1.
A chip off the old block:
○ Meaning: Someone who is very similar to their parent, especially in character.
○ "His son is a chip off the old block; he's just as stubborn as his father."
○ "You can tell she's a chip off the old block with her musical talent."
○ "Like his dad, he's a real chip off the old block."
2. A dime a dozen:
○ Meaning: Very common and inexpensive.
○ "Those kinds of smartphones are a dime a dozen these days."
○ "Talented singers are a dime a dozen in this city."
○ "Good coffee shops are a dime a dozen here."
3. A fool and his money are soon parted:
○ Meaning: A foolish person quickly loses their money.
○ "He lost his inheritance quickly; a fool and his money are soon parted."
○ "If you keep making bad investments, a fool and his money are soon parted."
○ "That saying is true, a fool and his money are soon parted."
4. A little bird told me:
○ Meaning: Someone told me a secret (without revealing who).
○ "A little bird told me that you're getting married!"
○ "I heard a little bird told me about the new project."
○ "Well, a little bird told me you got the promotion."
5. All bark and no bite:
○ Meaning: Someone who makes threats but won't act on them.
○ "He sounds scary, but he's all bark and no bite."
○ "Don't worry about him; he's all bark and no bite."
○ "The dog next door is all bark and no bite."
6. All in the same boat:
○ Meaning: In the same difficult situation as others.
○ "We're all in the same boat with this new policy."
○ "The company cuts affected everyone; we're all in the same boat."
○ "During the recession, we were all in the same boat."
7. Apple of one's eye:
○ Meaning: Someone or something that is very loved or cherished.
○ "His youngest daughter is the apple of his eye."
○ "That car is the apple of my eye."
○ "She's the apple of her grandmother's eye."
8. As cool as a cucumber:
○ Meaning: Calm and composed, especially in a difficult situation.
○ "Despite the pressure, he remained as cool as a cucumber."
○ "She handled the emergency as cool as a cucumber."
○ "He walked in, cool as a cucumber, like nothing happened."
9. At the drop of a hat:
○ Meaning: Immediately, without hesitation.
○ "He's always ready to go fishing at the drop of a hat."
○ "She can change her plans at the drop of a hat."
○ "They can mobilize the team at the drop of a hat."
10.Backseat driver:
○ Meaning: Someone who gives unwanted advice or instructions.
○ "I don't need a backseat driver telling me how to drive."
○ "My brother is such a backseat driver."
○ "Nobody likes a backseat driver."
11. Bad blood:
○ Meaning: Feelings of hatred or animosity.
○ "There's bad blood between those two families."
○ "The argument created bad blood between them."
○ "Years of bad blood have led to this rivalry."
12.Behind the scenes:
○ Meaning: In private, without public knowledge.
○ "A lot of work happens behind the scenes to make the event a success."
○ "She prefers to work behind the scenes, away from the spotlight."
○ "The real decisions were made behind the scenes."
13.Below the belt:
○ Meaning: Unfair or cruel.
○ "His comment about her weight was really below the belt."
○ "That accusation was way below the belt."
○ "He fought dirty and went below the belt."
14.Bend over backwards:
○ Meaning: To try very hard to help someone, often to an extreme.
○ "She bent over backwards to help me with the project."
○ "I'm willing to bend over backwards to make this work."
○ "He bent over backwards trying to please everyone."
15.Big shot:
○ Meaning: An important or influential person.
○ "He became a big shot in the industry."
○ "She's a big shot at that company."
○ "Don't let him intimidate you; he's just a big shot."
16.Black sheep:
○ Meaning: Someone who is different from the rest of the family or group and
is considered a disgrace.
○ "He's always been the black sheep of the family."
○ "She felt like the black sheep at the reunion."
○ "Every family has a black sheep."
17.Blow your own trumpet:
○ Meaning: To brag or boast about one's own accomplishments.
○ "He's always blowing his own trumpet about his achievements."
○ "It's not polite to blow your own trumpet."
○ "If you don't blow your own trumpet, nobody else will."
18.Bottom line:
○ Meaning: The most important thing.
○ "The bottom line is that we need to cut costs."
○ "The bottom line is, can we meet the deadline?"
○ "The bottom line is profit."
19.Bring home the bacon:
○ Meaning: To earn money for the family.
○ "She works long hours to bring home the bacon."
○ "He's the one who brings home the bacon in their family."
