| Cat
and dog life |
| If
people lead a cat and dog life, they are always arguing. |
| Cat
burglar |
| A
cat burglar is a skillful thief who breaks into places without
disturbing people or setting off alarms. |
| Cat
fur and kitty britches |
| (USA)
When I used to ask my grandma what was for dinner, she would say
'cat fur and kitty britches'. This was her Ozark way of telling me
that I would get what she cooked. (Ozark is a region in the center
of the United States) |
| Cat
got your tongue? |
| If
someone asks if the cat has got your tongue, they want to know why
you are not speaking when they think you should. |
| Cat
nap |
| If
you have a short sleep during the day, you are cat napping. |
| Cat's
lick |
| (Scot)
A cat's lick is a very quick wash. |
| Cat's
pajamas |
| (USA)
Something that is the cat's pajamas is excellent. |
| Cat's
whiskers |
| Something
excellent is the cat's whiskers. |
| Catch
as catch can |
| This
means that people should try to get something any way they can. |
| Catch
hell |
| If
you catch hell, you get into trouble or get scolded. ('Catch heck'
is also used.) |
| Catch
some z's |
| If
you catch some z's, you get some sleep. |
| Catch
someone red-handed |
| If
someone is caught red-handed, they are found doing something wrong
or illegal. |
| Catch-22 |
| Catch-22
is a situation where conflicting rules make the desired outcome
impossible. It comes from a novel by the American author Joseph
Heller, in which pilots would not have to fly missions if they
were mentally ill, but not wanting to fly dangerous missions was
held to be proof of sanity, so they had to fly anyway. ('Catch
22', without the hyphen, is also used.) |
| Caught
with your hand in the cookie jar |
| (USA)
If someone is caught with his or her hand in the cookie jar, he or
she is caught doing something wrong. |
| Chalk
and cheese |
| Things,
or people, that are like chalk and cheese are very different and
have nothing in common. |
| Champ
at the bit |
| If
someone is champing at the bit, they are very eager to accomplish
something. ('Chomping
at the bit' is also used.) |
| Champagne
taste on a beer budget |
| Someone
who lives above their means and likes things they cannot afford
has champagne taste on a beer budget. |
| Champing
at the bit |
| To
betray impatience, as to begin some action. "I'm champing at
the bit to tell you" "Chomping at the bit" is also
commonly used, though some regard it as an error. |
| Change
horses in midstream |
| If
people change horses in midstream, they change plans or leaders
when they are in the middle of something, even though it may be
very risky to do so. |
| Change
of heart |
| If
you change the way you think or feel about something, you have a
change of heart. |
| Change
tack |
| If
you change tack, you use a different method for dealing with
something. |
| Change
your tune |
| If
someone changes their ideas or the way they talk about them, they
change their tune. |
| Chaps
my ass |
| When
something/someone really annoys you, it chaps your ass. |
| Chapter
and verse |
| When
you know something very well, and can quote it, you know it
chapter and verse. |
| Charity
begins at home |
| This
idiom means that family members are more important than anyone
else, and should be the focus of a person's efforts. |
| Chase
rainbows |
| If
someone chases rainbows, they try to do something that they will
never achieve. |
| Chase
your tail |
| If
you are chasing your tail, you are very busy but not being very
productive. |
| Cheap
as chips |
| (UK)
If something is very inexpensive, it is as cheap as chips. |
| Cheap
at half the price |
| If
something's cheap at half the price, it's very cheap indeed. |
| Cheap
shot |
| A
cheap shot is an unprincipled criticism. |
| Cheat
death |
| If
someone cheats death, they narrowly avoid a major problem or
accident. |
| Cheek
by jowl |
| If
things or people are cheek by jowl, they are very close together. |
| Cherry
pick |
| If
people cherry pick, they choose things that support their
position, while ignoring things that contradict it. |
| Chew
on a bone |
| If
someone is chewing on a bone, he or she is thinking about
something intently. |
| Chew
the cud |
| If
you chew the cud, you think carefully about something. |
| Chew
the fat |
| If
you chew the fat with someone, you talk at leisure with them. |
| Chickenfeed |
| If
something is small or unimportant, especially money, it is
chickenfeed. |
| Child's
play |
| If
something is child's play, it is very easy and simple. |
| Chinese
walls |
| Chinese
walls are regulatory information barriers that aim to stop the
flow of information that could be misused, especially in financial
corporations. |
| Chinese
whispers |
| (UK)
When a story is told from person to person, especially if it is
gossip or scandal, it inevitably gets distorted and exaggerated.
This process is called Chinese whispers. |
| Chip
off the old block |
| If
someone is a chip off the old block, they closely resemble one or
both of the parents in character. |
| Chip
on your shoulder |
| If
someone has a chip on their shoulder, they are resentful about
something and feel that they have been treated badly. |
| Chop
and change |
| If
things chop and change, they keep changing, often unexpectedly. |
| Cigarette
paper |
| If
you cannot get or put a cigarette paper between people, they are
so closely bonded that nothing will separate them or their
positions on issues. |
| Circle
the wagons |
| (USA)
If you circle the wagons, you stop communicating with people who
don't think the same way as you to avoid their ideas.
It can also mean to bring everyone together to defend a
group against an attack. |
| Circling
the drain |
| If
someone is circling the drain, they are very near death and have
little time to live. The phrase can also describe a project or
plan or campaign that that is on the brink of failure. |
| Class
act |
| Someone
who's a class act is exceptional in what they do. |
| Clean
as a whistle |
| If
something is as clean as a whistle, it is extremely clean,
spotless. It can also be used to mean 'completely', though this
meaning is less common nowadays. If somebody is clean as a
whistle, they are not involved in anything illegal. |
| Clean
bill of health |
| If
something or someone has a clean bill of health, then there's
nothing wrong; everything's fine. |
| Clean
break |
| If
you make a clean break, you break away completely from something. |
| Clean
hands |
| Someone
with clean hands, or who keeps their hands clean, is not involved
in illegal or immoral activities. |
| Clean
sheet |
| When
someone has a clean sheet, they have got no criminal record or
problems affecting their reputation. In football and other sports,
a goalkeeper has a clean sheet when let no goals in. |
| Clean
slate |
| If
you start something with a clean slate, then nothing bad from your
past is taken into account. |
| Clean
sweep |
| If
someone makes a clean sweep, they win absolutely everything in a
competition or contest. |
| Clean
your clock |
| If
you clean your clock, you beat someone decisively in a contest or
fight. |
| Clear
as a bell |
| If
something is as clear as a bell, it is very clear or easy to
understand. |
| Clear
as mud |
| If
something is as clear as mud, then it is very confusing and
unclear. |
| Cliffhanger |
| If
something like a sports match or an election is a cliffhanger,
then the result is so close that it cannot be predicted and will
only be known at the very end. |
| Climb
on the bandwagon |
| When
people climb on the bandwagon they do something because it is
popular and everyone else is doing it. |
| Climb
the greasy pole |
| Advance
within an organization - especially in politics. |
| Cling
to hope |
| If
people cling to hope, they continue to hope though the chances of
success are very small. |
| Close
at hand |
| If
something is close at hand, it is nearby or conveniently located. |
| Close
but no cigar |
| (USA)
If you are close but no cigar, you are close to success, but have
not got there. |
| Close
call |
| If
the result of something is a close call, it is almost impossible
to distinguish between the parties involved and to say who has won
or whatever. It can
also mean that you very nearly have a serious accident or get into
trouble. |
| Close
shave |
| If
you have a close shave, you very nearly have a serious accident or
get into trouble. |
| Close
the stable door after the horse has bolted |
| If
people try to fix something after the problem has occurred, they
are trying to close the stable door after the horse has bolted.
