Idioms (6 of 6)

Idioms are fixed expressions with nonliteral meaning; a natural way of using a language; or a stylistic expressions of person or group.

Here are some examples of Idiomatic Expressions (6 of 6):

• sitting pretty- in a good or favorable position (informal)
• a pretty penny- a large amount of money
• pretty well- nearly completely
• a red flag to a bull- not one's type
• a roll in the hay- an instance of having sex with somebody
• hit the hay- to go to bed (informal)
• make hay while the sun shines- to take advantage of all opportunities when they present themselves
• a shot in the arm- something that has a sudden good effect on somebody or something
• a shot in the dark- a guess made without any information; an attempt made in desperation but with little hope of success
• deliver or fire a shot across somebody’s bows- give somebody a warning of what might happen
• like a shot- very eagerly and quickly
• know somebody by sight- be able to recognize somebody whom you have never actually met or spoken to
• out of sight- no longer able to be seen; used to express approval and surprise
• have your sights on something- to decide to try to get something
• a skeleton in the closet- a closely kept secret that is a source of shame or embarrassment
• a slap in the face- a rebuke or rebuff (informal)
• a slap on the back- congratulations (informal)
• a slap on the wrist- a mild rebuke or punishment (informal)
• a snake in the grass- somebody who betrays or deceives others
• a sore point- a cause of annoyance
• be on the point of doing something- to be just about to do something; Ex: I was just on the point of leaving.
• beside the point- irrelevant or unimportant
• make a point of doing something- to be careful to do something and, often, to be seen by others to do it
• stretch a point- allow something as an exception to the rule; to exaggerate
• a straw in the wind- a relatively minor incident or thing that gives some indication of what is likely to happen in the future
• clutch or grasp at straws- to be willing to try anything that may help in a situation that is unlikely to succeed
• draw the short straw- to be chosen from a group of people to do a difficult or unpleasant task
• a tall order- a request that is very difficult to fulfill (informal)

Idioms (5 of 6)

Idioms are fixed expressions with nonliteral meaning; a natural way of using a language; or a stylistic expressions of person or group.

Here are some examples of Idiomatic Expressions (5 of 6):

• a hard or tough act to follow- somebody or something that sets a standard difficult to reach by others who come later
• catch somebody in the act- to see or meet somebody just as he or she is doing something, especially something wrong
• clean up your act- to improve your behavior
• get in on the act- to join in something in order to share in its success or profit (informal)
• get your act together- to do something to become more organized
• a tower of strength- somebody who is reliable and supportive
• a walking dictionary or encyclopedia- somebody who is very knowledgeable
• a whole new ball game- a completely new or different set of circumstances
• a wolf in sheep’s clothing- somebody who looks harmless or pleasant but is in fact dangerous or unpleasant
• cry wolf- to give a false alarm or cry for help too many times, so that when help is really needed, no one will give it
• keep the wolf from the door- to be enough to prevent hunger or starvation
• throw somebody to the wolves- to abandon somebody to be destroyed by enemies in order to save yourself
• a man of his word or a woman of her word- somebody who keeps his or her promise
• be as good as your word- to do as promised
• be the last word in something- to be the best, greatest, most fashionable, or most up-to-date instance of something
• eat your words- to admit humbly that you were wrong or mistaken
• abolish differentials- make uniform: level, level up or down
• above somebody’s head- too difficult for somebody to understand
• be head and shoulders above somebody- to be notably superior to somebody
• be off your head- to be mentally disturbed
• give somebody his or her head- to relax control or supervision of somebody
• go off your head- to become completely irrational
• go to somebody’s head- to make somebody conceited or overconfident; to make somebody dizzy or lightheaded; Ex: The champagne went right to my head.
• abreast of the times- progressive or up-to-date
• give and take- practice of compromise
• hale and hearty- physically strong and fit
• sick and tired- thoroughly bored or annoyed with someone or something
• slow but sure- slow but good/correct
• beer and skittles- fun and pleasure
• bread and butter- means of earning money; making a living
• to and fro- one way and then the other; up and down
• forgive and forget- be prepared to be reconciled
• hit and miss- inexact; random; sometimes good and sometimes bad
• blow by blow- including all the details, events; in order
• bring home the bacon- to earn the money on which a family lives (informal)
• save somebody’s bacon- to save somebody from serious trouble, punishment, injury, or danger

Idioms (4 of 6)

Idioms are fixed expressions with nonliteral meaning; a natural way of using a language; or a stylistic expressions of person or group.

