American Idioms and Phrases

8/12/2019 American Idioms and Phrases

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About time:

Nearly time, high time. "It's about time you bought a new car!"

Absence makes the heart grow fonder:

Proerb that means that our feeling for those we loe increases when we are aart from

them.

#o$ act high and mighty:

#o act roudly and arrogantly.

Actions seak louder than words:

Proerb meaning that's it's better to do something about a roblem than to talk about it.

#o$ act one's age:

#o behae in a more mature way. %re&uently said to a child or teen. e. "(ill, sto throwing

rocks! Act your age!"

#o$ add fuel to the fire:#o make a bad roblem een worse.

#o$ add insult to in)ury:

#o make a bad situation een worse.

Against the clock:

#o attemt to do something "against the clock" is to attemt to do something as fast as

ossible usually before a deadline.

All*out:

+omlete. ery strong. "#hey did an all*out search for the missing boy and they found him."

All set:

-eady to go$. "All set"

All thumbs:

Awkward. +lumsy.

A little bird told me:

/hen someone says "a little bird told me" it means they don't want you to know who told

them.

All in a day's work:

#yical. Normal. 0ected. e. "#alking to famous celebrities is all in a day's work for some

1ollywood reorters."

%rom$ all walks of life:

%rom$ all social, economic, and ethnic grous. e. "Peole from all walks of life oted for



him, but he still lost the residential election."

Ale of someone's eye:

2omeone's faorite erson and sometimes thing$. e. "2arah was the ale of #om's eye

for &uite a long time. 1e was ery much in loe with her."

Armed to the teeth:

1eaily armed. e. "#he rebels were armed to the teeth."

At all hours of the night$:

ery late at night, throughout the night. e. "1er boyfriend would call her at all hours of the

night."

At each other's throats:

%ighting or arguing heaily. e. "#hey were at each other's throats. #he arguments neer

stoed."

At this stage:

At this oint. e. "At this stage, it's difficult to say who will win the election."

a$ ball*ark figure:

A rough estimate. "+an you gie me a ball*ark figure of what this ro)ect will cost"

#o get on the$ bandwagon:

#o begin to like something3start doing something because it's oular, "hi", or eeryone

else is doing it.

#o$ bank on something:

#o count or rely on something.

#o$ bark u the wrong tree:

#o ask the wrong erson. #o make the wrong choice. e. "#he gangster told the cos they

were barking u the wrong tree in thinking he was resonsible for the robbery."

(A) basket*case:

A ery nerous erson, someone at the erge of being neurotic. e. "All the stress

from the diorce turned 4ohn into a basket case."

#o$ be a fan of someone3 something:

#o like, idoli5e, admire someone3 or something. e. "I'm not a big fan of heay metal

music."

#o$ be a in one's element:

#o be comletely comfortable doing something6 #o do something that comes ery

naturally to someone. e. "/hen it comes to seaking in ublic, the 2enator is in his



element."

#o$ be u to no good:

#o be lanning something bad, mischieous, etc. e. "I could tell from the look in his

eyes that he was u to no good."

#o$ beat around the bush:

#o aoid getting to the oint. e. "2to beating around the bush and tell me what

you really think."

#o$ beg to differ:

A olite way of saying "to disagree", most often heard in the hrase "I beg to differ!"

(ehind someone$

In the ast. "I used to smoke, drink, and take drugs, but all that is behind me now."

(eliee it or not:

7sed at the beginning sentence to state that something is true whether one chooses

to beliee it or not. e. "(eliee it or not, I still care for her."

(ig fish in a little sea:

A erson who's famous3 well*known but only in an unimortant lace city or area$.

#o hae a$ big mouth:

#o not be able to kee a secret. e. "8on't tell her anything. 2he's got a really big

mouth."

(ig*shot noun3ad)ectie$:

An imortant erson. e. "All the big*shots at head&uarters neer listen to what we

hae to say."6 "A big*shot reorter."

A$ (imbo:

A foolish3emty girl. #he term "male bimbo" is also used. e. "4ohn only talks about

his car and his clothes * he's a real male bimbo."

#he$ birds and the bees:

2e. 1uman reroduction. e. "It's about time I talked to my son about the birds

and the bees."

A$ bite to eat:

A snack, some food. e. "9et's go grab a bite to eat before we go to the game."

#o$ bite the hand that feeds you:

#o do harm to someone who hels you.



#o$ bite one's tongue:

#o struggle not to say something that you want to say. e. "I wanted to tell her

eerything, but I had to bite my tongue because I had romised (ill I would not tell

her$."

(lack shee of the family$:#he worst, least acceted member of a family.

A$ (last:

A great time. A fun time. "/e had a blast at the arty last night."

#o$ blow someone's coer:

#o reeal someone's secret, or true identity. e. "#he sy was ery careful not to

blow her coer."

#o$ break een:

#o neither win nor lose. e. "ichael thought he would lose ;<==, but he ended ubreaking een."

#o$ break new ground:

#o do something that hasn't been done before. #o innoate. e. "8r. 8ais was

breaking new ground in cancer research."

#o$ break someone's heart:

#o cause someone strong$ emotional ain. e. "%iona broke 4ames' heart when she

refused to marry him."