○ "It's important to bring home the bacon."
20.Burst someone's bubble:
○ Meaning: To destroy someone's illusion or happy belief.
○ "I didn't want to burst her bubble, but I had to tell her the truth."
○ "His negative feedback burst my bubble."
○ "I hate to burst your bubble, but it's not going to work out."
21.By a long shot:
* **Meaning:** By a great margin.
* "He won the race by a long shot."
* "This is the best movie of the year by a long shot."
* "She's the smartest student by a long shot."
22.Can of worms:
○ Meaning: A situation that is more complicated than it seems at first.
○ "That investigation opened up a whole can of worms."
○ "We don't want to open that can of worms."
○ "This issue is a real can of worms."
23.Carry a torch for someone:
○ Meaning: To be in love with someone who doesn't love you.
○ "He's been carrying a torch for her for years."
○ "She still carries a torch for her ex-boyfriend."
○ "It's hard to move on when you carry a torch for someone."
24.Cash cow:
○ Meaning: A business or product that generates a lot of profit.
○ "That product line is our cash cow."
○ "The new franchise became a cash cow for the company."
○ "We need to find our next cash cow."
25.Catch-22:
○ Meaning: A situation in which you are trapped because of contradictory rules
or conditions.
○ "He's in a Catch-22 situation with his job."
○ "The rules create a Catch-22 for the applicants."
○ "It's a Catch-22; he can't win either way."
26.Chew the fat:
○ Meaning: To chat or talk casually for a long time.
○ "They sat down to chew the fat over coffee."
○ "We spent the afternoon just chewing the fat."
○ "Let's get together and chew the fat sometime."
27.Chicken feed:
○ Meaning: A small or insignificant amount of money.
○ "That amount of money is chicken feed to him."
○ "They offered me chicken feed for the project."
○ "It's not much; it's just chicken feed."
28.Cold feet:
○ Meaning: To become nervous or afraid to do something.
○ "He got cold feet before the wedding."
○ "She had cold feet about the big move."
○ "I almost got cold feet, but I went through with it."
29.Come up smelling like roses:
○ Meaning: To emerge from a bad situation with your reputation intact.
○ "Despite the scandal, he came up smelling like roses."
○ "She managed to come up smelling like roses after the investigation."
○ "He always seems to come up smelling like roses."
30.Cook someone's goose:
○ Meaning: To ruin someone's plans or chances.
○ "He tried to cook my goose by revealing my secret."
○ "That mistake really cooked his goose."
○ "If you're not careful, you'll cook your own goose."
31.Crocodile tears:
○ Meaning: Fake or insincere sadness.
○ "She shed crocodile tears at the funeral."
○ "His apology was full of crocodile tears."
○ "Don't fall for his crocodile tears."
32.Cut to the chase:
○ Meaning: To get to the point quickly, without wasting time.
○ "Let's cut to the chase and discuss the main issue."
○ "I'll cut to the chase; we're firing you."
○ "Can we cut to the chase? I don't have much time."
33.Devil's advocate:
○ Meaning: Someone who takes a position they don't necessarily agree with for
the sake of argument.
○ "I'm just playing devil's advocate to make you think."
○ "He often plays devil's advocate in meetings."
○ "To play devil's advocate, what if the opposite is true?"
34.Dog days of summer:
○ Meaning: The hottest days of summer.
○ "The dog days of summer are almost here."
○ "We try to stay indoors during the dog days of summer."
○ "The city is really quiet during the dog days of summer."
35.Don't put all your eggs in one basket:
○ Meaning: Don't risk everything on one single plan or venture.
○ "Don't put all your eggs in one basket; diversify your investments."
○ "She learned not to put all her eggs in one basket after the market crash."
○ "It's wise not to put all your eggs in one basket."
36.Down and out:
○ Meaning: Destitute, without hope or means.
○ "He was down and out after losing his job."
○ "The shelter helps the down and out."
○ "She's been down and out for a while now."
37.Draw a blank:
○ Meaning: To fail to recall something.
○ "I drew a blank when they asked me the question."
○ "My mind drew a blank during the exam."
○ "He drew a blank trying to remember her name."
38.Dressed to kill:
○ Meaning: Dressed in very impressive or attractive clothing.
○ "She was dressed to kill for the party."
○ "He looked like a million bucks; he was dressed to kill."
