List of Idioms

1500+ Idioms List

The following is an extensive list of 1500+ common English Idioms
with their meanings.

Idioms (A)

List of idioms that start with A.

 A Bit Much: More than is reasonable; a bit too much

 A Bite at The Cherry: A good opportunity that isn’t available
to everyone
 A Busy Bee: A busy, active person who moves quickly from
task to task.
 A Cat Has Nine Lives: Cats seem to get away with dangerous
things
 A Cat Nap: A short sleep during the day
 A Cat in Gloves Catches No Mice: You can’t get what you
need if you’re too careful.
 A Cold Day In July: (Something that) will never happen
 A Cold Fish: Someone who is not often moved by emotions,
who is regarded as being hard and unfeeling.
 A Cut Above: Slightly better than
 A Cut Below: Inferior to; somewhat lower in quality than
 A Day Late And A Dollar Short: Too delayed and
insignificant to have much effect
 A Dog in The Manger: A person who selfishly prevent others
from using, enjoying or profiting from something even though
he/ she cannot use or enjoy it himself.
 A Few Sandwiches Short Of A Picnic: Abnormally stupid,
not really sane
 A Good Deal: To a large extent, a lot
 A Guinea Pig: Someone who is part of an experiment or trial
 A Hair’s Breadth: A very small distance or amount
 A Home Bird: Somebody who prefers to spend his social and
free time at home.
 A Hundred And Ten Percent: More than what seems to be
the maximum
 A Lame Duck: A person or enterprise (often a business) that
is not a success and that has to be helped.
 A Leg Up: An advantage, a boost
 A Lemon: A vehicle that does not work properly
 A Life Of Its Own: An indepdendent existence
 A Little Bird Told Me: I don’t wish to divulge where I got the
information
 A Little from Column A, a Little from Column B: A course
of action drawing on several different ideas or possibilities
 A Lone Wolf: Someone who is not very social with other
people
 A Lot on One’s Plate: A lot to do
 A Million and One: Very many
 A Notch Above: Superior to; higher in quality
 A Penny Saved is A Penny Earned: Every small amount
helps to build one’s savings
 A Penny for Your Thoughts: What are you thinking?
 A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words: A visual
presentation can communicate something very effectively
 A Plum Job: An easy and pleasant job that also pays well
 A Rare Bird: Somebody or something of a kind that one
seldom sees.
 A Scaredy-Cat: Someone who is excessively scared or afraid.
 A Second Bite At The Cherry: A Second chance to do
something
 A Sight for Sore Eyes: Someone that you’re pleased to see
 A Sitting Duck: A person or object in a vulnerable position
that is easy to attack or injure.
 A Snowball’s Chance in Hell: Little to no likelihood of
occurrence or success
 A Stitch in Time Saves Nine: Fix something quickly, because
if you don’t, it will just get more difficult to fix
 A Stone’s Throw: A very short distance
 A Storm in a Teacup: Unnecessary anger or worry about an
unimportant or trivial matter
 A Tall Order: A difficult task
 A Week Is A Long Time In _____: In the field mentioned, the
situation may change rapidly
 About Time: Far past the desired time
 About To: On the point of, occurring imminently
 Above And Beyond: More than is expected or required
 Above Board: Openly, without deceit. Honestly, reputably.
 Above The Law: Exempt from the laws that apply to everyone
else.
 Above The Salt: Of high standing or honor
 Above Water: Not in extreme difficulty. Especially said of
finances
 Accident Of Birth: Luck in something due to family good
fortune
 Accident Waiting To Happen: A dangerous way of setting
up or organizing something
 According To Hoyle: Properly, in accordance with established
procedures
 Ace In The Hole: A hidden advantage
 Ace Up One’s Sleeve: A surprise advantage of which others
are not aware.
 Achilles’ Heel: The weak point of an otherwise powerful
person or organization
 Acid Test: A crucial event that determines the worth of
something
 Acknowledge The Corn: Admit to a mistake, especially a
small one; point out one’s own shortcomings, or another’s
 Acquired Taste: Something one learns to appreciate only
after trying it repeatedly
 Across The Board: In relation to all categories, for everyone
 Across The Pond: On or to the other side of the Atlantic
Ocean.
 Act High and Mighty: Be arrogant, presume that one is
better than others
 Act Of Congress: Hard to get, said of authorization
 Act One’s Age: To be mature, not childish
 Actions Speak Louder Than Words: One’s character and
intentions are shown more accurately by one’s actions than by
one’s words.
 Add Fuel To The Fire: Worsen already existing tension
 Add Insult To Injury: Compound a defeat with humiliation or
mockery
 After One’s Own Heart: Similar in a pleasing way
 After The Fact: Too late; after something is completed or
finalized
 After The Lord Mayor’s Show (UK): Anticlimactic; occurring
after something impressive
 Against The Clock: Forced to hurry to meet a deadline
 Against The Grain: Contrary to one’s natural inclinations
 Against The Run Of Play: A typical of the way a game has
been going
 Age Before Beauty: Something said by a younger woman to
an older one, for instance allowing her to pass through a
doorway
 Agree To Disagree: Accept or set aside a disagreement
 Agreement In Principle: In a negotiation, an agreement in
which not all details have been worked out
 Aha Moment: Sudden realization, the point at which one
suddenly understands something
 Ahead Of One’s Time: Offering ideas not yet in general
circulation; highly creative
 Ahead Of The Curve: Innovative, devising new ideas in
advance of others
 Ahead Of The Game: Making faster progress than
anticipated; ahead of schedule
 Air Rage: Angry behavior inside an airplane
 Airy Fairy: whimsical, nonsensical, impractical
 Albatross Around One’s Neck: Something from one’s past
that acts as a hindrance
 Alive and Kicking: In good health despite health problems
 All Along: For the entire time something has been happening
 All And Sundry: Everyone(separately) Each one.
 All Bark And No Bite: Tending to make verbal threats but not
deliver on them
 All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go: Prepared (with
clothing or otherwise) for an event that does not occur
 All Ears: Listening willingly, waiting for an explanation
 All Eyes And Ears: Attentive
 All Eyes Are On: Watching alertly or attentively. Having
prominent eyes. Everyone is paying attention to
 All Fur Coat And No Knickers: Superficially attractive,
physically or otherwise
 All Hands on Deck: Everyone must help.
 All Hat And No Cattle: Pretentious, full of bluster
 All Hell Breaks Loose: The situation becomes chaotic.
 All In A Day’s Work (Excl.): That’s what I’m here for;
although I have accomplished something, it is part of what I’m
expected to do
 All In Good Time: Eventually; at a more favorable time in the
future. This phrase encourages one to be patient.
 All It’s Cracked Up To Be: As good as claims or reputation
would suggest
 All Mouth And No Trousers: Superficial, engaging in empty,
boastful talk, but not of real substance
 All Over But The Shouting: Certain to end in a specific way
 All Over Hell’s Half Acre: All over the place; everywhere.
 All Over The Board: Everywhere, in many different locations
 All Over The Map: Everywhere; in many different locations
 All Over The Place: Everywhere; in many different locations
 All Rights Reserved: Said of a published work; all
reproduction rights are asserted by the copyright holder
 All Roads Lead to Rome: There is more than one effective
way to do something; many different methods will produce the
same result
 All Set: Ready, prepared, finished
 All Sizzle And No Steak: Failing to live up to advance
promotion or reputation
 All Talk and No Trousers: Prone to empty boasts
 All That Jazz: Similar things, similar qualities, et cetera
 All The Marbles: The entire prize or reward
 All The Rage: Very fashionable
 All The Same: Anyway; nevertheless; nonetheless.
 All The Tea In China: Great wealth, a large payment
 All Things Being Equal: In the event that all aspects of a
situation remain the same
 All Things Considered: Taking all factors into consideration
 All Thumbs: Clumsy
 All Told: With everything taken into consideration
 All Very Well: True to a certain extent
 All Wet: Completely mistaken
 All in One Piece: Safely
 Along The Lines Of: In general accordance with, in the same
general direction as
 Amateur Hour: A display of incompetence
 Amber Gambler: Someone who accelerates to try to cross an
intersection before a traffic light turns red
 Amber Nectar: Beer
 American Dream (The): The belief among Americans that
hard work leads to material success
 An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: Eating healthy
foods will keep one from getting sick (and needing to see a
doctor)
 An Axe: To Grind A grievance, a disagreement with someone
that justifies confrontation.
 An Early Bird: A person who gets up early in the morning, or
who starts work earlier than others.
 An Eye for an Eye: Justice in which reparation or vengeance
exactly matches the harm caused to the victim
 An Offer One Can’t Refuse: An extremely attractive offer
 Ancient History: Something, such as a disagreement, that
happened long ago and ought to be forgotten
 And All That: Et cetera, and so on.
 And Change: And an additional amount of money that’s less
than the next round number
 And Counting: And the number just mentioned is increasing
(or decreasing)
 And His Mother: An intensifier for an inclusive noun or phrase
such as everyone, everybody
 And So Forth: Indicates that a list continues in a similar
manner, etc.
 And So On: Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner,
etc.
 And The Like: And other similar items, etc.
 And Then Some: And even more than what has just been
mentioned
 Angel’s Advocate: Someone who takes a positive outlook on
an idea or proposal
 Angle For: Aim toward something, try to obtain something,
often indirectly or secretly
 Another Nail In One’s Coffin: Something that leads to
someone’s death, literally or figuratively.
 Answer Back: Respond impertinently; to talk back.
 Ants In Your Pants: Restlessness
 Any Port in a Storm: If you’re in trouble, you’ll turn to
anything that improves the situation.
 Any Tom, Dick or Harry: Any ordinary person
 Apple of One’s Eye: A favorite person or thing, a person
especially valued by someone
 Apples and Oranges: Of two different classes, not
comparable
 Arm Candy: An attractive woman accompanying a powerful or
famous man at a social event
 Armed to the Teeth: Carrying many weapons
 Around the Clock: At all times
 As American as Apple Pie: Very or typically American
 As Far as I Can Throw (someone): Only slightly
 As Fit as A Fiddle: To be healthy and physically fit
 As Pale as A Ghost: Extremely pale
 As Poor as a Church Mouse: Very poor
 As Red as A Cherry: Very red
 Asleep at the Wheel (Switch): not paying attention to one’s
work; not doing one’s job diligently.
 At Death’s Door: Very near death
 At Each Other’s Throats: Constantly and strongly arguing
 At Loggerheads: In a state of persistent disagreement
  At Sixes and Sevens: Someone is in a state of confusion or
not very well organized.
 At Wit’s End: Frustrated because all measures to deal with
something have failed
 At the Drop of a Hat: Spontaneously, suddenly
 At the Eleventh Hour: It happens when it is almost too late.
 At the End of One’s Rope (Tether): Running out of
endurance or patience
 At the End of the Day: In the final analysis; when all is said
and done
Idioms (B)

List of idioms that start with B.

