example, Her heart missed a beat when she heard her name called out in the list of finalists, or When the bear appeared in front of us, my heart skipped a beat, or My heart stands still at the very thought of flying through a thunderstorm. All these hyperbolic expressions can also be used with make, meaning "to cause one to be startled" as in That blast from the ship's whistle made my heart skip a beat.
hop, skip, and a jump
A short distance, as in It's just a hop, skip, and a jump from my house to yours. This expression, dating from the early 1700s, originally referred to an exercise or game involving these movements, but by the mid-1800s was also being used figuratively for the short distance so covered.
skip bail
Also,
jump bail. Fail to appear in court for trial and thereby give up the bail bond (paid to secure one's appearance). For example,
I can't afford to skip bail-I'd lose half a million, or
We were sure he'd jump bail but he finally showed up. This idiom uses
skip and
jump in the sense of "evade". The first dates from about 1900, the variant from the mid-1800s. Also see
make bail.
skip it
Drop the subject, ignore the matter, as in I don't understand what you mean.-Oh, skip it for now. This interjection uses skip in the sense of "pass over." [Colloquial; c. 1930]
skip out
Leave hastily, abscond, as in They just skipped out of town. It is also put as skip out on, meaning "desert, abandon" as in He skipped out on his wife, leaving her with the four children. [Colloquial; second half of 1800s]
skip off
v. To leave hastily, especially to avoid a problem or a responsibility: The students skipped off to the beach for the afternoon.
skip out of
v. To leave some place hastily and usually secretly, especially in order to avoid problems: The suspects skipped out of town before the police could catch them.
skip out on
v. To fail to attend something: We skipped out on the lecture and went to a movie instead.
jump bail
tv. to fail to show up in court and forfeit bail. Lefty jumped bail, and now he’s a fugitive.
Skip it!
exclam. Forget it!; Never mind! I won’t bother you with my question again. Skip it!
skip (out)
in. to leave; to run away without doing something, such as paying a bill. Fred skipped out, leaving me with the bill.
skip
verb hop, skip, and (a) jump
A short distance.
jump bail
To fail to appear in court after having been released on bail.
Common Names:
| Name | Gender | Pronounced | Usage |
|---|
| Omar (1) | | - | Arabic, English |
| Janelle | | jə-NEL | English |
| Sergey | | syer-GYAY (Russian), seer-GYAY (Russian) | Russian, Bulgarian |
| Gill | | [gil] | |
| Farley | | FAHR-lee | English (Rare) |
| Beth | | BETH | English |