Notable Idioms In English

Idiom

Source

"A bitter pill"

[1]

"A dime a dozen"

[2]

"Ace in the hole"

[3]

"Achilles' heel"

[4]

Definition/Translation

A situation or information that is unpleasant but must

be accepted.

Anything that is common, inexpensive, and easy to get

or available any where.

A hidden or secret strength, or unrevealed advantage.

A metaphor for a fatal weakness in spite of overall

strength.

"Actions speak louder

People's intentions can be judged better by what they

than words"

do than what they say.

"Add insult to injury"

[5]

"All ears"

[6]

"All thumbs"

[7]

an unfavorable situation.

Listening intently; fully focused or awaiting an

explanation.

"An arm and a leg"

"Apple of discord"

To further a loss with mockery or indignity; to worsen

Clumsy, awkward.

Very expensive or costly. A large amount of money.

[8]

Anything causing trouble, discord, or jealousy.

Notes

"At the drop of a hat"

Without any hesitation; instantly.

"Back to the drawing

When an attempt fails, and its time to start planning all

board"

over again.

"Ball is in your court"

It is up to you to make the next decision or step.

"Barking up the wrong

[9]

tree"

Looking in the wrong place.

One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves,

"Basket case"

[note 1]

[note 2]

panic, or stress.

To treat a topic, but omit its main points, often

"Beat around the bush"

intentionally or to delay or avoid talking about

something difficult or unpleasant.

A situation wherein someone has the privilege of

"Best of both worlds"

enjoying two different opportunities.

"Bite off more than one

To take on more responsibility than one can manage.

can chew"

To endure a painful or unpleasant situation that is

"Bite the bullet"

unavoidable.

"Bite the dust"

Euphemism for dying or death.

"Break a leg"

[10]

A saying from the theatre that means "good luck".

"Burn the midnight oil"

[11]

To work late into the night, alluding to the time before

[note 3]

electric lighting.

"Bust one's chops"

"By the seat of one's

[12]

[13]

pants"

"By the skin of one's

[note 4]

To achieve through instinct or do something without

advance preparation.

[14]

teeth"

"Call it a day"

To say things intended to harass.

Narrowly; barely. Usually used in regard to a narrow

[note 5]

escape from a disaster.

[15]

Cat nap

To declare the end of a task.

[note 6]

A nap.

"Champ at the
bit" or "Chomp at the

[16]

To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

bit"

"Chew the fat"

"Chink in one's armor"

To chat idly or generally waste time talking.

[17]

"Clam up"

An area of vulnerability

To become silent; to stop talking.

"Cold shoulder"

[18]

To display aloofness and disdain.

"Couch potato"

[19]

A lazy person.

"Cut a rug"

To dance

[note 7]

"Cut the cheese"

To fart.

"Cut the mustard"

[20]

To perform well; to meet expectations.

"Don't have a cow "

[21]

Don't overreact.

"Drop a dime "

"Fit as a fiddle"

Make a telephone call; to be an informant.

[22]

In good physical health.

"For a song"

Almost free. Very cheap.

"From A to Z"

Covering a complete range; comprehensively.

"From scratch / to

Make from original ingredients; start from the

make from scratch"

beginning with no prior preparation

To take offense; to get worked up, aggravated, or

"Get bent out of shape"

"Have a blast"

annoyed

[23]

To have a good time or to enjoy oneself.

"Have eyes in the back

Someone can perceive things and events that are

of one's head"

outside of their field of vision.

"Hit the road "

To leave.

"Hit the
sack "/sheets/hay

[24]

To go to bed to sleep.

"Let the cat out of the

To reveal a secret.

bag "

"Kick the bucket"

[25]

No vested interest in the outcome of a particular

No horse in this race

"Off one's trolley" or

contest or debate

[26]

"Off one's rocker"

"Off the hook"

Euphemism for dying or death.

Crazy, demented, out of one's mind, in a confused or

[27]

To escape a situation of responsibility, obligation, or

(less frequently) danger.

"Pop one's clogs" (UK)

Euphemism for dying or death.

