Carina Garland - Curious Appetites - Food, Desire, Gender and Subjectivity in Lewis Carroll's Alice Texts - The Lion and The Unicorn 32 - 1 - Ko - Johnson
no emotions and comes across as unfriendly or disinterested
4. Achilles’ heels ............... A small
but fatal weakness.
5. An arm chair job ............ Good
income job with high comfort.
6. An axe to grind ..............
Something done for selfish reasons.
7. Apple-pie-order .............. In good
condition 8. At a loss ........................ To be unable to decide.
9. At a pinch ...................... In a trouble.
10. At one’s finger’s ends .....To have
complete knowledge.
11. At one’s wit’s end .......... Puzzled /
confused / perplexed.
12. Above board---Legitimate, Honest
and Open
13. At the drop of a hat---Willingness
to do something instantly
14. Add fuel to fire .............. To make
a matter worse. 15. An iron-will.................... Strong will power.
16. An old flame ………A person, one
had a romantic relationship with, in the past.
17. An old head on young shoulders
............................ A child or young person who thinks and talks like an older andexperienced person.
18. An olive branch ...........................
Peace request/ peace treaty.
19. Apple of discord..............................
Matter of dispute.
20. Apple of one’s eye ......... Very
lovable/ dearest one. 21. At arm’s length .................. Avoid becoming too friendly.
22. At daggers drawn.........................
To have bitter enmity.
23. At ease.............................. Free
from pain and anxiety.
24. At sixes and sevens.......................
In disorder.
25. At stake ......................... At risk
and insecured.
26. At the eleventh hour
....................... At the last moment.
27. Back to square one-----to go back
to the beginning 28. Back on one’s feet---To be healthy again after sickness.
29. Beat the air---do useless effort
30. Blue eyed boy a man who is liked
and admired by somebody in authority.
31. Bread and Butter---- Someone’s
livelihood.
32. Bear the brunt of ----Take the main
force, often of a criticism or unpleasant event.
33. Blue blood----descent from
nobility, aristocrat
34. By dint of----as result of something
35. Break a leg ----good luck, best wishes
36. Born with a silver spoon in mouth-
--- To be born to parents who are rich and have a good social rank.
37. Beyond the pale-----An
unacceptable way to express something.
38. Beat a dead horse----some action
or ongoing argument that is useless
39. Back stairs gossip ............... Talk
among servants/ unfair talks.
40. Bad blood.................................
Enmity/ bitter relations. 41. Baker’s dozen .................... Thirteen in number.
42. Be in the driving seat ...... Bearing
all responsibilities.
43. Bear the brunt of.............................
To bear the main part of something unpleasant.
44. Beat black and blue..................
Beating mercilessly.
45. Beat hollow .......................... To
defeat thoroughly and convincingly.
46. Bed of roses ....................Pleasant
situation of comfort.
47. Bed of thorns ..................... A
situation of extreme difficulty. 48. Birds of feather........... People with the same idea, characteristics and interests.
49. Black sheep……… A person who is
regarded as a disgrace for his family/ team etc.
50. Blind alley................. A situation
in which no further progress can be made.
51. Blow one’s own trumpet........... To
praise oneself.
52. Blue blood ................. Royal or
aristocratic descent.
53. Blue book ............ Government
report.
54. Body and soul................. Entirely.
55. Bolt from the blue .... Unexpected & unpleasant situation.
56. Boon/blessing in disguise…Hidden
blessing.
57. Broken reed........ A weak,
unreliable person.
58. Brown study ............... A state of
deep thought.
59. Bull in the china shop ..... One who
is out of place.
60. Burn a hole in the pocket.......
Money spent quickly.
61. Burn one’s fingers ............. To get
oneself into trouble. 62. Burn the candle at both ends........ To waste money.
63. Burn the midnight oil ..........
Labouring/studying till late night.
64. By fits and starts ........ Irregularly.
65. Bag and baggage .............. With all
belongings.
66. Be born with a silver spoon in
one’s mouth…. To be born in a rich family.
67. Beat black and blue......... Beating
mercilessly.
68. Beck and call ..............................
Ready to obey order instantly. 69. Beggar description.......... A person with no resource.
70. Bell the cat.................... Taking
first step at personal risk.
71. Between the devil and the deep
sea........ Between two difficult situations.
72. Big gun ........ An influential person
73. Bird of passage ............. One who
comes occasionally.
74. Bird’s eye view ............. Overview.
75. Bite the dust ................... To be
defeated. 76. Blind date............... A meeting between a girl and a boy, who have not met before.
