IDIOMS - IDIOM ORIGINS

 

 

Idioms exist in every language. They are words or phrases that aren't meant to be taken literally. For example, if you say someone has "cold feet," it doesn't mean their toes are actually cold. Rather, it means they're nervous about something.

Idioms can't be deduced merely by studying the words in the phrase. If taken literally, you would think that someone with cold feet has… cold feet. But, after living with a certain group of people for a period of time, you'll start to pick up their ｅxpressions. Let's explore some idiom examples in American everyday language, international language, and the language of the arts.

 

 

 

Common Idioms

The examples below demonstrate how you can't really deduce the meaning of these ｅxpressions without knowing what they mean. The next time someone says they're feeling "under the weather," you'll know it has nothing to do with weather patterns, but rather that they're feeling quite ill.

• Getting fired turned out to be a blessing in disguise. - Getting fired (normally a negative event) turned out to be a good thing.
• These red poppies are a dime a dozen. - These red poppies are very common.
• Don't beat around the bush. - Just say what you really mean.
• After some reflection, he decided to bite the bullet. - After some reflection, he decided to do the undesirable thing he was avoiding.
• I'm going to call it a night. - I'm going to bed.
• He's got a chip on his shoulder. - He's holding onto a grudge or grievance that's making him very angry or callous.
• Would you cut me some slack? - Don't be so hard on me.
• Don't cut any corners. - Don't take any shortcuts and produce shoddy work.
• She let things get out of hand. - She lets things get out of control.
• I'm going back to the drawing board. - I'm going to start over.
• Hang in there. - Stick with it.
• Don't jump the gun. - Don't do something before the allotted time.
• He decided to let her off the hook. - He decided to release her from her responsibility.
• He missed the boat. - He missed out on an opportunity.
• I go out for walks once in a blue moon. - I go out for walks very rarely.
• Pull yourself together, man! - Calm down.
• She seriously rubbed me the wrong way. - I did not like her at all.
• There he is, speak of the devil. - There he is; we were just talking about him.
• That was the straw that broke the camel's back. - My patience has finally run out.
• Well, she's got the best of both worlds. - She's receiving benefits from both of her current situations or opportunities.
• Why are you so bent out of shape? - Why are you so upset?
• I'm feeling under the weather. - I'm feeling sick.
• We'll cross that bridge when we get there. - We'll solve that problem when the time comes.
• I'm sorry but I just can't seem to wrap my head around it. - I'm sorry but I just can't seem to understand.
• Wow, you can say that again. - I totally agree.

 

 

 

Everyday Idioms

• A grey area - Something unclear
• A rip-off - Too expensive
• Add fuel to the fire - To add more to an existing problem
• As easy as ABC - Something is very easy
• Call it a day - Time to quit
• Cool as a cucumber - To be very calm under stress
• Crack a book - Open up a book and study
• Down to the wire - At the last minute
• Draw a blank - Can't remember
• Fill in the blanks - Provide more information
• Get a kick out of it - Really enjoy/like something
• Get your act together - Behave properly
• Give it a shot - To try to do something
• Have mixed feelings - Be unsure of how you feel
• Have second thoughts - Have doubts
• In hot water - Be in trouble
• In the same boat - Be in the same situation
• It's in the bag - It's a certainty
• I've got your number - To say you can't be fooled by someone since you have them figured out
• Miss the boat - You missed your chance
• Mumbo jumbo - To call something total nonsense
• Out of the blue - With no warning
• Pass with flying colors - To succeed at something easily
• Piece of cake - Something very easy
• Read between the lines - Find the hidden meaning
• Second to none - The best
• The icing on the cake - Something additional that turns good into great
  
  

 

 

Body Part Idioms

• Cross your fingers - For good luck
• Fell on deaf ears - People wouldn't listen to something
• Get cold feet - Be nervous
• Giving the cold shoulder - Ignore someone
• Have a change of heart - Changed your mind
• I'm all ears - You have my full attention
• It cost an arm and a leg - It was expensive
• Play it by ear - Improvise
• See eye to eye - Agree
• Slipped my mind - I forgot
• Speak your mind - Say what you really feel

 