#o$ break the news to someone3 to break "it" to someone:#o tell someone some imortant news, usually bad news. e. "I hate to be the one to

break it to you, but your wife has been cheating on you."

#o$ burst into tears:

#o start crying suddenly.

#o$ catch someone's eye:

#o get someone's attention through eye contact.

#o$ call it a day:

#o end work and go home. e. "9et's call it a day. It's getting late."

#o$ carry a tune:

#o be able to sing on key accurately$. "2he has an awful oice! 2he can't carry a tune."

#o$ cash in on something:





/hateer haens. No matter what haens.

+oycat noun or ad)ectie$

2omeone who imitates3mimics another erson Bnot really used in a ositie senseB

#o$ coer a lot of ground:#o go through a lot of information. "/e'e coered a lot of ground in my 0nglish class in the

ast two months."

#o$ coer for someone:

#o make ecuses for someone or to conceal someone's errors.

At the$ crack of dawn:

-ight at dawn when the sun comes u$. "/e left at the crack of dawn."

#o$ crash:

#o slee. #o go to bed.

#o$ cram someone's style:

#o limit someone in some way. #o limit someone from eressing themseles fully.

#o$ cry one's eyes out:

#o cry hard. e. "/hen her grandfather died, she cried her eyes out for three days straight."

#o$ cut class:

#o not go to class. #o ski going to class. "4acob was a ery bad student. 1e was always

cutting class to go smoke with his buddies."

#o$ cut loose:

#o act or seak freely, without holding back C without restraint$. "/hen the three of us

are together we really cut loose."

A$ cut aboe something$:

2uerior3 better than something$. "#he commerical said that this car comany is 'a cut

aboe the rest'."

#o$ die of boredom:

#o be ery bored.

A$ dead ringer:

A look*alike. "1e's a dead ringer for 4ude 9aw" 1e looks eatly like 4ude 9aw$.

8irt chea:

ery chea ineensie$. "#he hotel we stayed in was dirt chea, but our room was ery

nice."





dream come true."

8own in the dums:

2ad. 8eressed.

#o$ dum someone: ery informal$#o end a relationshi with someone6 to break u with someone. #o sto seeing someone

romantically$. "2he dumed me."

0arful:

a strong erbal scolding. e. "Eatie's father really gae her an earful when she came home

at F A."

0asy:Not so fast. +alm down! e. "0asy! 8on't eat so fast!"

As$ easy as ie:

ery easy.

0asy come, easy go:

P-?0-(. 2aid to elain the loss of something that was ery easily obtained in the first

lace. 0asy*going:

#olerant. 9aid*back. -elaed.

#o$ eat one's heart out:

#o be enious or )ealous. e. "0at your heart out %rank, I'm going to Paris!"

#o$ eat out of someone's hands:

#o do whateer someone else wants. e. "4ames would do anything for icky. 2he had him

eating out of her hands."

#o$ eat one's words:

#o admit that what one said was wrong. e. "Dou think I won't be able to find work in one

week I'm going to make you eat your words."

0lbow room:

0nough sace room$ to feel comfortable.

0nough is enough:

#hat is enough and there should be no more.

#o$ enter one's mind:

#o cross one's mind. #o start thinking about something. "Dou want me to become a doctor



#he thought neer een entered my mind."

0erything but the kitchen sink:

Almost eerything one can think of.

0ery so often:?nce in while. ?ccasionally.

0ery other:

0ery second. Alternate. e. "In 9os Angeles, eery other erson is an actor."

0ecting:

Pregnant.

#o$ face the music:

#o accet the unleasant$ conse&uences of what you hae done.

#o$ fall flat on one's face$:

#o fail. #o be unsuccessful. e. "#he lay fell flat on its face."

%air*weather friend

A erson who is only your friend when things are going well for you.

#o$ feel like a new erson:

#o feel refreshed, re)uenated.

#o$ fall into lace:

#o become organi5ed. #o fit together. e. "?nce I started meditating, eerything in my life

began to fall into lace."

#o$ fall short:

#o lack something. e. "/e tried to raise fifty thousand dollars, but we fell short by about

ten thousand."

A$ falling out:

A disagreement3break in a friendshi. e. "/e had a falling out oer what she said."

A$ far cry:

ery different often in a worse way$. e. "#his wine is nice, but it's a far cry from the wine

we had yesterday."

#o$ feel like a new erson:

#o feel refreshed, re)uenated.

#o$ feel out of lace:



#o feel like you don't belong. e. "/e went to ary's arty last night. #here were many

strange eole there and I felt a little out of lace, so we left."

A$ %ifth wheel:

7seless, out of lace, unnecessary. "#here were only coules there... I felt like a fifth

wheel."

#o$ fill someone's shoes:

#o relace someone. #o do something someone else used to do. e. "+athy has been

working here for <= years. It's going to be hard to find someone to fill her shoes."

A$ fine line:

Not much difference. e. "2ometimes there's a fine line between loe and infatuation."

%irst and foremost:

%irst and most imortantly.

%irst thing:

(efore anything else. e. "+all me first thing tomorrow morning."

#o$ fish for a comliment:

#o try ery hard to get a comliment from someone.

