Idiom Meaning

If someone is left
holding the baby,
they are made
responsible for
a problem that others
don't want to deal with.
B Leave somebody holding the baby
"When the angry
customer started to
complain,
my colleague
disappeared and left
me holding the baby."
If you back or bet on
the wrong horse, for
example the loser in
a contest, match or
election, you support
Back or bet on the wrong horse the wrong person.
"When I voted for
him, I was convinced
he would win, but I
backed
the wrong horse!"
If you tell somebody
to get off your back,
Get off my back! you ask them to stop
finding faults or
criticizing you.
This expression is
used to describe an
isolated place located
far from any town.
In the back of beyond
"It took us hours to
find Jack's house.
He lives in the back
of beyond!"
If you put a project or
issue on the back
burner, you decide
to deal with it at a
later date because you
do not consider it
On the back burner to be that urgent or
important.
"When Julie was
offered a promotion,
she put her MBA plans

on the back burner."

 To say that someone
is back to square one
means that they have
not succeeded
in what they were
trying to do, and so
Back to square one they have to start
again.
"When the plans
were refused, it was
back to square one for
the
architect."
A remark that
appears to express
admiration but could
also be
interpreted as an
insult is called a
backhanded
Backhanded compliment
compliment.
"He said my
presentation was
'surprisingly clear' -
how's that for a
backhanded
compliment!"
This expression
refers to quick
approximate
calculation done
informally, as on the
Back-of-the-envelope calculation back of an envelope.
"I don't need the
exact amount.
Just give me a back-
of-the-envelope
calculation."
This term refers to
people who do
important work but
have no contact
with the public.
Back-room boys "Back-room boys
don't always receive
the credit they deserve
for their
work."
Backseat driver A backseat driver is
a passenger in a car
who gives unwanted
advice to the driver.
"I can't stand
backseat drivers like
 my mother-in-law!"

To refer to someone
as a bad egg means
that they cannot be
trusted.
A bad egg
"I don't want my son
to be friends with
Bobby Smith.
Bobby's a bad egg."
If you badger
someone into doing
something, you
persistently
nag or pester them
Badger someone into doing something
until you obtain what
you want.
"Sophie badgered
her parents into buying
her a new computer."
To say that someone
is a bag of bones
means that they are
Bag of bones extremely thin.
"When he came
home from the war he
was a bag of bones."
If you use your
(whole) bag of tricks
to do something, you
try
(all) the clever
(Whole) bag of tricks methods you know in
order to succeed.
"Let's call on George
and his bag of tricks;
maybe he can help us
solve the problem."
If you think
something is in the
bag, you are almost
certain
it will be achieved.
In the bag "An hour before the
polling stations closed,
victory seemed in the
bag
for the Conservative
candidate."
Bait and switch This term refers to a
deceptive commercial
practice of advertising a
low-priced item to
 attract customers, then
telling them that the
product
is out of stock and
persuading them to buy a
more expensive article.
"This store is famous
for its bait and switch
tactics."
If something is in the
balance, it means the
situation is uncertain
and it is not clear
what is going to
In the balance happen.
"The future of the
company is in the
balance while the
takeover bid
is being examined."
If you are on the
ball, you are aware of
Be on the ball what is happening
and are able to react
to the situation quickly.
If you have a ball,
you enjoy yourself.
Have a ball
"The party was
great. We had a ball."
If you are on the
ball, you are aware of
what is happening
and are able to deal
with things quickly and
On the ball intelligently.
"We need someone
who's really on the ball
to head the fund-
raising
campaign."
If you start the ball
rolling, you start an
activity in which
Start the ball rolling other people will join.
"Let's start the ball
rolling by calling on
our first speaker."
The ball is in your court If the ball is in your
court, it is your turn to
speak or act next.
"We gave the
manager a list of
complaints, so the ball
is in
 his court now."

If a person or
organization jumps on
the bandwagon,
they decide to do
something when it is
already successful or
fashionable.
Jump on the bandwagon
"When organic food
became popular,
certain stores were
quick
to jump on the
bandwagon and
promote it."
To say that something
is the bane of your
life means that it is
the cause of your
problems or your
Bane of one's life
unhappiness.
"The heating system
is always breaking
down. It's the bane of
my life!"
If you bang your
head against a brick
wall, you continue
vainly to
try and achieve
something in spite of
several unsuccessful
Bang your head against a brick wall
attempts.
"I've been banging
my head against a
brick wall trying to
explain the
internet to my
grandmother."
A bar fly refers to
someone who spends
a lot of time drinking in
Bar fly bars and pubs.
"You'll find Johnny
down at the pub - he's
a real bar fly!"
Bare one's heart (or soul) If you bare your
heart or soul to
someone, you reveal
your
innermost thoughts
and feelings to them.
 "John couldn't keep
things to himself any
longer. He decided to
bare his soul to his
best friend."
Someone who lies
easily, with a total lack
of shame, is called a
Barefaced liar
barefaced liar.
"That barefaced liar
stole my watch and
said he'd found it!"
This expression is
used to refer to a
person who sounds
much
His bark is worse than his bite more severe or angry
than they really are.
"Don't be afraid of
him - his bark is
worse than his bite."
A person who barks
up the wrong tree is
doing the wrong thing,
Bark up the wrong tree
because their beliefs
or ideas are incorrect
or mistaken.
If you wait for
something with bated
breath, you are both
anxious
Bated breath and excited about an
imminent event.
"We waited with
bated breath for the
winner to be
announced."
If you say that
somebody has bats in
the belfry, you are
Have bats in the belfry
saying that
their ideas are
completely mad.
The battle lines are drawn This expression is
used to say that
opposing groups are
ready to
defend the reason
behind the conflict.
"The battle lines
have been drawn
between those who
accept the
changes and those
 who are against the
proposed reforms."

A conflict, argument or
struggle where both sides
are determined to win
is described as a battle
of wills.
Battle of wills
"When they
separated, neither
party would make
concessions - it was
a battle of wills."
To say that
something is not the
be-all and end-all
means that it is
not what matters
(Not the) be-all and end-all
most.
"Good school results
are not the be-all and
end-all of educating a
child."
A person who is full
Be full of beans of beans is lively,
active and healthy.
This expression
means that what the
speaker says may be
true but
it will not change the
situation.
Be that as it may "OK. Fewer people
may come because of
the bad weather, but
be
that as it may, it's too
late to cancel the
show."
A person who bears
the brunt of
something is the one
who suffers
the most when
something bad or
Bear the brunt (of something)
unpleasant happens.
"When things go
wrong, his assistant
always has to bear the
brunt
of his anger."
 If someone asks you
to bear something in
mind, they are telling
you to remember it
because it is
Bear something in mind
important.
"You must bear in
mind that the cost of
living is higher in New
York."
If someone is
behaving like a bear
with a sore head,
they are
very irritable and
Like a bear with a sore head
bad-tempered.
"When his team lost
the match, Brad was
like a bear with a sore
head."
If you visit someone
important in the place
where they work, in
order to
challenge him/her or
obtain something, you
Beard the lion (or someone) in his den
beard the lion in his
den.
"If he continues to
refuse my calls, I'll
have to beard him in
his den."
To say that someone
is beating a dead
horse means that they
are wasting time and
effort trying to do or
achieve something
that is
Beat/flog a dead horse
not possible.
"Mark is beating a
dead horse trying to
get his money
reimbursed.
The company has
gone bankrupt!"
Beat/knock the living daylights If someone beats the
out of someone daylights out of
another, they hit them
very hard
and repeatedly.
"If I catch you
stealing again, I'll beat
the daylights out of
 you!"

This expression is
used to express
surprise at something
that you find
It beats me! difficult to
understand,
"It beats me how he
can live in that horrible
apartment!"
If a person is at
somebody's beck
and call, they are
always
ready to do things for
At someone's beck and call
them or obey orders to
please them.
"Parents should not
be at the beck and call
of their children."
A person who has a
bee in their bonnet
has an idea
which constantly
Have a bee in one's bonnet occupies their
thoughts.
"She's got a bee in
her bonnet about
moving to New York."
If you say that
someone/something is
the bee's knees,
you think they are
exceptionally good.
The bee's knees
If you say "Julie
thinks she's the bee's
knees", it means that
Julie has a high
opinion of herself!
Been there, done that This expression is
used to indicate that
the speaker is familiar
with
the situation
mentioned. It can also
refer to an attitude
which reflects
a certain boredom at
the idea of repeating
an experience that has
lost
its novelty.
 "His suggestions
produced a 'been
there, done that'
attitude which
undermined his
enthusiasm."
This expression
means that you should
not reject an offer
if it is the only
Beggars can't be choosers.
possibility you have.
You have no choice.
"Beggars can't be
choosers"!
If something rings a
bell, it is vaguely
familiar to you,
but you can't
Ring a bell. remember the exact
details .
"John Bentley? The
name rings a bell but I
don't remember him."
If you go somewhere
with bells on, you are
delighted and eager
With bells on
to go there.
"Of course I'll be
there - with bells on!"
An action or remark
described as below
the belt means that
it is considered unfair
or cruel.
Below the belt
"Politicians
sometimes use
personal information to
hit their rivals
below the belt.'
If you need to
tighten your belt, you
must spend your
Tighten your belt money
carefully.
"Another bill? I'll
have to tighten my belt
this month!"
Bend over backwards If you bend over
backwards, you try
very hard to do
something,
especially to please
somebody.
"The manager bent
 over backwards to try
to make Jack stay,
but Jack wouldn't
change his mind."
If you bend the
truth, you say
something that is not
entirely true.
"OK, I bent the truth a
Bend the truth
bit; I told him it was my
natural colour,
but I didn't say that
my hairdresser helped
me to keep it natural!"
If you give somebody
the benefit of the
doubt, you choose to
believe that that
person is innocent,
honest or telling the
truth,
because there is no
The benefit of the doubt evidence to the
contrary.
"Although he found it
hard to believe Tom's
explanation, the
teacher
decided to give him
the benefit of the
doubt."
If you are beside
yourself (with an
emotion), you lose
your
self-control because
Beside yourself (with something) of the intensity of the
emotion you are
feeling.
"He was beside
himself with grief when
he lost his son."
If a person has the
best of both worlds,
they have the benefits
and
advantages of two
different things.
The best of both worlds
"We live in the centre
of town, but only 5
minutes from the
beach.
We have the best of
both worlds."
 If you bet your
bottom dollar on
something, you are
absolutely
certain of it.
Bet your bottom dollar "Jack is very
punctual. You can bet
your bottom dollar he'll
be here
at 9 o'clock on the
dot."
If you back or bet on
the wrong horse, for
example the loser in a
contest, match or
election, you support
Bet on the wrong horse the wrong person.
"When I voted for
him, I was convinced
he would win, but I
backed
the wrong horse!"
It's better to be too
cautious than to be
careless and have
Better safe than sorry regrets later.
"Let's book tickets in
advance - better safe
than sorry!"
If you think better of
something, you
decide not to do
something
that you intended
Think better of something doing.
"I wanted to go
shopping, but when I
saw the crowded car
park,
I thought better of it."
Between the devil and the deep blue sea If you are between
the devil and the
deep blue sea, you
are
in a situation where
there are two equally
unpleasant
alternatives.
"When the new
product didn't take off,
the management was
caught
between the devil
and the deep blue sea:
 develop a new
marketing
campaign or drop the
product."
The expression "it's
beyond me" means:
"it's impossible for me
to
It's beyond me
understand"
"It's beyond me why
Mary wants to marry
John."
This is a legal
expression which
means that something
is certain.
Beyond any reasonable doubt "The court
established, beyond
any reasonable
doubt, that the man
was innocent."
If something is
beyond your wildest
dreams, it is better
than you
imagined or hoped
for.
Beyond one's wildest dreams
"The research team
received a grant from
the government that
was
beyond their wildest
dreams."
If something is
beyond redemption,
it is in such a poor
state that
there is no hope of
Beyond redemption
improvement or
recovery.
"With the latest
scandal, his reputation
is now beyond
redemption."
If you bide your
time, you wait for a
good opportunity to do
something.
Bide your time "He's not hesitating,
he's just biding his
time.
He's waiting for the
price to drop."
 This expression
refers to a person who
has a lot of power and
influence
Big cheese
in an organization.
"Tom's father is a big
cheese in the oil
industry."
This term is used to
refer to an important or
highly-ranked person
in a small group or
organization.
Big fish in a small pond
"He could get a job
with a big company
but he enjoys being a
big fish
in a small pond."
To refer to the big
picture means the
overall situation, or the
project
Big picture as a whole, rather
than the details.
"While each aspect is
important, try not to
forget the big picture.
If a person has a
clean bill of health,
they have a report or
Clean bill of health
certificate
declaring that their
health is satisfactory.
If you think
something is for the
birds, you consider it
to be
uninteresting,
For the birds
useless, or not to be
taken seriously.
"As far as I'm
concerned, his theory
is for the birds!"
If you kill two birds
with one stone, you
Kill two birds with one stone. succeed in doing
two things at the
same time.
To say that two
people are birds of a
feather means that
Birds of a feather.
they
are very similar in
many ways.
 This humorous
expression means that
you are wearing
nothing!
In/wearing one's birthday suit
"The bathroom door
blew open, and there I
was in my birthday
suit!"
If you bite off more
than you can chew,
you try to do
something
that is too difficult for
you, or more than you
Bite off more than you can chew
can manage.
"As soon as I started
to translate the report,
I realized that
I had bitten off more
than I could chew."
If you bite
someone's head off,
you criticize them
strongly
(and perhaps
Bite someone's head off unfairly).
"I worked 10 hours a
day all week and my
boss bit my head off
for not doing my
share of the work!"
If you bite the hand
that feeds you, you
are unfriendly or do
Bite the hand that feeds you
harm
to someone who is
kind to you.
If you bite your
tongue, you try not to
say what you really
think or
Bite your tongue
feel.
"It was difficult for me
not to react; I had to
bite my tongue."
Once bitten, twice shy. This is said by a
person who has had
an unpleasant
experience
which has made
them cautious.
"I'm never going to
get married again.
Once bitten, twice
 shy."

