to hear sg through the grapevine - to hear rumours, to hear news from someone who heard

it from someone else

to beat about/around the bush - to talk about unimportant things because you want to avoid
talking about what is really important
to be in the loop - to have the special knowledge or power that belongs to a particular group
of people
to keep someone posted - to keep someone informed
to talk at cross purposes - talking in a way that causes confusion or failure because people
are talking about different subjects without realizing it

a cold fish - someone who shows no emotion which makes him/her appear unfriendly
a dark horse - a person who keeps his/her interests, ideas or skills secret and surprises you
when you find out about them
a rough diamond - someone who has talent or other good qualities but lacks manners or
training
a social butterfly - someone who is outgoing and loves to socialize
a jack of all trades - someone who has many different skills and can do many different jobs