'Close the barn door after the horse has bolted' is alternative,
often used in American English. |
| Close
to your heart |
| If
something is close to your heart, you care a lot about it. ('Dear
to your heart' is an alternative.) |
| Closed
book to me |
| If
a subject is a closed book to you, it is something that you don't
understand or know anything about. |
| Cloth
ears |
| If
you don't listen to people, they may suggest you have cloth ears. |
| Cloud
cuckoo land |
| If
someone has ideas or plans that are completely unrealistic, they
are living on cloud cuckoo land. |
| Cloud
nine |
| If
you are on cloud nine, you are extremely happy. ('cloud seven' is
a less common alternative) |
| Cloud
of suspicion |
| If
a cloud of suspicion hangs over an individual, it means that they
are not believed or are distrusted. |
| Cloud
on the horizon |
| If
you can see a problem ahead, you can call it a cloud on the
horizon. |
| Clutch
at straws |
| If
someone is in serious trouble and tries anything to help them,
even though their chances of success are probably nil, they are
clutching at straws. |
| Clutch
play |
| If
an activity is referred to as a clutch play, it means that the
activity was the key to the success or failure of the venture. For
instance, a clutch play in a baseball game may be striking out a
batter with the bases loaded. |
| Coals
to Newcastle |
| (UK)
Taking, bringing, or carrying coals to Newcastle is doing
something that is completely unnecessary. |
| Coast
is clear |
| When
the coast is clear, the people supposed to be watching you are not
there and you are able to move or leave. |
| Cock
a snook |
| To
make a rude gesture by putting one thumb to the nose with the
fingers outstretched. |
| Cock
and bull story |
| A
cock and bull story is a lie someone tells that is completely
unbelievable. |
| Cock
in the henhouse |
| This
is used to describe a male in an all-female environment. |
| Cock
of the walk |
| A
man who is excessively confident and thinks he's better than other
people is the cock of the walk. |
| Cold
day in hell |
| This
is used as a prediction there is no chance some event or condition
will ever happen.'There will be a cold day in hell before he
manages it.' |
| Cold
feet |
| If
you get cold feet about something, you lose the courage to do it. |
| Cold
fish |
| A
cold fish is a person who doesn't show how they feel. |
| Cold
light of day |
| If
you see things in the cold light of day, you see them as they
really are, not as you might want them to be. |
| Cold
shoulder |
| If
you give or show someone the cold shoulder, you are deliberately
unfriendly and unco-operative towards them. |
| Cold
sweat |
| If
something brings you out in a cold sweat, it frightens you a lot. |
| Cold
turkey |
| If
someone suddenly stops taking drugs, instead of slowly cutting
down, they do cold turkey. |
| Colder
than a witches tit |
| If
it is colder than a witches tit, it is extremely cold outside. |
| Collateral
damage |
| Accidental
or unintended damage or casualties are collateral damage. |
| Collect
dust |
| If
something is collecting dust, it isn't being used any more. |
| Color
bar |
| Rules
that restrict access on the basis of race or ethnicity are a color bar. |
| Come
a cropper |
| (UK)
Someone whose actions or lifestyle will inevitably result in
trouble is going to come a cropper. |
| Come
clean |
| If
someone comes clean about something, they admit to deceit or
wrongdoing. |
| Come
hell or high water |
| If
someone says they'll do something come hell or high water, they
mean that nothing will stop them, no matter what happens. |
| Come
of age |
| When
something comes of age it develops completely and reaches
maturity. When someone comes of age, they reach adulthood or
fulfill their potential. |
| Come
on hard |
| If
you come on hard, you are aggressive in your dealing with someone. |
| Come
on the heels of |
| If
something comes on the heels of something, it follows very soon
after it. |
| Come
out in the wash |
| If
something will come out in the wash, it won't have any permanent
negative effect. |
| Come
out of the woodwork |
| When
things come out of the woodwork, they appear unexpectedly.
('Crawl out of the woodwork' is also used.) |
| Come
out of your shell |
| If
someone comes out of their shell, they stop being shy and
withdrawn and become more friendly and sociable. |
| Come
rain or shine |
| If
I say I'll be at a place come rain or shine, I mean that I can be
relied on to turn up; nothing, not even the vagaries of British
weather, will deter me or stop me from being there. |
| Come
to a head |
| If
events reach a crisis point, they come to a head. |
| Come
to bear |
| If
something comes to bear on you, you start to feel the pressure or
effect of it. |
| Come
to call |
| If
someone comes to call, they respond to an order or summons
directly. |
| Come
to grips |
| If
you come to grips with a problem or issue, you face up to it and
deal with it. |
| Come
to heel |
| If
someone comes to heel, they stop behaving in a way that is
annoying to someone in authority and start being obedient. |
| Come
up roses |
| If
things come up roses, they produce a positive result, especially
when things seemed to be going badly at first. |
| Come
up smelling of roses |
| (UK)
If someone comes up smelling of roses, they emerge from a
situation with their reputation undamaged. |
| Come
up trumps |
| When
someone is said to have 'come up trumps', they have completed an
activity successfully or produced a good result, especially when
they were not expected to. |
| Come
what may |
| If
you're prepared to do something come what may, it means that
nothing will stop or distract you, no matter how hard or difficult
it becomes. |
| Come
with the territory |
| If
something comes with the territory, it is part of a job or
responsibility and just has to be accepted, even if unpleasant. |
| Comes
with the territory |
| If
something comes with the territory, especially when undesirable,
it is automatically included with something else, like a job,
responsibility, etc.('Goes with the territory' is also used.) |
| Comfort
zone |
| It
is the temperature range in which the body doesn't shiver or
sweat, but has an idiomatic sense of a place where people feel
comfortable, where they can avoid the worries of the world. It can
be physical or mental. |
| Connect
the dots |
| When
you connect the dots, you understand the connections and
relationships. |
| Constitution
of an ox |
| If
someone has the constitution of an ox, they are less affected than
most people by things like tiredness, illness, alcohol, etc. |
| Cook
someone's goose |
| If
you cook someone's goose, you ruin their plans. |
| Cook
the books |
| If
people cook the books, they keep false accounts to make money
illegally or avoid paying tax. |
| Cooking
with gas |
| (USA)
If you're cooking with gas, you're working very efficiently. |
| Cool
as a cat |
| To
act fine when you a actually scared or nervous |
| Cool
your heels |
| If
you leave someone to cool their heels, you make them wait until
they have calmed down. |
| Coon's
age |
| (USA)
A very long time, as in 'I haven't seen her in a coon's age!' |
| Corner
a market |
| If
a business is dominant in an area and unlikely to be challenged by
other companies, it has cornered the market. |
| Couch
potato |
| A
couch potato is an extremely idle or lazy person who chooses to
spend most of their leisure time horizontal in front of the TV and
eats a diet that is mainly junk food. |
| Could
eat a horse |
| If
you are very hungry, you could eat a horse. |
| Couldn't
give two hoots |
| If
you couldn't give two hoots about something, you don't care at all
about it. |
| Count
sheep |
| If
people cannot sleep, they are advised to count sheep mentally. |
| Count
your blessings |
| When
people count their blessings, they concentrate on all the good
things in their lives instead of the negative ones. |
| Country
mile |
| (USA)
A country mile is used to describe a long distance. |
| Cover
all the bases |
| If
you cover all the bases, you deal with all aspects of a situation
or issue, or anticipate all possibilities. ('Cover all bases' is
also used.) |
| Crack
a nut with a sledgehammer |
| If
you use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, you apply too much force to
achieve a result. ('Jackhammer' is also used.) |
| Crack
of dawn |
| The
crack of dawn is very early in the morning. |
| Crash
a party |
| If
you crash a party, or are a gatecrasher, you go somewhere you
haven't been invited to. |
| Cream
of the crop |
| The
cream of the crop is the best there is. |
| Cream
rises to the top |
| A
good person or idea cannot go unnoticed for long, just as cream
poured in coffee or tea eventually rises to the top. |