○ "They were all dressed to kill at the gala."
39.Drop a bombshell:
○ Meaning: To reveal shocking or surprising news.
○ "He dropped a bombshell when he announced his resignation."
○ "The news dropped a bombshell on the community."
○ "She dropped a bombshell about her past."
40.Dutch courage:
○ Meaning: Courage gained from drinking alcohol.
○ "He needed some Dutch courage before his speech."
○ "His bravado was just Dutch courage."
○ "A little Dutch courage helped him ask her out."
41.Eat humble pie:
○ Meaning: To admit that you were wrong and apologize.
○ "He had to eat humble pie after his prediction was wrong."
○ "She was forced to eat humble pie and apologize."
○ "It's never easy to eat humble pie."
42.Eleventh hour:
* **Meaning**: At the last possible moment.
* "The deal fell through at the eleventh hour."
* "We made the changes at the eleventh hour."
* "He always submits his work at the eleventh hour."
43.Face the music:
* **Meaning**: To accept the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.
* "He had to face the music for his mistakes."
* "It's time to face the music and accept the consequences."
* "She knew she had to face the music."
44.Fair-weather friend:
* **Meaning**: Someone who is only your friend when things are going well.
* "He turned out to be a fair-weather friend."
* "She realized who her fair-weather friends were during the crisis."
* "I need real friends, not fair-weather friends."
45.Feather in your cap:
* Meaning: An achievement to be proud of.
* "Getting this award is a real feather in your cap."
* "That promotion is another feather in her cap."
* "It's quite a feather in your cap to have achieved so much."
46.Fit as a fiddle:
* Meaning: In excellent physical condition.
* "He's fit as a fiddle, despite his age."
* "Regular exercise keeps her fit as a fiddle."
* "I feel fit as a fiddle after my vacation."
47.Fly off the handle:
* Meaning: To become very angry suddenly.
* "He tends to fly off the handle when he's stressed."
* "She flew off the handle at the slightest provocation."
* "Try not to fly off the handle; stay calm."
48.Food for thought:
* Meaning: Something to think about.
* "That presentation gave us a lot of food for thought."
* "His speech provided some serious food for thought."
* "This issue is definitely food for thought."
49.For a song:
* Meaning: At a very low cost.
* "I bought this antique for a song at the flea market."
* "He got the car for a song."
* "They sold the house for a song."
50.From scratch:
* Meaning: From the beginning, without any prior work.
* "We built the business from scratch."
* "She made the cake from scratch."
* "The project had to be started from scratch."
51.Get a word in edgewise:
* Meaning: To manage to say something despite someone else talking a lot.
* "It's hard to get a word in edgewise when he's talking."
* "She talked so much I couldn't get a word in edgewise."
* "In that meeting, nobody could get a word in edgewise."
52.Get down to brass tacks:
* Meaning: To get to the main point; to discuss the essentials.
* "Let's get down to brass tacks and discuss the budget."
* "It's time to get down to brass tacks and make a decision."
* "The meeting will get down to brass tacks quickly."
53.Get off on the wrong foot:
* Meaning: To start a relationship or situation badly.
* "They got off on the wrong foot during their first meeting."
* "I think we got off on the wrong foot with our new neighbors."
* "It's hard to recover when you get off on the wrong foot."
54.Get up on the wrong side of the bed:
* Meaning: To be in a bad mood.
* "He must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed today."
* "She's been grumpy all morning; she probably got up on the wrong side of the
bed."
* "If you get up on the wrong side of the bed, try to turn your day around."
55.Give and take:
* Meaning: A willingness to compromise.
* "A good relationship requires give and take."
* "There needs to be more give and take in this negotiation."
* "It's all about give and take."
56.Go against the grain:
* Meaning: To do something differently from the norm.
* "His decision went against the grain of company policy."
* "She always goes against the grain."
* "It can be tough to go against the grain."
57.Go bananas:
* Meaning: To become very excited or go crazy.
* "The crowd went bananas when the band came on stage."
* "He's going to go bananas when he hears the news."
* "The kids went bananas over the new toys."
58.Go for broke:
* Meaning: To risk everything in one attempt.
* "He decided to go for broke and bet everything."
* "In this situation, we have to go for broke."
* "She's willing to go for broke to achieve her dreams."
59.Go through the roof:
* Meaning: To increase rapidly; to become very angry.
