Living in Cloud Cuckooland : Having unrealistic or foolish beliefs or plans. Living on Borrowed Time : Following an illness or near-death experience, may people believe they have cheated death.
Living Under a Rock : Ignorant of important events. Usually used as a question: Have you been living under a rock? Loaded for Bear : Prepared for problems, well prepared for a challenge. Loan Shark : A predatory lender; one who makes high-interest loans to desperate people. Look the Other Way : Take no notice of violations of laws or rules, unofficially condone something. Loose Cannon : Someone out of control; someone who speaks or acts recklessly. Lose It : To suddenly become unable to behave or think in a sensible way.
Love at First Sight : Falling in love with somebody the first time you see them. Make a Mountain out of a Molehill : To take something too seriously; to make too much of something. Man Cave : A part of the house, often the basement, that is left to the man of the household, perhaps with a workshop, a television for watching sports, etc.
March to the Beat of Your Own Drum : When someone does things the way they want to, without taking anybody else or anything else into consideration. Match Made in Heaven : A relationship in which the two people are great together, because they complement each other so well. May-December adj. Said of couples where one member is much older. The most common usage is May-December romance. May-December Marriage : A marriage between a younger and an older partner, typically a young woman and an old man.
Monday Morning Quarterback : Someone who offers criticisms or comments after already knowing the outcome of something. Move Heaven and Earth : Take all possible steps in trying to accomplish something. Movers and Shakers : Influential people, especially in a particular field. Much Of A Muchness : Essentially equal, not significantly different said of a choice. Often used as an answer to a request not to talk about something. Mutton Dressed Up as Lamb : A woman who dresses in a style appropriate to someone of a younger age.
My Way or the Highway : If you do not do things the way I want or require, then you can just leave or not participate. Neck and Neck : Very close in a competition, with neither of two entities clearly in the lead. Nickel and Dime : To negotiate over very small sums; to try to get a better financial deal, in a negative way. Nine-to-Five Job : A routine job in an office that involves standard office hours. No Holds Barred usually adj. No Love Lost Between : There is a mutual animosity between two people.
Not Cut Out for Something : Not naturally skillful enough to do something well. Not Sit Well with Someone : Be difficult to accept; make someone uncomfortable. Par for the Course : What would normally be expected. This has a negative connotation.
Pass With Flying Colors : To succeed brilliantly, as on an exam or other test. Peaches and Cream : A situation, process, etc.
Pick a Fight: Intentionally provoke a conflict or fight with someone. Pick Up the Tab : To pay a bill presented to a group, especially in a restaurant or bar.
Pie in the Sky : Something that is unrealistic or that cannot be achieved. Pink Slip : A layoff notice; loss of a job, typically because of layoffs. Pissing Contest : A meaningless argument or competition, typically between males.
Play Cat And Mouse : Trying to trick someone into making a mistake so you can defeat them. Play Hardball : Adopt a tough negotiating position; act aggressively. Play it by Ear : To play a piece of music without referencing sheet music or a recording. Play It by Ear : To respond to circumstances instead of having a fixed plan. Play the Percentages : Bet on or rely on what is most likely to happen.
Point of No Return : A place from which it is impossible to go back to the starting point. Poison Pill n : A provision or feature added to a measure or an entity to make it less attractive, an undesirable add-on. Poison Pill : A provision or feature added to a measure or an entity to make it less attractive, an undesirable add-on.
Pot Calling the Kettle Black : Accusing someone of something of which you are also guilty; being hypocritical. Pour Rub Salt into on the Wound an open wound : Worsen an insult or injury; make a bad situation worse for someone. Powder Keg : An explosive situation, a situation in which people are angry and ready to be violent.
This is used by women. Preach to the Choir, Preach to the Converted : To make an argument with which your listeners already agree.
Preaching to the Choir : Making arguments to those who already agree with you. Pretty Penny : A lot of money; too much money when referring to the cost of something. Price Yourself Out of the Market : Try to sell goods or services at such a high price that nobody buys them. Pull Out All the Stops : Do everything possible to accomplish something. Pull Yourself Together : Control your emotions; recover from a strong emptional upset. Puppies And Rainbows : Perfect, ideal usually used slightly sarcastically, in contrast with a less ideal situation.
Puppy Love : Adolescent love or infatuation, especially one that is not expected to last. Pure as the Driven Snow : To be innocent and chaste frequently used ironically.
Push the Envelope : Go beyond common ways of doing something, be innovative. Put a Thumb on the Scale : Try to influence a discussion in an unfair way, cheat. Put Someone on the Spot : Force someone to answer a question or make a decision immediately. Put the Cart Before the Horse : To do things out of the proper order. Put the Genie Back in the Bottle : Try to suppress something that has already been revealed or done. Quote Unquote : Ironically speaking; suggesting that if a phrase were written out, it would be in quotation marks to convey sarcasm.