Animal Idioms

• A bull in a china shop - Someone who is very clumsy
• A little birdie told me - Someone told me a secret
• Bee in her bonnet - She is upset
• Birdbrain - Someone who is not very smart
• Busy as a bee - To be very active and working hard at something
• Cat got your tongue? - Why aren't you talking?
• Cry crocodile tears - To pretend to be upset
• Curiosity killed the cat - Asking too many questions may get you in trouble
• Different kettle of fish - Something completely different
• Doggy bag - A bag to take home leftovers from a restaurant
• Fish out of water - Being somewhere you don't belong
• For the birds - Something that is not worth anything
• Get off your high horse - Quit thinking you are better than others
• Goose is cooked - Now you're in trouble
• Hold your horses - Wait a minute
• Horse of a different color - Something that is quite different, a separate issue
• Hot dog - A person doing athletic stunts that are dangerous
• Let the cat out of the bag - Tell a secret
• Make a mountain out of a molehill - Make something unimportant into a big deal
• Night owl - Someone who stays up late
• Pig out - To eat a lot
• Put a bug in his ear - Make a suggestion
• Raining cats and dogs - It is raining very hard
• Snail's pace - To move extremely slow
• Stir a hornet's nest - To cause a lot of trouble
• Teacher's pet - The teacher's favorite student
• The world is your oyster - You can achieve whatever/go wherever you want
• When pigs fly - To say something is impossible
• Wolf in sheep's clothing - A person who pretends to be nice but is not
• You can't teach an old dog new tricks - It's harder for older people to learn new things

 

 

Idioms Around the Globe

Americans aren't unique in their use of idioms. Where there's language, there's figurative language. That is, people are going to play on words and come up with quippy, new ｅxpressions. Let's take a look at some of our global neighbors' idioms:

• In Armenian, "stop ironing my board" means stop bothering me.
• In French, "when chickens have teeth" means something's never going to happen.
• Also in French, "I have other cats to whip" means I have other things to do.
• In German, "to tie a bear to someone" means you've tricked them.
• Also in German, "an elephant made out of a fly" means to make a big deal out of nothing.
• In Italian, "not all doughnuts come with a hole" means you don't always get what you want.
• Also in Italian, "to treat someone with a fish in their face" means to disrespect someone.
• In Japanese, "my cheeks are falling off" means the food is really delicious.
• Also in Japanese, "to have dumplings instead of flowers" means you've chosen something useful over something decorative.
• In Polish, "mustard after lunch" means it's too late to do something.
• Also in Polish, to "get stuffed with hay" means someone's asking you to go away.
• In Portuguese, "he who doesn't have a dog, hunts with cats" means you make the most of what you've been given.
• Also in Portuguese, "take your little horse away from the rain" means something's never going to happen.
• In Spanish, "a cat in gloves catches no mice" means nice guys always finish last.
• Also in Spanish, "a lot of noise and no walnuts" means someone's all talk and no action.

 

 

 

Food Idioms: Explanations and Examples

There are endless idioms connected with food. The following are some popular ｅxpressions followed by the explanation and example sentence.

Sweet and Sour

• As busy as popcorn on a skillet - Very active.
  He was always as busy as popcorn on a skillet and never sat down for a minute.
• As flat as a pancake - Very flat.
  The ball was as flat as a pancake after the neighbor's dog bit it.
• As sour as vinegar - Disagreeable person.
  Her attitude was as sour as vinegar making it difficult for her to keep friends.
• As sweet as honey - Very sweet person.
  He loved being with her since she was as sweet as honey and always knew what to say.
• Have a sweet tooth - Love for sugary and sweet foods. 
  He had a sweet tooth and never passed up dessert.
• Like taking candy from a baby - Easy to do. 
  Passing the exam was like taking candy from a baby.
• Salt of the Earth - Ordinary and decent people. 
  My neighbor is a salt of the Earth type and always helps out when she can.
• Sell like hotcakes - Sell quickly and in large amounts. 
  Her book sold like hotcakes on the first day it was released.
• Sugarcoat - Gloss over bad information.
  Please don't sugarcoat it. I need to know the news right now.
• Take with a grain of salt - Don't take something seriously. 
  I would take what he says with a grain of salt and not let him upset you.
• That's the way the cookie crumbles - That is the way that things happen. 
  We can't control where she goes to college. That's just the way the cookie crumbles we have to accept it.
• Worth your salt - Worth one's pay. 
  His teacher was worth her salt and always stayed late to help her students.
• Variety is the spice of life - Differences give life interest. 
  Traveling to different cities is fun and exciting. After all, variety is the spice of life.