 Babe In The Woods: An innocent, naive person

 Babe Magnet: A man to whom women are attracted
 Baby Blues: Blue eyes.
 Baby Boomer: A person born in the years following World War
II, when there was a temporary marked increase in the birth
rate
 Babysitter Test: An evaluation of the ease of use of
household appliances, especially remote control devices
 Back And Forth: Dialogue, negotiations
 Back At You: Same to you (used to return a greeting or insult)
 Back Burner (On The): Not urgent; set aside until later
 Back Forty: Remote, inaccessible land
 Back Of Beyond: A remote location
 Back Office: Support services for a business
 Back in the Day: Formerly, when I was younger, in earlier
times
 Back on One’s Feet: Physically healthy again
 Back the Wrong Horse: To support the losing side
 Back to Square One: Back to the start
 Back to the Drawing Board: Forced to begin something
again
 Back to the Salt Mines: It’s time for me (us) to go back to
work
 Backing and Filling: Delaying a decision by making small
changes or arguing about small details
 Backseat Driver: Someone who likes to give (often annoying)
advice to the driver of a car, or the leader of some other
enterprise
 Bad Apple: A discontented, trouble making, or dishonest
person
 Bad Blood: Enmity or hatred that stems from something in
the past
 Bad Egg: Someone who is not to be trusted
 Bad Taste In One’s Mouth: Unease, a feeling that something
unspecified is wrong in a situation
 Bag of Tricks: A set of methods or resources
 Bail Out: To rescue someone from a bad situation, to shield
someone from the consequences of his or her actions
 Ball and Chain: 1. One’s spouse (derogatory but often
affectionate); 2. an ongoing burden
 Ballpark Figure: A rough estimate
 Bang One’s Head Against the Wall (Against a Brick
Wall): Try repeatedly to do something without making
progress
 Banner Year: A year marked by strong successes
 Baptism by Fire: A difficult task given right after one has
assumed new responsibilities
 Bar Fly (or Barfly): Someone who spends much of his or her
time in bars
 Bare One’s Heart (Soul): To confess one’s deepest secrets
 Bark Up the Wrong Tree: Pursue a mistaken approach or
belief; be wrong in a course of action
 Basket Case: So upset or stunned that one is unable to
function; in a hopeless condition
 Bat/Play for Both Teams: To be bisexual.
 Batten Down the Hatches: Prepare for a storm
 Be A Barrel of Laughs: To be fun, funny, and pleasant.
 Be A Cold Day In Hell: (Something that) will never happen
 Be An Item: Two people are an item when they are having a
romantic relationship
 Be Footloose and Fancy-Free: To be free of responsibilities,
including romantic commitments
 Be Head Over Heels (In love): Be in love with somebody
very much
 Be Like Chalk and Cheese: Things or people who are very
different and have nothing in common
 Be Lovey – Dovey: Expressing your love in public by
constantly kissing and hugging
 Be Snowed Under: Be extremely busy with work or things to
do
 Be in Seventh Heaven: Extremely happy
 Be in Two Minds (about something): To not be certain
about something, or to have difficulty in making a decision
 Be on the Mend: Be improving after an illness
 Bean Counters: Accountants, finance professionals in an
organization
 Beat Around the Bush: To speak in a roundabout way in
order to avoid confronting an unpleasant topic
 Beat Someone To The Draw: To accomplish or obtain
something more quickly than someone else
 Beat Someone to the Punch: Do something before or faster
than someone else
 Beat the Drum for (Something): Speak in favor of
something to try to generate support
 Beauty Is Only Skin Deep: External appearance is a
superficial basis for judging someone
 Bed of Roses: A comfortable situation
 Bedroom Eyes: An expression of the eyes that seems to
invite sex
 Bee in One’s Bonnet: Someone who has a bee in their
bonnet has an idea which constantly occupies their thoughts.
 Beggar Thy Neighbor: To do something beneficial for oneself
without worrying about how it affects others
 Behind the Eight (or 8) Ball: At a serious disadvantage
 Behind the Scenes: In a way not apparent to the public
 Behind the Times: Old-fashioned
 Bell the Cat: Take on a difficult or impossible task
 Bells And Whistles: Attractive but unnecessary features of a
product
 Belly Laugh: Loud, hearty laughter
 Bend an Elbow: Drink alcoholic beverages at a tavern
 Best (Greatest) Thing Since Sliced Bread: An innovative
development
 Best of Both Worlds: Combining two qualities that are
usually separate
 Bet One’s Bottom Dollar (On Something): Be certain that
something will happen
 Bet the Farm: Risk everything; spend all one’s money on
something in hopes of success
 Better late Than Never: It implies that a belated
achievement is better than not reaching a goal at all.
 Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Caught between two
undesirable options
 Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: In a difficult
position
 Beyond the Pale: Too morally or socially extreme to accept
 Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt: Absolutely certain
 Big Apple: An informal name for New York City
 Big Brother: Government, viewed as an intrusive force in the
lives of citizens; government spying
 Big Cheese: An important person in a company or
organization
 Big Deal: An important event or accomplishment
 Big Fish: An important person
 Big Picture: A wide perspective; a broad view of something
 Big time: If you do something big time, you do it to a great
degree.
 Birds of a Feather: People having similar characters,
backgrounds, interests, or beliefs.
 Bite Off More Than You Can Chew: Try to do more than one
is capable of doing
 Bite the Bullet: To do something even though it involves
pain, discomfort, or difficulty
 Bite the Hand That Feeds You: Act badly toward someone
who has helped you
 Bitter Pill to Swallow: An unpleasant fact that one must
accept
 Black Eye: A mark of shame
 Black Sheep: A person who does not fit into a group,
especially a family
 Black and White: A clear distinction between good and bad,
positive and negative
 Black-and-Blue: Bruised, showing signs of having been
physically harmed
 Blank Check: Permission to spend or do whatever one wishes;
carte blanche
 Blind Date: When two people who have never seen each
other before go on a date
 Blinded by Love: When a person is so madly in love with
somebody that they can’t see the person’s faults or negative
characteristics
 Blood and Thunder: A dramatic, spectacular performance
 Blow Away the Cobwebs: If something blows away the
cobwebs, it makes you feel more lively and refreshes your
ideas.
 Blow Hot and Cold: Shift one’s level of enthusiasm
repeatedly
 Blow Off Steam: To express anger and frustration in a way
that does no damage
 Blow One’s Stack: To lose one’s temper and explode in anger
 Blow One’s Top: Lose one’s temper
 Blow Up: Explode
 Blow Your Own Trumpet: Brag; emphasize one’s own
contributions
 Blow the Cobwebs Away (or Out of Something): Make
space for fresh ideas, encourage something new
 Blow the Whistle: Reporting an illegal or unacceptable
activity to the authorities
 Blue Blood (adj. blue-blooded): Person of aristocratic
background
 Blue Eyed Boy: A person who is a favorite of those in
authority; someone whose mistakes are forgiven
 Blue Light Special: 1. a temporary sale at a discount store. 2.
a traffic stop by the police.
 Bob’s Your Uncle: The rest is easy; you’re almost finished
 Bolt From the Blue: Something completely unexpected
 Bone Dry: Completely dry, totally without moisture
 Born on The Wrong Side of the Blanket: Born to parents
who were not married
 Borrow Trouble: Take needless risks, invite problems
 Bottom of the Barrel: Low-quality choices
 Boy Toy: A young man who is the lover of an older, often
wealthier woman (see toyboy)
 Boys will be Boys: A phrase of resignation used when boys
get into trouble or are stereotypically reckless or rowdy
 Brainstorm: To generate many ideas quickly
 Break Out in A Cold Sweat: To perspire from fever or
anxiety
 Break The Ice: To get something started, particularly by
means of a social introduction or conversation
 Break a Leg: Good luck! This is used for a stage performer-or
for anyone else who is about to give some kind of a
performance, such as an important speech
 Break the Bank: Exhaust one’s financial resources
 Break up/ Split up (With Somebody): End the relationship
 Bring Home the Bacon: Earn money for one’s family
 Bringing a Knife to a Gunfight: Underequipped or
unprepared
 Brush Under the Carpet: Attempt to temporarily conceal a
problem or error
 Bucket List: Things you want to see or do before you die
 Bull in a China Shop: A clumsy or tactless person
 Bump in the Road: A temporary problem, a small setback
  Bundle Up: Put on lots of warm clothing
 Burn One’s Bridges: Leave a job or a relationship on such
bad terms that one does not stay in contact
 Burn the Candle at Both Ends: Work very long hours
 Burn the Midnight Oil: To work late into the night
 Bury (Hide) One’s Head In the Sand: Ignoring something
that’s obviously wrong, not facing reality
 Bury the Hatchet: Make peace, agree to end a dispute
 Business as Usual: A normal situation (whether related to
business or not), typically restored after some change
 Busman’s Holiday: A vacation where you do the same thing
you do at work, a working vacation
 Busted Flush: A failure, someone or something that seemed
promising but did not develop well
 Butter Wouldn’t Melt in (Someone’s): Mouth This person is
cool in manner, prim and proper
 Buy Time: Cause a delay in something with the aim of
improving one’s position
 Buy a Pig in a Poke: To buy something with no prior
inspection
 By All Means: Of course, certainly
 By Hook or by Crook: By some possibly dishonest means
 By Word of Mouth: Via personal communications rather than
written media
 By a Whisker: By a very short distance
 By the Skin of One’s Teeth: Barely escaping disaster
Idioms (C)

List of idioms that start with C.

