a bear with a sore head irritated/bad mood

a bit of a dark horseperson with hidden abilities

a bitter pill to swallow a difficult fact to accept
a different kettle of fish a totally different sitation from the one just mentioned
a dog's life a difficult, hard life
a fish out of water sb who feels uncomfortable
a long shot a wild guess/ a risk
a memory like a sieve a poor memory
a night owl person who enjoys staying up late
a pain in the neck annoying person/thing
a piece of cake sth very easy to do
a red rag to a bull action, comment, etc. liable to provoke sb
a red-letter day a very important day
a sitting duck an easy target
a storm in a teacup a lot of fuss about sth that is not important
a wild-goose chase a hopeless search
above board honest
Achilles heel weakest point of sb's character
against all odds despite the difficulties
agree to disagree stop arguing because there is no chance of agreement
all along from the beginning until now
all but nearly, almost
all in exhausted
all in all when everything is considered
all the same yet, however
all told altogether; in total
an old wives' tale false belief
an unknown quantity person or thing that one has no experience of
as a last resort when all else has failed
as the crow flies in a direct line/ by a direct route
at close quarters from a short distance
at large free, not caught
at the cutting edge at the forefront of
bark up the wrong tree have a false idea about sth
be ahead of one's time have modern ideas
be all at sea be in a state of confusion
be all fingers and thumbs be awkward, clumsy
be all very well appear satisfactory but in fact not be
be as busy as a bee very busy
be as thick as a brick be stupid
be beside oneself with anger to be extremely angry
be born yesterday be easily deceived/ naive
be broke have no/very little money
be caught red-handed be caught while committing a crime
be dying for sth really want sth
be fit for be good enough for
be for the high jump about to be punished
be full of beans be very lively
be green be inexperienced
be in a quandary be confused; undecided
be in sb's black books out of favour
be in sb's shoes be in sb's position
be in the dark about sth be unaware of sth
be in the doghouse be out of favour, in trouble
be in the know be well-informed
be in the same boat be in the same (usually bad) situation
be in two minds about sth not be able to decide what to do
be on the cards be likely to happen
be on the defensive protect oneself because one feels insecure or threatened
be on the up and up improve steadily
be out of practice lacking practice
be over the moon be elated
be second to none be the best
be sound asleep sleep deeply
be the apple of sb's eye be very precious to sb; be sb's favourite
be the perfect image of sb look exactly like sb
be the splitting image of sb look exactly like sb
be thrown off balance be surprised
be tickled pink be really pleased
be up and about have recovered from an illness
be up in arms be very angry
be worn out be very tired
be/get soaked to the skin be/get very wet
be/have a close shave barely avoid an accident/ a bad situation
bear fruit be successful
beat about/around the bush avoid saying what one means directly
beat sb black and blue hit sb repeatedly until bruised
before one can say Jack Robinson extremely quickly
beg the question makes people want to ask a particular question
behind bars in prison
behind the scenes in secret
below the belt cruel and unfair
bide one's time wait for a good opportunity
big cheese person with important job/position
big-headed conceited; boastful
bite off more than sb can chew try to do sth which is too difficult
black and blue all over covered with bruises
black tie formal clothing
blaze a trail discover sth new
blessing in disguise sth which appears bad at first but then turns out favourably
blow a fuse become very angry
blue-eyed boy a favoured person
bolt from the blue suddenly
brainwave sudden clear idea/thought
break even show neither loss nor profit
break the ice ease the tensione when one first meets people
bring sth home to sb make sb understand how important or serious sth is
bring to one's knees destroy, humble
browned off fed up; bored
bury one's head in the sand avoid or ignore reality/responsibility
butter sb up flatter sb
by and large generally speaking
by definition having a quality simply because of what it is
by force of habit used to doing sth without thinking
by trial and error learning from one's mistakes
call it quits give up/stop
call sb names insult sb
cast aspersions criticise
catch sb red-handed be caught while committing a crime
chair a meeting preside over a meeting
chip off the old block sb who is very like one of his parents
chop and change keep changing (your mind)
claim to fame thing which makes sb unusual
clear the air remove suspicion/bad feeling
come clean admit the truth
come out of one's shell gain personal confidence
come to a head reach a critical point
come to a standstill not progress/stop
come to terms with accept a difficult situation
come to the fore become important or popular
come to the point reach the main point in a discussion
cook one's goose end one's plans abruptly
cost a bomb very expensive
cost an arm and a leg be very expensive
cramp one's style restrict one's behaviour in some way
crocodile tears false tears
cross one's mind think of sth
cry over spilt milk grieve over sth that can't be put right
cut corners be less thorough
cut sb dead ignore sb
cut sb to the quick deeply hurt sb's feelings
cut to the bone reduced to the minimum
deal a blow to damage one's hopes different as chalk and cheese totally
different does it show? is it obvious?
