You are on page 1of 103

Idiom

Meaning

ace in the hole

A hidden advantage or resource kept in reserve


until needed

Achilles' heel

A person's weak spot

across the board

Applies to everyone or everything

against the grain

Doing something even though one does not agree


with or believe in it

(Having) airs and graces

Behaving in a manner above one's social station.

airy fairy

whimsical, nonsensical, abnormal, impractical;


refers to the perception of the mythologies of
fairies as being a matter of fantasy.

albatross around one's


neck

A persistent problem as a result of past actions


which hinders present or future success. Alludes to
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, in which a man
who killed an albatross was forced to wear the
carcass around his neck

all bark and no bite

Someone who tries to appear threatening, but when


somebody stands up to them, they cannot stand up
to their claims.

all ears

Showing intense interest in listening or hearing


about something

all hat and no cattle

Talks often and vigorously about something but


lacking the power, substance, or courage to do so;
also can mean pretentious, or arrogantly taking on
a responsibility that one is not suited for.
Originates in either Southern or Western USA
(possibly Texas). Alternative variation: "Big hat
and no cattle."

all piss and wind

Someone who is "all piss and wind" makes a lot of


noise and appears threatening or powerful, but in

reality has nothing to back up their claims.


(Vulgar)
Said of someone who boasts in a macho way but is
not likely to be able to back up his boasts. The
phrase originated in the North of England.
Compare variant "All fur coat and no knickers"
all talk and no trousers, all
said of posh people, implying that their airs and
mouth and no trousers, all
graces were a mask for moral laxity beneath the
talk, no action
surface; or a Texas expression "Big hat and no
cattle," said of someone of meager finances trying
to create the appearance of wealth. Similarly the
canine metaphor, "All bark and no bite."
all over the place

Extremely disorganized or confused

all roads lead to Rome

There is more than one effective way to do


something

always a bridesmaid, never


Frequently second-best but never a winner
a bride
ants in one's pants

Describes someone who is extremely restless or


excitable

any port in a storm

An unfavourable option which might well be


avoided in good times but which nevertheless
looks better than the alternatives at the current
time.

any Tom, Dick or Harry

Any ordinary person

(The) apple doesn't fall far


Children tend to take after their parents.
from the tree
apple of one's eye

Something or someone that is very dear to another


person

apples and oranges

Two things (persons, places, situations) are


completely different; there is no common ground
on which to compare them

argue the toss

To refuse to accept the decision in an argument

armed to the teeth

Possessing lots of weapons

(To pay an) arm and a leg

An extremely high price; to pay too much for


something, sometimes out of a sense of desperation

as far as I can throw you

Given the strength required to throw a person, this


distance is not very far. Usually preceded by "I
trust you..."

asleep at the wheel

Irresponsible or neglectful of one's duties

as poor as a church mouse Extremely poor/Stone Broke

a stitch in time saves nine

If something needs to be done it is best done


immediately, because left until later the job only
becomes larger (like a hole in clothes)

at loose ends

Having spare time and/or energy but nothing to do

at death's door

Dying

at sixes and sevens

In a state of confusion or disagreement about how


to deal with a situation

at the drop of a hat

To do something immediately or spontaneously

at the end of one's rope


(tether)

Running out of endurance or patience

at the end of the day ... (x


will happen.)

Refers to the resultant outcome after all effectors


related to a particular activity have concluded.
Roughly equivalent to 'when all is said and done',
or 'when the smoke has cleared'. A heavily
overused clich, often associated with politicians
and sportsmen in press interviews.

at wits' end

Not knowing what to do about something

axe to grind

Most commonly used to indicate a grievance or


resentment held by one party for another with an

accompanying desire for revenge or resolution.


The earliest usage meant to have an ulterior
motive. This less commonly used meaning is
anecdotally ascribed to an incident in which
Benjamin Franklin was 'tricked' into sharpening an
axe for an acquaintance who feigned interest in
Franklin's new grinding wheel while conveniently
having his own axe at hand.

babe in arms

A very young child, or a person who is very young


to be holding a position (similar to 'wet behind the
ears')

babe in the woods

A naive and defenseless young person

(on the) back burner

Not requiring immediate attention; not urgent or


high priority

(on the) back foot

On the defensive or otherwise at a disadvantage

back in the day; back in


the olden days

A long time ago, or in one's youth; in a relatively


idealized time period

back the wrong horse

To give support to the losing side in something

back to square one

Being forced to start over at the beginning.

back to the drawing board Being forced to start over at the beginning.

backing and filling

Delaying making a decision or performing an


action, often by making frequent small changes to
a proposed decision or action. Vacillating.

backseat driver

An annoying person who is fond of giving advice


to the person performing a task or doing
something, especially when the advice is either
wrong or unwelcome. Probably has its origins in
people being told how to drive by a passenger,
which is still the most common usage of this
phrase. Often modified to suit the given action, e.g.
backseat gamer.

bad blood

Hatred between two or more persons as a result of


something which happened in the past

bad egg

A person who cannot be trusted. Also bad hat

bad taste in one's mouth

A feeling there is something wrong about a person


or situation, or to be left feeling that you have been
taken advantage of.

bag of hammers

Something that is so illogical that it does not make


any sense

bail out

To temporarily shield someone from the


consequences of their actions; based on the legal
concept of bail.

(A) baker's dozen

Thirteen. An unlikely origin was the reported


Middle Ages practice of including a 13th loaf of
bread with an order of twelve to assure that the
weight would be adequate and thus avoid severe
penalties for short-weighting. The most likely
origin has street retailers getting a 13th loaf from
the baker to get around the English "Assize of
Bread and Ale" law of 1266 which fixed the weight
and price of bread. Bakers threw in the 13th loaf,
effectively creating a wholesale price while still
adhering to the law

ball and chain

1. An unhelpful burden which cannot be


abandoned.
2. A mildly (and sometimes affectionately)
pejorative way to refer to one's spouse

ball is in one's court

Describes someone who is now responsible for


making new decisions

ballpark figure

A rough or approximate number (estimate) to give


a general idea of something, like a rough estimate
for a cost, etc.

(To) band together

To come together, especially if joining forces or


combining powers for the purpose of the greater
good or benefit of all who are involved.

(Caught) bang to rights

Caught in an unlawful or immoral act without any


mitigating circumstances.

An ordeal which would be difficult for even a


baptism by fire; baptism of skilled person, forced upon an unskilled person.
fire
E.g., A new recruit forced into the Battle of
Normandy
bar fly

Someone who frequents many bars

bare one's heart; bare one's To reveal one's innermost secrets, personal and
soul
private feelings
(His/their) bark is worse
than his/their bite

Describes persons who are hostile in speaking but


not equally hostile in acting

bark up the wrong tree

To blame someone for what another person has


done; more broadly, to follow a false lead

basket case

A person who is too impaired to function, or who


feels that way. Originated as a phrase in World War
I for soldiers who were so badly injured they had
to be removed from the battle field on a wicker
litter or basket. Has subsequently come to imply
mental or emotional impairment ('she was a total
basket case before the wedding'). Also used to refer
to some malfunctioning mechanism.

(To) bat/play for both


teams

To be bisexual.

(To) bat/play for the other


To be homosexual.
team
To bear fruit.

To come to a profitable conclusion or to produce


something worthwhile

(To) beat a dead horse

To engage in pointless and repetitive discussion or


pursue an endeavor that is likely to have no
worthwhile outcome. Beating is more common in
American idiom, while Flogging a dead horse is
more common in Britain - both are used equally in
Canada.

(To) beat about the bush


Procrastinate or hesitate, often while speaking,
(UK); beat around the bush mainly when one does not want to say something
(USA)
which may offend (circumlocution)
(To) beat someone to the
draw

To be the first to do something ('beat someone to


the punch' is the US variant)

beauty is only skin deep

A person's character is more important than their


appearance

(At one's) beck and call

Fulfilling any requests, no matter how tedious or


frequent

bed of roses

A comfortable or luxurious position

bedroom eyes

Describes someone who has a sexy look in his or


her eyes

bee in one's bonnet (to


have)

Describes someone who is very excited; or,


alternatively, someone who is worked up about a
pet peeve

(To have) been through the


wars

1. Of a person: hardened, experienced (often


metaphorically, not necessarily in war)
2. Of a person, place or thing: worn-out, in
bad shape

beggar thy neighbour

To do something beneficial to oneself without


worrying about the consequences for others.

behind one's back

To do or say something about another person


without consulting them

behind the eight ball

at a disadvantage

behind the times

Old-fashioned

bells and whistles

Attractive but unnecessary features; an often


pejorative term often applied to features of a
commercial product which are more useful in
attracting customers than in performing the task
which the product is designed to perform. See also
form follows function#In product design

best of both worlds

The most enjoyable or attractive features of two


completely different things

(One can) bet one's bottom


It is absolutely certain that something will occur
dollar (on something)
In a very difficult jam, any foreseeable resolution
of which will not be pleasant. The most likely
origin of this idiom is the episode of Homer's
between a rock and a hard Odyssey in which Odysseus and his crew is caught
place
between Scylla and Charybdis. Two common
forms of this idiom are "between the Devil and the
deep blue sea" and "between a hammer and an
anvil".
In a difficult position, any foreseeable resolution of
which will not be pleasant. The most likely origin
between the Devil and the of this idiom is the episode of Homer's Odyssey in
deep blue sea
which Odysseus and his crew is caught between
Scylla and Charybdis. Another form of this idiom
is "between a rock and a hard place"
beyond the pale

Too morally or socially extreme to accept. From


Ireland, outside the Pale.

Big Brother

A name given to controlling forces that spy on and


know information about people, usually used in
reference to government agencies, taken from the
book 1984 by George Orwell

big cheese; big fish

An important person in a company or organization

big picture

The totality of a situation

(To have) bigger fish to fry To have more important things to do

Birds and lawyers have


only brief conversations

Implying that lawyers do not appreciate human


feelings and nature, while also referencing the
incorrigible tendency of some lawyers to make
silly puns

Bird's eye view

Seeing something with exceptional clarity or


breadth

The birds and the bees

Information about sex and reproduction.

birds of a feather

People having similar characters, backgrounds,


interests, or beliefs.

birthday suit

The suit one wears at birth (i.e. nothing at all), to


be naked

(To have the) bit between


one's teeth

Having control of a situation

bite the dust

To die

bite the bullet

To accept unpleasant and unavoidable


consequences as a result of some action. From the
practice of biting a bullet slug to keep from crying
out while having some field surgery performed
without anesthesia. A less well accepted origin is
from the necessity to bite off a paper portion of a
bullet cartridge in order to fire it. Once the bullet
had been bitten, the cartridge must be fired or
discarded. The former is generally considered the
true origin of the phrase, as bullets with teeth
marks dating back to the Revolutionary war have
been found on sites of known battlefields

black and white

When a situation has a clear distinction between

negative and positive sides

black sheep

An ostracized or ill-fitting member of a family or


group. ("Uncle Ned is the black sheep of the
family.")

blood and thunder

An emotional piece or performance

blood is thicker than water

Family relationships are stronger and more


important than any other relationships

(Getting) blood out of a


stone

A difficult and/or futile task; often mentioned in


reference to an attempt to collect owed money
from somebody who is unable to pay

blow hot and cold

Said of an attitude or opinion which vacillates


wildly from one position to another

blow off steam

To express anger and frustration in a harmless way.


See Let off steam.

blow the cobwebs away

To make changes for room for fresh new ideas

blow one's stack

To lose one's temper and get angry or frustrated

blue light special

A cop pulls you over or you "see" a cop pull


someone else over/ traffic stop.

blue in the face

Exhausted from anger, strain, or other great effort.


Alludes to the bluish skin color resulting from lack
of oxygen

blue eyed boy

A favored person. Someone who can do no wrong


and never gets scolded.

(Once in a) blue moon

Very seldom, or related to either impossibile or


improbable outcomes. The origin of the phrase is
steeped in European and American folklore.
Historically, moons were given folk names, twelve
each year, to help people to prepare for different
times of the year and the related weather and crop

needs. Names varied with locality and culture,


often with descriptive names such as harvest moon,
growing moon, snow moon, and egg moon. Most
years have twelve full moons which occur
approximately monthly(given 12 names) - but in
the years with thirteen full moons the monthly
"seasons" would be expected to come too early. A
blue moon is a full moon that is not timed to the
regular monthly pattern (i.e. a thirteenth moon.)
They occur approximately every two to three
years.

bob's your uncle

Easy from here on out. Everything is settled and


will end in success. Originates from the 19th
Century, where "Bob" was Robert Cecil, Marquess
of Salisbury who, as the Prime Minister of Britain,
nepotistically appointed his nephew Arthur Balfour
to be Chief Secretary for Ireland. Balfour became
Prime Minister in 1902

(having a) bone to pick

An argument yet to be settled. ("I've got a bone to


pick with him.")

Said to someone who fails to close an external door


behind them on entering a building, thus causing a
discomforting draught. There are regional
variations, in Lincolnshire for instance, one will
(were you) born in a barn?
hear "Do you come from Bardney?" a reference to
a windswept fenland village in that English county.
Also said, more generally, of people with crass
manners or personal habits
borrow trouble

To worry about a situation that might never


happen, or is only hypothetical.

boy toy

A young man who is the lover of an older and


usually more prosperous woman (see toyboy)

break the ice

To start a conversation with an unfamiliar person

break a leg

Used as a substitute for "good luck" to wish luck to

stage performers before an opening. The "leg"


mentioned is the mechanism used to open and
close the stage curtains; the hope is that the
performance will be so well received that their
bows will be so frequent and sustained that the leg
breaks. Also attributed to theater superstition that
the opposite of a wish or curse will befall a
performer (thus 'good luck' is a curse and 'break a
leg' is a blessing)
bringing a knife to a
gunfight

Woefully underprepared

1. Earn a living, provide the necessities of life.


bring home the bacon

2. Be successful, accomplish something of


value.

broken his/her duck

"scored for the first time", or more generally to


have avoided complete failure. In British sports
slang a "duck's egg" (or "duck") refers to a score of
"zero" or "nought". (Similarly "goose eggs" can
also mean "00" in American slang.) In the British
game of Cricket scoring naught is getting a "duck"
and a batter's first run scored is, therefore,
"breaking his duck". Generally intended hopefully,
as a harbinger of more success to follow. "He's out
of his rut and starting to make progress."

brown nose

The use of flattery to try to become popular with


someone in a position of authority. A milder
version of the idiom "kissing ass," which means
the same thing

brush one's shoulders off;


brush off

Remove oneself from a situation

brush under the carpet;


sweep under the carpet

Attempt to hide something from public view

bulge the (old) onion bag; To accomplish one's set mission or goal. In soccer,
put a bulge in the onion
to score a goal; refers to the bulging of the net
bag
when the ball hits it.

Buckley's and Nunn

Used in reference to the probability or chances of


success as being so small that it is virtually
impossible e.g. your chances of getting the day off
are between Buckley's and Nunn. Originally
attributed to the miraculous survival of a convict
lost on a expedition (i.e. Buckley's was the only
one to survive).

