IDIOMS

S.NO IDIOM MEANING

1 Beat around the Bush Avoiding the main point by talking in a
roundabout way.
2 Spill the beans Give away a secret.
3 Bite off more than one can To take more than one can deal with.
Chew
4 Feel at sea To feel lost or confused.
5 End in smoke To not produce concrete or positive
results.
6 Through Thick and Thin Support under all circumstances.
7 Cry over Spilt Milk When you complain about a loss from
past.
8 To add fuel to the fire To make matters worse.
9 Red-Letter Day An important day.
10 A Hard Nut to Crack A difficult problem.
11 Let the cat out of the bag To accidentally reveal a secret.
12 Left no stone unturned Made Every Possible effort.
13 Raining cats and dogs Raining Heavily.
14 Hold your Horses Be Patient.
15 At the drop of a Hat Immediately.
16 A fish out of water Feel Uncomfortable in unfamiliar
surroundings.
17 A blessing in disguise Something good that isn’t recognized
initially.
18 To Flog a dead Horse To revive interest in a subject which
out of date.
19 Sit on the fence Avoid making a decision.
20 See eye to eye Agree.
21 Gift of the Gab Gift of being a good conversationalist.
22 Call it a day Time to quit.
23 To smell a rat Suspect foul dealings.
24 To have an axe to grind A private end to serve.
25 Hit the nail on the head Be accurately right about something.
26 To get into hot water To get into trouble.
27 Break the ice Removing the initial hesitation.
28 Blow one’s own trumpet Praise oneself.
29 At the eleventh hour At the very last minute.
30 A wild goose chase Useless search.
31 Bury the Hatchet Forget past quarrels
32 A bolt from the blue Unexpected surprise
33 Under the weather To be in low spirits
34 Face the music Face the criticism
35 Once in a blue moon Happens very rarely
36 To cost an arm and a leg Very expensive
37 To throw caution to the wind To do something without worrying
about the risk
38 Strain every nerve To try extremely hard to do something
39 At arm’s length To keep away
40 High spirits joyful
41 Hand and glove Intimate terms
42 To grease the palm To bribe
43 Every cloud has a silver lining Something promising is there in any
difficult situation.
44 By the skin of one’s teeth By a very narrow margin.
45 By hook or by crook By any means fair or foul.
46 Best of both world All the advantages.
47 Fit as a fiddle To be in excellent health and good
working order.
48 Under a cloud Under suspicion
49 Hit the sack sleep
50 To fight tooth and nail To fight or compete with great
 Ferocity and intensity.
51 Lions share The greatest and most desirable
portion of something.
52 Take something with a pinch of To believe only part of something.
salt
53 Pull someone’s leg To tease somebody.
54 Get out of hand Get out of control.
55 Chip of the old block Resembling parents.
56 To burn the midnight oil To work hard.
57 To bite the bullet To be brave in a difficult situation.
58 On cloud nine Extremely happy.
59 A snake in the grass An unrecognizable enemy or danger.
60 Miss the boat/bus To lose the opportunity.
61 To turn a deaf ear to Disregard.
62 Read between the lines Understand what is implied but not
stated directly.
63 Piece of cake Something which is very simple.
64 By fits and starts Not regular.
65 Leaps and bounds At a rapid pace.
66 Cock and bull story Improbable story.
67 Give cold shoulder Ignore, avoid or be unfriendly towards
someone.
68 In a nutshell In short.
69 In the same boat To be in the same difficult situation as
someone else.
70 Pull yourself together Regain composure.
71 A dark horse An unknown genius.
72 A dime a dozen Something common.
73 A stone’s throw away At a short distance.
74 Back to the drawing board When an attempt fails and it’s time to
start all over.
75 To bark up the wrong tree To do something that will not get the
result you want.
76 All ears To listening attentively.
77 To catch a tartar To catch a dangerous person.
78 To carry the day To win after a long effort.
79 Bite the dust To suffer defeat.
80 Birds of the same feather People with the similar characters.
81 A bed of roses An easy and happy situation.
82 Be in the red To be in a loss or debt.
83 Against the clock Rushed and short on time.
84 Achilles heel A fatal weakness in spite of overall
strength.
85 To be above board To be honest.
86 A wet blanket A person who discourages enjoyment
or enthusiasm.