dog eat dog ruthless competition, rivalry
dog-eared (of books) with the corners bent and turned down through use
don't give up your day job continue to do sth you know rather than trying
sth new
don't hold your breath don't wait for sb/sth anxiously
donkey work boring, monotonous work
donkey's years a long time
down in the dumps depressed/miserable
down the drain wasted; lost
drive a hard bargain be a tough businessman
drive sb up the wall make sb angry/annoy sb
drop a brick say sth tactlessly
drop sb a line send sb a letter
ease off reduce in degree, speed or intensity
eat one's heart out feel jealous/ sad about sth
every nook and cranny everywhere
face the music be criticised or punished for sth you have done
fair and square within the rules
fall head over heels fall in love quickly
fall into place become clear
feel down in the mouth feel discouraged/depressed
feel in one's bones feeling sth instinctively
feel one's ears burning have a feeling that sb is talking about you
few and far between scarce/rare
fight like cat and dog disagree violently
fine kettle of fish confused state of affairs
flat broke penniless
flog a dead horse waste time doing sth useless
fly off the handle quickly become very angry
fly on the wall see/hear sth in a situation which does not involve you
for all in spite of
for all I care I don't care
for all I know as far as I know
for donkey's years for a very long time
for the time being temporarily
frosty welcome unfriendly reception
gatecrasher sb attending a party without an invitation
get a bit hot under the collar get angry, upset or embarassed
get a move on hurry up
get a problem off one's chest tell sb else about your problem
get cold feet lose courage to do sth
get cold feet be nervous or frightened because sth might fail
get nowhere fast make no progress
get off on the wrong foot argue or disagree at the beginning of a relationship
get on one's nerves irritate/annoy sb
get out of bed on the wrong side be in a bad mood
get out of hand become out of control
get rid of sth give sth unwanted away
get the hang of it get in the habit of doing sth
get the sack be dismissed from one's job
get the wrong end of the stick misunderstand completely what has been said
get wind of receive information about sth indirectly
get your own back take/get revenge
give and take compromise
give chapter and verse give every exact detail
give sb the cold shoulder ignore sb
give sb the slip escape from sb
give the green light to sth give permission to proceed with sth
give vent to express sth freely
give way to give in/yield
go back on one's word not fulfil a promise
go by the board be rejected
go for a song be sold very cheaply
go to any lengths do anything necessary to get sth you want
go to one's head make conceited
go to the dogs worsen
go without saying be a foregone conclusion
golden opportunity the best chance to gain sth
grease sb's palm bribe sb
green belt the area on the outskirts of a town adjoining the country
green with envy very jealous
grey matter brains; intelligence
grow out of sth become too big for sth
hand in glove with sb be in very close contact with sb
have a bee in one's bonnet have an obsession about sth
have a frog in one's throat inability to speak due to nervousness
have a job to do sth find sth difficult to do
have a sharp tongue tend to say unkind or hurtful things
have a yellow streak be a coward
have an early night go to bed early
have an eye for be a good judge of sth
have an eye for be good at judging the worth of sth
have at one's fingertips have easily available
have butterflies in one's stomach be very nervous about sth
have kittens be nervous/anxious about sth
have many irons in the fire have lots of plans in progress at the same time
have no fixed abode be homeless
have no option but must;have no choice
have one's heart in one's mouth be extremely anxious about sth
have sb's hands full be very busy with sth
have the cheek dare to do sth
have the gift of the gab be able to talk well
have time on one's hands have free time
have words with sb have an argument
hear it through the grapevine find out information indirectly
hit the nail on the head say exactly the right thing
hit the roof get very angry
hit the sack go to bed
hold one's horses wait; be patient
ill at ease embarassed; uncomfortable
in a flash very quickly
in a nutshell briefly; in few words
in a rut be stuck in a monotonous routine
in a tick shortly, soon
in abeyance halted temporarily
in arrears have not paid the money they owe
in black and white in writing
in broad daylight in full view of the public
in clover living a luxurious and comfortable life
in deep water in trouble/difficulty
in full flow talking at length
in public in the presence of other people
in the abstract in a general way
in the act of while performing the act
in the air uncertain