| Creature
comforts |
| If
a person said "I hate camping. I don't like giving up my
creature comforts." the person would be referring, in
particular, to the comfortable things he/she would have at home
but not when camping. At home, for example, he/she would have
complete shelter from the weather, a television, a nice
comfortable warm bed, the ability to take a warm bath or shower,
comfortable lounge chairs to relax in and so on. The person
doesn't like giving up the material and psychological benefits of
his/her normal life. |
| Crème
de la crème |
| The
crème de la crème is the very best of something. |
| Crepe
hanger |
| (USA)
One who always looks at the bad side of things and is morbid or
gloomy. In olden days crepe was hung on the door of a deceased
person's home. |
| Crocodile
tears |
| If
someone cries crocodile tears, they pretend to be upset or
affected by something. |
| Crooked
as a dog's hind leg |
| Someone
who is very dishonest is as crooked as a dog's hind leg. |
| Cross
swords |
| When
people cross swords, they argue or dispute. This expression is
used when some groups accuse each other for non-adherence to
norms. Actually no sword is used but the tempo of the argument is
high enough to cause worsening of the already bad situation. It is
a tussle (vehement struggle without use of arms) between the
parties to establish supremacy. |
| Cross
that bridge when you come to it |
| If
you will cross that bridge when you come to it, you will deal with
a problem when it arises, but not until that point |
| Cross
to bear |
| If
someone has a cross to bear, they have a heavy burden of
responsibility or a problem that they alone must cope with. |
| Crossing
the Rubicon |
| When
you are crossing the Rubicon, you are passing a point of no
return. After you do this thing, there is no way of turning
around. The only way left is forward. |
| Crunch
time |
| When
people, companies, etc, have to make an important decision that
will have a considerable effect on their future, it is crunch
time. |
| Cry
wolf |
| If
someone cries wolf, they raise a false alarm about something. |
| Cry
your eyes out |
| If
you cry your eyes out, you cry uncontrollably. |
| Cry-baby |
| A
cry-baby is a person who gets emotional and cries too easily. |
| Cuckoo
in the nest |
| Is
an issue or a problem, etc, is a cuckoo in the nest, it grows
quickly and crowds out everything else. |
| Cupboard
love |
| (UK)
To show love to gain something from someone |
| Curate's
egg |
| (UK)
If something is a bit of a curate's egg, it is only good in parts. |
| Curiosity
killed the cat |
| As
cats are naturally curious animals, we use this expression to
suggest to people that excessive curiosity is not necessarily a
good thing, especially where it is not their business. |
| Curry
favor |
| If
people try to curry favor, they try to get people to support
them. ('Curry favor' is the American spelling.) |
| Curve
ball |
| (USA)
If something is a curve ball, it is deceptive. |
| Cut
a long story short |
| This
idiom is used as a way of shortening a story by getting to the
end or the point. |
| Cut
a rug |
| To
cut a rug is to dance. |
| Cut
above |
| If
a person is described as a cut above other people, they are better
in some way. |
| Cut
and dried |
| If
something is cut and dried, then everything has already been
decided and, in the case of an opinion, might be a little stale
and predictable. |
| Cut
and run |
| If
people cut and run, they take what they can get and leave before
they lose everything. |
| Cut
corners |
| If
people try to do something as cheaply or as quickly as possible,
often sacrificing quality, they are cutting corners. |
| Cut
down the tall poppies |
| (AU)
If people cut down the tall poppies, they criticize people who
stand out from the crowd. |
| Cut
it fine |
| If
you cut it fine, you only just manage to do something- at the very
last moment. 'Cut things fine' is the same. 'Cut it a bit fine' is
a common variation. |
| Cut
off your nose to spite your face |
| If
you cut off your nose to spite your face, you do something rash or
silly that ends up making things worse for you, often because you
are angry or upset. |
| Cut
someone some slack |
| To
relax a rule or make an allowance, as in allowing someone more
time to finish something. |
| Cut
the Gordian knot |
| If
someone cuts the Gordian knot, they solve a very complex problem
in a simple way. |
| Cut
the mustard |
| If
somebody or something doesn't cut the mustard, they fail or it
fails to reach the required standard. |
| Cut
to the chase |
| If
you cut to the chase, you get to the point, or the most
interesting or important part of something without delay. |
| Cut
to the quick |
| If
someone's cut to the quick by something, they are very hurt and
upset indeed. |
| Cut
your coat according to your cloth |
| If
you cut your coat according to your cloth, you only buy things
that you have sufficient money to pay for. |
| Cut
your losses |
| If
you cut your losses, you avoid losing any more money than you
already have by getting out of a situation before matters worsen. |
| Cut
your teeth on |
| The
place where you gain your early experience is where you cut your
teeth. |
| Cute
as a bug |
| (USA)
If something is as cute as a bug, it is sweet and endearing. |
| Cuts
no ice |
| If
something cuts no ice, it doesn't have any effect or influence. |
| Cutting
edge |
| Something
that is cutting edge is at the forefront of progress in its area. |
|
| Daft
as a brush |
| (UK)
Someone who is daft as a brush is rather stupid. |
| Damp
squib |
| (UK)
If something is expected to have a great effect or impact but
doesn't, it is a damp squib. |
| Dancing
on someone's grave |
| If
you will dance on someone's grave, you will outlive or outlast
them and will celebrate their demise. |
| Dark
horse |
| If
someone is a dark horse, they are a bit of a mystery. |
| Davey
Jones' locker |
| Davey
Jones' locker is the bottom of the sea or resting place of drowned
sailors.('Davy Jones' locker' is an alternative spelling.) |
| Day
in the sun |
| If
you have your day in the sun, you get attention and are
appreciated. |
| Daylight
robbery |
| If
you are overcharged or underpaid, it is a daylight robbery; open,
unfair and hard to prevent. Rip-off has a similar meaning. |
| Days
are numbered |
| When
someone’s days are numbered, they are expected to die soon. |
| Dead
air |
| When
there is a period of total silence, there is dead air. |
| Dead
and buried |
| If
something is dead and buried, it has all long been settled and is
not going to be reconsidered. |
| Dead
as a dodo |
| If
something's dead as a dodo, it is lifeless and dull. The dodo was
a bird that lived the island of Mauritius. It couldn't fly and was
hunted to extinction. |
| Dead
as a doornail |
| This
is used to indicate that something is lifeless. |
| Dead
duck |
| If
something is a dead duck, it is a failure. |
| Dead
even |
| If
people competing are dead even, they are at exactly the same stage
or moving at exactly the same speed. |
| Dead
from the neck up |
| Someone
who's dead from the neck up is very stupid indeed. |
| Dead
heat |
| If
a race ends in a dead heat, two or more finish with exactly the
same result. |
| Dead
in the water |
| If
something is dead in the water, it isn't going anywhere or making
any progress. |
| Dead
level best |
| If
you try your dead level best, you try as hard as you possibly could to do something. |
| Dead
man walking |
| A
dead man walking is someone who is in great trouble and will
certainly get punished, lose their job or position, etc, soon. |
| Dead
meat |
| This
is used as a way of threatening someone: You'll be dead meat if
you don't go along. |
| Dead
men's shoes |
| If
promotion or success requires replacing somebody, then it can only
be reached by dead men's shoes' by getting rid of them. |
| Dead
right |
| This
means that something or someone is absolutely correct, without
doubt. |
| Dead
to the world |
| If
somebody's fast asleep and completely unaware of what if happening
around them, he or she's dead to the world. |
| Dead
wrong |
| If
someone is dead wrong, they are absolutely in error, absolutely
incorrect or of incorrect opinion. |
| Deaf
as a post |
| Someone
who is as deaf as a post is unable to hear at all. |
| Dear
John letter |
| A
letter written by a partner explaining why they are ending the
relationship is a Dear John letter. |
| Death
of a thousand cuts |
| If
something is suffering the death of a thousand cuts, or death by a
thousand cuts, lots of small bad things are happening, none of
which are fatal in themselves, but which add up to a slow and
painful demise. |
| Death
warmed up |
| (UK)
If someone looks like death warmed up, they look very ill indeed.