More often than not referring to a person rather


than a thing, it suggests that the person is
built like a brick shit-house extremely strong, muscular, or heavy. From the
fact that an out-house built of bricks would be
over-engineered.
(A) bull in a china shop

A tactless person who upsets others or upsets


plans; a physically or socially clumsy person

(With a) bun in the oven

Pregnant

burn (one's) bridges

To make it impossible to revert to a previous


position, to ruin a relationship beyond the point of
compromise

burn the candle at both


ends

To wake early, go to bed late, and try to fit a lot in


between. This originates from the Romans, who
literally burned candles at both ends. Also used
similarly to burning bridges.

burn the midnight oil

Studying or working late into, or through, the night

bury (hide) one's head in


sand

Ignoring something which is obviously wrong

bury the hatchet

To make peace or end hostilities. The phrase


originates with the literal practice among the
Native Americans of the Iroquois federation and
was described as early as 1680 by the Englishman

Samuel Sewall. See [1] as well

busman's holiday

To combine work with a vacation, or to take a


vacation that resembles one's employment - from
the notion of a bus-driver going on a bus-tour.

bust one's gut; bust one's


chops; bust one's balls

To work very hard. In the USA, may also be used


to indicate giving someone a hard time, perhaps
playfully, as in, "I was just busting his chops," or
"stop busting my balls!"

busted flush

Someone who had great potential but ended up a


useless and miserable failure.

butter wouldn't melt in


their mouth

Describes someone who looks very innocent.

butterflies in the stomach

A feeling of anxiety, usually with queasiness in the


abdomen.

buy the farm

To die (in reference to wartime pilot crashes. The


pilot's next of kin would get his insurance money
and so would be able to 'buy the farm.' ")

buy a pig in a poke

To purchase something without inspection, thereby


creating an opportunity for fraud. Canonical:
unethical farmer places a barn-yard cat in a burlap
bag (poke) and sells it sight-unseen to another,
claiming it contains a piglet. Related to "the cat's
out of the bag", below

by hook or by crook

by any means possible

(Doing something) by the


numbers; by the book

To do things precisely as instructed, or as


perceived to be instructed

by word of mouth

Something that is known for being talked about


instead of via publicity or advertising

by your leave

With your permission e.g. By your leave, I shall


send this letter to her mistress.

call a spade a spade

To speak one's opinion frankly and make little or


no attempt to spare the feelings of one's audience

call it a day

Decide to finish or end something, like a day's


work

call the badger a bishop

This term derives from the practice of badgerbaiting, in which a badger is put into a pit and
made to fight dogs. To call the badger a bishop is
to imply that the badger's overwhelmed condition
somehow makes it virtuous, when it is, in fact, just
a badger. So, the term means committing the
fallacy of projecting virtue on to the oppressed or
disadvantaged

call the shots

Someone who is in charge and held responsible

can of corn

Very easy - from the practice at grocers of placing


corn (or other foods) on high up shelves. A can
could be pulled down with a stick and the ease
with which it could be caught was applied to easyto-catch hits (pop-up flies) in baseball

(To open up a) can of


whoop-ass

To attack another person physically, usually used


as part of a threat to do so. (Mildly vulgar slang)

(To open up a) can of


worms

To create a situation that is hard to deal with,


especially one that comes about unexpectedly and
intractably. To "open a can of worms" is to get
involved with something that is discomforting,
hard to resolve, or not easily escaped (closing a
container of worms, used as bait by fishermen,
generally involves some tricky handling of the
wriggling occupants)

can't fling a dead cat in


[place] without hitting a
[thing]

To describe a very common group of people that


can be found in a regional area, even in a situation
of completely picking them out at random (For
example: You can't fling a dead cat in North Korea
without hitting a Communist).

(similar to 'not enough room to swing...'; see


below)
[[can't [verb] oneself out of
a wet paper bag]]; [[Can't Woefully unable to perform the task in hand
[verb] to save one's life]]
can't see the forest for the
trees

Losing sight of the big picture by getting mired in


details

can't see the wood for the


trees

Losing sight of the big picture by getting mired in


details

(having a) card up one's


sleeve

To have a surprise plan or idea that one is keeping


back until the time is right. Originally in reference
to cheating at cards.

carry coals to Newcastle

Engaging in useless labour (Newcastle is a famous


coal-mining district of England). Usage is
predominantly UK, but is at least understood more
broadly.

carry the can

To take the blame for something one did not do

cash in one's chips

1. To sell something to make a quick profit


believing the value is going to fall
2. To die

castle in the air

A plan that is impractical, illogical and not likely to


work

(to put a) cat amongst the


pigeons

A disruption, often premeditated, which is


introduced to disturb the equilibrium

(has your) cat died?

Said to somebody when their trousers are too short


or are pulled up (similar to 'expecting a flood?');
probably derives from trousers that are too short
being said to be at 'half mast', and a flag flying at
half mast signifies the death of somebody.

cat got your tongue?

Asked of someone rendered speechless to


emphasize their inability to speak

cat in the pan

Betrayer, renegade, turnabout and turncoat; the


same as "flip-flopper"

cat's out of the bag

A secret or hidden thing has been discovered

Catch 22

A difficult situation from which there is no escape


because it involves mutually conflicting or
dependent conditions. From the eponymous book
by Joseph Heller: a problem with a method of
resolution that negates the conditions for
resolution. In the book, a soldier is considered
insane and unfit for combat if he willingly
continues to fly missions. However, asking to be
relieved from duty on the basis of insanity shows
that he is mentally competent. Consequently, he
must continue to serve

catty

Antagonistic about trivial matters, usually applied


to women

(wouldn't be) caught seen


with X; caught dead with
X

Wants nothing to do with X

caught red-handed

Caught in the middle of the crime; discovered in a


situation where one's guilt is obvious. Alternative
variations may refer to a specific context, e.g. a
graffiti artist who may have accidentally spraypainted their hand blue may be referred to as being
caught "blue handed" for humorous effect.

(the) cavalry

Any entity which may help resolve a situation,


usually to the speaker's advantage (see deus ex
machina, although the concepts are not identical).
Frequently used in, e.g., "Call in the cavalry",
"Here come the cavalry", etc.

(like) chalk and cheese

Things or people who are very different and have

nothing in common
champ at the bit

To be eager to do something, but held back. (See


also: chomp at the bit)

change horses in
midstream

Make new plans or choose a new leader in the


middle of an important activity; connotes an
unwise, or at best risky, activity. Apparently first
used by Abraham Lincoln in the form swap horses
while crossing the river

change of heart

A sudden change of one's opinion about something

charity begins at home

Family members are more important than anyone


else and should always be the focus of a person's
efforts; family comes first

chase rainbows

To set out to do something one might never


accomplish

cherry pick

To support something that pertains to one's position


and ignoring everything else that contradicts it

To think carefully and slowly about something


before taking action. Alternative variations "Let me
chew the cud; chew it over
chew on that...", i.e. "let me think about it...",
"Chew on that!" i.e. "Think about that!"
(the) chickens coming
home to roost

The deleterious consequences of your previous


actions have now become apparent

child's play

An easy and simple task that requires little or no


effort

(a) chip on one's shoulder

Argumentative or moody

chomp at the bit

To be frustrated over something. (See also: champ


at the bit)

chop chop

Used by someone in authority to indicate they want


something done quickly, without delay.

chuck a wobbly

To act in an overly emotional way to express


sadness and anger. (One's upper lip does not
remain stiff, and wobbles). Also "Throw a
wobbly".

chip off the old block

A person who is highly similar to a direct ancestor


or predecessor

circle the wagons

To prepare to defend against an attack or criticism

clear the air

if an argument or discussion clears the air, it causes


bad feelings between people to disappear

close but no cigar

Someone who is close to success but has not gotten


there yet

closed book

Describes someone about whom very little is


known (implied antonym is "open book");
alternately, an issue which is settled and will not be
discussed again

(to be) cock-a-hoop

To be elated

cock and bull story

A far-fetched and fanciful story of highly dubious


validity

cold day in hell

A very unlikely event or situation (also "about as


much chance as hell freezing over")

cold feet

Uncourageous, cowardly; reluctant to act

(Seen in the) cold light of


day

When things are seen as they really are, not as how


one wants them to be

cold shoulder

Deliberate disregard for someone or something.


This term, which first appeared in writings by Sir
Walter Scott and others, supposedly alludes to the
custom of welcoming a desired guest with a meal
of roasted meat, but serving only a cold shoulder of
beef or lamb (a far inferior dish) to those who
outstayed their welcome, in the early 1800s.

come clean

To admit to wrongdoing or deceit

come hell or high water

Said by someone who is dedicated and committed


to a task or cause despite any obstacles that may
appear

come out in the wash

To come out without any negative effect

come out of the closet

When one publicly reveals a secret about oneself,


usually an important or embarrassing secret. Often
used in reference to homosexuality

come to grips with

To accept/acknowledge something negative or


disappointing as the truth.

(to) come by it honestly

Said in observing that a particular trait or


characteristic is clearly inherited or learned from
one's parents; it "runs in the family", so to speak

cook someone's goose

To ruin someone's plans

cook up a storm

To make a big fuss or generate a lot of talk over


something unnecessary

coon's age

A long time (Note: This idiom is no longer in


popular usage as it is sometimes considered racist,
as 'coon' is also offensive slang for an African
American. This expression may have come from
American pioneers' inability to determine a
raccoon's age by its size.)

couch potato

An idle or lazy person who chooses to spend most


of their leisure time in front of a television

Cousin Michael

A disparaging designation of the Germans as slow,


heavy, unpolished and ungainly. ('Michel,' in Old
German, means 'gross')

Cox and Box

To share a single resource by sharing turn and turn


about. From "Cox and Box; or, The Long-Lost
Brothers", which is a one-act comic opera based on

the farce "Box and Cox", by John Maddison


Morton. Note that both the phrase "Cox and Box"
and "Box and Cox" are used.
(to) crap on

To put down or sabotage someone's ideas or


efforts.

(to) crap on (about


something)

To talk excessively, to talk with little value in your


communication or both. Its use implies little
interest in a matter a person was eager to discuss,
or little respect for a person's point of view.

crash a party

To be somewhere one has not been invited to, to


come uninvited

(to) criticize the paint job


on the Titanic

To point out the petty flaws in something which


could not be saved even by a thorough overhaul.

(to) cross all your T's and


dot all your I's

To take care of every detail, including the minor


ones

cross to bear

A heavy burden of responsibility or a problem that


one must cope with without help

cry wolf

To raise a false alarm. Alludes to the fable The Boy


Who Cried Wolf

curiosity killed the cat

Don't be too inquisitive; know when to leave well


enough alone. The literal meaning of the phrase
makes reference to the characteristic tendency of
housecats to investigate anything unfamiliar. The
phrase is often used as an urge towards caution, an
admonition to "leave well enough alone", or, less
benevolently, to stop asking questions.

Refers to something or an action that is deceptive


or unexpected. It originates from a type of pitch in
(to throw one a) curve ball
the American sport of baseball which is used to
confuse or mislead the batter.
cut it fine

To do something at the last moment

(To) cut (someone) to the


quick.

#To hurt someone deeply. The literal meaning is to


cut deeply through the skin to the "living flesh"
(quick); perhaps referring to the raw flesh under
the fingernails. The phrase is used to express
emotional hurt arising from a disparaging
comment, although it is often used sarcastically.
1. To be brief or blunt; to bypass trivialities
and discuss the essence of a matter.

cut off your nose to spite


your face

To take rash or single-minded action that hurts


your own cause in the end. Similar to "throwing
the baby out with the bathwater"

cut the Gordian Knot

To solve a complex problem in a simple way.


Refers to a legend of Alexander the Great, who cut
the famous knot with his sword when he could not
untie it

A description of a job being poorly done. "I didn't


(failing to) cut the mustard want to fire Dan, but he just wasn't cutting the
mustard."
cut to the chase

Get to the point, or to the most interesting or


important part of something, without delay

(the) cutting edge

At the forefront of progress in an area

da man

Corruption of "the man" an accomplished, skillful,


or clever man (and possibly a woman). Associated
with the ritual exchange, "Who da man?"
"You/we/he/etc. da man!" and not to be confused
with "The Man," which refers to the powers that
be.

dark horse

A surprise candidate or competitor; someone who


hides their talents or interests. From the metaphor:
"He rode in as if on a dark horse in the night" or
"No one saw him coming."

darken somebody's

Come unwanted to someone's home. As an

door(step)

imperative, the expression is associated with


Victorian melodrama, where someone (usually a
young woman or man) is thrown out of the parental
home for some misdeed, but it is actually much
older. Benjamin Franklin used it in The Busybody
(1729): "I am afraid she would resent it so as never
to darken my doors again."

(a) day late and a dollar


short

Too little, too late (i.e. "not enough" and/or "not


soon enough")

(your) days are numbered

Used to indicate that someone or something will


not exist for much longer; also for the purpose of
evoking a pessimistic view about the future and/or
current state of affairs. Sometimes used as a threat.
Originates from the Biblical account of
Belshazzar's feast.

dead ahead

Directly in front of the speaker, usually in the


context of watercraft e.g. "Look out for the rocks
dead ahead!".

dead and buried

A settled issue. Something no longer needing


consideration.

dead as a doornail (or


dodo)

Useless, very distinctly dead. A doornail is the


strikeplate for most door knockers. To hold it in
place, after it was driven through the door, the
pointed end was bent over and buried in the door,
to prevent movement. This nail was unrecoverable,
so was considered dead to future reclamation,
which was apparently common before modern
times. The dodo was a flightless bird endemic to
the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. The dodo has
been extinct since the mid-to-late 17th century.

dead heat

Two or more competitors finish with the same


results; a tie. From racing.

dead in the water

Not going anywhere, not making progress,

vulnerable to any attack or to be overtaken.

dead ringer

Identical e.g. "He's a dead ringer for his brother. Didn't you know they were identical twins?" See
also: spitting image.

dead run

To run as fast as possible e.g. "The sentries came at


a dead run when they heard the intruders".

dead-shot; dead-eye

A good marksman; one who has accuracy in hitting


chosen targets using firearms or other weapons.

(to be) dead to X

To no longer be of consequence to X, to be
considered lost to X. e.g. "My father is dead to
me".

dead to rights

Caught in the act ("The police had the burglars


dead to rights when they arrived."), or at the mercy
of someone ("The cavalry had the fleeing soldiers
dead to rights.") 'Bang to rights' is the UK version.

dead to the world

Not in touch, unaware of what is happening; asleep

death of (or by) a thousand Many injuries, none fatal in themselves, which
cuts
ultimately add up to a slow and painful demise.
(having) deep pockets

Rich and/or generous

(having) deep pockets and


Someone who does not like to spend their money.
short arms

devil's advocate

One who argues a point of view that is not


necessarily one's own for the sake of fairness. To
play "the devil's advocate" in a debate is to ensure
that some attempt was made to hear a side that
might otherwise have gone unrepresented.

(the) devil finds work for


idle hands

Someone who cannot be productive in life or work


will find crime and trouble instead.

(the) devil is in the details When a task sounds simple in concept, but carrying

it out proves much more difficult.

(the) die is cast

A decision (i.e., throwing or casting a die) is made,


the outcome of which (i.e., which side it will land
on) is unknown, and cannot be altered (the die
cannot be recalled to the hand that threw it)
often implying that fate will decide the
consequences (from alea jacta est, Julius Caesar's
supposed words on crossing the Rubicon).

different kettle of fish

Very different from other things referred to in


context .

(a) dime a dozen

Very common and easy to get; very cheap; not


special.

dirty look

A look of disapproval or malice. Also: A black


look.

does a bear shit in the


woods?