in the balance uncertain
in the black not owing anybody any money
in the flesh in person
in the long run after a long period of time
in the nick of time just in time
in the offing likely to happen
in the red owe money to a bank
it stands to reason it is logical
it's all Greek to me sth new or foreign; not easily understood
jack of all trades sb who is able to do a variety of jobs
keep a straight face manage to look serious under difficult circumstances
keep an eye on sth guard/protect sth
keep in check control
keep one's chin up not be discouraged
keep one's fingers crossed hope that sth will turn out well
keep one's wits about one be alert and able to deal with difficulties
keep oneself to oneself live quietly, privately
keep sth quiet keep sth secret
keep sth under one's hat keep sth secret
keep up with the Joneses compete with others in status/material goods
kick the bucket die
kill time pass time while waiting for sb/sth
kill two birds with one stone achieve two things with one action
know the ropes know all the details of sth
lay bare make public
lay the table set the table for a meal
lend an ear listen to sb in a careful and sympathetic way
lend sb a hand give help to sb
let sleeping dogs lieavoid mentioning a subject which could cause trouble
let the cat out of the bag reveal a secret
like a bull in a china shop behave in a clumsy/ awkward way
like the back of one's hand be very familiar with sth
like water off a duck's back having no effect
live out of a suitcase travel often/not have a per manent home
look at sth though rose-coloured spesee sth from an unrealistically positive point of
view
look down one's nose at sb feel/act superior to sb
lose heart become discouraged
lose one's head lose self-control
lose one's nerve lose courage
lost cause hopeless situation or case
make a clean breast of confess
make a dog's dinner make a mess of sth
make a flying visit make a quick trip
make a fool of oneself make oneself look stupid
make a killing have a sudden, great success
make a living earn money
make a mountain out of a molehill cause a fuss about a trivial matter
make a name for oneself become famous/respected for sth
make allowances for take special circumstances into consideration
make amends for try to compensate for a past action
make common cause with sb act together to achieve aim
make hay while the sun shines take advantage of favourable circumstances
make head nor tail of understand sth
make light of treat sth as unimportant
make money hand over fist make a lot of money quickly and easily
make one's blood boil cause sb to become very angry
make one's getaway escape
make quite a scene become angry in a dramatic way
make sb's day make sb very happy
make waves cause trouble
meet behind closed doors meet secretly
moon around look miserable
more to sb than meets the eye sb is more important or interesting than is first seen
mutton dressed as a lamb dress in a style younger than or inappropriate to
your age no room to swing a cat no room at all
no wonder not surprising
not all it's cracked up to be not as good as people say it is
not be one's cup of tea not suit one's taste
not count one's chickens before the not assume sth before it happens
not have it both ways refuse to make a decision between two pleasant things
not have the foggiest idea not know sth at all
not hold water not seem reasonable or in accordance with the facts
not lose any sleep over sth not worry about sth
null and void invalid; not legally binding
of all people used to express annoyance/surprise
of its own accord automatically
of no consequence of no value
off colour look/be slightly unwell
off the cuff without preparation
off the point irrelevant
off the record unofficial(ly)
on a shoe string on a very small budget
on account of because of
on edge tense/nervous/ anxious
on no account under/in no circumstances
on second thoughts having changed one's mind
on the air broadcasting
on the alert watchful and prepared
on the ball alert
on the blink stop working properly (of electrical equipment)
on the dole receiving unemployment benefit/social security
on the dot punctual, exact on time
on the face of it judging by how sth appears
on the level honest/sincere
on the quiet secretly
on the spur of the moment without thinking about sth
on this/that accountfor this/that reason
once and for all for the last time
once in a blue moon very rarely
one's flesh and blood family member
open to debate not decided/settled
out and about outdoors; travelling from one place to another
out in the open (of secrets) revealed, known
out of bounds prohibited, forbidden (place)
out of print (of books) not available anymore
out of the blue suddenly and unexpectedly
out of the frying pan into the fire from a situation to a worse/similar one
out of the question impossible
out of turn not in the correct order/time
