IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS

N° EXPRESSION MEANING

1 Achilles’ heel The one weakness, fault, flaw, or vulnerable spot in

one’s character
2 Add fuel to the fire To make a bad situation worse; to do or say
something that causes more trouble, makes
someone angrier
3 Air your dirty laundry in public To talk about your private disagreements or
embarrassing matters in public, usually while
quarreling
4 All ears Eager to listen; sharply attentive; curious
5 Albatross around your neck A very difficult burden that you can´t get rid of or a
reminder of something you did that was wrong
6 Ants in your pants Extreme restlessness; over activity
7 Apple of your eye A person or thing that is greatly loved, treasured and
adored
8 At the end of your rope At the limit of your ability, endurance, or patience to
do something
9 Backseat driver A bossy person who tells another person what to
do; a person who gives unwanted advice and
directions
10 Bark is worse than your bite The way a person sounds is much more frightening
than the way she or he acts; the threat is often worse
than the action taken
11 Bark up the wrong tree To direct your attention or efforts toward the wrong
person or thing; to have the wrong idea about
something
12 Beat a dead horse To pursue a useless goal; to continue fighting a
battle which has been lost; to keep arguing a point
which has already been decided
13 Beat around the bush To avoid answering a question; to approach
something carefully or in a roundabout way
14 Beauty is in the eye of the beholder There’s no standard for beauty, so what one person
likes or sees in someone or something is not
necessarily what others see
15 Bed of roses A wonderful, pleasant situation or position; an easy,
comfortable life
16 Beggars cannot be choosers Needy people have to take whatever they can get
and cannot be concerned about the quality if they
cannot afford to buy it for themselves
17 Between a rock and a hard place Being in a very tight spot and faced with a difficult
situation
18 Between the devil and the deep blue Between two great dangers and not knowing what to
sea do; in a very difficult position
19 Bird in the hand is worth two in the What you already have is better than what you might
bush or might not get in the future; a guarantee is worth
more than a promise
20 Birds of a feather flock together People who have things in common, such as
interests and ideas, usually hang out together;
people who are alike often become friends
21 Bite off more than you can chew To take on a task that is more than you can
accomplish; to be greedy, overconfident, or too
ambitious by taking on more jobs or responsibilities
that you can deal with at one time
22 Bite the bullet Prepare for an unpleasant experience; brace
yourself to endure with courage something painful
but necessary
23 Bite the dust To die; to fall in defeat; to fail to succeed
24 Bite the hand that feeds you To turn against someone who helps you; to do harm
to someone who does good things for you
25 Bite your tongue Take back or be ashamed of what you’ve said
26 Black sheep of the family The most unsuccessful, least admirable member of a
family or similar group; a disgraced person
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27 Bleeding heart An extremely softhearted person who feels
compassion or pity towards all people, including
those who may not deserve sympathy
28 Blind leading the blind The uninformed attempting to inform others
29 Blood is thicker than water One can expect more kindness from a family
member than from a stranger; a person will do more
for a relative than anyone else
30 Blow your own horn To praise yourself; to call attention to your own
merits; to brag about yourself
31 Born with a silver spoon in your mouth Born to wealth, comfort, and privilege
32 Bottom line The most crucial fact; the net result
33 Bring home the bacon To support a family by working; to earn a living
34 Burn the candle at both ends To overwork yourself mentally or physically and until
you’re exhausted
35 Burn the midnight oil To stay up very late at night studying or working
36 Burn your bridges behind you To make a decision you cannot change
37 Busy as a beaver Working very hard; extremely industrious
38 Butter someone up To flatter someone; to try to get a favor by praising
someone
39 By hook or by crook By any means possible (legal or not)
40 By the skin of your teeth By an extremely narrow margin; with practically no
room to spare; just barely
41 Call the shots To make the decisions; to be in charge; to give
orders
42 Can’t see the forest for the trees To overlook the overall situation because of a focus
on small details; to miss the whole picture because
of details
43 Cast pearls before swine To waste something good or valuable on someone
who won’t appreciate it or understand it
44 Catch more flies with honey than with More can be accomplished by being pleasant than
vinegar by being disagreeable.