A bitter pill to
swallow is something
very difficult or
unpleasant
A bitter pill to swallow to accept.
"Losing his job after
organizing the merger
was a bitter pill to
swallow."
To be in a black
mood means to be
irritable, angry or even
Black mood
depressed.
Also : to be in a bad
mood.
This expression
refers to a formal
event at which men
are required
to wear a dinner
jacket, or tuxedo, and
Black tie event
a black bow tie.
"I need to know if it's
going to be a casual
get-together or a
black tie
event."
To say that
something is in black
and white means that
there is
In black and white
written proof of it.
"It's an obligation. It's
written in black and
white in your contract."
To say that a person
or organization is in
the black means that
they are financially
In the black sound, have a positive
balance on their
account,
and that they owe no
money.
Black gold refers to
Black gold the black colour and
high value of oil.
Black market The black market
refers to the illegal
buying and selling
 of goods or
currencies.
If you black out, you
Black out
lose consciousness.
The black sheep of
the family is one who
is very different from
Black sheep the
others, and least
respected by the other
members of the family,
A discussion among
a group of people, who
try to determine who
or
what is to blame for a
particular mistake,
failure or wrongdoing,
Blamestorming is
called
'blamestorming'.
"A blamestorming
session took place
following the
unfavourable
reviews in the press."
If you give someone
a blank cheque, you
authorize them to do
what they think is
best in a difficult
A blank cheque
situation.
"Tom was given a
blank cheque and told
to negotiate the
best deal possible."
To refer to someone
as a wet blanket
means that they spoil
other people's fun,
or make an event
less enjoyable that it
A wet blanket
could have been
"Come on, Mike!
Don't be such a wet
blanket.
You're spoiling the
party!"
A blessing in disguise This expression is
used to refer to
something which is
unpleasant at
first but later turns
out to have
 advantages.
"Missing the plane
was a blessing in
disguise - that's how
he met
his wife. She was a
hostess on the next
flight!"
(as) blind as a bat
Someone whose
vision is very poor, or
who is unable to see
anything,
As blind as a bat
is (as) blind as a
bat.
"Without his glasses
the old man is as blind
as a bat."
If you go up a blind
alley, you follow an
ineffective course of
action
which leads nowhere
(up a) blind alley or produces no results.

"The revelations
promised by the
suspect lead the police
up a blind alley."
This expression
refers to a person with
very little ability trying
to help
or guide a person
with no ability.
The blind leading the blind "Don't ask Sofia to
translate it. She
hardly speaks a word
of English
herself. It would be
the blind leading the
blind".
If someone tries to
blind you with
science, they confuse
you with
their knowledge by
Blind you with science using difficult or
technical words.
"If you ask Tim for a
simple explanation, he
tries to blind you with
science."
 If something happens
in the blink of an eye,
it happens nearly
instantaneously, with
In the blink of an eye hardly enough time to
notice it.
"The pickpocket
disappeared in the
blink of an eye."
Something that is
outstanding,
impressive or
particularly successful,
Blockbuster such as a film or a
book, is called a
blockbuster.
"The TV series was a
blockbuster."
If something makes
your blood boil, it
makes you really
Make your blood boil angry.
"His condescending
attitude made my
blood boil!"
If something makes
your blood run cold,
it shocks or scares
Make your blood run cold you a lot.
"The look in the
prisoner's eyes made
my blood run cold."
A project or action
which involves blood,
sweat and tears
requires
a lot of effort and
Blood, sweat and tears hard work.
"His success wasn't
due to luck; it was
blood, sweat and tears

all the way."

Someone who blots
their copy-book does
something to spoil
their
Blot one's copy book good record or
reputation.
"He blotted his copy-
book when he was
arrested for speeding."
 If you blow a fuse,
you suddenly lose
your temper and
become
very angry.
Blow a fuse
"Charlie blew a fuse
yesterday when he
discovered that his
ipod
had been stolen."
If you blow hot and
cold about something,
you constantly change

your opinion about it.

"The boss keeps
Blow hot and cold blowing hot and cold
about the marketing
campaign -
one day he finds it
excellent, the next day
he wants to make
changes."
If you report an illegal
or socially-harmful
activity to the
authorities,
and give information
about those
responsible for it, you
Blow the whistle
blow the
whistle or you are a
whistle-blower.
"He refused to blow
the whistle on his boss
for fear of losing his
job."
When working on a
plan or project, if it
suddenly goes wrong
or fails,
it blows up in your
face.
Blow up in someone's face
"The trip was difficult
to organize, but it blew
up in his face when
the
airline company went
on strike."
Blue around the gills If a person looks
(also green or pale around the gills) blue around the gills,
they look unwell or
sick.
"You should sit down.
 You look a bit blue
around the gills."
This term refers to a
company with a solid
reputation for the
quality of
its products and the
Blue chip company
stability of its growth
and earnings.
"It's usually safe to
invest in a blue-chip
company.
If you do something
until you're blue in
the face, you try
unsuccessfully to do
something for a very
Blue in the face long time.
"I explained the
situation until I was
blue in the face but
she wouldn't
change her mind."
To feel blue means
to have feelings of
Feel blue
deep sadness or
depression.
To refer to something
as a bolt from the
blue means
that it happened
A bolt from the blue completely
unexpectedly.
"The chairman's
resignation came as a
bolt from the blue!"
A blue-eyed boy is
somebody's favourite.
Blue-eyed boy
"He's the director's
blue-eyed boy!"
If something happens
out of the blue, it
Out of the blue
happens
unexpectedly.
Above board If a situation or
business is described
as above board, it is
open,
honest and legal.
"There are no secret
negotiations. Our
dealings have always
been
 above board."

The expression "the

mind boggles" is
used as a reaction to
The mind boggles
something you find
amazing or difficult to
understand.
Someone who is
bold as brass
behaves without
shame or
Bold as brass embarrassment.
"Bold as brass, he
refused the gift and
handed it back to
his mother-in-law."
A bone of
contention is a matter
or subject about which
there is
a lot of disagreement.
Bone of contention "The salaries have
been agreed on, but
opening on Sundays
remains
a bone of
contention."
To say that you have
a bone to pick with
somebody means that
Have a bone to pick with someone
you are annoyed with
them and want to talk
to them about it.
If you make no
bones about
something, you do
not hesitate to
Make no bones about something
express your
thoughts or feelings
about it, even if it is
embarrassing.
In somebody's good/bad books If you are in
somebody's good or
bad books, you have
their
approval
or disapproval.
"I'm in my wife's bad
books at the moment
because I forgot our
 wedding anniversary!"

To say that one

person licks another
person's boots
means that
Lick someone's boots they are trying to
please that person,
often in order to obtain

something.
To say that a person
is getting too big for
their boots means
that
you think they are
behaving as if they
were more important
Get too big for your boots (or britches) that they
really are.
"Tom's really getting
too big for his boots
since he got a
promotion -
he hardly says hello
any more!"
This expression is
used to indicate that
you are not as foolish
or as
easily deceived as
I wasn't born yesterday some people seem to
think.
"Stop inventing silly
excuses. I wasn't
born yesterday you
know!"
A person who drinks
alcoholic drinks often
and regularly is
On the bottle on the bottle.
"Joe went on the
bottle when he lost his
job."
Bow and scrape To say that someone
is bowing and
scraping means that
they are
being excessively
polite or servile.
"The President was
greeted with much
 bowing and scraping."

Someone who has a

brain like a sieve has
a very bad memory
and
Brain like a sieve forgets things easily.
"Oh, I forgot to buy
bread - I've got a brain
like a sieve these
days!"
If you have
something on the
brain, you think or talk
about it
Have something on the brain
constantly.
"Stop talking about
golf. You've got golf
on the brain!"
People who get
down to brass tacks
start to discuss and
deal with
the practical details
Get down to brass tacks
of something
"It was decided to get
down to brass tacks
and discuss the cost of
the project."
If you take the bread
out of somebody's
mouth, you take away

their means of
Take the bread out of somebody's mouth earning a living.
"The decision to ban
street vendors took the
bread out of the
mouths
of many people."
People who live on
the breadline have a
very low income or
barely
enough money to
On the breadline survive.
"Due to the recent
crisis, there are more
people on the
breadline than
ever before."
 If someone breaks
the back of the
beast, they succeed in
overcoming
a major difficulty.
"After hours of effort,
Break the back of the beast
the technicians finally
broke the back of the
beast
and turned the
electricity back on
again."
If you break fresh
ground, you innovate
by introducing or
developing
a new method or
Break fresh ground
system.
"Scientists have
broken fresh ground in
their exploration of
outer space."
This is a humorous
way of wishing
somebody good luck,
especially
Break a leg! among stage
performers.
"So tonight's the
opening night? Break
a leg!"
If you change what
people expect from a
situation, especially by

doing something
original, you break the
Break the mould
mould.
"After generations of
doctors in the family,
he broke the mould by
becoming a fashion
designer."
If you behave in a
completely
unacceptable way, you
break every
rule in the book.
Break every rule in the book.
"Our competitors
obtained the contract
by breaking every rule
in the
book."
 If you break out in a
cold sweat, you start
to perspire a lot,
usually
Break out in a cold sweat from anxiety.
"I get nervous at the
dentist's and usually
break out in a cold
sweat."
If somebody is
breathing down your
neck, they are
watching you
too closely and
making you feel
Breathe down someone's neck
uncomfortable.
"The atmosphere at
work isn't great; the
boss keeps breathing
down our necks all
the time."
An established
trading company
(office/shop) is
referred to as a
'brick-and-mortar'
business.
'Click companies'
refer to Internet-based
Bricks and mortar/ bricks and clicks
operations.
Companies which do
both are called 'bricks
and clicks'.
"Click businesses are
usually more flexible
than brick-and-mortar
operations."
A person who is
bright-eyed and
bushy-tailed is very
enthusiastic
and full of energy.
Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed "Gary was fantastic!
He arrived bright-eyed
and bush-tailed at 7
am
and worked with us
all day."
Bring the house down If you bring the
house down, you give
a very successful
performance.
"If he sings like that
on Saturday, he'll bring
 the house down."