A sarcastic, rhetorical method of responding to a


question whose answer is obviously, "yes." See
also: Is the Pope Catholic.

dog and pony show

A presentation which aims to persuade by


overwhelming the senses or appealing to fancy;
generally a marketing presentation which offers
little or no real informational content. May also
refer to anything with more style than substance.

dog-eat-dog

Describes intense competition and rivalry

dog in the hunt

Something to gain depending on the outcome; a


position for which to campaign or cheer.

dog in the manger

Someone who denies others the use of a resource,


even though they cannot possibly use the resource
themselves. From Aesop's fable of the same name,
The Dog in the Manger, about a dog preventing
cows from eating the straw on which it is lying.

don't hold your breath

Keep your expectations low.

don't judge a book by its


cover

Do not rely solely on looks and appearance when


estimating the value of a person or thing.

don't let the bed bugs bite

Sleep/Rest well (casual imperitive command). This


idiom expresses one's wish for the other person to
have a pleasant slumber or restful period. Typically
it refers to an actual sleep session rather than a
period of wakeful rest. But it can be used for either
lengthy sleep periods (such as in an overnight
slumber), or breif periods of rest when sleep is
probable (such as in an afternoon nap.) This
idiomatic expression originates from the "bedbug"
insect. The bedbug (or bed bug) is an insect of the
family Cimicidae that lives by feeding on the blood
of humans and other warm-blooded hosts. Its name
comes from its preferred habitat: mattresses, sofas,
and other furniture (typically wood surfaces or
fabric.) Although not strictly nocturnal, bedbugs
are mainly active at night, specifically prior to or
during early dawn. Adult bedbugs are reddishbrown, flattened, oval, and wingless, with
microscopic hairs that give them a banded
appearance, and although they are quite small
(adult bed bugs grow to about 3/16ths of an inch in
length in full maturity) they are visible to the naked
eye. Bedbugs can cause a variety of skin irritations
and other diseases in humans and animals. Bed bug
"bites" aren't really bites, as the species has no
teeth (the term "bite" is used rather loosely in the
USA when referring to insects). The bed bug
"bites" by piercing the skin of its host with two
hollow tubes. With one tube it injects its saliva,
which contains anticoagulants and anesthetics,
while with the other it withdraws the blood of its
host. For some people, the "bites" may not be felt
until several minutes or hours later. Although the
forms of skin irrations or diseases may vary with a
bedbug bite, in most observed cases, bedbug bites
consist of a raised red bump or flat welt, and are
often accompanied by very intense itching (the

bites may become blistered in some people.) Relief


of itching can be temporarily obtained through a
self administration of hot water applied directly to
the bed-bug bite, but this method is not completely
safe in the fact that the water must be quite hot
(about 50 C / 120 F) because if it is not hot
enough it may cause aggravation of the symptoms.
(Also this level of heat may cause minor burns in
people with sensitive skin.) Many doctors
recommend against home-therapy for bedbug bites.
don't look a gift horse in
the mouth

Do not question the value of a gift. The expression


comes from the practice of determining the age and
health of a horse by looking at its teeth.

don't cry over spilled milk

Don't make a big deal over little things. See also:


make a mountain out of a molehill

(the) door swings both


ways

The same principle applies to two or more


situations. Typically used to attack hypocritical
statements or actions, e.g. "What you do to me, I
can do to you."

double-edged sword

Something that can be helpful or harmful.

down in the dumps (or


doldrums)

Sad or regretful.

drag one's feet (or heels)

To do something slowly or unwillingly.

drain the lizard

To urinate. Vulgar slang usually used by/applied to


men.

draw a blank

Unable to come up with a searched-for idea or


plan; or unable to remember.

(to) draw a long bow

To lie, to exaggerate

(to) draw a line (in the


sand)

to set a limit or make a stand as if it were an


ultimatum.

(to) draw a line under

To bring a matter to an end, or to change the


subject.
1) To follow blindly without thought, often to one's
own demise. Refers to the ritual mass suicide of
Jonestown in which followers of the People's
Temple religious cult died from drinking Kool-Aid
(actually 'Flavor Aid') spiked with cyanide and
Valium.

drink the Kool-Aid

drive a wedge (between)

2) To adopt the subjective viewpoint of a group,


one in particular that differs from the established
norms. Referenced by the Tom Wolfe novel The
Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test which vividly
describes the 60's drug culture and the escapades of
the Merry Pranksters, the members of which joined
by drinking LSD-laced Kool-aid.
Introduce a contentious issue into a debate so as to
cause a united group to split and disagree among
themselves.

drive someone up the wall Agitate someone to the point of great frustration.

drop the ball

Make a major mistake; often used when that


mistake causes the failure or setback of a larger
event.

drop a line

To write a letter; to correspond through writing.

dry run

Stepping through a process without actually


performing any permanent actions. Used to assess
the feasibility and/or impact of a process.

Dry as a nun's cunt

Very dry (vulgar slang).

Dutch courage

To drink alcohol to steel oneself for a courageous


task.

Dutch uncle

An unhelpful person who gives unwelcome advice.


This expression, often put as "to talk to one like a

Dutch uncle", presumably alludes to the sternness


and sobriety attributed to the Dutch during the
1800's.
each to one's own

Different people have different preferences


(Typically to each his own)

eagle eyes, eagle eyed

Someone who sees everything, someone who


notices things (typically physical objects or people
at a distance) more easily than others.

eat crow

To suffer humiliation and/or reluctantly admit


defeat.

eat humble pie

To suffer humiliation and/or reluctantly admit


defeat.

eat, sleep, and breathe


(something)

To love something so much as to think about it


constantly.

eat your heart out

Bitterness or pain of longing for something out of


reach.

(to have) egg on one's face To be embarrassed

elephant in the room

The problem or situation immediately obvious to


all, but spoken of by none. Usually the topic in
question is emotionally charged and so felt by most
involved to be best ignored. (Similar to "let's not
discuss the 500 pound gorilla in the corner")

eleventh hour

The last minute

(the) end justifies the


means

A good result will (or should) atone for any


unethical actions which were taken to get there

even Stevens

When everything is equal among people

every dog has his day "or" Every creature has its moment of power or
every dog has its day
influence, or its ability to be noticed. It is
sometimes used also to express karma, revenge or

a concept similar to "the worm has turned".


every man and his dog

A lot of people.

every man for himself

Used of persons trying to save themselves from a


difficult situation while ignoring the needs of
everyone else

excused boots

Allowed to avoid doing something that is


mandatory for other people. From military usage,
where a serviceman with a foot condition was
allowed to attend parade and execute other duties
in soft shoes rather than boots.

explore all avenues

To try everything, for a possibility that one will


obtain the right result

eye for an eye

Equal justice; the punishment dealt to the criminal


is exactly the same as the harm which he/she
caused to the victim. Originates from the Bible
book of Exodus. Also known as lex talionis

Idiom

Meaning

face the music

To accept the negative consequences [of one's


actions] ; to take punishment for something
[wrong] that you have been involved with

fall off the wagon

To return to a previous bad practice one is trying to


overcome (usually alcoholism); to revert to
undesirable behavior after a period of attempted
reform

fall on (one's) sword


1. To take responsibility or blame for a
negative outcome, especially if one's own
idea
2. To sacrifice oneself
Originated in the Bible: - Saul said to his armourbearer, "Draw your sword and run me through, or

these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me


through and abuse me." But his armour-bearer was
terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own
sword and fell on it. When the armour-bearer saw
that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and
died with him... 1 Samuel 31:4-5

fat cat

A derogatory term for a person in a position of


power/responsibility at a company who earns more
money than is reasonable. Often used to describe
executives at a company who award themselves
large pay rises whilst giving their staff little or no
pay rise, or even making staff redundant.

father figure

A person to whom one can turn for advice and


support

feather one's nest

To make a profit only for oneself, especially by


taking advantage of others or one's position

fell off a truck

Something offered for sale that was probably


stolen or obtained by questionable methods.

fell off the back of a lorry

Something offered for sale that was probably


stolen or obtained by questionable methods.

fell off the wagon

For an alcoholic who had quit drinking to have


started again

fifteen minutes of fame

To be very popular or famous for a short span of


time (i.e. a one hit wonder) and then to be
forgotten. Based on the 1968 quote by Andy
Warhol, "In the future, everyone will be worldfamous for 15 minutes"

(a)few X short of a Y

Not possessing all of one's mental faculties; i.e.,


crazy or stupid. X is a common component of Y. In
these phrases, Y represents full mental capacity,
and the lack of a few X implies a lack of full
mental capacity. Examples:

1. A few fries short of a Happy Meal.


2. A few sandwiches short of a picnic.
3. A couple of cans short of a six-pack.
4. A few clowns short of a circus.
In the quarterly updates to OED Online (2000 )
[1].
fifth wheel

An unnecessary person or thing (see also third


wheel)

fifty-fifty

Refers to a decision between two choices that are


essentially equivalent, i.e., the 50% probability of
being better off with the chosen option.

(with a) fine-tooth(ed)
comb

Very carefully; usually used with a 'searching' or


'looking' verb (e.g. she examined the room with a
fine tooth-comb.) It derives from the use of combs
with close-set teeth. The Oxford English dictionary
dates the figurative usage to 1891 ("...go through
this town like a fine-tooth comb...").

first in, best dressed

The first people to do or ask for something will


usually get the thing or will gain an advantage

fish or cut bait

A pragmatic expression which demands that an


indecisive person either do a specific thing
immediately, or step aside and let another person
attempt it [2]. (A variation is "shit or get off the
pot")

fish out of water

A person (or something) in uncharted territory; in a


confused state due to lack of experience with a
situation

(On a) fishing expedition

Trying to find some evidence of something, often


through improper methods and without a defined

target. Sometimes used in court


fit as a fiddle

In very good health, energetic, with a favorable


disposition.

flash in the pan

A transient happening which results in no longterm effect. From a type of misfire of a flintlock
gun; OED cites its usage to 1810: "Flash in the
pan, an explosion of gunpowder without any
communication beyond the touch-hole."[3]

flat broke

In the state of having no money

flat out, like a lizard


drinking

Extremely busy

flesh and blood

Blood relatives, especially nuclear family

(to) flip-flop

To be inconsistent in views or stances on a subject


and to repeatedly go between the two choices.

flip-flopper

A vacillator. A person who changes their opinions,


veiws, convictions, or conerns rapidly.

fly by the seat of one's


pants

To decide what to do at the time something


happens rather than being prepared for it

fly high

Very successful. Also: be/come/get off to a flying


start

fly off the handle

To react to something with anger or rage

fly on the wall

To see and hear events as they happen, to go


unnoticed and/or to observe silently.

follow in someone's
footsteps (tracks)

Follow someone's example or guidance

(a) fool and his money are


soon (easily) parted; (a)
fool and his money are
often parted

Someone who recklessly uses money spends it


quickly; or
in the opinion of the speaker, a person has just
spent money unnecessarily and is, therefore, a fool.

for crying out loud

An expression of anger or frustration, e.g., "Oh, for


crying out loud, why don't these people move
when the light turns green..." Apparently akin to
"for Christ's sake".

for beans

Never, under no circumstances, or regardless of the


incentive; e.g., "I can't catch for beans." Sometimes
"beans" is replaced by a different reward that the
speaker is known to like.

fourth estate

The media and newspapers

fox in the henhouse; fox in


Trouble or mischief is apparent
the chickenhouse
French leave

Absent without permission to be so. AWOL

(a breath of) fresh air

Anything new and refreshing

Freudian slip

Accidental use of the wrong word, especially when


the word used implies something that the speaker
would not want to admit about his or her true
thoughts, e.g. "My mom is here to pick me up,"
upon the arrival of the speaker's wife.

from rags to riches

To start out as poor and a make a fortune later

from scratch

To start from the beginning. Often used in cooking


and baking, meaning that the dish is made from
individual ingredients and not from a box mix.
Also used to mean starting with nothing, or no
advantage over others.

from the bottom of one's


heart

To do something with genuine feeling and emotion

FUBAR

Originally a World War II expression meaning:


Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition, now common
usage. Used either generically, or specifically.
When used specifically it may refer to the state of
being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
When used generically, it may refer to being overly
confused or bewildered. (Sometimes vulgar)

fucked six ways to (or


from) Sunday

To be utterly ruined in every possible manner; to


be thwarted by every imaginable method. (Vulgar)
Comparitive to six ways to Sunday.

(to) fuck (or screw) the


dog (pooch)

Slacking off, being unindustrious. (Vulgar)

full fathom five

(From Shakespeare, The Tempest) Lost deep in the


sea

full swing

Means that things are going well. From the idea of


a factory working in a reduced capacity when first
opened, or when an accident occurs, but then later,
returning to full production.

(in the) fullness of time

Means that something will happen when the time is


right and appropriate. From the Bible: Galatians
4:4.

get along, get along with

To cope, manage; especially, to have good


relationships with others ("get along with"). Past
tense: "got along". (Compare with "go along".)

get someone's goat

To become irritated by something. Goats used to be


put in with nervous horses to calm them down
before a race, if you took away the goat the horse
would become nervous

get to grips with

To deal with something decisively, battle with or


gain an understanding of. See also: lose one's
grip/lose one's nerve; come to grips with.

get the sack, be sacked

To have one's employment terminated abruptly,

often for a misdeed.

get with the program

Said to encourage others to figure out what is


going on, or sarcastically after the obvious has
been stated.

get one's ass in gear

To try and motivate one self to get ready or started.


Akin to "Light a fire under" someone

(bird in a) gilded (or


golden) cage

In a pleasant situation but suffering a loss of


freedom. For example, celebrities fear they are
"prisoners in gilded cages", because despite their
wealth and fame, every action they make is under
intense scrutiny

give someone the old


heave-ho

Drop him from the team, sack him.

give one's two cents, or


"that's my two cents"

To ask for a person's opinion, to give one's opinion

give 'em hell

An encouragement to a person to give a task or


opponent their best effort and ability

give up the ghost

To die, expire, permanently stop functioning, or


otherwise come to an end. To end all things

go along/go along with

To conform or cooperate. Past tense: "went along".


Compare with "get along".

go belly up

To go bankrupt

go to the mattresses

To go to war

go with the flow

To conform or go along with whatever happens

go off half-cocked

To do something, typically violent or disruptive,


prematurely. From a term for premature firing of a
flintlock. (incorrect) Flintlocks "safety" position
was halfway between down and fully cocked. This
position was used for the loading of the weapon,

since the gun would not fire from this position.


Soldiers would forget to completely cock the
weapon, resulting in the inability to fire when
desired. Thus the phrase "Don't go off half
cocked!"
go ye forth

Another way of saying "Get fucked" (short for,


"Go ye forth and multiply"). (Sometimes invective)

going to the dogs

Becoming unkempt or chaotic, tending to a state of


disorder.

gone for a Burton

Dead

goody two shoes

A self-righteous person who makes a deal of their


virtue

(his/her) goose is cooked

The person being referred to is in deep trouble with


little hope of recovery

grab the bull by the horns

To take on a problem head first

(to) grab/grasp at straws

To make final attempts at reaching an end,


especially in a moment of desperation and
especially using means that otherwise would be
known to be futile. Refers to a drowning person
grabbing at straws floating in the water in the effort
to stay afloat. If the threat of drowning wasn't so
imminent, that person wouldn't bother grabbing at
the straws, knowing they would be of no help

(the) grass is greener on


the other side

When a different situation seems better than one's


own

(take it with a) grain of salt

To be skeptical and cautious about whether what


someone has said is true, or is the complete story

(to be on the) gravy train

To be the recipient of benefits earned by


colleagues, such as the agent of an athlete.

green as grass

Naive, untrained, usually said of young people in a

new job.
Idiom

Meaning

hang by a thread

In danger; must use more precise caution

(a) hard/tough nut to crack

A difficult or troublesome problem, or a person


who is difficult to convince.

haul (someone) over the


coals, or rake over the
coals

To harshly scold, reprimand or interrogate


someone about something they did. For example, a
boss might 'haul an employee over the coals' for
poor performance, or the police might do the same
to a suspect. In the USA, "rake (someone) over the
coals" is more common.

have a cow

To be dramatically upset or angry, e.g. "He will


have a cow if he sees the mess you made" The
Simpson's character Bart Simpson has sometimes
used this in a catchphrase "Don't have a cow,
man!"

have a dog in the fight,


have a dog in the race

To have a stake in, or be exposed to the risks


associated with, the outcome of some problem or
dispute. Conversely, "I don't have a dog in that
fight" is frequently used as a way to beg off and
opt out of being expected to assist

have/hold all the aces

To be in a strong position when one is competing


with someone else, having all the advantages

have an ace up one's sleeve

To have an advantage that other people do not


know about

have it out with someone

To resolve a point of disagreement or tension with


someone, often longstanding, and sometimes by
physical means i.e to intend to have a fight.