('death warmed over' is the American form) |
| Decorate
the mahogany |
| (USA)
When someone buys a round a pub or bar, they decorate the
mahogany; putting cash on the bar. |
| Deep
pockets |
| If
someone has deep pockets, they are wealthy. |
| Deep
pockets but short arms |
| Someone
who has money but never puts his hand in his pocket to pay for
anything has deep pockets but short arms. |
| Deer
in the headlights |
| When
one is caught off guard and needs to make a decision, but cannot
react quickly. |
| Deliver
the goods |
| Do
what is required, come up to expectations. For example, Kate
delivered the goods and got us the five votes we needed. This
phrase alludes to delivering an order of groceries or other items.
[Colloquial; second half of 1800s] |
| Demon
weed |
| Tobacco
is the demon weed. |
| Derring-do |
| If
a person shows derring-do, they show great courage. |
| Devil
finds work for idle hands |
| When
people say that the devil finds work for idle hands, they mean
that if people don't have anything to do with their time, they are
more likely to get involved in trouble and criminality. |
| Devil
is in the detail |
| When
people say that the devil in the detail, they mean that small
things in plans and schemes that are often overlooked can cause
serious problems later on. |
| Devil
may care |
| If
you live a devil-may-care life it means you are willing to take
more risks than most people. |
| Devil's
advocate |
| If
someone plays Devil's advocate in an argument, they adopt a
position they don't believe in just for the sake of the argument |
| Diamond
in the rough |
| A
diamond in the rough is someone or something that has great
potential, but isn't not refined and polished. |
| Die
is cast |
| If
the die is cast, a decision has been made that cannot be altered
and fate will decide the consequences. |
| Different
kettle of fish |
| If
something is a different kettle of fish, it is very different from
the other things referenced. |
| Different
ropes for different folks |
| (USA)
This idiom means that different people do things in different ways
that suit them. |
| Different
strokes for different folks |
| (USA)
This idiom means that different people do things in different ways
that suit them. |
| Dig
way down deep |
| When
someone digs way down deep, they look into their inner feelings to
see how they feel about it. |
| Dig
your heels in |
| If
you dig your heels in, you start to resist something. |
| Dime
a dozen |
| (USA)
If something is a dime a dozen, it is extremely common, possibly
too common. |
| Dine
on ashes |
| I
someone is dining on ashes he or she is excessively focusing
attention on failures or regrets for past actions. |
| Dinosaur |
| A
dinosaur is a person who is thought to be too old for their
position. |
| Dip
your toes in the water |
| If
you dip your toes in the water, you try something tentatively
because you are not sure whether it will work or not. |
| Dirty
dog |
| A
dirty dog is an untrustworthy person. |
| Discerning
eye |
| If
a person has a discerning eye, they are particularly good at
judging the quality of something. |
| Discretion
is the better part of valor |
| This
idiom means that it is often better to think carefully and not act
than to do something that may cause problems. |
| Dish
the dirt |
| If
you dish the dirt on something or someone, you make unpleasant or
shocking information public. |
| Do
a Devon Loch |
| (UK)
If someone does a Devon Loch, they fail when they were very close
to winning. Devon Loch was a horse that collapsed just short of
the winning line of the Grand National race. |
| Do
a Lord Lucan |
| (UK)
If someone disappears without a trace or runs off, they do a Lord
Lucan. (Lord Lucan
disappeared after a murder) |
| Do
a runner |
| (UK)
If people leave a restaurant without paying, they do a runner. |
| Do
as you would be done by |
| Treat
and respect others as you would hope to be respected and treated
by them. |
| Do
the needful |
| (India)
If you do the needful, you do what is necessary. |
| Do
the running |
| (UK)
The person who has to do the running has to make sure that things
get done. ('Make the running' is also used.) |
| Do
their dirty work |
| Someone
who does someone's dirty work, carries out the unpleasant jobs
that the first person doesn't want to do. Someone who seems to
enjoy doing this is sometimes known as a 'henchman'. |
| Do's
and don'ts |
| The
do's and don'ts are what is acceptable or allowed or not within
an area or issue, etc. |
| Dodge
the bullet |
| If
someone has dodged a bullet, they have successfully avoided a very
serious problem. |
| Dog
and pony show |
| (USA)
A dog and pony show is a presentation or some marketing that has
lots of style, but no real content. |
| Dog
days |
| Dog
days are very hot summer days. |
| Dog
eat dog |
| In
a dog eat dog world, there is intense competition and rivalry,
where everybody thinks only of himself or herself. |
| Dog
in the manger |
| (UK)
If someone acts like a dog in the manger, they don't want other
people to have or enjoy things that are useless to them. |
| Dog
tired |
| If
you are dog tired, you are exhausted. |
| Dog's
dinner |
| Something
that is a dog's dinner is a real mess. |
| Dog's
life |
| If
some has a dog's life, they have a very unfortunate and wretched
life. |
| Dog-eared |
| If
a book is dog-eared, it is in bad condition, with torn pages, etc. |
| Dog-whistle
politics |
| (AU)
When political parties have policies that will appeal to racists
while not being overtly racist, they are indulging in dog-whistle
politics. |
| Doggy
bag |
| If
you ask for a doggy bag in a restaurant, they will pack the food
you haven't eaten for you to take home. |
| Doldrums |
| If
a person is in the doldrums, they are depressed. If a project or
something similar is in the doldrums, it isn't making any
progress. |
| Dollars
for doughnuts |
| (USA)
If something is dollars for doughnuts, it is a sure bet or
certainty. |
| Don't
bite the hand that feeds |
| When
someone says this to you, they are trying to tell you not to act
against those on whom you depend. |
| Don't
catch your chickens before they're hatched |
| This
means that you should wait until you know whether something has
produced the results you desire, rather than acting beforehand.