If you participate in
negotiations and bring
nothing to the table,
you have nothing of
interest to offer the
Bring nothing to the table
other side.
"We'll never reach an
agreement if we don't
all bring something to
the table."
Someone who
brings up the rear is
the last person in a
group of
people who are
Bring up the rear walking or running.
"The pupils walked
calmly down the
corridor, with the
teacher bringing
up the rear."
This expression
means that it makes
no real difference
which
alternative is chosen.
It's as broad as it's long
"Take the high-speed
train or fly and take a
taxi?
It's as broad as it's
long."
If something is
described or defined
with/in broad stokes,
it is
outlined in a very
Broad strokes
general way, without
any details.
"In a few broad
strokes he summed up
the situation."
To say that someone
is brown as a berry
Brown as a berry
means that they are
very tanned.
To be browned off
means to be bored,
fed up or
Browned-off
disheartened.
"Tom is browned off
with his job."
 To say that the
bubble has burst
means that the
success of an
idea, a product or a
situation has suddenly
The bubble has burst
stopped.
"The video game was
a phenomenal
success but the
bubble
has burst."
If you say that
someone is passing
the buck, you are
accusing
them of not taking
Pass the buck
responsibility for a
problem and expecting

someone else to
handle it.
To kick the bucket
is a light-hearted way
of talking about death.
Kick the bucket.
"He will inherit when
his grandfather kicks
the bucket."
If you nip a problem
or a bad situation in
the bud, you stop it
at an early stage,
before it becomes
To nip something in the bud
worse.
"He wanted to be a
clown, but his parents
soon nipped that idea
in the bud."
If a person builds
bridges between
opposing groups, they
Build bridges help
them to cooperate
and understand each
other better.
To take the bull by
the horns means that
a person decides to
Take the bull by the horns
act decisively in order
to deal with a difficult
situation or problem.
Bulldoze somebody (into doing A person who is
something) bulldozed into doing
something is forced
 to
do it, especially by
being bullied or
intimidated.
"The immigrants
were bulldozed into
accepting the work"
If you describe
somebody as a
bundle of nerves, you
mean that
they are very
nervous, tense or
Bundle of nerves
worried.
"My son is doing his
driving test today.
Needless to say he's a
bundle
of nerves!"
The burden of proof
is the necessity
imposed by law to
prove that
Burden of proof
what one says is
true.
"The burden of proof
lies with the claimant."
If you burn the
candle at both ends,
you exhaust yourself
by doing
too much, especially
going to bed late and
Burn the candle at both ends
getting up early.
"Scott looks
exhausted - I'll bet he's
been burning the
candle at both
ends lately."
If you burn your
fingers (or get your
fingers burnt), you suffer
financially
Burn your fingers as a result of foolish
behaviour.
"Jack got his fingers
burnt playing on the
stock market."
This expression is
used to tell somebody
to say what they have
Don't beat around the bush
to say, clearly and
directly, even if it's
unpleasant.
 A busman's holiday
is when you spend
your spare time or
your
holidays doing the
same sort of activity as
Busman's holiday
you do in your job.
"My husband's a
chef, so for him time
off with the family is
often
a busman's holiday!"
When butter
someone up, you
flatter them or you are
very nice to them,
especially if you want
Butter someone up
to obtain something.
"He was so keen to
get the job that he
spent his time
buttering up the boss."
If you say that
somebody looks as if
butter wouldn't melt
in
Butter wouldn't melt in your mouth their mouth, you are
saying that they look
completely innocent,
but that they are
capable of doing
unpleasant things.

Idiom Meaning

To refer to
something as a
piece of cake
means that you
C A piece of cake consider it
to be very easy.
"The English test
was a piece of
cake!"
Have your cake and eat it To say that
someone wants to
have their cake
and eat it means
that they want
the advantages of
two alternative
situations when
only
one is possible .
"Jack enjoys his
 comfort but is
always
complaining about
the cost
of things. He
can't have his
cake and eat it!"
Things that sell
like hot cakes
Sell like hot cakes
sell quickly or in
large quantities.
To say that the
cake (or the
game) is not
worth the candle
means
that the
advantages to be
gained from doing
The cake/the game is not worth something are not
the candle worth
the effort
involved.
"He recorded an
album but sold
very few copies;
the cake wasn't
worth
the candle!"
A calculated
risk is a risk taken
with full
knowledge of the
dangers
involved.
Calculated risk
"The company
took a calculated
risk when they
hired Sean
straight
out of college."
Call someone's bluff If you call
someone's bluff,
you challenge
them to do what
they
threaten to do
(while believing
that they will not
dare to do it).
"After the
neighbour's
threats to
demolish the
 fence, when Jack
decided to call
his bluff, there
were no more
complaints."
When people
temporarily stop
doing something
or put an end to
an activity, they
Call it quits
call it quits.
"OK. We're all
exhausted, so let's
call it quits for
today."
A person who
calls a spade a
spade speaks
openly and
truthfully
about something,
especially difficult
matters.
Call a spade a spade
"What I like
about the new
manager is that he
calls a spade a
spade -
it makes things
so much easier for
everyone."
The person who
calls the tune is
the one who
makes all the
important
decisions and is
Call the tune in control of the
situation.
"He shows a lot
of authority but in
fact it's his wife
who calls the
tune."
Can of worms To describe a
situation as a can
of worms means
that it is
complicated,
unpleasant and
difficult to deal
with.
"The discovery of
the transfer of
 funds turned out
to be a real
can of worms."
To say that some
is burning the
candle at both
ends means
that they are
Burn the candle at both ends
trying to do too
much and that
they go to bed
very late and get
up very early.
If you paddle
your own canoe,
you do what you
want to do
without help or
interference from
Paddle one's own canoe
anyone.
"He decided to
paddle his own
canoe and set up
his own
company."
If someone can't
see the wood for
the trees, they
are so
concentrated
on the details that
they can't see the
situation
Can't see the wood for the trees
as a whole.
"The new
manager found
the situation so
complicated that
he couldn't see
the wood for the
trees."
If you tell
someone to put
their thinking
cap on, you ask
them
to find an idea or
Put on your thinking cap solve a problem
by thinking about
it.
"Now here's this
week's quiz - it's
time to put your
thinking caps on!"
 You say "if the
cap fits wear it"
to let someone
know that
the critical
remark they have
just heard applies
If the cap fits, wear it!
to them.
"Are you
referring to me?"
"If the cap fits
wear it!"
(US : If the shoe
fits ...)
This means that
you do all that is
necessary in order
Play your cards right to succeed.
"If we play our
cards right, we'll
get the contract.
If you put your
cards on the
table, you speak
honestly and
openly
about your
Put/lay one's cards on the table
feelings and
intentions.
"Let's clear the
air and put our
cards on the
table."
If you use a
carrot-and-stick
approach, you use
the promise of
reward
and the threat of
punishment to
make somebody
Carrot and stick
work harder.
"Some parents
use a carrot-and-
stick approach to
obtain good
results
from their
children."
 If you carry the
torch, you have
strong feelings for
someone with
whom
you do not or
cannot have a
Carry the torch
relationship..
"He's been
carrying the torch
for Julie since
their college days,
before she
married Ted."
If a person or
organization
carries weight,
they are influential
or
Carry weight
important.
"I'm glad she's
on our side - her
opinion carries a
lot of weight."
A person who
puts the cart
before the horse
is doing things in
the
wrong order.
Put the cart before the horse
"Building a
school before
knowing the age
of the population
is putting the cart
before the horse."
Carve out a niche A person or
company who
carves out a
niche focuses on
a particular
segment of the
market, to which
they supply a
product or service,
and
develop their
expertise in that
area.
"In today's
competitive
market it's better
to carve out a
niche and try to
become the best
 in that area."

This term refers

to an example
which serves to
illustrate, support
or prove
a point which is
Case in point currently under
discussion.
"The latest
incident is a case
in point for the
parents'
association."
A product or
service which is a
regular source of
income for a
company
A cash cow is called a cash
cow.
"His latest
invention turned
out to be a real
cash cow."
If you cash in
your chips, you
sell something,
especially shares,
either because
you need the
money or because
Cash in your chips you think the
value is
going to fall.
"Andy cashed in
his chips as soon
as business
started to slow
down."
Cast a wide net When trying to
find something, if
you cast a wide
net, you cover an
extensive area or
use a wide range
of sources.
"The hospital will
have to cast a
wide net in their
search for
 compatible
donors."

This expression
means that if you
are too careful
and polite,
you may not
obtain what you
A cat in gloves catches no mice want.
"Negotiate
carefully, but
remember: a cat
in gloves
catches no
mice!"
A cat can look
at a king.
This expression
means that
nobody is so
A cat can look at a king. important that an
ordinary
person cannot
look at or be
curious about
them.
To refer to a rich
and powerful
person as a fat
cat means that
A fat cat
you disapprove
of the way they
use their money or
power.
If you let the cat
out of the bag,
you reveal a
Let the cat out of the bag.
secret,
often not
intentionally.
Cat's whiskers This expression
refers to someone
who considers
themselves
to be better than
others in a
particular area -
beauty,
competence,
intelligence,
sport, etc.,
"Ever since she
 got a promotion,
she thinks she's
the cat's
whiskers!"
This term refers
to a life in which
partners are
constantly or
frequently
Cat-and-dog life quarrelling.
"They lead a cat-
and-dog life. I
don't know why
they stay
together."
To play cat and
mouse with
someone means
to treat them
Play cat and mouse alternately
cruelly and kindly,
so that they do not
know what to
expect.
This expression
means that you try
to get something
in any way
possible
Catch-as-catch-can "It's difficult to
get much sleep
with the new baby
- it's catch-as-
catch-can
these days!"
A catch 22
situation refers to
a frustrating
situation where
you cannot
do one thing
without doing a
second, and you
cannot do the
Catch 22 second
before doing the
first.
"I can't get a job
without a work
permit, and I can't
get a work permit
without a job. It's
a catch 22
situation!"
 If someone
catches your
eye, you find them
Catch somebody's eye attractive.
"The pretty girl
near the door
caught his eye."
If a person is
caught red-
handed, they are
caught while they
are
doing something
wrong or illegal.
Catch somebody red-handed
"The police
arrived as the
burglar was
leaving the
house.
He was caught
red-handed."
If something
causes a stir, it
creates an
atmosphere of
excitement
Cause a stir
or great interest.
"The arrival of
the actress
caused quite a stir
in the village."
If someone
throws caution
to the wind, they
stop caring about
the possible
dangers and start
Throw caution to the wind
taking risks.
"The weather
was so good, he
threw caution to
the wind and went
sailing alone."
Two people who
are like chalk and
Like chalk and cheese cheese are
(as different as chalk and cheese) completely
different from
each other.
Chance in a million A chance in a
million is a very
small chance, or
no chance at all,
that something
 will happen.