#o$ fi someone some food * like cocoa, oatmeal, etc.$:

#o reare some food$ for someone. "I'll fi you a cu of cocoa."

%lat broke:

ery oor. 1aing absolutely no money.

#o$ follow one's heart:

#o act according to your feelings3 emotions. e. "I couldn't decide what to do so I )ust

followed my heart."

%ood for thought:

2omething to think about.

A$ fork in the road:

A oint when a road slits in two directions.

%ree and easy:

+asual. Not ery serious. e. "2arah was looking for a free and easy relationshi."

A$ fresh air of eyes:

A new reader, someone who hasn't seen something before. e. "1ey can you come check

out this reort /e need a fresh air of eyes."



A$ full late:

A busy schedule. e. "ark can you hel me with this ro)ect Not really, I'e got a full

late right now."

%un and games:

Playing around. #ime sent doing worthless things. e. "?E, Neil, the fun and games areoer. It's time to get down to work."

#o$ get a moe on:

#o go or do something &uickly, to get going, etc. e. "1ey if we want to make the G:== P

show we should get a moe on."

#o$ get carried away:

#o eaggerate3 go too far3 to become emotional. e. "I got carried away. I bought =

shirts!" "2he got carried away when she started talking about the war."

#o$ get caught u:

#o become inoled, esecially emotionally. e. "I )ust got caught u in his lan and

couldn't think straight."

#o$ get cold feet:

#o become timid or frightened. e. "I usually get cold feet when I hae to seak in ublic."

#o$ get down to business:

#o start working seriously. e. "0nough laying around * let's get down to business."

#o$ get that all the time:

#o hear something constantly. e. "1ey, you really look like (rad Pitt! Deah, I get that all

the time."

#o$ get one's foot in the door

#o get started in a rocess. #o attain a faorable osition which will hel one work toward a

goal. e. "I'm trying to find a better )ob, but I can't get my foot in the door. #o$ get one's

fill of something:

#o hae enough of something. #o hae a lot of something. e. "2he's had her fill of trouble

lately."

#o$ get on someone's neres:

#o annoy someone. #o bother or irritate someone.

#o$ get rid of something3someone$:

#o eliminate. #o throw away. #o hide. e. "#his detergent gets rid of dirt better than any

other other one that I'e used.", ">et rid of the cigarette * your mother's coming!"

#o$ get something off one's chest:

#o say something that has been on your mind. #o say something that has been bothering



you. "8id you tell her about 1awaii Des, and I felt much better once I got that off my

chest."

#o$ get the blues:

#o become sad or deressed.

#o$ get something straight:

#o clarify something. #o understand something clearly.

#o$ gie someone a call:

#o call someone on the telehone$.

#o$ gie someone the benefit of the doubt:

#o beliee in someone desite information that makes them seem guilty of something. e.

"1ey, don't beliee the rumors * gie him the benefit of the doubt."

#o$ gie someone a iece of one's mind:#o bawl someone out. #o let someone know how one really feels. "After that drier took my

arking sot, I really gae him a iece of my mind."

A$ go*getter:

an aggressie emloyee, a hard worker. "4im is a real go*getter. 1e's always taking the

initiatie."

#o$ go 8utch:

/hen a grou of eole go out and eeryone ays for him3herself.

#o$ go oerboard:#o do too much. #o eaggerate. "#hey really went oerboard with the arty rearations."

#o$ go u in flames:

#o burn. #o be consumed in flames.

#o$ go oer something with a fine toothed comb:

#o go oer something ery carefully, es. checking for errors. "1ere's the reort * ake

sure to go oer it with a fine toothed comb."

#o$ go to someone's head:

#o make someone oerly conceited or roud. e. "#hat award that he won really went to hishead."

#o$ a golden oortunity:

A good chance to succeed, a good inestment. e. "I didn't hae money to buy that

restaurant. I missed a golden oortunity."



1alf*baked:

%oolish.

1and*me*down:

7sually said of clothing that has been assed on from one erson to another. e. "A hand*

me*down dress."

1ands down:

0asily. (y far. e. "2he is hands down the most beautiful girl in class."

1ang on:

(e reared for fast and3or rough moement.

#o$ hang on someone's eery word:

#o listen ery carefully to someone. e. ">randa was telling a story and the kids were

hanging on his eery word."

#o$ hate someone's guts:

#o hate someone ery much. #o$ hae a big mouth:

#o be a gossier. #o be a erson who can't kee a secret. e. "8on't tell her anything! 2he

has a big mouth."

#o$ hae a lot going for someone$:

#o hae a lot of good things in one's life. #o hae many things working to one's benefit. e.

"2he has a lot going for her * she's smart, she's attractie, she has a good )ob, etc."

#o$ hae a sweet tooth:

#o loe to eat candy or other sweets.

#o$ hae an edge:

#o hae an adantage.

#o$ hae mied feelings about something$:

#o be unsure or uncertain about something.

#o$ hae one's hands full:

#o be busy, occuied with some kind of actiity, work, etc. e. "I hae my hands full with

my three children."

#o$ hae one's heart set on something:

#o really want something to haen. #o eect something to haen. e. "4ulie has her

heart set on going to 9ondon this summer."