('Don't count your chickens until they've hatched' is an
alternative.) |
| Don't
cry over spilt milk |
| When
something bad happens and nothing can be done to help it people
say, 'Don't cry over spilt milk'. |
| Don't
give up the day job |
| This
idiom is used a way of telling something that they do something
badly. |
| Don't
hold your breath |
| If
you are told not to hold your breath, it means that you shouldn't
have high expectations about something. |
| Don't
judge a book by the cover |
| This
idiom means that you should not judge something or someone by
appearances, but should look deeper at what is inside and more
important. |
| Don't
know whether to wind a watch or bark at the moon |
| If
you don't know what to do, you don't know whether to wind a watch
or bark at the moon. |
| Don't
look a gift horse in the mouth |
| This
means that if you are given something, a present or a chance, you
should not waste it by being too critical or examining it too
closely. |
| Don't
mention the war |
| This
means that you shouldn't speak about things that could cause an
argument or tension.This idiom was used in a classic episode of
the much-loved British comedy series Faulty Towers. As a
consequence if you use this phrase in Britain, listeners will
understand you to be referring to Germans, or just start laughing. |
| Don't
push my buttons! |
| This
can be said to someone who is starting to annoy you. |
| Don't
shoot the messenger |
| This
phrase can be used when breaking some bad news to someone and you
don't want to be blamed for the news. ('Don't kill the messenger'
is also used.) |
| Don't
stand there with curlers in your hair |
| This
means 'don't keep me waiting'. It's said to someone who is taking
too long to get moving. |
| Don't
sweat the small stuff |
| (USA)
This is used to tell people not to worry about trivial or
unimportant issues. |
| Don't
take any wooden nickels |
| (USA)
This idiom is used to advise people not to be cheated or ripped
off. |
| Don't
throw bricks when you live in a glass house |
| Don't
call others out on actions that you, yourself do. Don't be a
hypocrite. |
| Don't
trouble trouble until trouble troubles you |
| Don't
go looking for trouble or problems- let them come to you. |
| Don't
upset the applecart |
| If
you are advised not to upset the applecart, you are being told not
to disturb the way things are done because it might ruin things. |
| Don't
wash your dirty laundry in public |
| (UK)
People, especially couples, who argue in front of others or
involve others in their personal problems and crises, are said to
be washing their dirty laundry in public; making public things
that are best left private. (In American English, 'don't air your
dirty laundry in public' is used.) |
| Done
to death |
| If
a joke or story has been done to death, it has been told so often
that it has stopped being funny. |
| Donkey
work |
| Donkey
work is any hard, boring work or task. |
| Donkey's
years |
| This
idiom means 'a very long time'. |
| Doormat |
| A
person who doesn't stand up for themselves and gets treated badly
is a doormat. |
| Dot
all the i's and cross all the t's |
| If
you dot all the i's and cross all the t's, you do something very
carefully and thoroughly. |
| Double
Dutch |
| (UK)
If something is double Dutch, it is completely incomprehensible. |
| Double
take |
| If
someone does a double take, they react very slowly to something to
show how shocked or surprised they are. |
| Double
whammy |
| A
double whammy is when something causes two problems at the same
time, or when two setbacks occur at the same time. |
| Double-edged
sword |
| If
someone uses an argument that could both help them and harm them,
then they are using a double-edged sword sword; it cuts both ways. |
| Doubting
Thomas |
| A
Doubting Thomas is someone who only believes what they see
themselves, not what they are told. |
| Down
and out |
| If
someone is down and out, they are desperately poor and need help. |
| Down
at heel |
| Someone
who is down at heel is short of money. ('Down in heel' is used in
American English) |
| Down
for the count |
| If
someone is down for the count, they have lost a struggle, like a
boxer who has been knocked out. |
| Down
in the doldrums |
| If
somebody's down in the doldrums, they are depressed and lacking
energy. |
| Down
in the dumps |
| If
someone's down in the dumps, they are depressed. |
| Down
in the mouth |
| If
someone is down in the mouth, they look unhappy or depressed. |
| Down
the drain |
| If
something goes down the drain, especially money or work, it is
wasted or produces no results. |
| Down
the hatch |
| This
idiom can be said before drinking alcohol in company. |
| Down
the pan |
| If
something has gone down the pan, it has failed or been ruined. |
| Down
the tubes |
| If
something has gone down the tubes, it has failed or been ruined. |
| Down
to the wire |
| (USA)
If something goes down to the wire, like a competition, then it
goes to the very last moment before it is clear who has won. |
| Down-to-earth |
| Someone
who's down-to-earth is practical and realistic. It can also be
used for things like ideas. |
| Drag
your feet |
| If
someone is dragging their feet, they are taking too long to do or
finish something, usually because they don't want to do it. |
| Drag
your heels |
| If
you drag your heels, you either delay doing something or do it as
slowly as possible because you don't want to do it. |
| Draw
a blank |
| If
you try to find something out and draw a blank, you don't get any
useful information. |
| Draw
a line in the sand |
| If
you draw a line in the sand, you establish a limit beyond which
things will be unacceptable. |
| Draw
a long bow |
| If
someone draws a long bow, they lie or exaggerate. |
| Draw
the line |
| When
you draw the line, you set out limits of what you find acceptable,
beyond which you will not go. |
| Draw
the shortest straw |
| If
someone draws the shortest straw, they lose or are chosen to do
something unpleasant. |
| Dress
someone down |
| If
you dress someone down, you scold them. |
| Dress
to kill |
| When
someone is dressed to kill, they are dressed very smartly. |
| Dressed
to the nines |
| If
you are in your very best clothes, you're dressed to the nines. |
| Drink
like a fish |
| If
someone drinks like a fish, they drink far too much alcohol. |
| Drive
a wedge |
| If
you drive a wedge between people, you exploit an issue so that
people start to disagree. |
| Drive
home |
| The
idiomatic expression 'drive home' means 'reinforce' as in 'The
company offered unlimited technical support as a way to drive home
the message that customer satisfaction was its highest priority.' |
| Drive
someone up the wall |
| If
something or someone drives you up the wall, they do something
that irritates you greatly. |
| Drive
you spare |
| If
someone or something drives you spare, it is extremely annoying. |
| Driven
by a motor |
| This
is used to describe people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder when they talk excessively: 'they act as if driven by a
motor.' |
| Drop
a bombshell |
| If
someone drops a bombshell, they announce something that changes a
situation drastically and unexpectedly. |
| Drop
a dime |
| (USA)
If you drop a dime, you inform the police about someone's illegal
activities. |
| Drop
in the bucket |
| (USA)
A drop in the bucket is something so small that it won't make any
noticeable difference. |
| Drop
in the ocean |
| A
drop in the ocean implies that something will have little effect
because it is small and mostly insignificant. |
| Drop
into your lap |
| If
something drops into your lap, you receive it suddenly, without
any warning. ('Fall into your lap' is also used.) |
| Drop
like flies |
| This
means that something is disappearing very quickly. For example, if
you said people were dropping like flies, it would mean that they
were dying off, quitting or giving up something rapidly. |
| Drop
someone a line |
| If
you drop someone a line, you send a letter to them. |
| Drop
the ball |
| If
someone drops the ball, they are not doing their job or taking
their responsibilities seriously enough and let something go
wrong. |
| Dropped
like a hot cake |
| If
something is dropped like a hot cake, it is rejected or disposed
of very quickly. |
| Drown
your sorrows |
| If
someone gets drunk or drinks a lot to try to stop feeling unhappy,
they drown their sorrows. |
| Drunk
as a lord |
| (UK)
Someone who is very drunk is as drunk as a lord. |
| Drunker
than a peach orchard boar |
| (USA)
Southern US expression - Very drunk, as when a boar would eat