Fruit and Veg

• Apple of his eye - A favorite person of someone. 
  She was the apple of her father's eye and he always went out of his way to get her what she wanted.
• Bear fruit - Get favorable results from something. 
  In the end, her hard work bore fruit and she was accepted into the college of her dreams.
• Buy a lemon - Buy something worthless. 
  She bought a lemon and always had problems with the car.
• Compare apples and oranges - To compare things that are very different. 
  You can't compare a race car with a skateboard, that's like comparing apples to oranges.
• Cool as a cucumber -To remain calm and collected. 
  She was as cool as a cucumber in the interview and impressed everyone.
• Forbidden fruit - Something banned. 
  She had a crush on her friend's boyfriend but he was forbidden fruit.
• Go bananas - Excited or crazy. 
  The dog was going bananas when the cat came into the house.
• In a pickle - In trouble. 
  We were in a pickle when we got lost last night.
• Life is a bowl of cherries - Life is good and pleasant. 
  He tried to convince her that life of a bowl of cherries in his new town.
• Like two peas in a pod - Very similar to another person. 
  My aunt and mom are like two peas in a pod and think exactly alike.
• Low hanging fruit - Easiest thing to get or do. 
  There is a lot of low hanging fruit to get to that can reduce our debt.
• Rotten to the core - Very bad or corrupt. 
  The board of directors is rotten to the core and needs to be replaced immediately.
• Top banana - Leader or boss. 
  She was the top banana in her class and everyone looked up to her.

Just Desserts

• As easy as pie - Something that is very simple. 
  The math test was easy as pie and the whole class got a passing grade.
• Finger in the pie - To be involved in everything. 
  She had her finger in the pie for every event at the school.
• Have one's cake and eat it too - Having something both ways. 
  She broke up with him, then wanted him to take her to the dance, but she can't have her cake and eat it too.
• Piece of cake - Easy to do. 
  They said passing the final exam would be hard, but it was a piece of cake.
• Pie in the sky - An empty promise or dream. 
  She wants to be a famous singer but that dream is just a pie in the sky if you ask me.
• Half-baked - Not thought through. 
  His business plan is half-baked and it will end in disaster.

Aw, Nuts!

• As nutty as a fruitcake - Crazy person.
  Her ex-husband said she was as nutty as a fruitcake when she sold all his clothes at the garage sale.
• Hard nut to crack - Difficult person or thing to understand. 
  She couldn't tell if he was annoyed since he was such as hard nut to crack.
• Everything from soup to nuts - A wide variety of items. 
  She carried everything from soup to nuts in her huge handbag.
• For peanuts - Inexpensive, cheap. 
  The last items at the garage sale were being sold for peanuts.
• In a nutshell - In summary. 
  In a nutshell, I was too busy to worry about other people's problems.

Eat Your Words

• Bite off more than you can chew - Try to do more than you can handle. 
  My mom told me not to bite off more than I can chew when I was looking for a third job.
• Bite the hand that feeds you - To hurt or offend someone who helps you. 
  You may disagree with your parents, but don't bite the hand that feeds you; you'd be lost without them.
• Bitter pill to swallow - Something unpleasant that you must accept. 
  Losing to the rival team was a bitter pill for the team to swallow.
• Eat crow - Admit a mistake or defeat. 
  I will have to eat crow tomorrow at work since my project failed.
• Eat dirt - To retract a hurtful statement. 
  The lawyer had to eat dirt for the rude statement that he made about the client.
• Eat high on the hog - To live very well and prosper. 
  They have been eating high on the hog ever since he got the big promotion.
• Eat humble pie - To make a humble apology. 
  The teacher had to eat humble pie when she was the one who made errors in the final grades.
• Eat like a bird - Eat a small amount of food. 
  My mother complains that I eat like a bird and never gain weight.
• Eat like a horse - Eat a lot of food. 
  If he keeps eating like a horse, he will weigh 400 pounds.
• Eat your heart out - To want something you can't have, to be envious. 
  I got tickets for that concert you wanted to go to. Eat your heart out!
• Food for thought - Something to think about. 
  Your unique suggestion was definitely food for thought and will be considered.
• Have a lot on one's plate - Very busy. 
  His wife had a lot on her plate from work to the kids.
• Melt in one's mouth - Delicious or tasting good. 
  The cake just melted in my mouth and left me wanting another piece.
• On a silver platter - Given something they didn't earn. 
  The CEO's daughter was given the internship since she always got everything handed to her on a silver platter.
• There is no such thing as a free lunch - Can't get something for nothing. 
  Working hard is a must, there's no such thing as a free lunch anymore.