77. Bosom friend............. Fast friend.
78. Bone of contention......... Subject
of a dispute.
79. Break the ice .................. To start
a conversation.
80. Breathe one’s last ............ To pass
away/ to die.
81. Broad day light ........... In day light
(when crime cannot be hidden).
82. Cannot stomach someone or
something-----not to be able to tolerate or endure someone 83. Can't cut the mustard---Someone who isn't adequate to compete or participate
84. Can't see the woods for the trees-
Cannot see, understand, or focus on a situation in its entirety due to being preoccupied with minor details
85. Carried all before one's----To
overcome all obstacles; to have uninterrupted success.
86. Carried off his feet----to fill with
enthusiasm.
87. Carrot and Stick policy----
motivational tactic that uses a reward and punishment system.
88. Carry someone away---Fill with
emotion 89. Carve out a niche---If you carve a niche or carve out a niche for yourself, you create a role or opportunity for yourself.
90. Cash Cow----- A good way to make
money /A business or investment that generates a large or consistent profit.
91. Cast Iron Stomach-The ability to
eat foods that others may find unusual, unpalatable, or too spicy
92. Cause a stir----to create an
atmosphere of excitement or great interest.
93. Chapter and Verse-In thorough
and exact detail/The precise authority backing up a statement or view 94. Chase Rainbows-To constantly pursue things that are unrealistic or unlikely to happen.
95. Chew someone out Verbally ----
Scold Someone
96. Chicken out of something-To
refuse to do something due to fear (real or perceived).
97. Chime in---To join in a discussion
about something; to offer one's thoughts.
98. Chop and Change-If you chop and
change, you constantly change your opinion, plans or methods and often cause confusion 99. Chow Down ---To eat, often quickly or enthusiastically
100. Close but no cigar --- Fall just
short of a successful outcome and get nothing for your efforts
101. Carry the coal to newcastle...........
Spending time and energy in doing something useless.
102. Cast pearls before swine......... A
right thing in a wrong hand.
103. Castles in the air ........................
Day dream/ a hope or desire unlikely to be realized.
104. Cat and dog life ....... Troublesome
life. 105. Catch a tartar ................... To grapple unexpectedly with a formidable opponent.
106. Cat’s paw ....................... A person
used by another as a dupe or tool.
107. Chew the cud ............... To ponder
over / meditate.
108. Chicken hearted ............. Lacking
courage / cowardly.
109. Cock-and-bull story .............. A
concocted story.
110. Crocodile tears ................ An false
display of grief.
111. Cross swords ............... To quarrel
or fight. 112. Cry for the moon ............ To desire the unattainable.
113. Cry over spilled milk ..............
Regret in vain for what cannot be undone.
114. Dog days--hottest days of summer
115. Dead ringer---A duplicate of the
exact things.
116. Dog's life----- a miserable, unhappy
existence.
117. Down to earth ----simple, decent,
realistic; practical and straightforward
118. Down at heel ---Out of luck,
shabbily dressed 119. Drive up the wall -----to make someone angry or irritated
120. Don’t put all your eggs in one
basket---don’t put all your resources into one thing
121. Dip your toe in the water--- To
start very carefully to do or become involved in something that you are not experienced at
122. Devil of a time---If you have a devil
of a time, you have a very difficult time.
123. Devil's Advocate---To present a
counterargument
124. Don't count your chickens before
the eggs have hatched--- 125. Don't give up the day job----You are not very good at something. You could not do it professionally.
126. Do for---- Fulfil the purpose
127. Drop a line ---Send a brief letter
128. Dot the i’s and ---cross the t’s--- To
do something very carefully and in a lot of detail
129. Dig own grave---- do something
stupid that will cause one’s own ruin or downfall.
130. Dead in the water ---Little hope of
being successful 131. Dead and buried---Cannot happen or exist in future
132. Dance to one’s tune .................
Obeying one's order.
133. Dead letter ...................... A law or
ordinance that is no longer enforced.
134. Die a dog’s death............... To die
a shameful death.
135. Dog in the manger .......... A person
who prevents others from enjoying what he cannot.
136. Donkey’s years ................... A long
time.
137. Duck in a thunder storm................
In a painful condition. 138. Eager beaver -----A keen and enthusiastic person who works very hard.
139. Enough to cobble dogs with---A
large surplus of anything
140. Easy as pie----Extremely easy,
simple, or intuitive;
141. Easy does it---- Used to advise
someone to approach a task carefully and slowly.