fermented peaches that have fallen from the tree. |
| Dry
as a bone |
| If
your lawn is as dry as a bone, the soil is completely dry. |
| Dry
as snuff |
| If
something is as dry as snuff, it is very dry indeed. |
| Dry
run |
| A
dry run is a full rehearsal or trial exercise of something to see
how it will work before it is launched. |
| Dry
spell |
| If
something or someone is having a dry spell, they aren't being as
successful as they normally are. |
| Duck
soup |
| (USA)
If something is duck soup, it is very easy. |
| Duck
to water |
| If
you take to something like a duck to water, you find when you
start that you have a natural affinity for it. |
| Ducks
in a row |
| (USA)
If you have your ducks in a row, you are well-organized. |
| Dull
as ditchwater |
| (UK)
If something is as dull as ditchwater, it is incredibly boring. A
ditch is a long narrow hole or trench dug to contain water, which
is normally a dark, dirty color and stagnant (when water turns a
funny color and starts to smell bad). (In American
English,'things are 'dull as dishwater'.) |
| Dumb
as a rock |
| If
you are dumb as a rock, you have no common sense and are stupid. |
| Dunkirk
spirit |
| (UK)
Dunkirk spirit is when people pull together to get through a very
difficult time. |
| Dutch
auction |
| If
something is sold by setting a price, then reducing it until
someone buys it, it is sold in a Dutch auction. It can also mean
that something is changed until it is accepted by everyone. |
| Dutch
courage |
| Dutch
courage is the reckless bravery caused by drinking too much. |
| Dutch
treat |
| If
something like a meal is a Dutch treat, then each person pays
their own share of the bill. |
| Dutch
uncle |
| A
Dutch uncle is a person who gives unwelcome advice. |
| Dutch
wife |
| A
Dutch wife is a long pillow or a hot water bottle. |
| Dwell
on the past |
| Thinking
too much about the past, so that it becomes a problem is to dwell
on the past. |
| Dyed-in-the-wool |
| If
someone is a dyed-in-the-wool supporter of a political party, etc,
they support them totally, without any questions. |
|
| Each
to their own |
| Different
people have different preferences. In American English, 'Each to
his own' is more common. |
| Eager
beaver |
| A
person who is extremely keen is an eager beaver. |
| Eagle
eyes |
| Someone
who has eagle eyes sees everything; no detail is too small. |
| Early
bath |
| (UK)
If someone has or goes for an early bath, they quit or lose their
job or position earlier than expected because things have gone
wrong. |
| Early
bird catches the worm |
| The
early bird catches the worm means that if you start something
early, you stand a better chance of success. |
| Early
to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise |
| It
means that sleeping well and not staying up late will help you out
physically and financially. |
| Earn
a living |
| To
make money Ex: We need to get a good job to earn a decent living. |
| Easier
said than done |
| If
something is easier said than done, it is much more difficult than
it sounds. It is often used when someone advises you to do
something difficult and tries to make it sound easy. |
| Easy
as ABC |
| Something
that is as easy as ABC is very easy or simple. |
| Easy
as beans |
| Something
that is so easy that anyone can do it is easy as beans. |
| Easy
as pie |
| If
something is easy as pie, it is very easy indeed. |
| Easy
come, easy go |
| This
idiom means that money or other material gains that come without
much effort tend to get spent or consumed as easily. |
| Easy
peasy |
| (UK)
If something is easy peasy, it is very easy indeed. ('Easy peasy,
lemon squeezy' is also used.) |
| Eat
crow |
| (USA)
If you eat crow, you have to admit that you were wrong about
something. |
| Eat
humble pie |
| If
someone apologizes and shows a lot of contrition for something
they have done, they eat humble pie. |
| Eat
like a bird |
| If
someone eats like a bird, they eat very little. |
| Eat
like a horse |
| Someone
who eats like a horse, eats a lot. |
| Eat
like a pig |
| If
some eats like a pig, they either eat too much or they have bad
table manners. |
| Eat
my hat |
| People
say this when they don't believe that something is going to happen
e.g. 'If he passes that exam, I'll eat my hat!' |
| Eat
someone alive |
| If
you eat someone alive, you defeat or beat them comprehensively. |
| Eat
your heart out |
| If
someone tells you to eat your heart out, they are saying they are
better than you at something. |
| Eat
your words |
| If
you eat your words, you accept publicly that you were wrong about
something you said. |
| Economical
with the truth |
| (UK)
If someone, especially a politician, is economical with the truth,
they leave out information in order to create a false picture of a
situation, without actually lying. |
| Egg
on your face |
| If
someone has egg on their face, they are made to look foolish or
embarrassed. |
| Elbow
grease |
| If
something requires elbow grease, it involves a lot of hard
physical work. |
| Elbow
room |
| If
you haven't got enough elbow room, you haven't got enough space. |
| Elephant
in the room |
| An
elephant in the room is a problem that everyone knows very well
but no one talks about because it is taboo, embarrassing, etc. |
| Eleventh
hour |
| If
something happens at the eleventh hour, it happens right at the
last minute. |
| Empty
vessels make the most noise |
| The
thoughtless often speak the most. |
| End
in smoke |
| If
something ends in smoke, it produces no concrete or positive
result. This expression refers to the boasting by a person, of
having put in a lot of efforts by him, for a particular cause or
to attain a result which is very difficult to be done by any
person. (This mainly refers to an investigation of a crime or
solving a serious offence or a mystery). But at the end, when the
desired result is not obtained, his claims are found to be false
and not worth mentioning. So, he looses his credibility. |
| Etched
in stone |
| Something,
especially rules and customs,
that cannot be changed at all is said to be etched in
stone. |
| Even
a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while |
| This
expression means that even if people are ineffective or misguided,
sometimes they can still be correct just by being lucky. |
| Even
a broken clock is right twice a day |
| This
is used when people get lucky and are undeservedly
successful.('Even a stopped clock is right twice a day' is also
used.) |
| Even
keel |
| If
something is on an even keel, it is balanced. |
| Even
Stevens |
| If
everything is equal between people, they are even Stevens. |
| Even
the dogs in the street know |
| (Irish)
This idiom is used frequently in Ireland, and means something is
so obvious that even the dogs in the street know it. |
| Every
ass likes to hear himself bray |
| This
means that people like the sound of their own voice. |
| Every
cloud has a silver lining |
| People
sometimes say that every cloud has a silver lining to comfort
somebody who's having problems. They mean that it is always
possible to get something positive out of a situation, no matter
how unpleasant, difficult or even painful it might seem. |
| Every
dog has its day |
| This
idiom means that everyone gets their moment to shine. |
| Every
man and his dog |
| A
lot of people - as in sending out invitations to a large number of
people |
| Every
man for himself |
| If
it's every man for himself, then people are trying to save
themselves from a difficult situation without trying to help
anyone else. |
| Every
man has his price |
| Anyone's
opinion or support can be bought, everyone's principles have a
limit. |
| Every
man jack |
| If
every man jack was involved in something, it is an emphatic way of
saying that absolutely everybody was involved. |
| Every
nook and cranny |
| If
you search every nook and cranny, you look everywhere for
something. |
| Every
Tom, Dick and Harry |
| If
every Tom, Dick and Harry knows about something, then it is common
knowledge. |
| Every
trick in the book |
| If
you try every trick in the book, you try every possible way,
including dishonesty and deceit, to get what you want. |
| Everybody
and their uncle |
| This
basically means a lot of people or too many people; everybody and
their uncle was there. |
| Everything
but the kitchen sink |
| If
people include everything but the kitchen sink, they include every
possibility, regardless of whether they are useful. |
| Exception
that proves the rule |
| This
expression is used by many to indicate that an exception in some
way confirms a rule. Others say that the exception tests the rule.
