800+ Most Common Idioms and Phrases

Every language has its own idioms and expressions and the English language has plenty of phrases that is useful to learn. Idioms are words or phrases that aren’t meant to be taken literally and usually have a cultural meaning behind them.

Most of the English idioms you hear are offering advice’s but also contain some underlying principles and values.

You have probably heard some of them, especially in some TV-shows and movies, and wondered why you can’t understand these idioms even though you fully understand the words.

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To learn English idioms and phrases it can take some time but there are some of them that are more popular than others that will come handy if you know them.

When you learn English idioms and phrases you will sound more confident especially when you speak with native English speakers. If you can’t understand idioms you will not be able to understand the context. That is why we have gathered some of the most common English idioms and phrases so you will understand the true meaning of them.

Sweeping Statement – Thoughtless statement
All at sea – Puzzled
Enough rope – Enough freedom for action
By fits and start – Irregularly
Fell foul of – Got into trouble with
Token strike – Short strike held as warning
Face the music – Get reprimanded
Look down upon – Hate intensely
Flogging a dead horse – Wasting time in useless effort
Under a cloud – Under suspicion
Green thumb – To have a natural interest
Played havoc – Caused destruction
No love lost between – Not on good terms
Fair and square – Honest
A white elephant – Costly or troublesome possession
Out and out – Totally
On the cuff – On credit
Does not hold water – Cannot be believed
A wild goose chase – Futile search
In a tight corner – In a difficult situation
Going places – Talented and successful
In cold blood – A murder done with intention
Off and on – Occasionally
Hard and fast – Strict
Took to heels – Run away in fear
To keep up – To keep in touch
Make a clean breast – Confess without reserve
Heads will roll – Transfers will take place
Make no bones about – Do not have any hesitation in anything
Take after – Resembles
To stave off – Postpone
To give a piece of mind – To reprimand
Rest on laurels – To be complacent
Pay through nose – Pay an extremely high price
Draw on fancy – Use imagination
Turn an honest living – Make an legitimate living
Give the game away – Give out the secret
Cheek by jowl – Very near
Give in – Yield
Run riot – Act without restraint
Go through fire and water – Undergo any risk
Talking through hat – Talking nonsense
Put up with – Tolerate
By fits and starts – Irregularly
Reading between the lines – Understanding the hidden meaning
Get the sack – Dismissed from
Pros and cons – Considering all the facts
By leaps and bounds – Very Quickly
In the good books – In favour with boss
In the long run – Ultimately
To be always one’s beck and call – At one’s disposal (ready to serve one’s master)
Turn a deaf ear – Disregard / Ignore / Refuse
At one’s wit’s end – Puzzled / Confused / Perplexed
To fight tooth and nail – To fight in a determined way for what you want
The green-eyed monster – Used as a way of talking about jealousy
Set the record straight – Give a correct account
Good Samaritan – Helpful person
Bad blood – Angry feeling
To go to the whole hog – To do it completely
Lay out – Spend
Laying off – Dismissal from jobs
By Leaps and bounds – At rapid pace
Spilling the beans – Revealing the information indiscreetly
Carry out – Execute
Went to the winds – Dissipated/ To be utterly lost
Ins and outs – Full details
A white elephant – A costly but useless possession
Fed up – Annoyed
In the good books – In favour with
Sharp practices – Dishonest means
In high spirits – Full of hope and enthusiasm
Shake in shoes – Tremble with fear
Fits and starts – Not regularly
Close shave – Narrow escape
Take with a grain of salt – To listen to something with considerable doubt
Hobson’s choice – No real choice at all
To eat a humble pie – To apologize
To give the devil his due – To give encouragement even to the enemy
Reading between the lines – Looking for meanings that are not actually expressed
An open book – One that hold no secrets
An axe to grind – A private interest to serve
