300+ Common Idioms With Meaning

IDIOMS

MEANING

Acid test

:

Proves the effectiveness of something.

Actions speak louder than words

:

People’s intentions can be judged better by what they do than what they say.

Add insult to injury

:

To further a loss with mockery or indignity; to worsen an unfavourable situation.

After the watershed

:

A time when after which programmes for older audiences may be aired on TV.

Against the clock

:

Being rushed and having little time to complete something.

Ahead of time

:

Something that happens early or before it is supposed to.

All ears

:

Awaiting an explanation.

An arm and a leg

:

Very expensive or costly. A large amount of money.

Around the clock

:

At any time of the day or night

Around the corner

:

Will happen soon.

As time goes by

:

The passing of one moment to the next.

At the drop of a hat

:

Without any hesitation; instantly.

Back to basics

:

An approach that uses traditional ideas that have previously worked.

Back to the drawing board

:

When an attempt fails and it’s time to start all over.

Bad apple

:

Troublemaker or undesirable person in a group.

Ball is in your court

:

It is up to you to make the next decision or take the next step.

Barking up the wrong tree

:

Looking in the wrong place. Accusing the wrong person.

Be glad to see the back of

:

Be happy when a person leaves.

Beat around the bush

:

Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.

Beat the clock

:

Do something quickly before it’s too late.

Bee in one’s bonnet

:

Carrying and idea that’s constantly in your thoughts.

Behind the times

:

Being old-fashioned.

Bells and whistles

:

Lots of desirable features.

Best of both worlds

:

Enjoying the advantage of two things simultaneously.

Best thing since sliced bread

:

A good invention or innovation. A good idea or plan.

Better late than never

:

It is better to do something late than not at all.

Bide one’s time

:

Waiting for further developments before taking action or making decisions.

Big cheese

:

Influential person

Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

:

Better to be satisfied with what you have than risk losing it by trying to get something better.

Bite off more than you can chew

:

To take on a task that is way too big.

Black and blue

:

Badly bruised.

Black and white

:

Take everything into consideration and over simply. Judge everything good or bad.

Black as night

:

Very dark and hard to see.

Black eye

:

Bruise around the eye.

Black market

:

Where goods are illegally bought and sold for profit.

Black out

:

Darken by turning off or dimming the lights. Lose consciousness.

Black sheep

:

Undesirable member of a group.

Blackball

:

Exclude or ostracise someone socially. Reject someone.

Blacklist

:

Exclude someone.

Blackmail

:

Extort or take money from someone by threatening to use their secrets against them.

Blessing in disguise

:

Something good that isn’t recognised as such at first.

Blind date

:

Pre-arranged social interaction between people who have never met.

Blood red

:

Description of something with a deep red colour.

Blood, sweat & tears

:

Something that requires a lot of effort and hard work.

Blow a fuse

:

Suddenly get very angry, perhaps over something unexpected.

Blow up in the face

:

A plan or project that suddenly fails.

Blue blood

:

From noble, aristocratic or wealthy family.

Blue collar

:

Working in a manual labour job.

Blue in the face

:

Try hard to win an agreement but usually unsuccessful.

Blue ribbon

:

Superior quality or distinction. The best of a group.

Bolt from the blue

:

Unexpected bad news.

Bookworm

:

Someone who reads a lot.

Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth

:

Born into a rich and affluent family.

Bottom falls out

:

A plan or project that fails.

Brainstorm

:

Develop or think of new ideas.

Bread-winner

:

Person that is the primary source of income for a family.

Bring home the bacon

:

Earn a living.

Broken watch is right twice a day

:

When something is lucky or successful but undeserving.

Buckle down

:

Working hard with determination and full attention.

Bun in the oven

:

Pregnant.

Burn the midnight oil

:

To work late into the night, alluding to the time before electric lighting.

Butter up

:

Flatter someone, usually because you want something from them.

By degrees

:

Something happens of develops gradually or little by little.