A$ hit:

A oular song or film. e. "Titanic was a hit moie$."





In erfect condition not used for eole$.

In no mood to do something:

#o not feel like doing something. #o not want to do something. e. "I'm in no mood to cook

dinner tonight."

In season:

+urrently aailable for selling often said of fresh fruit and egetables$. e. "#omatoes are

ery chea now because they're in season."

In stock:

Aailable for urchase, as in goods in a store. e. "8o you hae any more of these books in

stock No, I'm sorry we don't."

In the air:

0erywhere. All around.

In the long run:

?er a long eriod of time. 7ltimately. e. "1e smokes a lot now, and I'm afraid that in the

long run it will cost him his health."

In the same boat:

In the same situation usually negatie$.

In and out:

+oming in and going out often. e. "2he's been in and out all day."

In with:%riendly with. %riends with. e. "At high school he was in with the wrong crowd. #hat's why

he always got in trouble."

In adance:

Ahead of time.

4am*acked:

ery crowded. e. "#he stadium was )am acked on 2aturday."

#o$ )am on the brakes:

#o hit3 ste on the brakes suddenly to sto the car.

4ack*of*all*trades:

A erson who knows how to do a lot of different things.

#o$ )um all oer someone3 )um down someone's throat:

#o critici5e or blame someone. e. "As soon as I brought u going out with my friends, she





anyone about your time in rison. Eee it to yourself."

#o$ kee track of:

#o maintain a record of. e. "I don't know where all my money goes. It's hard to kee track

of my eenses."

A$ ket man3woman:

2omeone who is in a relationshi where the other erson ays for eerything. e.

"2tehen's girlfriend always ays for eerything. 1e's such a ket man."

#o$ kick back:

#o rela.

#o$ kick oneself:

#o regret.

#o$ kill time:#o waste time.

Enock it off!:

2to it!

Enock on wood:

A hrase said to cancel out imaginary$ bad luck.

#o$ know something inside*out:

#o know something comletely and thoroughly. e. "9et me show you around * I know this

neighborhood inside*out."

#o$ know the score:

#o know the facts. #o know how things go.

Enow*it*all:

A erson who acts like they know eerything. e. "-obert is so conceited! Deah, he's a real

know*it*all."

(A) lady*killer:

A handsome man6 a man who charms women. #his does N?# mean "killer of ladies!"

:$

9ast but not least:

9ast in order but not last in imortance. e. "9ast but not least I'd like to thank my

arents."

9ast ditch ad).$:

%inal Bhas a slight connotation of "deserate"B$. e. "#hey made a last*ditch effort



to win the game, but came u short."

#o$ lay a finger on someone:

#o touch someone een ery slightly. e. "If you so much as lay a finger on him, you

will be in trouble."

#o$ lay low:

200 "Eee a low rofile"

#o$ leae a bad taste in someone's mouth:

#o leae a negatie imression on someone.

#o$ leae someone high and dry:

#o leae someone helless. e. "8on't leae me high. 8on't leae me dry." *

-adiohead

#o$ leae someone in eace3 alone:#o sto bothering someone. e. "9eae me alone! I don't want to talk to anyone."

#o$ let off steam:

#o release energy or anger. e. "ictor went drinking, and got into a fight. #hat's

?E, he's )ust letting off a little steam."

#o$ let someone off the hook:

#o release someone from resonsibility. e. "Natalie said she didn't want to wash the

dishes, but her mom didn't let her off the hook."

#o$ let something slide:#o neglect something. #o ignore something. e. "I'm going to let it slide this time,

but net time be more careful!"

A$ lift:

A ride. e. "2he gae me a lift to the airort."

9ittle by little:

2lowly, gradually. e. "9ittle by little she started to like liing in New Dork +ity."

A$ little off:

Not &uite een, normal. e. "#here was something a little off about the way she wasbehaing."

#o$ lock horns:

#o argue. #o hae a disute. #o disagree.

#o$ look the other way:

#o ignore something on urose. e. "In some countries, customs officials can be



aid to look the other way."

A$ long shot:

2omething that has a slim small$ chance of haening. "#hey might win, but it's a

long*shot."

#o$ lose someone$:

#his is often used when someone is chasing someone ?- being chased by someone.

If you're being chased by someone and you manage to get away you can say * "I

lost him!" * #he erson chasing you can say the same thing * "I lost him" :$

#o$ lose one's temer:

#o become angry.

#o$ lose one's train of thought:

#o forget what one was thinking3 talking about. e. "/hat was I saying I lost my

train of thought."

9ost in thought:

(usy thinking.

#o$ lower one's oice:

#o talk more softly. e. "9ower your oice, my arents are aslee."

A$ lucky break:

>ood luck, good fortune. e. "I was suosed to seak at the meeting today, but I

found out it was cancelled. /hat a lucky break!"

#o$ make a beeline for:

#o head directly to. e. "/heneer he comes into the cafeteria, he makes a beeline for the

fried shrim."

#o$ make a bundle:

#o make a lot of money one time$. "I made a bundle when I sold my icrosoft stock last

month."

#o$ make a long story short:

#o bring a story to an end6 #o sum things u.