To attempt to get all the positive aspects of


have one's cake and eat it,
something while avoiding any negative but usually
too
occurring aspects

have the hots for


(somebody)

To be (sexually) attracted to somebody

(falling) head over heels

Utter infatuation (e.g. "I fell head over heels for


her").

he who laughs last laughs


best/loudest/hardest

He who is left standing/celebrating in the end of a


conflict is victorious

he would put legs under a


chicken

He is voluble/loquacious, excessively talkative

heads up

Prepare for more information

(from the) horse's mouth

To hear or get information through a direct source

heard through the


grapevine

To obtain information via public transfer or gossip

heart and soul

The entirety of one's energies or affections

(to) hell in a handbasket

Going wrong with alarming speed and ease. Said


of a situation, e.g. 'This meeting is going to Hell in
a handbasket'

herding cats

Trying to elicit coordinated action from a group not


inclined to do so. Doing something that is very
difficult. Also, "like stacking hard-boiled eggs"

hit the ground running

To begin an endeavor at full effectiveness, with no


delay

hit the hay

To go to bed; also 'hit the sack'

hit the nail on the head

To get something exactly right

hit the roof

Became very angry

hit the sack

To go to bed; also 'hit the hay'

Hobson's choice

A choice that is no real choice; a situation from


which there is no escape; a problem in which any

course of action is likely to result in undesirable


consequences. Derives from the practice of
Thomas Hobson, a Cambridge innkeeper, of
allowing patrons to choose the horse nearest the
door, or no horse at all. Similar to a "no-win
situation" and Catch 22
hoist by your own petard

To be harmed by one's own plan to harm someone


else or to fall in one's own trap.

hold a torch, carry a torch

In a romantic context, it means to hope for a


continuation of a relationship after it has ended.

home away from home

Place where one feels very welcome

home truths

Honest criticism which is often painful

(fell for it) hook, line, and


Completely taken in by someone's deceit
sinker

hot potato

In the common political usage the 'hot potato'


represents an issue which is controversial and
generally avoided. In a business setting it
sometimes refers to a project or responsibility that
no one wants to assume, usually because the
probability of failure is high. From a children's
game in which an object which represents (or
actually is) a hot potato is passed around a circle of
players while music plays (or time is kept). The
loser - the one left holding the 'potato' when the
music stops (or time is up) - is eliminated, until
only one person is left. A variation (when using an
actual very hot potato) is to eliminate anyone who
drops the potato

hung the moon

To think very highly of; To be infatuated with; To


be in awe of something. (she thinks he hung the
moon)

(the) icing on the cake

Something that makes a good situation even better

if it had been a snake, it


would have bitten you

Said of someone when what they were looking for


was in a very obvious place

I'll deal with that (usually unpleasant) situation


I'll cross that bridge when I only when I can't avoid it any longer; sometimes
get to it
mangled ironically as "I'll burn that bridge when I
get to it", in allusion to "burning one's bridges".
in a jam

In a difficult position, often needing help

in a pickle

In a difficult position, often needing help

in clover

In a fortunate position, well provided for.

in for a penny, in for a


pound

Said by someone realizing that risks of failure are


increasing, but still prepared to press onwards,
maintaining their earlier efforts. Similar to the
expression "no turning back"

To die, or to die a loyal death (suicide) and not


necessarily from a train. Sometimes taken literally,
as people have died from being in front of trains.
(to stand/step/run/walk) in
Also means to take a huge risk. Another variant is
front of a moving train
"to crawl in front of/under a moving train" which
means to engage in extremely risky behavior since
trains have little crawlspace underneath.
in his cups

Drunk

in hot water

In a difficult position, often needing help

in the limelight, in the


spotlight

Possessing large amounts of attention. Originating


from Victorian times when spotlights in theatres
operated via limelight produced by heating calcium
oxide.

in (or out) of the loop

Informed (or not informed) of key information,


respectively

in the same boat

Two or more parties in the same situation,


especially a situation where what affects one party

affects the other. Making a hole in the boat out of


spite would drown the one and the other equally
in the twinkle/blink of an
eye; in a flash

To happen very quickly

in this day and age

The present, indicating vast differences between


modern and old times

iron out the difficulty

To resolve an issue. It suggests the problem is


minor but is something that will need work (as in
smoothing wrinkles out of cloth with an iron)

is the glass half empty or


half full?

A phrase illustrating that 'good' or 'bad' is often a


matter of perspective. From the belief that
someone who refers to a glass as "half full" has an
optimistic outlook on life, and someone who refers
to the same glass as half empty has a pessimistic
one

is the Pope Catholic?

A phrase used to answer in the affirmative,


implying that the questioner is silly to ask the
question, as the answer is obvious. Used in many
variations ("Is/Does the ___ ___?") of equally
obvious nature, e.g., "Is the sky blue?"

(the) 'it' factor

A specific aspect of a person which makes him/her


better or more appealing than those around him.

it's all Greek to me

Beyond comprehension, unintelligible. This


expression was coined by William Shakespeare,
who used it literally in Julius Caesar (1:2), where
Casca says of a speech by Seneca, deliberately
given in Greek so that some would not understand
it, "For mine own part, it was Greek to me."

it's not over til the fat lady Roughly, do not make premature judgements or
sings, it ain't over til the fat give up on something too soon/easily. Taken from
lady sings
the opera, particularly Wagner.
jack of all trades; jack of

A person who is skilled at many different types of

all trades, master of none

jobs, but is likely not a top expert in any job; a


generalist rather than a specialist. In the USA,
"master of none" is usually omitted.
(Ex: "I can fix that broken window and plumbing
leak for you. I'm a jack of all trades.")

join the club

A phrase that can be used to express sympathy for


a common (often unpleasant) experience, or to
disparage the complaints of others by making their
problems seem common.

jump down someone's


throat

Strongly criticize, reprimand or disagree with


someone (Late 1800s)

jump the gun

Start doing something too soon, act too hastily.


Alludes to starting a race before the starter's gun
has gone off, and supplants the earlier beat the
pistol, which dates from about 1900. (Mid 1900s)

jump the tracks

To go around standard operating procedures.

jump the shark

Passing the peak and beginning the slide into


mediocrity or worse. Originally coined in the
context of television shows, the idiom has moved
into broader usage. This is a relatively modern
idiom.

jump on the (band)wagon

To follow the crowd, sometimes with out knowing


why. To join up just because everyone else is. A
derogatory term used for people who follow fads.

juggling picked onions,


juggling pickled frogs

Carrying out a hazardous or difficult task. Both


onions and frogs are slippery and so likely to be
hard to juggle with ease.

just for the record

To set things straight, make clear. This usage


employs record in the sense of "public
knowledge".

angaroo loose in the top

Denotes a person who is a little crazy.

paddock
keep a stiff upper lip

To exercise self-restraint in the expression of


emotion, especially fear or grief.

(keep it) on the downlow

To keep (something) secret, to retain a state of


privacy over a matter.

keep one's eyes


peeled/open/skinned

Be observant and perceptive.

keep your nose clean

To stay out of trouble.

king of the castle; lord of


the manor

A man who is in complete control of his home.

(to be) king of the hill

To be at the pinnacle of one's field.

killing a fly with an


elephant gun

Using excessive power or thought to handle a


small problem.

kill the goose that lays the To do away with, in one form or another, a source
golden eggs
of benefit, intentionally or not.

kick the bucket

To die. Derived from the slaughter of pigs, the


wooden block a pig was hung from during
slaughter was referred to as a buque. Thus in the
process of killing the pig, it would inevitably kick
it.

kick with the other foot

To belong to a different religion (usually along the


Catholic/Protestant divide). Supposedly from the
different designs in farming implements used in the
two communities.

kill two birds with one


stone

Achieving two desirable effects with one process


or action.

kick ass, kick butt

Punish harshly or defeat soundly; also used to


express extreme approval of a situation - "this
concert kicks ass."

kick ass and take names

Superlative version of the idiom "to kick ass."

knock on wood; touch


wood

Knock on (or touch) unfinished wood to avert the


bad luck evoked by making a confident statement
(example: "I haven't been sick in twenty years,
knock on wood.") By 'knocking on wood', the
speaker hopes to prevent their remarkable good
health from suddenly ending because they've
bragged about it. The custom comes from the hope
of evoking the care of spirits that live in trees
(druids).

knock up

To make pregnant. A somewhat vulgar term.

kith and kin

Family.

Idiom

Meaning

lah-di-dah

Assuming manners and customs above one's social


station. See also: airs and graces.

larger than life

More impressive or outstanding than is common.

last but not least

Things are not necessarily in order of importance.


Often introduces the strongest point in an
argument, the last point of a message, or the last
person to be formally introduced. Sometimes
spitefully or facetiously reversed (e.g. "Last and
definitely the least").

(the) last straw

A problem or obstacle that may be trivial in itself,


but causes cataclysmic failure because it pushes the
total array of problems or obstacles to an
intolerable level. Also referred to as the Straw that
broke the camel's back, after the original proverb: a
straw by itself has an insignificant weight, but
enough of them together can be a crushing weight.
Another variant is the "drop that broke the dam."

lead someone on

to deceive someone in order to get what you want


from them. To feign interest, possibly in a

relationship with someone with ulterior motives.


leave a light on; leave the
light on

Waiting for someone particular to arrive or


something particular to happen.

let off steam

See blow off steam.

let the cat out of the bag

Reveal a big secret, usually without the intention


to.

(the) lights are on, but no


one's home

Said of a person that is lacking intellect and/or


sanity, even if they may appear at first to possess
full mental faculties. Like "two bricks short of a
load", there are endless variations, based around
the metaphor of a machine or a system that is not
operating as it should. ("His elevator doesn't stop at
all floors.")

like a moth to a flame

Strongly attracted to something, regardless of


likely negative consequence.

like father, like son

In the same manner and likeness from generation


to generation. Variation: "Like mother, like
daughter."

like shooting fish in a


barrel

Very easily done.

like taking candy from a


baby

Very easily done.

lion's den

Any dangerous or frightening place.

(a) little bird told me

A source who cannot or will not be identified gave


this information.

living in a cloud

Having unrealistic or foolish beliefs or plans.

living in Cloudcuckooland

Having unrealistic or foolish beliefs or plans.

living under a rock

Ignorant of common knowledge or major

events/trends. ("Have you been living under a


rock?")
loan shark

A predatory lender, usually one that charges


inordinately high interest (usury).

look what the cat dragged


in

An expression used to indicate someone


unwelcome has arrived.

loose cannon

A reckless individual

lose one's nerve

To become frightened or timid, or to lose courage.

mad as a box of (soapy)


frogs

extremely mentally unstable; psychotic; detached


from reality.

mad as a hatter

extremely mentally unstable; psychotic; detached


from reality. Origin: UK: A hatter in 19th century
England was a professional who made and fixed
hats, and hatters used a glue which over time had
been known to cause them to act crazy (mad), if
proper precautions were not withheld. Also alludes
to the character of the Mad Hatter in Alice's
Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

make hay (while the sun


shines)

To take advantage of a favorable opportunity. To


work diligently toward a goal.

make love

To court or to have sexual intercourse. Used by


Shakespeare; from French (faire l'amour) or Italian
(fare l'amore).

make a mountain out of a


molehill

Interpret great significance (generally negative)


from a (seemingly) minor event; to assume
something is much worse than it actually is. This is
most often used in criticism.

(The) Man

Any government, company, boss, or set of rules


that hold power over a person's behavior; often
used in the abstract. Similar to 'the powers that be'

May/December

mind one's p's and q's

Describes a couple where there is a significant age


difference (i.e. 20+ years) between the participants.
Often implies that the older 'December' participant
should have pursued his or her own age group
instead of taking the younger and more desirable
person out of circulation.
To be very careful and/or to behave correctly. It is
tied to the fact that the lowercase letters "p" and
"q" mirror each other. This is a term from
typesetters in the printing industry. In the days of
lead type, letters were set individually into a page,
and they were placed one by one, upside down.
They were pulled from a typecase, in which each
letter had a designated space to reside. Problems
came when pages were being taken apart and
letters put away. If someone was in a hurry or was
not paying attention to what he was doing, he
could end up with p's and q's in the wrong slots in
the typecase, which he wouldn't notice until the
next time he was putting together a page, when he
would unknowingly pick out the wrong letter.
(This could also happen with b's and d's, but as
they are more common than q's, typesetters were
more accustomed to finding them, and they were
mixed up less often.) Hence, pay attention to what
you're doing now, so that you don't give yourself
problems later on. Alternatively, in England this
phrase is also associated with "p'ease" and "'k you"
baby talk for 'Please' and 'Thank you', hence "mind
your P's and Q's" is sometimes used to mean
"remember to say 'Please' and 'Thank you.'"
Another less widely accepted origin of this phrase
purports to have originated in England where,
when patrons at a bar were becoming unruly, the
bartender would remind them to, "mind your pints
and quarts." This has been shortened to the phrase,
"mind your P's and Q's." An alternative explanation
is that during the eighteenth century dancing
masters taught ladies and gentlement how to

behave. This including correct stance and bowing


correctly. One had to be careful when bowing low,
so that one's wig did not fall off. This is expressed
in French as minding one's "pieds" (feet) and
"queues" (tails of their wigs) when greeting other
dancers in the ballroom.
Reference :http://podiatry.curtin.edu.au/ballet.html

mind like a steel trap

An intelligent person who is quick to grasp


concepts. Refers to an animal trap that shuts
quickly. Similarly the mind is quick to remember
and understand information.

Something can be achieved in several different


(there is) more than one
ways. Often used upon the realization that one
way to skin a cat or to kill attempted method has failed or is about to fail.
a cat
(e.g. "This method has failed, but there's more than
one way to skin a cat!")

Monday-morning
quarterback

Someone who criticizes a strategy after already


knowing the outcome. In the USA, football games
are usually shown on TV on Sundays. A Mondaymorning quarterback is thus somebody who
purports to know all the calls the quarterback
should have made in Sunday's game, but only
because he has seen the effect of calling, or not
calling, those plays.

month of Sundays

A long time - 28, 29, 30 or 31 weeks depending on


your definition of a month.

move up (in the world)

Advance to a higher level and succeed.

mother nature

Nature and its benevolence towards human beings.

much of a muchness

Indicates that the choices available to the speaker


are not greatly different in their effect e.g. "Would
you like tea or coffee? Oh, it's all much of a
muchness when I'm thirsty."

mum's the word

The issue or topic at hand is of great secrecy and

one cannot reveal any more than one already has.