By the skin of your teeth

:

Only just succeed.

Call it a day (or night)

:

Stop doing something for a while or until the next day (or night).

Calling time

:

Deciding to end something.

Carry the torch for

:

Having string feelings for someone who cannot be yours.

Cash cow

:

Dependable source of income.

Cat burglar

:

Thief who climbs into buildings.

Catch someone at a bad time

:

When it is inconvenient.

Catch someone red-handed

:

Catch someone in the act of committing a crime or doing something they shouldn’t.

Chance one’s arm

:

Deciding to do something even though the chances of success are slim or unknown.

Chase rainbows

:

Try to achieve something that is very difficult, impossible or very desirable.

Chase your tail

:

Spend a lot of time and energy but achieve nothing.

Cheesy

:

Tacky, silly, inauthentic or cheap.

Clock-in/clock-out

:

Record the time of arrival and the time of departure.

Close to home

:

A comment that is true and makes you uncomfortable.

Cold shoulder

:

Pay no attention to.

Coming of age

:

When something develops completely and reached maturity. When a child becomes an adult.

Cook someone’s goose

:

Spoil the person’s chance of success.

Copycat

:

Someone who copies the work of another.

Costs an arm and a leg

:

When something is very expensive.

Couch potato

:

Lazy person who watches too much TV.

Cover a lot of ground

:

Complete a lot of work or a wide range of things.

Crack of dawn

:

Very early in the morning. The first moments of sunrise.

Cross that bridge when you come to it

:

Deal with a problem if and when it becomes necessary, not before.

Crunch time

:

When an important decision needs to be made by.

Cry over spilt milk

:

Complain about a loss from the past.

Curiosity killed the cat

:

Being Inquisitive can lead you into an unpleasant or dangerous situation.

Cut corners

:

When something is done quickly, and typically badly, to save money.

Cut one’s own throat

:

Doing something that will cause your own failure or downfall.

Cut the mustard

:

To succeed; to come up to expectations; adequate enough to compete or participate.

Cut to the chase

:

Getting to the point.

Day to day

:

Part of a usual routine.

Days are numbered

:

Expected to be in a role or to die soon.

Dead duck

:

Plan or event that has failed or is certain to fail and therefore not worth discussing.

Dead in the water

:

Plan or project that has ceased to function and is not expected to re-activate.

Dead wood

:

People or things that are no longer useful or necessary.

Deep down

:

Describing what a person really feels deep inside them

Deliver the goods

:

Do what is expected or required.

Devil’s Advocate

:

To present a counter argument.

Do time (serve time)

:

Spend time in prison.

Donkey’s years

:

A very long period of time.

Don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched

:

Don’t make plans for something that might not happen.

Don’t give up the day job

:

You are not very good at something. You could definitely not do it professionally.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

:

Don’t make everything dependent on only one thing.

Double date

:

Social interaction that involves two couples.

Drastic times call for drastic measures

:

When you are extremely desperate you need to take drastic actions.

Drawing a blank

:

Get no response from someone when you ask them a question or to have no answer yourself.

Dropout

:

Stop attending school before it is time.

Dwell on the past

:

Thinking too much about something that happened in the past.

Eager beaver

:

Enthusiastic and hard worker.

Easy as ABC

:

Very simple or easy.

Eat, sleep & breathe something

:

Being so enthusiastic and passionate about something that you think about it all the time.

Egg head

:

Studious and academic person.

Elbow room

:

Enough space to move or work in.

Eleventh hour

:

At the very last minute or just in time.

Elvis has left the building

:

The show has come to an end. It’s all over.

Every cloud has a silver lining

:

Be optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better days. Good can come from a bad situation.

Explore all avenues

:

Investigating or examining every option.

Eye-catching

:

Tending to attract attention.

Fallen in love

:

Start feeling love towards someone.

Far cry from

:

Very different from.

Feeling blue

:

Feeling depressed or disconnected.

Feeling under the weather

:

Feeling unwell.

