IDIOMS AND PHRASES

FAMOUS IDIOMS AND PHRASES

• Above all (chiefly, mainly)
• On Account of (due to, for the reason)
• On no account (not for any reason)
• Above board (honest, beyond reproach)
• To give a good account of oneself (to act with credit to oneself)
• A fidus Achates (a faithful friend)
• The heel of Achilles (a week point)
• An Adonis (a very handsome man)
• To build castles in the air (To day dream)
• To assume airs (to affect superiority)
• To air one’s opinions (to give vent to one’s feeling in public)
• To stand aloof (To keep to oneself and not mix with others)
• To lead to the altar (to marry)
• An Amazon (a warlike masculine woman)
• An Ananias (a liar)
• An Apollo (a man with perfect physique)
• The apple of discord (cause of quarrel)
• To upset the apple cart (to disturb the peace)
• Apple pie order (in perfect order)
• Arcadian life (a blissful ,happy , rural and simple life)
• To keep a person at an arm’s length (to avoid and keep distance from a person)
• To take up arms ( to fight , to go to war)
• To have an axe to grind ( to have some selfish objective in view)
• Not to know a B from a bull’s foot ( to be ignorant of even the simplest things)
• A Babel (a confused noise)
• To break the back of any thing(to perform the most difficult part of it)
• To get one’s back up (to rouse one’s anger)
• To backbite a person (to slander or speak ill of someone)
• He has no backbone (he has no will of his own)
• To cause bad blood (to cause enmity)
• Bag and baggage (with all one’s belongings)
• To keep the ball rolling ( to keep things going0
• Baptism of fire ( a soldier’s first experience of actual war)
• To call to the bar (to admit as a barrister)
• Barmecide’s feast ( imaginary benefits)
• To beat about the bush (to approach a matter in an indirect and round about manner)
• To be dead beat (worn out by fatigue)
• Bed and board (lodging and food )
• As you make your bed, so must lie on it (you will have to bear the consequences of your crimes or your own mistakes or misdeeds)
• To take to one’s bed (to have to be confined to bed as a result of sickness)
• Bee- line (the shortest distance between two places)
• To go a –begging (to be sold very cheaply because no one cares to buy)
• Behind one’s back (without one’s Knowledge)
• Behind the scenes (in private, out of sight)
• To bell the cat (to undertake a dangerous task and the enemy is common)
• To hit below the belt (to act unfairly in a contest)
• His better half (a man’s wife)
• A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush (certainty is better then possibility)
• An old bird is not to be caught with chaff (experienced people are not easily fooled or deceived)
• To take the bit between one’s teeth (to get out of control)
• To bite the dust (to be defeated in battle)
• The biter bit (to cheat the cheater)
• His bark was worse than his bite (he usually makes a lot of vain verbal threats)
• A wet Blanket (a person who is a discourage)
• In cold Blood (deliberately)
• Blood is thicker than water (One usually takes the side of ones relation against another who is not one’s own blood)
• To blow hot and cold (to do one think at one time and the opposite soon after)
• A blue stocking (a learned woman)
• Once in a blue moon (a very rare occurrence)
• Blue ribbon (the highest prize in any sport competition)
• At first Blush (at first sight)
• In the same boat (in the same misfortune or circumstances)
• A bolt from the blue (a sudden )
• A bone of contention (a cause of dispute)
• A Book-worm (a person always poring over books)
• By leaps and bounds (with remarkable speed)
• Breach of promise (failure to keep a promise to marry one of whom you are betrothed)
• One’s bread and butter (one’s means of livelihood)
• His bread is well butter (he is in fortunate circumstance)
• The bread winner (one who provides the means of livelihood for himself and his family)
• To Break in (to tame, to control in a gentle manner)
• To break the news (to reveal something pleasant in a gentle manner)
• To break the ice (to be the first to begin)
• To breadth one’s last (to die)
• To breadth freely again (to be no longer in a fear or anxiety)
• To make bricks without straw (to attempt to do something without proper materials or due preparations)
• Never cross the Bridge until you come to it (don’t anticipate difficulties
• It is an broad as it is long (it is the same whichever way you view it)
• To brow beat (to bully)