To blow one’s own trumpet – Praise one’s own abilities and achievements
Stand-offish – Indifferent
Sowing wild oats – Irresponsible pleasure seeking in young age
A bolt from the blue – Something unexpected and unpleasant
By leaps and bounds – Rapidly
Of no avail – Useless
On the verge of – On the brink of
A sore point – Something which hurts
Rise like a phoenix from the ashes – With a new life/rebirth/reincarnation
To keep under wraps – Secret
Die in harness – To die at one’s work
Fair- weather friend – A friend that deserts in difficulties
Emerge out of thin air – Appear Suddenly
Cut no ice – Have no influence
Bring to light – Introduce for discussion
Cannot hold a candle to – Cannot be compared to
Burn one’s boat – Leave no means of return
Make one’s flesh creep – Horrify
Pros and cons – For and against / Analysis of all the given facts
To take into account – To consider
Blow over – Pass off
Run into – Incurred / To experience difficulties
Blue-eyed boys – Favorites
Dropping names – Hinting at high connections/ To mention famous people you know or have met in order to impress others
A Red letter day – An important day
Bone to pick – Cause of quarrel/ Bone of contention
At stone’s throw – Very near
Struck a chill to the heart – Arouse fear/to make somebody afraid
End in a fiasco – A total or utter failure
Fall back – To turn or move back
Turn up one’s nose at – To reject / Despises
Turn one’s head – To feel proud in a way that other people find it annoying
High and dry – Neglected / To leave someone helpless
Take for granted – To accept readily / To pre-suppose as certainly true
Mince matters – To confuse issues/ to mix facts
Currying favour with – Ingratiating / Trying too hard to get please somebody
Set one’s face against – Oppose strongly
Strom in a tea cup – Commotion (angry/worry) over a trivial matter
Putting one’s foot down – Asserting one’s authority / Take a firm stand
The man in the street – An ordinary man (common man)
To catch up with – To compete with
Fight to the bitter end – To fight a losing battle
Throw down a glove – To accept defeat
Read between the lines – Understanding the hidden meaning
Let the cat out of the bag – To utter a secret carelessly or by mistake
To have Too many iron in the fire – To get engage in too many enterprises at the same time
Fall through – To fail
Cut one off, without a shilling – Disinheriting / To expel from fraternal property
To smell a rat – To suspect a trick
Turn a deaf ear – Disobey
Have the last laugh – To be victorious at the end of an argument / To succeed when others thought you would not
Red letter day – Happy and significant day (Gala day)
To blaze a trail – To lead the way as a pioneer
To beat a retreat – To run away in fear from a dangerous or unpleasant situation
To steer clear of – Avoid
To get one’s own back – To get one’s revenge
To run across – To meet by chance
A dark horse – An unforeseen competitor
Put up with – Endure
Got the sack – Dismissed from
Herculean task – A work requiring very great effort
By leaps and bounds – Rapidly
Helter-Skelter – In disorderly haste
Go to the winds – Disappear
Make ducks and drakes of – Squander
On the level – Honest and sincere
Done for – Ruined
Make a clean breast – Confess
To end in smoke – To come to nothing, no outcome
To have something up one’s sleeve – Having a secret plan or solution
To take to one’s heel – To run away
To turn a deaf ear – To be indifferent
At snail’s pace – To do things very slowly
To run one down – To disparage someone
To blow one’s own trumpet – To praise oneself
To face the music – To bear the consequences
To take someone to task – To scold someone
At one’s wit – Puzzled/Confused/Perplexed
At stake – In danger/ that can be lost or won depending on the success of a particular action
To play to the gallery – To behave in an exaggerated way to attract people’s attention
Read between the lines – Understand the hidden meaning
Sitting on the fence – Hesitating which side to take
No love lost between – Not on good terms
To have not a leg to stand on – Unable to prove or explain why something is reasonable
A man in the street – An ordinary person / Common man
Blood running cold – Become very frightened
Playing to the gallery – Befooling the common man
Come out of one’s shell – To appear suddenly
Lay down arms – To surrender
Making hay while the sun shines – Taking advantage of a favorable opportunity
