IDIOMS ODD-BALL: one that is eccentric OVER THE TOP: Excessively expressive or dramatic OTT-over the top ROUND

ROUND THE BEND: informal or slang terms for mentally irregular; "it used to drive my husband
balmy"

he black sheep (of the family)

someone who is thought to be a bad person by the rest of their family My father was the black sheep - he ran away at 16 to become an actor and his parents never forgave him.

Hush money

Fig. money paid as a bribe to persuade someone to remain silent and not reveal certain information. Bob gave his younger sister hush money so that she wouldn't tell Jane that he had gone to the movies with Sue. The crooks paid Fred hush money to keep their whereabouts secret.

diamond wedding swan song

n the 60th, or occasionally the 75th, anniversary of a marriage n. 1. A farewell or final appearance, action, or work. 2. The beautiful legendary song sung only once by a swan in its lifetime, as it is dying.

cold feet cold shoulder

pl n Informal loss or lack of courage or confidence n. Informal Deliberate coldness or disregard; a slight or a snub: received the cold shoulder from several members of the club.

small talk queer fish Dutch courage French leave

n. Casual or trivial conversation. n Brit informal an eccentric or odd person n. Informal Courage acquired from drinking liquor. n an unauthorized or unannounced absence or departure [alluding to a custom in France of leaving without saying goodbye to one's host or hostess]

sleeping partner freelance

n (Business / Commerce) a partner in a business who does not play an active role, esp one who supplies capital n. also free lance (fr l ns ) 1. A person who sells services to employers without a long-term commitment to any of them. 2. An uncommitted independent, as in politics or social life. 3. A medieval mercenary. v. freelanced, freelancing, freelances

wet blanket leap year

n. Informal One that discourages enjoyment or enthusiasm.

n. 1. A year in the Gregorian calendar having 366 days, with the extra day, February 29, intercalated to compensate for the quarter-day difference between an ordinary year and the astronomical year. 2. An intercalary year in a calendar.

double-minded

adj Rare undecided; vacillating double-mindedness n RED LETTER DAY:A red letter day (sometimes hyphenated as red-letter day or called scarlet day in academia) is any day of special significance.

chicken-hearted (ch k n-hr t d)

adj. Lacking courage; cowardly. chick enheart edness n.

white lie cold war

n. An often trivial, diplomatic or well-intentioned untruth. n. 1. often Cold War A state of political tension and military rivalry between nations that stops short of full-scale war, especially that which existed between the United States and Soviet Union following World War II. 2. A state of rivalry and tension between two factions, groups, or individuals that stops short of open, violent confrontation. cold warrior n.

crocodile tears animal spirits bad blood blind alley

pl.n. An insincere display of grief; false tears. pl.n. The vitality of good health. n. Enmity or bitterness among individuals or groups of people. n. 1. An alley or passage that is closed at one end. 2. A mistaken, unproductive undertaking.

big fish

n Informal 1. an important or powerful person a big fish in a small pond the most important or powerful person in a small group

drink like a fish *cold fish a fish out of water

Fig. to drink alcohol excessively; to be in the habit of drinking alcohol excessively. Jeff really drank like a fish at the party on Saturday. I worry about Nancy; she drinks like a fish. Fig. a person who is distant and unfeeling. (*Typically: act like ~; be ~.) Bob is so dulla real cold fish. She hardly ever speaks to anyone. She's a cold fish. someone who is uncomfortable in a particular situation After living in Hong Kong for most of his life, Lee was a fish out of water in Los Angeles.

have bigger fish to fry and have other fish to fry; have more important fish to fry Fig. to have other things to do; to have more important things to do. I can't take time for your problem. I have other fish to fry. I won't waste time on your question. I have bigger fish to fry. like shooting fish in a barrel and as easy as shooting fish in a barrel

Rur. ridiculously easy. Jane's a good mechanic. Changing a tire is like shooting fish in a barrel, for her. That comedian has an easy job. Making fun of politicians is like shooting fish in a barre

neither fish nor fowl

Clich not any recognizable thing. The car that they drove up in was neither fish nor fowl. It must have been made out of spare parts. This proposal is neither fish nor fowl. I can't tell what you're proposing.

there are plenty more fish in the sea

used to say that there are many other people or possibilities, especially when one person or thing has been unsuitable or unsuccessful Don't cry over Pierre - there are plenty more fish in the sea.

can't take/keep your eyes off somebody/something

if you can't take your eyes off someone or something, you are unable to stop looking at them because they are so attractive or interesting I thought he was so beautiful - I couldn't take my eyes off him. I couldn't keep my eyes off her amazing hairdo.

