1.

" A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush " - Proverb
Meaning:
It’s better to have a lesser but certain advantage than the possibility of a greater one that may
come to nothing.
Example:
The questions in the final round looked hard so we opted out of the big prize and took the
smaller $2,000 second prize. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush you know.
Where did it originate?:
Britain
2. " A bull and cow " – Phr. unit – (schimb de pumni, o încăierare)
Meaning:
Cockney rhyming slang for a row or argument.
Example:
They were shouting and screaming at each other - a real bull and cow.
Where did it originate?:
Britain
3. " A fish out of water " - Phr. unit – a nu te simţi în apele tale, ca peţtele pe uscat)
Meaning:
Someone in an unfamiliar circumstance.
Example:
He’s a fine golfer but in this dance competition he’s a fish out of water.
Where did it originate?:
Britain - 17th century.
4. " A fly in the ointment "- Phr. unit – asta strică tot fasonul, mărul stricat strică toată
lada, o muscă-n lapte, o neplăcere, impediment)
Meaning:
A small flaw that spoils the whole.
Example:
It was good to win the gold but not being able to attend the ceremony to collect it was the fly in
the ointment.
Where did it originate?:
The Bible.
5. " A fly on the wall "- Phr. unit – a observa pe ascuns, muscă pe perete
Meaning:
1. An unperceived observer - able to see and hear but not be seen or heard. 2 - A form of cinema
in which events are recorded without direction.
Example:
1 - I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when Putin met Obama. 2 - These reality shows are
just the same as the old fly-on-the-wall documentaries.
Where did it originate?:
USA.
6. " A leopard can’t change his spots "- Phr. unit – lupul îşi schimbă blana, da năravul ba
Meaning:
You cannot change your innate self.
Example:
He was a bully at school and he’s a bully now - a leopard can’t change its spots.
Where did it originate?:
Biblical.
7. " A little bird told me "- Phr. unit – o pasăre mi-a şoptit în ureche
Meaning:
I was told by an undisclosed source.
Example:
How do I know it’s your 25th anniversary? Well, a little bird told me.
Where did it originate?:
Biblical.
8. " A pig in a poke "- Phr. unit – a cumpăra pisica în traistă, a cumpăra cu ochii închişi
Meaning:
A commodity that is bought without first examining it.
Example:
Jim said that car was a good buy so I bid for it on eBay and it turned out to be a real rust bucket.
That’s what you get for buying a pig in a poke.
Where did it originate?:
Britain. An old expression that exists in various forms in many languages.
9. " A red rag to a bull " - Phr. unit – o cârpiă roşie la taur
Meaning:
A deliberate provocation.
Example:
Telling Putin that he is macho as a response to being small in stature was like a red rag
to a bull.
Where did it originate?:
Britain. An allusion to bullfighting, where the bull is provoked by a waved cloth.
10. " A wolf in sheep’s clothing "- Phr. unit – lup în blană de oaie
Meaning:
Someone who uses the pretence of kindliness to disguise their evil intent.
Example:
He was 38 but tried to pass himself off as a thirteen year old in order to get a date with a
schoolgirl - a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Where did it originate?:
Aesop.
11. " Ain’t my first rodeo "- Phr. unit – nu e prima dată, nu-I primul meu joc, nu m-am
născut ieri
Meaning:
Said by someone who has experience of a situation.
Example:
You don’t need to show me how to peel the potatoes - this ain’t my first rodeo you know.
12. " All bark and no bite "- Phr. unit – doar de lătrat e bun, numai hămăie
Meaning:
Having lots to say but not willing to engage in a fight.
Example:
There's always one loud guy at the back who disappears when trouble starts - all bark but no bite.
Where did it originate?:
Britain, as a variant of 'his bark is worse than his bite', which is of early 19th century origin.
13. " Alley cat "- Phr. unit – pisică vagaboandă,
Meaning:
1. A cat that lives wild in a town. 2. Slang term for a prostitute.
Example:
1. Those alley cats were screeching and chasing rats in the yard all night. 2. Jack's getting to be a
sex addict. He spends all his time with bimbos and alley cats.
Where did it originate?:
USA, 20th century.
14. " As high as a kite "- Phr. unit – a fi în nori ca un zmeu, cu capul în nori
Meaning:
1. Very high up in the sky. 2. High on drugs or excitement.
Example:
1. The Petronas Tower is as high as a kite. 2. She was ecstatic that she won the gold medal. She