142. Eat crow/Eat humble pie---To
admit that one is wrong, usually when doing so triggers great embarrassment
143. Economical with the truth-the one
who omits important facts or gives incomplete information, deceitful 144. Egg on your face-----If someone has egg on their face, they are made to look foolish or embarrassed, to suffer embarrassment as a result of some public failure or faux pas.
145. Elbow grease---- Hard physical
work, especially vigorous polishing or cleaning/Energetic labor.
146. Engaging manner---Good
behaviour
147. Ended in smoke-----No concrete or
positive result/Came to nothing
148. Even at the turning of the tide---
To denote some change from a previously stable course of events. 149. Every nook and cranny---Any part or section of a given place, especially those that are hard to see or reach/ every small, out-of-the-way place or places where something can be hidden
150. Eye to eye (with someone)----to
agree with someone, or to have the same opinion as them.
151. Every cloud has a silver lining----
There is always something good even in an unpleasant, difficult or even painful situation.
152. Every Tom, Dick & Harry----Every kind
of common, undistinguished person; anyone at all, indiscriminately/to talk about many different people, especially people they do not think are special or important. 153. Eyewash ----nonsense, deception, insincere talk
154. Ease off/Ease up -----to give
something less effort
155. Eke Out ---To make (a living) or
support (existence) laboriously/To supplement; to add to something.
156. Egg Someone On---- to urge or
strongly encourage them to do something especially something not wise enough
157. Eagle eyed ................. With keen
eye sight.
158. Elbow room ................ Sufficient
scope to move or function. 159. Escape one’s lips ..................... Speak unintentionally or unexpectedly.
160. Fabian policy ............... Deliberate
slow policy/ policy of delaying decisions.
161. Fair weather friend ......................
Selfish friends
162. Fish in troubled waters ….. To
take advantage of the problems of others.
163. Fish out of water .............. Out of
one’s usual and comfortable place.
164. Fly in the ointment.......... A slight
unpleasant thing that obstruct the enjoyment of something. 165. Forty winks ................. A nap.
166. From hand to mouth .............
Providing only bare essentials.
167. For Good --Forever or permanently
168. Few and Far between ---Rare or
seldom
169. Flog a dead horse---- To focus on
something that is no longer of any relevance
170. Fresh blood -----New members of
an organization who have fresh ideas, skills etc. 171. Fight tooth and nail---To fight, compete or battle with great intensity
benefit. 266. Look off colours .............. Look ill or unhealthy.
267. 1Lump in the throat ......A tight or
uncomfortable feeling in throat due to emotions.
268. Lend me your ear----To politely ask
for someone’s full attention
269. Let bygones be bygones ----To
forget about a disagreement or argument.
270. Let the cat out of the bag ----To
share a secret that wasn’t supposed to be shared
271. Level Playing field--- A fair
conmpetition where no side has an advantage 272. Long in the tooth ----Rather Old
273. Make one's way---Advance in life
by one's own efforts.
274. Man in the street---An ordinary
person
275. Mark my words----- Listen to me
276. Marry money----- To marry a rich
person
277. Meet one's death----To die.
278. Minting it ---Earning a lot of money
quickly.
279. Maiden voyage---- The first voyage
of a ship or boat 280. Make a beeline for---To hurry directly toward someone or something
281. Make a comeback---To return to
one's former (successful) career or situation
282. Make a difference ----To cause a
change in a situation
283. Make a fool out of----To make
someone look foolish
284. Make a fuss---- To worry about
285. Make eyes at ---To flirt with
someone, to look at someone to try and attract him or her 286. Make a mountain out of a molehill- --- Make a fuss
287. Make ends meet ----To have
adequate money to survive on
288. Mad as a march hare........... Crazy
and insane.
289. Maiden name ........... A woman’s
surname before marriage.
290. Maiden speech ............. First
speech.
291. Make hay while the sun shines
................. To take the benefit of an opportunity.
292. Make or mar ................. To make
or destroy. 293. Man of means .............. A wealthy man.
294. Man of iron ................... Man with
strong will-power.
295. Man of letter ........... Learned
person.
296. Man of parts .................. A man of
qualities.
297. Man of spirit ................. A man full
of enthusiasm.
298. Man of straw ................. A weak
person.
299. Man of the world ............ An
experienced person. 300. Man of word ...................... True to one's word.
301. Mare’s nest ....... A false invention.
302. Midas touch ... A man with
extraordinary power or capacity to make any venture profitable.
303. Mince matters ............ To
moderate or restrain one's language.
304. Miss the beat ................ To lose
an opportunity.