1. A person (usually female) who behaves and/or
dresses as though they are younger than they
actually are.
mutton dressed up as lamb
2. A female who dresses in a vulgar/unflattering
manner to be attractive to men, with the opposite
effect.
my dogs are barking

When someone's feet are tired or sore from


standing or walking.

my old man, my old


woman

A slightly derogatory term for husband/wife or


father/mother.

Idiom

Meaning

nailing jelly/jello/pudding
A futile endeavor; impossible task.
to a wall/tree
namby-pamby

Effete, weak, unpreposessing.

(that's) neither here nor


there

It doesn't matter; said of something irrelevant to


the topic under consideration.

nest egg

Accumulated wealth, generally liquid investments,


earmarked for some future purpose; used most
commonly in the US to refer to retirement savings.

Never look a gift horse in


the mouth

This phrase means that whenever one receives a


gift, they should accept it without scrutiny. It
originates from looking into a horse's mouth to
determine its age by its teeth. In other words, if
someone gives you a horse, you accept it
graciously and don't ask questions.

Never make a good mark for one's country; never


never set the Thames on
do some amazing, memorable feat. Eg: "He's good,
fire (or not set the Thames
but he'll never set the Thames on fire. He's not
on fire)
dynamic enough".

nip it in the bud

Taking action at the onset of a problem before it


grows into an uncontrollable situation. A bud that
is pinched will not bloom.

Night of the 3 dogs

Originating from New Zealand or Australia,


Aborigines people used herding dogs to keep
themselves warm in cold nights by sharing body
heat. Colder the weather, more dogs they slept
with. Also cowboys used this term and asked how
cold the night was. Eq. "Yes, it was a 2 dog night".

no-brainer

A problem that is especially easy to solve, if not


outright obvious.

no holds barred

Unrestricted. At liberty; free of obstruction,


inhibition, prohibition, forbiddance, governance.
No rules of conduct.

no horse in this race

No vested interest in the outcome of a contest or


debate.

no names, no pack-drill

If nobody can be identified, then nobody can be


punished. From military usage - pack-drill was a
form of punishment.

no shit, Sherlock

A sarcastic response to an obvious observation.


(Mildly vulgar)

no skin off one's nose, no


skin off one's back

To be indifferent to the outcome of a situation


because it does not affect one personally.

no tree grows to the sky

There are limits on growth. Growth does not


continue indefinitely, eventually it will halt or
collapse.

(having one's) nose to the


grindstone

Working very hard, especially at a tedious task

(there's) no smoke without If there is telltale evidence of some event, the event
a fire
is probably occurring.

not enough room to swing An extremely compact room. Sometimes used for
a cat; or you couldn't
the opposite meaning, "you could swing a cat in
swing a cat in here
here." (similar to 'can't fling a...'; see above)

the Not IT factor

The opposite of "the IT factor" (see above); a


certain aspect that ruins a persons ability to
become "something special".

(it's) not over until the fat


lady sings

This phrase is similar in meaning to "Don't count


your chickens before they hatch," i.e., nothing is
certain until the final conclusion. It is attributed to
Yogi Berra and is probably a humorous jab at the
girth of a stereotypical female opera singer,
combined with the legitimate observation that such
a woman will often sing the final notes of the
performance.

not playing with a full


deck

Someone who is eccentric, mad or wildly


unconventional, bordering on crazy. See also two
bricks short of a load.
Having comparatively diminished capacities,
especially in reference to intelligence. Similar to
"A few X short of a Y", but describing quality
rather than quantity and often used for mockhumility
1. Not the sharpest pencil in the drawer.
2. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

not the X-est Y in Z

3. Not the sharpest tool in the shed.


4. Not the brightest [light] bulb on the
[Christmas] tree.
5. Not the brightest crayon in the box.
6. Not the brightest star in the sky.
7. Not the longest grass ever.

Idiom

Meaning

off his trolley

Mentally unbalanced, insane

off (or below) the radar

Beyond popular consciousness, less obvious or less


mainstream

off one's rocker

Mentally imbalanced, crazy

off the hook

1. Someone who has avoided a situation in


which they would be blamed for something
or punished for something. Note, however,
that a telephone that is off the hook is one
where the handset has been raised from the
body of the telephone, preventing it from
ringing - for instance, if somebody does not
wish to be disturbed, they will take the
'phone off the hook.
2. Used in urban America to describe
something, usually a party or event, that is
very exciting. Sometimes "hook" is
replaced with "chain" or the Ebonic slang
"heezy".

off the rails

Living a dissolute lifestyle, habitually acting


outside the rules or acting illegally

Someone who is off the straight and narrow is


off the straight and narrow acting in immoral ways. (see "On the straight and
narrow".)
off the top of one's head

To have a particular piece of information or


knowledge ready.

off the wall

Strange, odd, or unusual

old flame

Someone a person was strongly attracted to in the


past, a former lover

on a hiding to nothing

Someone on a hiding to nothing is attempting the


impossible, working hard at something that will

not produce results.

On (one's) last nerve

Straining another's patience or tolerance to the


breaking point. In the UK, said as a plural and
without 'last', eg: "He's getting on my nerves"

on a wing and a prayer

To rely mostly on hope to get through a desperate


situation. Originating from a WWII era song
depicting badly damaged aircraft limping back
home after a bombing raid

on point

Describing someone or something as extremely


effective or very well prepared. See also 'On the
ball'

on the blink

Not working, or intermittently faulty. Said of an


item of equipment or machinery.

on the down low (D.L.)

To keep something (usually big) a secret. May also


mean, if referring to a black male, his status of
secretly being homosexual. (Example:Jamal is on
the down low. Translation: Jamal is a homosexual
and is keeping it a secret.)

on the fence

Undecided between two options; vacillating


between two ideas or choices

on the fritz

See on the blink.

on the fly

Instantly; immediately.

on the Q.T.

In confidence, secretly, without other people


knowing.

on the rag

Someone who is cranky, especially a woman


exhibiting symptoms of PMS or menstrual cramps
(Sometimes vulgar)

on the same page

Two or more parties understand a situation the


same way and are operating accordingly

on the straight and narrow

Used to describe a person or course of action that


is of a high moral standard.

on the wagon

To have sworn off alcoholic beverages or become


involved in a recovery program.

on the warpath

To be filled with rage, enough to take action. When


preceded by the phrase "Your squaw is", however,
the meaning changes to indicate a husband who
has angered his wife. From derogative and
perjorative expressions related to Native American
Indians. (Vulgar if specifically referencing a Native
American Indian.)

one for the road

A final (usually alcoholic) drink before departure.

one trick pony

Someone who is talented at a single thing but is


otherwise unremarkable, inept, or unskilled.

(to think) one's head will


burst

To be extremely angry

once bitten, twice shy

Refers to avoiding a person (or persons),


circumstance(s), or situation(s) that has/have
harmed ones'self in the past and/or ones desire to
seek out new prospects from previous unpleasant
experiences. One example situation: if you fall in
love with someone and that someone rejects
you--"once bitten"--you may be very, very
reluctant--"twice shy"--to let yourself fall in love
again.

only the tip of the iceberg

Something which is much larger than it appears, or


a situation which is more complex than it first
seems. Refers to icebergs floating in the ocean;
only a small fraction of the iceberg is above water
and visible.

on a roll

Enjoying a continuous series of successes

on cloud nine

To be extremely happy. Original connotation

referred to a state of stupor or unconsciousness;


possibly drug or alcohol induced. Popular usage
may have originated from a 1950s American radio
program 'Johnny Dollar' in which one character
was regularly knocked out and transported to
'Cloud Nine'. A numbering system for clouds in
which level 9 is ascribed to the (30-40,000 feet)
cumulo-nimbus clouds was established in the 19th
century. Its first known codification in
'International Cloud Atlas' was based on work by
Luke Howard. These clouds are the white cottony,
mountainous appearing clouds that look like one
could lie down on them and rest comfortably
on the ball

Prepared for the situation, especially in regard to


anticipated future requests or instructions

on the dot

Precisely, punctually. Exactly at the expected


interval. Refers to time (e.g. every three months on
the dot)

(The situation) on the


ground

The practical reality of common, everyday


experience, as opposed to what theory or idealism
says it could/should be. Sometimes used to mildly
disparage an opponent's position as failing to pay
sufficient attention to what is actually the case

1. Under the influence of heroin


on the nod

2. Also means the passage of resolution in a


committee or meeting without a formal
vote - it is just 'nodded through' or passes
'on the nod'.

on the nose

Exactly correct. When regarding screenwriting, "on


the nose" is referred to dialogue and occurs when a
character says something that's rather obvious. It
derives from the game of charades where one
touches his or her nose to indicate his team has the

correct answer.

on the tip, off the tip

Extremely interested, usually with annoyance.


Understood to refer to the sensitive end of a penis
(get off my tip, that bitch was on my tip)

out of (from) left field

Unexpected. In conversation, a topic or idea


coming out of left field is one with no obvious
logical connection to what has just been said, a
non-sequitur. Generally used to denote anything
strange and/or random as well as unexpected

(to be) out of line

To be/have done something inappropriate.

(to be) out of the blue

Unexpectedly

out of the loop

To be unaware of the details of a situation


(frequently implying that one has been deliberately
kept uninformed)

out of luck

Experiencing a temporary misfortune

out of (from) nowhere, out Unexpected. Similar to "out of (from) left field",
of the blue
but without the 'strange/random' connotation.
(to be) out of one's gourd

To be irrational, unrealistic, crazy.

out of order

Not functioning properly or inappropriate

out of the picture

Eliminated in a contest or champion

out of place

Not in the proper situation or arrangement, or


inappropriate for the circumstances

out of (all) proportion(s)

Not in a proper or pleasing relation to other things,


especially in terms of size

out of sorts

Feeling poorly

out of the butt, into the


fuck

Variation of out of the frying pan, into the fire

out of the frying pan, into


the fire

Escaping a serious predicament only to end up in a


worse one

out of touch

To be unaware of current trends, news, or fashions,


especially because of actual physical distance from
others

out of tune

Not in agreement, especially in musical pitch

(born) out of wedlock

(Usually referring to being born) to parents not


legally married, or (usually performing actions) not
being legally married one's self. (illegitimacy)

out of work

Unemployed or having nothing to do

out of the way

1. Not obstructing or hindering


2. Taken care of

out the wazoo

over one's head

excessive or excessively; too much. Variation: "out


the ass" (latter vulgar, former general)

1. More complex or confusing than one can


understand; beyond ones comprehension
2. Too much for one to handle

over my dead body

No way, under no circumstances

over the hill

To be past one's prime, old, a senior citizen. A


person has reached his/her peak of physical or
employment capabilities and is starting the
downhill slide

over the moon

Very happy, giddy

Idiom

Meaning

pain in the ass; pain in the


A nuisance; a source of trouble or annoyance.
butt; pain in the neck
pad out

To add trivial content in order to make something


seem more substantial.

pass the buck

To lay responsibility on to another party so they


will get the blame. Orig. poker jargon.

pass with flying colors

To succeed in the best way possible.

passing fancy

A temporary liking for someone or something.

pay through the nose (for


something)

Pay an unusually large amount of money for


something.

peace and quiet

Tranquility; freedom from stress or interruptions.

To suck as much as possible, or to be as decriptive


as it is possible to be, sometimes ironically;
peg the suckometer, or peg
examples are, "That really pegged the suckometer"
the [adjective]-ometer
(about, e.g., a bad movie), or "My fun-meter's
pegged" (ironic: I'm no longer having fun).
penny for your thoughts

A phrase used to ask a person what they are


thinking.

penny-pinching

Being frugal with one's money, avoiding


unnecessary expenses (can also mean stingy).

Cautious with small amounts of money but


wasteful with large amounts. This expression is
usually used when discussing short-sighted
penny wise, pound foolish
parsimony (example: "The manager's decision to
save money by cutting the maintenance budget was
penny wise, pound foolish.")
pick up the tab

To accept a charge and pay for it, especially for a


restaurant meal.

piece of cake

Something done very easily.

(to have a) pink slip

1. To be authorised to do something not


normally allowed e.g. "I've got a pink slip
from my wife to let me go out drinking this
evening."
2. To be discharged from employment - see
pink slip.

piping hot

Very hot

pissing contest

To be in extreme competition. May be used


literally or metaphorically. When used literally it
refers to a competition in which two or more
people, usually (but not exclusively) male, urinate
with the intention of producing the stream with the
furthest distance. When used metaphorically it
typically refers to a relatively meaningless
(perceivably entertaining) event or act in which
people try to outdo one another, e.g. "What started
out as a rational debate quickly degenerated into a
pissing contest." (Sometimes vulgar)

(to) piss into the wind

To continue with an ineffective action, usually


against the natural flow of things, when it is clear
that said action will have no useful result. An
exercise in futility. See also: spit into the wind.
(Sometimes vulgar)

(to) piss in one's


cereal/soup/dish/food etc.

To do something to annoy, anger or otherwise


displease another. (Note: a specific name of food or
specific brand may be named, as in, "Why do you
always have to piss in my Cheerios?") (Sometimes
vulgar)

to piss on one's own feet

To try to accomplish something beneficial to


yourself but hurting yourself in the process so
much that the original action is rendered worthless.
(e.g. "There's no way I could have stolen Bill's TV
because I was at home doing heroin that whole
night.") Similar in meaning to 'shoot oneself in the

foot'. (Sometimes vulgar)


play cat and mouse

Amuse oneself or trifle with, toy with.

(to) play second fiddle

To play a subordinate role to another; to be


upstaged.

(to) play one's ace

To do the thing that one knows will bring success.

play the percentages

To bet on the most likely occurance.

play the ponies

To bet on horse racing.

play with fire

Take part in a dangerous undertaking.

point of no return

To have gone so far that it is impossible to go back.

point the finger at

To accuse.

pop one's clogs

To die.

pop the cherry

To break the hymen; to lose one's virginity. Often a


ribald metaphor. (Typically vulgar)

pop the question

To propose marriage.

Accusing someone else of something of which one


is also guilty; to betray one's own hypocrisy. From
pot calling the kettle black the practice of cooking over an open fire, where
soot would blacken any cooking containers so
used.
pour salt into the wound

To make a bad situation worse.

powder one's nose

To use the lavatory (restroom). E.g. "Excuse me


while I go to powder my nose" (Refers to/Used by
females)

preach to the choir, preach To declare something with which those present
to the converted
already agree.
(to) pull strings

Using influence or personal connections to

facilitate a favorable outcome. Usually implies that


the outcome would not occur without said
intervention.

(the one) pulling the


strings

Refers to the practice of those really in power


limiting the authority of those who appear to be.
An analogy to marionettes, which have the illusion
of life because unseen puppeteers manipulate their
limbs.

(to) pull one's leg

Being facetious, or kidding around. Playfully lying.

puppies and rainbows

Eternal bliss, happy-go-lucky, child-like and


carefree innocence. May also include: puppies and
rainbows, butterflies, daisies, or bunnies.

puppy dog eyes

Refers to attempting to appeal to an authority


figure (or someone who has the desired outcome)
through empathic or sympathetic facial gestures
and bodily mannerisms. Used more commonly in
reference to a young child. From the concept of
domesticated dogs giving their owners sympathetic
looks when begging for food.

puppy love

Adolescent love or infatuation, especially one that


is not expected to last. Also called calf love.

push the envelope

To approach the limits of normal behavior, to be


exceptional.

pushing up daisies

Dead and buried. This comes from the Western


cultural practice of burying the deceased in a
cemetery or memorial park, often with flowers or
grass growing at the grave site.