If someone has a
change of heart,
they change their
attitude or
feelings,
especially towards
greater
Change of heart friendliness or
cooperation.
"He was against
charity, but he had
a change of heart
when he saw the
plight of the
homeless."
Someone who is
chasing
rainbows is trying
to get something
they
Chase rainbows will never obtain.
"She's trying to
get into Harvard
but I think she's
chasing
rainbows."
If someone is
cheesed off with
something, they
are annoyed,
bored
Cheesed off
or frustrated.
"Julie is
absolutely
cheesed off with
her job.
A story, a joke or
an idea that has
been repeated so
often that
it has lost its
novelty is referred
Old chestnut
to as an old
chestnut.
"The story about
his boat capsizing
has become an
old chestnut!"
Chew the fat If you chew the
fat with
somebody, you
chat in an informal
 way
about
unimportant
things.
"It's amazing the
amount of time my
grandparents can
spend
chewing the fat
with their
neighbours."
If you chicken
out of something,
you decide not to
do something
because you are
Chicken out of something afraid.
"He decided to
join a karate class,
but chickened out
of it at the last
minute!"
This expression
refers to a
situation where
there are too
many people
giving
instructions and
not enough people
Too many chiefs, not enough Indians.
doing the work.
"The business
wasn't successful.

There were too

many chiefs and
not enough
Indians."
If you chime in,
you interrupt or
join a
conversation,
especially to
repeat or agree
with something.
"As I explained
Chime in
to the bus driver
what had
happened , the
other
passengers
chimed in and
gave their version.
"
 If someone has a
chink in their
armour, they
have a weakness
that
can be taken
A chink in someone's armour
advantage of.
"The candidate's
opponents are
busy looking for
chinks in his
armour."
If you refer to a
person as a chip
off the old block,
you mean that
they resemble
one of their
parents in
A chip off the old block appearance,
character or
behaviour.
"James is a chip
off the old block -
he reacts exactly
the same way
as his father."
If someone has a
chip on their
shoulder, they
feel resentful
because
they feel they are
A chip on your shoulder
being treated
unfairly, especially
because of
their background,
their sex or their
colour.
To say that
someone has had
their chips
means that they
have
completely failed
Have had one's chips
in what they set
out to achieve.
"After the second
set, it looked as
though Agassi had
had his chips."
When the chips are down This expression
refers to people's
behaviour in a
 difficult or
dangerous
situation when
action must be
taken.
"It's when the
chips are down
that Jack is at his
best."
Something which
is of no practical
use at all is about
as useful as a
chocolate
Useful as a chocolate teapot teapot.
"When there are
no roads, a car is
about as useful as
a chocolate
teapot."
If you chop and
change, you
constantly change
your opinion,
plans
Chop and change or methods and
often cause
confusion.
"Don't chop and
change all the
time - just make
up your mind!"
This expression
means that you
are no longer on
friendly terms with
someone.
Off someone's Christmas card list
"I've been off
her Christmas
card list since our
dog messed up
her garden!"
You can't fight the city hall This expression
means that it is
useless to try to
win a battle
against a
politician,
establishment or
bureaucracy in
general.
"Tom decided it
was a waste of
energy trying to
 obtain a tax refund
-
you can't fight
the city hall!"
In a situation
which has
deteriorated, if you
claw your way
back,
you gradually
regain your former
position through
determination,
Claw one's way back energy and hard
work.
"After a serious
accident, the
Olympic gold
medallist clawed
his way
back to the top,
to the admiration
of all."
A clean slate is
a record of your
work or actions
that does not
show
Clean slate past mistakes
and allows you to
make a fresh start.
"He was able to
rebuild his life with
a clean slate."
If you decide to
clear the air, you
try to remove the
causes of fear,
worry or
suspicion by
talking about them
Clear the air
openly.
"The atmosphere
had become so
unpleasant that he
decided it was
time to clear the
air."
Clinch a deal In a business
relationship, if you
clinch a deal, you
reach agreement
on a proposal or
offer.
 "Tom's final
argument enabled
us to clinch the
deal."
If you clip
someone's
wings, you do
something to
Clip someone's wings restrict their
freedom.
"Taking away his
credit card is a
sure way to clip
his wings!"
To say that
someone or
something goes,
runs or behaves
like
clockwork
means that
everything
Like clockwork
happens exactly
as expected.
"Meals are
always served on
time. In their
home everything
runs
like clockwork."
This expression
refers to an effort
to do something
which was a
good attempt but
not quite good
Close but no cigar
enough to
succeed.
"The ball
touched the goal
post - close but
no cigar!"
Close to home If a remark or
comment is close
to home, it is so
true, or it affects
you so directly,
that you feel
uncomfortable.
"Alan looks
embarrassed.
Bob's comment
must have been
close
 to home!"

This expression
is used to
describe a
situation where an
accident or a
disaster nearly
A close shave
happened
"I almost hit the
child who ran out
in front of my car.
It was a close
shave."
A person who is
on cloud nine is
very happy
because
something
Be on cloud nine wonderful has
happened.
"When the boss
announced my
promotion, I was
on cloud nine!"
If you don't have
a clue about
something, you
don't know
anything
Not have a clue
about it.
"My wife's
grandmother's
maiden name? I
don't have a clue!"
If you are off
colour, you are
Off colour
looking or feeling
ill.
If you make cold
calls, you
telephone
potential
customers from
Cold calls a list of people
you do not know.
"In my first job I
had to make cold
calls using the
telephone
directory."
 If you collect
your thoughts,
you try to think
calmly and clearly
in order to
prepare yourself
Collect one's thoughts mentally for
something.
"Anne stopped to
collect her
thoughts before
calling back the
customer."
To say that
someone is
coming apart at
the seams means
that
they are
extremely upset or
Come apart at the seams
under severe
mental stress.
"Bob has had so
many problems
lately, he's coming
apart
at the seams."
To come clean
about something
Come clean</B.< FONT>
means to tell the
truth.
If someone or
something comes
to grief, they have
an accident, are
destroyed or end
in failure.
Come to grief
"Their plans for a
golf course came
to grief when it
was decided to
build
a motorway."
To say that
something may
come in handy
means that it may
be
Come in handy useful some time
or other.
"Don't throw
away those old
shelves; they may
come in handy."
 When you come
into your own,
you receive the
credit or
recognition
Come into one's own you deserve.
"It's when there's
an important
presentation that
Sarah really
comes
into her own."
This expression
is used to tell
someone not to
worry about a
mistake
or problem
because it won't
have any serious
Come out in the wash effect and
everything will
work out all right.
"Yes, he was
furious when it
happened - but
don't worry - it'll all
come
out in the wash."
When things, or
people, come out
of the woodwork,
they appear or
emerge
unexpectedly, as if
from nowhere,
and usually in
Come out of the woodwork
large numbers.
"As soon as we
added the
swimming pool,
our children had
"friends"
coming out of the
woodwork."
Come rain or shine If a person does
something come
rain or shine,
they do it
regularly,
whatever the
circumstances.
"He goes to the
gym club every
 day, come rain or
shine."
If someone
comes to a bad
end, their actions
lead to disastrous
consequences
which are
sometimes
Come to a bad end
deserved or
predictable.
"If that boy
doesn't change
his ways, he'll
come to a bad
end!"
If two or more
people come to
blows, they start
to fight.
Come to blows "The debate was
so intense, the
participants
almost came to
blows."
To talk about
what to do if or
when a situation
comes to the
crunch, means
when it becomes
Come to the crunch
difficult or critical
and a decision
has to be made.
"If it comes to the
crunch, I'll sell my
car."
If a problem or
difficult situation
comes to a head,
it reaches a point
where action has
Come to a head to be taken.
"The problem
came to a head
yesterday when
rioting broke out in
the streets."
Come to your senses If you come to
your senses, you
start to think
clearly and
behave
 sensibly.
"She finally came
to her senses and
realized that
public transport
was
faster than
driving."
If you come to
grips with a
problem or
situation, you start
to
understand or
Come to grips with something deal with it
properly
"After the initial
shock, the patient
began to come to
grips with
his illness."
To say that
someone has
come up trumps
means that they
have
achieved
Come/turn up trumps unexpectedly
good results.
"Against all
expectations, our
team came up
trumps in the cup
final."
To say that
something comes
with the territory
means that it
has to be
accepted as part
of a job or
responsibility,
Come with the territory
even if it is
unpleasant.
"A successful
actor has to
expect intensive
media coverage -
it comes with the
territory!"
 To say that you
will do something
come what may
means that
you will do it
whatever the
consequences
Come what may
may be.
"Come what
may, I'm going to
tell my mother-in-
law what I think of
her
attitude!"
When information
is well-known to
everyone
(particularly in a
community or
group), it is called
common
Common knowledge
knowledge.
"You didn't know
the intern was
Jack's son? I
thought it was
common
knowledge."
A person who
cooks the books
is one who
changes the facts
or
figures in their
financial accounts,
Cook the books
often in order to
steal money.
"The actor
discovered after a
while that his
agent was cooking
the books."
To cook
somebody's
goose means to
spoil that person's
chance of
success.
Cook somebody's goose
"When the
burglar saw the
police car arriving,
he realized his
goose
was cooked."
 To say 'that's
the way the
cookie crumbles'
means
That's the way the cookie crumbles! that is the way
things are and
nothing can be
done about it' -
that's life'!
A person who is
as cool as a
cucumber is a
Cool as a cucumber person who is
not anxious, but
relaxed and non-
emotional.
If you are left to
cool your heels,
someone keeps
you waiting.
"After rushing to
Cool one's heels be on time for my
appointment, I
was left to cool
my heels in the
waiting room for
an hour."
To describe
something such
as a plan, a
contract or a
financial
arrangement as
'copper-
Copper-bottomed bottomed' means
that it is
completely
safe or reliable.
"He has signed a
copper-bottomed
agreement with a
distributor."
If you cork
something up
(feelings,
emotions), you fail
to show or
express them.
Cork something up
"It would be
better for her if
she showed her
grief and didn't
cork up
her feelings."
 If a company
dominates an area
of business, and
leaves no room for
competition, it is
said to have
cornered the
Corner a market
market.
"By importing
large quantities
and selling at low
prices, they have
cornered the
market."
This term refers
to the higher
levels of
government or
administration
where important
decisions are
The corridors of power made.
"The matter is
the subject of
much discussion
in the corridors
of
power at the
present time. "
If you refer to
someone as a
couch potato,
you criticize them
for
spending a lot of
time sitting and
A couch potato watching
television.
"Don't be such a
couch potato.
There are better
ways of spending
your time than in
front of the TV."
Cough up If you have to
cough up
something, such
as money or
information,
you give it
reluctantly or
unwillingly.
"He refused to
say who attacked
him until his father
 made him
cough up the
names."
If you take your
courage in both
hands, you make
yourself do
something very
brave.
Take your courage in both hands "When I saw the
child in the
burning house, I
took my courage
in
both hands and
ran inside."
If someone is on
course for
something, they
are likely to
achieve it.
On course (for something)
"Our team is on
course for a
victory in the
national
championship."
If something
covers or hides a
multitude of sins,
it prevents people
from seeing the
Cover/hide a multitude of sins less pleasant
reality.
"Loose-fitting
clothes can cover
a multitude of
sins!"
To say that a
person could do
something till the
cows come
home
means that they
Till the cows come home could do it for a
long time.
"You can ask till
the cows come
home, but I'm not
buying you
a scooter!"
 If you crack the
whip, you use
your authority to
make someone
obey you or work
more efficiently,
Crack the whip usually by
threatening them.
"Every so often
I've got to crack
the whip to make
sure we meet the
deadline."
If the authorities
decide to crack
down on
something, they
enforce
the law by taking
severe measures
to restrict
Crack down on something
undesirable or
criminal
actions.
"To reduce road
accidents, it was
decided to crack
down on
speeding."
If you cramp
someone's style,
you limit them by
preventing them
from behaving or
Cramp someone's style expressing
themselves freely.
"The dress code
imposed at school
cramped her
style."
This expression
is used to refer to
the best people or
things in a
particular group.
The cream of the crop "As usual, the
cream of the
crop of this year's
graduates
were offered the
best jobs."
Creature comforts This expression
refers to modern
conveniences
 (such as hot water

or central
heating) that make
life comfortable
and pleasant.
"I need my
creature
comforts. I don't
know how I'd
survive without
air-conditioning
in this climate!"
If you are on the
crest of a wave,
you are very
successful in what

you are doing.