feast your eyes on something have eyes in the back of one's head

to look at something with a lot of pleasure Just feast your eyes on this fabulous painting. Fig. to seem to be able to sense what is going on behind or outside of one's field of vision. My teacher seems to have eyes in the back of her head. My teacher doesn't need to have eyes in the back of his head. He watches us very carefully. keep your eyes peeled/skinned (informal) to watch very carefully for something (often + for ) Keep your eyes peeled for a signpost

only have eyes for someone open someone's eyes to someone or something

Fig. [to be] loyal to only one person, in the context of romance. Oh, Jane! I only have eyes for you! Don't waste any time on Tom. He only has eyes for Ann. Fig. to cause someone, including oneself, to become aware of someone or something. We finally opened our eyes to what was going on around us. The events of last night opened my eyes to Tom. keep one's eyes open (for someone or something) and keep one's eyes peeled (for someone or something) Fig. to remain alert and watchful for someone or something. (The entry with peeled is informal.Peel refers to moving the eyelids back. See also keep an eye out (for someone or something).) I'm keeping my eyes open for a sale on winter coats. Please keep your eyes peeled for Mary. She's due to arrive here any time. Okay. I'll keep my eyes open. do something with your eyes closed also do something with your eyes shut to do something very easily do something with one hand tied behind your back I've filled in this form so many times, I can do it with my eyes closed.

be the bee's knees (British & Australian informal)

to be extremely good Have you tried this double chocolate-chip ice cream? It's the bee's knees, it really is. done up/dressed up like a dog's dinner (British & Australian) wearing clothes which make you look silly when you have tried to dress for a formal occasion There she was, all dressed up like a dog's dinner, in a ridiculous frilly shirt and a skirt that was far too short. a dog's breakfast/dinner (British & Australian informal) something that has been done very badly She tried to cut her hair and made a real dog's breakfast of it. You should have seen the ceiling after he'd finished painting it. It was a complete dog's breakfast.

dog and pony show

Fig. a display, demonstration, or exhibition of something-such as something one is selling. (As in a circus act where trained dogs leap onto and off of trained ponies.) Gary went into his standard dog and pony show, trying to sell us on an upgrade to our software. Don't you get tired of running through the same old dog and pony show at every trade show?

go to the dogs

if a country or an organization is going to the dogs, it is becoming less successful than it was in the past (usually in continuous tenses) They sat in the bar the night before the election, moaning that the country was going to the dogs.

throw someone to the dogs

Fig. to abandon someone to enemies or evil. He served the evil empire well, but in the end, they threw him to the dogs.

pie in the sky

1. Fig. a future reward after death, considered as a replacement for a reward not received on earth. Don't hold out for pie in the sky. Get realistic. If he didn't hope for some heavenly pie in the sky, he would probably be a real crook. 2. Fig. having to do with a hope for a special reward. (This is hyphenated before a nominal.) Get rid of your piein-the-sky ideas! What these pie-in-the-sky people really want is money.

dance to somebody's tune

to always do what someone tells you to do, whether you agree with it or not Powerful local residents seem to have the council dancing to their tune.

out of this world

1. Fig. wonderful and exciting. This pie is out of this world. My boyfriend is just out of this world. 2. intoxicated. Man, is she ever out of this world! What did she drink? He drank until he was out of this world. almost) jump out of one's skin and nearly jump out of one's skin Fig. to react strongly to shock or surprise. Oh! You really scared me. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Bill was so startled he almost jumped out of his skin.

cover your tracks

to hide or destroy the things that show where you have been or what you have been doing Roberts covered his tracks by throwing the knife in the river and burying his wife's body.

bee in one's bonnet

a single idea or a thought that remains in one's mind; an obsession. (*Typically: get ~; have ~; give one ~.) I have a bee in my bonnet over that cool new car I saw, and I can't stop thinking about it. I got a bee in my bonnet about swimming. I just wanted to go swimming all the time.

drop a bomb(shell) and explode a bombshell; drop a brick

Fig. to announce shocking or startling news. They really dropped a bombshell when they announced that the mayor would resign. Friday is a good day to drop a bomb like that. It gives the business world the weekend to recover. They must choose their words very carefully when they explode a bombshell like that. They really dropped a brick when they told her the cause of her illness.

wet one's whistle

Rur. to take a drink. He stopped at the bar to wet his whistle. I don't need a big glass of water. Just enough to wet my whistle. the bush telegraph (British & Australian) the way in which people quickly pass important information to other people, especially by talking News of the redundancies spread immediately on the bush telegraph.