87 A sea change A radical change.
88 A close fisted person A miserly person.
89 To turn over a new leaf To change one’s behavior of the better
90 Take to task To rebuke.
91 To put a spoke in one’s wheel To put a difficulty in the way of
progress.
92 To make up one’s mind To decide.
93 To keep the wolf from the door To keep away poverty.
94 Run around in circles To keep doing something without
achieving much.
95 To cry wolf To give a false alarm.
96 To burn one’s fingers To have an unfavorable result.
97 Throw cold water To discourage by showing
indifference.
98 Cross that bridge when you Deal with a problem if and when it
come to it becomes necessary not before.
99 Cross your fingers To hope that things will happen in the
way you want them to.
100 Cry for the moon Ask for the impossible.
101 Can’t judge a book by its cover You shouldn’t prejudge the value of
 something by its outward appearance
alone.
102 Donkey’s years A very long time.
103 Easier said than done Easier to speak words than to perform
actions.
104 To fall flat To have no effect.
105 Feather in one’s cap Something one may feel proud of.
106 Forty winks A short nap during the day.
107 To go from rags to riches To go from being poor to very rich.
108 To get on the nerves To irritate.
109 Give a piece of one’s mind To rebuke someone strongly.
110 Go down like a lead balloon To be received badly by an audience.
111 Go to the dogs Deteriorate shockingly.
112 Green thumb To have talent in gardening.
113 Hue and cry A noisy expression of anger.
114 At ease To be comfortable
115 Know the ropes To have experience at what one’s
doing.
116 Lend me your ear To politely ask for someone’s full
attention.
117 Lose your marbles To go insane.
118 On thin ice In a precarious or risky situation.
119 A green horn Inexperienced.
120 A mare’s nest Complicated situation.
121 Bone of contention A subject of dispute
122 A bird in the hand is worth two It is better to keep something that you
in the bush have than to risk losing it by trying to
get much more.
123 To keep an eye on To observe carefully
124 Call a spade a spade Forthright.
125 Last straw The final problem in a series of
problems.
126 Take the bull by the horns Grapple with a difficult situation
 without avoiding it.
127 Crocodile tears Hypocritical tears.
128 Sell like hot cakes To sell quickly.
129 Nip in the bud To destroy early
130 Kill two birds with one stone Accomplish two different things at the
same time.
131 To kick the bucket To die.
132 Herculean task A job that requires a large amount of
physical strength.
133 To have other fish to fry To have more important tasks to attend
to.
134 Get a taste of your own Be given the same treatment that you
medicine have given to others.
135 To feather one’s own nest To work selfishly.
136 Draw the line To set a limit on something.
137 Cut the mustard To succeed/ reaching the required
standard.
138 Play it by ear To do something without special
preparation.
139 On tenterhooks In a state of suspense and anxiety.
140 Make no bones about Be frank and open about something.
something
141 From hand to mouth To live without any saving
142 Let sleeping dogs lie Let the situation be as it is since it
would result in trouble or
complications.
143 Jump the gun To do something too soon without
proper thought.
144 It’s greek to me Incomprehensible.
145 In the long run Eventually, after a long period of time.
146 To be in seventh heaven To be extremely happy.
147 Hobson’s choice An apparently free choice where there
is no real alternative.
148 Carry a chip on one’s shoulder Entertaining a grudge over a past
 event.
149 eyewash A deception.
150 Eat like a horse You eat a lot.
151 Cut to the chase Talking about the important point and
leaving out the detail.
152 Break a leg Wish someone good luck.
153 Blaze the trail Be first to do something important.
154 Backseat driver A person who offers unsolicited
advice.
155 At daggers drawn On bad terms with.
156 At snail’s pace To do something very slowly.
157 All and sundry All included.
158 Actions speak louder than What you do reveals the real you.
words
159 To eat a humble pie To swallow one’s pride and apologize
for doing something wrong.
160 At one’s wits end Not knowing what to do.
161 Build castles in the air Dream.
162 Burn your bridges To eliminate the possibility of return or
retreat.
163 Caught red handed Caught with an act of doing something
illegal.
164 A close shave A narrow escape.
165 Don’t count your chickens Don’t rely on it until you are sure of it.
before they hatch.