Race Against Time : To rush to meet a deadline, to be forced to do something very quickly. Raise the Bar : Increase standards in a certain competition or area of endeavor. Rake Over the Ashes : Restart a settled argument; examine a failure. Rear Its Ugly Head said of a problem or something unpleasant : Appear, be revealed. Rearrange the Deck Chairs on the Titanic : Taking superficial actions while ignoring a much larger and perhaps fatal problem.
Red Tape : Bureaucracy; difficult bureaucratic or governmental requirements. Red-Light District : A neighborhood with many houses of prostitution.
Reinvent the Wheel : Devise a solution to a problem for which a solution already exists. Rob Peter to Pay Paul : Pay off a debt with another loan; solve a problem in such a way that it leads to a new problem. Rob the Cradle : To be sexually or romantically involved with someone who is very young. Rock the Boat : Cause a disruption in a group. Rub It In : Say something that makes someone feel even worse about a mistake.
Rubber-Stamp v. Rule of Thumb : A general principle or guideline, not a specific formula. Run a Tight Ship : Manage an organization in a strict, well-regulated way. Run in the Family : Be inherited as a trait by multiple members of a family.
Run off at the Mouth : Talk a lot about unimportant things, talk incoherently. Sacred Cow : An indvidual or organization that one cannot criticize.
Scorched Earth Tactics, Policy, etc. School Of Hard Knocks : Difficult real-life experiences from which one has learned. Second Stringer : A substitute player in a sport; a substitute for a job who is not the most talented person.
Set something to Music : To write a piece of music to accompany a set of words. Set the Thames on Fir e: Do something amazing. Usually used in the negative. Shell Game : A method of deception in which you conceal your actions by moving something frequently. Sick and Tired of : Extremely annoyed by something that occurs repeatedly. Sleep Like a Baby : To experience a very deep and restful sleep; to sleep soundly.
Slip Someone a Mickey : Add a drug to an alcoholic drink in order to knock someone out. Slippery Slope : A series of undesirable effects that, one warns, could result from a certain action. Slower than Molasses : Exceptionally slow or sluggish; not fast at all. Small Fry : People or organizations with little influence; children.
Snake Oil : A useless medicine; a quack remedy; a product or measure promoted as a solution that really does nothing to help. Sneak Peek : A sneak peek is an opportunity to view something in advance of its official opening or debut.
Some Eggs : Achieving a major goal requires the ability to tolerate some problems. Something to Crow : About Something to be proud of, an accomplishment about which one is justified in bragging. Sour Grapes : Disparagement of something that has proven unattainable. Sour Grapes : Spiteful disparagment of a goal one has failed to achieve.
Spoiling for a Fight : Combative, wanting conflict, eager to argue or fight. Stalking Horse : Someone who tests a concept in advance of its application; a candidate who enters a political race in order to test the strength of the incumbent. Start with a Clean Slate : To start something again with a fresh beginning; to work on a problem without thinking about what has been done before.
Stem the Tide : To stop or control the growth of something, usually something unpleasant. Step Up to the Plate : Prepare to take action, be the person in a group who takes action. Stick It to the Man : Do something that frustrates those in authority.
Stick Your Nose into Something : Intrude into something that is not your affair. Stick-in-the-Mud : A person who dislikes or adapts slowly to new ideas. Storm in a Teacup : A commotion that dies down quickly, about something unimportant. Stormy Relationship : Relationship that has a lot arguments and disagreement. Strain at a Gnat and Swallow a Camel : To make a fuss over something unimportant while ignoring larger issues.
Strike A Chord : Used to describe something that is familiar to you, reminds you of something or is connected to you somehow. Sugar Daddy : A rich man who is generous with younger women in return for sexual favors.
Swan Song : This expression is used to describe a final act before dying or ending something. Sweep Under the Carpet : Attempt to temporarily conceal a problem or error. Sweep Under the Rug : Attempt to temporarily conceal a problem or error. Sweeten the Pot : Increase the amount of winnings potentially available in a game of chance, especially poker.
Swim Against the Tide : Do something contrary to a trend or usual opinion. Swim with the Fishes : Have been killed, especially with involvement of organized crime. Swing for the Fences : Attempt to achieve the largest accomplishment possible. Sword of Damocles : Something that causes a feeling of constant threat.
Take a Flyer : To take a rise; especially to make a speculative investment. Take A Powder: To leave, especially in order to avoid a difficult situation. Take It Easy : When you relax, or do things at a comfortable pace, you take it easy. Take It or Leave It command : You must decide now whether you will accept this proposal.
Take Something with a Pinch grain of Salt : If you take what someone says with a pinch of salt, you do not completely believe it. Take the Edge Off of Something : To slightly improve something negative. Take the Fifth : Refuse to answer because answering might incriminate or cause problems for you.
Take the High Road : Refuse to descend to immoral activities or personal attacks. Take the Shine Off Something : To do something that diminishes a positive event. Take the Starch out of Someone : Make someone less confident or less arrogant. Take Your Medicine : Accept something unpleasant, for example, punishment, without protesting or complaining.