was high as a kite afterwards.
Where did it originate?:
1. Britain - 17th century. It probably refers to Red Kites, birds that were common in the UK in
the 17th century, rather than children's kites. 2. USA.
15. " Barking up the wrong tree "- Phr. unit – a greşi drumul, a grşi adresa, a merge pe pista
greşită
Meaning:
Responding to something which isn't the important issue.
Example:
The government is blaming the immigrants for the banking crisis, but they're barking up the
wrong tree there.
Where did it originate?:
Britain, 19th century.
16. " Big fish in a small pond "- Phr. unit – o fi choir în ţara orbilor
Meaning:
An important person but only so within a small area of influence.
Example:
Alison is the queen of the post room. She's a big fish in a small pond though - no one in the rest
of the company knows who she is.
Where did it originate?:
USA, late 19th century.
17. " Brass monkey weather "- Phr. unit – ger de crapă pietrele
Meaning:
Extremely cold weather. The full expression is 'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass
monkey'.
Example:
The weatherman says minus 10 degrees and strong winds for tomorrow. That's brass monkey
weather.
Where did it originate?:
The UK and USA in the early 20th century.
18. " Cat got your tongue? "- Phr. unit – a lua apă-n gură
Meaning:
A question addressed to someone who is inexplicably silent. The implication is that the person's
tongue is missing.
Example:
All you have to do is tell us who attacked you and we will arrest them. Why so quiet? Has the cat
got your tongue?
Where did it originate?:
America, 19th century.
19. " Charley horse "- Phr. unit – cârcel, crampă musculară
Meaning:
Stiffness or cramp in the arm or leg.
Example:
He was just on the verge of scoring his first hundred and then got a charley horse and couldn't
hold the bat.
Where did it originate?:
USA, late 19th century.
20. " Cloud cuckoo-land "- Phr. unit – Utopia, lume de basme, tîrâmul fanteziilor, a fi rupt
de realitate (to live in a cloud cuckoo land)
Meaning:
An imaginary idealistic state where everything is perfect. It is usually used with reference to
someone who has an overly optimistic and unrealistic belief.
Example:
If you think you can get a managerial job without any qualifications or experience you are living
in cloud cuckoo-land.
Where did it originate?:
'Cloud cuckoo-land' derives from a comment made by was coined by the 4th century BC Greek
playwright Aristophanes in the whimsical and extravagant play The Birds. First used in English
in the 1820s, in the United Kingdom.
21. " Cock and bull story "- Phr. unit – poveste cusută cu aţă albă, poveşti cu zmeu
Meaning:
An unbelievable tale.
Example:
She said that she went to school with George Clooney but she's only twenty two - I think it's a
cock and bull story.
Where did it originate?:
Britain, 17th century, although the precise source is unknown.
22. " Cry wolf "- Phr. unit – a da o alarmă falsă, a striga lupul
Meaning:
Intentionally raise a false alarm.
Example:
Now Billy, there's no point crying wolf just to stay up a bit later. We all know that there are no
witches in your bedroom.
Where did it originate?:
From the 'Shepherd Boy who cried Wolf' story in Aesop's Fables, translated into English in the
17th century.
23. " Curiosity killed the cat "- Phr. unit – curioşii mor repede, cu cât mai mult ştii, cu atât
îmbătrâneşti mai repede
Meaning:
Being inquisitive can lead you into a dangerous situation.
Example:
I heard a noise outside and went to have a look. It turns out I should have ignored it, it was a
bear. Curiosity killed the cat they say.
Where did it originate?:
USA, late 19th century. Probably deriving from a much older British phrase - 'care killed the cat'.
24. " Dog and bone "- Phr. unit – telefon, fir
Meaning:
Cockney rhyming slang for telephone.
Example:
I need to talk to Jackie. Get her on the dog and bone for me would you?
Where did it originate?:
Britain.
25. " Dog days of summer "- Phr. unit – zilele lui Cuptor, caniculă
Meaning:
The hottest days of the summer season.
Example:
I'm roasting - I suppose we should expect that on the dog days.
Where did it originate?:
Britain, 14th century, deriving ultimately from ancient Rome.
26. " Don't count your chickens before they hatch "- Phr. unit – nu zi hop pân n-ai sări
Meaning:
Don't count on receiving some benefit until you actually have it.
Example:
I know you felt good about that exam, but you haven't passed until you get the result - don't
count your chickens.
Where did it originate?:
Britain, 16th century proverb.