* "The prices of houses have gone through the roof."
* "His anger went through the roof."
* "The company's profits went through the roof this year."
60.Have a blast:
* Meaning: To enjoy yourself very much.
* "We had a blast at the party."
* "I hope you have a blast on your vacation."
* "The kids had a blast at the amusement park."
61.Have a heart of gold:
* Meaning: To be very kind and generous.
* "She has a heart of gold; she's always helping others."
* "He's known for having a heart of gold."
* "You can always count on someone with a heart of gold."
62.Have a whale of a time:
* Meaning: To enjoy yourself very much.
* "We had a whale of a time at the beach."
* "They had a whale of a time on their trip."
* "I hope you have a whale of a time at the concert."
63.High and dry:
* Meaning: In a helpless situation, abandoned.
* "The deal fell through, leaving us high and dry."
* "We were left high and dry without any support."
* "He wouldn't leave his friends high and dry."
64.Hold your horses:
* Meaning: Wait a moment.
* "Hold your horses; we're not ready yet."
* "Just hold your horses a minute."
* "Hold your horses, and I'll explain everything."
65.If the shoe fits, wear it:
* Meaning: If a remark applies to you, accept it.
* "If the shoe fits, wear it; if you're guilty, then admit it."
* "That comment applies to you? Well, if the shoe fits, wear it."
* "He knew the criticism was valid, and if the shoe fits, wear it."
66.In deep water:
* Meaning: In serious trouble.
* "He's in deep water with the new project."
* "The company is in deep water financially."
* "She found herself in deep water after the mistake."
67.In the driver's seat:
* Meaning: In control of a situation.
* "She's in the driver's seat now that she's the boss."
* "He's in the driver's seat of his own destiny."
* "With this new deal, we're in the driver's seat."
68.It takes two to tango:
* Meaning: Both parties involved are responsible for a situation.
* "Remember, it takes two to tango in any relationship."
* "It takes two to tango; you're both responsible."
* "This argument isn't one-sided; it takes two to tango."
69.Keep a stiff upper lip:
* Meaning: To remain brave and not show emotion in a difficult situation.
* "He tried to keep a stiff upper lip during the crisis."
* "She kept a stiff upper lip, despite her disappointment."
* "It's important to keep a stiff upper lip in tough times."
70.Keep your ear to the ground:
* Meaning: To pay attention to rumors and news.
* "Keep your ear to the ground for any new developments."
* "I'm keeping my ear to the ground about the new job openings."
* "To succeed in this industry, you need to keep your ear to the ground."
71.Kick the can down the road:
* Meaning: To postpone dealing with a problem.
* "The government keeps kicking the can down the road on this issue."
* "We can't keep kicking the can down the road forever."
* "They decided to kick the can down the road and deal with it later."
72.Know the ropes:
* Meaning: To understand how things are done.
* "It takes a while to learn and know the ropes in a new job."
* "She knows the ropes around here."
* "He'll teach you how to know the ropes."
73.Lay down the law:
* Meaning: To set rules and enforce them strictly.
* "The boss had to lay down the law to get things under control."
* "My parents laid down the law about curfew."
* "It's time to lay down the law and set some boundaries."
74.Leave no stone unturned:
* Meaning: To try every possible way to find something or solve a problem.
* "We'll leave no stone unturned in our search for the missing documents."
* "The detective left no stone unturned."
* "To find the best solution, we need to leave no stone unturned."
75.Lend an ear:
* Meaning: To listen to someone with sympathy.
* "I'm here to lend an ear if you need someone to talk to."
* "Thanks for lending an ear to my problems."
* "Sometimes, all you need is someone to lend an ear."
76.Long shot:
* Meaning: Something that has a very low probability of happening.
* "Winning the lottery is a long shot, but people still try."
* "It's a long shot, but we're hoping for the best."
* "He knew it was a long shot, but he went for it anyway."
77.Look like a million bucks:
* Meaning: To look very attractive or expensive.
* "She looked like a million bucks in her new dress."
* "He always looks like a million bucks at formal events."
* "You look like a million bucks tonight!"
78.Lose your shirt:
* Meaning: To lose a lot of money.
* "He lost his shirt in the stock market crash."
* "If you invest in that, you could lose your shirt."
* "I almost lost my shirt gambling."
79.Make a mountain out of a molehill:
* Meaning: To exaggerate the importance of something.