 Call It a Day: Decide that one has worked enough on

something for the day
 Call It a Night: End an evening’s activities and go home
 Call the Shots: Make the important decisions in an
organization
 Call the Tune: Making important decisions and controlling a
situation.
 Can’t See the Forest for the Trees: Is unable to maintain a
wider perspective
 Can’t Swing A Dead Cat In (Place): Without Hitting A
(Thing) There are many examples of [thing] in this [place].
 Carrot-and-Stick (Approach): A tactic in which rewards are
offered, but there is also the threat of punishment
 Carry a Torch (for): To continue to be in love with someone
even after a relationship has ended
 Carry Coals To Newcastle: Supply something that is
unneeded; engage in useless labor
 Carry the Can: To take the blame for something one did not
do
 Cash In One’s Chips: 1. To take advantage of a quick profit
2. To die
 Cash-Strapped: In need of money
 Cast the First Stone: To be the first to criticize or attack
someone
 Castle in the Air: An impractical plan
 Cat Fight: A fight between two women
 Cat Got Your Tongue?: Don’t you have anything to say?
 Cat on a hot tin roof: Be extremely nervous
 Cat-and-Mouse (adj.): In a toying way; playful in an
unpleasant way
 Cat’s Paw: A person being used by someone else, a tool
 Catch One’s Death of Cold: To become very ill (with a
cold/flu etc.)
 Catch Some Rays: To sit or lie outside in the sun
 Catch Someone’s Eye: Attract someone’s attention
 Catch-22: A difficult situation from which there is no escape
because options for avoiding it involve contradictions
 Caught Red-Handed: Apprehended while committing a crime
 Champagne taste on a beer budget: Expensive or
extravagant tastes or preferences that are beyond one’s
economic means.
 Change Horses in Midstream: Change plans or leaders in
the middle of a process
 Change of Heart: A change in one’s opinion or outlook
 Change One’s Tune: To alter one’s opinion about something.
 Changing of the Guard: A change in leadership at an
organization
 Chase Rainbows: To pursue unrealistic goals
 Cheap Shot: An unfair attack; a statement that unfairly
attacks someone’s weakness
 Cherry-Pick: To present evidence selectively to one’s own
advantage
 Chew the Fat: Chat for a considerable length of time
 Chickens Come Home To Roost: The negative
consequences of previous actions reveal themselves
 Child’s Play: A very easy task
 Chill Out: Do something that helps them to calm down and
relax for a while.
 Chin Music: Meaningless talk
 Chin Up/ Keep Your Chin Up: Cheer up; try to be cheerful
and strong
 Chip off the Old Block: Someone who resembles a direct
ancestor, usually the father
 Chomp at the Bit: To be eager to do something
 Chop Chop: Quickly, without delay
 Chop Shop: A shop where stolen cars are disassembled for
parts
 Chuck a Wobbly: To act in an emotional way
 Circle the Wagons: To prepare as a group to defend against
attack, adopt a defensive posture
 Claim to Fame: Unusual feature or offering
 Clean Up Nicely: Look good when one is dressed up. Usually
said of women
 Clear the Air: Defuse tension, be honest about conflict so as
to reduce it
 Clip Someone’s Wings: Reduce someone’s privileges or
freedom
 Close, But No Cigar: You are very close but not quite correct.
 Cock and Bull Story: A far-fetched story, probably untrue
 Cock-A-Hoop: Elated, excited
 Cold Day in Hell: A condition for something that would be
extremely unlikely to occur
 Come By Something Honestly: Acquire something honestly,
or inherit it
 Come Clean: To confess; to admit to wrongdoing
 Come Hell or High Water: No matter what happens
 Come Out in the Wash: To be resolved with no lasting
negative effect
 Come Out of the Closet: Reveal a secret about oneself,
usually that one is gay (homosexual)
 Come Out Swinging: Respond to something very
aggressively
 Come Rain and Shine: Do regularly, whatever the
circumstances
 Come to Grips With: To acknowledge a problem as a prelude
to dealing with it
 Come to Terms With (Something): Feel acceptance toward
something bad that has happened
 Coming Down the Pike: Likely to occur in the near future
 Cook Someone’s Goose: To insure someone’s defeat, to
frustrate someone’s plans
 Cook Up a Storm: Cook a great deal of food
 Cool as A Cucumber: Calm and composed even in difficult or
frustrating situations; self-possessed
 Cool Cat: Someone who has the respect of their peers in a
young, casual way.
 Cool Your Heels: Wait
 Couch Potato: A lazy person who watches a great deal of
television
 Crash a Party: To attend a party without being invited
 Crickets: Silence
 Cross to Bear: A problem one must deal with over a long
time, a heavy burden
 Crunch the Numbers: Do calculations before making a
decision or prediction
 Crunch Time: A period of high pressure when one has to work
hard to finish something
 Cry Over Spilt (USA: Spilled): Milk To waste energy
moaning about something that has already happened
 Cry Wolf (verb): To issue a false alarm, to ask for help when
none is needed
 Cry Your Eyes Out: Cry hard for a very long time
 Curiosity Killed The Cat: Stop asking questions, don’t be too
curious

 Cut (Someone) To the Quick: To deeply hurt someone

emotionally
 Cut Corners: Economize by reducing quality; take shortcuts
 Cut It Fine: To do something at the last moment
 Cut Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face: To act in a proud
way that ultimately damages your own cause
 Cut Someone Some Slack: Avoid treating someone strictly
or severely
 Cut the Gordian Knot: To solve a complex problem in a
simple way
 Cut the Mustard: Do something adequately
 Cut to the Chase: Get to the point; explain the most
important part of something quickly; skip the preliminaries
 Cut Your Teeth on Something: To learn basic skills in a field
 Cutting-Edge: Very novel, innovative
Idioms (D)

List of idioms that start with D.

 Dance to Someone’s Tune: Consistently follow

someone’s directions or influence
 Dance with the Devil: Knowingly do something immoral
 Dark Horse: A surprise candidate or competitor, especially
one who comes from behind to make a strong showing
 Darken Someone’s Door (Step): Make an unwanted visit to
someone’s home
 Dead Ahead: Directly ahead, either in a literal or a figurative
sense
 Dead as the Dodo: Completely extinct; totally gone
 Dead Eye: A good shooter, a good marksman
 Dead Heat: An exact tie in a race or competition
 Dead of Winter: The coldest, darkest part of winter
 Dead ringer: Very similar in appearance
 Dead Run: Running as fast as possible
 Dead Shot: A good shooter, a good marksman
 Deep Pockets: The new owner has deep pockets, so fans are
hoping the football team will improve next year with new
players
 Deliver the Goods: Provide what is expected
 Devil’s Advocate: Someone who argues a point not out of
conviction, but in order to air various points of view
 Dirty Look: A facial manner that signifies disapproval
 Do 12-Ounce Curls: Drink beer
 Dodge a Bullet: To narrowly escape disaster
 Doesn’t Amount to a Hill of Beans: Is unimportant, is
negligible
 Dog Days of the Summer: The hottest day of summer
 Dog in the Manger: A person who prevents others from using
something, even though the person himself or herself does not
want it
 Dog-and-Pony Show: A flashy presentation, often in a
marketing context
 Dog-Eat-Dog: Intensely competitive
 Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk: Don’t worry about minor things.
 Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover: Don’t be deceived by
looks; don’t rely on looks when judging someone or something
 Don’t Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth: Do not question the
value of a gift. The expression comes from the practice of
 determining the age and health of a horse by looking at its
teeth.

 Double-Dip: Improperly get income from two different sources

 Double-Edged Sword: Something that can be helpful or
harmful; something beneficial that also has a downside
 Down in the Dumps: Depressed, sad
 Down the Road: In the future (in your lifetime)
 Drag One’s Feet (or Heels): To do something reluctantly
and slowly
 Drain the Lizard: Urinate
 Draw a Blank: Be unable to remember something
 Draw a Line in the Sand: Issue an ultimatum; specify an
absolute limit in a conflict
 Draw a Line Under (Something): To conclude something
and move on to something else
 Draw a Long Bow: Exaggerate, lie
 Draw the Line: To set a limit to what one will accept
 Dressed Up to the Nines: Someone is wearing very smart or
glamorous clothes
 Drink the Kool-Aid: Accept a set of ideas uncritically, often
dangerous ones
 Drive a Hard Bargain: To negotiate effectively
 Drive a Wedge Between: Try to split factions of a united
group by introducing an issue on which they disagree
 Drive Someone Up the Wall: Deeply irritate someone
 Drop a Line: To write a letter or send an email
 Drop the Ball: Fail to fulfill one’s responsibilities; make a
mistake
 Dry Run: A practice execution of a procedure
 Dutch Courage: Alcohol drunk with the intention of working
up the nerve to do something
 Dutch Uncle: A highly critical person
 Dyed-In-The-Wool (adj.): Consistent in an affiliation or
opinion over a long period; inveterate
Idioms (E)

List of idioms that start with E.

 Eagle-Eyed: Having sharp vision

  Early Bird [noun or adjective]: Someone who does
something prior to the usual time, or someone who gets up
early.
 Eat Crow: To admit one was wrong, and accept humiliation
 Eat Humble Pie: To admit defeat or error, to accept
humiliation
 Eat Someone’s Lunch: Defeat someone thoroughly
 Eat Your Heart Out!: (excl.) Go ahead, be jealous.
 Eighty-Six (v.): 1) Discard, eliminate. 2) Throw someone out
of a bar or store.
 Elephant in the Room: A major problem that no one is
talking about
 Elevator Music: Pleasant but boring recorded music that is
played in public places.
 Elevator Pitch: A brief presentation of an idea, one short
enough to be delivered in an elevator
 Eleventh Hour: The last minute
 Even Steven: Owing nothing; tied (in a game)
 Every Dog Has His (Its): Day Everyone has a moment of
fame, power, or influence
 Every Man and His Dog: Many people
 Every Man for Himself: Pursue your own interests; don’t
expect help from others.
 Excused Boots: Allowed to avoid mandatory tasks
Idioms (F)

List of idioms that start with F.

 Face the Music: Dealing with consequences of one’s actions

 Fall for Something: Hook, Line, and Sinker To be completely
deceived
 Fall in Love with Somebody: Start feeling love towards
somebody
 Fall Off the Wagon: To begin using alcohol (or another
problem substance) after quitting
 Fall on One’s Sword: To accept blame; to sacrifice oneself
 Fall Prey to: Be victimized by; be harmed by; be vulnerable to
 Fancy Someone (British English): To find someone very
attractive
 Farther (On) Down the Road: Later, at some unspecified
time
 Fashion-Forward: Tending to adopt new styles quickly
 Fat Cat: A highly placed, well-paid executive
 Father Figure: A mentor, a person who offers guidance
 Feast Your Eyes On: To take great pleasure in looking at
someone or something
 Feather in One’s Cap: An achievement for which one is
recognized; a noteworthy achievement
 Feather One’s (Own) Nest: Use one’s influence or power
improperly for financial gain
 Fed Up With: Refusing to tolerate something any further; out
of patience
 Feel Like a Million Dollars: To feel great, to feel well and
healthy.
 Feel On Top of The World: To feel very healthy
 Fell off a Truck: Probably stolen or illicitly obtained; said of
something offered for sale to avoid discussing its origins
 Fell off the Back of a Lorry: Probably stolen or illicitly
obtained; said of something offered for sale to avoid discussing
its origins
 Fifteen Minutes of Fame: Temporary renown
 Fifth Wheel: A superfluous person
 Fight Fire with Fire: Use the same measures that are being
used against you, even if they’re stronger than you would
usually use
 Fight Like Cat and Dog: Continually arguing with each other
 Find One’s Voice: Become more confident in expressing
oneself
 Find Your Feet: To adjust to a new place or situation
 Finger-Pointing: Blame; a situation within a group where
each member attempts to blame others
 Fire in the Belly: strong ambition
 First In, Best Dressed: The first people to do something will
have an advantage
 Fish for Compliments: Try to manipulate people into praising
you
 Fish or Cut Bait (usually an exclamation): Make a decision or
give someone else a chance
 Fish Out of Water: A person who is in unfamiliar, confusing
surroundings
 Five-Finger Discount: Shoplifting
 Flash in the Pan: A one-time occurrence, not a permanent
phenomenon
 Flat Broke: Having no money at all
 Flat Out Like a Lizard: Drinking Very busy
 Flesh and Blood: Blood relatives, close relatives
 Flew the Coop: Left, escaped
  Flip-Flop (v. or n.): To vacillate between two choices, to be
indecisive
 Fly by the Seat of One’s Pants: To improvise, to make
decisions without planning or preparation
 Fly High: Be very successful, especially temporarily
 Fly Off The Handle: Lose one’s temper suddenly and
unexpectedly
 Follow In Someone’s Footsteps (Tracks): Follow the
example laid down by someone else; supplant
 Follow Your Heart: Rely on one’s deeper feelings and
instincts when making a decision
 Food for Thought: Something that makes you think carefully
 For a Song: At very low cost
 For Crying Out Loud (excl.): An expression of extreme
annoyance
 For Xyz Reasons: For multiple reasons, not worth specifying
individually
 Foul Play: Crime, typically murder
 Fourth Estate: The media and newspapers
 Fox in the Henhouse (Chickenhouse): Someone who causes
trouble
 Freak Out: A wildly irrational reaction or spell of behavior
 French Leave: Absence without permission
 Freudian Slip: Accidental use of an incorrect word; a
revealing slip of the tongue
 From Pillar to Post: From one place to another, in a forced,
random way
 From Scratch: From individual ingredients, not using a
prepared mix
 From Soup to Nuts: Everything; from beginning to end
 From the Bottom of One’s Heart: Sincerely and with deep
feeling
 FUBAR: Hopelessly ruined, not working, messed up.
 Fu** (Or Screw) The Dog (Pooch): To make an
embarrassing error
 Full Fathom Five: Lost deep in the sea
 Full of the Joys of Spring: Very happy, enthusiastic, and full
of energy
Idioms (G)

List of idioms that start with G.