#o$ make a ass at someone:

#o make romantic adances. #o "hit on". e. "Earl was fired because he made a ass at his

co*worker %iona."

#o$ make beliee:



#o retend. e. "/hen your friends come, let's make beliee C retend$ we don't know

each other."

#o$ make ends meet:

#o hae enough money to ay one's basic eenses6 to )ust to get by. "#his town is so

eensie that it's hard to make ends meet sometimes."

#o$ make good money:

#o make a lot of money regularly$. e. "2hawn doesn't like his )ob, but he makes good

money."

#o$ make light of something:

#o treat something as if it were triial or unimortant. e. "8on't make light of the situation

* it's more serious than you think."

#o$ make life miserable for someone:

#o cause someone lots of roblems. e. "Patricia's boss is making life miserable for her."

#o$ make u one's mind:

#o make a decision. e. "I'e made u my mind * I'm moing to +osta -ica."

#o$ make oneself at home:

#o feel as comfortable as one would being at home. "8uring your isit )ust make yourself at

home."

#o$ make someone's head sin:

#o make someone di55y or disoriented. e. "All that alcohol made my head sin."

#o$ make something from scratch:

#o make something by starting with the basic ingredients. e. "8id you bake that cake No,

I made it from scratch."

#o$ meet someone halfway:

#o comromise with someone. e. "#hey settled the argument by deciding to meet each

other halfway."

#o$ mention something in assing:

#o mention something casually.

#he$ middle of nowhere:

A ery isolated lace. "?ur car broke down in the middle of nowhere. #he nearest town was

== miles away!"

#o$ mind one's own business:

Not to interfere3 get inoled in the business of others. "2ometimes it's best to mind your

own business."



oney talks:

1aing money hels one get things done.

#here's$ more than meets the eye:

ore comlicated3more interesting. "#here's more than meets the eye when it comes toaria C aria is more interesting or comlicated, deending on the contet$ than she

aears."

#o$ moe u in the world:

#o increase one's standing socially, etc. #o become successful.

A$ ust:

Necessary. "In 9os Angeles, haing a car is a must."

neck and neck:ery close almost een$, as in a race. "#he two candidates were running neck and neck a

month before the election."

neck of the woods:

Area. Part of a country. e. "/hat's haening in your neck of the woods"

#o$ need a hand:

#o need hel.

Neither here nor there:

Not releant. e. All of a sudden he started talking about his car * a toic which was neither

here nor there.

Nest egg:

2aed money.

Neer mind:

8on't worry about it. e. "8id you ick u my hotos Neer mind, I'll do it myself

tomorrow."

#o$ ni something in the bud:

#o end something at an early stage.

No laughing matter:

A ery serious matter. e. "1ey, why are you smiling #his is no laughing matter!"

No icnic:

Not easy. ery difficult and roblematic. e. "9et me tell you, driing in that snowstorm was

no icnic."



No rush:

Dou don't hae to hurry. e. "8o you want this done by this eening No, there's no rush *

you can finish it tomorrow."

No skin off my nose:I don't care because it doesn't affect me.

No sweat:

No roblem.

No wonder:

It's not surrising. e. "1e only slet for two hours last night No wonder he's so tired."

#o$ not be born yesterday:

#o be eerienced, knowledgeable. e. "?f course I know that trick! I wasn't born

yesterday."

Not in the least:

Not at all. e. "/ere you surrised that he failed the %+0 Not in the least."

Not likely:

Probably will not haen. e. "Dou think >eorge will learn a lesson from this Not likely."

Not much of:

Pretty bad. e. "1e's not much of a cook, but at least he tries."

Now and then:?ccasionally.

?dd man out:

An unusual or atyical erson or thing$. e. "In a high school where eeryone was tough, I

was the odd man out."

?ff*color:

-ude. ulgar.

?ff*duty:

Not working at one's )ob. e. "the oliceman couldn't hel me because he was off*duty."

?ff the air:

No longer on # or the radio$. e. "#hey took that show off the air in Noember because

nobody watched it."

?ff the hook:



No longer haing to do something, no longer blamed or under susicion. e. "?k, you're off

the hook. Dour brother says he'll clean the bathroom."

?ff the record:

7nofficially.

?ff the to of one's head:

2ontaneously. /ithout thinking too much. "1ow many cafes are there in this town ?ff the

to of my head I can think of about ."

?n one's mind:

?ccuying someone's thoughts. (eing thought about. e. "Dou were always on my mind."

#o do something$ on one's own accord:

/illingly, without anyone forcing one to do something. "8id you make him aoligi5e No,

he did it on his own accord."

?n second thought:

1aing gien something more thought. e. "?n second thought, maybe you should sell your

house and moe into an aartment."

?n the go:

(usy. oing around busily. e. "4im is always on the go. 1e can neer find time to talk to

me."

?n the house:

2omething that is gien away free by a merchant. "1ow much for the ale 8on't worry *

It's one the house!"

?n the loose:

ost often used seaking about criminals$ * free6 uncatured6 "#he bank robbers are still

on the loose."

?n the ti of one's tongue:

About to be said. Almost remembered.

?n the wagon:

Not drinking alcohol. e. "1ey let's go out for a coule of beers tonight. I can't * I'm on the

wagon."

