Friday, 27 November 2015

list of idioms

D
Dark Horse: 
One who was previously unknown and is now prominent.
Dead Ringer: 
100% identical. A duplicate.
Devil's Advocate: 
Someone who takes a position for the sake of argument without believing in that particular side of the arguement. It can also mean one who presents a counter argument for a position they do believe in, to another debater.
Dog Days of Summer: 
The hottest days of the summer season.
Don't count your chickens before they hatch: 
Don't rely on it until your sure of it.
Don't Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth: 
When someone gives you a gift, don't be ungrateful.
Don't Put All Your Eggs In One Basket: 
Do not put all your resources in one possibility.
Doozy: 
Something outstanding.
Down To The Wire: 
Something that ends at the last minute or last few seconds.
Drastic Times Call For Drastic Measures: 
When you are extremely desperate you need to take extremely desperate actions.
Drink like a fish: 
To drink very heavily.
Drive someone up the wall: 
To irritate and/or annoy very much.
Dropping Like Flies: 
A large number of people either falling ill or dying.
Dry Run: 
Rehearsal.


E
Eighty Six: 
A certain item is no longer available. Or this idiom can also mean, to throw away.
Elvis has left the building: 
The show has come to an end. It's all over.
Ethnic Cleansing: 
Killing of a certain ethnic or religious group on a massive scale.
Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining: 
Be optomistic, even difficult times will lead to better days.
Everything But The Kitchen Sink: 
Almost everything and anything has been included.
Excuse my French: 
Please forgive me for cussing.
Cock and Bull Story: 
An unbelievable tale.
Cock and Bull Story: 
An unbelievable tale.


F
Feeding Frenzy: 
An aggressive attack on someone by a group. 
Field Day: 
An enjoyable day or circumstance. 
Finding Your Feet: 
To become more comfortable in whatever you are doing. 
Finger lickin' good: 
A very tasty food or meal. 
Fixed In Your Ways: 
Not willing or wanting to change from your normal way of doing something. 
Flash In The Pan: 
Something that shows potential or looks promising in the beginning but fails to deliver anything in the end. 
Flea Market: 
A swap meet. A place where people gather to buy and sell inexpensive goods. 
Flesh and Blood: 
This idiom can mean living material of which people are made of, or it can refer to someone's family. 
Flip The Bird: 
To raise your middle finger at someone. 
Foam at the Mouth: 
To be enraged and show it. 
Fools' Gold: 
Iron pyrites, a worthless rock that resembles real gold. 
French Kiss: 
An open mouth kiss where tongues touch. 
From Rags To Riches: 
To go from being very poor to being very wealthy.
Fuddy-duddy: 
An old-fashioned and foolish type of person. 
Full Monty: 
This idiom can mean either, "the whole thing" or "completely nude".
Funny Farm: 
A mental institutional facility.


G
Get Down to Brass Tacks: 
To become serious about something.
Get Over It: 
To move beyond something that is bothering you.
Get Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed: 
Someone who is having a horrible day. 
Get Your Walking Papers: 
Get fired from a job.
Give Him The Slip: 
To get away from. To escape. 
Go Down Like A Lead Balloon: 
To be received badly by an audience.
Go For Broke: 
To gamble everything you have.
Go Out On A Limb: 
Put yourself in a tough position in order to support someone/something.
Go The Extra Mile: 
Going above and beyond whatever is required for the task at hand.
Good Samaritan: 
Someone who helps others when they are in need, with no discussion for compensation, and no thought of a reward.
Graveyard Shift: 
Working hours from about 12:00 am to 8:00 am. The time of the day when most other people are sleeping.
Great Minds Think Alike: 
Intelligent people think like each other.
Green Room: 
The waiting room, especially for those who are about to go on a tv or radio show.
Gut Feeling: 
A personal intuition you get, especially when feel something may not be right. 