 Game of Chicken: A conflict situation in which neither side
will back down for fear of seeming cowardly (chicken)
 Get A Charley Horse: To develop a cramp in the arm or the
leg
 Get A Word In Edgewise: Be able to say something while
someone else is talking a lot
 Get Along (with Someone): To have a satisfactory
relationship
 Get Bent Out of Shape: Become angry, upset
 Get Carried Away: Become overly enthusiastic
 Get In on the Ground Floor: Invest in or join something
while it is still small
 Get in Shape: Undertake a program of physical conditioning;
exercise regularly
 Get Off Scot Free: Be accused of wrongdoing but pay no
penalty at all
 Get One’s Ducks in a Row: Have everything organized; get
oneself organized
 Get One’s Hands Dirty: To do the unpleasant parts of a job
 Get Someone’s Goat: To irritate someone deeply
 Get To Grips With: To begin to understand and deal with
something
 Get the Ball Rolling: Do something to begin a process
 Get the Picture: Understand what’s happening
 Get the Runaround: Be given an unclear or evasive answer
to a question
 Get the Sack, Be Sacked: To be fired
 Get the Third Degree: To be questioned in great detail about
something
 Get Wind of: Hear about
 Get With the Program: Figure out what everyone else
already knows. Often used sarcastically, as a command
 Go Along (With): Agree to something, often provisionally
 Go Ape: Express wild excitement or anger
 Go Ballistic: Fly into a rage
 Go Bananas: To become irrational or crazy
 Go Belly Up: To go bankrupt
 Go Berserk: To go crazy
 Go Bonkers: To be or become wild, restless, irrational, or
crazy; to act in such a way
 Go Cold Turkey: Stop using an addictive substance suddenly,
without tapering off
 Go Down in Flames: Fail in a spectacular way
 Go Mental: To suddenly become extremely angry
 Go Nuclear: Use an extreme measure; because extremely
angry
 Go Nuts: To become crazy
 Go Off Half-Cocked: To say or something prematurely, with a
negative effect
 Go Off the Deep End: To unexpectedly become very angry,
especially without a good reason
 Go Off The Rails: To go wrong, to begin acting strangely or
badly
 Go Out on a Limb: Assert something that may not be true;
put oneself in a vulnerable position
 Go Pear-Shaped: To fail; to go wrong
 Go See a Man About a Dog: Go to the bathroom (said as a
euphemism)
 Go to the Dogs: To become disordered, to decay
 Go to the Mattresses: To go to into battle
 Go the Extra Mile: Put forth greater-than-expected effort
 Go Under the Knife: Undergo surgery
 Go Viral: Begin To spread rapidly on the Internet
 Go with the Flow: To accept the way things naturally seem to
be going
 Grab (Take) the Bull by the Horns: To begin forthrightly to
deal with a problem
 Grasp (Grab) at Straws: To take desperate actions with little
hope of success
 Grease Monkey: A mechanic, especially an auto mechanic
 Grease the Wheels: Do something to make an operation run
smoothly
 Greasy Spoon: An inexpensive restaurant that fries foods on
a grill
 Green Around the Gills: To look sick
 Green as Grass: Lacking training, naive; often said of young
people in new jobs
 Grind One’s Teeth: Be very annoyed or angry about
something without being able to say anything about it.
 Guilty Pleasure: Enjoying something which is not generally
held in high regard, while at the same time feeling a bit guilty
about it, is called a guilty pleasure.
 Guinea Pig: A test subject, a person who is used as a test to
see if something will work
 Give and Take: Negotiations, the process of compromise
 Give ’em Hell (often excl.): Express something passionately
to a group
  Give Lip Service to: Talk about supporting something without
taking any concrete action
 Give One’s Two Cents (That’s My Two Cents): Offer an
opinion, suggest something
 Give Someone a Holler: Contact someone
 Give Someone a Piece of Your Mind: Angrily tell someone
what you think
 Give Someone a Run for Their Money: Compete effectively
with the leader in a particular field
 Give Someone an Earful: angrily express an opinion to
someone
 Give Someone the Cold Shoulder: act hostile toward
someone; to ignore, snub
 Give Someone The Old Heave-Ho: Fire someone, remove
someone from a group or team
 Give Something a Whirl: Attempt something without being
totally familiar with it
 Give the Green Light: Approve something; allow something
to proceed
Idioms (H)

List of idioms that start with H.

 Hail Mary (n. or adj.): A desperate, last-ditch attempt

 Hair of the Dog (That Bit You): A small amount of the
alcoholic beverage that caused your hangover
 Hands are Tied: You are prevented from doing something. It
is not within your power
 Hands Down: Undoubtedly
 Hang It Up: To retire, to end an activity one has pursued for a
long time
 Hang Tough: Maintain one’s resolve
 Hanging by a Thread: In great danger of elimination or
failure
 Happy-Go-Lucky: If you are a happy-go-lucky person, you are
cheerful and carefree all the time.

 Hard Nut to Crack: A difficult problem or a difficult person

 Has the Cat Got Your Tongue?: Why are you not saying
anything?
 Hat Trick: Scoring three goals in hockey or soccer (football),
or accomplishing three of anything.
 Hatchet Job: A strong attack on someone’s reputation;
intentionally destructive criticism; calumny
 Haul Over the Coals: To scold someone severely
 Have (one’s) head in the clouds: Not know what is
happening around you or out of touch with reality
 Have A Ball: To have a very enjoyable time
 Have a Bone to Pick (with Someone): To want to discuss
something someone has done that has angered or annoyed
you.
 Have a Chip on One’s Shoulder: To harbor resentment; to
have an angry attitude
 Have a Dog in the Hunt (Fight, Race): To support a certain
person in a competition
 Have a Lead Foot: A tendency to drive very fast
 Have a Lot on One’s Plate: Be busy, be in the middle of
many ongoing tasks
 Have a Lot Riding On (Something): Be depending on the
successful outcome or development of something
 Have a Nose for (Something): To have natural ability at
something, a talent for finding something
 Have a Screw Loose: Be slightly unbalanced or crazy
 Have a Tough Row to Hoe: Be faced with a task that is
difficult because of unfavorable conditions
 Have A Whale of A Time: To enjoy yourself very much
 Have an Ace Up One’s Sleeve: To have a hidden advantage
 Have Bigger Fish to Fry: Have more important things to do
 Have Egg on Your Face: They are made to look foolish or
embarrassed
 Have Foot-in-Mouth Disease: To embarrass oneself through
a silly mistake
 Have Hand of Aces/Hold All the Aces: To be in a very
strong position in a competition
 Have It Out with Someone: To have an argument with
someone in order to settle a dispute
 Have One Foot in The Grave: To be near death (usually
because of old age or illness)
 Have One Over the Eight: A person is slightly drunk.
 Have One Too Many: Drink too much alcohol
 Have One’s Cake and Eat It, Too: To want two incompatible
things (usually used in the negative)
 Have Skin in the Game: Be risking something in an
undertaking
 Have Something in the Bag: Be certain to win
 Have the Hots for (Somebody): To be (sexually) attracted
to somebody
 Have the Time of Your Life: To have a very fun, exciting, or
enjoyable time
 Have Your Nose in the Air: Have a snobbish or disdainful
attitude
 Have Your Say: Express your opinion on something
 Have Your Thumb Up Your Ass: Have nothing to do
 He Who Laughs Last Laughs Best: Being victorious is often
a matter of simply surviving a conflict
 He Would Put Legs Under A Chicken: He will talk your head
off; he is very talkative

 Head (Go) South: Decline, get worse

 Head and Shoulders Above: Far superior to
 Head Start: An advantage over everyone else
 Heads Up (excl.): Get ready! Be prepared
 Heads Will Roll (Are Going to Roll): People will be fired
 Hear (Something) Through the Grapevine: To learn
something via gossip
 Heart and Soul: With all one’s energy or affection
 Heavens Open: Start to rain heavily
 Heavy Hitter: A powerful, influential person
 Helicopter Parenting: Overattentive child-raising
 Hell for Leather: Very fast, as fast as possible
 High as a Kite: Strongly under the influence of drugs or
intoxcants
 Hightail It (Out of There): Flee
 Highways and Byways: You take large and small roads to
visit every part of the country.
 Hit a Wall: suddenly stop making forward progress
 Hit It Out of the Park: Succeed brilliantly
 Hit the Books: To study (generally said of students
 Hit the Ground Running: To begin a job or project with no
learning or training period needed
 Hit the Hay: To go to bed
 Hit the Jackpot: Do something that brings great success
 Hit the Nail on the Head: To be absolutely correct (said of
an utterance)
 Hit the Road: To leave
 Hit the Roof: Explode in rage; become extremely angry
  Hit the Sack: To go to bed
 Hit the Spot: Be very satisfying (said of something eaten)
 Hive Mind: The knowledge of humans as a group
 Hobson’s Choice: A choice among bad options
 Hold One’s Liquor: Be able to drink a large amount without
being affected
 Hold One’s Peace: Be silent
 Hold the Phone: Wait a moment (whether you’re on the
phone or not)
 Hold Your Horses (generally excl.): Stop; restrain yourself;
don’t be so excited
 Home Away from Home: A habitual hangout; a place one
frequents often and where one feels welcome
 Home Truths: Honest, often painful criticism
 Honor System: A system of payments that relies on the
honesty of those paying
 Hot Mess: Something or someone in a state of extreme
disorder
 Hot on the Heels (of): In close pursuit
 Hot Potato: A controversial subject or difficult project that is
best avoided
Idioms (I)

List of idioms that start with I.