Fever pitch

:

When a feeling is very intense and exciting.

Fill in the blanks

:

Supply missing words or information.

First in, best dressed

:

The opportunity is afforded to the first to arrive or present themselves.

First out of the gate

:

Being the first one to make a start at something

Fish out of water

:

Feeling uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings

Foot in the door

:

Small but good start with the possibility of a bright future.

For the time being

:

An action or state will continue into the future but is temporary.

From now on

:

From this time forward.

From time to time

:

Occasionally or not very often.

Full of beans

:

Excited or very energetic and lively.

Full of the joys of spring

:

Very happy and full of energy.

Getting sacked (or axed, or fired)

:

To lose your job.

Getting the show on the road

:

Putting a plan or idea into action.

Give the benefit of the doubt

:

Believe someone’s statement, without proof.

Give the green light

:

Provide permission to proceed.

Go belly up

:

Fail completely.

Going places

:

Demonstrating talent and ability that will lead to success.

Golden boy

:

Young man idolised for a great skill, typically in sport.

Golden handshake

:

Large sum of money given to someone when they retire from a company.

Golden opportunity

:

A very good opportunity that may never present itself again.

Grass is always greener on the other side

:

The alternative solution may seem better even if that isn’t always the case.

Grease someone’s palm

:

Give someone money in order to persuade them to do something dishonest.

Green thumb

:

Ability to make plants grow or be good at gardening.

Green with envy

:

Extremely jealous or full of envy.

Grey area

:

Unclear or undefined.

Hanging on by fingernails

:

Continuing to do something in a very difficult situation.

Hard as nails

:

Without sentiment or sympathy for anyone.

Hard time

:

Something that is difficult or to suffer hardship.

Having one’s heart set on something

:

Possessing a determination to achieve something.

Head in the clouds

:

Having unrealistic or impractical ideas.

Head over heels in love

:

Very much in love with someone.

Hear it on the grapevine

:

Hear something through informal or unofficial means, like gossip.

Heart is in the right place

:

Having good intentions, even if the results may not be impressive.

Here today, gone tomorrow

:

When desirable things, such as money or happiness, are temporary.

High time

:

When something should have been done already and is overdue.

Hit the big time

:

To become successful.

Hit the books

:

Begin studying hard.

Hit the nail on the head

:

Do or say something exactly right.

Hit the panic button

:

Act quickly and without thinking in reaction to an unexpected event.

Hit the road

:

Begin travelling or leave.

Hit the sack (or sheets, or hay)

:

Go to bed.

Hold the fort

:

Have responsibility for something or care about someone while others are away or out.

Honest as the day is long

:

Someone that is trustworthy and honest.

Hot potato

:

Speak of a current issue which many people are talking about and which is usually disputed.

Hour of need

:

When someone really needs something – their last chance.

In due course

:

Everything will happen when it is supposed to or at the appropriate time.

In one’s own time

:

Taking as long as you want to complete something or completing something at your own pace.

In someone’s black book

:

Be in disgrace or disfavour with someone.

In the bag

:

Something that is assured or a guaranteed success.

In the black

:

In profit.

In the blink of an eye (or an instant)

:

Something that happens very quickly.

In the heat of the moment

:

Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment.

In the interim

:

Between two events or something that is temporary.

In the long run

:

Over a period of time.

In the nick of time.

:

Just before it is too late.

In the red

:

In debt with your bank. To have a negative bank balance or to owe money to the bank.

In the right place at the right time

:

When something happens fortuitously or when given an unexpected opportunity.

In the wrong place at the wrong time

:

When something unlucky happens that would not normally have happened.

In tune with someone (on the same wavelength)

:

Have the same ideas and be in agreement with someone else.

It takes two to tango

:

Actions or communications need more than one person.

Itchy feet

:

Strong impulse to travel or go somewhere.

Judge a book by its cover

:

Judge something primarily on appearance.