out-and-out complete, total
paint the town red have a great time
part and parcel of basic part of
part company with end association
pay sb's way contribute your shares of a bill
pick someone's brains ask sb to help with a problem
pitch black very dark
play cat and mouse with sb keep sb in a state of uncertain expectation treating
them alternatively cruelly and kindly
play it by ear act in a situation by responding to events rather than according to
plan
play one's cards right act cleverly
play truant stay away from school without permission plenty more fish in
the sea many more opportunities in life for love point the finger of
suspicion blame sb for sth
pop the question make a proposal of marriage
pull a few strings use influential contacts in order to obtain an advantage
pull one's leg tease or trick sb
pull one's socks upmake a greater effort
put a damper on ruin sth or make it less enjoyable
put down roots settle down
put on a brave face try to hide one's disappointment
put one's foot down insist on sth
put one's foot in it make a tactless comment
put one's heart and soul into sth be devoted to sth
put sb's name forward nominate sb
put the cat among the pigeons cause trouble/controversy
put two and two together arrive at the truth by looking at facts
put words into one's mouth pretend that sb has said sth that they haven't actually
said
rack sb's brains think very hard about sth
rain cats and dogs rain heavily
red herring sth which distracts you from sth important
red tape unnecessary bureaucracy
ring a bell remind sb of sth
rise to the challenge act and be successful even though sth is new
see eye to eye with sb agree with sb
see fit think suitable or right
see red suddenly become very angry
see the back of be glad to see sb leave
set in one's ways fixed in one's habits
shed light upon give new/further information
short and sweet brief but pleasant (usually ironic)
show one's true colours reveal one's real character
sleep like a dog be sound asleep
sleep on it think about sth
slip one's mind forget about sth
slow on the uptake slow to understand
smell a rat suspect that sth is wrong
sour grapes say unpleasant comments because of jealousy
speak volumes be strong evidence of sb's feelings or merits
spill the beans reveal a secret/the facts
stand in sb's way prevent sb from doing sth
status symbol property/possession that shows sb's high social rank wealth etc.
stay clear of avoid sb/sth
stew in one's own juice suffer the consequences of one's own action
sth comes in handy be very useful/practical
straight from the horse's mouth from the most direct source
strike a chord make sb feel sympathy
strike gold come across sth useful
sweet tooth enjoy eating sweet things
swim like a fish swim very well
take it easy not work too hard/relax
take one's time not to hurry
take sb for granted not appreciate sb
take sth into accountconsider sth
take sth on the chin bravely accept criticism
take sth to heart take personally/be influenced by
take sth with a pinch of salt not believe sth completely
take the bull by the horns deal with sth boldly and directly
take things to pieces dismantle things
take to one's heels run away
talk the hind legs off a donkey talk for a long time, uninterrupted
the black sheep of the family a disgraced family member
the ins and outs the details of an activity
the last straw the last and worst episode in a chain of bad experiences
the life and soul of sth the most lively and amusing person present somewhere
the lion's share the biggest part/portion
the pot calling the kettle black accusing sb of a fault one has oneself
the rat race the competitive nature of modern urban life
the tip of the iceberg small evident part of a much larger, concealed situation
the year dot a long time ago
thick-skinned insensitive
through thick and thin whatever happens
throw a party have/hold a party
to no effect unsuccessful
tongue in cheek not serious, ironic
tooth and nail fiercely
touch and go with uncertain result
turn a blind eye to sth ignore
turn over a new leaf make a new start
under the weather depressed/unwell
until one is blue in the face as hard/long as one possibly can
until the cows come home for a long time
up and coming likely to be successful
up in the air existing, but not talked about
ups and downs good things with bad ones
wash sb's hands of sb refuse to be involved with sb
wet behind the ears inexperienced
wet blanket dull person who spoils people's happiness
whet sb's appetite make sb eager to have/experience more
white elephant useless/unwanted possession
white-collar job office/clerical work
with a view to doing sth with the intention or hope of doing sth
with flying colours with great success
without fail do sth no matter what
work a miracle make sth almost impossible happen
work to rule adhere strictly to the rules as a form of protest