 I Wouldn’t Put It Past (Someone): I think it’s quite possible

that [this person] would do this.
 If It Had Been a Snake, It Would Have Bitten Me: It was
very obvious, but I missed it.
 If the Shoe Fits, Wear It: If this description of you is
accurate, accept it.
 I’m All Ears: You have my attention, so you should talk
 In a Fog: Confused, not mentally alert
 In a Heartbeat: Immediately. This is especially used in
hypothetical situations
 In a Jam: In need of help, in a difficult spot
 In a New York Minute: Very quickly
 In a Nutshell: Expressed in a few words
 In a Pickle: In need of help, in a difficult spot
 In a Rut: Confined by routine, bored and seeking new
experiences
 In Broad Daylight: When something occurs in broad daylight,
it means the event is clearly visible
 In Clover: Benefiting from a positive financial situation
 In For a Penny, In for a Pound: Committed to something
even though the risks are increasing
 In Full Swing: When something, such as an event, gets into
full swing, it is at its busiest or liveliest time.
 In His Cups: Drunk
 In Hot Water: In need of help; in trouble
 In One Fell Swoop: All at once, in a single action
 In One’s Element: In a situation which is entirely suitable,
familiar, or enjoyable.
 In Someone’s Wheelhouse: In someone’s strongest area of
competence or enthusiasm
 In Touch: In contact
 In the Blink of an Eye: Quickly, seemingly instantaneously
 In the Cards: Likely; likely to occur
 In the Crosshairs (Cross Hairs): Targeted for blame or
criticism
 In the Dark: Not informed
 In the Driver’s Seat: In a dominant position, in control
 In the Hot Seat: Undergoing criticism or scrutiny; under
pressure publicly
 In the Interim: It denotes a period of time between
something that ended and something that happened
afterwards
 In the Limelight, In the Spotlight: Receiving large amounts
of publicity or attention
 In the Long Run: Over an extended period of time
 In the Nick of Time: Just in time; with no time to spare
 In the Pipeline: Being prepared for the marketplace, being
worked on
 In the Red: Losing money; (of a market index) below a
specified starting point
 In the Same Boat: In a similar situation; similarly vulnerable
 In the Toilet: In disastrous condition
 In the Works: Under development; coming soon
 Iron Out (Problems, Difficulties): To resolve
 Is the Pope Catholic?: Isn’t the answer obvious?
 It Never Rains but It Pours: Bad luck and bad things tend to
happen at the same time
 It Takes Two to Tango: When something goes wrong
involving two people, it’s likely that they share the blame;
cooperation is necessary
 It Won’t Fly: It won’t work; it won’t be approved.
  Itchy Feet: A person who has itchy feet is someone who finds
it difficult to stay in one place and likes to travel and discover
new places.
 It’s a Wash: A positive and a negative development cancel
each other out, so the situation has neither improved nor
gotten worse
 It’s All Greek to Me: It is unintelligible, impossible to
understand
 It’s No Skin off My (Your) Nose (Back): The outcome will
not affect me personally
 It’s Not Over Till the Fat Lady Sings: Do not give up too
soon; things may improve.
 It’s Not Rocket Science: It’s not difficult to understand.
 I’ve Had It Up to Here: My patience is almost exhausted.ơ
Idioms (J)

List of idioms that start with J.

 Jam Session:Playing improvised music in an informal setting

 Jim Crow: The system of racial segregation in the American
South prior to the American civil rights movement.
 Join the Club (excl.): I feel sympathy for you because I have
experienced something similar.
 Jump in with Both Feet: Begin a new experience
wholeheartedly
 Jump on the Bandwagon: To follow a trend or craze
 Jump the Gun: Start doing something too soon
 Jump the Shark: To pass peak quality and begin to decline.
Often used to describe television programs or movie series.
 Jump the Track: To shift suddenly from one activity or line of
thought to another
 Jump Through Hoops: Complete a series of tasks in order to
satisfy someone
 Just Around the Corner: Occurring soon
 Just for the Record: I would like to make it clear that …
 Just What the Doctor Ordered: Exactly the thing that is or
was needed to help improve something or make one feel
better
Idioms (K)

List of idioms that start with K.

  Keep (Something) at Bay: Maintain a distance from
something or someone
 Keep a Stiff Upper Lip: Control one’s emotions; not give in to
fear or grief
 Keep an Eye On: To keep an eye on something or someone is
to watch it periodically, to keep it under surveillance.
 Keep an Eye Peeled: Be observant; watch out for something
 Keep It Under Your Hat: Don’t tell anyone; don’t reveal this
secret
 Keep Someone at Arm’s Length: Avoid close interaction or
cooperation
 Keep Your Nose Clean: Avoid trouble or situations that
compromise one’e honesty
 Keep Your Powder Dry: Do not attack until you are ready.
 Keeping One’s Nose to the Grindstone: Working hard on
something repetitive or tedious
 Kick Ass, Kick Butt: 1) Defeat badly; 2) be excellent or highly
effective (only kick ass would be used for 2)
 Kick the Bucket: To die
 Kick the Can Down the Road: Postpone an important
decision
 Kill a Fly With an Elephant Gun: Approach a problem with
excessive measures
 Kill the Goose That Laid the Golden Egg: To destroy a
source of ongoing profits or benefits
 Kill Two Birds with One Stone: Act in such a way as to
produce two desirable effects
 King of the Hill: At the top of one’s field; the most influential
person in a given field or area
 Kink in One’s Neck: A cramp in one’s neck that causes pain
 Kiss and Make Up: Make peace after an argument
 Kith and Kin: Family (collectively)
 Knock on Wood; Touch Wood: Let’s hope I have good luck
or continue to have good luck.
 Knock Some Sense Into: To beat someone in order to teach
him/her a lesson. May be used figuratively.
 Knock Someone’s Socks Off: Amaze someone
 Knock Up: To impregnate a woman. Often used in the form
knocked up.
 Knockout: An extremely beautiful woman
 Know (Something) Like the Back of One’s Hand: To be
very familiar with something, especially an area
Idioms (L)
List of idioms that start with L.

 Larger Than Life: Conveying a sense of greatness, imposing

 Last But Not Least: What I have just said does not reflect a
ranking in importance.
 Laughter is the Best Medicine: Laughing a lot is a very
effective means of recovering from physical or mental injury
 Learn the Ropes: Become more familiar with a job or field of
endeavor; be trained
 Leave Someone in the Lurch: Abandon someone in a
difficult situation
 Lend an Ear: Listen
 Let Bygones Be Bygones: Agree to forget about a past
conflict
 Let Off Steam: To express anger and frustration in a way that
does no damage
 Let One’s Hair Down: To relax and enjoy themselves.
 Let Sleeping Dogs Lie: To avoid stirring up a problem; to
leave things alone
 Let the Cat Out of the Bag: Reveal a secret, usually a secret
you or others are trying to keep
 Let the Genie Out of the Bottle: Reveal something hitherto
suppressed
 Letter of the Law: The explicit meaning of a law, as opposed
to the spirit of the law, the law’s general intention
 Lick One’s Wounds: Rest after a bad defeat
 Life is A Bowl of Cherries: Life is wonderful or very pleasant
 Light a Fire Under Someone: Inspire someone to work very
hard
 Light at the End of the Tunnel: A sign of hope after a long
period of difficulties
 Like a Kid in a Candy Store: To be so excited about one’s
surroundings that one acts in a childlike or silly way
 Like a Moth to a Flame: Drawn to something or someone
despite the dangers
 Like Father, Like Son: Sons inherit their fathers’ traits and
preferences, often even without realizing it.
 Like Shooting: Fish in a Barrel Very easy
 Like Taking Candy from a Baby: Very easy
 Like The Cat That Got The Cream: Looking particularly self-
satisfied, often to the annoyance of others
 Like Two Peas in a Pod: Bearing a strong resemblance
 Lion’s Den: Any dangerous or frightening place.
 Lion’s Share: The largest part of something
  Live Large: Have a luxurious lifestyle
 Living in Cloud Cuckooland: Having unrealistic or foolish
beliefs or plans.
 Living on Borrowed Time: Following an illness or near-death
experience, may people believe they have cheated death
 Living Under a Rock: Ignorant of important events. Usually
used as a question: Have you been living under a rock?
 Loaded for Bear: Prepared for problems, well prepared for a
challenge
 Loan Shark: A predatory lender; one who makes high-interest
loans to desperate people
 Lock Horns: To lock horns is to argue, to come into conflict.
 Long Shot: Something with little chance of success
 Look the Other Way: Take no notice of violations of laws or
rules, unofficially condone something
 Look What the Cat Dragged In: Someone unwelcome has
arrived.
 Loose Cannon: Someone out of control; someone who speaks
or acts recklessly
 Lose It: To suddenly become unable to behave or think in a
sensible way
 Lose One’s Touch: Suffer a decline in one’s skill at doing
something
 Lose the Thread: Be unable to follow someone’s reasoning
 Love at First Sight: Falling in love with somebody the first
time you see them
 Love Rat: Somebody who cheats on his/her partner
 Love Someone With All of One’s Heart And Soul: To love
someone completely
 Low-Hanging Fruit: Easy parts of a task; solutions easy to
obtain
 Lower the Boom: Implement a punishment; reprimand
severely

Idioms (M)

List of idioms that start with M.

 Mad As A Box Of (Soapy) Frogs: extremely mentally
unstable; psychotic; detached from reality.
 Mad as A Hatter: Mentally ill, psychotic
 Main Squeeze: Committed romantic partner
 Make a Break for It: Try to escape, run off
 Make a Mountain out of a Molehill: To take something too
seriously; to make too much of something
 Make a Silk Purse out of a Sow’s Ear: Turn something
ordinary or inferior into something refined and beautiful
 Make Ends Meet: Have enough money to cover basic
expenses
 Make Hay (While the Sun Shines): To take advantage of an
opportunity at the right time.
 Make Love: To have sexual intercourse
 Make Nice: Act cordial despite conflict
 Make One’s Mark: Attain influence or recognition
 Make Someone’s Day: Do something pleasing that puts
someone in a good mood
 Make Waves: Cause controversy, disturb a calm group
dynamic
 Man Cave: A part of the house, often the basement, that is
left to the man of the household, perhaps with a workshop, a
television for watching sports, etc.
 March to the Beat of Your Own Drum: When someone
does things the way they want to, without taking anybody else
or anything else into consideration.
 Match Made in Heaven: A relationship in which the two
people are great together, because they complement each
other so well
 May-December Marriage: A marriage between a younger
and an older partner, typically a young woman and an old
man.
 Me Time: Activities undertaken for one’s own enjoyment, free
from responsibilities to others.
 Meeting of the Minds: Strong instinctive agreement on
something
 Mend Fences: Improve relations after a dispute
 Mind One’s P’s and Q’s: Be attentive to details; be on one’s
best behavior
 Miss the Boat: Be too late for something; miss an opportunity
 Monday Morning Quarterback: Someone who offers
criticisms or comments after already knowing the outcome of
something
 Month of Sundays: A long time, many months
  More Fun Than A Barrel of Monkeys: A very good time; a
pleasant occasion
 Mother Nature: The natural world
 Move Heaven and Earth: Take all possible steps in trying to
accomplish something
 Move the Needle: Have a measurable effect on something
 Move Up in the World: Become more successful
 Movers and Shakers: Influential people, especially in a
particular field
 Much Of A Muchness: Essentially equal, not significantly
different (said of a choice)
 Mum’s the Word: This is a secret; don’t talk about this. Often
used as an answer to a request not to talk about something.
 Music to My Ears: Good to hear; welcome news
 Mutton Dressed Up as Lamb: A woman who dresses in a
style appropriate to someone of a younger age
 My Dogs Are Barking: My feet hurt.
 My Old Man, My Old Lady: My spouse
 My Way or the Highway: If you do not do things the way I
want or require, then you can just leave or not participate.
Idioms (N)

List of idioms that start with N.