A job, task or other activity that is pleasant or, by

"Piece of cake "

extension, easy or simple.

"Pull somebody's leg"

To tease or to joke by telling a lie.

"Pushing up daisies"

Euphemism for dying or death.

"Put the cat among the

[28]

pigeons"

"Right as rain"

"Screw the pooch"

[note 8]

befuddled state of mind, senile.

[29]

To create a disturbance and cause trouble.

Needed, appropriate, essential, or hoped-for and has

come to mean perfect, well, absolutely right.

To screw up; to fail in dramatic and ignominious

fashion.

[note 9]

"Shoot the breeze"

To chat idly or generally waste time talking.

"Sleep with the fishes"

Euphemism for dying or death.

"Spill the beans"

Reveal someone's secret.

"Split the whistle"

To arrive just on time.

"Take the biscuit" (UK)

To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.

"Take the cake" (US)

To be especially good or outstanding.

"Through thick and

In both good and bad times.

thin"

"Thumb one's nose"

To express scorn or to disregard.

"Tie one on"

To get drunk.

"Trip the light fantastic"

To dance

"Under the weather"

[30]

Feel sick or poorly

"Whole nine yards"

Everything. All of it.

"You can say that

That is very true; expression of wholehearted

again"

agreement

[note 10]

A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush:

Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are
you might lose everything.
A Blessing In Disguise:
Something good that isn't recognized at first.
A Chip On Your Shoulder:
Being upset for something that happened in the past.
A Dime A Dozen:
Anything that is common and easy to get.
A Doubting Thomas:
A skeptic who needs physical or personal evidence in order to believe something.
A Drop in the Bucket:
A very small part of something big or whole.
A Fool And His Money Are Easily Parted:
It's easy for a foolish person to lose his/her money.
A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand:
Everyone involved must unify and function together or it will not work out.
A Leopard Can't Change His Spots:
You cannot change who you are.
A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned:
By not spending money, you are saving money (little by little).
A Picture Paints a Thousand Words:
A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words.
A Piece of Cake:
A task that can be accomplished very easily.
A Slap on the Wrist:
A very mild punishment.
A Taste Of Your Own Medicine:
When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others.
A Toss-Up:
A result that is still unclear and can go either way.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words:
It's better to actually do something than just talk about it.
Add Fuel To The Fire:
Whenever something is done to make a bad situation even worse than it is.
Against The Clock:

Rushed and short on time.

All Bark And No Bite:
When someone is threatening and/or aggressive but not willing to engage in a fight.
All Greek to me:
Meaningless and incomprehensible like someone who cannot read, speak, or understand any of the
Greek language would be.
All In The Same Boat:
When everyone is facing the same challenges.
An Arm And A Leg:
Very expensive. A large amount of money.
An Axe To Grind:
To have a dispute with someone.
Apple of My Eye:
Someone who is cherished above all others.
As High As A Kite:
Anything that is high up in the sky.
At The Drop Of A Hat:
Willing to do something immediately.

B
Back Seat Driver:
People who criticize from the sidelines, much like someone giving unwanted advice from the back
seat of a vehicle to the driver.
Back To Square One:
Having to start all over again.
Back To The Drawing Board:
When an attempt fails and it's time to start all over.
Baker's Dozen:
Thirteen.
Barking Up The Wrong Tree:
A mistake made in something you are trying to achieve.
Beat A Dead Horse:
To force an issue that has already ended.
Beating Around The Bush:
Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.
Bend Over Backwards:
Do whatever it takes to help. Willing to do anything.

Between A Rock And A Hard Place:

Stuck between two very bad options.
Bite Off More Than You Can Chew:
To take on a task that is way to big.
Bite Your Tongue:
To avoid talking.
Blood Is Thicker Than Water:
The family bond is closer than anything else.
Blue Moon:
A rare event or occurance.
Break A Leg:
A superstitious way to say 'good luck' without saying 'good luck', but rather the opposite.
Buy A Lemon:
To purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems or stops running after you drive it away.

