orig. a designation of first-class ships, as in Lloyd's Register: A indicating the excellent condition of the hull, 1 that of the equipment
Examples of 'A one' in a sentence
A one
`I was going to buy her dinner at Ciao and take her to Gandhi and talk to her about Topic A one more time.
Maupin, Armistead BABYCAKES (1989)
All related terms of 'A one'
a fast one
a deceptive act
a good one
an unbelievable assertion
many a one
many people
never a one
none
a hole in one
If you get a hole in one in golf , you get the golf ball into the hole with a single stroke .
a jot/one jot
Expressions such as a jot , one jot , not a jot are used to emphasize negative statements .
a one-day wonder
something or someone that is interesting , exciting , or successful for only a very short time, and does not have any lasting value
a/one hell of
Some people use a hell of or one hell of to emphasize that something is very good , very bad , or very big .
a one-horse race
a contest in which it is obvious even before it starts that one person or team is much better than the others and will win
a one-horse town
a town that is very small and uninteresting
a one-man band
someone who does every part of an activity themselves, without help from anyone else
for a/one minute
If you say that you do not believe for a minute or for one minute that something is true , you are emphasizing that you do not believe that it is true.
for a/one moment
If you say that you do not believe for a moment or for one moment that something is true , you are emphasizing that you do not believe that it could possibly be true.
one/a false move
If you say that one false move will cause a disaster , you mean that you or someone else must not make any mistakes because the situation is so difficult or dangerous .
one in a million
very special
one-of-a-kind
If you refer to someone or something as one of a kind , you mean that there is nobody or nothing else like them.
pull a fast one
to succeed in tricking someone in order to get an advantage
one old cat
a form of baseball in which there is a home plate and one other base, and in which a player remains at bat and scores runs by hitting the ball and running to the base and back without being put out
a/one hell of a lot
If you talk about a hell of a lot of something, or one hell of a lot of something, you mean that there is a large amount of it.
at a (or one) blow
by one action
to pull a fast one
If you say that someone has pulled a fast one on you, you mean that they have cheated or tricked you.
a beam in one's eye
a fault or grave error greater in oneself than in another person
a flea in one's ear
a sharp rebuke
a run for one's money
a strong challenge or close competition
have a one-track mind
to only ever think or talk about one subject
to be a one-man show
to be reliant on one person alone
blighty
Blighty is a way of referring to England.
be one for/be a one for
If you say that someone is one for or is a one for something, you mean that they like or approve of it or enjoy doing it.
a blot on one's escutcheon
a stain on one's honor ; disgrace to one's reputation
a chip on one's shoulder
If you say that someone has a chip on their shoulder , you think that they feel inferior or that they believe they have been treated unfairly.
a frog in one's throat
phlegm on the vocal cords that affects one's speech
a lump in one's throat
a tight dry feeling in one's throat , usually caused by great emotion
a monkey on one's back
addiction to a drug
a nail in one's coffin
an experience or event that tends to shorten life or hasten the end of something
go (a person) one better
to outdo or surpass (a person)
in a class of one's own
If someone is in a class of their own , they have more of a particular skill or quality than anyone else. If something is in a class of its own , it is better than any other similar thing.
in a world of one's own
If you say that someone is in a world of their own , you mean that they seem not to notice other people or the things going on around them.
to be a one-way street
if you describe an agreement or a relationship as a one-way street , you mean that only one of the sides in the agreement or relationship is offering something or is benefitting from it
a one-way ticket to something
something that is certain to lead to a particular situation or state, usually an undesirable or unpleasant one
have a bee in one's bonnet
to be preoccupied or obsessed with an idea
have a frog in one's throat
to experience temporary hoarseness due to throat irritation
have a monkey on one's back
to be troubled by a persistent problem
hitch one's wagon to a star
to aspire to lofty goals ; aim high
put one's head in a noose
to bring about one's own downfall
a taste of one's own medicine
an unpleasant experience in retaliation for and by similar methods to an unkind or aggressive act
get one's knickers in a twist
to become agitated , flustered , or upset
have a chip on one's shoulder
to be aggressively sensitive about a particular thing or bear a grudge
hide one's light under a bushel
to conceal one's abilities or good qualities
make a pitch/make one's pitch
If someone makes a pitch for something, they try to persuade people to do or buy it.
one swallow doesn't make a summer
said to mean that, although something good has happened , the situation may not continue to be good, and you cannot rely on it