(to) put a spanner in the


works

To cause an endeavour to fail, or to complicate


things greatly.

(to) put a wrench in it

To cause an endeavour to fail, or to complicate


things greatly.

(to) put one's back into

To make a strenuous effort to do something.

(to) put the cart before the To start a task without adequate preparation or
horse
forethought. Alternately, to jump to conclusions.
Say something which is quickly regretted, usually
(to) put one's foot in one's
offensive to someone else. Connotes speaking in
mouth
ignorance or without appropriate forethought.
(to) put one's money where
Back up one's opinions with practical action.
one's mouth is

(to) put words into one's


mouth

Asserting that another person has certain feelings


or opinions which the other person has not stated
or confirmed (example: "My boss was putting
words into my mouth when he told me what he
thought I wanted to do.")

(to) quack like a duck

To appear to be exactly what one is.

quake in one's boots

To be frightened, scared, or nervous.

quarter of

fifteen minutes before the next hour. (X:45)

quarter past

fifteen minutes after the hour. (X:15)

queer as a clockwork
orange

strange, odd, unusual, unusually camp, or


undoubtedly homosexual.

queer one's pitch

To make a task more difficult for the speaker.

(having a) question mark

having doubt or uncertainty about something.

quick as a flash

Extremely fast.

quick-and-dirty

Done or constructed in a hasty, approximate,


temporarily adequate manner, but not exact, fully
formed, or reliable for a long period of time.

quote unquote
1. Emphasizes a word or phrase for irony, as
used almost exclusively in spoken language

to signal something may be notable, funny,


questionable, or not really true.
2. In spoken language, it signals a direct
quotation of someone else.

rain on someone's parade

Do something to make another person's ideas


or actions less worthy of merit.

rain (pour) cats and dogs

Raining heavily

rake over the ashes

To restart an argument that was thought to be


completed; closely examine the history of a
failed endeavor or relationship.

rake someone over the


coals

To harshly scold, reprimand or interrogate


someone about something they did. For
example, a boss might 'rake an employee
over the coals' for poor performance, or the
police might do the same to a suspect.
(AHDI[1])

raise one's voice

Talking loudly as to be heard clearer or when


angry

having a ramrod up one's


spine

Being stubborn or strong willed. A ramrod is a


stiff pole which does not bend easily

read between the lines

Inferring additional information or nuances not


explicitly stated, perhaps revealing a hidden
agenda or true motive. The lines here refers
to lines of printed text

read my lips

Used to emphasize the statement or promise


which immediately follows, often with
slight aggression or belligerence. Example:
George H.W. Bush's famous 1988 promise
"Read my lips: No new taxes", meaning he
absolutely would not raise taxes

(To) rearrange the deck


chairs on the Titanic

Attempting to solve a serious problem with


superficial or irrelevant actions. Alt.
Performing a futile action.

red herring

A false clue or issue intended to lead one astray


or a fallacious argument (Ignoratio elenchi)

red-light district

Area of town or city with a high concentration


of houses of prostitution or prostitutes.
From the practice of displaying a red light
in a window or over the door to notify
potential customers of the activity available
within; possibly also related to the red
brake lights seen on the rear of cars slowly
'kerb-crawling' and looking for prostitutes

red tape

Bureaucratic obstacles to a desired result.


Derived from the former British and US
civil-war era practice of binding records
and files with red tape.

reinvent the wheel


Duplicate a basic method or concept; create a
new solution to a problem for which an
adequate one already exists. The new
solution does not add value and implies a
waste of time and/or money. Related to the
"Not Invented Here" reaction in which a
technician or artisan refuses to use an
existing solution through the arrogant
notion that only they can produce a 'correct'

solution

(as) right as rain

Perfectly correct; healthy; comfortable; as it


should be. "Right as rain" is an alliterative
cliche (specifically a simile) and play on
words. The metaphor plays on a resonance
between geometric straightness and
correctness of judgment. There have been
expressions starting with "right as..." since
medieval times, always in the sense of
something being satisfactory, safe, secure
or comfortable. An early example, quoted
as a proverb from circa 1546 "right as a
line." In that, "right" might have had a
literal sense of straightness, something
desirable in a line, but it also clearly has a
figurative sense of being correct or
acceptable. Another example is from The
Romance of the Rose of 1400: right as an
adamant, where an adamant was a
lodestone or magnet. "Right as rain" is a
latecomer to this illustrious collection of
similes. It may have first appeared at the
very end of the nineteenth century, but one
likely origin is from Max Beerbohms book
Yet Again of 1909: He looked, as himself
would undoubtedly have said, fit as a
fiddle, or right as rain. His cheeks were
rosy, his eyes sparkling.

right under (one's) nose

Something so obvious that it is easily


overlooked

rob Peter to pay Paul


Solving a problem in a way that leads to a new
problem; a quick solution with an obvious
drawback (St Peter and St Paul being the
disciples of Jesus); robbing Peter to pay
Paul was used at least as far back as the
14th century, when theologian John Wycliff
asked, "How should God approve that you

rob Peter, and give this robbery to Paul in


the name of Christ?" (courtesy of MerriamWebster Online [2])

rock the boat

Disturbing the social group. Breaking with


tradition or going against custom or an
apparent consensus, possibly with entirely
benign motives - but perhaps out of
selfishness

roll with the punches


to be able to deal well with difficulties or
criticism, to accept the consequences of a
choice (usually in the sense of a misinformed, unlucky, or unwise decision), to
accept the fate of a situation (usually in the
negative conotation). Can be used (more or
less) literally, as in to absorb the force of a
blow, punch or hit. Examples of figurative
expressions: (1) "Someone stole my
sweatshirt... oh well, I guess sometimes you
just have to roll with the punches.", meaing
to accept the result of fate or a previous
decision... in this case accepting that the
sweatshirtt is gone, but allowing one's self
to move on and not dwell on the loss. (2)
"You have to learn to roll with the
punches." meaning to accept what is dealt
to you, in this regard it is used in the
manner of advice. 3. "With the loss of their
former singer Bon Scott the Australian rock
and roll band ACDC nearly decided to quit,
but instead they rolled with the punches and
hired a new lead singer, Brian Johnson,
who helped them produce Back and Black,
their most famous album ever, second in
sales records following Michael Jackson's
Thriller.", in this case the meaning is that
the band chose to adjust to the difficult
event of their former lead singer's passing,
and continue with their work. The Origin is
from the sport of Boxing: from the literal
meaning roll with the punches (i.e. an

instruction to step back or to one side as the


boxer is being hit or punched), so that the
boxer lessens the impact and receives less
than the full force of the attack.

rotten or evil to the core

To say of someone who has no good within


them at all

1. When the real work is about to start. ie.


When a work project starts to get traction
and move forward. Also sometimes said as
the 'when the tyre hits the tarmac'. Opposite
of 'wheels spinning' when nothing is
happening.

rubber hits (meets) the


road

2. Refers to a period of time when two related


concepts, principles or ideas merge
together, or come into full fruition, or when
the full complexities of a situation are
finally revealed. A place or circumstance at
which the implementation of a plan or
intent is to be achieved.
3. Refers to a moment of truth. (In the USA this
phrase may be used generically to mean
"where it really counts" (i.e. where
something truly matters.) The origin of the
phrase comes from the rubber tires of
vehicles being used on road surfaces.

run the table

In sports or other competitions, to win every


contest or series. ("To make the playoffs,
the team will have to run the table."). Most
often used in various games of pocket
billiards meaning to shoot all (or sometimes
the remainder of) balls off the table and
winning the game without giving the
opponent the opportunity to "shoot"

it runs in the family

Ability, talent, or trait (good or bad) that is


passed on through generations; see "Comes
by it honestly"

sail (you, me, he, she etc.)


down the river

To find love, to search for love. E.g. "you


sailed me/my heart down the river",
translates roughly to "You made me feel
loved."

Also said as "What's good for the goose is good


for the gander" (a gander is a male goose)
(what's) sauce for the
goose is sauce for the
gander

1. When said to a person, essentially, don't


complain about being treated the way
you've treated others.
2. If something is good for one person, it
follows that it is good for everybody.

school of hard knocks

The (sometimes painful) education one gets


from life, often contrasted with formal
education.

scraping the bottom of the


barrel; scraping the the
barrel

The last possible selection.

screw the pooch

To make a grievous error.

(to) see a man about a dog;


(to) see a man about a
horse

To urinate (in men), or occasionally used to


explain your absence without disclosing
any further details.

(to) seize the bull by its


horns; (to) take the bull by
its horns

Take direct action to solve a problem without


looking for other, less demanding,

approaches.

sell like hotcakes

Selling (or being distributed) very rapidly. E.g.


"My father's hamburgers sold like hotcakes
at the family reunion."

(to) send flying

Cause to be knocked or scattered about.

set the Thames on fire

Perform an astonishing feat. This phrase is


almost invariably used in the negative:
"He'll never set the Thames on fire." Latin
and German have similar idioms regarding
the Tiber and the Rhine, respectively

set the world on fire

Region-free variant of above.

shake one's booty

To dance vigorously.

shake off; shake the dust


off your feet; shake the
dust off your shoes

Make a clean break from a (bad) former


situation. Derived from the gospel of S.
Matthew, ch. 10 v. 14: "And whosoever
shall not receive you, nor hear your words,
when ye depart out of that house or city,
shake off the dust of your feet."

Shanks' pony; Shanks'


mare

One's own feet. To travel someplace by Shanks'


pony is to walk there. Shanks' (or shanks's)
mare (or nag or pony) derives from the
name of the lower part of the leg between
the knee and ankle - the shank, nowadays
more often known as the shin-bone or tibia.

(to) shift gears


To talk about or work on a different subject or

to change the speed at which one is


working. Normally referring to speeding
up. "Boy he sure shifted (into a higher)
gear(s) when he saw that the end was in
sight!"

(when the) shit hits the fan;


(the) shit has hit the fan

Can describe the moment when dubious


conduct is discovered, and the
repercussions for your actions are suddenly
felt, or more generally when a critical or
scandalous situation becomes known to
persons of superior authority.

(to) shit it in

To be doing very well (eg. "We're shitting it


in."), or considered highly likely to succeed
(eg. "He'll shit in it.")

(to be) shit out of luck


(S.O.L.)

To have no alternative hope or action. To be


without compromise.

(to have) shit on the liver

To be in a bad mood, likely to be disagreeable


and rude to other people.

shipshape and Bristol


fashion

Everything is nice and tidy, with no rubbish


(garbage) strewn around.

(to) shoot oneself in the


foot

Similar to spit or piss into the wind, to bring


injury or ill fortune upon oneself (although
this idiom tends to imply a self-inflicted
misfortune)

show me an X and I'll


show you a Y

"I see possibilities that you don't." Example:


"Show me a traumatized ant and I'll show
you a vulnerable midnight snack"

show one's true colors

One's true nature is now visible. Implies that


there has been a period of ambiguity if not
outright deception beforehand. Comes from
the age of sail, when seeing a ship's colors
(i.e., flag) was the only way to gauge
whether it might be friendly or not.

short end of the stick;


shitty end of the stick;
short end

The worse part of an unequal deal or situation


AHDI cites the first use of "short end..." to
the 1930s, but notes the etymology is lost;
it also posits an origin in the phrase "worse
end of the staff" from the 1500s, which
evolved into thye current "short/shitty
end...", "allegedly from a stick poked up
one's rectum by another in command of the
situation". It also suggests an origin in
stick-fighting.[1] OED does not cite the
whole phrase, but lists "short end" alone as
"US Slang, the inferior part or share (of
something), the losing end, a bad deal"; it is
listed with other uses meaning odds-andends or leftovers, and cites first usage in
1904[2].Compare "wrong end of the stick,"
below.

sick as a parrot

Extremely disappointed, upset, dismayed (esp.


with regards to the results of a soccer
match).

sitting ducks

Something or someone that is easy to attack or


criticize.

six feet under

Dead and buried (from a traditional depth for


human graves).

six of one, half a dozen of


another, six and two
threes, sixes

Two options which are essentially the same so


there is no real choice to be made (USA

first one only).

six ways to Sunday; six


ways from Sunday

In every possible manner; by every imaginable


method. This phrase says "six ways" which
represent the six days after Sunday in a
week (Monday - Saturday.) The most likely
origin is in the folkore of the "Old West", in
reference to a Sunday showdown (i.e. a
competitive battle between two gunsmen),
implying that the shooters only have six
days to practice their shooting skills (in
every way as they can possibly do in the
alloted time) prior to the event (i.e. from
Monday to Saturday.)

skeletons in the closet

Secrets from one's past that one would like to


conceal.

skeleton in the cupboard

A personal secret that one would not like to


reveal for fear of embarrassment, as it
usually reflects badly on the person having
the secret.

skin of one's teeth

A very close miss from some disaster.

sleep with the fishes

To be dead, often murdered. "X knew too


much. Now he is sleeping with the fishes."

slower than molasses


Excruciatingly slow. Variation: "slower than
molasses in Januaray"... Molasses is very
thick and therefore would run slowly at any
time of year, but is exaggerated here (when
"in January" is added to the phrase) with
the coldest month in many regions. Often
used to describe a person or an object, e.g.
"My computer is running slower than

molasses (in January.")


small beer

Of little consequence or value.

1. Young children, or persons of little


importance or influence.
small fry

2. Financial dealings that will not amount to


large profits. Typically used when there are
more profitable endeavors to pursue.

small potatoes

Insignificant problems.

small world

One encounters familiar people, events or


situations in unexpected places.

SNAFU

ridiculously chaotic situation; disorderly; out of


control; muddled; military slang, situation
normal: all fucked (fouled) up

(a) snowball's chance in


Hell

Essentially zero likelihood (also occasionally


"an ice cube's chance".) Comparative to
"when Hell freezes over" or "when pigs
fly."

soft sawder

Cajoling or flattery.

son of a gun

A unique person. This phrase can be used either


approvingly or disparagingly. (Slang)

soup to nuts
From beginning to end; etymologically, from
the first course of a meal (soup) to the last

course (nuts, which are often found in


desserts).

sour grapes

To decide that an out-of-reach prize was


probably not worth having. Spitefully
belittling another's success when one has
failed. (Aesop's Fables: The Fox and the
Grapes)

spare the rod and spoil the


child

To warn others or believe that sparing a child


from a rod (whipping) will make them
spoiled.

speak of the Devil; speak


of the Devil and he shall
appear

Said aloud when someone who was being


discussed in conversation enters the area of
those conversing; from the belief that
uttering the name of a demon could serve to
summon it.

(to) spit into the wind.

Similar to shooting oneself in the foot, to bring


injury or ill fortune upon oneself. Similar to
piss into the wind.

(to) spin a yarn

To tell a story, especially a long one with


distorted truths or exaggerations.

spick and span

Neat, clean, and tidy. (In the USA, may be


spelled alternately as "spic and span")

spill the beans

To reveal a secret.

spirit of the law


To interpret something as it is meant, not as
explicitly stated. The 'spirit' of the law is

often contrasted with the 'letter' of same,


which is its explicit statement.

spitting image

Resembling strongly. e.g. "He's the spitting


image of his grandfather at his age." See
also: Dead ringer.

squaring the circle; make a


square circle

Trying to do something which is impossible.

stalking horse

A political candidate unlikely to succeed


against an incumbent, standing to generate
an election and to reveal disquiet with the
incumbent's recent performance possibly
inducing other competitors for that post to
declare their interest. Refers to American
Indian hunting practice of approaching a
herd of wild animals while mostly
concealed by a tame mount.

start with a clean slate;


start with a clean sheet;
start with a clean sheet of
paper

To completely start over, or to contemplate


solving a problem without preconceptions.

stand in good stead

To be extremely useful in the future.

steal someone's thunder

Taking the credit for something positive


occasioned largely by someone else, or
simply to upstage someone. From a stage
thunder device by John Dennis which
actually was stolen.

stem the tide

To stop or control the growth or increase of


something, usually unpleasant.

stick in the mud; stuck in


the mud

An old-fashioned idea or concept, or someone


who moves or adapts slowly. Also used to
describe a person who does not want to
participate in activities suggested by one or
more people.

stick it to The Man

To perform an action that is against the wishes


of 'The Man.'