Here are some examples of Idiomatic Expressions (4 of 6):

• when the chips are down - at a time of crisis or when vital matters are at stake (informal)
• certificate of crew’s health - a certificate stating that the crew of a ship is healthy and is not affected by infectious diseases
• a clean bill of health- a good report on somebody’s health
• a clean slate- an imaginary record of somebody’s past
• wipe the slate clean- to forget about what has happened and make a fresh start (informal)
• a closed book- somebody about whom or something about which little if anything is known or understood
• an open book- something or somebody fully comprehended
• bring somebody to book- to admonish somebody
• cook the books- to alter records, especially financial accounts
• in somebody’s book-in somebody’s opinion
• in somebody’s good or bad books- in or out of favor with somebody
• make book on something- to accept bets on the likelihood of something happening
• throw the book at somebody- to charge somebody with all the offenses he or she may be guilty of, or punish somebody with the maximum penalty
• a crying shame- much to be deplored or too bad
• cut somebody dead- to ignore somebody deliberately and completely
• cut and run- to leave a place quickly to avoid being caught or detained
• cut both ways- to have both advantages and disadvantages
• cut it close- to allow barely enough of something, often time, for what has to be done
• a darn sight- a good deal or a great deal
• a dime a dozen- very common and not worth much
• one thin dime- a very small amount of money
• a dog’s life- a wretched existence
• dog eat dog- ruthlessly competitive
• go to the dogs- be in the final stages of a gradual decline in standards (informal)
• let sleeping dogs lie- to take no action in a situation that is currently peaceful but potentially troublesome
• a drop in the bucket- just a tiny part of the full quantity that is required, and thus insignificant
• at the drop of a hat- without needing persuasion or prompting
• get or have the drop on somebody- to catch somebody by surprise before he or she can surprise you (informal)
• let something drop- to reveal information to somebody, often casually or accidentally
• a feather in somebody’s cap- an act or achievement that gives somebody cause to be proud- Ex: Being asked to give the after-dinner speech was a feather in my cap.
• few and far between- scarce or infrequent (informal)
• quite a few- a fairly large number (informal)
• have or keep a card up your sleeve- to have a secret plan or tactic ready to be used if necessary (informal)
• a few cards short of a (full) deck- not very intelligent (informal)

Idioms (3 of 6)

Idioms are fixed expressions with nonliteral meaning; a natural way of using a language; or a stylistic expressions of person or group.

Here are some examples of Idiomatic Expressions (3 of 6):

• have the cards stacked against you- to be in a situation that is extremely disadvantageous to you and that may prevent you from achieving your goals (informal)
• hold all the cards- to be in complete control of a situation (informal)
• in the cards- likely to happen (informal), Ex: The stock market took the collapse of the banking giant in its stride, as it had been in the cards for some time.
• play your cards right- to take the fullest possible advantage of your chances of success (informal)
• put or lay your cards on the table- to reveal openly what your intentions and plans are (informal)
• a fly in the ointment- a problem that spoils a good situation
• there are no flies on somebody- used to say that somebody is not lacking in intelligence or understanding
• drag your feet- to move or do something slowly and reluctantly on purpose (informal)
• fall or land on your feet- to end up healthy or in a good position, especially after having been sick or in a difficult situation
• find your feet- to become accustomed to a new situation and able to cope with it; to manage to stand up, especially after having fallen
• a foot in the door- the first stage toward a goal, especially when this is difficult to achieve
• foot it- to walk rather than ride in a vehicle or on a horse; Ex: We had to foot it all the way home.
• get off on the wrong foot- to begin something badly, such as a new relationship or job
• have somebody or something at your feet- to be the object of enormous admiration and devotion from somebody or something
• have feet of clay- to have a weakness or flaw that is not obvious at first
• have or keep both or your feet on the ground- to act and think sensibly and realistically
• put your best foot forward- to try as hard as you can to impress or please somebody
• put your feet up- to stop working and relax
• put your foot down- to be firm about something and make sure your wishes are obeyed or respected
• put your foot in your mouth- to make an embarrassing mistake, especially by being tactless (informal)
• shoot yourself in the foot- to do something that unexpectedly turns out to be disadvantageous or harmful to your own interests
• sweep somebody off his or her feet- to charm somebody completely or make somebody fall in love with you in a very short time
• a free hand- opportunity
• a gleam in somebody’s eye- something at the very earliest stage of planning or development
• a hard or tough act to follow- somebody or something that sets a standard difficult to reach by others who come later
• catch somebody in the act- to see or meet somebody just as he or she is doing something, especially something wrong
• clean up your act- to improve your behavior
• get in on the act- to join in something in order to share in its success or profit (informal)
• get your act together- to do something to become more organized (informal)
  a tough or hard row to hoe- something that is difficult to do

Idioms (2 of 6)

Idioms are fixed expressions with nonliteral meaning; a natural way of using a language; or a stylistic expressions of person or group.