166 Full of beans Full of energy.
167 Go the extra mile It means to make a special effort to
achieve something.
168 The ins and outs The full detail.
169 Spick and span Neat and clean.
170 To get a cold feet To be afraid.
171 Turn a blind eye To pretend not to have noticed
something.
172 Up in arms Angry about something.
173 Wear your heart on your sleeve To openly display one’s emotions.
174 White elephant A useless but expensive possession.
175 Man of letters A literary person.
176 A storm in a teacup Much excitement over something
trivial.
177 Add insult to injury To make something worse.
178 Apple of one’s eye Very dear.
179 Back to square one Back to the very first stage.
180 Bad blood Ill feeling.
181 Ball is in your court It is up to you to make the next
decision or step.
182 Black sheep A disgraceful person.
183 Chicken hearted man A coward person.
184 Fair weather friend A person whose friendship cannot be
relied on in difficult times.
185 For good Forever.
186 In black and white A clear choice that causes no
confusion.
187 In the nick of time At the last possible moment.
188 To leave someone in the lurch To desert someone in his difficulties.
189 Out of the blue Completely unexpected.
190 Take to her heels Run away quickly.
191 Jump on the bandwagon Join a popular trend or activity.
192 A bird’s eye view A view from a high angle.
193 Like a cake walk Extremely easy.
194 Living in a fools paradise To believe wrongly that your situation
is good.
195 A leopard cannot change its It is impossible to change who you are.
spots
196 Man of straw Weak.
197 A wolf in sheep’s clothing A person or thing that appears friendly
or harmless but is really hostile.
198 Child’s play Something that is very easy to do.
199 Cool as a cucumber Calm.
200 Cut corners When something is done badly to save
money.
201 A blue eyed boy One who is favorite.
202 A bull in a china shop A clumsy person in a delicate situation
203 Carrot and stick approach Rewards and punishments that
influence someone’s behavior.
204 Change of heart A change in one’s opinion.
205 Cold fish Someone who seems unfriendly and
does not share his feelings.
206 A cut above something Superior to.
207 A damp squib Disappointing result.
208 A dog’s life A miserable existence.
209 A drop in an ocean A very small part of something big.
210 A dry run A practice session.
211 A fire in someone’s belly One who is energetic and enthusiastic
about something.
212 A flying visit A very short visit.
213 A gentleman at large A man without a job.
214 A golden mean A middle course between two
extremes.
215 A Grey area An unclear situation.
216 A hairbreadth escape A narrow escape.
217 A hornets nest A difficult situation.
218 A hot potato A controversial issue.
219 A house of cards An unstable situation that can easily
collapse.
220 A kick in the teeth A great disappointment.
221 A lame excuse Weak excuse.
222 A laughing stock An object of laughter.
223 A left handed compliment An insulting remark appearing as
praise.
224 A little bird told me To keep the identity of informant
secret.
225 A live wire A person who is full of energy.
226 A lot on your plate To have a large number of problems to
deal with.
227 A needle in a haystack Something that is very difficult to
locate or trying to do something
impossible.
228 A pain in the neck Something that is annoying.
229 A Penelope's web An endless job.
230 A penny for your thought A way of asking what someone is
thinking.
231 A picture paints a thousand An image conveys meaning more
words effectively than a description does.
232 A plum job An easy pleasant job that also pays
well.
233 A queer fish An unconventional person.
234 A red rag to a bull An object or act that is certain to
provoke someone.
235 A rolling stone gather no moss A person who does not settle will not
gain more wealth.
236 A rotten apple A single bad person in a group.
237 A safe pair of hands A reliable person.
238 A shot in the arm Something that gives encouragement.
239 A skeleton in the cupboard Something embarrassing.
240 A square deal A fair agreement.
241 A stitch in time saves nine It is better to solve a problem right
away and not let it become bigger.
242 A thorn in the flesh Annoying and irritating.
243 A turning point The time at which an important change
starts.
244 Over one’s head Beyond one’s capability of
understanding something.