305. Mother wit ...........Common sense.
306. Move heaven and earth...... To try
one's best. 307. Much cry and little wool............ Lot of fanfare for something
308. Much ado about nothing ................
which has very little importance.
309. Nine day’s wonder .........
Something that arouses great interest but for a very short period.
310. Nip in the bud ................ To put on
end to something in its initial stage.
311. Null and void ............. Ineffective.
312. Nurse a grudge ...................... Bear
resentment for long period.
313. No spring chicken----Who is no
longer young 314. Not hold water----- Not true or relevant
315. Nothing to sneeze at----Not bad,
Acceptable
316. No love lost ----A feeling of hatred
or dislike
317. Night owl ---Someone who is
vigilant late at night
318. Not give a damn-----No care at all.
319. Neck and Crop----- Completely
320. Nuts and Bolts -----Essential and
important
321. Not my cup of tea---Dislike
322. Nitty-gritty ----The most important aspects or practical details of a subject or situation
323. Nineteen to the dozen---Talking
Very Quickly
324. Necessary Evil ----Something
unpleasant but needs to be done in order to achieve a goal
325. No man is an island---To not be
able to live independent of others at all times
326. Nest Egg---- Saving for the future
327. On the table----- something being
discussed or considered
328. Once bitten, twice shy----Afraid of
doing a thing again 329. Out of the blue ----Something unexpected
330. Over the hill---- Too old to perform
331. Off-hand---- Without any
preparation
332. Off the mark -----Irrelevant,
Incorrect
333. Olive branches ----Offer of
reconciliation
334. Over and above----In addition to
something
335. On your toes----- Alert
336. Out of hand---- Uncontrolled
337. On the cuff---- On credit
338. Once in a blue moon----Very rarely
339. On the cards ----Possible or likely
340. Off color--- Sick
341. Out and Out ----Completely
342. Out of woods---- Out of problem
343. Oily tongue .................. Flattering
words.
344. On one’s guard .............. Vigilant.
345. On one’s last legs ....... Close to
collapsing. 346. Once for all................ For the last time/ Conclusively.
347. Palmy days ............... Prosperous/
affluent days.
348. Pandora’s box ............. A source of
extensive but unforeseen troubles.
349. Pay through his nose ......... To pay
dearly.
350. Penny wise pound foolish....
Careful about trifles but wasteful in large ventures.
351. Pick up the gauntlet ................ To
accept the challenge.
352. Play ducks and drakes .................
To waste money. 353. Play second fiddle ............. To be at a subordinate position.
354. Play truant ................... To be
absent from duty without permission.
355. Poison someone’s ears .................
To speak against one to another.
356. Poke one’s nose ...... To Interfere.
357. Pull the wool over somebody’s
eyes......... To mislead.
358. Put a spoke in one’s wheel... To
obstruct.
359. Pay your dues---- Earn a position
after a hard work 360. Play away from home---To have fun with someone else
361. Put years on ----To look old
362. To play fast and loose---Betray
someone
363. Past master---- Expert in
something
364. Petticoat government----Rule of a
woman
365. Piece of cake---- A very easy task
366. Pie in the sky--- Fictional,
impracticable 367. Put down ----Reduce instantly
368. Pick holes in another’s coat---To
find fault in someone else
369. Quite the thing--- Very fashionable
and popular
370. Question of time---Something will
surely happen.
371. Quake in one's boots---To be
frightened or nervous
372. Quarrel with one’s bread and
butter ................ To fight with the employer, who is providing one’s means of living.
373. Queer fish ........... Strange person.
374. Rain cats and dogs ................ Rain very heavily.
375. Red tapism ...... Strict adherence
to excessive paper work and official formalities.
376. Rest on one’s laurels ....
Depending on the achievement made in the past.
377. Rhyme or reason ............... Sense,
logic or meaning.
378. Right hand man............ One’s
most valuable assistant or supporter.
379. Rise like a phoenix ....... To make
a miraculous comeback from its ashes after a seemingly insurmountable setback. 380. Royal road ..................... An easy or direct way of achieving a desired result.
381. Rule the roost ..................... To
dominate.
382. Run amuck................ Mad with
murderous frenzy.
383. Rags to riches---- Start as poor but
after sometimes become rich.
384. Root and branch--Completely
385. Rough time--- Hard or difficult time
386. Run out of steam---Lose energy or
enthusiasm 387. Running battle ----An argument that continues for an extended period
388. Run helter skelter---Carelessly
hurried; confused, disorderly
389. See which way the cat jumps----
see what direction events are taking before committing oneself
390. Sell like hotcakes----Be sold
quickly and in large quantities.