Blow one’s own trumpet – To praise oneself
Bear with – Support / To be patient with some body or something (especially through difficulties)
Give vent to – To emphasize or to express
Turn a deaf ear – Pay no attention
Bone of contention – Matter of dispute
Stand on own feet – To be independent
By fits and starts – Irregularly
Over head and ears – Completely
To call it a day – To conclude proceedings
To put up with – To tolerate
To face the music – To bear the consequences
Yeoman’s service – Social work
To take to hearts – To grieve over
To smell a rat – To be suspicious
To move heaven and earth – To try everything possible
To take someone for a ride – To deceive (cheat) someone
In cold blood – Intentional / Excitedly
A damp squib – A disappointing result
To bite the dust – To be defeated
To take to one’s heel – To run away
To be all at sea – Lost and confused
Cold Comfort – Slight satisfaction
A bolt from the blue – An unexpected and unpleasant event
To feather one’s nest – To make oneself rich (in position or in monetary terms)
To die in harness – To die while in service
To show a clean pair of heels – To escape / Run away
To flog a dead horse – To waste one’s efforts
To strain every nerve – To make utmost efforts
A bolt form the blue – Unexpected problem
Sailing in the same boat – Being in the same difficult situation
Gift of the gab – Ability to speak well
To keep the wolf from the door – Escape starvation
Soft option – Easy and agreeable option
A little gush of gratitude – Feeling grateful
To lose ground – To become less popular
To fall back on – To use or do something else after other things have failed
To make one’s blood boil – To make somebody furious
Wear and tear – Damage
To add fuel to the fire – To cause additional anger
Hand in glove – In close relationship
To make a mountain of a molehill – To give great importance to little things
To speak one’s mind – To be frank and honest
Maiden speech – First speech
At the eleventh hour – At the very last moment
Cope with – To face and deal with responsibilities, problems, or difficulties, especially successfully or in a calm or adequate manner
Go a long way towards doing something – To be helpful
Gift of the gab – Talent of speaking
Standstill – Complete halt
Cross swords – Disagree
Pore over – Go through
Make both ends meet – To live a lavish life
Run down – Criticise
Grease anybody’s palm – To give bribe
Leave in the lurch – Abandon in the midway/difficult situation
Caught red handed – At the time of committing crime
On the brink of – On the point of
Face the music – Face the unpleasant consequences
Gift of the gab – Ability to speak impressively
Go down the drain – Lose forever
A close shave – Narrow escape from danger
Cool as a cucumber – Not nervous or emotional
In high spirits – Cheerful
Scapegoats – A person who is blamed for the wrongdoings with arrogant reactions
A red letter day – A day memorable for joyful event
Wears heart on sleeves – Express feelings openly
To pay off old scores – To refund old dues
Man of letters – Proficient in literary arts
Turn down – Refuse
On good terms – Agree with someone
Stole the show – Win everyone’s praise
Measure up – Reach the level
Doctor the accounts – To manipulate the accounts
Dark horse – An unexpected winner
Face the music – To bear the criticism
In the red – Losing money/ To owe money
In lieu of – Despite of
Beat about the bush – Speak in a round-about manner
Bring about – Cause
Pull up – Reprimand
At sixes and seven – In disorder or confusion
Lose head – Panic
Take to task – To criticize severely/ To punish
Sit in judgement – To pass judgement(or comment on someone ) especially when you have no authority
Leave in the lurch – To desert someone
Cry over spilt milk – Cry over irreparable loss
Bad blood – Active enmity
Close shave – A narrow escape
Grease palms – To bribe someone
Carrot and stick – Reward and punishment policy
To cut teeth – To gain experience of something for the first time
Cut no ice – Have no influence
Close the book – Stop working on something
In fits and starts – Irregularly
Bird’s eye view – An overview
Run in the same groove – Advance in harmony
Keep your head – Remain calm
Pull strings – Use personal influence
Pot luck dinner – Dinner where somebody brings something to eat
To hit below the belt – To attack unfairly
