This idiom and phrase document contains over 50 common English idioms and phrases with their meanings explained in 1-2 sentences each. Examples of idioms included are "to burn your bridges", "a blessing in disguise", "beat around the bush", "bite the bullet", and "break a leg".
This idiom and phrase document contains over 50 common English idioms and phrases with their meanings explained in 1-2 sentences each. Examples of idioms included are "to burn your bridges", "a blessing in disguise", "beat around the bush", "bite the bullet", and "break a leg".
This idiom and phrase document contains over 50 common English idioms and phrases with their meanings explained in 1-2 sentences each. Examples of idioms included are "to burn your bridges", "a blessing in disguise", "beat around the bush", "bite the bullet", and "break a leg".
TO DO SOMETHING OR ANGER TO BURN YOUR SOMEONE TO WHERE YOU CANNOT BRIDGES GO BACK TO HOW THINGS WERE (CUET LLB 22) AND CANNOT EXPECT HELP IN THE FUTURE.
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A BLESSING IN A good thing that seemed bad DISGUISE at first. BEAT AROUND Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is THE BUSH uncomfortable. BITE THE To get something over with BULLET because it is inevitable BREAK A LEG Good luck CALL IT A DAY Stop working on something GIVE SOMEONE THE BENEFIT OF Trust what someone says THE DOUBT THE BEST OF Means you can enjoy two different opportunities at the BOTH WORLDS same time. SEE EYE TO This means agreeing with EYE someone. ONCE IN A An event that happens BLUE MOON infrequently. WHEN PIGS Something that will never FLY happen. TO COST AN Something is very ARM AND A expensive. LEG A PIECE OF Something is very easy. CAKE LET THE CAT To accidentally reveal a OUT OF THE secret. BAG TO FEEL UNDER THE To not feel well. WEATHER TO CUT To do something badly or CORNERS cheaply. YOU CAN’T To not judge someone or JUDGE A BOOK something based solely on BY ITS COVER appearance. TO ADD INSULT TO To make a situation worse. INJURY TO HIT THE To describe exactly what is NAIL ON THE causing a situation or HEAD problem. NO PAIN NO You have to work hard for GAIN something you want. GETTING A TASTE OF Being treated the same unpleasant way you have YOUR OWN treated others. MEDICINE GIVING SOMEONE THE COLD SHOULDER To ignore someone. A matter or problem that is THE ELEPHANT obvious of great importance IN THE ROOM but that is not discussed openly. STEALING Taking credit for someone SOMEONES else achievements. THUNDER TWIST Convinced you to do SOMEONE’S something you wouldn’t have ARM otherwise. STAB Hurting someone who trusted SOMEONE IN us by betraying them. THE BACK LOSE YOUR Lose an ability you once TOUCH had. To contribute (give) to PITCH IN something or someone or to join in. Be confronted with the FACE THE MUSIC unpleasant consequences of one's actions. LOOK LIKE A Take it as a huge MILLION compliment, it means you DOLLARS look absolutely fabulous! BORN WITH A SILVER To someone who comes SPOON IN from a wealthy and ONE’S successful family MOUTH TO HAVE STICKY You probably steal a lot. FINGERS BREAK THE Something that is very expensive that would take all BANK of your money. Not wanting to spend any TO BE CLOSE- money (almost like you’re FISTED physically gripping your money). LIVING To have just enough money HAND TO to live on and nothing extra MOUTH RULE OF A broadly accurate guide or principle, based on practice THUMB rather than theory. KEEP ONE'S CHIN Remain cheerful in difficult circumstances. UP COOL AS A Someone who’s very calm CUCUMBER and relaxed. To get the conversation BREAK THE ICE going. Provide a conversation prompt. WRAP ONE'S To understand something that HEAD AROUND may take a bit of time and SOMETHING effort. A SNOWBALL Something that can continue to get more and more out of EFFECT control
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WE'LL CROSS THAT BRIDGE Let's avoid addressing the WHEN WE GET TO problem until later on. IT TO BE HARD ON To criticize or to manage SOMEONE someone very strictly. FISH OUT OF To be in an unfamiliar or WATER uncomfortable place. STEP UP ONE’S To work harder or perform GAME better. YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS I don't know either. MINE LEAVE OUT IN THE To be ignored or not COLD considered. KEEP AN EAR TO To listen for new THE GROUND information. RUN AROUND IN To put effort into something while making little or no CIRCLES progress. SCRAPE THE To make choices you don't BARREL want to or normally wouldn't. HAVING AN ACE To have a hidden or untold UP THE SLEEVE advantage.