245 Acid test Definitive proof of truth or falsehood.
246 After one’s own heart Sharing one’s tastes or views.
247 Alive and kicking In good health.
248 All agog Amazed and excited.
249 All eyes Watching eagerly.
250 All in all Considering everything.
251 All moonshine Far from reality.
252 All our might and main Full force.
253 All thumbs Clumsy/ physically awkward.
254 Alpha and omega Beginning and end.
255 Alphabet soup Abundance of abbreviations.
256 An eye opener A shocking revelation.
257 An iron hand Strict control.
258 An iron will Strong determination.
259 An open book One that held no secrets.
260 Apple of discord Reason for quarrel.
261 Apples and oranges Two unlike things.
262 Argus eyed Carefully observant.
263 Armed to the teeth Heavily armed.
264 Around the corner Occurring soon.
265 As daft as a brush Extremely silly.
266 As hard as a nail Emotionless.
267 As the crow flies The shortest route.
268 At a crossroads A point in life where his decisions will
have long term consequences.
269 At a stretch To do something continuously.
270 At beck and call At his disposal.
271 At cross purposes Having opposing viewpoints.
272 At large A criminal escaped.
273 At loggerheads In conflict with someone.
274 At loose ends In an uncertain situation.
275 At sixes and sevens In disorder and confusion.
276 Back out of Withdraw from a commitment.
277 Back up Defend.
278 Bag and baggage With full luggage.
279 Bakers dozen A group of 13 items.
280 Be behind the times Be old fashioned.
281 Be glad to see back of Be happy when a person leaves.
282 Be going places Talented and successful.
283 Be hard up Have very little money.
284 Be in two minds Unable to decide.
285 Be like chalk and cheese Be absolutely different.
286 Be out for the count In a deep sleep.
287 Be out of order A device not working properly.
288 Be under somebody’s thumb Controlled by someone.
289 Be wet behind the ears Young and experienced.
290 Bear a grudge Be angry at someone over a past event.
291 Bear fruit Produce positive results.
292 Bear the brunt of Suffer the worst of something.
293 Bear the palm To win
294 Bear up with Strong enough to continue at a difficult
time.
295 Behind closed doors Do something secretly.
296 Behind one’s back In the absence of someone.
297 Behind the scenes Unknown to everyone.
298 Bell the cat Do the impossible task.
299 Below the belt Cruel and unfair.
300 Bend over backwards Make every effort to achieve
something.
301 Beside oneself Almost out of ones senses.
302 Beside the mark Irrelevant.
303 Best thing since sliced bread Most useful innovation in a long time.
304 Better late than never Better to arrive late than not to come at
all.
305 Between a rock and a hard Stuck between two very bad options.
place
306 Between Scylla and Charybdis Between two unpleasant alternatives.
307 Between the devil and the deep Having only two very difficult choices.
blue sea
308 Beyond the pale unacceptable
309 Bid defiance To ignore
310 Bite someone’s head off Speak angrily without any reason.
311 Bite your tongue Stop yourself from saying something.
312 Black and blue Describe something that is badly
bruised.
313 Blue blooded Of noble birth.
314 Body and soul With all your energy.
315 Boil the ocean Undertaking an impossible task.
316 Bone to pick Cause of quarrel.
317 Born with a silver spoon in Born into a rich family.
mouth
318 Bread and butter Means of livelihood.
319 Break in Force entry
320 Break new Discover something new.
321 Break the bank To be very expensive.
322 Breathing down someone’s Watching all his actions closely.
neck
323 Bring about Cause to happen.
324 Bring home the bacon To be successful.
325 Bring someone to book To punish someone for wrongdoing.
326 Bring the house down Made the audience applaud
enthusiastically.
327 Broke down Cried.
328 Broken reed Support the failed/ weak person.
329 Bull’s eye Something that is center of a target.
330 Burning question An important question.
331 Butterflies in the stomach To be anxious and nervous.
332 By and by Gradually.
333 By and large In general.
334 By courtesy of Given or allowed by.
335 By fair means or foul By any means honest or dishonest.
336 Call in question Challenge.
337 Call on Pay a visit.
338 Call the shots To be in control.
339 Called for To require something.
340 Can’t cut the mustard To be unable to do a job.
341 Carry out Complete something.
342 Casting pearls before swine Offering good things to undeserving
people.
343 Cat nap To have disturbed sleep.
344 Catch 22 A particular situation in which one
cannot do anything.
345 Change hands Pass from one person to another.
346 Chapter and verse To give exact information about
something.
