Idioms

No. Idioms Meanings 1. a bad egg a worthless person

2. a bed of roses very comfortable

3. a black mark record showing one’s wrongdoing 4. a black sheep person who disgraces his family 5. a bolt from the blue an unpleasant surprise

6. a bone of contention a cause of argument 7. a cat on hot bricks very nervous

8. a chip of the old block very much like father 9. a cock and bull story a silly and incredible story

10. a die hard someone who does not give up his ideas easily 11. a dog with two tails a person who is extremely pleased

12. a doubting Thomas a person who does not believe something 13. a fly in the ointment something which prevents a plan from being

carried out smoothly 14. a good for nothing a useless person

15. a green horn someone new and inexperienced in a job 16. a heart to heart talk a confidential talk

17. a man of straw a weak and worthless person

18. a red herring something meant to mislead people and throw them off the trail

19. a red letter day an important day where something good happens

20. a red rag to a bull something which angers a person

21. a scapegoat somebody who is blamed for something he did not do

22. a snake in the grass a person who is not to be trusted 23. a thorn in one’s flesh a nuisance

24. a white elephant a useless object which is expensive to upkeep 25. a wild goose chase an attempt to do something that has no chance

of success

26. a wild-cat scheme a rash scheme which will probably fail 27. alpha and omega the beginning and the end

28. an eye for an eye to return evil for evil 29. at one’s finger tips to know thoroughly 30. at one’s wit’s end quite puzzled 31. at the eleventh hour at the last moment

32. be a wet blanket discourage others from enjoying what they are doing

33. be at loggerheads disagreeing or quarrelling 34. be on tenterhooks be in a state of suspense 35. between the devil and the

deep blue sea between two equally bad alternatives

36. big – headed conceited

37. blue collar job job requiring little skill, factory job

38. brain wave clever idea

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41. by hook or by crook by fair or foul means 42. cat and dog life always quarrelling 43. cat’s eyes able to see in the dark

44. caught red-handed caught while committing a crime 45. change hands pass from one owner to another 46. child’s play very easy to do

47. close fisted stingy, mean

48. cry over spilt milk be unhappy about something that cannot be undone

49. cut one’s coat according to

one’s cloth live within one’s income

50. dead broke without a cent

51. dog-eared book well-worn, much-used book 52. donkey work work needing no skill

53. donkey’s years a very long time

54. drop a brick say or do something tactless

55. Dutch courage false courage, perhaps obtained by drinking alcoholic drinks

56. elbow room space to move

57. eye wash deceit

58. feel blue feel unhappy

59. feel something in one’s bones to have feeling about something

60. final straw another problem that makes the situation unbearable

61. fish out of water to feel uncomfortable in a strange place or situation

62. fishy story an untrue story

63. from A to Z very thoroughly and completely 64. get your act together to get oneself organized

65. give the green light give permission

66. green belt place which has plenty of trees 67. green with envy filled with envy or jealousy 68. grey matter common sense, brains

69. guinea pig person used as a subject for an experiment 70. half – hearted having no enthusiasm for a particular task or job 71. hard – headed unemotional, business-like

72. hard and fast rule very strict rule

73. have a down on someone to be very hostile or opposed to someone 74. have a soft sport for feeling of special fondness for someone 75. Hobson’s choice no choice at all

76. hornet’s nest a source of great trouble 77. hue and cry outcry of alarm

78. in a nut shell to say everything in a few words 79. in a twinkling of an eye very quickly

80. in cold blood deliberately

81. in someone’s black book out of favour with someone 82. in the good books of in favour with

83. in the nick of time only just in time

84. in the red owing money

85. in the same boat in the same circumstances

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87. jump out of the frying pan

into the fire go from a bad to a worse situation

88. keep a cool head to keep calm

89. keep a person in the dark keep something hidden from a person 90. keep one’s fingers crossed to hope for luck

91. let bygones be bygones let things that are past be forgotten 92. light-fingered to have the habit of stealing

93. like a bat out of hell extremely quickly 94. like a bear with a sore head very bad tempered 95. like gold dust extremely rare

