mile

be miles away be lost in thought and so unaware of what is happening around you. informal

a country mile: seecountry.

go the extra mile be especially assiduous in your attempt to achieve something.

☞ This origins of this expression can be traced back to the New Testament injunction 'And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain' (Matthew 5:41). The revue song of 1957 by Joyce Grenfell, 'Ready…To go the extra mile', may have popularized its use.

a mile a minute very quickly. informal

☞ As a noun, mile a minute is a popular nickname for the quick-growing climbing plant Russian Vine.

the mile-high club used in reference to having sex on an aircraft. humorous

2009The Book Show (ABC Radio) If the stewardess spilled some wine on your partner's lap, would you assume it was a signal that she wanted to drag him into the cramped bathroom for an initiation into the mile high club?

run a mile used to show that someone is frightened by or very unwilling to do something. informal

2012National Business Review (New Zealand) Both times I was advised he was returning over 25% for his investors. Immediately, instinct told me to run a mile.

see (or tell or spot) something a mile off recognize something very easily. informal

stand (or stick) out a mile be very obvious or incongruous. informal