IDIOMS ILLUSTRATIONS

1. RAINING CATS AND DOGS: rain heavily

2. CHALK AND CHEESE: very different from

each other

3. HERE AND THERE = HIGH AND LOW:

everywhere

4. A HOT POTATO: something that is difficult

or dangerous to deal with

5. AT THE DROP OF A HAT: immediately,

instantly
6. BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD: time to
start from the beginning; it is time to plan
something over again

7. BEAT AROUND THE BUSH: avoiding the

main topic, not speaking directly about the
issue

8. BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD: a

good invention or innovation, a good idea or
plan

9. BURN THE MIDNIGHT OIL: to stay up

working, especially studying late at night

10. CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO STOOLS: when

someone finds it difficult to choose between
two alternatives
11. BREAK A LEG: good luck!

12. HIT THE BOOKS : to study

13. WHEN PIGS FLY : something will never

happen

14. SCRATCH SOMEONE'S BACK: help

someone out with the assumption that they will
return the favor in the future

15. HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD : do or say

something exactly right
16. TAKE SOMEONE/SOMETHING FOR
GRANTED: to be so used to
somebody/something that you do not recognize
their true value anymore and do not show that
you are grateful

17. TAKE SOMETHING INTO ACCOUNT/

CONSIDERATION: to remember; to consider
something

18. PUT SOMEONE/SOMETHING AT

SOMEONE'S DISPOSAL: to make someone
or something available to someone

19. SPLITTING HEADACHE: a severe headache

20. ON THE HOUSE: drinks or meals that are on

the house are provided free by the pub or
restaurant and you do not have to pay

21. HIT THE ROOF = GO THROUGH THE

ROOF = HIT THE CEILING: to suddenly
become angry
22. MAKE SOMEONE'S BLOOD BOIL: to make
somebody extremely angry

23. BRING DOWN THE HOUSE: to make

everyone laugh or cheer, especially at a
performance in the theatre

24. PAY THROUGH THE NOSE: to pay too

much for something

25. BY THE SKIN OF ONE'S TEETH: if you do

something by the skin of your teeth, you only
just manage to do it

26. PULL SOMEONE'S LEG: to play a joke on

somebody
27. IT STRIKES SOMEBODY AS/THAT A
STRANGE: It’s strange to sb that

28. TAKE IT AMISS: to understand as wrong or

insulting, or misunderstand

29. THE MORE, THE MERRIER: the more

people or things there are, the better the
situation will be or the more fun people will
have

30. SPICK AND SPAN: neat and clean

31. EVERY NOW AND THEN = NOW AND

AGAIN = AT TIMES = FROM TIME TO
TIME = OFF AND ON = ONCE IN A WHILE
= EVERY SO OFTEN: sometimes
32. PART AND PARCEL: integral, crucial

33. GO TO ONE'S HEAD: to make you feel too

proud of yourself in a way that other people
find annoying

34. ONCE IN A BLUE MOON = FEW AND FAR

BETWEEN: rare

35. ON THE SPOT: (1) immediately

(2): in trouble; in a difficult situation

36. ON THE VERGE OF = ON THE BRINK OF

= IN THE EDGE OF: very near to the moment
when somebody does something or something
happens

37. IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS: good or

bad things do not just happen a few at a time,
but in large numbers all at once
38. BE ON THE WAGON: to not drink alcohol,
either for a short time or permanently

39. LEAD SOMEBODY BY THE NOSE: to

control someone and make them do exactly
what you want them to do

40. AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR: at the last

possible moment; just in time

41. SELL/GO LIKE HOT CAKES: to be bought

quickly or in great numbers

42. FIND FAULT WITH: to look for and discover

mistakes in somebody/something; to complain
about somebody/something
43. MAKE BELIEVE: imagining or pretending
things to be different or more exciting than
they really are