C
Can't Cut The Mustard :
Someone who isn't adequate enough to compete or participate.
Cast Iron Stomach:
Someone who has no problems, complications or ill effects with eating anything or drinking
anything.
Charley Horse:
Stiffness in the leg / A leg cramp.
Chew someone out:
Verbally scold someone.
Chip on his Shoulder:
Angry today about something that occured in the past.
Chow Down:
To eat.
Close but no Cigar:
To be very near and almost accomplish a goal, but fall short.
Cock and Bull Story:
An unbelievable tale.
Come Hell Or High Water:
Any difficult situation or obstacle.

Crack Someone Up:

To make someone laugh.
Cross Your Fingers:
To hope that something happens the way you want it to.
Cry Over Spilt Milk:
When you complain about a loss from the past.
Cry Wolf:
Intentionally raise a false alarm.
Cup Of Joe:
A cup of coffee.
Curiosity Killed The Cat:
Being Inquisitive can lead you into a dangerous situation.
Cut to the Chase:
Leave out all the unnecessary details and just get to the point.

D
Dark Horse:

Onewhowaspreviouslyunknownandisnowprominent.
Dead Ringer:

100%identical.Aduplicate.
Devil's Advocate:

Someonewhotakesapositionforthesakeofargumentwithoutbelievinginthat
particularsideofthearguement.Itcanalsomeanonewhopresentsacounter
argumentforapositiontheydobelievein,toanotherdebater.
Dog Days of Summer:

Thehottestdaysofthesummerseason.
Don't count your chickens before they hatch:

Don'trelyonituntilyoursureofit.
Don't Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth:

Whensomeonegivesyouagift,don'tbeungrateful.
Don't Put All Your Eggs In One Basket:

Donotputallyourresourcesinonepossibility.
Doozy:

Somethingoutstanding.
Down To The Wire:

Somethingthatendsatthelastminuteorlastfewseconds.
Drastic Times Call For Drastic Measures:

Whenyouareextremelydesperateyouneedtotakeextremelydesperateactions.
Drink like a fish:

Todrinkveryheavily.
Drive someone up the wall:

Toirritateand/orannoyverymuch.
Dropping Like Flies:

Alargenumberofpeopleeitherfallingillordying.
Dry Run:

Rehearsal.

E
Eighty Six:

Acertainitemisnolongeravailable.Orthisidiomcanalsomean,tothrowaway.
Elvis has left the building:

Theshowhascometoanend.It'sallover.
Ethnic Cleansing:

Killingofacertainethnicorreligiousgrouponamassivescale.
Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining:

Beoptomistic,evendifficulttimeswillleadtobetterdays.
Everything But The Kitchen Sink:

Almosteverythingandanythinghasbeenincluded.
Excuse my French:

Pleaseforgivemeforcussing.
Cock and Bull Story:

Anunbelievabletale.
Cock and Bull Story:

Anunbelievabletale.

Feeding Frenzy:

Anaggressiveattackonsomeonebyagroup.
Field Day:

Anenjoyabledayorcircumstance.
Finding Your Feet:

Tobecomemorecomfortableinwhateveryouaredoing.
Finger lickin' good:

Averytastyfoodormeal.
Fixed In Your Ways:

Notwillingorwantingtochangefromyournormalwayofdoingsomething.
Flash In The Pan:

Somethingthatshowspotentialorlookspromisinginthebeginningbutfailsto
deliveranythingintheend.
Flea Market:

Aswapmeet.Aplacewherepeoplegathertobuyandsellinexpensivegoods.
Flesh and Blood:

Thisidiomcanmeanlivingmaterialofwhichpeoplearemadeof,oritcanreferto
someone'sfamily.
Flip The Bird:

Toraiseyourmiddlefingeratsomeone.
Foam at the Mouth:

Tobeenragedandshowit.
Fools' Gold:

Ironpyrites,aworthlessrockthatresemblesrealgold.
French Kiss:

Anopenmouthkisswheretonguestouch.
From Rags To Riches:

Togofrombeingverypoortobeingverywealthy.
Fuddy-duddy:

Anoldfashionedandfoolishtypeofperson.
Full Monty:

Thisidiomcanmeaneither,"thewholething"or"completelynude".
Funny Farm:

Amentalinstitutionalfacility.