On the crest of a wave "Our company is
going from
success to
success.
We're on the
crest of a wave
right now."
To shed
crocodile tears
means to shed
false tears or
show
insincere grief.
Crocodile tears
"Caroline
pretended to be
sad but we all
knew her tears
were
crocodile tears."
To say that
someone is as
crooked as a
dog's hind leg
means
Crooked as a dog's hind leg that they are very
dishonest indeed.
"He can't be
trusted - he's as
crooked as a
dog's hind leg."
Cross that bridge when we come to it This is another
way of saying " we
will deal with that
problem when
it occurs and not
 worry about it
before".
"What will
happen if we can't
repay the loan?"
"We'll cross that
bridge when we
come to it."
If two people are
at cross
purposes, there
is a
misunderstanding
as
to what each one
is talking about
At cross purposes
"Look, we seem
to be at cross
purposes : you're
talking about
'sailing' boats,
but I'm talking
about 'selling'
boats."
This expression
refers to distance
measured in a
straight line.
"It's two miles
As the crow flies from here to the
station as the
crow flies,
but of course it's
much further by
road."
To cry wolf is to
call for help when
you are not really
in danger.
As a result,
nobody believes
you when you
Cry wolf really need help.
"There's Mary
screaming again!
Does she really
have a problem or

is she just crying

wolf again?"
A far cry from something If one thing is a
far cry from
something else, it
means that they
 are very different
from each other.
This expression is
used to show
irritation,
exasperation or
For crying out loud
anger.
"For crying out
loud! Turn that
television off!"
If something
happens on cue,
it happens at
exactly the
appropriate
or expected
moment.
On cue
"My grandmother
was blowing out
the candles on her
birthday cake
when, right on
cue, the flowers
arrived."
If you speak off
the cuff, you say
something without
any previous
Off the cuff thought or
preparation.
"He handles off-
the-cuff interviews
very well."
Someone or
something which
is a cut above the
others is better or
A cut above of higher quality.
"The articles in
this magazine are
a cut above the
others."
Cut and dried To refer to a
situation, a
problem or a
solution as cut
and dried
means that it is
considered clear
and
straightforward
with no likely
complications.
"When the new
 manager arrived,
he didn't find the
situation as
cut and dried as
he had expected."
Cutting corners
means not
following the
correct procedure
in order
Cut corners
to save time,
effort or money
(often with
unsatisfactory
results)
When someone
cuts the ground
from under
another's feet,
they
do something
which weakens
Cut the ground from under their position or
somebody's feet spoils their plans.
"When we
launched the new
product, we cut
the ground from
under
our competitors'
feet."
If you cut
it/things fine, you
leave barely
enough time to do
something.
"You're counting
Cut it/things fine just an hour
between the
airport and the
train station -
that's cutting
things a bit fine
isn't it?"
If you say cut it
out to someone,
you are telling
them to stop doing
Cut it out! something.
"I've had enough
of your
insinuations, so
just cut it out!"
 If you are not
cut out for
something, you
are not the sort of
person
to succeed or be
happy in a
Not cut out for something
particular activity.
"I started
studying medicine
but I quickly
realized
I wasn't cut out
for it."
If you relax a
rule, treat a
person less
severely or allow
someone to do
something which
is normally not
Cut someone some slack permitted, you cut
them some
slack.
"Our parents are
very strict; I wish
they'd cut us
some slack now
and then."
This expression
refers to the
newest, most
advanced stage in
the the
Cutting edge development of
something.
"The company is
at the cutting
edge of
aeronautics."

Idiom Meaning

If you're a dab
hand at
something, you're
very good at
doing it.
D Dab hand at something
"Why don't you
call Suzy? She's
a dab hand at
organizing
barbecues."
 If you dance
attendance on
someone, you
are constantly
available
for that person
and attend to
Dance attendance (on somebody)
their wishes.
"She's rich and
famous and
expects everyone
to dance
attendance on
her."
If someone is
kept or left in the
dark about
something, they
are not
informed about
In the dark it .
"The personnel
were kept in the
dark about the
merger until the
last
minute."
If you darken
someone's door,
you come as an
unwanted or
Darken someone's door unwelcome
visitor.
"Just get out of
here, and never
darken my door
again!"
A person who
decides to "call it
a day" decides to
stop doing
Call it a day. finish doing
something,
generally
because they are
tired.
A day late and a dollar short If something is a
day late and a
dollar short, it
comes too late
and
is not good
enough.
"They offered me
 an internship
when I'd already
found a job - a
day late
and a dollar
short!"
The term
'daylight
robbery' is used
when the price of
something is
Daylight robbery thought to be
much too high.
"$10 for an
orange juice?
That's daylight
robbery!"
This expression
is used to stress
that a person or
thing is
unquestionably
dead.
Dead as a doornail
"They've started
fighting again, so
the peace
agreement is now
dead as
a doornail."
This expression
refers to a project
or scheme which
has been
abandoned
or is certain to
fail.
Dead duck
"The new
cinema is going
to be a dead
duck because it's
too far away from
the town
centre."
Dead loss Someone or
something
described as a
dead loss is
absolutely
useless
or a complete
failure.
"When it comes
to gardening, my
brother is a dead
 loss."

If you are dead

set against
something, you
are strongly
opposed to it.
Dead set against something
"My father
wanted a dog, but
my mother was
dead set against
the idea."
The term dead
wood refers to
people or things
which are no
longer
considered
Dead wood useful or
necessary.
"The new
manager wants to
reduce costs by
cutting out the
dead wood."
A person who is
dead to the
world is fast
Dead to the world asleep.
"Don't worry.
You won't disturb
him. He's dead
to the world!"
If you say that
someone has got
a raw deal, you
A raw deal think they
have been
treated unfairly or
badly.
A person who
goes off the
deep end
Off the deep end becomes
suddenly
very angry or
emotional.
Deliver the goods If a person
delivers the
goods, they do
what is expected
of them
or what they
 have promised to
do.
"Let's hope that
new whiz-kid the
boss hired can
deliver the
goods!"
If you are out of
your depth, it
means you are in
a situation
Out of your depth
which is too
difficult for you, or
which you know
little about.
During a
discussion or
debate, if you
play devil's
advocate, you
pretend to be
against an idea or
plan in order to
determine the
validity
Devil's advocate
of the
arguments in
favour of it.
"She decided to
play devil's
advocate just to
see how strongly
people
felt about the
project."
This expression
refers to a task or
a job which
appears simple
but is in fact
more difficult to
The devil is in the details
accomplish.
"Framing a
picture looks
easy but the
devil is in the
details!"
The devil makes work for idle hands This expression
means that
people who do
not have enough
to do
are often
tempted to do
 something wrong.
"It's not good for
kids to have
nothing to do at
the week-end -
the devil
makes work for
idle hands!"
This expression
means that you
should think of
yourself and not
worry
about other
people.
The devil take the hindmost
"When the boat
capsized it was a
case of 'the devil
take the
hindmost',
but luckily they
all survived."
This is said to
refer to a person
who appears
just when
his/her name is
Speak of the devil!
mentioned.
"Speak of the
devil! We were
just talking about
your invitation!"
If everything
seems to work to
your
disadvantage and
you are not
likely to
succeed, you can
say that the dice
The dice are loaded are loaded
against you.
"I applied for the
job, but being a
woman, and over
forty, the dice
were
loaded against
me."
Dice with death If you put your
life at risk by
doing something
very dangerous,
you dice with
 death.
"Going
mountain-
climbing alone is
dicing with
death."
To say that the
die is cast
means that an
irrevocable
decision has
been made
The die is cast which will
determine the
future.
"I've handed in
my resignation so
now the die is
cast!"
To describe a
person, thing or
situation as a
different kettle
of fish
means that it is
completely
different from
what was
A different kettle of fish
previously
mentioned.
"You may have
good business
relations, but
living in the
country is a
different kettle of
fish."
If you dig in
your heels, you
refuse to do
something,
especially if
someone is
Dig in your heels trying to convince
you to do so.
"My grandfather
dug in his heels
and refused to
move to an
apartment."
Dig one's own grave A person who
digs their own
grave does
something which
 causes
their own
downfall.
"If you drop out
of college now,
with such high
unemployment,
you'll be
digging your
own grave!"
If you take a
dim view of
something, you
dislike or
disapprove of it.
Dim view
"My previous
boss took a dim
view of wearing
casual wear to
work."
To wash one's
dirty linen in
public means to
talk about
Wash your dirty linen in public.
unpleasant
personal matters
in the presence of
others.
To do
someone's dirty
work means to
do the unpleasant
Do someone's dirty work or
difficult work
that the other
person does not
want to do.
If someone or
something
disappears into
thin air, they
vanish in a
mysterious way.
Disappear into thin air "After being
accused of
embezzlement,
the director
disappeared
into thin air."
Do a double take Someone who
does a double
take looks again
in surprise at
something
 unexpected.
"He did a double
take when he
saw his wife in a
restaurant with
another man."
If someone
does a
disappearing
act, they simply
vanish,
especially if they
Do a disappearing act have done
something wrong
or dishonest.
"Just before the
police arrived, the
suspect did a
disappearing act."
When a person
does everything
they are engaged
in completely and
thoroughly, they
are said to do
Do nothing by halves nothing by
halves.
"When she
cooks, it's a four-
course meal - she
does nothing by
halves!"
If you do
someone a good
turn, you act in a
helpful way.
Do someone a good turn
"Mike is a great
guy - always
ready to do a
good turn."
People use this
expression when
complaining
about a situation
or job
which they find
Dog's life
unpleasant or
unsatisfactory.
"It's a dog's life
working in the
after-sales
department."
 This expression
refers to intense
competition and
rivalry in pursuit
of
one's own
interests, with no
Dog eat dog concern for
morality.
"The business
world is tough
today. There's a
general dog-eat-
dog
attitude."
A person
referred to as a
dog in the
manger is
A dog in the manger someone who
stops others
enjoying
something he/she
cannot use or
doesn't want.
This expression
means that
everyone can be
successful at
something
at some time in
Every dog has its day
their life.
"I didn't win this
time, but I'll be
lucky one day.
Every dog has
its day!"
People who
lose their
reputation have
difficulty
regaining it
because
Give a dog a bad name others continue
to blame or
suspect them.
"Tom was
suspected as
usual. Give a
dog a bad
name!"
Go to the dogs To say that a
company,
organization or
 country is going
to the dogs
means that it is
becoming less
successful or
efficient than
before.
"Some think the
company will go
to the dogs if it is
nationalized."
If you tell
somebody to let
sleeping dogs
lie, you are
asking them not
Let sleeping dogs lie
to interfere with
a situation
because they
could cause
problems.
This expression
means that if
someone can do
a task for you,
there's no
reason to do it
yourself.
"The shuttle
Why keep a dog and bark yourself?
stops in front of
our house but my
father continues
to drive
to the airport.
Why keep a dog
and bark
yourself!"
A dog and
pony show is a
marketing event
or presentation
Dog and pony show
which has
plenty of style
but not much
content.
In the doghouse If you are in the
doghouse,
somebody is
angry with you
because you
have done
something wrong.
"Mark is in the
doghouse
 because he
damaged his
father's car."
To say that a
person, a
business or the
economy in
general is in the
doldrums
means that the
situation is
In the doldrums
gloomy and that
nothing new is
happening.
"Despite the
recent measures,
the economy
remains in the
doldrums."
This expression
is used to refer to
an agreement or
decision which
has
been reached
on a certain
A done deal
matter.
"We're still
considering
several
proposals, so it's
not a done deal
yet."
When a project,
task or activity is
done and
dusted, it is
completely
finished or
ready.
Done and dusted
"I've nearly
finished preparing
the presentation.
When it's all done
and
dusted I'll be
able to relax."
The done thing The correct way
to behave in a
particular social
situation is called
the done thing.
"Wearing jeans
to play golf is not
 the done thing."