(having a) stick up one's


ass

Being excessively rigid or traditional.

sticky wicket

A tough situation; for example, British Prime


Minister Tony Blair, maneuvering his way
through the sticky wicket of the Middle
East, wanted to stress the need to maintain
an international coalition. -- William Safire;
Fog of War: Von Clausewitz Strikes Again;
The New York Times Magazine; Nov 18,
2001. The term comes from the parlance of
cricket, and describes a situation in which
rain has dampened the pitch. This makes
the path of the ball more unpredictable thus
making the job of defending the stumps that
much more difficult.

stiff-necked

Stubborn. This is an example of metonymy. A


stubborn person frequently does not turn
his head to listen and appears stiff in the
neck. Thus having a stiff neck and not
turning both imply stubbornness; by the
rule of metonymy, 'stiff necked' means
stubborn

storm in a teacup

A large fuss about an insignificant matter.


(USA: tempest in a teapot)

strain at a gnat and


swallow a camel

(from Matthew 23:24 in the King James


Version of the Bible) The phrase is often
used to indicate that someone is making a
big deal out of an issue that should not be a
big deal.

(the) straw that broke the


camel's back

From a proverb about loading up a camel


beyond its capacity to move. This is a
reference to any process by which
catastrophic failure (a broken back) is
achieved by a seemingly inconsequential
addition (a single straw). This also gives
rise to the phrase 'the last straw'

sugar daddy

A rich man who is generous to younger women


in return for sexual favors; a patron.

sure-fire

Something which is 'sure-fire' is certain to


happen.

swan song

A final appearance; a theatrical or dramatic


farewell, from a legendary belief that a
swan would sing its own dirge as it died.

sweet dreams

A wish that someone will sleep well.

swim with the fishes

To die, especially to be murdered and have


your body disposed of, often in a body of
water. (See also "sleep with the fishes"). It's
presumed to be a bit of Mafia jargon.

swim with sharks; swim


with the sharks

To take a huge risk

sword of Damocles

Alludes to a myth in which a man who resented


the ruling classes was invited to dine with a
sword perilously suspended over his head
in order to experience life as they do. The
Sword of Damocles refers to the insecurity
felt by those with great power due to the
possibility of that power being taken away
suddenly, or, more generally, any feeling of
impending doom.

(the) tail that wags the dog

The reversal of a normal control-reaction


relationship. Often used in reference to
relationships of authority and subjugation.
Normally a dog wags its tail, not the other
way around. To have misplaced priorities,
with the less important part controlling the
main thing. See also: put the cart before the
horse.

take a flyer

To take a chance or risk.

take a hike

To go away.

take a powder

To leave. Especially: to leave unexpectedly and


without a firm (or any) intention to return.
Often used to describe the actions of a man
who abandons family or other obligations
when conditions no longer suit him

take five; take ten

Pause, take a short or break, as of five (or ten)


minutes. (OED: "US Colloquial", from
1929[1]; ADHI[2]

take it easy
Don't hurry, proceed at a comfortable place,
relax; also used as a farewell statement in

the same way as "good bye."

take it on the chin

Accept a difficult situation without


complaining.

take it or leave it

Accept or reject unconditionally.

take the mickey; take the


piss (out of someone)

Making fun (of someone).

take the edge off


something

To slightly diminish the effects of something.


E.g "She ate a biscuit to take the edge off
her hunger."

take the shine off


something

To diminish the merits of something. E.g. "The


boring speeches at the end of the dinner
took the shine off the evening."

take the wind out of


somebody's sails

To render someone's argument useless, or to


make their efforts useless.

take to the cleaners

Defrauded, robbed, cheated, conned.

teach an old dog new tricks

To change longstanding habits, especially in a


person who of an older generation.
References the difficulty of changing one's
ways in an ever-changing society.

tee many martoonies

Humorous spoonerism to indicate alcoholinduced intoxication ("too many martinis")

tell it to the marines

"I do not believe what you said." Originated


among British sailors circa 1800, who
believed marines to be stupid and
gullible(AHDI). Also tell it to Sweeney.

tempest in a teapot

see storm in a teacup.

thank God it's Friday,


thank goodness it's Friday

Used to express happiness that that the normal


work week (Monday through Friday) is
over and the time of rest on the weekend is
at hand. Abbreviated TGIF

the cat's mother

Used to describe somebody (usually female)


who has an unjustifiably high opinion of
themselves, as in, "Who's she, the cat's
mother?"

to test the waters

To try something in a small amount with


caution to then judge whether to go in fully
or not at all.

that's all she wrote

There is nothing more to be said on the subject.

that ship has sailed

That opportunity has passed.

the jig is up

Some activity that was supposed to remain


secret (implied to be illegal, immoral or
otherwise prohibited activity) is now
exposed.

the more things change,


the more they stay the
same

Despite the appearance of change, there is little


fundamental difference between the past

and the present.

the powers that be

Generic term for people who are in charge.


Often used either derisively or when the
actual people are not known. Usually
capitalized.

the real McCoy

The genuine article; the real thing; not an


imitation or fake. Generally used in
reference to a person or object.

There but for the grace of


God go I.

That could have been me. Attributed to John


Bradford.

thin on the ground

To be quite rare.

third rail

A topic or issue of such contention or


sensitivity that any attempt to address it
will result in deleterious consequences for
those who attempt to do so. From the
electrified third rail used to power many
subway systems, the touching of which will
result in death. (Example: Social Security
reform is the third rail of American politics,
anyone who brings it up is likely to find
himself out of office)

thirty-thousand foot view

Alternately, the five-thousand foot view, tenthousand foot view, fifty-thousand foot
view, etc. Used to mean "speaking in
general terms", but often used as a handwaving generalization when the user isn't
able to discuss specifics. The landscape
view out of the window of a commercial
aircraft at cruising altitude.

this is not your father's


____

Despite similarities, there is a fundamental


difference between the past and the present
subject; usually implying a favorable
updating. From an ad campaign for
Oldsmobile in the 1980s

three sheets to the wind

Drunk, usually heavily inebriated. 'Sheets' are


ropes used to attach a sail; if three of them
are unattached ('to the wind'), the sail will
not sit correctly and the ship will lurch and
wobble

throw caution to the wind

To act without forethought.

throw down the gauntlet

To challenge

throw in the towel

To give up a fight, argument or conflict and to


admit defeat, taken from boxing

throw into the frying pan

To place someone with woefully insufficient


training into a serious predicament, and
assuming he will adapt to the situation.

(to) throw or toss


[something] in.

To do something that causes a process to be


hindered or stopped completely
throw a wrench in;
throw a wrench in something;
throw a wrench into;
throw a wrench into something;
throw a monkey wrench in;
throw a monkey wrench in something;
throw a monkey wrench into;
throw a monkey wrench into something;
toss a wrench in;

toss a wrench in something;


toss a wrench into;
toss a wrench into something;
toss a monkey wrench in;
toss a monkey wrench in something;
toss a monkey wrench into;
toss a monkey wrench into something;
throw a spanner in the
works

To do something that causes a process to be


hindered or stopped completely.

throw out the baby with


the bath water

To discard something of value with something


useless.

throw the book at


(someone/me/you/him/her/
them etc.).

Prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law or


receive the most severe punishment.

throw the game; throw the


match; throw the fight

To intentionally lose the game/match/fight.

thumb up one's ass

Expression of a lack of something industrious


to do, i.e., "He was standing around with
his thumb up his ass."

'til the cows come home

For a long time. Alludes to when the cows


return to the byre for milking.

(like) tits on a bull, or "as


useless as tits on a bull"

Utterly useless. This comes from the fact that


the male bulls possess breasts that do not
lactate, like their counterparts, the female
cows (i.e. The "tits" are not used on a bull
because bulls do not produce milk.) "Tits"
is slang for "breasts."

too busy fighting alligators


to drain the swamp

Too busy dealing with tactical items to make


progress on strategic aims.

too many chiefs and not


enough Indians

Too many people in a situation are assuming a


leadership role without enough people
taking on the subservient/working roles.

too many to shake a stick


at

A very large amount.

too many cooks in the


kitchen; too many cooks
spoil the broth/soup; too
many skippers sink the
ship

Too many people crowding a situation are


bound to ruin it; alternately, consulting a
large number of people for a solution will
inevitably result in confusing or selfcontradictory advice.

to the letter; to the "T"

To interpret and follow instructions or rules in


as literal a manner as possible, doing
nothing that one is not explicitly instructed
or told to do, often deliberately ignoring the
implicit meaning of those instructions or
rules. To follow the letter of the law to the
detriment of the spirit in which it was
written.

to turn turtle

To capsize

tongue in cheek

To speak in irony only half seriously.

touch base

To briefly communicate with someone in order


to ascertain that a shared situation or
project is proceeding as it should.

touched water
A boat has been launched on a body of water.

toot your own horn; blow


your own trumpet

To brag about oneself, often downplaying the


contributions of others.

toe the line or toe the mark

To follow rules and regulations faithfully. To be


careful to never commit any transgressions.
To conform, particularly to conform to
onerous or odious demands through loyalty.
Frequently used pejoratively in reference to
politicians who conform to their party's
policy on an issue despite their stated
personal beliefs ("toe the party line").
(ADHI[3]; OED cites "toe the mark", an
American usage, to 1813; earliest British
usage "toe...a tolerable line", 1826.[4]

(to) tread water

Sustaining the present situation, neither


improving or worsening. Usually used to
denote a negative situation or achieving the
bare minimum above defeat. A person
working very hard at his job but never
receiving promotion would be "treading
water."

trip the light fantastic

To dance nimbly.

turn the tables

To change a situation so that someone's


position is the opposite of what it was.

turnabout's fair play "or"


turn-about is fair play

Basically, another expression about karma,


similar to "What goes around, comes
around".

turnip truck
in various constructions refers to extreme

naivete: "born yesterday on a turnip truck"


"came to town by turnip truck" etc.

twenty-four seven

Always; at all times. From 24 hours in a day,


seven days in a week.

two a penny; ten a penny

Very common, cheap, not special. Similar in


meaning to the USA's 'a dime a dozen'.

like two peas in a pod

To bear a close resemblance.

ugly duckling

An ugly or unpromising individual who grows


into an attractive or talented person.
Alludes to Hans Christian Andersen's fairy
tale, The Ugly Duckling, about a cygnet
hatched with ducklings that is despised for
its clumsiness until it grows up into a
beautiful swan.

under someone's spell

Fascinated or influenced by someone. Derives


from the literal meaning of spell.

under the impression

Thinking, assuming, or believing something.

under the weather

Feeling ill

under wraps

Kept secret or hidden

underwater basket weaving

Any college course that is extremely easy or


pointless; used to comment on the
"degredation" of the educational system

university of life

The (sometimes painful) education one gets


from life, often contrasted with formal
education.

until the cows come home

For a long time

up a creek; up shit creek;


up a creek without a
paddle

In an untenable position. Having no recourse or


satisfactory course of action. Or "Up a
creek with a hole in the boat". Being in a
particularly bad situation can often be
described as being "up shit creek, in a
barbed wire canoe, without a paddle".

up for grabs

Available for anyone

up to eleven

As high, loud, or powerful as possible...and


then some. One more than the standard
'ten'. From the famous mockumentary This
Is Spinal Tap

up to one's neck

neck-deep: deeply involved; "neck-deep in


work"; "up to their necks in debt"

up the duff

Pregnant

use one's head

To think, to have common sense

up the ante

To increase the stakes, or to generally increase


something, such as "John had to up the ante
to get his new promotion".

vale of tears
A symbolic "valley of tears"; meaning the

world and the sorrows felt through life. The


phrase implies that wickedness makes the
world sad and dark.
valley of death

Death or a place and period of death.

vertically challenged

A short person.

virgin territory

Land that has never been explored or


developed.

vote with one's feet

To show a lack of support for something by


departing or otherwise absenting oneself.

waka-jumping

Used to describe elected politicians that


transfer allegiance from one political party
to another.

wake up on the wrong side


of the bed

Be very grumpy. Usually used in response to


discovering someone is very grumpy.
"Whoa! Looks like you woke up on the
wrong side of the bed today!"

walk the talk; walk one's


talk

To do what one said one could do, or would do


-- not just making "empty promises".
Variant of "walk the walk", arising out of
challenge: "You talk the talk, but can you
walk the walk?" To walk one's talk is to be
innocent of hypocrisy.

walk the walk


To prove oneself capable of following through
with deeds and performance, so that one's
claims may be seen not to have been mere

idle boast. "You talk the talk, but can you


walk the walk?"

walk on eggshells

wash one's hands of


something

An idiomatic expression used to convey


sensitivity in conversations. Originating
from expressions such as "walking on thin
ice.". 1800 Old English usage of eggshells
being easily broken.

To remove oneself from taking any further part


in some endeavour, or to take no further
responsibility for something. Alludes to the
actions of Pontius Pilate as described in
Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he
could prevail nothing, but that rather a
tumult was made, he took water, and
washed his hands before the multitude,
saying, I am innocent of the blood of this
just person: see ye to it. -- Matthew 27:24
King James Version, italics added}. [[Note
that this was actually a Jewish custom, not
a Roman one - see Ablution in the Hebrew
Bible. However, the fact that this was a
Jewish custom and not a Roman one does
not necessarily discredit the possibility of
the event's historical authenticity. For
example, The Queen of Sheba ate of the
spicy food that King Solomon's court
provided in King Solomon's palace. This
means that she would have had cultural
sympathy and ate of the same type of food
that King Solomon ate; probably as a sign
of respect for the customs of his culture(see
here:
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/biblepeo
ple/a/60113-Makeda-ShebaSzczepanski.htm). It is possible that in this
particular instance Pilate was acting in a
manner of cultural sympathy, utilizing a
symbolic illustration the majority of the
members of the gathered crowd would

recognize.]].

water under the bridge

Something that has happened in the past and is


no longer worth agonizing over. A dismissal
of prior offenses or transgressions.
Generally said after emotional conflicts

weekend warrior; weekend


soldier

Used to describe people in the National


Army/Air Force Reserve. They work one
weekend a month, hence referred to as a
weekend warrior.

welch on a deal; welsh on


a deal

To not follow the terms of an agreement.


Although many Welsh people regard this
phrase as insulting towards the Welsh, the
likely etymology is the reverse, as it
apparently refers to the poor behaviour of
King Edward I of England who refused to
honour a treaty (the Treaty of Montgomery
(1267)) concluded by his father (Henry
III)with Llywelyn ap Gruffydd.

wet behind the ears

Inexperienced because of youth, practically a


newborn. A humorous exaggeration

(throw a) wet blanket


(on...)