347 Charley horse Cramp.
348 Cheek by jowl Very close together.
349 Chew the cud To think slowly and carefully about
something.
350 Chew the fat To gossip and have friendly talks.
351 Chew the scenery To act overly emotional.
352 Chicken out Withdrew because you are frightened.
353 Chill out To calm down
354 Chinks in the armour A weakness that can be taken
advantage of.
355 Cloak and dagger An activity that involves mystery and
secrecy.
356 Cold comfort Slight satisafction.
357 Come hell or high water In spite of any obstacles.
358 Come in handy Turn out to be useful.
359 Come of age To mature or develop fully.
360 Come rain or shine Under any circumstances.
361 Come to blows Get into a fight physically.
362 Come to light Been revealed.
363 Come what may Na matter what happens.
364 Cook the books Dishonest accounting.
365 Cool your heels To be kept waiting.
366 Couch potato A lazy person.
367 Crack someone up To make someone laugh.
368 Cross one’s mind To think of something.
369 Cross swords Disagree.
370 Crux of the matter The most important point.
371 Cry in the wilderness An unrealistic demand or unpopular
opinion.
372 Cup of tea One’s chosen or preferred thing.
373 Currying favour with Ingratiate oneself with someone
through obsequious behaviour.
374 Cut and dried Ready made/ already decided.
375 Cut no ice with me Had no influence on me.
376 Cut one short To interrupt someone.
377 Cut someone some slack To not manage someone so strictly.
378 Cut the gordian knot Remove the difficulty.
379 Cut to the chase To start talking about the important
aspects.
380 Cut to the quick Hurt intensely.
381 Dance to someone’s tune Do what others want you to do.
382 Dead ringer An exact duplicate.
383 Desperate times call for When you are extremely desperate you
desperate measures need to take desperate actions.
384 Died in harness Died while working.
385 Do a good turn To help someone.
386 Done for Ruined.
387 Don’t put all your eggs in one Don’t put all your resources in one
basket place.
388 Dot one’s I’s and one’s t’s To pay attention to minute details.
389 Down in the dumps Sad and depressed.
390 Down the drain Wasted and lost.
391 Down to earth Very realistic and sensible.
392 Drag one’s feet Do something deliberately at a slow
pace.
393 Draw a blank To be unsuccessful.
394 Drew on his fancy Used his imagination.
395 Drive home To emphasize an important point.
396 Drive someone up the wall Make someone very irritated.
397 Drop names Name famous people to impress
others.
398 Dropping like flies Collapsing in large numbers.
399 Eagle eye An eye with sharp visual powers.
400 Eat anyone’s salt To be ones guest.
401 Egg on Encourage.
402 Elbow grease A lot of physical effort.
403 Elbow room Freedom to do what one wants.
404 Ended in a fiasco A complete failure.
405 Every dog has his day Everyone has good luck or success at a
point of time in their lives.
406 Fall back on To seek support out of necessity.
407 Fallout To quarrel.
408 Far cry from To be different from others.
409 Fed up Annoyed.
410 Feel the pinch Having financial problems all of a
sudden.
411 Few and far between Rare and seldom seen.
412 Fifth wheel An unneeded person.
413 Fight shy of me To avoid encountering.
414 Finding their feet Beginning to understand the work and
start to feel confident.
415 First and foremost Highest priority.
416 Flash in the pen Someone/Something whose success is
short lived.
417 Fly into a rage / passion To become extremely angry.
418 Fly off at a target Starts discussing something irrelevant.
419 Flying off the handle Suddenly becoming enraged/ to lose
one’s temper.
420 Follow suit To do as others have done.
421 Foot the bill To pay for something.
422 Fought to the bitter end Carried on a contest regardless of the
consequences.
423 From the bottom of my heart Sincerely.
424 Full of hot air Full of nonsense.
425 Gall and wormwood Hateful/ strong feeling of resentment
and bitterness.
426 Gave the game away Give away a secret.
427 Gave vent to something Expressed forcefully.
428 Get a foot in the door To have a chance to do something.
429 Get a second wind Have renewed energy after having
been tired.
430 Get down to brass tacks Start taking up the most important
facts of a situation.