96. live from hand to mouth spending money as soon as it is earned 97. make a mountain out of

molehill to make a small matter appear important

98. mare’s nest unfounded suspicion

99. monkey business behaviour which is full of tricks or causes troubles 100. no laughing matter something very serious

101. not turn a hair to remain calm 102. on the cards very likely to happen

103. on thin ice in a dangerous and difficult position 104. once in a blue moon very seldom

105. one’s bread and butter one’s livelihood 106. out of the blue suddenly

107. out of the question impossible

108. out of the top drawer from the upper social classes

109. paddle your own canoe mind your own business, depend on yourself 110. paint the town red go out and behave noisily

111. parrot fashion learn or repeat words mechanically 112. pass the buck to pass on the responsibility

113. pig in a poke to buy something blindly

114. puppy fat fat which young people have during adolescence

115. put two and two together to arrive at conclusion 116. rat race competitive world

117. red carpet welcome special welcome to a guest 118. red tape official rules which cause delay 119. short – handed lacking help

120. show one’s true colours show one’s true character 121. single – handed to do something alone 122. slap in the face a rebuff

123. spread like wildfire to spread very quickly 124. that’s all moonshine that’s all rubbish 125. the apple of one’s eyes a favoured person

126. the die is cast something has been done that makes the future inevitable on yourself

127. the gift of the gab the ability to speak well on yourself 128. the lion’s share the largest part on yourself

129. the salt of the earth the best people 130. thick – skinned insensitive

131. through thick and thin under all conditions

132. to add insult to injury to harm a person and then insult him 133. to back out to withdraw from an agreement

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135. to be a bundle of nerves to be very nervous

136. to be a dog in a manger to prevent others from having what is useless to oneself

137. to be all ears to listen attentively 138. to be behind bars to be in prison

139. to be born with a silver to be born in wealth and luxury spoon in one’s mouth

140. to be caught napping to be taken by surprise 141. to be cock-sure to be very certain

142. to be in black and white to write it down on paper 143. to be on cloud nine to feel very happy

144. to be on the carpet to be scolded by somebody

145. to be on the rocks the be in desperate or difficult condition 146. to be true to one’s salt to be faithful to one’s employer

147. to beat about the bush to talk in a roundabout way 148. to bell the cat to do something dangerous 149. to bite off more than one can

chew to try to do more than one is able to do

150. to bite the hand that feeds

you to be ungrateful or to harm someone who helped you 151. to blow one’s own trumpet to boast about oneself

152. to bring someone to book to punish 153. to build castles in the air to day dream 154. to burn the candle at both

ends to expend energy in two directions at the same time 155. to burry the hatchet to forget the past quarrels and become friends

again

156. to call a spade a spade to be very frank and outspoken

157. to call it a day to decide that something has come to an end 158. to carry coal to New Castle to do something which is unnecessary

159. to carry the cart before the

horse to do something the wrong way round

160. to carry weight to be important 161. to chance one’s arm to take a risk

162. to clear the air to make a situation less tense and difficult by talking about it

163. to close shave a narrow escape

164. to clutch at any straw to look for anything to save oneself, no matter how weak it may be

165. to come clean to tell truth about something 166. to come to the point to speak briefly and directly 167. to cook one’s goose to spoil one’s chances 168. to cool one’s heels to wait

169. to draw the line somewhere to have a limit

170. to eat humble pie to (be forced to) act in a humble way 171. to eat like a bird to eat very little

172. to eat like a horse to eat heartily or to have a hearty appetite 173. to eat one’s words to take back what one has said

174. to face the music to take punishment or scolding without complaint 175. to feel run down to feel unwell

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178. to foot the bill to pay the bill 179. to get into hot water to get into trouble 180. to get off scot-free not to be punished 181. to get your monkey up to get angry

182. to go as the crow flies to go in a straight line 183. to go to the dogs to become worse 184. to go to the root of the

matter to find out the source of the matter

185. to have a bee in one’s

bonnet to have a crazy idea

186. to have a bee in one’s head to have a crazy idea

187. to have a bone to pick to have something to say which may lead to a quarrel

188. to have a chance of heart to change a decision

189. to have a finger in the pie to mixed up in an affair (in a meddlesome sense) 190. to have a sweet tooth to like sweet things