In its original legal sense, it meant that a rule could sometimes
be inferred from an exemption or exception. In general use, the
first meaning predominates nowadays, much to the annoyance of some
pedants. |
| Explore
all avenues |
| If
all avenues are being explored, then every conceivable approach is
being tried that could possibly get the desired result. |
| Eye
candy |
| When
a person is very attractive, they can be described as eye candy -
sweet to look at! |
| Eye
for an eye |
| This
is an expression for retributive justice, where the punishment
equals the crime. |
| Eye-
wash |
| This
expression 'eye-wash' is generally used to cover up the anxiety of
a person who is seeking a concrete reply or justification for an
act or an event that had affected his personal image or caused him
a loss. The affected person usually represents his case to the
higher-ups and puts forth his demands for redress. But the
authority, in order to avoid embarrassment to his organization or
to himself, is not in a position to expose the entire material or
evidence which in turn tell upon the credibility of the organization. In such circumstances, he will usually call for an
investigation to satisfy the complainant, but will not be keen in
disposing the case. The authority will drag on the issue, (at the
same time pretending to be serious) until the seriousness of the
issue dies down and no finality is reached. So, ' The
investigation on the issue by the authority is an eye-wash'. |
| Eye-opener |
| Something
surprising, unexpected which reveals the truth about something or
someone. |
| Eyes
are bigger than one's stomach |
| If
someone's eyes are bigger than their stomach, they are greedy and
take on more than they can consume or manage. |
|
| Face
like thunder |
| If
someone has a face like thunder, they are clearly very angry or
upset about something. |
| Face
only a mother could love |
| When
someone has a face only a mother could love, they are ugly. |
| Face
the music |
| If
you have to face the music, you have to accept the negative
consequences of something you have done wrong. |
| Face
value |
| If
you take something at face value, you accept the appearance rather
than looking deeper into the matter. |
| Face
your demons |
| If
you face your demons, you confront your fears or something that
you have been trying hard to avoid. |
| Facts
of life |
| When
someone is taught the facts of life, they learn about sex and
reproduction. |
| Failure
is the mother of success |
| Failure
is often a stepping stone towards success. |
| Faint
heart never won fair lady |
| This
means that you will not get the partner of your dreams if you lack
the confidence to let them know how you feel. |
| Fair
and square |
| If
someone wins something fair and square, they follow the rules and
win conclusively. |
| Fair
crack of the whip |
| (UK)
If everybody has a fair crack of the whip, they all have equal
opportunities to do something. |
| Fair
shake of the whip |
| (USA)
If everybody has a fair shake of the whip, they all have equal
opportunities to do something. |
| Fair
thee well |
| Meaning
completely and fully: I am tied up today to a fair-thee-well. |
| Fair-weather
friend |
| A
fair-weather friend is the type who is always there when times are
good but forgets about you when things get difficult or problems
crop up. |
| Fall
by the wayside |
| To
fall by the wayside is to give up or fail before completion. |
| Fall
from grace |
| If
a person falls from grace, they lose favor with someone. |
| Fall
off the back of a lorry |
| (UK)
If someone tries to sell you something that has fallen of the back
of a lorry, they are trying to sell you stolen goods. |
| Fall
off the turnip truck |
| (USA)
If someone has just fallen off the turnip truck, they are
uninformed, naive and gullible. (Often used in the negative) |
| Fall
off the wagon |
| If
someone falls off the wagon, they start drinking after having
given up completely for a time. |
| Fall
on our feet |
| If
you fall on your feet, you succeed in doing something where there
was a risk of failure. |
| Fall
on your sword |
| If
someone falls on their sword, they resign or accept the
consequences of some wrongdoing. |
| Familiarity
breeds contempt |
| This
means that the more you know something or someone, the more you
start to find faults and dislike things about it or them. |
| Famous
last words |
| This
expression is used as a way of showing disbelief, rejection
or self-deprecation.'They said we had no chance of winning-
famous last words!' |
| Fast
and furious |
| Things
that happen fast and furious happen very quickly without stopping
or pausing. |
| Fat
cat |
| A
fat cat is a person who makes a lot of money and enjoys a
privileged position in society. |
| Fat
chance! |
| This
idiom is a way of telling someone they have no chance. |
| Fat
head |
| A
fat head is a dull, stupid person. |
| Fat
hits the fire |
| When
the fat hits the fire, trouble breaks out. |
| Fat
of the land |
| Living
off the fat of the land means having the best of everything in
life. |
| Fate
worse than death |
| Describing
something as a fate worse than death is a fairly common way of
implying that it is unpleasant. |
| Feast
today, famine tomorrow |
| If
you indulge yourself with all that you have today, you may have to
go without tomorrow. |
| Feather
in your cap |
| A
success or achievement that may help you in the future is a
feather in your cap. |
| Feather
your own nest |
| If
someone feathers their own nest, they use their position or job
for personal gain. |
| Feathers
fly |
| When
people are fighting or arguing angrily, we can say that feathers
are flying. |
| Fed
up to the back teeth |
| When
you are extremely irritated and fed up with something or someone,
you are fed up to the back teeth. |
| Feel
at home |
| If
you feel relaxed and comfortable somewhere or with someone, you
feel at home. |
| Feel
free |
| If
you ask for permission to do something and are told to feel free,
the other person means that there is absolutely no problem |
| Feel
like a million |
| If
you feel like a million, you are feeling very well (healthy) and
happy. |
| Feel
the pinch |
| If
someone is short of money or feeling restricted in some other way,
they are feeling the pinch. |
| Feeling
blue |
| If
you feel blue, you are feeling unwell, mainly associated with
depression or unhappiness. |
| Feet
of clay |
| If
someone has feet of clay, they have flaws that make them seem more
human and like normal people. |
| Feet
on the ground |
| A
practical and realistic person has their feet on the ground. |
| Fence
sitter |
| Someone
that try to support both side of an argument without committing to
either is a fence sitter. |
| Few
and far between |
| If
things are few and far between, they happen very occasionally. |
| Fiddle
while Rome burns |
| If
people are fiddling while Rome burns, they are wasting their time
on futile things while problems threaten to destroy them. |
| Fifth
columnist |
| (UK)
A fifth columnist is a member of a subversive organization who
tries to help an enemy invade. |
| Fifth
wheel |
| (USA)
A fifth wheel is something unnecessary or useless. |
| Fight
an uphill battle |
| When
you fight an uphill battle, you have to struggle against very unfavorable
circumstances. |
| Fight
tooth and nail |
| If
someone will fight tooth and nail for something, they will not
stop at anything to get what they want. ('Fight tooth and claw' is
an alternative.) |
