A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

nation 
(allied to a nation; allied with a
nation; flowery nation)
natural 
(be a natural; be natural)
nature 
(answer the call of nature; call
of nature; child of nature; citizen of
nature; law of nature; one’s second
nature)
naught 
(bring something to naught; set
something at naught)
neck 
(have a stiff neck; have the neck;
neck and neck; stick one’s neck
out)
need 
(at need; in need)
needle 
(be on the needle; give someone
the needle; have the needle to some-
one; put someone on the needle;
sharp as a needle; take needles; take
the needle)
negro 
(bush negro; white negro)
nerve 
(man of nerve)
net 
(radio net)
nettle 
(be nettled; be on nettles; grasp
the nettle)
network 
(radio network)
never 
(never-never, the)
news 
(bad news; what’s the bad news)
newspaper 
(yellow newspaper)
nick 
(in good nick; in the nick)
nigger 
(white nigger; yellow nigger)
night 
(day and night; day or night;
one’s night off; one’s night out; three
dog nights; watch night)
nightingale 
(sing like a nightingale)
nine 
(seven-by-nine; to the nines)
ninepins 
(go down like ninepins)
noise 
(make a noise; make a noise in
the world; make noises; make the
right noises)
noodle 
(sharp as a wet noodle)
noon 
(at noon)
north 
(magician of the north, the)
nose 
(copper nose; copper nose; from
nose to tail; have one’s nose in some-
thing; look down one’s nose at
something; pay through the nose;
put one’s nose into something; rub
noses with someone; rub someone’s
nose in something; stick one’s nose
out; stick one’s nose where it doesn’t
belong; take it on the nose; take it
through the nose; turn up one’s nose
at something)