431 Get on like a house on fire To become friends quickly.
432 Get someone’s goat To irritate someone.
433 Get something off one’s chest Express something that has been
worrying you and you want to say.
434 Get the axe Lose the job.
435 Get the hang of Learn how to use.
436 Get the sack Be dismissed.
437 Get up in the wrong side of the Start the day with a bad mood, which
bed continues all day long.
438 Get wind of something Hear about something.
439 Get your act together Organize your work in a better way.
440 Getting a new lease of life A chance to continue living or to
become successful again.
441 Give a free hand To exercise complete control over
something.
442 Give a wide berth to To stay away from.
443 Give and take Adjustment.
444 Give in Yield.
445 Give it a shot/whirl To try out something.
446 Give me a hand with Help me with.
447 Give oneself airs Pretend to be good.
448 Give someone the slip Escape from someone.
449 Give the benefit of doubt Accepting someone as honest even
though there are doubts.
450 Give up the ghost To die / to stop working.
451 Go against the grain Doning things differently from what
you usually do.
452 Go belly up Go bankrupt.
453 Go cold turkey To quit an addictive habit abruptly and
completely.
454 Go down in flames To fail completely.
455 Go for a song To be sold cheaply.
456 Go for the jugular To attack in the most aggressive way.
457 Go getter A real achiever.
458 Go through fire and water Undergo any risk.
459 Go to rock and ruin Get into a bad condition.
460 Go to the wall To fail.
461 Go with a bang Very exciting and successful.
462 God’s ape A born fool.
463 Got the green light Got permission to go ahead with
something.
464 Grasp at straws Trying to find some way to succeed
when nothing you choose is likely to
work.
465 Great minds think alike Said when two people have the same
opinion.
466 Green eyed To be jealous.
467 Grin/ beam from ear to ear To smile a lot because of happiness.
468 Grist to the mill Provides useful advantage.
469 Halcyon days Peaceful days / happy days.
470 Hale and hearty Strong and healthy.
471 Hand over fist Quickly and continuously.
472 Hang in there Don’t give up.
473 Hang up one’s boots To take retirement from a sport.
474 Hanging by a thread Be in a dangerous situation.
475 Hard and fast That cannot be altered / strict.
476 Hard of hearing To be deaf.
477 Haste makes waste Doing things in a hurry does not give
fruitful results.
478 Haul over the coals To scold someone severely for an
error.
479 Have a bee in her bonnet To talk and think a lot.
480 Have a finger in every pie To be involved in a large number of
activities.
481 Have a whale of a time Having an exceptionally fun and
exciting experience.
482 Have one’s hands full To be very busy.
483 Have one’s heart in one’s To be extremely frightened and
mouth nervous.
484 Have your back against the To be in a desperate situation with very
wall few options.
485 Having a soft spot for To like someone a lot.
486 Head in the clouds To daydream.
487 Head over heels Madly in love.
488 Heads will roll Forced to resign.
489 Heart and soul With all the effort you can put.
490 Heart to heart talk Frank talk.
491 Helter skelter Here and there.
492 High and dry To abandon someone in a difficult
situation.
493 High and mighty Arrogant.
494 High time Past the appropriate time.
495 Hit a bad patch Experienced difficulty.
496 Hit a brick wall Not able to make any progress.
497 Hit the books To study very hard.
498 Hit the ceiling/ roof Explode in anger.
499 Hit the jackpot To make money quickly.
500 Hold one’s tongue Be silent/ to keep quiet.
501 Hold out an olive branch Do something to show that you want
to end a disagreement with them.
502 Hold the fort To take responsibility for a situation
temporarily.
503 Hold water Appear to be valid.
504 Hope against hope Nurture an impossible hope.
505 I don’t buy it I am not convinced.
506 Icing on the cake Something that makes a good situation
even better.
507 Ignorance is bliss To remain ignorant of things that may
cause stress.
508 Ill at ease To feel uncomfortable in a situation.
509 In a jiffy Something that is done very quickly.
510 In a pickle Experiencing a difficult situation.
511 In a tight spot In a difficult situation.
512 In apple pie order In a perfect order.
513 In black and white In writing.
514 In cold blood Cruelly, without any emotions.
515 In deep water In great difficulty.
516 In dire straits Ina very bad and difficult situation.
517 In full swing Very active.
518 In the air When an emotion or idea is on
everyone’s mind.