• To kick the bucket (to die)
• John bull (an Englishman)
• To burry the hatchet (to forget past quarrels and be friends again)
• Good wine needs no bush (there is no need to advertise something good)
• To raise cain (to rebuke severely)
• To take the cake (to take the first prize)
• To burn the candle at both ends (to expend energy in two directions at the same time)
• If the cap fits, wear it (if you think the remarks refer to you)
• Capitan punishment (the death sentence or penalty)
• To put the cart before the horse (to do first what ought to be done afterwards)
• To let the cat out of the bag (to expose the trick)
• To fight like cats and dog (to be always quarrelling and fighting)
• Care killed the cat (don’t fret and worry yourself to death)
• See which way the cat jumps (sit on fence)
• To rain cats and dogs (to rain incessantly)
• He is a cat’s paw (one used as a to something dangerous)
• To Catch one’s eye (to attract attention)
• To take the chair (to preside a meeting)
• She is no chicken (she is older than she says)
• Chicken hearted (weak, timid)
• Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched (don’t calculate your gains before they are realized)
• A chip of the old block (a son resembling his father in face disposition, habits etc.)
• Hobson’s choice (no alterative)
• To pick and choose (to make a careful selection)
• Every cloud has a silver lining (adverse conditions do not last for ever)
• To square the circle (to attempt something impossible)
• Close fisted (mean)
• To have one’s head in the cloud (to live in dreamland)
• To carry coals to New castle (to do any thing superfluous)
• Cut your cloth according to your cloth (live within your income)
• A cock and bull story (a foolishly incredible story)
• To be cock sure (to be absolutely certain)
• To throw cold water upon anything (to discourage effort)
• Off color (not in the usual form)
• To came off with flying color (to succeed brilliantly)
• To commit to memory (to learn by heart)
• Too many cooks spoil the broth (when there are more worpkers than necessary)
• To send to Coventry (to boycott)
• An admirable Crichton (a very talented person)
• Crocodile tears (hypocritical tears)
• By hook or by crook (by fair or foul means)
• As the crow flies (in a direct line)
• To take up the cudgels (to champion or flight for someone)
• To curry favour (to seek favour by flattery)
• Cut and dried (ready made)
• To cut a dash (to make an impression)
• To be at daggers drawn (to be deadly enemies)
• A dare-devil (a fearless, reckless man)
• Up to date (recent, modern)
• Out of date (obsolete)
• Evil days (a period of misfortune)
• Halcyon days (A time when there is peace and happiness in the land)
• To step into dead man’s shoes (to come into an inheritance)
• To give the devil his due (give a person credit for his good qualities however worthless he may be)
• Go to the devil (be off)
• Devil’s playthings (playing cards)
• Devil’s bones (dice)
• To be between the devil and the deep sea (to be faced with two dangerous situations, each of which is to be dreaded as much as the other)
• To be on the horns of dilemma (to in such a position that it is difficult to decide what to do)
• Give a dog a bad name and hang him (once a person loses his reputation)
• To be a dog in the manger (to prevent others from using what one can’t use oneself )
• Every dog has his day (sooner or later, every one has his share of good fortune)
• To be in the doldrums (to be in low spirits, to be out of spirits)
• Ups and downs (varying fortunes; changes and chances of life)
• To throw dust in one’s eyes (to try to deceive some one )
• Dutch courage (bravery induced by alcoholic liquors)
• Eagle –eye (quick to discover; very discerning )
• A bad egg (a worthless person)
• Don’t put your eggs in one basket (Don’t stake all your money on a single industry)
• A white elephant (a useless possession which is extremely expensive to keep )
• At the eleventh hour (at the last moment)
• To make both ends meet (to keep expenses within one’s income)
• An eye for an eye(tit for tat to return evil for evil ;retaliate
• Bad faith (dishonest intentions)
• A breach of faith (to act contrary to what one had professed)
• To fall out (to quarrel)
• To fall through (fail)
• Birds of a feather flock together (people of similar tastes and dis- positions crave each other’s company)
• To set the Thames on fire (to do something sensational or remarkable)