All at sea – Puzzled
Sought after – Wanted by many people because it’s of good quality or difficult to find / Pursued by many
Build castles in the air – Daydreaming
On the spur of the moment – To act suddenly, without planning
To have something up one’s sleeve – To have a secret plan
A red letter day – An important or joyful occasion in one’s life
To explore every avenue – To try every opportunity
At one’s beck and call – Ready to follow orders/ To be dominated by someone
By fair or foul means – In honest or dishonest way
Status quo – As it is / Unchanged position
To burn candle at both ends – To be extravagant / Spend without any worry
To hit the jackpot – To make money quickly
To bring to light – To reveal
At the eleventh hour – At the last possible moment
Go scot-free – To escape without punishment
To shed crocodile tears – To pretend grief
To look down one’s nose – To regard with contempt
To miss the bus – To miss an opportunity
A white elephant – Costly and troublesome possession, without much use to its owner
To call spade a spade – To be frank
To fight tooth and nail – To fight heroically, in very determined way
Birds of same feather – Persons of same character
Take exception – To object over something
High handed – Using authority in an unreasonable way, overbearing
Too fond of one’s own voice – To like talking without wanting to listen to other people/ Very selfish
By leaps and bounds – Rapidly
An open book – Straight forward and honest dealings
Fall short – Fail to meet expectation/ Have no effect
Heart to heart talk – Frank talk
Give the game away – Give out the secret (unintentionally)
Take cue from – To copy what someone already did in past in order to be successful
Call for – To ask
Out of the question – Undesirable/ Not worth discussing
Run into – To meet someone accidently
End up in smoke – Come to nothing / Useless
Spread like fire – Spread rapidly
Ins and outs – Full details
Dropping like flies – Collapsing in large numbers
Rat race – Fierce competition for power
Hard nut to crack – Difficult task
See eye to eye – To think in the same way
Put across – To communicate your ideas, feelings, etc. successfully
To have second thoughts – To reconsider
Not my cup of tea – Not what somebody likes or interested in
To break the ice – To start a conversation
To eat a humble pie – To say or show sorry for a mistake that one made
To add fuel to fire – To worsen the matter / To incite
To burn one’s fingers – To get physically hurt
At the eleventh hour – At the last moment
To feel like a fish out of water – Uncomfortable situation
To foam at one’s mouth – To be very angry
Send packing – To tell somebody firmly or rudely to go away / Terminate service
Kick up a row – Make a great fuss / To complain loudly about something
Wet behind the ears – Young and without experience / Naïve
To talk someone over – To convince over
Wear heart on sleeves – Express emotions freely
Bury the hatchet – To make peace / To stop being unfriendly and become friends again
Once in a blue moon – Rarely
Through thick and thin – Under all circumstances
Come to grief – To suffer
Eat anyone’s salt – To be anyone’s guest
Give a hand with – To help with something
Take to heart – To be very upset by something that somebody says or does
Had better – Used for telling somebody what you think he ‘should’ do
Strike a bargain – To negotiate a deal
Point blank – Very definite and direct
Scapegoat – A person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency / Fall guy
Kicking heels – To be relaxed and enjoy / Waste time
End in smoke – Come to nothing
Die in harness – Die in service/ Die while working
On the horns of dilemma – In a situation where you have to make choice between things that are equally unpleasant
Hold one’s tongue – To be silent
No hard and fast rules – Easy regulation
Live from hand to mouth – Miserably
Turn a deaf ear – Refuse to obey
Take exception – To object
To hail from – To come from
By fits and starts – Irregularly
Bad blood – Feeling of hatred
Turn up – To appear
Die hard – Unwilling to change
Turn down – Reject
To pass away – Die
Carry weight – Be important / Important influence
Fall flat – Fail to amuse people / Fail to produce intended effect
Under the thumb of – Under the control of
To get wind – Come to know about something secret or private
Part and parcel – An essential part of something