Egg on Your Face

• Bad egg - Bad or undesirable person. 
  He was a bad egg and always got in trouble for doing naughty things.
• Egg on - To encourage or dare someone to do something. 
  He would never have gone into the dark cave if his friends didn't egg him on.
• Have egg on your face - Be embarrassed. 
  When no one laughed at her offensive joke, she had egg on her face and quickly left the room.
• Walk on eggshells - Be cautious about words and actions. 
  The boss was in a mood and we were walking on eggshells all day.

Meat and Potatoes

• Fat is in the fire - Big problem or trouble ahead. 
  When she discovered his lies, there was fat in the fire.
• Goose is cooked - Finished or in trouble. 
  When my parents found out that I wrecked the car, I knew my goose was cooked.
• Gravy train - A way to acquire/earn easy money. 
  At his father's company, all he had to do was sit back and ride the gravy train.
• Drop like a hot potato - To immediately stop or abandon something. 
  She dropped her nerdy friend like a hot potato when the popular kids asked her to hang out.
• Bring home the bacon - To earn money. 
  He worked hard every day so he could bring home the bacon and live a good life.
• Couch potato - Someone who watches a lot of TV and doesn't exercise much. 
  After his breakup, he became a total couch potato.
• Chew the fat - Chat casually or gossip. 
  They were best friends and always chewed the fat after school.
• Meat and potatoes - The basics or important parts of something. 
  The clothing part of the store is the meat and potatoes of the whole business.
• Small potatoes - Unimportant.
  Her secret was just small potatoes compared to what I was about to say.
• Stick to your ribs - Something filling and nutritious. 
  He wants a meal that will stick to his ribs and keep him satisfied.

Something Fishy

• Fine kettle of fish - A mess or difficult situation. 
  This is a fine kettle of fish. I thought I paid the electric bill but now the power has been turned off.
• Have bigger fish to fry - Have more important things to do. 
  I can't worry about her problems since I have bigger fish to fry.
• Packed in like sardines - Crowded. 
  The venue was so crowded, we were all packed in like sardines and couldn't move.

Use Your Loaf

• As warm as toast - Very cozy and comfortable. 
  She tucked him in for the night in his new blanket and made sure he was as warm as toast.

• Bread and butter- Something that provides you with an income. 
  The tips at the restaurant were her bread and butter.
• Butter up - Flatter someone to get something.
  She buttered up her parents so they would let her go to the party.
• Greatest thing since sliced bread - Something that is excellent. 
  She thought her new car was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
• Half a loaf is better than none - Something is better than nothing. 
  She took the low-paying job since half a loaf is better than none.

Cool Beans

• Full of beans - Feel energetic. 
  She is full of beans from the moment she gets up to the time she goes to sleep.
• Not know beans about - Unfamiliar or ignorant. 
  I admit that I do not know beans about doing taxes.
• Not worth a hill of beans - Not valuable. 
  His idea was not worth a hill of beans and was quickly rejected.
• Spill the beans - Tell a secret. 
  She kept asking me to spill the beans but I didn't want anyone to know I was pregnant yet.

Drink Up

• Not for all the tea in China - Not for any price. 
  I wouldn't sell you my car for all the tea in China.
• Not my cup of tea - Not to my liking. 
  Wearing bright colors is not my cup of tea.
• Cry over spilled milk - Worry about something that can't be fixed. 
  I told her not to cry over spilled milk and to just practice for the next test.