• A burnt child dreads the fire (one who has had a previous unpleasant experience is always scared of situations where such experience are likely to be repeated)
• A fish out of water (anyone in an awkward)
• Other fish to fry (more important business to attend to)
• By fits and starts (spasmodically)
• Foul play (cheating)
• To jump from a frying pan into fire (to come out of one trouble and get into a worse)
• To gain ground (to make progress in any undertaking)
• To play to the gallery (to endeavour to gain cheap popularity)
• To give up the ghost (to die)
• Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones (people who do not live blameless lives should not find fault with others)
• All that glitters is not gold (things are not always as attractive as they appears)
• A good for nothing (a worth less person)
• A good Samaritan (a friend in need)
• A wild goose chase (a vain attempt)
• To kill the goose that laid the golden egg (to lose a valuable source of income though greed)
• To cut a Gordian knot (to solve a difficult problem by adopting bold and drastic measures)
• From hand to hand (from one person to another)
• Hard and fast rules (strict rules)
• Hard to hearing (almost deaf )
• Back in harness (to resume work after a holiday)
• To die in harness (to continue at one’s occupation until death)
• More haste less speed (work done hurriedly is apt to be badly done)
• Make hay while the sun shines (take advantage of all opportunities)
• To be in hot water (to be in trouble or difficulty)
• To eat an humble pie (to submit oneself to humiliation and insult)
• To kiss the book (to take an oath in a produce or commodities)
• To kiss the dust (to be defeated in battle)
• A laconic speech (a concise)
• To look to one’s laurels (to take care not to lose one’s place)
• To win laurels (to gain distinction or glory in s contest)
• To smell of the lamp (to show signs of strenuous preparation for an examination or a speech etc)
• Look before you leap (think before action)
• To stand on one’s own legs (to depend entirely on one’s own resources)
• To give the lie to (to prove to be false)
• To bring to light (to reveal)
• A Lilliputian (a pygmy)
• The lion’s share (the largest part)
• Lock, stock and barrel (the whole of everything)
• A Martinet (a very strict disciplinarian)
• A miss is as good as a mile (comes nowhere near it)
• To move heaven and earth (to exert all efforts)
• To hit the nail on the head (to mention the true facts of a case)
• A stitch in time saves nine (If we give our attention to the little details of life)
• In a nutshell (Summed up in a few words)
• Out of temper (angry)
• To pick to pieces (to analyses critically)
• The proof of the pudding is in eating (people are judged by their actions)
• To put down a person (to degrade or humiliate a person)
• To make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear (to attempt to accomplish great things with inferior materials)
• Pyrrhic victory (a victory that is as costly as defeat)
• To be like a drowned rat (to be soaking wet)
• Red flag (the symbol of revolution)
• To be caught red-handed (to be caught in the very act of committing a crime)
• Red letter-day (a memorable day)
• Red tape (a team used to describe the delay in attending to matters in government department because the official routine and formality)
• Rome was not built in a day (it takes time to accomplish anything really worthwhile)
• To be between Scylla and Charybdis (to be faced with two dangerous alternatives)
• To see daylight (to begin to understand)
• A close shave (a narrow escape)
• A skeleton in the cupboard / the family skeleton (a dreadful domestic secret)
• By the skin of the teeth (very narrowly)
• A snake in the grass (an enemy who strikes under cover)
• A Spartan life (a life of extreme self discipline)
• To call a spade a spade (to be brutally frank)
• A rolling stone gathers no moss (unstable people never achieve anything worthwhile)
• One swallow does not make a summer (it is unreliable to base one’s conclusions on only a single test or incident)
• Empty vessels make the most noise (those who know or have little knowledge often shout the loudest)
• If wishes were horses, beggars might ride (if all people’s wishes came true every body would be rich)
• A nine days’ wonder (an event which relates a sensation for a time but is soon forgotten)
• Yellow press (newspapers which publish sensational and unscrupulous stories about crime, sex etc.)