1. " You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink "

Meaning:

You can encourage someone to do something but, in the end, what they do is their own choice.

Example:

I bought her a car; I even paid for the driving lessons, but she still travels everywhere by bus.

(Cu sila poţi să iei, dar nu poţi să dai.)

2. " White elephant "

Meaning:

An object that appears magnificent but which is a burdensome financial liability.

Example:

The Empire State Building was a remarkable achievement but, for years after it was built, it had
few tenants and was really a white elephant for its developers.

Britain, late 19th century.

(Dracu’ alb mănâncă p’ăl negru./…………)

3. " The tail wagging the dog "

Meaning:

A small and usually insignificant factor (or person) dominates over one that is normally more
powerful and influential.
Example:

Even small countries like Estonia have a veto in European Union voting and can't be over-ruled.
I'd call that the tail wagging the dog.

(Prostul nu-i prost destul daca nu-i si fudul/Nu te face înţelept în tot lucrul.)

4. " Smell a rat "

Meaning:

To begin to suspect that things aren't as they should be.

Example:

It was when he said I needed to email him my bank details that I began to smell a rat.

Britain, 16th century.

(Până nu iei şeaua de pe cal, nu-i vezi rana-n spate./ A deschide ochii la timp)

5. " Raining cats and dogs "

Meaning:

Raining very heavily.

Example:

The monsoon will be here soon - then it will rain cats and dogs.

(A-i veni apa la moara./ Când o prinde mâţa peşte, Şi coada de urs o creşte./ Când plouă în luna
mai, plugul îi de aur)

6. " Prick up your ears "

Meaning:

Listen very carefully - like a dog or horse with erect ears.

Example:

Prick up your ears folks - this is important and I'll only be saying it once.

Britain, 16th century.

(A fi numai ochi si urechi/ Cască ochii la tocmeală, iar nu după ce te-nşală.)

7. " Pigs might fly "

Meaning:

Said when referring to something that is highly unlikely.

Example:
I heard that bankers might give their bonuses to the poor this year. Yes, and pigs might fly!

Britain, 17th century.

(Când o prinde mâţa peşte, Şi coada de urs o creşte/ Cand or zbura porcii/ Când o face salcia
mere şi răchita pătlăgele)

8. " No spring chicken "

Meaning:

Said of people who are no longer young but may behave as though they were.

Example:

Dad's marrying again, to a woman in her 60s. Mind you, he's no spring chicken either.

USA, 20th century.

(Copil cuminte si baba frumoasa)

9. " Little fish in a big pond "

Meaning:

Someone considered unimportant compared to their more significant peers.

Example:

Jimmy's first school only had seven pupils and he was the star, but when he got to high-school he
was a little fish in a big pond.

USA, early 20th century.

(A fi oaie intre lupi)