?nce in a while:

?ccasionally.

?ther side of the tracks

#he oorer art of a town.



?ut cold:

7nconscious. e. "#he boer was out cold."

?ut of sorts:

Not &uite oneself6 In a bad3strange mood. e. "#om has been out of sorts recently."

(A) ain in the butt:

A roblematic erson3thing. +hronic comlainer. "I hate doing my taes. It's such a

ain in the butt." "2to being such a ain in the butt * all you do is comlain!"

#o$ ass the buck:

#o blame someone else.

#o$ ass the time:

#o do something to kee busy. "/hat do you do to ass the time around here"

A$ at on the back:

A sign of aroal * "#o gie someone a at on the back" means to show them that

you aroe of something that they did.

#o$ ay an arm and a leg3 ay a fortune:

#o ay a lot of money. e. "I hate to hae to ay an arm and a leg for a tank of

gas."

A$ eeing #om

2omeone who looks through eole's windows.

A$ iece of cake:

ery easy. e. "1ey how did you do on the test >ood * it was a iece of cake for

me."

#o gie someone$ a iece of one's mind:

#o scold, rerimand someone for something they did$. e. "After I found out how

badly Peter had treated his girlfriend, I gae him a iece of my mind."

#o$ itch in:

#o hel with something esecially financially$. e. "9et's all itch in and buy him a

nice resent."

#o$ ick u the tab:

#o ay a bill. e. "4ohn, you icked u the tab last time * 9et me ay this time."

#o$ lay second fiddle to someone:

#o be second in imortance to someone. e. "2am didn't )oin the team because they

already had a star and 2am didn't wanted to lay second fiddle to anyone."



#o$ lay something by ear:

#o imroise. #o see how things go and make a decision later. e. "/hat do you

want to do tonight I don't know, let's )ust lay it by ear."

#o$ lay it safe:

#o act or be safe. #o do something safely.

#o$ lay the field:

#o date many different eole instead of going steady. "After ary broke u with

4im, she started laying the field."

A$ oker face:

A face with no eression. Also common is "to be oker*faced."

reachy:

An ad)ectie that describes someone or something$ that tries to reach how one

should lie, etc. eg. "A reachy moie"

Pressed for time:

In a hurry.

#o$ romise someone the moon:

#o romise someone lots of etraagant things unrealistically$. e. "1e romised

her the moon, but couldn't delier on any of his romises."

#o$ uke:

#o omit. #o throw u.

#o$ ull someone's leg:

#o kid, lay a )oke on someone.

#o$ ull a fast one:

#o cheat or to deceie.

Pure gold:

If something is "ure gold" it is "the best", "fantastic", "ama5ing".

#o$ ush one's luck:

#o eect continued good fortune.

#o$ ut u a good fight:

#o try ery hard. e. "/ell, although my team lost, they ut u a good fight, so I'm

not uset."

Juite a few:

any. e. "#here were &uite a few eole at the concert yesterday."



Juite a bit:

A lot.

As$ &uiet as a mouse:

ery &uiet.

Juick on the utake:

Juick to understand.

Juick and dirty:

%ast and simle, not ery sohisticated.

#o$ rack one's brain:

#o try ery hard to think of something. e. "I racked my brain but I couldn't remember his

name."

#o$ rain cats and dogs:

#o rain ery hard. e. "It was raining cats and dogs last night." N(: BAlthough this is a fun

idiom, in our oinion it is A-+1AI+ C it's best to say "It was raining ery heaily" insteadB

-ain or shine:

No matter what the weather is like.

#o$ raise some$ eyebrows:

#o shock. e."#he art show raised some eyebrows due to its elicit content."

A$ redneck:

>enerally refers to someone who has either bigoted or narrow*minded oinions. ?ften used

in the contet of eole who lie in small towns or in the country.

#o$ read between the lines:

#o try to understand what is meant by something that is not written3said clearly. "9inda

tried to be cheerful and said she was okay, but reading between the lines, I could see she

was really uset."

A$ regular guy:

A normal, aerage man said in a fairly ositie way$. "4ohn I don't know, I guess he's )ust

a regular guy."

#o$ rest one's case:

/hen someone says "I rest my case", it means that you both hae )ust witnessed roof that

their oint of iew3argument is correct.

-ight off the bat:



-ight away. Immediately. %irst thing.

#o$ ring in the new year:

#o celebrate the beginning of the New Dear at midnight on 8ecember Kst.

#o$ ring a bell:#o remind, aguely recogni5e something. "1ae you eery listened to Ale +hilton I'm not

sure * the name rings a bell, though. C I think I'e heard the name before$" or "I'm sorry,

that doesn't ring a bell C I'm sorry I don't recogni5e3know that"

A$ ri*off or #o$ ri*off:

"A" ri*off is something that costs more than it should. "#he ocorn rices at the moie

theater are a ri*off". "#o" ri someone off means to steal from someone, or to cheat

someone. "#he mechanic ried me off. 1e was suosed to gie me back a <= and he only

gae me back =."

#o$ risk one's neck to do something$:#o risk sometimes hysical$ harm to accomlish something. e. "1e's always been ery

mean to me. I don't lan to risk my neck to sae his )ob."