 Nail-Biter: A suspenseful event

 Nailing Jelly/Jello/Pudding To A Wall/Tree: An impossible
task
 Neck and Neck: Very close in a competition, with neither of
two entities clearly in the lead
 Neck of the Woods: A region, especially one’s home region
 Nest Egg: Retirement savings; wealth saved for a future
purpose
 Never in A Million Years: Absolutely never
 Never Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth: It’s rude to examine
a gift closely; accept gifts politely.
 New Wrinkle: A novel aspect to a situation, a new
development
 Nice Chunk of Change: A large amount of money
 Nickel and Dime: To negotiate over very small sums; to try to
get a better financial deal, in a negative way
 Nine Times Out of Ten: Almost always
 Nine-to-Five Job: A routine job in an office that involves
standard office hours
  Nip (Something) In The Bud: Deal with a problem before it
becomes large
 No Holds Barred (usually adj., often hyphenated):
Unrestricted, without rules
 No Love Lost Between: There is a mutual animosity between
two people
 No Names, No Pack Drill: If no one can be identified, no one
will be punished.
 No Rhyme or Reason (to): Without logic or pattern
 No Room to Swing A Cat: Very small, not big enough
 No Shit, Sherlock: That’s very obvious!
 No Tree Grows to the Sky: Growth cannot continue
indefinitely.
 Not Cut Out for (Something): Not naturally skillful enough
to do something well
 Not Enough Room to Swing a Cat: A very small space
 Not Give A Fig: To not care at all about something
 Not Have A Cat In Hell’s Chance: Have no possibility of
succeeding, coming to pass, or achieving something
 Not Have a Prayer: Have no chance of success
 Not Know Jack: Not know anything
 Not Lift a Finger: Do nothing to help
 Not Mince Words: Moderate or weaken a statement
 Not One’s Cup of Tea: Not something one is interested in
 Not Playing with A Full Deck: Stupid, mentally deficient or
impaired
 Not Ready for Prime Time: Not yet perfected; inexperienced
 Not Sit Well with (Someone): Be difficult to accept; make
someone uncomfortable
 Nothing to Write Home About: Unspectacular, ordinary
 Nuts and Bolts: Everyday details of something
 Nutty as a Fruitcake: Crazy; idiotic; wacky.
Idioms (P)

List of idioms that start with P.

 Pack Heat: Carry a gun

 Paddle One’s Own Canoe: To be able to act independently.
 Page-Turner: A page-turner is an exciting book that’s easy to
read, a book that’s difficult to put down.
 Pain in the Ass: Pain in the Butt;
 Pain in the Neck: Someone or something making your life
difficult
 Paint the Town Red: Go out drinking and partying
 Par for the Course: What would normally be expected. This
has a negative connotation.
 Pass the Buck: Transfer a problem to someone else
 Pass With Flying Colors: To succeed brilliantly, as on an
exam or other test
 Passing Fancy: A temporary interest or attraction
 Pay Through the Nose (For Something): Pay a large
amount of money
 Peaches and Cream: A situation, process, etc., that has no
trouble or problems
 Pecking Order: Hierarchy, rank of importance
 Pencil Something In: Make tentative arrangements
 Penny-Pinching: Frugal, avoiding expenses whenever
possible
 Pep Talk: An encouraging speech given to a person or group
 Perfect Storm: A rare combination of disastrous occurrences
 Pet Peeve: A small thing that you find particularly annoying
 Pick a Fight: Intentionally provoke a conflict or fight with
someone
 Pick Up the Slack: Do something that someone else is not
doing; assume someone else’s responsibilities
 Pick Up the Tab: To pay a bill presented to a group,
especially in a restaurant or bar
 Pie in the Sky: Something that is unrealistic or that cannot be
achieved
 Piece of Cake: Very easily done
 Pin Someone Down: Demand a decision or clear answer
 Pinch Pennies: To be careful with money, to be thrify
 Pink Slip: A layoff notice; loss of a job, typically because of
layoffs
 Pipe Dream: An unrealistic hope, a fantasy
 Piping Hot: Very hot (generally said of food)
 Pipped to the Post: Defeated by a narrow margin
 Pissing Contest: A meaningless argument or competition,
typically between males
 Play Ball: Cooperate, agree to participate
 Play Cat And Mouse: Trying to trick someone into making a
mistake so you can defeat them.
 Play Hardball: Adopt a tough negotiating position; act
aggressively
 Play It by Ear: To respond to circumstances instead of having
a fixed plan
 Play the Percentages: Bet on or rely on what is most likely
to happen
 Play the Ponies: Bet on horse racing.
 Play With Fire: Do something very risky
 Play Your Cards Right: Exploit a situation to your best
advantage
 Point of No Return: A place from which it is impossible to go
back to the starting point
 Point the Finger At: Blame (someone)
 Poison Pill: A provision or feature added to a measure or an
entity to make it less attractive, an undesirable add-on
 Pop One’s Clogs: To die
 Pop One’s Cork: To release one’s anger; to blow one’s top
 Pop the Question: Propose marriage
 Pot Calling the Kettle Black: Accusing someone of
something of which you are also guilty; being hypocritical
 Pour (Rub) Salt into (on) the Wound (an open wound):
Worsen an insult or injury; make a bad situation worse for
someone
 Powder Keg: An explosive situation, a situation in which
people are angry and ready to be violent
 Powder One’s Nose: To use the restroom (lavatory). This is
used by women
 Preach to the Choir, Preach to the Converted: To make
an argument with which your listeners already agree
 Preaching to the Choir: Making arguments to those who
already agree with you
 Pretty Penny: A lot of money; too much money (when
referring to the cost of something)
 Price Yourself Out of the Market: Try to sell goods or
services at such a high price that nobody buys them.
 Puddle Jumper: A small airplane, used on short trips
 Pull Out All the Stops: Do everything possible to accomplish
something
 Pull Strings: Use influence that’s based on personal
connections
 Pull the Plug On: Terminate (something)
 Pull Yourself Together: Control your emotions; recover from
a strong emptional upset
 Puppies And Rainbows: Perfect, ideal (usually used slightly
sarcastically, in contrast with a less ideal situation)
 Puppy Dog Eyes: A begging look
  Puppy Love: Adolescent love or infatuation, especially one
that is not expected to last
 Pure as the Driven Snow: To be innocent and chaste
(frequently used ironically)
 Push the Envelope: Go beyond common ways of doing
something, be innovative

 Pushing Up Daisies: Dead and buried

 Put a Thumb on the Scale: Try to influence a discussion in
an unfair way, cheat
 Put Down Roots: Establish oneself in a place; settle
 Put in One’s Two Cents: Say your opinion
 Put Lipstick on a Pig: Make cosmetic changes to something
bad
 Put one’s Face On: Apply cosmetics
 Put Out Feelers: Make discreet, informal suggestions, ask
around
 Put Someone on the Spot: Force someone to answer a
question or make a decision immediately
 Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It: Accept and consider
what I’m saying, even if you don’t like it!
 Put the Best Face On (Something): Emphasize the positive
aspects of a bad situation
 Put the Brakes On: Slow something down
 Put the Cart Before the Horse: To do things out of the
proper order.
 Put the Cat Among The Pigeons: Say or do something that
causes trouble or controversy
 Put the Genie Back in the Bottle: Try to suppress
something that has already been revealed or done
 Put the Pedal to the Metal: Drive as fast as possible
 Put Up with (Something): Tolerate, accept
 Put Words Into Someone’s Mouth: Attributing an opinion to
someone who has never stated that opinion
 Put Your Foot Down: Use your authority to stop negative
behavior
 Put Your Foot In Your Mouth: Say something that you
immediately regret
 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Back up your
opinions with a financial commitment
Idioms (Q)
List of idioms that start with Q.

 Quake In One’s Boots: To be very frightened

 Quarter Past: Fifteen minutes after the hour
 Quarter To/Of: Fifteen minutes before the hour
 Queer the Pitch: Interfere with someone’s plans; make
something more difficult
 Quick as a Flash: Very fast
 Quick-and-Dirty: Approximate, hastily done
 Quote Unquote: Ironically speaking; suggesting that if a
phrase were written out, it would be in quotation marks to
convey sarcasm
Idioms (R)

List of idioms that start with R.

 Race Against Time: To rush to meet a deadline, to be forced

to do something very quickly
 Rain Cats And Dogs: Rain heavily
 Rain on Someone’s Parade: Spoil someone’s plans
 Raise (Someone’s) Hackles: Make someone angry and
defensive
 Raise One’s Voice: Talk loudly
 Raise Red Flags: Warn of trouble ahead
 Raise the Bar: Increase standards in a certain competition or
area of endeavor
 Raise the Roof: Make a great deal of noise (said of a crowd)
 Rake (Someone) Over the Coals: To scold someone
severely
 Rake Over the Ashes: Restart a settled argument; examine a
failure
 Rank and File: The ordinary members of an organization
 Read Between the Lines: Perceive what is not explicitly
stated
 Read the Tea Leaves: Predict the future from small signs
 Rear Its Ugly Head (said of a problem or something
unpleasant): Appear, be revealed
 Rearrange the Deck Chairs on the Titanic: Taking
superficial actions while ignoring a much larger and perhaps
fatal problem
 Red Flag: A warning; a sign of trouble ahead
 Red Herring: A misleading clue; something intended to
mislead
 Red Meat: Political appeals designed to excite one’s core
supporters; demagoguery
 Red Tape: Bureaucracy; difficult bureaucratic or governmental
requirements
 Red-Light District: A neighborhood with many houses of
prostitution
 Reinvent the Wheel: Devise a solution to a problem for
which a solution already exists
 Riding High: Enjoying success
 Right as Rain: Absolutely correct
 Right Under (One’s) Nose: In an obvious location, yet
overlooked
 Right-Hand Man: Chief assistant
 Ring a Bell: Sound familiar
 Rob Peter to Pay Paul: Pay off a debt with another loan;
solve a problem in such a way that it leads to a new problem
 Rob the Cradle: To be sexually or romantically involved with
someone who is very young
 Rock Bottom: An absolute low point
 Rock the Boat: Cause a disruption in a group. Often used in
the negative: don’t rock the boat.
 Roll the Dice On: Take a risk Roll With the Punches: Deal
with problems by being flexible
 Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day: Complex projects take time
 Rookie Mistake: An error made by an inexperienced person
 Rotten to the Core: Entirely evil
 Rub (Something) in Someone’s Face: Humiliate someone
by repeating and criticizing his or her mistake
 Rub It In: Say something that makes someone feel even
worse about a mistake
 Rub Someone’s Nose in (Something): Humiliate someone
by repeating and criticizing his or her mistake
 Rubber-Stamp (v.): Approve something without
consideration, as a formality
 Rule of Thumb: A general principle or guideline, not a specific
formula
 Run a Tight Ship: Manage an organization in a strict, well-
regulated way
 Run in the Family: Be inherited (as a trait) by multiple
members of a family
 Run into a Buzz: Saw Encounter severe and unexpected
problems
 Run off at the Mouth: Talk a lot about unimportant things,
talk incoherently
  Run on Fumes: To be in a situation where one’s energy or
resources is almost exhausted
 Run Out of Steam: Lose momentum, become tired
 Run the Table: Win every game or contest
Idioms (S)

List of idioms that start with S.