391. Settle a score--- Taking revenge
for something that someone did to you in the past.
392. Seventh Heaven---In a state of
bliss or extreme happiness 393. Shake a leg-----To hurry up or to get going.
394. Shilly-shally----- Fail to act
resolutely or decisively.
395. Skate on thin ice---Taking a high
risk
396. Sky's the limit---- anything is
possible
397. Slap on the wrist---A mild
reprimand or punishment.
398. Speak of the devil---when
someone comes in unexpectedly while being talked about
399. Spot on ----Exactly
400. Start from scratch-----Starting from the beginning
401. Sail under false colours ................
To pretend to be something that you are not
402. Save ones’ skin .................. To
save oneself.
403. See eye-to-eye ....................
Showing agreement/ to agree.
404. See pink elephants...... Any visual
hallucination arising due to intoxication.
405. See red ............... Be very angry.
406. See through ........... Comprehend/
understand. 407. Set at naught ........... To disregard or treat as of no importance.
408. Set one’s teeth on edge………..To
irritate or annoy someone.
409. Set the Thames on fire ......... To
achieve something amazing.
410. Show white feather ......... To show
cowardice.
411. Sine die .................... Indefinitely.
412. Small fry ...... Insignificant person.
413. Smell a rat .......... To suspect of
something wrong
414. Smooth sailing ...... Easy progress.
415. Sow the dragon’s teeth ............. To create future troubles for yourself or others.
416. Spick and span ............... In order/
neat and clean.
417. Stand on one’s own legs......... To
be self dependent.
418. Stand/Stick to one’s guns.............
To be strict and determined.
419. Stiff-necked person ..................
Stubborn or arrogant.
420. Stir a finger ............... Making
effort. 421. Street Arabs ........ A homeless person (especially who survives by begging).
422. Swan song ........................ The
last ceremony or farewell.
423. Sweat of one’s brow ............ Hard
labour.
424. Swelled head .......... Grand opinion
of oneself/ conceited.
425. Sworn enemies ....... People hating
each other a lot.
426. Take away one’s breath........ To
overwhelm with surprise. 427. Take one at one's word …….To be convinced of one's sincerity and act in accordance with his/her statement.
428. Take the bull by the horns.... To
adopt the most direct but the most dangerous way of facing a difficulty.
429. Take to one’s heels .......... To run
away.
430. The printer’s devils ....... ..Error in
printing.
431. Through thick and thin …….In
good and bad times.
432. Throw cold water upon …….. To
discourage. 433. Turn the corner ................ To pass through a critical point in a process.
434. Turn turtle .................... To
overturn.
435. Turn up one’s nose at ..................
To take lightly with contempt.
436. Turn the tables----Reverse the
condition
437. Take the cudgels----To support or
defend
438. Throw in a towel-----To be
defeated
439. To and fro ----forward and
backward 440. Turn to account----- Turn to advantage
441. Take forty winks---- Take a nap for
a short period
442. Tender age----A young age
443. Through and Through-----
Completely
444. Under the cloud---Suspicious
445. Under the rose---Secretly
446. Under duress---- Under pressure
447. Underdog----Weak person in
comparison to other 448. Uncharted waters--A situation that is new and not known
449. Under fire---- Being criticised
450. Upper crust---- High-class people,
often rich and high social status
451. Upper hand---- Dominating and
controlling position
452. Under lock and key----Stored
securely
453. Under someone heel----Under
control of someone else
454. Under the knife----Undergo a
surgery 455. Under the weather----Feel sick and lack of energy
456. Under the nose of ........... Right in
front of someone.
457. Under the thumb of .................
Under the power or influence of.
458. Up and doing ........ Active in work.
459. Up one’s sleeves ............. An item
kept hidden and used whenever required.
460. Uphill task .............. Difficult task.
461. Upon one’s sweet will ......... On
self desire or wish. 462. Utopian scheme ................... A visionary scheme though impractical.
463. Vanish into the air---To disappear
464. Virgin territory-----A territory that
hasn’t been explored or touched
465. Volte-face--- Complete reversal of
opinion and attitude.
466. Vent the spleen-----To express
anger
467. To wash Dirty lining in public----
Discuss or argue about one's private affairs in public.
Carina Garland - Curious Appetites - Food, Desire, Gender and Subjectivity in Lewis Carroll's Alice Texts - The Lion and The Unicorn 32 - 1 - Ko - Johnson