519 In the blink of an eye Within a short period of time.
520 In the blues Cheerless and depressed.
521 In the dark To not know something others are
aware of.
522 In the doldrums In low spirits and despair.
523 In the driver’s seat In charge of the situation.
524 In the eye of the storm. Be in the middle of a difficult
situation.
525 In the fast lane A life filled with great excitement.
526 In the good books In favour with.
527 In the heat of the moment Saying or doing something without
thinking due to anger.
528 In the pink In good health.
529 In the soup To be in trouble.
530 In the teeth of In spite of something.
531 In vogue Popular/ in fashion.
532 It takes two to tango A conflict where both people are at
fault.
533 It’s a small world Frequently see the same people in
different places.
534 Ivory towers To have no knowledge of the practical
problems or everyday life.
535 Keep a straight face Not laugh or change your expression
even though you want to laugh.
536 Keep an ear to the ground Staying informed and updated about
something.
537 Keep in touch To maintain contact with someone.
538 Keep one’s head Remain calm.
539 Keep under one’s hat To keep something a secret.
540 Keep up appearances To pretend to be happier or richer so as
to conceal the real situation.
541 Keep your chin up To remain cheerful and hopeful in
difficult circumstances.
542 Keep/ hold something at bay To control something and prevent it
from causing you problems.
543 Kicked up a row Made a great fuss.
544 Kith and kin Blood relatives.
545 Know something inside out To know everything about something.
546 Latin and greek Unable to understand.
547 Lay out Spend.
548 Lead someone by the nose To completely control or dominate
someone.
549 Left out in cold To be ignored.
550 Lend someone a hand To help or assist.
551 Let bygones be bygones Forget past offences or causes of
conflict.
552 Let the chips fall where they Let something happen without
may worrying about the consequences.
553 Let the grass grow under one’s To remain idle.
feet
554 Let your hair down Behave freely and uninhibitedly.
555 Level playing field A situation in which everyone has a
fair and equal chance of succeeding.
556 Light at the end of the tunnel Something that indicates the end of a
difficult situation,
557 Like a shag on a rock Completely alone.
558 Like two peas on a pod Look very similar in appearance.
559 Lily livered Not brave.
560 Lion’s mouth A dangerous situation.
561 Lock horns Fight with someone.
562 Lock stock and barrel Including all and every part of
something.
563 Long in the tooth Too old to do something.
564 Look after Take care of.
565 Look before you leap Think carefully of the consequences.
566 Look down upon To consider someone inferior.
567 Loosen the purse strings To increase the money available for
expenditure.
568 Lose face Become less respected by others.
569 Lose one’s head To lose self control.
570 Made a clean breast of Confessed his crime.
571 Made light of Treated it lightly.
572 Maiden speech First speech.
573 Make a beeline for Go straight to.
574 Make a hash of Made a mess of.
575 Make a quick buck An easy way to make money quickly.
576 Make head or tail of something To understand something.
577 Make one’s blood boil To make some one furious.
578 Make one’s flesh crawl/creep To make someone disgusted, afraid,
frightened.
579 Make one’s mark Distinguish oneself/ to attain success.
580 Make up with To settle their differences.
581 Making hay while the sun Taking advantage of a favourable
shines opportunity.
582 Mealy mouthed Afraid to speak frankly.
583 Method to my madness A purpose or reason behind seemingly
crazy or meaningless actions.
584 Milk and water Weak ideas.
585 Mouth watering Stimulates appetite.
586 Move heaven and earth Make every effort to achieve
something.
587 Much ado about something Making a big fuss over a small thing.
588 Neck of the woods Neighbourhood.
589 New kid on the block Newcomer to a particular place or
domain.
590 Nine day’s wonder A short lived sensation.
591 No love lost between People who do not like each other at
all.
592 Not fit to hold a candle Inferior.
593 Not hold water Cannot be believed.
594 Not mince words To speak in a direct way.
595 Not one’s cup of tea Not one’s choice.
596 Not to look a gift horse in the Not to find fault with the gifts
mouth. received.
597 Null and void Invalid.
598 Of the first water Of the best quality.
599 On and off Occasionally/ periodically.
600 Off the hook No longer in difficulty or trouble.