This expression
is used to
describe the
unpleasant,
boring parts of a
Donkey work
job.
"I do the
donkey work -
my boss gets the
credit!"
A general
atmosphere of
pessimism, and a
feeling that the
situation is
not going to
improve, is
referred to as
Doom and gloom doom and
gloom.
"Fortunately it's
not doom and
gloom for all
businesses,
in spite of the
economic
situation."
This expression
is used to
express absolute
certainty about
something.
Beyond a shadow of a doubt "There wasn't a
shadow of a
doubt in our
minds
about Susan's
sincerity."
A 'doubting
Thomas' is as
person who will
not believe
Doubting Thomas something
without
proof, or without
seeing it for
themselves.
Down at heel A person who is
down-at-heel is
someone whose
appearance is
 untidy
or neglected
because of lack
of money.
"The down-at-
heel student I first
met became a
successful
writer."
Someone who is
down in the
dumps is
depressed or
Down in the dumps feeling gloomy.
"Alex has been
down in the
dumps since he
failed his exam."
To say that
money, time or
effort has gone
down the drain,
means
that it has been
Down the drain wasted or lost.
"His years of
research went
down the drain
when the
company
went bankrupt."
When someone
is down in the
mouth, they look
unhappy,
discouraged
Down in the mouth
or depressed.
"You look a bit
down in the
mouth. What's
the matter?"
Someone who is
down to earth is
not a dreamer but
a realistic and
practical person
who has sensible
Down to earth
reactions and
expectations.
"Don't ask Suzy
for help. She's
fun, but not very
down to earth."
 If you drag your
feet, you delay a
decision or
participate
without any
Drag one's feet real enthusiasm.
"The
government is
dragging its feet
on measures to
reduce pollution."
When faced with
a difficult
situation, it is
sometimes
necessary to take
actions which in
normal
Drastic times call for drastic circumstances
measures would appear
extreme.
"After Johnny's
third accident, his
father confiscated
his car.
Drastic times
call for drastic
measures!"
If you look for or
try to remember
something, and
Draw a blank draw a blank,
you fail to find
what you are
looking for.
If you decide to
draw the line,
you decide when
an activity or
situation
becomes
unacceptable.
Draw the line
"When a
person's private
life is concerned,
the media should
know where
to draw the
line."
Draw a line in the sand If you draw a line
in the sand, you
establish a limit
beyond which a
certain situation
 or activity will not
be accepted.
"That's it! We're
going to draw a
line in the sand
and make this our
final
proposal."
If you refer to
two people as a
dream ticket,
you think they
would
work well
together and be
successful.
Dream ticket
"Clinton and
Obama teaming
up for the general
election would be
a
dream ticket for
many
Democrats."
When someone,
especially a
woman, is
dressed to kill,
they are
wearing very
fashionable or
Dressed to kill
glamorous
clothes intended
to attract
attention.
"She arrived at
the reception
dressed to kill."
To describe
someone as
dressed up to
the nines means
that they are
wearing very
smart or
Dressed up to the nines
glamorous
clothes.
"Caroline musts
be going to a
party - she's
dressed up to the
nines!"
In dribs and drabs If something
comes in dribs
 and drabs, it
arrives little by
little, in small
amounts or
numbers.
"Instead of the
crowd that was
expected, people
arrived in dribs
and drabs."
A person who
drinks like a fish
is a heavy drinker
or one who drinks

Drink like a fish a lot.

'I'm nervous if
Joe drives when
we go out
because he
drinks like a fish!"
A person who
drives a hard
bargain always
makes sure they
gain
advantage in a
Drive a hard bargain
business deal.
"Be prepared for
tough
negotiations with
Stuart - he drives
a bard bargain."
If somebody or
something drives
you up the wall,
they do
something
that greatly
Drive up the wall annoys or irritates
you.
"I can't
concentrate with
all the noise - it's
driving me up the
wall!"
Drop a bombshell If you drop a
bombshell, you
make an
unexpected
announcement
which
will greatly
change a
 situation.
"The chairman
dropped a
bombshell when
he announced
the merger with
the company's
biggest rival."
If people drop
like flies, they fall
ill or die in large
numbers.
"There's an
Drop like flies
epidemic of flu at
the moment.
Senior citizens
are dropping
like flies."
If you do
something at the
drop of a hat,
you do it
immediately and
without
At the drop of a hat
hesitation
"I've got great
friends. They're
ready to help out
at the drop of a
hat."
To refer to an
amount as a
drop in the
ocean means
that it is very
small compared
to the amount
needed or
A drop in the ocean
expected.
"The revenue
from the
proposed tax
reform is a drop
in the ocean
compared to the
deficit."
A sitting duck
is an easy target,
a person who is
easy to deceive.
A sitting duck
"The young girl
was a sitting duck
for the
photographer."
 To refer to
something as
being as dull as
ditchwater
means that it is
Dull as ditchwater (also : dull as
very boring.
dishwater)
"The film was a
dull at
ditchwater. I
nearly fell
asleep."
If something,
such as a
television
programme or a
film production,
is dumbed
down, it is
deliberately made
less intelligent or
less
Dumbing down
demanding, in
order to attract a
larger audience.
"Some TV
channels are
dumbing down
their programmes
in an attempt
to increase their
audience ratings."
The expression
hit the dust is a
Hit the dust humorous way of
referring to death.
To say that the
dust has settled
means that the
situation has
become
calmer after a
series of
unpleasant or
The dust has settled chaotic events.
"After her
difficult divorce,
she waited until
the dust had
settled before
making any
plans."
Go Dutch To go Dutch
with somebody
means to share
 the cost of
something
such as a meal
or a concert.
If a person does
something which
is above and
beyond the call
of
duty, they
show a greater
degree of
courage or effort
than is usually
Above and beyond the call of duty required or
expected in their
job.
"The fire-fighter
received a medal
for his action
which went above

and beyond the

call of duty."
If someone dwells
on something, they
think or talk about
it all the time.
"My mother-in-
Dwell on something law has health
problems, but I
wish she wouldn't
always
dwell on the
subject."
This expression
is used to
describe a person
who has fixed,

uncompromising,
deep-felt beliefs
Dyed-in-the-wool to which they are
committed.
"Bob and Jane
are dyed-in-the-
wool ecologists
who use only
biodegradable
products."
To be dying for something If you are dying
for something,
you have a strong
desire for it.
 "I'm dying for a
cup of tea!"
The term eager beaver refers to a person who is
hardworking and
enthusiastic, sometimes considered overzealous.
An eager beaver
"The new accountant works all the time - first to
arrive and last to leave
-a real eager beaver!"
To say that
information goes
in one ear and
out the other
means
that it is
immediately
forgotten or
In one ear and out the other
ignored.
"I keep telling
him about the
risks but it goes in
one ear and out
the other. He
never listens to
anyone!"
If you keep your
ear to the
ground , you
make sure that
Keep your ear to the ground
you
are aware of all
that is happening
and being said
If you lend an
ear to someone,
Lend an ear you listen
carefully and
sympathetically.
To say that
something is
music to your
ears, means that
Music to your ears the
information you
receive makes
you feel very
happy.
A person who
turns a deaf ear
to something
Turn a deaf ear such as a request
or a complaint
refuses to pay
attention to it.
 This expression
means to
improvise or act
without
preparation,
according to the
Play it by ear
demands of the
situation.
Music : to play
by remembering
the tune, without
printed music.
To say that
something is
easier said than
done means that
what is
suggested
Easier said than done sounds easy but it
is more difficult to
actually do it.
"Put the TV
aerial on the roof?
Easier said than
done!"
To say that
something is
easy as pie
means that it is
Easy as pie very easy to do.
"How did the
English test go? -
No problem - it
was easy as pie!"
If you eat crow,
you admit that
you were wrong
about something
and
Eat crow apologize.
"He had no
option but to eat
crow and admit
that his analysis
was wrong."
Eat one's words If you eat your
words, you have
to admit that what
you said before
was wrong.
"After predicting
disastrous results,
he had to eat his
words
 with the success
of the new
product."
To say that a
person is
economical with
the truth means
that, without
actually lying,
they omit
Economical with the truth
important facts or
give incomplete
information.
"The politician
was accused of
being economical
with the truth."
A person who is
on edge is
On edge
anxious or
nervous.
Someone who is
on the edge of
their seat is very
interested in
something and
finds it extremely
On the edge of one's seat
exciting.
"Look at Bob!
He's on the edge
of his seat
watching that
rugby match."
To refer to
someone as a
bad egg means
that they cannot
be trusted.
A bad egg "I don't want my
son to be friends
with Bobby
Smith.
Bobby's a bad
egg."
Egg someone on If you egg
somebody on,
you urge or
strongly
encourage them
to do something.
"She didn't really
want to learn to
drive but her
 children kept
egging her on."