44. MAKE GOOD TIME: to complete a journey

quickly

45. LOOK DAGGERS AT SOMEONE: to look at

somebody in a very angry way

46. BE OUT OF THE QUESTION: impossible or

not allowed and therefore not worth discussing

47. ALL AT ONCE = suddenly; all together, at the

same time
48. BLOW ONE'S TRUMPET: to praise your own
abilities and achievements

49. SLEEP ON IT: to wait before making a

decision

50. FIGHT TOOTH AND CLAW/NAIL: to fight

in a very determined way for what you want

51. DOWN THE DRAIN: (to be) wasted; (to get)

very much worse

52. SMELL A RAT: to suspect that something is

wrong about a situation
53. THE LAST STRAW: the last in a series of bad
events, etc. that makes it impossible for you to
accept a situation any longer

54. GET THE HANG OF SOMETHING: to learn

how to do or to use something; to understand
something

55. HARD OF HEARING: unable to hear very

well

56. KEEP AN EYE ON: to take care of

somebody/something and make sure that they
are not harmed, damaged, etc.

57. HAVE A BEE IN ONE'S BONNET (ABOUT

SOMETHING): to think or talk about
something all the time and to think that it is
very important
58. GET/HAVE COLD FEET: to suddenly
become nervous about doing something that
you had planned to do

59. ON SECOND THOUGHT: used to say that

you have changed your opinion

60. IN VAIN: without success

61. CHIP IN: to give some money so that a group

of people can buy something together

62. OFF ONE'S HEAD: crazy

63. RUN AN ERRAND: to go out to buy or do
something

64. JUMP THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS / RUN A RED

LIGHT: to fail to stop at a red traffic light

65. FLY OFF THE HANDLE: to suddenly

become very angry

66. THE APPLE OF ONE'S EYE: a person or

thing that is loved more than any other

67. BUCKET DOWN: to rain heavily

68. CLOSE SHAVE = NARROW ESCAPE: a

situation in which you only just manage to
avoid an accident, etc.
69. DROP A BRICK: to say something that
offends or embarrasses somebody, although
you did not intend to

70. GET/HAVE BUTTERFLIES IN ONE'S

STOMACH: to have a nervous feeling in your
stomach before doing something

71. OFF THE RECORD: if you tell somebody

something off the record, it is not yet official
and you do not want them to repeat it publicly

72. ONE'S CUP OF TEA: what somebody likes or

is interested in

73. CUT IT FINE: to leave yourself just enough

time to do something
74. GOLDEN HANDSHAKE: a large sum of
money that is given to somebody when they
leave their job, or to persuade them to leave
their job

75. PUT ON AN ACT: to behave or speak in a

false or artificial way

76. COME TO LIGHT: to become known to

people

77. TAKE STH TO PIECES: to separate

something into smaller parts

78. PUT ONE'S FOOT IN IT/YOUR MOUTH: to

say or do something that upsets, offends or
embarrasses somebody

79. PULL ONE'S WEIGHT: to work as hard as

everyone else in a job, an activity, etc.
80. MAKE ENDS MEET: to have just enough
money to pay for the things that you need

81. GET THE HOLD OF THE WRONG END OF

THE STICK: to understand something in the
wrong way

82. CUT AND DRIED: already decided and

unlikely to be changed

83. STAY/KEEP ON ONE'S TOE: to make sure

that somebody is ready to deal with anything
that might happen by doing things that they are
not expecting

84. SEE EYE TO EYE: If two people see eye to

eye, they agree with each other
85. HAVE IN MIND: to intend to do something

86. A LOST CAUSE: someone or something that

has no chance of succeeding

87. TO BE BOUND TO: to feel that you must do

something because of your sense of moral duty

88. AT HEART: basically, fundamentally

89. TO KNOW BY SIGHT: recognize

90. TO TAKE PAINS: to put a lot of effort into

doing something
91. TO MAKE DO: to manage, to cope

92. SELL SOMEONE SHORT: to value someone

too little

93. FACE THE MUSIC: to accept and deal with

criticism or punishment for something you
have done

94. LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG: to reveal

a secret or a surprise by accident

95. ON PROBATION: to undergo a period of

probation (=a time of training and testing when
you start a new job to see if you are suitable for
the work)