#o$ rob the cradle:

#o go out with or marry$ someone who is much younger than you are. e. "ictor's new

wife is <L years younger than him. #alk about robbing the cradle!"

#o$ rock the boat:

#o disturb an otherwise stable situation.

-otten:(ad, nasty. "I'e done a lot of rotten things in the ast."

#o$ rub someone the wrong way:

#o irritate someone. e. "I'm not going out if your cousin is going. 2he really rubs me the

wrong way."

#o$ rub elbows with someone:

#o associate with someone. e. "/hen her singing career took off, Eathleen was able to rub

elbows with the rich and famous."

#o$ run a feer:#o hae a feer.

#o$ run in the family:

#o haen3 occur often in the family through generations$. e. "%rank is always so angry.

Deah, his bad temer runs in the family."



2afe and sound:

2afe. 7nharmed. e. "It was a rough tri but we got there safe and sound."

#o$ sae money for a rainy day:

#o resere something for some future need. e. "I'e saed a little money for a rainy day."

#o$ sae the day:

#o roduce good results when bad results are eected. e. "+olin saed the day by

remembering to bring the ma."

A$ score to settle:

#o get een. #o ay someone back for something negatie that they did. e. "8on't sto

me. I hae a score to settle with him."

#o$ scratch the surface:

#o begin finding out about something.

2econd nature to someone$:

0asy and natural. "2coring goals is second nature to him."

#o$ see eye to eye on something:

#o hae a similar oinion on something. e. "8esite their differences, the two candidates in

fact see eye to eye on most issues."

#o$ see fit:

#o deem, beliee to be aroriate. e. "Dou can do that any way you see fit."

#o$ see the writing on the wall:#o see that something is going to haen.

#o$ sere someone right:

#o sere as aroriate unishment for someone. e. "#hey ut him in )ail for L years

2eres him right!"

#o$ set foot somewhere:

#o go or enter somewhere. e. "If I were you I wouldn't set foot in that town."

#o$ set one's sights on something:

#o select something as one's goal.

A$ shot in the arm:

A boost. "#he good financial news was a real shot in the arm for 2tee's comany."

#o$ sit on one's hands

#o do nothing.



#o$ sit tight:

#o wait atiently$. e. "2it tight, your mother will be here soon."

2keletons$ in the closet:

A shocking3 disturbing secret.

#o$ slee on something:

#o think about something oernight. e. "I'm not sure if I want to buy this car. I think I

should slee on it."

#o$ stand u for something:

#o fight for, suort. e. "#he elected official romised to stand u for the oor."

#o$ stir u trouble:

#o cause trouble e. "2ometimes I think she gets great leasure from stirring u trouble."

2ucker:A gullible erson or someone who is easily imressed by something eg. "a sucker for

gadgets" C someone who is easily imressed by gadgets$

#o$ swallow something hook, line, and sinker:

2uit yourself:

1ae it your way6 As you wish6 "I wouldn't walk around that neighborhood at night, but if

you really want to, suit yourself." #o$ swallow something hook, line, and sinker:

#o beliee something usually a lie$ comletely. "argaret told him a flat*out C comlete

and utter$ lie and he swallowed it hook line and sinker."

#o$ take it:

#o endure trouble, criticism, or abuse. e. "2ay whateer you want about me, I can take it."

#ake it easy!

-ela! Also used in "to take it easy" C to rela, to send a day relaing, etc.$

#ake it or leae it:

#o accet it the way it is or to forget it. e. "#hat's my final offer. #ake it or leae it."

#o$ take it's toll:

#o cause damage or loss$. "#he long hours he uts in at work hae begun to take their toll

on his health."

#o$ take something3 someone for granted:

#o accet something3 someone without gratitude$ as a matter of course. e. "/e tend to

take a lot of things for granted."

#o$ take something lying down:

#o endure something unleasant without fighting back. e. "I'm not going to take this tye



of treatment lying down!"

#o$ take something with a grain of salt:

Not to take something that someone says too seriously.

#o$ take someone under one's wing:#o rotect and teach$ someone. e. "Arthur took the new emloyee under his wing and

taught him eerything he knew."

#o$ take the ra for something$:

#o accet resonsibility, admit that one is guilty of something. "I thought that (ill was

resonsible, but his friend #om took the ra for the miu."

#o$ think straight:

#o think clearly. e. "I was so tired that I couldn't think straight."

#o$ throw someone for a loo:#o confuse or shock someone. e. "1is last comment really threw me for a loo... I had no

idea what he meant!"

#o$ tie the knot:

#o get married.

#o$ tighten one's belt

#o send less money. e. "After (ecky lost her )ob, we really had to tighten our belts for a

while."

#o sae his3her life:At all3 comletely. e. "2he can't sing to sae her life."

#old you so!:

(asically when someone says "told you so!", it's like saying "2ee * I was right!".

#ongue in cheek:

4oking. e. "Juentin made a tongue*in*cheek remark to his dad."

#o$ touch on something$:

#o mention3talk about. e. "8uring the meeting, we touched on the lans to rebuild the

school."

#rue to one's word:

Eeeing one's romise. e. "I wasn't sure he would ay me, but he turned out to be true to

his word."