| Fighting
chance |
| If
you have a fighting chance, you have a reasonable possibility of
success. |
| Find
your feet |
| When
you are finding your feet, you are in the process of gaining
confidence and experience in something. |
| Fine
and dandy |
| (UK)
If thing's are fine and dandy, then everything is going well. |
| Fine
tuning |
| Small
adjustments to improve something or to get it working are called
fine tuning. |
| Fine
words butter no parsnips |
| This
idiom means that it's easy to talk, but talk is not action. |
| Finger
in the pie |
| If
you have a finger in the pie, you have an interest in something. |
| Fingers
and thumbs |
| If
you are all fingers and thumbs, you are being clumsy and not very
skilled with your hands. |
| Fire
away |
| If
you want to ask someone a question and they tell you to fire away,
they mean that you are free to ask what you want. |
| Fire
in the hole! |
| This
is used as a warning when a planned explosion is about to happen. |
| Fire
on all cylinders |
| If
something is firing on all cylinders, it is going as well as it
could. |
| First
come, first served |
| This
means there will be no preferential treatment and a service will
be provided to those that arrive first. |
| First
out of the gate |
| When
someone is first out of the gate, they are the first to do
something that others are trying to do. |
| First
port of call |
| The
first place you stop to do something is your first port of call. |
| Fish
in troubled waters |
| Someone
who fishes in troubled waters tries to takes advantage of a shaky
or unstable situation. The extremists were fishing in troubled
waters during the political uncertainty in the country. |
| Fish
or cut bait |
| (USA)
This idiom is used when you want to tell someone that it is time
to take action. |
| Fish
out of water |
| If
you are placed in a situation that is completely new to you and
confuses you, you are like a fish out of water. |
| Fishy |
| If
there is something fishy about someone or something, there is
something suspicious; a feeling that there is something wrong,
though it isn't clear what it is. |
| Fit
as a fiddle |
| If
you are fit as a fiddle, you are in perfect health. |
| Fit
for a king |
| If
something is fit for a king, it is of the very highest quality or
standard. |
| Fit
like a glove |
| If
something fits like a glove, it is suitable or the right size. |
| Fit
of pique |
| If
someone reacts badly because their pride is hurt, this is a fit of
pique. |
| Fit
the bill |
| If
something fits the bill, it is what is required for the task. |
| Fit
to be tied |
| If
someone is fit to be tied, they are extremely angry. |
| Five
o'clock shadow |
| A
five o'clock shadow is the facial hair that a man gets if he
doesn't shave for a day or two. |
| Flash
in the pan |
| If
something is a flash in the pan, it is very noticeable but doesn't
last long, like most singers, who are very successful for a while,
then forgotten. |
| Flat
as a pancake |
| It
is so flat that it is like a pancake- there is no head on that
beer it is as flat as a pancake. |
| Flat
out |
| If
you work flat out, you work as hard and fast as you possibly can. |
| Fleet
of foot |
| If
someone is fleet of foot, they are very quick. |
| Flesh
and blood |
| Your
flesh and blood are your blood relatives, especially your
immediate family. |
| Flogging
a dead horse |
| (UK)
If someone is trying to convince people to do or feel something
without any hope of succeeding, they're flogging a dead horse.
This is used when someone is trying to raise interest in an issue
that no-one supports anymore; beating a dead horse will not make
it do any more work. |
| Flowery
speech |
| Flowery
speech is full of lovely words, but may well lack substance. |
| Fly
by the seat of one's pants |
| If
you fly by the seat of one's pants, you do something difficult
even though you don't have the experience or training required. |
| Fly
in the ointment |
| A
fly in the ointment is something that spoils or prevents complete
enjoyment of something. |
| Fly
off the handle |
| If
someone flies off the handle, they get very angry. |
| Fly
on the wall |
| If
you are able to see and hear events as they happen, you are a fly
on the wall. |
| Fly
the coop |
| When
children leave home to live away from their parents, they fly the
coop. |
| Fly
the flag |
| If
someone flies the flag, they represent or support their country.
('Wave the flag' and 'show the flag' are alternative forms of this
idiom) |
| Foam
at the mouth |
| If
you foam at the mouth, you are very, very angry. |
| Follow
your nose |
| When
giving directions, telling someone to follow their nose means that
they should go straight ahead. |
| Food
for thought |
| If
something is food for thought, it is worth thinking about or
considering seriously. |
| Fool
me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me |
| This
means that you should learn from your mistakes and not allow
people to take advantage of you repeatedly. |
| Fools
rush in where angels fear to tread |
| This
idiom is used where people who are inexperienced or lack knowledge
do something that more informed people would avoid. |
| Foot
in mouth |
| This
is used to describe someone who has just said something
embarrassing, inappropriate, wrong or stupid. |
| Foot
in the door |
| If
you have or get your foot in the door, you start working in a
company or organization at a low level, hoping that you will be
able to progress from there. |
| Foot
the bill |
| The
person who foots the bill pays the bill for everybody. |
| Football's
a game of two halves |
| (UK)
If something's a game of two halves, it means that it's possible
for someone's fortunes or luck to change and the person who's
winning could end up a loser. |
| For
a song |
| If
you buy or sell something for a song, it is very cheap. |
| For
donkey's years |
| (UK)
If people have done something, usually without much if any change,
for an awfully long time, they can be said to have done it for
donkey's years. |
| For
England |
| (UK)
A person who talks for England, talks a lot- if you do something
for England, you do it a lot or to the limit. |
| For
kicks |
| If
you do something for kicks, or just for kicks, you do it purely
for fun or thrills. |
| For
my money |
| This
idiom means 'in my opinion'. |
| For
Pete's sake |
| This
is used as an exclamation to show exasperation or irritation. |
| For
the birds |
| If
something is worthless or ridiculous, it is for the birds. |
| For
the love of Pete |
| Usually
used in exasperation, as in 'Oh, for the love of Pete!' |
| For
the time being |
| For
the time being indicates that an action or state will continue
into the future, but is temporary. I'm sharing an office for the
time being. |
| Forbidden
fruit |
| Something
enjoyable that is illegal or immoral is forbidden fruit. |
| Foregone
conclusion |
| If
the result of, say, a football match is a foregone conclusion,
then the result is obvious before the game has even begun. |
| Forest
for the trees |
| (USA)
If someone can't see the forest for the trees, they get so caught
up in small details that they fail to understand the bigger
picture. |
| Fortune
knocks once at every man's door |
| Everyone
gets one good chance in a lifetime. |
| Foul
play |
| If
the police suspect foul play, they think a crime was committed. |
| Four
corners of the earth |
| If
something goes to, or comes from, the four corners of the earth,
it goes or comes absolutely everywhere. |