H
Haste Makes Waste: 
Quickly doing things results in a poor ending. 
Hat Trick: 
When one player scores three goals in the same hockey game. This idiom can also mean three scores in any other sport, such as 3 homeruns, 3 touchdowns, 3 soccer goals, etc. 
Have an Axe to Grind: 
To have a dispute with someone. 
He Lost His Head: 
Angry and overcome by emotions. 
Head Over Heels: 
Very excited and/or joyful, especially when in love. 
Hell in a Handbasket: 
Deteriorating and headed for complete disaster. 
High Five: 
Slapping palms above each others heads as celebration gesture. 
High on the Hog: 
Living in Luxury.
Hit The Books: 
To study, especially for a test or exam. 
Hit The Hay: 
Go to bed or go to sleep. 
Hit The Nail on the Head: 
Do something exactly right or say something exactly right. 
Hit The Sack: 
Go to bed or go to sleep.
Hocus Pocus: 
In general, a term used in magic or trickery.
Hold Your Horses: 
Be patient.


I
Icing On The Cake: 
When you already have it good and get something on top of what you already have.
Idle Hands Are The Devil's Tools: 
You are more likely to get in trouble if you have nothing to do.
If It's Not One Thing, It's Another: 
When one thing goes wrong, then another, and another...
In Like Flynn: 
To be easily successful, especially when sexual or romantic.
In The Bag: 
To have something secured.
In The Buff: 
Nude.
In The Heat Of The Moment: 
Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment.
In Your Face: 
An aggressive and bold confrontation.
It Takes Two To Tango: 
A two person conflict where both people are at fault.
It's A Small World: 
You frequently see the same people in different places.
Its Anyone's Call: 
A competition where the outcome is difficult to judge or predict.
Ivy League: 
Since 1954 the Ivy League has been the following universities: Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Yale, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Harvard.


J
Jaywalk: 
Crossing the street (from the middle) without using the crosswalk.
Joshing Me: 
Tricking me.


K
Keep An Eye On Him: 
You should carefully watch him.
Keep body and soul together: 
To earn a sufficient amount of money in order to keep yourself alive .
Keep your chin up: 
To remain joyful in a tough situation.
Kick The Bucket: 
Die.
Kitty-corner: 
Diagonally across. Sometimes called Catty-Corner as well.
Knee Jerk Reaction: 
A quick and automatic response.
Knock On Wood: 
Knuckle tapping on wood in order to avoid some bad luck.
Know the Ropes: 
To understand the details.


L
Last but not least: 
An introduction phrase to let the audience know that the last person mentioned is no less important than those introduced before him/her.
Lend Me Your Ear: 
To politely ask for someone's full attention.
Let Bygones Be Bygones: 
To forget about a disagreement or arguement.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie: 
To avoid restarting a conflict.
Let The Cat Out Of The Bag: 
To share a secret that wasn't suppose to be shared.
Level playing field: 
A fair competition where no side has an advantage.
Like a chicken with its head cut off: 
To act in a frenzied manner.
liquor someone up: 
To get someone drunk.
Long in the Tooth: 
Old people (or horses).
Loose Cannon: 
Someone who is unpredictable and can cause damage if not kept in check.


M
Make No Bones About: 
To state a fact so there are no doubts or objections.
Method To My Madness: 
Strange or crazy actions that appear meaningless but in the end are done for a good reason.
Mumbo Jumbo: 
Nonsense or meaningless speech.
Mum's the word: 
To keep quiet. To say nothing.


N
Nest Egg: 
Savings set aside for future use.
Never Bite The Hand That Feeds You: 
Don't hurt anyone that helps you.
New kid on the block: 
Someone new to the group or area.
New York Minute: 
A minute that seems to go by quickly, especially in a fast paced environment.
No Dice: 
To not agree. To not accept a proposition.
No Room to Swing a Cat: 
An unsually small or confined space.
Not Playing With a Full Deck: 
Someone who lacks intelligence.


O
Off On The Wrong Foot: 
Getting a bad start on a relationship or task.
Off The Hook: 
No longer have to deal with a tough situation.
Off the Record: 
Something said in confidence that the one speaking doesn't want attributed to him/her.
On Pins And Needles: 
Anxious or nervous, especially in anticipation of something.
On The Fence: 
Undecided.
On The Same Page: 
When multiple people all agree on the same thing.
Out Of The Blue: 
Something that suddenly and unexpectedly occurs.
Out On A Limb: 
When someone puts themself in a risky situation.
Out On The Town: 
To enjoy yourself by going out.
Over My Dead Body: 
When you absolutely will not allow something to happen.
Over the Top: 
Very excessive.


