12 call it a day
stop work for the day.
The labourers call it a day after working for
five hours on the field.
13 can't make heads or tails of
something
can't understand something at all;
find something confusing and illogical.
I cannot make heads or tails of your notes.
Were you sleepy during the class?
14 catch one's eye
attract one's attention/interest.
This colourful advertisement caught my
eye when I was in the bus.
15 change one's mind
decide to do something different from what
had been decided earlier.
David did not go to Australia. He changed
his mind when he heard that his mother is
ill.
16 cost (someone) an arm and a leg
cost a lot;
be very expensive.
This car costs him an arm and a leg. He
has to get another job to help pay for it.
17 couch potato
someone who spends too much time
watching TV.
You are becoming a couch potato. You
need to get out and do some exercise.
18 Don't count your chickens until
(before) they hatch (they've hatched)
Don't assume that something will happen
until it has happened.
I think you should not count your chickens
until they’ve hatched. Wait till the boys win
the competition this Sunday.
19 drop someone a line
write to someone
Do drop me a line when you have time.
20 drag one's feet delay;
take longer than necessary to do
something.
Why are you dragging your feet? You
should have finished your homework by
now.
21 an eager beaver
a person who is always willing to volunteer
or do extra work.
Rahim is an eager beaver. He is the first to
volunteer for any job to be done.
22 feel blue
50 IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS YOU
MUST KNOW
The correct use of idiomatic expressions
will earn you merit points when you write
your essays.
1 ace
Get an "A" on a test, homework
assignment, project, etc.
I heard that Susie aced the test yesterday
2 As easy as a pie
very easy
The test was as easy as a pie.
3 at the eleventh hour
at the last minute; almost too late.
He finished the project at the eleventh hour
and he nearly lost his job.
4 all ears
eager to hear what someone has to say.
Tell me about your latest trip overseas. I’m
all ears.
5 be broke
be without money.
I need to borrow some money. I am broke.
6 be on the go
be very busy (going from one thing or
project to another).
I am very tired. I've been on the go since 5
in the morning.
7 beat
exhausted; very tired
I need a break after this. I'm beat!"
8 beat around the bush
evade an issue; avoid giving a direct
answer.
Stop beating around the bush! Just tell me
what happened to my car.
9 bite off more than one can chew
take responsibility for more than one can
manage.
Mrs Lee finds it difficult to finish all her
work. She has bitten off more than she
could chew!"
10 blow one's top
become extremely angry.
My father blew his top when he found out I
had taken his car without his permission.
11 burn the midnight oil
study/work all night or until very late at
night.
Johan is not ready for the test. He will
have to burn the midnight oil."
33 keep one's fingers crossed
hope for the best.
He is keeping his fingers crossed while
waiting for the results of his interview.
34 lend someone a hand
help someone.
Can you please lend a hand at the relief
centre for the flood victims?
35 live from hand to mouth
survive on very little money; have only
enough money
to pay for basic needs.
Ros and the children live from hand to
mouth after the fire destroyed their house.
36 make a mountain out of a molehill
make something seem much more
important than it really is.
Susila is making a mountain out of a
molehill. I am sure the boys are perfectly
capable of looking after themselves.
37 make up one's mind
decide what to do
Moses has to make up his mind whether to
continue his studies or take up a job.
38 on the dot exactly at a given time.
If you do not come on the dot, we will
leave without you.
39 (on the) cutting edge
using the most recent technology
This car boasts of having a cutting edge
technology. It has a computer and tracking
system.
40 pull someone's leg tease someone by
trying to make her/him believe something
that's untrue.
She pulled my leg when he said that he
had quit his job to get married.
41 Rain or shine
no matter what the weather
"We're leaving for Cameron Highlands,
rain or shine."
42 rain cats and dogs
Rain heavily
It’s raining cats and dogs now. You better
leave later.
43 read someone's mind:
know what someone is thinking.
I can read your mind. I know you are very
hungry and I have ordered pizza.
44 rub someone the wrong way
irritate someone
feel sad and depressed.
Rita is feeling blue because she has not
heard from her boyfriend for a long time.
23 fire someone
dismiss someone from a job because of
poor performance. Lokman might be fired
if he continues to be late for work.
24 get it
understand something (often negative).
I don’t get it. Could you please explain it to
me again?
25 get on one's nerves
irritate someone; make someone upset.
His constant chatter is getting on my
nerves. Please tell him to keep quiet.
26 get out of hand:
become out of control; become badly
managed.
The situation is getting out of hand. The
relief centre can only hold forty people but
we have one hundred people to care for.
27 give someone a hand
i. help someone.
ii. applaud someone
Please give a hand to the poor old lady.
She is trying to cross the road.
The gardener has done a wonderful
landscaping job. Let’s give him a hand.
28 Hard-headed
have one's hands full stubborn; inflexible;
unwilling to change.
It’s pretty difficult to get Simon to change
his mind. He is hard-headed.
29 have one's hands full
extremely busy
Peggy usually has her hands full in the
beginning of a new school term.
30 in the black:
profitable; not showing a financial loss.
The company is back in the black after
suffering from great losses the last two
months.
31 in the red:
unprofitable; showing a financial loss.
The company is in the red. We have to
stop some of the workers if the situation
continues.
32 keep an eye on
check something regularly.
Please keep an eye on the children while I
go to the bank.
I cannot stand Robert. He seems to rub
me the wrong way every time we discuss
something.
45 sleep on it take some time to think
about something before making a decision.
You should sleep on it first and we will
discuss again tomorrow.
46 To make his own bed; now let him lie
in it.
Someone has caused his/her own
problems; he/she will have to solve them
himself/herself.
He insisted that he should take up the
project alone. So, he has made his own
bed, let him lie in it.
47 under the weather
ill; unwell.
Susan was feeling under the weather
yesterday, so she decided not to go to
work."
48 until you're blue in the face
forever
You can advise him until you're blue in the
face, but he won’t change his ways.
49 wet behind the ears inexperienced
and naive.
I do not think Suresh is suitable for this
project. He is still wet behind the ears,
having only joined us last month.
50 wishy-washy:
without an opinion of one's own.
You better check with the other members.
John can be wishy-washy at times.

Adapted from the website,

https://www.slideshare.net/mahanifareed/5
0-idiomatic-expressions-you-can-use-in-
your-essays