Taste of Your Own Medicine : The same unpleasant experience or treatment that one has given to others. Tee Many Martoonies : Too many martinis, scrambled to suggest drunkenness. Tip of the Iceberg : A small, visible part of a much larger problem. To be A Peach : Someone or something that is extremely good, impressive, or attractive. To be Smitten With Someone : To be completely captivated by someone and feel immense joy.
To Carpool : To travel to the same place with a group of people in one car. Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth : A project works best if there is input from a limited number of people. Tough Cookie : Someone who can endure hardship; especially: a strong negotiator. Turn Someone Inside Out : To cause strong emotional turmoil; to completely change someone. Turn Something on Its Head : Reverse something, cause something to be done in a new way.
The Cherry On the Cake : The final thing that makes something perfect. The Jig Is Up : A secret illicit activity has been exposed; your trickery is finished. The Powers That Be : People in charge, often used when the speaker does not want to identify them. The Story Has Legs : People are continuing to pay attention to the story.
The Time is Ripe : If you say that the time is ripe, you mean that it is a suitable point for a particular activity. Think Big : Consider ambitious plans; avoid becoming overly concerned with details. Think Outside the Box : Try to solve a problem in an original way; think creatively. Think Tank : A group of experts engaged in ongoing studies of a particular subject; a policy study group. Third Rail : A topic so sensitive that it is dangerous to raise.
This is especially used in political contexts. Throw a Wet Blanket on Something : Discourage plans for something. Throw Caution to the Wind : To act in a daring way, without forethough. Throw Elbows : Be combative; be aggressive physically or figuratively. Throw Someone for a Loop : Deeply surprise someone; catch someone off guard. Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water : Eliminate something good while discarding the bad parts of something.
Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water : To discard something valuable or important while disposing of something worthless. Throw the Fight : Intentionally lose a contest, usually in collusion with gamblers. Throw the Game : Intentionally lose a contest, usually in collusion with gamblers. Throw the Match : Intentionally lose a contest, usually in collusion with gamblers.
Tread Water : Maintain a current situation without improvement or decline. Ugly Duckling : An awkward child or young person who grows into a beautiful person. Under Below the Radar : Not generally perceived, below popular consciousness.
University of Life : Difficult real-life experience, as opposed to formal education. Up the Ante : Raise the stakes; increase the importance of something under discussion. Upset the Apple Cart : To disorganize or spoil something, especially an established arrangement or plan. Vale of Tears : The world in general, envisioned as a sad place; the tribulations of life. Vicious Circle : A situation in which an attempt to solve a problem makes the original problem worse.
Victory Lap : Visible public appearances after a victory or accomplishment. Virgin Territory : Something that has never been explored, physically or intellectually. Waiting in the Wings : Ready to assume responsibilities but not yet active, ready to become a successor. Waka-Jumping : Change political parties said of politicians themselves.
Generally used in past tense. Walk on Eggshells : To have to act very sensitively in order to avoid offending someone. Wash Your Hands of Something : Decline to take further responsibility; refuse to be involved with something anymore.
Watering Hole : A place where alcoholic beverages are served, a bar. There are a large number of Idioms, and they are used very commonly in all languages. There are estimated to be at least 25, idiomatic expressions in the English language.
Idioms evolve the language; they are the building blocks of a language and civilization. They also have great intensity to make a language exciting and dynamic. Idioms have a sense of mystery and fun about them. So what makes idioms difficult? The answer is their meanings. Idioms are not easy to understand — especially for non-native speakers, because their intentions are usually symbolic. This characteristic makes them strange and difficult to understand for English learners.
List of top 10 most common English idioms and phrases, with their meaning and examples for students and teachers. They are also frequently asked in competitive exams. Though the popularity of the idioms may vary from region to region, still the list is rather popular around the globe. Meaning: a controversial issue or situation that is awkward or unpleasant to deal with. Example: The subject of bullying and fighting in my school is a hot potato.
Read on. Example: Learning English is a piece of cake as long as you do it with our website. Example: I go to visit my grandfather only once in a blue moon; he lives in a remote farm house. Example: Taking care of my younger sister is no bed of roses; she is very silly. Example: I wanted to go to play outside, but it was raining cats and dogs yesterday. About EF Who we are. Careers Join the team. Resources for learning English.
Test your English. English idioms English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English. The most common English idioms These English idioms are extremely common in everyday conversation in the United States. Also known as "The Golden Rule" by itself Don't count your chickens before they hatch Don't count on something good happening until it's happened.
If you make another mistake, there will be trouble. Others will arise. Idiom Meaning Usage A little learning is a dangerous thing People who don't understand something fully are dangerous by itself A snowball effect Events have momentum and build upon each other as part of a sentence A snowball's chance in hell No chance at all as part of a sentence A stitch in time saves nine Fix the problem now because it will get worse later by itself A storm in a teacup A big fuss about a small problem as part of a sentence An apple a day keeps the doctor away Apples are good for you by itself An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure You can prevent a problem with little effort.
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