80.Make hay while the sun shines:
* "We need to make hay while the sun shines and finish the project."
● "This is a great opportunity; we should make hay while the sun shines."
○ "They're making hay while the sun shines and expanding their business."
○ Meaning: To take advantage of a good opportunity.
81.Meet your Waterloo:
* "This project became his Waterloo."
* "That defeat was his Waterloo."
* "Every great leader eventually meets their Waterloo."
* Meaning: To encounter your final defeat or downfall.
82.Mend fences:
* "They need to mend fences after that argument."
* "It's time to mend fences and move forward."
* "I'm trying to mend fences with my neighbor."
* Meaning: To restore a relationship after a quarrel.
83.Money to burn:
* "They seem to have money to burn."
* "If I had money to burn, I'd travel the world."
* "He spends like he has money to burn."
* Meaning: To have a lot of money to spend.
84.More power to you:
* "You're starting your own business? More power to you!"
* "If you can convince him, more power to you."
* "You're taking on that challenge? More power to you."
* Meaning: An expression of encouragement or approval.
85.Mum's the word:
* "Mum's the word; don't tell anyone."
* "Can you keep a secret? Mum's the word."
* "About the surprise party, mum's the word."
* Meaning: Keep this a secret.
86.Needle in a haystack:
* "Finding that document is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
* "It's like finding a needle in a haystack to find the perfect candidate."
* "The missing piece is like a needle in a haystack."
* Meaning: Something that is very difficult to find.
87.Not playing with a full deck:
* "I think he's not playing with a full deck."
* "She's a bit eccentric; some say she's not playing with a full deck."
* "You have to wonder if he's not playing with a full deck."
* Meaning: Not very intelligent or mentally stable.
88.Old hat:
* "That style of music is old hat now."
* "That technology is old hat."
* "His ideas are a bit old hat."
* Meaning: Outdated or old-fashioned.
89.On the house:
* "The drinks are on the house tonight."
* "This meal is on the house."
* "It's on the house as a gesture of goodwill."
* Meaning: Free of charge.
90.On the tip of my tongue:
* "Her name is on the tip of my tongue, but I can't remember it."
* "I know the answer; it's right on the tip of my tongue."
* "The word was on the tip of my tongue, but it escaped me."
* Meaning: Something that you know but cannot immediately recall.
91.Paint the town red:
* "Let's go out and paint the town red tonight!"
* "They went out to paint the town red after the victory."
* "We're going to paint the town red for his birthday."
* Meaning: To go out and celebrate wildly.
92.Pass with flying colors:
* "She passed the exam with flying colors."
* "He passed the test with flying colors."
* "They passed the inspection with flying colors."
* Meaning: To succeed easily and impressively.
93.Pay through the nose:
* "We had to pay through the nose for those tickets."
* "He paid through the nose to get his car repaired."
* "Don't go there; you'll pay through the nose."
* Meaning: To pay a very high price.
94.Piece of cake:
* "The test was a piece of cake."
* "Learning to ride a bike is a piece of cake."
* "This project is a piece of cake for me."
* Meaning: Very easy.
95.Pigs might fly:
* "He'll clean his room when pigs might fly."
* "Yeah, right, pigs might fly!"
* "If that ever happens, pigs might fly."
* Meaning: Something that will never happen.
96.Pull strings:
* "He had to pull strings to get the job."
* "I might be able to pull some strings to get you in."
* "She knows people who can pull strings."
* Meaning: To use your influence to get something.
97.Put your best foot forward:
* "Always put your best foot forward in an interview."
* "He wanted to put his best foot forward on the first date."
* "It's important to put your best foot forward."
* Meaning: To make the best possible first impression.
98.Sweep under the rug:
* "They tried to sweep the scandal under the rug."
* "We can't just sweep this problem under the rug."
* "Don't sweep your mistakes under the rug; learn from them."
* Meaning: To hide or ignore a problem or mistake.
99.Take with a grain of salt:
* "Take his advice with a grain of salt."
* "You have to take what he says with a grain of salt."
* "I took the news with a grain of salt."
* Meaning: To not take something too seriously.
100. The whole nine yards:
* "He went the whole nine yards to make the party a success."
* "We gave it the whole nine yards."
* "She decorated the house for Christmas, the whole nine yards."
* Meaning: Everything; the complete amount.