G
Get Down to Brass Tacks:

Tobecomeseriousaboutsomething.
Get Over It:

Tomovebeyondsomethingthatisbotheringyou.
Get Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed:

Someonewhoishavingahorribleday.
Get Your Walking Papers:

Getfiredfromajob.
Give Him The Slip:

Togetawayfrom.Toescape.
Go Down Like A Lead Balloon:

Tobereceivedbadlybyanaudience.
Go For Broke:

Togambleeverythingyouhave.
Go Out On A Limb:

Putyourselfinatoughpositioninordertosupportsomeone/something.
Go The Extra Mile:

Goingaboveandbeyondwhateverisrequiredforthetaskathand.
Good Samaritan:

Someonewhohelpsotherswhentheyareinneed,withnodiscussionfor
compensation,andnothoughtofareward.
Graveyard Shift:

Workinghoursfromabout12:00amto8:00am.Thetimeofthedaywhenmost
otherpeoplearesleeping.
Great Minds Think Alike:

Intelligentpeoplethinklikeeachother.
Green Room:

Thewaitingroom,especiallyforthosewhoareabouttogoonatvorradioshow.
Gut Feeling:

Apersonalintuitionyouget,especiallywhenfeelsomethingmaynotberight.

H
Haste Makes Waste:

Quicklydoingthingsresultsinapoorending.
Hat Trick:

Whenoneplayerscoresthreegoalsinthesamehockeygame.Thisidiomcanalso
meanthreescoresinanyothersport,suchas3homeruns,3touchdowns,3soccer
goals,etc.
Have an Axe to Grind:

Tohaveadisputewithsomeone.
He Lost His Head:

Angryandovercomebyemotions.
Head Over Heels:

Veryexcitedand/orjoyful,especiallywheninlove.
Hell in a Handbasket:

Deterioratingandheadedforcompletedisaster.
High Five:

Slappingpalmsaboveeachothersheadsascelebrationgesture.
High on the Hog:

LivinginLuxury.
Hit The Books:

Tostudy,especiallyforatestorexam.
Hit The Hay:

Gotobedorgotosleep.
Hit The Nail on the Head:

Dosomethingexactlyrightorsaysomethingexactlyright.
Hit The Sack:

Gotobedorgotosleep.
Hocus Pocus:

Ingeneral,atermusedinmagicortrickery.
Hold Your Horses:

Bepatient.
I

Icing On The Cake:

Whenyoualreadyhaveitgoodandgetsomethingontopofwhatyoualreadyhave.
Idle Hands Are The Devil's Tools:

Youaremorelikelytogetintroubleifyouhavenothingtodo.
If It's Not One Thing, It's Another:

Whenonethinggoeswrong,thenanother,andanother...
In Like Flynn:

Tobeeasilysuccessful,especiallywhensexualorromantic.
In The Bag:

Tohavesomethingsecured.
In The Buff:

Nude.
In The Heat Of The Moment:

Overwhelmedbywhatishappeninginthemoment.
In Your Face:

Anaggressiveandboldconfrontation.
It Takes Two To Tango:

Atwopersonconflictwherebothpeopleareatfault.
It's A Small World:

Youfrequentlyseethesamepeopleindifferentplaces.
Its Anyone's Call:

Acompetitionwheretheoutcomeisdifficulttojudgeorpredict.
Ivy League:

Since1954theIvyLeaguehasbeenthefollowinguniversities:Columbia,Brown,Cornell,
Dartmouth,Yale,Pennsylvania,Princeton,andHarvard.

J
Jaywalk:

Crossingthestreet(fromthemiddle)withoutusingthecrosswalk.
Joshing Me:

Trickingme.