If you have all

your eggs in one
basket, you
depend on one
plan
or one source of
Have all your eggs in one basket income.
"If you invest
your savings in
one bank, you'll
have all your
eggs in one
basket."
If a person has
had one over the
eight, they are
slightly drunk.
One over the eight
"Don't listen to
him. You can see
he's had one over
eight!"
If you use
elbow grease,
you need energy
and strength to do

physical work
such as cleaning
Use elbow grease :
or polishing.
"It took a
considerable
amount of elbow
grease to
renovate the
house."
If you need
some elbow
room, you need
more space to
move.
Elbow room
"We shared a
small office where
neither of us had
enough elbow
room."
In one's element When you are in
your element,
you are doing
something that
you
 do well and you
are enjoying
yourself.
"My brother,
who is an estate
agent, was in his
element house-
hunting for our
parents."
If something
happens at the
eleventh hour,
it happens when
it is almost too
At the eleventh hour late, or at the last
possible moment.
"Our team won
after they scored
a goal at the
eleventh hour."
If you find it
difficult to make
ends meet, you
find it difficult to
pay
for your
everyday needs
Make ends meet
because you
have very little
money.
"Anne's salary is
so low she finds it
hard to make
ends meet."
When a person
decides to even
the score, they
try to get their
revenge on
someone who
has cheated or
Even the score done them harm.
"When Jack
discovered that
Bob had cheated,
he was
determined
to even the
score."
Every nook and cranny Every nook and
cranny refers to
every possible
part of a place.
"She searched
 every nook and
cranny of the old
town looking for
antiques."
This expression
means everyone
or everybody.
Every Tom, Dick and Harry "Every Tom,
Dick and Harry
has a credit card
these days!"
If something is
different from a
general belief or
theory, it shows
that
the belief or
The exception proves the rule theory is true.
"Most teenagers
love fast food, but
Ben is the
exception that
proves the rule
- he insists on
healthy food."
This expression
is used as an
apology for using
crude or offensive
Excuse/pardon my French language.
"He's a bloody
nuisance, if you'll
excuse my
French."
If you explore
all avenues, you
try out every
possibility in order
to
obtain a result or
Explore all avenues
find a solution.
"We can't say
it's impossible
until we've
explored all
avenues."
If somebody is
the apple of your
eye, this means
that you like them
The apple of your eye
very much : "My
grandson is the
apple of my eye".
 To say that
someone has
eyes in the back
of their head
means
that they are
very observant
and notice
Eyes in the back of one's head
everything
happening around
them.
"You need eyes
in the back of
your head to look
after young
children."
If you've got
eyes like a hawk,
you've got good
eyesight and
notice
every detail.
Eyes like a hawk
"Of course Dad
will notice the
scratch on his car
- he's got eyes
like
a hawk! "
This expression
means that
something is
more complicated
or
more interesting
that it first
More than meets the eye appears.
"They say it's
just a little
disagreement, but
we think there's
more
to it than meets
the eye."
To see eye to
eye with
See eye to eye with someone somebody means
that you agree
with them.
If you turn a
blind eye to
Turn a blind eye something, you
ignore it
intentionally.
 A person or
organization who
is in the eye of
the storm is
deeply
involved in a
difficult situation
The eye of the storm which affects a lot
of people
"The minister
was often in the
eye of the storm
during the debate
on the war in
Iraq."
To keep one's
eyes peeled
means to watch
very carefully for
something
Keep one's eyes peeled "I mislaid my
wedding ring at
home, so I asked
my children
to keep their
eyes peeled."
If you do
something with
your eyes open,
you are fully
aware of
Eyes wide open what you are
doing.
"I took on the job
with my eyes
wide open, so I'm
not complaining."
If you look
someone in the
eye, or eyes, you
look at them
directly
so as to
Look someone in the eyes
convince them
that you are
telling the truth,
even though
you may be
lying.
Not bat an eyelid To say that
somebody does
not bat an eyelid
means that they
do not seem
 shocked or
surprised, nor are
they nervous or
worried.
They show no
emotion.
If someone has a face like thunder, they look very
Face like angry.
thunder "When Dad is really angry, he has a face like
thunder!"
This is a
humoristic way
of saying that
someone is
ugly or
Face only a mother could love
not attractive.
"The poor guy
has a face only
a mother could
love."
If you have to
face the
music, you
have to accept
the unpleasant
consequences
Face the music
of your actions.
"He was
caught
stealing. Now
he has to face
the music!"
If you take
something at its
face value, you
assume that it
is
genuinely
what it appears
to be.
Face value
"The car
seems to be in
good condition,
but don't take it
at its face
value; get a
mechanic to
check it out."
Have a poker face. If you have a
poker face, you
show no
emotion at all.
"In spite of the
repeated details
 of the events,
the criminal
kept a poker
face."
If you keep a
straight face,
you look
Keep a straight face serious
although
you really
want to laugh.
Someone who
acts as a friend
when times are
good, and is not
there
when you are
in trouble, is
called a fair-
Fair-weather friend
weather friend.
"I thought I
could count on
Bill, but I've
discovered he's
just
a fair-weather
friend."
This French
term refers to
something that
has been done
and cannot be
changed.
Fait accompli "He used his
savings to buy
a motorbike and
then presented
his parents
with a fait
accompli."
If something
such as a
suggestion or a
request falls on
deaf ears,
Fall on deaf ears
it is ignored.
"I told him not
to take risks but
my advice fell
on deaf ears."
Fall at the first hurdle If you fall at
the first
hurdle, you fail
to overcome the
 first difficulty
encountered.
"Scott fell at
the first hurdle.
He didn't study
enough and
failed his first
exam."
To say that
someone has
fallen from
grace means
that they have
done
something
wrong, immoral
or
Fall from grace unacceptable,
and as a result
have lost their
good
reputation.
"The Finance
Minister fell
from grace as a
result of a sex
scandal."
If something
good falls into
your lap, it
happens to you
without any
effort on your
part.
Fall into one's lap
"She's not
making much
effort to find
work. Does she
think a job will
fall into her
lap?"
If you buy
goods that have
fallen off the
back of a lorry,
they are
stolen goods.
Fall off the back of a lorry
"Judging by
the price of that
camera, it must
have fallen off
the back
of a lorry!"
 If you fall on
your sword,
you take
responsibility
for, or accept
the
consequences
of an
unsuccessful or
wrong action.
Fall on one's sword
"The organizer
of the
referendum
resigned when
the poor results
were
announced. It
was said that
he 'fell on his
sword'."
In a
dangerous or
risky situation, if
you make a
false move,
you do
something
which may have
False move unpleasant
consequences.
"He is under
close
surveillance. If
he makes one
false move he'll
be
arrested."
If you obtain
something
under false
pretences, you
deceive others
by lying about
your identity,
qualifications,
False pretences financial or
social position,
in order to
obtain what you
want.
"She obtained
the interview
under false
pretences."
 This
expression
means that the
speaker does
not feel in a
position
to say or do
something.
(Usually said
before giving
Far be it from me (to do something) advice or
expressing an
opinion).
"Far be it
from me to
chose your
friends, but I
think you
should
avoid that
man."
If something
such as work is
farmed out, it
is sent out to be
done by
Farm something out others.
"We farmed
out the
packaging to
another
company."
If an activity is
fast and
furious, it is
done quickly
and with a lot of
energy.
Fast and furious
"Eager to win
the race, the
competitors
came fast and
furious around
the bend."
Fast talker A person who
speaks quickly
and easily but
cannot always
be trusted
is called a fast
talker.
"The salesman
was a fast
talker and
persuaded the
 old lady to buy
a new washing
machine."
If you decide
to fast track
something,
such as a task
or project, you
give it high
priority so that
the objective is
reached as
Fast track something quickly as
possible.
"In view of the
number of
homeless, it
was decided to
fast track the
construction of
low-cost
housing."
To refer to a
rich and
powerful person
as a fat cat
means that
Fat cat
you
disapprove of
the way they
use their money
or power.
To say that
somebody has
a good quality
to a fault
means that
they have a
lot, or even too
much, of that
To a fault
quality.
"My aunt is
generous to a
fault, ready to
help anyone to
claims
to be in
need."
Feast one's eyes on something If you feast
your eyes on
something, you
are delighted
and gratified
by what you
 see.
"As he drove
along the coast,
he feasted his
eyes on the
beautiful
scenery."
To describe
someone's
achievement as
"a feather in
their cap"
means that it
is something
they can be
A feather in one's cap proud of.
"The
overwhelming
victory of the
team was a
"feather in the
cap" for
the new
manager."
To say of
someone that
they are
feathering
their nest is to
say that
they are taking
Feather your nest
advantage of
their position in
order to obtain
money
so as to have
a comfortable
life.
When
someone feels
the pinch, they
begin to suffer
from a lack of
money.
Feel the pinch
"With the drop
in tourism,
hotels and
restaurants are
beginning to
feel the pinch."
Back on your feet If you are
back on your
feet, after an
illness or an
 accident,
you are
physically
healthy again.
If you say that
a person is
dragging their
feet, you think
they are
Drag one's feet
unnecessarily
delaying a
decision which
is important to
you.
To say that
someone in a
new situation is
finding their
feet means
Find your feet
that they are
learning what
to do and
gaining self-
confidence.
If someone
who is admired
is found to have
a hidden
weakness,
fault or defect
of character,
Feet of clay they are said to
have feet of
clay.
"No one is
perfect. Many
successful
people have
feet of clay."
If you get cold
feet about
something, you
begin to
hesitate about
Get cold feet
doing it; you
are no longer
sure whether
you want to do
it or not.
Have itchy feet A person who
has itchy feet
is someone
who wants to
move
 somewhere
new or do
something
different.
A person who
keeps their feet
on the ground
continues to act
Keep one's feet on the ground
in a sensible
and practical
way, even if
they become
successful.
A person who
thinks on their
feet is capable
of making good
decisions
without
previous
Think on one's feet thinking or
planning.
"Good lawyers
need to be able
to think on their
feet when
pleading a
case."
If your are
rushed off
your feet, your
are extremely
busy.
"I'd love to
Rushed off your feet.
have lunch with
you but we're
rushed off our
feet at the
moment at
the office."
On the fence When faced
with a choice, a
person who is
on the fence
has not
yet reached a
decision.
"The
candidates
have such
similar ideas
that many
electors are still
 on the fence."