P
Pass The Buck: 
Avoid responsibility by giving it to someone else.
Pedal to the metal: 
To go full speed, especially while driving a vehicle.
Peeping Tom: 
Someone who observes people in the nude or sexually active people, mainly for his own gratification.
Pick up your ears: 
To listen very carefully.
Pig In A Poke: 
A deal that is made without first examining it.
Pig Out : 
To eat alot and eat it quickly.
Pipe Down: 
To shut-up or be quiet.
Practice Makes Perfect: 
By constantly practicing, you will become better.
Pull the plug: 
To stop something. To bring something to an end.
Pulling Your Leg: 
Tricking someone as a joke.
Put a sock in it: 
To tell noisy person or a group to be quiet.


Q
Queer the pitch: 
Destroy or ruin a plan.


R
Raincheck: 
An offer or deal that is declined right now but willing to accept later.
Raining Cats and Dogs: 
A very loud and noisy rain storm.
Ring Fencing: 
Seperated usual judgement to guarantee protection, especially project funds.
Rise and Shine: 
Time to get out of bed and get ready for work/school.
Rome Was Not Built In One Day: 
If you want something to be completely properly, then its going to take time.
Rule Of Thumb: 
A rough estimate.
Run out of steam: 
To be completely out of energy.

S
Saved By The Bell: 
Saved at the last possible moment.
Scapegoat: 
Someone else who takes the blame.
Scot-free: 
To escape and not have to pay.
Sick As A Dog: 
To be very sick (with the flu or a cold).
Sitting Shotgun: 
Riding in the front passenger seat of a car.
Sixth Sense: 
A paranormal sense that allows you to communicate with the dead.
Skid Row: 
The rundown area of a city where the homeless and drug users live.
Smell A Rat: 
To detect somone in the group is betraying the others.
Smell Something Fishy: 
Detecting that something isn't right and there might be a reason for it.
Son of a Gun: 
A scamp.
Southpaw: 
Someone who is left-handed.
Spitting Image: 
The exact likeness or kind.
Start From Scratch: 
To do it all over again from the beginning.


T
The Ball Is In Your Court: 
It is your decision this time.
The Best Of Both Worlds: 
There are two choices and you have them both.
The Bigger They Are The Harder They Fall: 
While the bigger and stronger opponent might be alot more difficult to beat, when you do they suffer a much bigger loss.
The Last Straw: 
When one small burden after another creates an unbearable situation, the last straw is the last small burden that one can take.
The Whole Nine Yards: 
Everything. All of it.
Third times a charm: 
After no success the first two times, the third try is a lucky one.
Tie the knot: 
To get married.
Til the cows come home: 
A long time.
To Make A Long Story Short: 
Something someone would say during a long and boring story in order to keep his/her audience from losing attention. Usually the story isn't shortened.
To Steal Someone's Thunder: 
To take the credit for something someone else did.
Tongue-in-cheek: 
humor, not to be taken serious.
Turn A Blind Eye: 
Refuse to acknowledge something you know is real or legit.
Twenty three skidoo: 
To be turned away.


U
Under the weather: 
Feeling ill or sick.
Up a blind alley: 
Going down a course of action that leads to a bad outcome.
Use Your Loaf: 
Use your head. Think smart.


V
Van Gogh's ear for music: 
Tone deaf.
Variety Is The Spice Of Life: 
The more experiences you try the more exciting life can be.


W
Wag the Dog: 
A diversion away from something of greater importance.
Water Under The Bridge: 
Anything from the past that isn't significant or important anymore.
Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve: 
To openly and freely express your emotions.
When It Rains, It Pours: 
Since it rarely rains, when it does it will be a huge storm.
When Pigs Fly : 
Something that will never ever happen.
Wild and Woolly: 
Uncultured and without laws.
Wine and Dine: 
When somebody is treated to an expensive meal.
Without A Doubt: 
For certain.

X
X marks the spot: 
A phrase that is said when someone finds something he/she has been looking for.


Y
You Are What You Eat: 
In order to stay healthy you must eat healthy foods.
You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover: 
Decisions shouldn't be made primarily on appearance.
You Can't Take it With You: 
Enjoy what you have and not what you don't have, since when you die you cannot take things (such as money) with you.
Your Guess Is As Good As Mine: 
I have no idea.


Z
Zero Tolerance: 
No crime or law breaking big or small will be overlooked.

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