K
Keep An Eye On Him:

Youshouldcarefullywatchhim.
Keep body and soul together:

Toearnasufficientamountofmoneyinordertokeepyourselfalive.
Keep your chin up:

Toremainjoyfulinatoughsituation.
Kick The Bucket:

Die.
Kitty-corner:

Diagonallyacross.SometimescalledCattyCorneraswell.
Knee Jerk Reaction:

Aquickandautomaticresponse.
Knock On Wood:

Knuckletappingonwoodinordertoavoidsomebadluck.
Know the Ropes:

Tounderstandthedetails.

L
Last but not least:

Anintroductionphrasetolettheaudienceknowthatthelastpersonmentionedisnoless
importantthanthoseintroducedbeforehim/her.
Lend Me Your Ear:

Topolitelyaskforsomeone'sfullattention.
Let Bygones Be Bygones:

Toforgetaboutadisagreementorarguement.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie:

Toavoidrestartingaconflict.
Let The Cat Out Of The Bag:

Toshareasecretthatwasn'tsupposetobeshared.

Level playing field:

Afaircompetitionwherenosidehasanadvantage.
Like a chicken with its head cut off:

Toactinafrenziedmanner.
liquor someone up:

Togetsomeonedrunk.
Long in the Tooth:

Oldpeople(orhorses).
Loose Cannon:

Someonewhoisunpredictableandcancausedamageifnotkeptincheck.

M
Make No Bones About:

Tostateafactsotherearenodoubtsorobjections.
Method To My Madness:

Strangeorcrazyactionsthatappearmeaninglessbutintheendaredoneforagoodreason.
Mumbo Jumbo:

Nonsenseormeaninglessspeech.
Mum's the word:

Tokeepquiet.Tosaynothing.

N
Nest Egg:

Savingssetasideforfutureuse.
Never Bite The Hand That Feeds You:

Don'thurtanyonethathelpsyou.
New kid on the block:

Someonenewtothegrouporarea.
New York Minute:

Aminutethatseemstogobyquickly,especiallyinafastpacedenvironment.

No Dice:

Tonotagree.Tonotacceptaproposition.
No Room to Swing a Cat:

Anunsuallysmallorconfinedspace.
Not Playing With a Full Deck:

Someonewholacksintelligence.

O
Off On The Wrong Foot:

Gettingabadstartonarelationshiportask.
Off The Hook:

Nolongerhavetodealwithatoughsituation.
Off the Record:

Somethingsaidinconfidencethattheonespeakingdoesn'twantattributedtohim/her.
On Pins And Needles:

Anxiousornervous,especiallyinanticipationofsomething.
On The Fence:

Undecided.
On The Same Page:

Whenmultiplepeopleallagreeonthesamething.
Out Of The Blue:

Somethingthatsuddenlyandunexpectedlyoccurs.
Out On A Limb:

Whensomeoneputsthemselfinariskysituation.
Out On The Town:

Toenjoyyourselfbygoingout.
Over My Dead Body:

Whenyouabsolutelywillnotallowsomethingtohappen.
Over the Top:

Veryexcessive.

P
Pass The Buck:

Avoidresponsibilitybygivingittosomeoneelse.
Pedal to the metal:

Togofullspeed,especiallywhiledrivingavehicle.
Peeping Tom:

Someonewhoobservespeopleinthenudeorsexuallyactivepeople,mainlyforhisown
gratification.
Pick up your ears:

Tolistenverycarefully.
Pig In A Poke:

Adealthatismadewithoutfirstexaminingit.
Pig Out :

Toeatalotandeatitquickly.
Pipe Down:

Toshutuporbequiet.
Practice Makes Perfect:

Byconstantlypracticing,youwillbecomebetter.
Pull the plug:

Tostopsomething.Tobringsomethingtoanend.
Pulling Your Leg:

Trickingsomeoneasajoke.
Put a sock in it:

Totellnoisypersonoragrouptobequiet.

Q
Queer the pitch:

Destroyorruinaplan.