When someone is said to be a wet blanket, that


person is known for taking the fun out of
things, or for bringing down the mood by
unwillingness to participate or negativity.
Similarly, to throw a wet blanket on, is to
purposely bring to cessation an activity,
event or practice. Taken from the idea that
throwing a wet blanket on a fire will
deaden if not extinguish the fire.

what is coming down the


pike

Events or happenings expected to come to pass

in the near future


what goes around, comes
around

If a person does something bad, something bad


will eventually happen to him. See: karma

what's good for the goose


is good for the gander; or
(chiefly UK)
(What's) sauce for the
goose is sauce for the
gander;

This expression demands equal treatment or


equal sharing of a burden. It often (but not
always) refers to equal treatment regardless
of gender. See: "You can't make fish of one
and fowl of the other."
Or, what you've had or put up with can
equally well be had or put up with by me or
somebody else.
Alternatively, you shouldn't complain about
getting what you gave others (e.g., things,
treatment, etc.). See "what goes around,
comes around" above.

when Hell freezes over

Unlikely to occur, or impossible to occur (see


"(a) snowball's chance in Hell".)

when in doubt, leave it out

When unsure about something, leave it out.

when pigs fly

Variation of "when Hell freezes over"

when in Rome; when in


Rome, do as the Romans
do

To follow the majority when one is in a strange


place or confused.

1. When you are getting nowhere fast. Opposite


of when the 'rubber hits the road'.
wheels spinning

2. To think concretely, systematically and


firmly (as in "the wheels are spinning in
my/his/her mind".)

when the gloves are off

After the polite negotiations have failed, when


false posturing is no longer plausible.
Similar to 'when the chips are down' or
'when push comes to shove'

when Old Nick's wearing


iceskates

Never, or at least a very long time. 'Old Nick' is


the Devil, so the phrase alludes to Hell
freezing over.

where is Bucky, and what


has he HAD?

To question an unknown or perplexing


circumstance, particularly the erratic
behavior of an individual.

where there's smoke,


there's fire

If there is telltale evidence of some event, the


event is probably occurring. A form of: no
smoke without fire.

whistle Dixie

Being unrealistically optimistic. Alternative


variation: "whistling Dixie".

(To) whistle in the dark

To speak of something despite having little


knowledge of it.

(To) whistle past the


graveyard

1. To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire


situation; To proceed with a task, ignoring
an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good
outcome.
2. To enter a situation with little or no
understanding of the possible
consequences.

(the) whole kit and


caboodle

Everything. The (entire) lot. All of it or all of


something. (Alternative spelling "whole kit
and kaboodle.") (The k or c in c/kaboodle

may sometimes be capitolized.) The word


"caboodle" has a complicated history. Its
been spelt throughout the years in many
different ways, and is now typically listed
in most dictionaries with an initial c. It
means a collection of objects, sometimes of
people. The phrase "the whole caboodle"
meaning the whole lot is sometimes used
as an alternative. Its recorded in the USA
from the middle of the nineteenth century.
Its probable that the word was originally
"boodle", with the phrase being "the whole
kit and boodle", but that the initial k
sound was added to "boodle" for euphony.
"Boodle" is familiar as the relatively
modern USA word for money illegally
obtained, particularly linked to bribery and
corruption. This is usually suggested as
coming from the Dutch "boedel" which
means inheritance, household effects;
possessions. But its uncertain whether its
the same word as the one in the phrase "the
whole kit and boodle" or if the word
"boodle" in that phrase comes from another
origin. Some writers suggest the latter
comes from the English "buddle", meaning
"a bundle or bunch" (closely connected
with bindle, as in the North American
bindlestiff for a tramp).
(the) whole nine yards
The entire amount, everything. Frequently
"Going the whole nine yards" to indicate
completion to surfeit, sparing nothing, or
employing procedures reserved for only the
most important events. The etymology is
ambiguous, with explanations ranging from
the 9 yard machine gun belts used in some
WWII military aircraft to an older use of 9
yards in the textile industry for
ceremonious saris, normal saris comprising
only 6 yards, dating back to English
introduction to Indian tailoring in the 18th

century.
Another explanation is that the term is a
sarcastic reference to American football,
where ten yards is the length of a first
down. With running nine yards being no
real achievement, to say that someone ran
'the whole nine yards' would be to say that
they almost achieved something. Like
many words with ambiguous etymology,
this phrase may have more than one
derivation.[1]

wild-goose chase

To send someone on a task that is impossible or


completely irrelevant as a distraction to
keep them occupied, out of your way, or
away from something else.

window dressing

To disguise something, by words or actions, in


such a way as to hide one's real nature or
intent.

(to) window shop

To admire goods at a retail store without


actually buying them.

word up
I understand, I agree, I concur, I approve, I
know. This expression is actually a trope
(specifically a synecdoche) (not an idiom),
because the term "word" is used
colloquially to refer to "speech", and "up"
is used figuratively to emphasize one's
sympathetic feelings toward the speech.
However, despite this, the phrase is often
referred to as an idiom. This phrase shows
one's complete acknowledgement (in some
fashion) of another's words or statements.
Sometimes shortened to merely "word".
Alternative meanings: "Hello.";

"Greetings."; "Listen!"; "Pay attention!";


"How are you?"

(to) work one's arse off

Work especially hard and energetically, e.g.


"We worked our arses off to get this project
done." See: X one's Y off.

(to) work one's tail off;


work one's butt off;

USA equivalent of the above. See: X one's Y


off.

work one's fingers to the


bone.

Work especially hard, usually for an extended


period.

(The) worm has turned

Circumstances have changed.

(If) worst (worse) comes to


worst

If the least favorable thing happens; if the


worst actually occurs.

wrestling blancmange

Attempting to grapple with a hard to grasp or


almost insoluble issue

writing on the wall; or


handwriting on the wall

Ominous signals of impending disaster, or of


one's own unpleasant fate. "To see the
(hand)writing..." is to note those signals
and be prepared to act accordingly. AHDI
lists both usages[2], MW only
"handwriting..."[3]. OED[4] and ODI[5]
both list "writing..." (although ODI
mentions "handwriting" as a "North
American variant"), and cite its origin in
the Bible at Daniel 5:5 and 5:25-28, in
which King Belshazzar of Babylon sees a
ghostly hand writing on the wall, and the
prophet Daniel interprets it to mean that he
would lose his kingdom to the Medes and

Persians[6]

(The) wrong end of the


stick

The wrong idea about something, often in the


phrase "get (a hold of) the wrong end of the
stick". AHDI cites an origin in the 1400s as
"worse end of the staff", referring to
holding a walking stick upside-down; it
evolved to its current phraseology in the
late 1800s[7].

(the) X factor

Unknown and/or unforeseeable circumstances

X marks the spot

Used in locating something

for XYZ reasons

For reasons unknown and not worth


speculating on.

XYZ

Examine your zipper. This expression is a slang


rough acronym (initialism). The X stands
for the sound of the "ex" in examine
resembling the phonetic sound for the letter
X in the English alphabet. The other
components, the Y and Z are accurate as Y
is the first letter of "your" and Z is the first
letter of "zipper." (This refers to one
finding embarrasment that they have
forgetten to zip up their trousers.)

year in, year out

Regularly as in every year, annually

to be yella;to be yellow

To be cowardly. To call someone yella/yellow


is understood to question their bravery
AND integrity.

you can lead a horse to


water but you can't make it
drink

Even favorable circumstances won't force one


to do something one doesn't want to

you can say that again

To agree completely with what was previously


communicated

you can't make an omelette


without breaking some
eggs

Sacrifices are required to achieve goals.

you can't make fish of one


and fowl of the other

You have to treat people equally.

you know
(what/where/who/when)

To be aware, to understand what one is


communicating about. Sometimes used in
oral speech as a conversation filler.

young at heart

Having a youthful outlook at an advanced age

your guess is as good as


mine

Not knowing any more than the other person

yours truly

A self-reference, from a common salutation at


the end of a letter.

zero in on

To take aim or focus on an exact location; to


converge on. The phrase comes from
adjusting a sighting mechanism to the zero
point.

zig when one should zag

To misstep or err.

zip one's lip


To stop talking; to be quiet. Variant: "zip it"

(used as an imperative to tell another to be


quiet) Examples: "zip your lip", "he was
going to tell all, but fortunately he zipped
his lip."
zonk out

To fall suddenly into a very deep sleep.

1000 basic English words


This list originally was copied from Wikipedia:simple:Wikipedia:List of 1000 basic words. All
listed nouns are in the singular form only. All listed verbs are infinitive except for irregular verbs
(e.g. to be).
List may be useful to teachers of English as a second language or for teachers or parents of
young children learning to read and spell. Various writers may also find this list useful.
A
a, about, above, across, act, active, activity, add, afraid, after, again, age, ago, agree, air, all,
alone, along, already, always, am, amount, an, and, angry, another, answer, any, anyone,
anything, anytime, appear, apple, are, area, arm, army, around, arrive, art, as, ask, at, attack, aunt,
autumn, away.
B
baby, base, back, bad, bag, ball, bank, basket, bath, be, bean, bear, beautiful, beer, bed, bedroom,
behave, before, begin, behind, bell, below, besides, best, better, between, big, bird, birth,
birthday, bit, bite, black, bleed, block, blood, blow, blue, board, boat, body, boil, bone, book,
border, born, borrow, both, bottle, bottom, bowl, box, boy, branch, brave, bread, break,
breakfast, breathe, bridge, bright, bring, brother, brown, brush, build, burn, business, bus, busy,
but, buy, by.
C

cake, call, can, candle, cap, car, card, care, careful, careless, carry, case, cat, catch, central,
century, certain, chair, chance, change, chase, cheap, cheese, chicken, child, children, chocolate,
choice, choose, circle, city, class, clever, clean, clear, climb, clock, cloth, clothes, cloud, cloudy,
close, coffee, coat, coin, cold, collect, colour, comb, come, comfortable, common, compare,
complete, computer, condition, continue, control, cook, cool, copper, corn, corner, correct, cost,
contain, count, country, course, cover, crash, cross, cry, cup, cupboard, cut.
D
dance, dangerous, dark, daughter, day, dead, decide, decrease, deep, deer, depend, desk, destroy,
develop, die, different, difficult, dinner, direction, dirty, discover, dish, do, dog, door, double,
down, draw, dream, dress, drink, drive, drop, dry, duck, dust, duty.
E
each, ear, early, earn, earth, east, easy, eat, education, effect, egg, eight, either, electric, elephant,
else, empty, end, enemy, enjoy, enough, enter, equal, entrance, escape, even, evening, event,
ever, every, everyone, exact, everybody, examination, example, except, excited, exercise, expect,
expensive, explain, extremely, eye.
F
face, fact, fail, fall, false, family, famous, far, farm, father, fast, fat, fault, fear, feed, feel, female,
fever, few, fight, fill, film, find, fine, finger, finish, fire, first, fit, five, fix, flag, flat, float, floor,
flour, flower, fly, fold, food, fool, foot, football, for, force, foreign, forest, forget, forgive, fork,
form, fox, four, free, freedom, freeze, fresh, friend, friendly, from, front, fruit, full, fun, funny,
furniture, further, future.
G
game, garden, gate, general, gentleman, get, gift, give, glad, glass, go, goat, god, gold, good,
goodbye, grandfather, grandmother, grass, grave, great, green, grey, ground, group, grow, gun.
H
hair, half, hall, hammer, hand, happen, happy, hard, hat, hate, have, he, head, healthy, hear,
heavy, hello, help, heart, heaven, height, help, hen, her, here, hers, hide, high, hill, him, his, hit,
hobby, hold, hole, holiday, home, hope, horse, hospital, hot, hotel, house, how, hundred, hungry,
hour, hurry, husband, hurt.
I
I, ice, idea, if, important, in, increase, inside, into, introduce, invent, iron, invite, is, island, it, its.
J

jelly, job, join, juice, jump, just.


K
keep, key, kill, kind, king, kitchen, knee, knife, knock, know.
L
ladder, lady, lamp, land, large, last, late, lately, laugh, lazy, lead, leaf, learn, leave, leg, left, lend,
length, less, lesson, let, letter, library, lie, life, light, like, lion, lip, list, listen, little, live, lock,
lonely, long, look, lose, lot, love, low, lower, luck.
M
machine, main, make, male, man, many, map, mark, market, marry, matter, may, me, meal,
mean, measure, meat, medicine, meet, member, mention, method, middle, milk, million, mind,
minute, miss, mistake, mix, model, modern, moment, money, monkey, month, moon, more,
morning, most, mother, mountain, mouth, move, much, music, must, my.
N
name, narrow, nation, nature, near, nearly, neck, need, needle, neighbour, neither, net, never,
new, news, newspaper, next, nice, night, nine, no, noble, noise, none, nor, north, nose, not,
nothing, notice, now, number.
O
obey, object, ocean, of, off, offer, office, often, oil, old, on, one, only, open, opposite, or, orange,
order, other, our, out, outside, over, own.
P
page, pain, paint, pair, pan, paper, parent, park, part, partner, party, pass, past, path, pay, peace,
pen, pencil, people, pepper, per, perfect, period, person, petrol, photograph, piano, pick, picture,
piece, pig, pin, pink, place, plane, plant, plastic, plate, play, please, pleased, plenty, pocket, point,
poison, police, polite, pool, poor, popular, position, possible, potato, pour, power, present, press,
pretty, prevent, price, prince, prison, private, prize, probably, problem, produce, promise, proper,
protect, provide, public, pull, punish, pupil, push, put.
Q
queen, question, quick, quiet, quite.
R

radio, rain, rainy, raise, reach, read, ready, real, really, receive, record, red, remember, remind,
remove, rent, repair, repeat, reply, report, rest, restaurant, result, return, rice, rich, ride, right,
ring, rise, road, rob, rock, room, round, rubber, rude, rule, ruler, run, rush.
S
sad, safe, sail, salt, same, sand, save, say, school, science, scissors, search, seat, second, see,
seem, sell, send, sentence, serve, seven, several, sex, shade, shadow, shake, shape, share, sharp,
she, sheep, sheet, shelf, shine, ship, shirt, shoe, shoot, shop, short, should, shoulder, shout, show,
sick, side, signal, silence, silly, silver, similar, simple, single, since, sing, sink, sister, sit, six,
size, skill, skin, skirt, sky, sleep, slip, slow, smoke, small, smell, smile, smoke, snow, so, soap,
sock, soft, some, someone, something, sometimes, son, soon, sorry, sound, soup, south, space,
speak, special, speed, spell, spend, spoon, sport, spread, spring, square, stamp, stand, star, start,
station, stay, steal, steam, step, still, stomach, stone, stop, store, storm, story, strange, street,
strong, structure, student, study, stupid, subject, substance, successful, such, sudden, sugar,
suitable, summer, sun, sunny, support, sure, surprise, sweet, swim, sword.
T
table, take, talk, tall, taste, taxi, tea, teach, team, tear, telephone, television, tell, ten, tennis,
terrible, test, than, that, the, their, then, there, therefore, these, thick, thin, thing, think, third, this,
though, threat, three, tidy, tie, title, to, today, toe, together, tomorrow, tonight, too, tool, tooth,
top, total, touch, town, train, tram, travel, tree, trouble, true, trust, twice, try, turn, type.
U
uncle, under, understand, unit, until, up, use, useful, usual, usually.
V
vegetable, very, village, voice, visit.
W
wait, wake, walk, want, warm, wash, waste, watch, water, way, we, weak, wear, weather,
wedding, week, weight, welcome, well, west, wet, what, wheel, when, where, which, while,
white, who, why, wide, wife, wild, will, win, wind, window, wine, winter, wire, wise, wish, with,
without, woman, wonder, word, work, world, worry, worst, write, wrong
Y
year, yes, yesterday, yet, you, young, your.
Z

zero, zoo.
See also

You might also like