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BUY IT To believe something. To risk something or have ON THE LINE something at risk. An easy way to make money A QUICK BUCK quickly. SIGHTS SET ON | To desire something or to SET SIGHTS ON make a goal. GO THE EXTRA To do extra work or put in MILE extra effort. HANG IN THERE To not give up. REST ON YOUR To stop trying as hard because of your past LAUREL achievements. IT'S NOT ROCKET It's not as difficult as you SCIENCE might think. SPILL THE BEANS To tell a secret. SIT ON THE To be undecided. FENCE What has already happened NO USE IN cannot be undone so you CRYING OVER shouldn't cry but you should SPILLED MILK think of what to do going forward. FAIR AND To do things in a fair way with no advantages given to SQUARE either side. STRAIGHT FROM To hear information directly THE HORSE'S from the person involved. MOUTH BIGGER FISH There is something more TO FRY important to take care of. READ BETWEEN To look for the real meaning THE LINES when something is said. WILD GOOSE To waste time trying to do CHASE something you cannot. CHIP OFF THE To be similar to one's parents OLD BLOCK in one way or overall. THE APPLE Similar to one’s parents. This DOESN’T FALL is used at the time when you observe that someone is FAR FROM THE doing something their parents TREE. would. BY THE SKIN OF To barely get something ONE’S TEETH done. PENNY WISE To worry about or obsess over unimportant details AND POUND while ignoring the important FOOLISH ones. To ask for help or attention by CRY WOLF lying about a situation. PLAY DEVIL'S To present the other side or ADVOCATE both sides of an argument. In a dangerous or risky ON THIN ICE situation with much margin for error. TAKE IT WITH A Don’t believe it to be 100% PINCH OF SALT true. BITE OFF MORE To take on a task that is THAN YOU CAN more difficult than you can CHEW handle. To improvise or wait for PLAY IT BY EAR more information to come to a decision. PUT SOMETHING To stop progress on ON ICE something or put it on hold. SIT TIGHT Please wait patiently. To study (more often used to HIT THE BOOKS imply studying hard) CUT TO THE To get directly to the point. CHASE Unavailable, the offer has OFF THE TABLE been revoked. It is too late for the SHIP HAS SAILED opportunity. COME RAIN OR No matter what. (C0ME) SHINE To agree, compromise or SEE EYE TO EYE understand the other person's perspective. Sounds familiar or reminds RINGS A BELL you of something. DARKEST BEFORE Things will get better (Useful for when several bad things THE DAWN happen at once) THROUGH THICK Throughout good times and AND THIN bad times. FORTUNE FAVORS Taking a risk can pay off. THE BOLD DON'T PUT ALL You're taking too big of a risk or putting too much effort and YOUR EGGS IN resources into one risky ONE BASKET option. To stop thinking about THROW CAUTION something and take the risk. TO THE WIND (My parents told me not to put all my eggs in one basket but I decided to throw caution to the wind and be a full-time artist.) LOOK BEFORE To think before you do YOU LEAP something. JUMP ON THE To follow a trend or not to do something until it's BANDWAGON popular. POUR ONE’S To tell or confess something HEART OUT emotional. There is nothing that can be RIGHT AS RAIN improved. TO BE ON CLOUD To be extremely happy NINE ONE-TRICK A person with only one PONY talent or area of expertise WOULDN’T HURT A person that is inoffensive A FLY and harmless FIT AS A Very healthy and strong FIDDLE Be concerned with relatively FIDDLE WHILE trivial matters while ignoring the serious or ROME BURNS disastrous events going on around one. TO HAVE YOUR To be daydreaming and/or HEAD IN THE lacking concentration CLOUDS A person who is pursuing a relationship with another for GOLD DIGGER the sole purpose of benefiting from their wealth LIKE TWO PEAS Two people who are always IN A POD together Make a bad start at TO GET OFF ON something, especially a task THE WRONG or relationship. FOOT TO KEEP To keep your distance and not SOMEONE AT get too involved with ARM’S DISTANCE someone TO RUB To irritate or get on SOMEONE THE someone’s nerves WRONG WAY TO GET WIND OF To hear a rumor about SOMETHING something A PENNY FOR Used to ask someone what YOUR they are thinking about. THOUGHTS TO SEE WHICH To try to discover information WAY THE WIND IS about a situation before taking BLOWING action COMPARING Comparing two things that APPLES TO cannot be compared ORANGES TO GET YOUR Have a misunderstanding. WIRES CROSSED When someone doesn’t TO BE LEFT IN receive all the appropriate THE DARK information that tells the whole story When you repeat the same TO GO AROUND things over again in a IN CIRCLES conversation without coming to a conclusion or resolution A PERFECT The worst possible situation STORM