Jump on the bandwagon

:

Join a popular trend or activity.

Keep something at bay

:

Keep something away or prevent something from happening.

Keeping up appearances

:

Maintaining an outward show of prosperity or well-being while hiding your difficulties.

Keeping your finger on the pulse

:

Being constantly aware of current developments.

Kept in the dark

:

Not knowing the secrets or truth.

Kill time

:

Do something whilst waiting.

Kill two birds with one stone

:

Accomplish two different things at the same time.

Landslide victory

:

Overwhelming victory.

Last straw

:

The final problem in a series of problems that leads to a bad thing happening.

Laugh a minute

:

Someone or something that is very funny.

Learn by rote

:

Learn something by memorising it without thought to what is being learnt.

Learn something off by heart

:

Memorise so well, that it can be written or recited without thinking.

Learn the ropes

:

Learn how to do a job or task properly.

Lemon

:

New vehicle that has many faults.

Let me see the colour of your money

:

Prove that you can afford something.

Let sleeping dogs lie

:

Leave a situation undisturbed, since it would otherwise result in trouble or complications.

Let slip through fingers

:

Failing to obtain or retain a good opportunity.

Let the cat out of the bag

:

Share information that was previously concealed.

Lick one’s wounds

:

Trying to regain confidence after a defeat.

Lightning fast

:

Very fast.

Lights are on but nobody is home

:

Someone is stupid or lacking intelligence.

Like clockwork

:

Happens at very regular times or intervals without fail.

Like there’s no tomorrow

:

Do something fast or energetic, as if it were the last opportunity to do so.

Lining up all the ducks in a row

:

Being well organised in preparation for something.

Living beyond your means

:

Spending more than you can afford.

Living in an ivory tower

:

Living a lifestyle that saves or obscures you from real world issues.

Living on the breadline

:

Having very little income.

Long arm of the law

:

Far-reaching power of the authorities.

Long time no see

:

Not seen since long ago.

Look on the bright side

:

View an unpleasant situation in a positive light.

Love at first sight

:

Start feeling love towards someone the first time you see them.

Lovey-dovey

:

Making an excessive display of affection.

Lump in your throat

:

Tight feeling in the through because of an emotion like sadness, pride or gratitude.

Make a long story short

:

Come to the point without superfluous or unnecessary details.

Make my day

:

Something that makes me very happy or satisfies me.

Make or break

:

Circumstances causing total success or total failure.

Make the grade

:

Be satisfactory or at an accepted level.

Make time

:

Find time to do something as a priority.

Makes your flesh crawl

:

Something that makes you feel disgusted or nervous.

Making a go of it

:

Attempting to succeed at something.

Making good time

:

Completing something faster than expected.

Making headway

:

Making progress in what you are trying to do.

Match made in heaven

:

Relationship that is likely to be happy and successful.

Method to my madness

:

Despite one’s approach seeming random, there actually is structure to it.

Mile a minute

:

Happens very quickly.

Miss the boat

:

Miss a chance or opportunity.

Monkey business

:

Mischievous or deceitful behaviour.

Month of Sundays

:

A very long period of time.

Murphy’s law

:

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

Never in a million years

:

Will never happen.

No time like the present

:

The belief it is better to do something right away instead of waiting.

No time to lose

:

Start something right away, otherwise it won’t be finished on time.

Not letting grass grow under your feet

:

Not delaying in getting something done.

Not letting moss grow over

:

Doing something now or without delay.

Not playing with a full deck

:

Lacking intelligence.

Now and then (or again)

:

Occasionally.

Now or never

:

Something that should be done now or it will never be done.

Off colour

:

Unwell.

Off one’s rocker

:

Crazy; demented; out of one’s mind; in a confused or befuddled state of mind; senile.

Off to a flying start

:

Something that is immediately successful or has begun well.

Old hand

:

Person with a lot of experience in something.

Old school

:

Holding ideas that were popular and important in the past but which are no longer so.