45 Chew the fat To have a friendly, informal talk, to chat in a relaxed
way
46 Chicken feed A very small or insignificant amount of money.
47 Chill out Relax, calm down
48 Clean as a whistle Completely free from dirt, perfectly neat
49 Come again I don’t understand what you’re saying, so please
repeat yourself
50 Cool as a cucumber Very calm; not nervous or emotional
51 Cost an arm and a leg Very expensive
52 Crocodile tears Fake tears, false grief
53 Cross that bridge when you come to it Don’t predict problems until they actually happen
54 Cry over spilled milk To cry or complain about an event that has already
taken place and can’t be changed
55 Cut the mustard To be able to handle a job or fulfill the requirements
56 Dead as a doornail Totally dead or hopeless; without a chance of
success
57 Dead duck A person who is ruined; a person or project unlikely
to continue or survive
58 Dog-eat-dog world A way of life marked by fierce competition in which
people compete ruthlessly for survival or success
59 Don’t count your chickens before they Don’t count on profits before you earn them or have
hatch them in hand
60 Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth Don’t complain if a gift is not perfect; take what
you’ve been given without criticism or emphasis on
its worth
61 Go down the drain Lost forever, wasted
62 Down-to-the-wire Running out of time; at the very last minute
63 Draw the line at To set a specific limit, especially about behavior
64 Drive someone crazy To make someone angry or confused, very annoyed
or frustrated
65 Early bird catches the worm A person who gets up early and starts a project
 IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS
ahead of others has the best chance of
accomplishing his or her goal
66 Easy as pie Not difficult, requiring practically no effort
67 Easy come, easy go Something that is easily obtained, as money, can be
lost or parted with just as easily
68 Eat your hat A statement made when you’re positive that
something will happen
69 Eat your words To have to take back what you said, to admit humbly
that you were wrong
70 Every Tom, Dick and Harry Every possible person, especially very ordinary
people
71 Everything but the kitchen sink Practically everything there is
72 Eyes in the back of your head Ability to sense what is happening outside one’s field
of vision
73 Fat cat A wealthy person; a rich benefactor
74 Fight tooth and nail To fight fiercely, furiously and ferociously
75 Fill the bill To be just the perfect thing that is needed, to be very
competent, effective
76 Follow your nose To trust your instinct
77 Food for thought An interesting idea worth thinking about carefully
78 Full of beans Lively, happy and energetic, high-spirited
79 Get a kick out of something To enjoy doing something
80 Get off the hook To free yourself or someone from a distasteful
obligation, to get out of trouble, to evade punishment
81 Get out of my face Stop standing in front of me in a provocative manner,
close to my face, arguing with me
82 Get real Face reality; stop fantasizing
83 Get something off your chest To make know something that is bothersome,
angering or irritating, but kept secret for a time
84 Get the sack To be fired
85 Get under your skin To bother or upset someone
86 Get up on the wrong side of the bed To awake with a bad temper or mood, feeling cross
or grouchy
87 Go along for the ride To watch but not take part in an activity; to keep
someone company
88 Go for broke To risk everything on one big goal or effort; to try as
hard as possible
89 Greek to me Too difficult to understand; unknown
90 Have a green thumb Having a special talent for making flowers and green
plants grow well
91 Live hand to mouth To spend your salary as fast as it’s earned without
saving any for the future
92 Hang out your shingle To open a private office, especially a doctor’s or
lawyer’s office by putting up a sign over the door
93 Hard nut to crack A problem that’s difficult to understand or solve; a
difficult person
94 Hat in hand To behave in a humble and sorry way; to beg or
plead for a favor or a pardon
95 Have your heart in your mouth To be extremely frightened about something
96 Head and shoulders above someone Far superior; much better than
97 Head in the clouds Absent-minded, daydreaming; lost in thought
98 On your high horse Acting superior and arrogant as if you were better
than other people
99 Hit the books Study schools assignments carefully; prepare for
classes by reading and doing homework
100 Hit the road To begin a journey, to leave
101 Hit the nail right on the head To be exactly correct about a description or come to
the right conclusion
102 Hit the roof To lose your temper suddenly; to become angry
103 If the shoe fits, wear it If a remark applies to you, you should admit that it is
true
104 Ignorance is bliss It is better not to know bad news sometimes,
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especially if you’re happy
105 In hot water In serious trouble or in an embarrassing situation
with someone of authority
106 In the driver’s seat In control; in the position of authority
107 In the limelight At the center of attention
108 In the pink In excellent health physically and emotionally
109 In the same boat In the same bad situation; sharing the same problem
or difficulty
110 Keep a stiff upper lip To be brave and not show emotion in a time of
trouble
111 Keep your ear to the ground To pay attention and be well-informed
112 Keep your shirt on To remain cool; to not become angry, to be patient
113 Kick the bucket To die
114 Knock on wood An expression said when knocking on wood in order
to keep from having bad luck
115 Lay an egg To give an embarrassing performance
116 Lay your cards on the table To reveal all the facts openly and honestly; to reveal
one’s purpose and plans
117 Leave no stone unturned To make all possible efforts to carry out a task or
search for someone or something
118 Let the cat out of the bag To give away a secret
119 Be like two peas in a pod Identical; alike in looks and behavior
120 Let your hair down To behave freely and naturally; to relax and show
your true self
121 Lose your shirt To lose everything, especially money
122 Make a federal case out of something To exaggerate the seriousness of something small;
to make a big deal out of something
123 Make ends meet To earn just enough to live within one’s income
124 Make your mouth water To look so attractive and desirable that it makes you