 Sacred Cow: An indvidual or organization that one cannot

criticize
 Saving Grace: Something that redeems a bad situation
 Scare the Living Daylights Out of Someone: Frighten
someone severely
 Scorched Earth (Tactics, Policy, etc.): Ruthless, extremely
destructive
 Screw The Pooch: To make a serious error
 School Of Hard Knocks: Difficult real-life experiences from
which one has learned
 Second Banana: A person in a subservient position
 Second Stringer: A substitute player in a sport; a substitute
for a job who is not the most talented person
 Second Wind: Renewed energy
 See Eye to Eye: To concur, agree
 See Something Out of the Corner of Your Eye: Use
peripheral vision
 Seize (Take) the Bull By the Horns: Attack a problem
directly
 Seize the Day: Take an opportunity
 Sell (Someone) a Bill of Goods: Trick someone; be
deceptive
 Sell Like Hotcakes: Be sold very quickly
 Selling Point: An attractive feature of something for sale
 Set in Stone: Fixed; unchangeable
 Set something to Music: To write a piece of music to
accompany a set of words
 Set the Bar (Too) High: To set a high standard for something
 Set the Thames on Fire: Do something amazing. Usually
used in the negative.
 Set the World on Fire: Do something amazing; have a
brilliant stretch in one’s career
 Shake the Dust off Your Shoes (Feet): Make a clean break
with a relationship or situation
 Shape Up or Ship Out: Behave properly or leave the
organization
 Sharp as A Tack: Mentally agile
 Shell Game: A method of deception in which you conceal your
actions by moving something frequently
 Shift Gears: Change the subject, or change what one is doing
 Shipshape And Bristol Fashion: Tidy, clean
 Shit a Brick: Be extremely fearful.
 Shoot from the Hip: Talk or act without consideration
 Shoot Off One’s Mouth: Talk without considering one’s
words
 Shoot Oneself In The Foot: Do something that damages
oneself or one’s own cause
 Short Fuse: A quick temper; a tendency to anger quickly
 Shot Across the Bow: A warning of more serious actions to
come
 Shoulder A Weight Off Your Shoulders: You no longer
worry about something or deal with something difficult
 Show Me an X And I’ll Show You a Y: There is a
consequence to X that you may not have thought of.
 Show One’s True Colors: Reveal one’s true nature
 Show Your Cards: Reveal your resources or plans
 Sick and Tired of: Extremely annoyed by something that
occurs repeatedly
 Sick as a Dog: Extremely ill.
 Sick as a Parrot: Very disappointed
 Sight for Sore Eyes: A sight that makes you happy
 Silver Bullet: Something simple that resolves a difficult
problem
 Simmer Down: Become less angry; regain one’s composure
 Sink or Swim: Fail or succeed
 Sing a Different Tune: Change your opinion
 Sit On (Something): Delay revealing or acting on something
 Sit Tight: Wait and do not go anywhere
 Sitting Duck: Something or someone easily attacked or
criticized
 Sitting Pretty: In a favorable situation
 Six Feet Under: Dead and buried
 Six of One, a Half Dozen of the Other: The two choices
have no significant differences.
 Six Ways to (from) Sunday: In every possible way
 Slam Dunk: An effort that is certain to succeed
 Sleep Like a Baby: To experience a very deep and restful
sleep; to sleep soundly
 Sleep with the Fishes: Dead, often by murder
 Slip Someone a Mickey: Add a drug to an alcoholic drink in
order to knock someone out
 Slippery Slope: A series of undesirable effects that, one
warns, could result from a certain action
 Slower than Molasses: Exceptionally slow or sluggish; not
fast at all.
 Small Beer: Unimportant, insignificant
 Small Fry: People or organizations with little influence;
children
 Small Potatoes: Unimportant, insignificant
 Smell a Rat: Suspect deception
 Smoking Gun: indisputable evidence of a crime
 Snafu: A malfunction; a chaotic situation
 Snake Oil: A useless medicine; a quack remedy; a product or
measure promoted as a solution that really does nothing to
help Sneak Peek: A sneak peek is an opportunity to view
something in advance of its official opening or debut
 Soak Up the Sun: To enjoy the sun
 Sold On (Something): Convinced of something
 Some Eggs: Achieving a major goal requires the ability to
tolerate some problems
 Someone’s Fingerprints Are All Over (Something):
Someone’s influence is evident
 Something to Crow: About Something to be proud of, an
accomplishment about which one is justified in bragging
 Son of a Gun: 1) A rogue. 2) An exclamation of surprise.
 Sore Point: A sensitive topic for a particular person
 Sour Grapes: Spiteful disparagment of a goal one has failed
to achieve
 Spare The Rod And Spoil The Child: It is necessary to
physically punish children in order to raise them right.
 Speak of the Devil (and He Shall Appear): The person we
have just been talking about has entered.
 Speak with A Plum in (one’s) Mouth: To speak in a manner
that is indicative of a high social class.
 Spick and Span: Clean and neat
 Spill the Beans: Reveal a secret
 Spin A Yarn: Tell a story
 Spin One’s Wheels: Engaging in activity that yields no
progress; getting nowhere
 Spit into The Wind: Wasting time on something futile
 Spoiling for a Fight: Combative, wanting conflict, eager to
argue or fight
 Square the Circle: Attempt an impossible task Stab
 Someone in the Back: To betray (somebody)
 Stalking Horse: Someone who tests a concept in advance of
its application; a candidate who enters a political race in order
to test the strength of the incumbent
 Stand (Someone) In Good Stead: Be useful in the future
 Stand On One’s Own Two Feet: To be independent and self-
sufficient
 Stand One’s Ground: Refuse to back down; insist on one’s
position
 Start with a Clean Slate: To start (something) again with a
fresh beginning; to work on a problem without thinking about
what has been done before
 Steal Someone’s Thunder: Upstage someone
 Stem the Tide: To stop or control the growth of something,
usually something unpleasant.
 Step Up One’s Game: Work to advance to a higher level of a
competition
 Step Up to the Plate: Prepare to take action, be the person
in a group who takes action
 Stick It to the Man: Do something that frustrates those in
authority
 Stick Your Nose into Something: Intrude into something
that is not your affair
 Sticker Shock: Surprise at the high price of something
 Stick-in-the-Mud: A person who dislikes or adapts slowly to
new ideas
 Sticky Wicket: A difficult, tricky situation
 Stiff-Necked: Stubborn; excessively formal
 Storm in a Teacup: A commotion that dies down quickly,
about something unimportant
 Stormy Relationship: Relationship that has a lot arguments
and disagreement
 Stumbling Block: An obstacle, physical or abstract
 Straight Arrow: An honest, trustworthy person
 Strain at a Gnat and Swallow a Camel: To make a fuss
over something unimportant while ignoring larger issues
 Strike A Chord: Used to describe something that is familiar to
you, reminds you of something or is connected to you
somehow.
 Sugar Daddy: A rich man who is generous with younger
women in return for sexual favors
 Sure-Fire: Certain to occur
  Swan Song: This expression is used to describe a final act
before dying or ending something.
 Sweep Under the Carpet: Attempt to temporarily conceal a
problem or error
 Sweet Dreams!: Sleep well! Sweeten the Deal: Add
something to an offer during a negotiation
 Sweeten the Pot: Increase the amount of winnings
potentially available in a game of chance, especially poker
 Swim Against the Tide: Do something contrary to a trend or
usual opinion
 Swim with Sharks: To take a major risk
 Swim with the Fishes: Have been killed, especially with
involvement of organized crime
 Swing for the Fences: Attempt to achieve the largest
accomplishment possible S
 word of Damocles: Something that causes a feeling of
constant threat.
Idioms (T)

List of idioms that start with T.