On the ball

:

When someone understands the situation well or is doing well.

On the brain

:

Thinking or talking about something constantly.

On the rocks

:

Relationship experiencing problems.

On time

:

Not being late or something happening at the expected time.

Once in a blue moon

:

Happens very rarely or once in a lifetime.

Once upon a time

:

Something that happened a long time ago.

Only time will tell

:

The truth, answer or result, will be revealed at some future point.

Out of the blue

:

Appear suddenly from nowhere and without warning.

Out of the red

:

No longer in debt.

Out of time

:

No time left to do something or a set time has been reached.

Paint the town red

:

Go out and have a really good time at a party.

Pass with flying colours

:

Pass with a high score.

Penny for your thoughts

:

A way of asking what someone is thinking.

Picture paints a thousand words

:

Visual presentations are far more descriptive than words.

Piece of cake

:

A job, task or other activity that is easy or simple.

Pitch black

:

Very dark with zero or almost zero visibility.

Place in the sun

:

A position that provides you all the success and happiness you want.

Pop the question

:

Propose marriage to someone.

Pot calling the kettle black

:

Hypocritically criticise or accuse someone else is as guilty as the person criticising.

Pressed for time

:

Being rushed or not having enough time to complete something.

Proud as a peacock

:

Very proud

Pull the plug

:

Terminate or discontinue something.

Pull wool over other people’s eyes

:

Deceive someone into thinking well of them.

Pulling out all the stops

:

Doing everything you can to make something happen.

Punch above one’s weight

:

Performing beyond your ability.

Puppy love

:

Temporary infatuation between young people.

Put it in black and white

:

Write down for confirmation or evidence.

Put your thinking cap on

:

Engage your mind and think in a serious manner.

Rags to riches

:

Becoming very rich whilst starting very poor.

Raining cats and dogs

:

Raining very heavily.

Raise the white flag

:

Accept defeat and surrender to the other party.

Raring to go

:

Being very eager or enthusiastic about the idea.

Rat race

:

Exhausting and repetitive routine.

Red flag

:

Signal or indication that something is not working properly of correctly.

Red herring

:

Unimportant matter that misleads and draws attention away.

Red hot

:

New and exciting, creating much demand.

Red in the face

:

Embarrassed.

Red tape

:

Set of rules and/or regulations that slow or stop progress.

Red-eye

:

Journey that leaves late in the night and arrives early in the morning.

Road hog

:

Dangerous driver.

Roll out the red carpet

:

Greet a person with great respect and give them a big, warm welcome.

Sail through something

:

Being successful as something without difficulty.

Save time

:

Do something quickly or in a way that allow time for other things.

School of hard knocks

:

Learning through difficult experiences, as opposed to formal, classroom education.

School of thought

:

Particular philosophy or way of thinking about something.

Schoolboy error

:

Very basic or foolish mistake.

Seeing eye to eye

:

Two or more people agree on something.

Seeing red

:

React with uncontrollable rage.

Sell ice to Eskimos

:

Persuade people to go against their best interests or to accept something unnecessary.

Shelf life

:

The expected duration of lifespan of something (typically food, drink or medicine).

Show of hands

:

Raising hands to vote about something.

Shown the red card

:

Dismissed or told to leave.

Silver screen

:

Film industry

Single file

:

Line of people with one person standing behind another.

Sink or swim

:

Fail or succeed.

Sinking teeth into something

:

Doing something with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.

Sit on the fence

:

Unable or unwilling choose or make a decision.

Skip class

:

Not go to school when you should.

Sleeping (or silent) partner

:

Person who has put money into a business or venture but who is not involved in running it.

Slice of the pie

:

Share of something, such as money, profits, etc.

Smash hit

:

A big success.

Snowed under

:

Having too much to do.

Sooner or later

:

Something is certain to happen but it isn’t known when exactly.

Sour grapes

:

Pretending to dislike something you cannot have.