Raincheck:

Anofferordealthatisdeclinedrightnowbutwillingtoacceptlater.
Raining Cats and Dogs:

Averyloudandnoisyrainstorm.
Ring Fencing:

Seperatedusualjudgementtoguaranteeprotection,especiallyprojectfunds.
Rise and Shine:

Timetogetoutofbedandgetreadyforwork/school.
Rome Was Not Built In One Day:

Ifyouwantsomethingtobecompletelyproperly,thenitsgoingtotaketime.
Rule Of Thumb:

Aroughestimate.
Run out of steam:

Tobecompletelyoutofenergy.

S
Saved By The Bell:

Savedatthelastpossiblemoment.
Scapegoat:

Someoneelsewhotakestheblame.
Scot-free:

Toescapeandnothavetopay.
Sick As A Dog:

Tobeverysick(withthefluoracold).
Sitting Shotgun:

Ridinginthefrontpassengerseatofacar.
Sixth Sense:

Aparanormalsensethatallowsyoutocommunicatewiththedead.
Skid Row:

Therundownareaofacitywherethehomelessanddruguserslive.
Smell A Rat:

Todetectsomoneinthegroupisbetrayingtheothers.

Smell Something Fishy:

Detectingthatsomethingisn'trightandtheremightbeareasonforit.
Son of a Gun:

Ascamp.
Southpaw:

Someonewhoislefthanded.
Spitting Image:

Theexactlikenessorkind.
Start From Scratch:

Todoitalloveragainfromthebeginning.

T
The Ball Is In Your Court:

Itisyourdecisionthistime.
The Best Of Both Worlds:

Therearetwochoicesandyouhavethemboth.
The Bigger They Are The Harder They Fall:

Whilethebiggerandstrongeropponentmightbealotmoredifficulttobeat,whenyoudo
theysufferamuchbiggerloss.
The Last Straw:

Whenonesmallburdenafteranothercreatesanunbearablesituation,thelaststrawisthe
lastsmallburdenthatonecantake.
The Whole Nine Yards:

Everything.Allofit.
Third times a charm:

Afternosuccessthefirsttwotimes,thethirdtryisaluckyone.
Tie the knot:

Togetmarried.
Til the cows come home:

Alongtime.
To Make A Long Story Short:

Somethingsomeonewouldsayduringalongandboringstoryinordertokeephis/her
audiencefromlosingattention.Usuallythestoryisn'tshortened.
To Steal Someone's Thunder:

Totakethecreditforsomethingsomeoneelsedid.
Tongue-in-cheek:

humor,nottobetakenserious.
Turn A Blind Eye:

Refusetoacknowledgesomethingyouknowisrealorlegit.
Twenty three skidoo:

Tobeturnedaway.

U
Under the weather:

Feelingillorsick.
Up a blind alley:

Goingdownacourseofactionthatleadstoabadoutcome.
Use Your Loaf:

Useyourhead.Thinksmart.

V
Van Gogh's ear for music:

Tonedeaf.
Variety Is The Spice Of Life:

Themoreexperiencesyoutrythemoreexcitinglifecanbe.

W
Wag the Dog:

Adiversionawayfromsomethingofgreaterimportance.
Water Under The Bridge:

Anythingfromthepastthatisn'tsignificantorimportantanymore.
Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve:

Toopenlyandfreelyexpressyouremotions.
When It Rains, It Pours:

Sinceitrarelyrains,whenitdoesitwillbeahugestorm.
When Pigs Fly :

Somethingthatwillnevereverhappen.
Wild and Woolly:

Unculturedandwithoutlaws.
Wine and Dine:

Whensomebodyistreatedtoanexpensivemeal.
Without A Doubt:

Forcertain.

X
X marks the spot:

Aphrasethatissaidwhensomeonefindssomethinghe/shehasbeenlookingfor.

Y
You Are What You Eat:

Inordertostayhealthyyoumusteathealthyfoods.
You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover:

Decisionsshouldn'tbemadeprimarilyonappearance.
You Can't Take it With You:

Enjoywhatyouhaveandnotwhatyoudon'thave,sincewhenyoudieyoucannottake
things(suchasmoney)withyou.
Your Guess Is As Good As Mine:

Ihavenoidea.

Zero Tolerance:

Nocrimeorlawbreakingbigorsmallwillbeoverlooked.