#o$ try your luck

#o attemt something. #o try to see if you can do3win something. "I'm going to try my luck



at the slot machines."

#o$ try someone's atience

#o do something annoying that may cause someone to lose atience.

#o$ turn a blind eye to something:#o ignore something and retend you did not see it. e. "#he usher turned a blind eye to

the boy who snuck into the theater."

#o$ turn one's back on something3someone$:

#o forget or ignore something3someone$ e. "Dou should neer turn your back on your

friends."

#o$ two*time someone

#o be in a relationshi and to hae another boyfriend3girlfriend without telling your first

boyfriend3girlfriend. "I dumed him when I found out he was two*timing me with ary."

7nder construction:(eing built or reaired. e. "#his road has been under construction for si months."

7nder fire:

(eing attacked. e. "#he soldiers came under fire when they aroached the city."

7nder the table:

Illegally. e. "any illegal immigrants try to find work under the table."

7nder the weather:

2ick. Ill. e. "I'm feeling a bit under the weather today."

7 and about:

-ecoered from an illness. e. "1ey it's nice to see you u and about. Dou must feel a lot

better."

7 for grabs

Aailable for anyone to try to get. e. "#he +hinese telecom market is still u for grabs."

7 in the air:

7ncertain. e. "1is future at this comany is u in the air."

7tight:+onseratie, nerous, nit*icky. "2to being so utight, rela a bit!"

7 to it:

+aable of, fit for. e. "8o you feel u to laying a game of tennis"

7 to one's neck in something:

ery much inoled in something. #o hae a lot of something. e. "I can't go out tonight.



I'm u to my neck in work."

7 to ar:

eeting normal standards.

#o$ use eery trick in the book:#o use eery method ossible.

#o$ anish into thin air:

#o disaear without leaing a trace.

ariety is the sice of life:

Proerb meaning life is made more interesting by doing new or different things.

ery last:

#he last. e. "/e were able to buy the ery last tickets to the concert."

ery well:

?E. Agreed.

icious circle:

2e&uence of cause and effect with bad results. e. "1e had fallen into a icious circle of

drinking too much and then losing his )ob and then drinking een more."

/ait*and*see attitude:A sketical attitude. An attitude where someone will )ust wait and see what haens.

#o$ wait tables:

#o work as a waiter3 waitress in a restaurant.

#o$ wait on someone hand and foot:

#o sere someone ery well. #o do anything someone asks you. e. "I don't mind making

you coffee, but don't eect me to wait on you hand and foot!"

#o$ wash one's hands of someone3something:

#o end one's association with someone or something. e. "I washed my hands of #om. Iwanted nothing more to do with him."

/ashed*u:

No longer imortant3 in good form. "/hy do you hang out with that washed*u actor"

#o$ waste one's breath:

#o talk in ain. #o waste one's time talking.



/ay to go!:

>ood )ob! +ongratulations! Bsometimes used sarcasticallyB$

/ear and tear:

8amage as a result of normal use. e. "#hey ut a lot of wear and tear on their truck duringtheir long road tri."

#o$ wear out one's welcome:

#o stay too long at an eent, at someone's house, etc.$ e. "9et's only stay with them for <

days * I don't want us to wear out our welcome."

/ell*off:

/ealthy. e. "1er arents are well*off."

/et blanket:

A erson who discourages others from haing fun.

/hat makes someone tick:

/hat motiates someone. e. "1e's such a mysterious guy. I don't &uite know what makes

him tick."

/hat's with someone$:

/hat's wrong with someone$. e. "/hat's with you Dou'e been acting strange all day!"

A$ whole lot:

A lot, too many. e. "#here aren't a whole lot of good restaurants in this neighborhood C

#here aren't too many good restaurants in this neighborhood"

#o be$ wide awake:

#o be comletely awake. "/ere you sleeing No, I was wide awake."

A$ wild goose chase:

A futile3hoeless ursuit. "/e thought he gae us a good lead, but it ended u being a wild

goose chase."

At one's$ wits' end:

If you're "at your wits' end" it means that you'e tried eerything to fi, sole a roblem or

to come u with a solution, and you're almost going cra5y from being unable to do this.

/ith no strings attached:

7nconditionally.

#o$ work out for the best.

#o work out in the best ossible way. e. "It seems bad now, but things will work out for the

best."



M marks the sot:

#his is the eact sot.

Dear*round

?erating all year. e. "#his facility is oen year*round."

Des*man:

A erson who tries to be liked by agreeing with eerything said, esecially by a boss.

Dou bet!

Des! 2ure! I agree! No roblem!

Dou can say that again:

#hat is true stress on "that"$. e. "It sure is hot today! Dou can say that again!"

Dou can't teach an old dog new tricks:

A roerb meaning that old eole can't learn anything new.

Dou don't say:

7sed to show surrise at something that is being said. e. "Dou don't say! 1e was really

struck by lightning"

Dour guess is as good as mine:I don't know any better3 more than you know.

#o$ 5ero in on something:

#o aim or focus directly on something. e. "I would like to 5ero in on another imortant

issue."

#o$ 5onk out:

#o fall aslee.



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American Idioms and Phrases