Spanner in the works

:

Suddenly disrupt something by introducing something unexpected or unwanted.

Speak of the devil

:

When the person you have just been talking about arrives.

Speaks volumes

:

Express a reaction without words.

Spill the beans

:

Reveal a secret.

Standing ground

:

Maintaining your position

Standing the test of time

:

Something that lasts or continues to work well for a long time.

Steal someone’s thunder

:

Take the credit for something someone else did.

Stiff upper lip

:

Not showing emotions.

Storm in a teacup

:

Exaggerate a problem.

Straight from the horse’s mouth

:

From the authoritative source.

Stuck in a time warp

:

Not changed for a very long time, when everything else around has.

Swallow one’s pride

:

Accepting something humiliating or embarrassing.

Sweet tooth

:

Liking for sweet-tasting foods.

Take each day as it comes

:

Deal with things as and when they happen.

Take with a grain (or pinch) of salt

:

Not to take what someone says too seriously. Be sceptical about something.

Taste of your own medicine

:

Something happens to you, or is done to you, that you have done to someone else.

Teacher’s pet

:

Teacher’s favourite student.

The big time

:

The top level of a profession

The moment of truth

:

When an important decision is made or the truth about something is revealed.

The ship has sailed

:

A particular opportunity has passed and is no longer available.

The time is ripe

:

The right or most opportune moment to do something.

Thinking on your feet

:

Adjusting quickly to change and making fast decisions.

This day and age

:

These or modern times.

Tickled pink

:

Very pleased, thrilled or delighted about something.

Tie the knot

:

Get married.

Time after time (time and time again)

:

Do something repeatedly

Time flies

:

When time passes quickly.

Time for a change

:

Stop what you are doing and start doing something else.

Time heals all wounds (or time is a great healer)

:

Feelings of hurt (usually emotional) will go away after some time has passed.

Time is money

:

Time is a valuable commodity. Payment is needed before doing something.

Time is of the essence

:

When meeting a deadline is very important or critical.

Time of one’s life

:

A time when someone is enjoying themselves.

Time on one’s hands (or side)

:

When you can afford to wait before doing or achieving something.

Tongue-tied

:

Difficulty in expressing yourself because of nervousness or embarrassment.

Too many chiefs and not enough Indians

:

Too many people telling others what to do.

Too much (free) time on one’s hand

:

When someone doesn’t have enough to do.

Top banana

:

Most important person in a group.

Top dog

:

Most important person.

Tough cookie

:

Very determined person.

Tricks of the trade

:

Clever or expert way of doing something.

True colours

:

Someone’s actual character.

Turn back the hands of time

:

Reverse something or go back to a time in the past.

University of life

:

Daily life and work where you learn more than you would through formal education.

Until hell freezes over

:

Something will never happen, no matter how hard or long you try for it to.

Up in smoke

:

Something that ends before getting a result.

Waiting in the wings

:

Waiting for an opportunity to take action.

Walk out on someone

:

Leave a partner and end the relationship.

Wasting time

:

Doing something with no purpose.

Well-oiled machine

:

Unit of people or a group of things working well together.

Whale of a time

:

Enjoying something thoroughly.

White as a sheet (or ghost)

:

In a state of great fear or anxiety.

White collar

:

Officer worker.

White elephant

:

Expensive item that’s costly to maintain and not particularly useful.

White lie

:

Little or harmless lie told to be polite and avoid hurting someone’s feelings.

Whitewash

:

Cover up or gloss over faults.

Whole nine yards

:

Everything. All of it.

With bells on

:

When you are delighted and eager to go somewhere.

Wooden spoon

:

Imaginary prize for the last person in a race.

Works like a charm

:

Works very well or as expected.

Wouldn’t be caught dead

:

Would never like to do something.

Year in, year out

:

Happens every year for many years in a row.

Yellow-bellied

:

Coward

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks

:

People used to doing things a certain way are often unable to change their ways.

Your guess is as good as mine

:

Not knowing the answer.