Idioms for daily use (N)

Nature abhors a vacuum
This idiom is used to express the idea that empty or unfilled spaces are
unnatural as they go against the laws of nature and physics.
 

Nature of the beast
The basic characteristics of something is the nature of the beast; often used
when there's an aspect of something that cannot be changed or that is
unpleasant or difficult.
 

Neck and neck
If two competitors or candidates, etc, are neck and neck, then they are very
close and neither is clearly winning.
 

Neck of the woods
If someone talks about their neck of the woods, they mean the area where they
live.
 

Need no introduction
Someone who is very famous and known to everyone needs no introduction.
 

Needle in a haystack
If trying to find something is like looking for a needle in a haystack, it means
that it is very difficult, if not impossible to find among everything around it.
 

Neither fish nor fowl
Something or someone that is neither fish nor fowl doesn't really fit into any one
group.
 

Neither here nor there
If something is neither here nor there, it is of very little importance.
 

Neither use nor ornament
Something that serves no purpose and is not aesthetically pleasing is neither
use nor ornament.
 

Nerves of steel
If someone has nerves of steel, they don't get frightened when other people do.
 

Nervous Nellie
Someone excessively worried or apprehensive is a nervous Nellie (or Nelly).
 

Nest egg
If you have some money saved for the future, it is a nest egg.
 

Never a rose without the prick
This means that good things always have something bad as well; like the thorns
on the stem of a rose.
 

Never darken my door again
This is a way of telling someone never to visit you again.
 

New blood
If something needs new blood, it has become stale and needs new ideas or
people to invigorate it.