want to have it very much; to want to eat or drink
something that looks or smells delicious
125 Monkey business Silliness or fooling around; dishonest or illegal
activities
126 Necessity is the mother of invention Inventiveness or creativity is stimulated by need or
difficulty
127 Off the top of your head Stating something quickly and without thinking hard
about it
128 Off-the-wall Shocking; very unusual
129 Old wives’ tale A superstition; a belief or practice not based on fact
130 On pins and needles Waiting anxiously for something; extremely nervous
131 On the fence Neutral; undecided; not choosing one way or the
other
132 On the hot seat In a difficult or uncomfortable position and subject to
a lot of unpleasant questions and personal attacks
133 On the rocks Financially ruined or wrecked; near disaster, finished
134 On the spur of the moment Spontaneously; suddenly; acting without thinking
about it first; impulsively
135 On top of the world Feeling extremely happy
136 Once in a blue moon Almost never; very seldom; hardly ever
137 Open a can of worms To cause trouble; to set unpleasant events in motion
138 Out of sight, out of mind If you don’t see something for a long time, you’ll
eventually stop thinking about it
139 Out of the frying pan and into the fire From a bad situation into one that is worse
140 Out of the woods Safe from trouble or danger
141 Over the hill Unable to function as one used to; too old
142 Pass the hat To ask for contributions; to beg
143 Pay through the nose To pay too much for something
144 Pen is mightier than the sword Writing is more powerful than fighting
145 Penny for your thoughts What are you thinking? Tell me what is on your mind
146 Pie in the sky Something not possible; an unrealistic hope
147 Play the field To have many sweethearts or dates without going
steady or committing yourself to one person
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148 Play with fire To take an unnecessary and dangerous risk
149 Point of no return The position or time after which it is impossible to go
back, change your mind, or do something different
150 Pull strings Use influence; to secretly control others from a
distance
151 Pull your leg To tease or fool someone
152 Put your foot down To be firm or rigid about something
153 Read between the lines To discern the true
154 Red-carpet treatment Great respect and hospitality given to someone
important; special treatment
155 Right off the bat Immediately, spontaneously and without delay
156 Ring a bell To sound familiar; to call something to mind
157 Rome was not built in a day A difficult or important goal or task cannot be
achieved quickly or all at once
158 Rotten apple spoils the barrel One bad person or thing may spoil an entire group
159 Rub elbows with someone To be in the same place with others; to associate
with people
160 Run off at the mouth To talk too much; to talk nonstop
161 Save for a rainy day To save for a time of need; to put something away
for the future
162 Saved by the bell Rescued at the last possible moment from an
embarrassing or dangerous situation
163 Saw logs To snore; to breathe loudly through your nose while
you’re sleeping soundly
164 Scrape the bottom of the barrel To use whatever is left after the best have been
taken; to be forced to use the remnants of something
165 See eye to eye To agree fully; to have the same opinion
166 Security blanket A person or a thing that an insecure individual holds
onto for emotional comfort or psychological
reassurance
167 Sell like hotcakes To sell quickly, effortlessly and in quantity
168 Settle old scores To get back at; to get revenge for past wrongs
169 Scratch the surface To just begin to deal with a problem; to deal with
only a very small part of a subject
170 Shake a leg To hurry up; to go faster; to speed up
171 Shape up or ship out To correct your behavior, improve your performance,
do your job satisfactorily, or get out
172 Show must go on The proceedings must continue regardless of any
catastrophe or difficulty; nothing can stop what has
been planned
173 Show your true colors To reveal what you are really like
174 Sink or swim To fail or succeed by one’s own efforts without
anyone’s help
175 Sitting pretty To be in a lucky, superior, or advantageous position
176 Skeleton in the closet A shameful and shocking secret from the past
177 Sleep on it To put off making a decision until at least the next
day so that you can think about it overnight
178 Snug as a bug in a rug Cozy and comfortable; safe and secure
179 Snake in the grass Traitor
180 Sow your wild oats To behave wildly and foolishly, especially when
young
181 Spick-and-span Extremely clean, tidy, neat
182 Spill the beans To give away a secret to someone who is not
supposed to know it
183 Stick to your guns To stand firm and hold to one’s position in the face of
opposition
184 Stick-in-the-mud A person with old-fashioned ideas who avoids
anything new, ignores progress, and fights change
185 Still waters run deep Used to say that people who are quiet or shy are
often very intelligent and interesting
186 Straight from the horse’s mouth Directly from the person or place that is the most
reliable source or the best authority
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187 Straight from the shoulder Frankly, honestly
188 The straw that broke the camel’s back Final bad thing
189 Strike while the iron is hot Take an opportunity
190 Sweet tooth A great desire to eat sweet foods, especially those
with lots of sugar
191 Take a backseat Occupy inferior position
192 Talk through your hat Speak without knowing the facts
193 Take the bitter with the sweet To accept the bad things that happen along with the
good
194 Hear through the grapevine Hear a rumor
195 True-blue Very loyal, faithful
196 Upper crust High society; social or financial elite; important
people
197 Wet behind the ears Young, inexperienced and immature
198 What’s good for the goose is good for What is good for a man is equally good for a woman
the gander
199 When the cat’s away, the mice will play When the person in charge is absent, people will
usually do as they please and take advantage of the
freedom
200 Wheel and deal To engage in business, usually to earn a lot of
money
201 Where there’s smoke, there’s fire Suspicious things usually mean that something is
wrong
202 Wolf’s in sheep’s clothing Somebody who appears to be harmless but is really
dangerous
203 Word of mouth By one person telling another; personal
recommendation