Here are some examples of Idiomatic Expressions (2 of 6):

• a babe in arms- somebody who is innocent and inexperienced
• a babe in the woods - somebody who is naive and trusts other people too easily
• a bed of nails - an extremely difficult situation or existence
• go to bed with somebody - to have sexual intercourse with somebody
• put something to bed - to finish something, such as a project
• get up on the wrong side of the bed - to be in an irritable or angry mood right from the start of the day
• bit by bit - gradually
• bits and pieces - miscellaneous small objects - Ex: I collected up my bits and pieces and left.
• do your bit - to contribute your share to work that needs to be done
• every bit - in every way - Ex: She is every bit as skilled as he is.
• a breath of fresh air - somebody or something that is refreshingly new and exciting
• catch your breath = to stop breathing for an instant, for example, from shock or physical pain
• don’t hold your breath! - used to indicate that it is extremely unlikely that something will happen
• in the same breath - at almost the same moment or shortly afterward
• out of breath - breathing heavily because of physical exertion
• take somebody’s breath away - to astonish or greatly impress somebody
• under your breath - in a whispering or muttering voice
• a case in point - a relevant example - Ex: A case in point for our discussion is the steady drop in unit sales.
• be on somebody’s case - to persist in pestering somebody to do something
• get off somebody’s case - to stop pestering somebody to do something- Ex: Please get off my case! I’ll finish mowing the lawn later.
• in any case - taking into account everything said or done before; regardless of that
• in case of something - if something happens • In case of fire, leave by the nearest exit.
• (just) in case - in preparation for an event that may possibly happen- Ex: Take your umbrella, just in case.
• cash in your chips- to die
• a chip off the old block - somebody who looks and behaves very like one of his or her parents
• have a chip on your shoulder - to feel inferior or badly treated and so act in an oversensitive and resentful manner (informal)
• let the chips fall where they may - used to say that you are ready for whatever may be about to happen (informal)

Idioms (1 of 6)

Idioms are fixed expressions with nonliteral meaning; a natural way of using a language; or a stylistic expressions of person or group.

Here are some examples of Idiomatic Expressions (1 of 6):

• hell to pay- serious trouble or punishment that is sure to result from something (informal)
• (just) for the hell of it- just for amusement or excitement (informal)
• play or raise hell with something- to cause harm, disruption, or damage to something (informal)
• a hive of industry or activity- a very busy, active place
• hold somebody for ransom-to hold somebody captive until a sum of money is paid for his or her release; to use threats to try to make somebody do what you want
• a leap in the dark- an action taken without knowing what the outcome or consequences will be
• a level playing field- a situation in which all those involved have an equal chance of being successful
• the same old story- what always happens or is said (informal)
• get a load of- to look at or listen to something or somebody
• a load off your mind- a relief from anxiety or worry
• be the last word in something- to be the best, greatest, most fashionable, or most up-to-date instance of something
  eat your words- to admit humbly that you were wrong or mistaken (informal)
• put in or say a good word for somebody- to speak well of or recommend somebody
• put words in somebody’s mouth- to say that somebody has said something when in fact he or she did not say it
• a minute or two - short space of time
  a new lease on life- renewed freshness or vigor, usually resulting from some minor change
• a pain in the neck- somebody or something that is extremely annoying or troublesome or causes a great many problems
• a pat on the back- an expression of praise or congratulation (informal); Ex: You deserve a pat on the back for getting the work done so quickly.
• a pig in a poke- something that is bought or obtained without being inspected to see if it is worth having
• a place in the sun- a position of success, happiness, or prosperity
• out of place- not where something or somebody should be; inappropriate or incongruous
• put somebody in his or her place- to humble somebody who is behaving in an arrogant, presumptuous, or insolent way (informal)
• take the place of- to be a substitute for or replace something or somebody
• a poor man’s something- a cheaper or inferior version of something, especially one that is more widely available than the original
• a pox on somebody or something- used to express a wish that misfortune will come to somebody or something