 

 

 

Idioms that Begin with Prepositions

At

• at any rate: whatever happens or is happening
• at one's disposal: available for one's use
• at fault: causing a problem or accident
• at first: in the beginning
• at last: finally, after some delay (connotes a feeling of exhaustion after a long period of waiting)
• at a loss: unsure of what to do or say; speechless

Behind

• behind the scenes: influencing events secretly; unseen

Beside

• beside the point: irrelevant

By

• by accident: not on purpose
• by all means: by any possible method
• by hand: without the use of machinery
• by heart: from memory
• by mistake: accidentally
• by oneself: alone
• by the way: incidentally (used to introduce a new, unrelated topic)

For

• for good: permanently
• for a living: as a profession
• for one thing: because of one reason (out of several)
• for sale: intended to be sold
• for sure: definitely
• for now/ for the time being: until some other arrangement/decision is made
• for a while: for a period of time

From

• from scratch: from raw ingredients/materials; without anything pre-made
• from time to time: occasionally

In

• in advance: before something begins; early
• in any case: whatever happens
• in charge: in command; responsible for
• in common: shared by two or more people
• in danger: likely to be harmed (opposite: out of danger/out of harm's way)
• in a daze: unable to think clearly; confused
• in debt: owing money (opposite: out of debt)
• in demand: wanted by many people
• in the end: after everything is finished (describes a final outcome)
• in fact: in reality; really
• in a hurry: doing something quickly
• in itself: without anything else
• in the long run: in the end; eventually
• in mint condition: perfect; as though brand-new
• in a minute/moment/second: soon; quickly (used to tell how much longer it will be until something happens)
• in no time: very soon; very quickly (used to tell how quickly something happened)
• in season: (fruit or vegetables) ripe and available for sale at that time of year (opposite: out of season)
• in trouble: blamed or punished for doing something wrong; in a difficult situation (opposite: out of trouble)
• in vain: without success
• in the wrong: responsible for an error; guilty

Inside

• inside out: with the inner side out

Of

• of course: certainly; as one would expect; as everyone knows

Off

• off and on: (describes a situation that exists at some times, but not others, over a period of time)

On

• on account of: because of
• on the air: in the process of broadcasting (on radio or television)
• on all fours: (people) on hands and knees; (animals) on all four feet
• on demand: when requested or demanded
• on fire: burning; in flames (not burning as in turning black from staying in the oven too long)
• on hand: available; in stock
• on the lookout: watchful
• on the one hand: (used to introduce the first side of an argument)
• on one's own: alone; without assistance
• on the other hand: alternatively (used with on the one hand" to introduce a contrasting side of an argument)
• on purpose: deliberately
• on sale: being sold at a reduced price
• on second thought: after thinking further
• on a shoestring: with very little money
• on the spur of the moment: spontaneously; on a sudden impulse
• on time: at the correct time
• on the verge of: very close to (an achievement)

Out

• out of the blue: unexpectedly
• out of breath: panting from a shortage of oxygen (usually due to physical exertion)
• out of character: different from a person's known character
• out of order: not functioning
• out of the ordinary: unusual
• out of practice: unable to do something as well as one once could because of lack of recent practice
• out of the question: not to be considered; not an option
• out of shape: not in top physical condition because of lack of exercise (opposite: in shape)
• out of sight: not able to be seen; hidden (opposite: in sight)
• out of town: not in the city/town where one normally resides (opposite: in town)
• out of tune: (of music/musical instruments) not at the correct pitch (opposite: in tune)
• out of work: unemployed

To

• to a certain extent: partly

Under

• under one's breath: in a whisper; not intending to be heard
• under the circumstances: because of the current situation/circumstance
• under control: able to be controlled or influenced (opposites: out of control/out of hand)
• under fire: being shot at; being criticized
• under the impression that: having the idea/belief that
• under the influence of: affected by (usually alcohol or drugs)

Up

• up in the air: uncertain (with regard to the outcome of a situation)

With

• with the naked eye: without the use of a lens
• with regard/respect to: concerning; about
• with a vengeance: more than usual; angrily

Within

• within reason: that is reasonable

 

 

 

 

 

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