191. to have an axe to grind to have something to gain by an action 192. to have green eyes to be jealous

193. to have green fingers to have natural skill in making plants grow 194. to have no backbone to have no will of one’s own

195. to have the trump card to have some methods of becoming victorious 196. to hit below the belt to act unfairly towards an opponent

197. to hit the bottle to begin to drink too much 198. to hit upon to discover

199. to hold one’s tongue to keep quiet

200. to hold the reins to be in full control of things 201. to keep a person at arm’s

length to avoid being too familiar with a person

202. to keep in mind to remember

203. to keep one’s chin up not to get discouraged or lose hope in a difficult situation

204. to keep the ball rolling to keep things going or conversation going 205. to keep up appearances to make things appear well when they are not 206. to kick the bucket to die

207. to kill two birds with one stone to do two jobs with one action 208. to know which side one’s

bread is buttered to be mindful of one’s interest

209. to knuckle under to give way

210. to laugh up your sleeve to laugh secretly at someone 211. to lead by the nose to lead blindly

212. to leave no stone unturned to try one’s hardest or to use all means 213. to lend a hand to help

214. to let the cat out of the bag to reveal a secret 215. to look a gift-horse in the

mouth to ask questions about source of a gift

216. to make a clean breast of to confess all

217. to make a day of it to spend the whole day 218. to make both ends meet to live within one’s means 219. to make the air turn blue to swear strongly and profusely 220. to mind one’s p’s and q’s to be careful how one behaves

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223. to pass with flying colours to do very well in a test 224. to pay lip service to pretend to be loyal 225. to pay off old scores to have one’s revenge 226. to pay through the nose to pay too high a price 227. to pick and choose to choose very carefully

228. to play fast and loose to say one thing and do another 229. to play second fiddle to be unimportant

230. to pull one’s weight to do one’s fair share of a task 231. to pull someone’s leg to play a joke on someone 232. to pull strings to get the help of high officials 233. to pull up the socks to improve in what one is doing

234. to put on one’s thinking cap to think of a way to resolve a problem 235. to put on the back burner to delay dealing with something 236. to put your best foot forward to do your very best

237. to put your foot down to put a stop to 238. to rain cats and dogs to rain very heavily

239. to read between the lines to find the hidden meaning 240. to read the riot act to

somebody to give somebody a very severe warning

241. to receive with open arms to welcome warmly

242. to sail too near the wind to take a risk which brings disaster 243. to save face to save oneself from shame

244. to see eye to eye with to agree with

245. to see red to lose control of one’s temper 246. to see the light to understand

247. to shed crocodile tears to shed false tears

248. to sit on the fence to take no sides in a debate or a quarrel 249. to smack one’s lips to show pleasure

250. to smell a rat to suspect something 251. to sow the seed to give the idea 252. to spin a yarn to tell a story 253. to stand on one’s own feet to be independent

254. to strike while the iron is hot to seize your opportunity while it is available 255. to take a leaf out of

another’s book to imitate him

256. to take French leave to take leave without permission

257. to take the law into to do whatever you think is right your own hands even if it is unlawful

258. to take to one’s heels to run away at great speed 259. to take up arms to go to war

260. to take your slipper to

someone to give someone a beating

261. to talk big to boast

262. to tell a white lie to tell a lie for a good cause 263. to throe in sponge to admit defeat

264. to turn one’s back upon

another to refuse help, to abandon

265. to turn over a new leaf to change one’s conduct or behaviour for the better

266. to turn turtle to overturn

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public

268. to waste one’s breath to say something which is ignored 269. to win the day to be victorious

270. to work like a charm to be very effective 271. turn a blind eye to refuse to see 272. turn a deaf ear to refuse to hear 273. turn the tables to reverse the situation 274. under one’s roof in one’s own house

275. up to date modern

276. up to the mark up to a certain standard 277. white collar job office job, indoor job 278. willing horse willing and helpful person 279. wipe the state clean to start afresh

280. with one foot in the grave only a short time to live

281. with the naked eye the eye unaided by any instrument 282. within a stone’s throw of very near

283. wolf in sheep’s clothing an enemy who pretends to be friendly 284. wolf whistle male whistle to attract a female’s attention 285. yellow at heart cowardly