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.
See also: beat, skip, without

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.
See also: beat, not, skip

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.
See also: louse, of, skip, three

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.
See also: and, jump

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.
See also: beat, skip

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.
See also: skip, town

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.
See also: and, jump

jump bail

 and skip bail
Fig. 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.
See also: bail, jump

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!
See also: skip

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.
See also: off, skip

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.
See also: out, skip

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.
See also: out, skip

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.
See also: rope, skip

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.
See also: skip

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.
See also: bail, jump

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
See also: beat, miss, not

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.
See also: beat, heart, skip

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)
See also: skip

skip out (on somebody)

to suddenly leave someone Our roommate skipped out on us just before the rent was due.
See also: out, skip

skip out (on something)

also skip out (of something)
to avoid something He's been skipping out on hockey practice to go skateboarding.
See also: out, skip

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.
See also: skip

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.
See also: beat, heart, miss

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.
See also: heart, miss

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.
See also: and, jump

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.
See also: bail, skip

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]
See also: skip

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]
See also: out, skip

skip off

v.
To leave hastily, especially to avoid a problem or a responsibility: The students skipped off to the beach for the afternoon.
See also: off, skip

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.
See also: of, out, skip

skip out on

v.
To fail to attend something: We skipped out on the lecture and went to a movie instead.
See also: on, out, skip

jump bail

tv. to fail to show up in court and forfeit bail. Lefty jumped bail, and now he’s a fugitive.
See also: bail, jump

Skip it!

exclam. Forget it!; Never mind! I won’t bother you with my question again. Skip it!
See also: skip

skip (out)

in. to leave; to run away without doing something, such as paying a bill. Fred skipped out, leaving me with the bill.
See also: out, skip

skip

verb

hop, skip, and (a) jump

A short distance.
See also: and, jump

jump bail

To fail to appear in court after having been released on bail.
See also: bail, jump

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Kelly['keli]
Azucenaah-thoo-THE-nah (Spanish), ah-soo-SE-nah (Latin American Spanish)Spanish
CroftonKRAWF-tənEnglish (Rare)
Valerija-Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Lithuanian
Mead[mi:d]
DellDELEnglish