25 Idioms with Clean

25 Idioms with Clean 25 Idioms with Clean 25 Idioms with Clean By Mark Nichol The adjective clean has many senses: â€Å"free from dirt, contamination or disease, or pollution,† â€Å"fair† or â€Å"pure,† â€Å"clear† or â€Å"legible,† â€Å"smooth,† â€Å"empty,† â€Å"complete† or â€Å"thorough,† â€Å"skillful,† â€Å"free of a claim or impediment,† and â€Å"free from corruption or from lasciviousness or obscenity†; it also refers to freedom from drug addiction or lack of possession of contraband such as drugs or weapons. A variety of idioms that include the word have evolved: 1. clean (one’s) plate: eat all the food served 2. clean (someone’s) clock: beat or defeat soundly 3. clean as a whistle: pure or free of involvement in illegal activities 4. a clean bill of health: notification that a person or other entity is in good health or operating condition (from a report from a health official that all crew and passengers on a ship arriving in a port are free of illness) 5. clean break: abrupt and complete disassociation 6. clean code: well-written computer-programming code 7. clean conscience: absence of guilt or remorse (also â€Å"clear conscience†) 8. clean cut: tidy and well groomed 9. clean getaway: uninterrupted escape 10. clean house: rid an organization of corruption or inefficiency 11. clean (someone or something) out of: remove people or things 12. clean sheet: variant of â€Å"clean slate† (mostly used in British English); alternatively, said of an athlete or team that allows no goals (British English) 13. clean slate: a fresh chance or start (from the now-outmoded use of chalk on slate to record one’s debt at a tavern) 14. clean sweep: the winning of all competitions or prizes 15. clean the floor up (with someone): beat someone up 16. clean up: make something clean or proper, earn or win a lot of money, reform, or defeat 17. clean up (one’s) act: improve or reform 18. clean out: leave bare or empty, or take or deplete 19. come clean: be honest 20–21. have clean hands/keep (one’s) hands clean: be without guilt 22. keep (one’s) nose clean: stay out of trouble 23. make a clean breast of it: admit the truth 24. squeaky clean: completely clean or incorruptible 25. wipe the slate clean: give someone a fresh chance or start (see â€Å"clean slate†) Also, the proverb â€Å"A new broom sweeps clean† means that someone new to a situation (such as a job) will make a concerted effort to impress others. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should Know50 Idioms About Meat and Dairy ProductsWhat is an Anagram?