This
expression
refers to a
minor car
accident in
which there is
little
Fender bender damage and
no injuries.
"It's hard to
believe that a
small fender
bender can
cause a major
traffic jam!"
If a situation or
feeling reaches
fever pitch, it
becomes very
intense
Fever pitch and exciting.
"Reaction to
the affair has
reached fever
pitch all over
the country."
Items, places
or events which
are few and far
between are
rarely
found or do
Few and far between not happen very
often.
"Restaurants
in this part of
the country are
few and far
between."
Fiddling while Rome burns If you say that
somebody is
fiddling while
Rome burns,
you
mean that they
are doing
unimportant
things while
there are
serious
 problems to be
dealt with
"His visit to the
trade fair was
'fiddling while
Rome burns'
according
to the strikers."
A field day
refers to a day,
period or time
of great
excitement and
Field day activity.
"Journalists
will have a field
day with the
latest political
scandal"
This
expression
means that it is
useless to try to
win a battle
against a
politician,
establishment
or bureaucracy
You can't fight the city hall
in general.
"Tom decided
it was a waste
of energy trying
to obtain a tax
refund -
you can't
fight the city
hall!"
If someone is
fighting a
losing battle,
they are trying
to do
something
even when
there is little
Fight a losing battle chance of
succeeding.
"The
headmaster is
fighting a losing
battle trying to
ban mobile
phones at
school."
 If you fight
tooth and nail
for something,
you fight with all
your
energy.
"The Transport
Fight tooth and nail
Minister fought
tooth and nail to
have to have
the
proposed road
safety law
accepted."
If you fight
shy of
something,
such as a task,
a problem or a
duty,
you want to
avoid doing it or
you are
Fight shy of something unwilling to
confront it.
"He had
money
problems for
years but fought
shy of asking
his
children for
help."
To refer to
something as a
figment of
one's
imagination
means
that an
appearance,
event or
incident is not
A figment of one's imagination
considered to
be real
but is only
imaginary.
"Other people
saw the car, so
it's not a
figment of
Tom's
imagination!"
 To go over
something with
a fine-tooth
comb means to
examine
it closely and
thoroughly so
Fine-tooth comb as not to miss
any details.
"The police
are examining
the scene of the
accident with a
fine-tooth
comb."
Small changes
to something to
improve it or
make it work
better are
called fine
Fine tuning
tuning.
"We are still
fine tuning our
new website
and appreciate
your patience."
If someone
has a finger in
every pie, they
are involved in
many
activities
"For
information
A finger in every pie
about the town
development
project, you
should
talk to John
Brown. He has
a finger in every
pie."
Firing line Someone who
is in the firing
line is in a
position to be
criticized
because of
their
responsibilities
or the position
they hold.
"The
managing
 director of the
bank is in the
firing line since
the fraud
was
discovered."
This
expression is
used to state
what you
consider to be
more
important than
First and foremost
anything else.
"First and
foremost I
want to thank
our hosts for
their wonderful
reception."
If you fish in
troubled
waters, you try
to gain
advantages for
yourself
from a
disturbed state
of affairs.
Fish in troubled waters "Between the
declaration of
independence
and the first
elections,
some people
were accused
of fishing in
troubled
waters."
If you feel like
a fish out of
water, you feel
uncomfortable
because of an
unfamiliar
situation or
Fish out of water
unfamiliar
surroundings.
"As a non-
golfer, I felt like
a fish out of
water at the
clubhouse."
 This term is
used to refer to
an important or
highly-ranked
person in a
small group or
organization.
Big fish in a small pond
"He could get a
job with a big
company but he
enjoys being a
big fish
in a small
pond."
If you have
other fish to
fry, you have
more important
things to do.
Have other fish to fry
"I don't think
he'll attend the
office party;
he's got other
fish to fry."
This is said to
describe people
or things that
are difficult to
classify,
that are
neither one
thing nor
Neither fish nor fowl another.
"Interns are
neither fish
nor fowl.
They are
neither students
nor fully
qualified
practitioners."
Fishing expedition If someone is
on a fishing
expedition,
they are trying
to obtain
information in
any way
possible.
"The lunch
invitation was
clearly a fishing
expedition to
obtain
information
 about his
private life."

If you are fit

as a fiddle, you
are active and
healthy.
Fit as a fiddle "My
grandfather is
still fit as a
fiddle at the age
of 90."
If something
fits you like a
glove, it fits you
perfectly.
Fit like a glove "I was lucky!
The first skirt I
tried on fitted
me like a
glove!"
If someone or
something fits
the bill, they
are exactly right
for
a particular
Fit the bill situation.
"They wanted
a quiet place for
the week-end
and the country
inn just
fitted the bill."
If you do
something in
fits and starts,
you do it in an
irregular
manner,
often stopping
In fits and starts
and starting
again.
"You'll never
make progress
in English if you
work in fits and
starts."
Five-finger discount If somebody
gets a five-
finger
discount, they
take something
 without
paying. In
other words,
they steal.
"How could he
afford that
watch?"
"Who knows -
perhaps with a
five-finger
discount!"
This
expression
refers to a
patch of stubble
on the face of a
man
Five o'clock shadow who hasn't
shaved for at
least a day.
"He looked
tired and had a
five o'clock
shadow."
If a ship, boat
or yacht sails
under a flag of
convenience, it
is
registered in a
Flag of convenience
foreign country
in order to avoid
regulations and
taxes
and reduce
operating costs.
If you get or
take flak, you
receive severe
criticism for
something
Get/take flak you have
done.
"He got a lot of
flak for the way
he handled the
situation."
Flea in one's ear After an
attempt at
something, if
you are sent
away with a
flea in
your ear, you
 are angrily
reprimanded or
humiliated.
"When he tried
to put the blame
on Pete, he was
sent away
with a flea in
his ear."
To say that
there are no
flies on
someone
means that
they
understand
quickly and
There are no flies on him!
cannot be
tricked or
deceived easily.
"It's better to
tell him all the
facts. There
are no flies on
him."
To refer to an
idea or plan as
a flight of
fancy means
that it is very
imaginative
but not at all
practical or
Flight of fancy
sensible.
"He often
comes up with
good ideas but
his latest
proposal is just
a flight of
fancy!"
If you fling
yourself into an
activity, you do
it with a lot of
energy and
enthusiasm.
"Ever since
Fling oneself into something
she flung
herself into the
anti-pollution
campaign, she
rarely
has a free
moment!"
 To say that
someone is
flogging a
dead horse
means that they
are
wasting time
and effort trying
to do or achieve
something that
Flog a dead horse
is
not possible.
"Mark is
flogging a dead
horse trying to
get his money
reimbursed.
The company
has gone
bankrupt!"
If you fly by
the seat of
your pants,
you do
something
without
knowledge or
experience,
using only your
instinct and
Fly by the seat of your pants hoping that
you will
succeed.
"Without any
formal training,
he decided to
fly by the seat
of his pants
and try his
luck in New
York."
Fly in the ointment The
expression a fly
in the ointment
refers to
someone or
something
that prevents a
situation from
being
completely
satisfactory.
"Tony's poor
English was a
fly in the
 ointment when
he applied for
the job."
This
expression is
used to
describe a
person who
watches a
situation
Fly on the wall without being
noticed.
"I'd like to be a
fly on the wall
when the
management
discusses
my project."
A person who
flies off the
handle
becomes
suddenly very
Fly off the handle angry.
"Dad flew off
the handle
when I told him
I had damaged
his new car."
To say that
something will
never fly
means that it
will not be
It will never fly successful.
"He's got
incredible
ideas, but none
that will ever
fly!"
To achieve
something with
flying colours
means to do it
very
successfully.
With flying colours "My daughter
passed the
entrance exam
with flying
colours.
I'm so proud of
her!"
 If something
gets off to the
flying start, it is
immediately
successful.
Flying start
"Sales of the
book got off to a
flying start and
exceeded our
expectations."
Someone who
foams at the
mouth is
extremely angry
about
something.
Foam at the mouth "The director
was foaming at
the mouth when
he saw a
picture of his
children in the
newspaper."
If you follow
your nose, you
go straight
ahead.
(Also: follow
your instinct in
Follow one's nose
life).
"The station is
at the end of
the road - just
follow your
nose."
If you follow
in someone's
footsteps ( for
example a
parent),
you lead a
Follow in someone's footsteps similar life or do
the same job.
"Lily followed
in her mother's
footsteps and
became a
teacher."
Follow suit If you follow
suit, you do the
same as
somebody else
has just done.
The first
 robber held up
his hands. The
other two
followed suit.
If something
gives you food
for thought, it
makes you
think
very hard
about
Food for thought something.
"The
documentary on
poverty in the
world really
gave me food
for
thought."
If you go on a
fool's errand,
you try to do
something
which is
useless,
unnecessary
or has no
Fool's errand chance of
success.
"I realized it
was a fool's
errand to look
for a bank in
such an
isolated
region."
If someone is
living in a fool's
paradise, they
are in a state of
contentment
that will not last
because their
happiness is
Fool's paradise based on
illusion or false
hope.
"Lisa is living
in a fool's
paradise if she
thinks her boss
is going to
marry her."
 If you say that
someone has a
foot in the
door, you mean
that they
have a small
but successful
start in
something and
A foot in the door
will possibly
do well in the
future.
"With today's
unemployment,
it's difficult to
get a foot in the
door in any
profession."
To put one's
foot down
means to exert
authority to
Put one's foot down
prevent
something
from
happening.
A person who
is footloose
and fancy-free
has few
responsibilities
or
commitments of
any kind and
Footloose and fancy-free feels free to do
as they please.
"John will
never get
married. He
says he prefers
to be footloose
and fancy-
free."
For the birds If you think
something is
for the birds,
you consider it
to be
uninteresting,
useless, or not
to be taken
seriously.
"As far as I'm
concerned, his
theory is for the
 birds!"

When
something is
done out of
force of habit,
it has become
automatic
through
Force of habit
frequent
repetition.
"Why do I
always park
here? It's force
of habit I
suppose."
If you force
someone's
hand, you
make them do
something
unwillingly or
sooner than
Force someone's hand planned.
"The
interviewer
forced his hand
and made him
reveal his
relocation
plans."
This
expression
means that if
you know
something is
going to
happen,
you can be
prepared for it.
"The
Forewarned is forearmed
Chairman is
going to attend
the meeting
tomorrow.
Your
presentation
had better be
good.
Forewarned is
forearmed.!"
 If someone is
free as a bird,
they are
completely free
to do as they
Free as a bird please.
"My dad's very
happy - he's
free as a bird
since he
retired."
This term
refers to an
uncontrolled
situation such
as a discussion,

argument or
fight where
A free-for-all
everyone
present can do
or say what
they like.
"It started as a
serious debate
but turned into
a free-for-all."
If you have a
free hand, you
have
permission to
make your own
decisions,
A free hand especially in a
job.
"My boss has
given me a free
hand in the
choice of
agent."
There's no such thing as a free lunch This
expression
means that
nothing is free.
If somebody
helps you, they
always expect
some form of
payment.
"If you accept
his offer, he'll
be forever
asking you for a
favour.
There's no
 such thing as
a free lunch!"

Someone who
gets a free ride
benefits from a
collective
activity without
participating in
A free ride it.
"Only those
who share the
work can share
the benefits -
nobody gets
a free ride!"
If you do
something of
your own free
will, you do it
voluntarily,
without any
Of your own free will pressure from
others.
"He decided to
tell the truth,
and he did it of
his own free
will."
Someone who
is as fresh as a
daisy is lively
and attractive,
in a clean and
(As) fresh as a daisy fresh way.
"I met Molly
the other day.
She looked as
fresh as a
daisy!"
This refers to
a mistake made
by a speaker
which is
considered to
reveal their
Freudian slip
true thoughts or
feelings.
"So you got
the job - I'm so
sad - sorry, I
mean glad!"
Have a frog in one's throat A person who
has a frog in
 their throat is
unable to speak
clearly
because their
throat is sore,
or because they
want to cough.
The
expression
'from the word
go' means from
the very
beginning
From the word go
of an activity.
"Right from the
word go he was
rejected by the
rest of the
group."
In a contest,
race or election,
the front
runner is the
person who
seems most
Front runner
likely to
succeed or win.
"Who are the
front runners in
the coming
elections?"
This
expression
means to go
from one
difficult situation
to another,
usually even
worse.
"The flight was
delayed
Out of the frying pan and because of
into the fire. snow. When
the plane
eventually
took off, it had
to turn back
because of
engine trouble -

out of the
frying pan into
the fire!"
 If you are full
of the joys of
spring, you
are happy,
enthusiastic
and full of
Full of the joys of spring energy.
"Barbara is full
of the joys of
spring at the
moment! Has
she got a new
boyfriend?"
When
something,
such as an
event, gets into
full swing, it is
at
its busiest or
In full swing
liveliest time.
"When we got
back to the
office, the
Christmas party
was in full
swing."
A person who
tries to appear
distinguished
but has no real
class
is referred to
as "fur coat
Fur coat and no knickers and no
knickers".
"Don't let her
impress you.
She's what we
call 'fur coat
and no
knickers'!