 Take (Someone) to the Cleaners: 1) Swindle; 2) defeat

badly
 Take a Deep Dive (Into): Explore something extensively
 Take a Flyer: To take a rise; especially to make a speculative
investment
 Take a Gander: Go to take a look at something
 Take a Hike: Go away
 Take A Powder: To leave, especially in order to avoid a
difficult situation
 Take a Rain Check: Decline an invitation but suggest that
you’ll accept it at a later time.
 Take Five (Ten): Take a short break of five (ten) minutes
 Take It Easy: Don’t hurry; relax; don’t get angry
 Take It on The Chin: Be attacked; suffer an attack
 Take It or Leave It (command): You must decide now
whether you will accept this proposal
 Take Someone to Task: Reprimand someone strongly
 Take Something with a Pinch (grain) of Salt: If you take
what someone says with a pinch of salt, you do not completely
believe it.
 Take the Cake: Be the most extreme instance
 Take the Edge Off (of Something): To slightly improve
something negative
 Take the Fifth: Refuse to answer because answering might
incriminate or cause problems for you
 Take the Gloves Off: Negotiate in a more aggressive way
 Take the High Road: Refuse to descend to immoral activities
or personal attacks
 Take The Mickey (Piss) (Out Of Someone): Make fun of or
ridicule someone
 Take the Shine Off (Something): To do something that
diminishes a positive event
 Take the Starch out of (Someone): Make someone less
confident or less arrogant
 Take The Wind Out of Someone’s Sails: To reduce
someone’s confidence, often by doing something unexpected
 Take Your Life in Your Hands: Undergo extreme risk
 Take Your Medicine: Accept something unpleasant, for
example, punishment, without protesting or complaining
 Take Your Time: Don’t hurry, work at a relaxed pace
 Taste of Your Own Medicine: The same unpleasant
experience or treatment that one has given to others
 Teach an Old Dog New Tricks: To change someone’s long-
established habits. Usually used in the negative: You can’t
teach an old dog new tricks.
 Tear One’s Hair out: Be extremely worried or frustrated
 Tear-Jerker: A film or book that makes you cry
 Tee Many Martoonies: Too many martinis, scrambled to
suggest drunkenness
 Tell It to the Marines: I don’t believe you; you must think I’m
gullible.
 Tempest in a Teapot: A commotion about something
unimportant
 Ten a Penny: Ordinary, inexpensive
 Ten to One: Something very likely
 Test the Waters: Experiment with something cautiously
 Tie the Knot: Get married
 Tighten the Screws: Increase pressure on someone
 Tight-Lipped: secretive, unwilling to explain something
 Til the Cows Come Home: For a very long time
 Time is Money: time is valuable, so don’t waste it.
 Tip of the Iceberg: A small, visible part of a much larger
problem
 Tip One’s Hand: Reveal one’s advantages; reveal useful
information that one possesses
 TLC: Tender Loving Care
 To be A Peach: Someone or something that is extremely
good, impressive, or attractive
 To be Smitten With Someone: To be completely captivated
by someone and feel immense joy
 To be someone’s One and Only: To be unique to the other
person
 To be the Apple of Someone’s Eye: To be loved and
treasured by someone
 To Bear Fruit: To develop in a profitable or positive way
 To Carpool: To travel to the same place with a group of
people in one car. e.g. work/school
 To Each His Own: People have different tastes.
 To Get Cold Feet: To experience reluctance or fear
 To Have a Chip on One’s Shoulder: To be combative, to be
consistently argumentative
 To Have Butterflies In Your Stomach: To be nervous
 To Have One For the Road: To have one last (alcoholic)
drink before you go home
 To Pay an Arm and a Leg: A very high cost
 To Pop (one’s) Cherry: To do something for the first time
 To Pull Someone’s Leg: Lie playfully
 To Run Hot and Cold: To be unable to make up one’s mind
 To the Letter: Exactly (said of instructions or procedures)
 Toe the Line: Accept authority, follow the rules
 Tone-Deaf: Not good at perceiving the impact of one’s words,
insensitive
 Tongue-in-Cheek: Said ironically; not meant to be taken
seriously
 Too Busy Fighting Alligators to Drain the Swamp: So
occupied with multiple challenges that one can’t keep the big
picture in mind
 Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth: A project works best if
there is input from a limited number of people
 Too Many Chiefs and Not Enough Indians: Everyone wants
to be a leader, and no one wants to do the actual work
 Too Many To Shake A Stick At: A large number
 Toot Your Own Horn: Brag; emphasize one’s own
contributions
 Top Banana: The boss, the leader
 Toss a Wrench (Spanner) Into: Sabotage; cause a process
to stop
 Touch Base: Meet briefly with someone
 Touch One’s Heart: Affect someone emotionally, be touching
 Touch Water: Be launched. Said of a boat.
 Tough Cookie: A very determined person
 Tough Sledding: Difficult progress
 Turn a Blind Eye: (to) Choose not to notice something
 Turn on a Dime: Quickly reverse direction or position
 Turn Someone Inside Out: To cause strong emotional
turmoil; to completely change someone
 Turn Something on Its Head: Reverse something, cause
something to be done in a new way
 Turn Turtle: Capsize, turn over
 Turn the Corner: To begin to improve after a problem
 Turn the Tables: Reverse a situation
 Turnabout Is Fair Play: If you suffer from the same suffering
you have inflicted on others, that’s only fair
 Twenty-Four Seven: At any time
 Twist the Knife (in Deeper): Make someone’s suffering
worse
 Two a Penny: Ordinary, inexpensive
 Two Peas in A Pod: Two people who are very similar in
appearance
 Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF): Let’s be happy that the
workweek is over!
 That Ship Has Sailed: That opportunity has passed.
 That’s Music to My Ears: I am very happy to hear this.
 That’s a Stretch: What you are suggesting is very difficult to
believe; I am very skeptical
 That’s All She Wrote: That was the end of the story.
 The Apple Never Falls Far From the Tree: Family
characteristics are usually inherited
 The Birds and the Bees: Human sexuality and reproduction
 The Cat Is Out of the Bag: The secret has been revealed.
 The Coast Is Clear: We are unobserved; it is safe to proceed.
 The Cherry On the Cake: The final thing that makes
something perfect
 The Deck Is (The Cards Are): Stacked Against You
Unfavorable conditions exist.
 The Jig Is Up: A secret illicit activity has been exposed; your
trickery is finished
 The More Things Change, The More They Stay The
Same: Although something may seem superficially new, it has
not altered the basic situation.
 The Only Game in Town: The sole option for a particular
service.
 The Powers That Be: People in charge, often used when the
speaker does not want to identify them.
 The Real McCoy: A genuine item
 The Story Has Legs: People are continuing to pay attention
to the story.
 The Time is Ripe: If you say that the time is ripe, you mean
that it is a suitable point for a particular activity
 The Walls Have Ears: We may be overheard; be careful what
you say
 The Whole Enchilada: All of something.
 The Whole Shebang: Everything, all the parts of something
 The World Is Your Oyster: You have many opportunities and
choices.
 There But For The Grace Of God Go I: I could easily have
done what that person did.
 There’s More Than One Way to Skin a Cat: There’s more
than one way of achieving a certain goal.
 There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch: Nothing is given
to you without some expectation of something in return.
 Thin On The Ground: Rare, seldom encountered
 Think Big: Consider ambitious plans; avoid becoming overly
concerned with details
 Think Outside the Box: Try to solve a problem in an original
way; think creatively
 Think Tank: A group of experts engaged in ongoing studies of
a particular subject; a policy study group
 Third Rail: A topic so sensitive that it is dangerous to raise.
This is especially used in political contexts
 Third Time’s a Charm: Even if you fail at something twice,
you may well succeed the third time.
 Thirty-Thousand-Foot View: A very broad or general
perspective
 This Has (Person X) Written All Over It: [Person X] would
really like or be well suited to this.
 This Is Not Your Father’s ____: This item has been much
updated from its earlier versions.
 Three Sheets to the Wind: Very drunk
 Through the Grapevine: Via gossip
 Through Thick and Thin: In good times and bad
 Throw a Wet Blanket on (Something): Discourage plans for
something
 Throw a Wrench Into: To sabotage; to cause to fail
 Throw Caution to the Wind: To act in a daring way, without
forethough
  Throw Down the Gauntlet: To issue a challenge
 Throw Elbows: Be combative; be aggressive (physically or
figuratively)
 Throw in the Towel: To give up, admit defeat
 Throw Someone for a Loop: Deeply surprise someone; catch
someone off guard
 Throw Someone Under the Bus: Sacrifice someone else’s
interests for your own personal gain
 Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water: Eliminate
something good while discarding the bad parts of something
 Throw The Book At: Prosecute legally as strongly as possible
 Throw the Fight: Intentionally lose a contest, usually in
collusion with gamblers
 Throw the Game: Intentionally lose a contest, usually in
collusion with gamblers
 Throw the Match: Intentionally lose a contest, usually in
collusion with gamblers
 Thumbs-Up: Approval
 Train Wreck: Anything that develops in a disastrous way
 Trash Talk: Insults directed at one’s opponent in a sporting
event or contest
 Tread Water: Maintain a current situation without
improvement or decline
 Trial Balloon: A test of someone’s or the public’s reaction
 Trip the Light Fantastic: Dance well; do ballroom dancing
Idioms (U)

List of idioms that start with U.

 U Turn: A complete change of opinion, direction, etc.

 Ugly Duckling: An awkward child or young person who grows
into a beautiful person
 Under (Below) the Radar: Not generally perceived, below
popular consciousness
 Under Someone’s Spell: Fascinated, entranced by someone
 Under the Impression: Believing something, perhaps
mistakenly
 Under the Table: Without being officially recorded
 Under the Weather: Feeling ill
 Under Wraps: Temporarily hidden, secret
 University of Life: Difficult real-life experience, as opposed to
formal education
 Until the Cows Come Home: For a long time
  Until You’re Blue in the Face: For a long time with no
results
 Up a Creek: In a very bad situation
 Up for Grabs: Available
 Up in Arms: Angry, protesting (usually said of a group)
 Up in the Air: Not yet decided
 Up to One’s Neck: Nearly overwhelmed
 Up to Scratch: Meeting a basic standard of competence or
quality
 Up to Snuff: Meeting a basic standard
 Up the Ante: Raise the stakes; increase the importance of
something under discussion
 Up the Duff: Pregnant
 Upset the Apple Cart: To disorganize or spoil something,
especially an established arrangement or plan
 Use One’s Head: To think, to have common sense
Idioms (V)

List of idioms that start with V.

 Vale of Tears: The world in general, envisioned as a sad

place; the tribulations of life
 Vicious Circle: A situation in which an attempt to solve a
problem makes the original problem worse.
 Victory Lap: Visible public appearances after a victory or
accomplishment
 Virgin Territory: Something that has never been explored,
physically or intellectually
 Vote with One’s Feet: To physically depart from something
as a way of showing disapproval
Idioms (W)

List of idioms that start with W.

 Waiting in the Wings: Ready to assume responsibilities but

not yet active, ready to become a successor
 Waka-Jumping: Change political parties (said of politicians
themselves)
 Wake Up and Smell the Coffee: Stop deluding yourself
 Wake Up on the Wrong Side of the Bed: Be grumpy or ill-
humored. Generally used in past tense
 Walk on Eggshells: To have to act very sensitively in order to
avoid offending someone
 Walk the Plank: Be forced to resign a position
 Wandering Eye: A tendency to look at and desire women or
men other than one’s committed romantic partner
 Wash Your Hands of (Something): Decline to take further
responsibility; refuse to be involved with something anymore
 Water Under the Bridge: Something in the past that’s no
longer worth worrying about
 Watering Hole: A place where alcoholic beverages are
served, a bar
 Weekend Warrior: Someone who has an office job but enjoys
contact sports on weekends; a member of a military reserve
force (whose exercises are typically on weekends)
 We’ll Cross That Bridge: When We Come to It We’ll deal with
that problem if and when it comes up
 Welsh (Welch) on a Deal: Not observe the terms of an
agreement
 Wet Behind the Ears: inexperienced, immature, new to
something
 Wet Blanket: Someone who dampens a festive occasion
 Wet Your Whistle: Drink something
 What Do You Make of (Him)?: What is your evaluation of
this person?
 What Goes Around Comes Around: The kind of treatment
you give to others will eventually return to you; things go in
cycles
 What’s Good for the Goose Is Good for the Gander:
What’s OK for a man is OK for a woman, too
 When Hell Freezes Over: Never
 When In Doubt, Leave It Out: When unsure about
something, omit it.
 When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do: When you visit a
new place, follow the customs of the people there
 When It Rains, It Pours: Problems tend to come in groups.
 When Pigs Fly: Never
 When the Chips Are Down: When a situation becomes
urgent or difficult
 Where (When) the Rubber: Meets the Road In reality; where
an idea meets a real-world test
 Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way: If you have a strong
desire to accomplish something, you will achieve it even in the
face of considerable odds.
 Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire: If there is typical
evidence of something, the most likely explanation is that it is
actually occurring.
  Whisper Sweet Nothings (in Someone’s Ear): Speak
meaningless romantic utterances
 Whistle in the Dark: To be unrealistically confident or brave;
to talk about something of which one has little knowledge
 Whistle Past the Graveyard: Remain optimistic despite
dangers; be clueless
 Whistling Dixie: Being unrealistically optimistic
 White Elephant: An unwanted item that is difficult to sell or
dispose of
 Who’s She, the Cat’s Mother?: Why does she have such a
high opinion of herself?
 Wild Goose Chase: An impossible or futile search or task
 Window Dressing: A misleading disguise intended to present
a favorable impression
 Window Shop: To look at merchandise in a store without
intending to buy it
 Witch Hunt: An organized attempt to persecute an unpopular
group of people and blame them for a problem.
 With Bells On: Eagerly, willingly, and on time.
 Work One’s Fingers to the Bone: Work very hard over an
extended period
 Worn to a Frazzle: Exhausted, completely worn out
 Wouldn’t Be Caught Dead: Would absolutely not allow
myself to do this
 Writing (Handwriting) on the Wall: Hints of coming
disaster
Idioms (Y)

List of idioms that start with Y.

 Year In, Year Out: Annually without change

 You Can Lead a Horse to Water, but You Can’t Make It
Drink: It’s very hard to force someone to do something against
his or her will.
 You Can Say That Again!: I agree totally!
 You Can Take It to the Bank: I absolutely guarantee this
 You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover: You can’t know
people (or things) well by their external appearances.
 You Can’t Make an Omelet (Omelette): Without Breaking
 You Can’t Make Fish of One and Fowl of the Other:
People must be treated equally.
 You Know the Drill: You are already familiar with the
procedure.
  You Snooze, You Lose: If you delay or are not alert, you will
miss opportunities
 Young at Heart: Having a youthful outlook, regardless of age
 Your Guess Is as Good as Mine: I don’t know; I have no idea
 Your Mileage May Vary: You may get different results. This
does not necessarily refer to a car, although it may.
 Your Number Is Up: You are going to die (or suffer some bad
misfortune or setback)
 You’re Driving Me Nuts: To make someone giddy or crazy
 Yours Truly: Me
Idioms (Z)

List of idioms that start with Z.

 Zero In On: Focus closely on something; take aim at

something
 Zig When One Should Be Zagging: To make an error; to
choose an incorrect course
 Zip One’s Lip: Be quiet