To give vent to – To express a feeling, especially anger, strongly
Stand by – To help / Support somebody or be friend, even in difficult times
In black and white – In writing
At a loss – Unable / Not knowing about what to do or say
Lame excuse – Unsatisfactory explanation
Hand in glove – Working closely with someone / Very intimate
A hard nut to crack – A difficult problem or situation to solve or deal with
For better or worse – Always / In every condition
From the bottom of one’s heart – To speak frankly
In a nutshell – Brief
A shot in the dark – An attempt to guess something
At the eleventh hour – At a last moment
Water under the bridge – Something that happened in the past and is now forgotten or no longer important
Stick to guns – Hold on to original decisions
Out of hand – Out of control, at once, immediately
The salt of the earth – Very good and honest/ Kind
Talking through hat – Talking nonsense
Looking forward to – To expect something or someone
Slip off – Leave quietly
Get on well – Have a friendly relationship
In a pickle – In an embarrassing or awkward situation
Under a cloud – Being subject to suspicion
As hard as nail – Emotionless / To show no sympathy, kindness or fear
Allow a free hand – Complete liberty
Lays out – To spend money
Break down – To lose control of your feelings and start crying / Could not proceed
Cut coat according to one’s cloth – Live within one’s means
Weal and woe – Ups and downs
Iron will – Strong determination
To take to task – Punish
Rack and ruin – Ransacked
Rides the high horse – Feel superior
By fits and starts – Irregularly
Have a bee in one’s bonnet – To be preoccupied or obsessed with something
See through – Detect / To realize the truth about someone or somebody
Take after – To follow / To take care of older members of family
Break up – Disband itself / The breaking up of relationship or association
Stand by – Support
Bull in a China shop – A clumsy person
Change colours – To turn pale
Spick and span – Neat and clean / Tidy
Give in – To agree to do something that you don’t want to do
Wide off the mark – Irrelevant / Not accurate / Inadequate
Out of the world – Extraordinary
Sweep under the carpet – To hide something
By leaps and bound – Very rapidly
To toe the line – To follow the lead / To follow boss’s orders
Stick to guns – Maintain opinion
Take hat off – Encourage / To admire somebody very much for something he has done
Null and void – Empty
Break the ice – Initiate a talk
Keep the wolf from the door – Avoid starvation
Fish in troubled water – To make a profit out of troubled situation
Look into – To investigate
Smell the rat – Suspect that something is fishy
Let the grass grow under the feet – Delay in getting things done
Apple of discord – Cause of animosity
A fish out of water – In uncomfortable situation
In the long run – Over a period of time
Jumping down one’s throat – To react very angrily to somebody
Out of wits – Greatly confused
Call spade a spade – To speak in a straightforward manner (frankly)
Face the music – Accept the punishment
To play second fiddle – Take a subordinate role
Casting pearl before swine – Offering good things to undeserving people
Putting the cart before the horse – Doing things in the wrong way
Not fit to hold candle – Not so good as somebody or something else
Egg someone on – To encourage somebody to do something
For good – Permanently
Achilles’s heel – Weak spot
Take a leap in the dark – To take risk
Cut the guardian knot – Remove difficulty / To solve problem
Blow one’s own trumpet – Self boasting
A cakewalk – An easy achievement
Not to look a gift horse in the mouth – Not to find fault with the gift received
Man of straw – A man of no substance
Born with a silver spoon – Born in a rich family
Let sleeping dogs lie – Not to bring up an old controversial issue
A month of Sundays – A long time
A closed book – A mystery
In apple pie order – In perfect order
Through thick and thin – In spite of all difficulties
Wet one’s whistle – To have a drink
Bury the hatchet – Make peace
Cool one’s heel – To keep waiting
Live-wire – A person who is lively or energetic
Feel blue – In trouble / depressed
Above board – Legal and honest
Pour cats and dogs – Rain heavily
For good – Permanently
Iron fist – To treat people in severe manner / strictly
Time and again – Always
Eat humble pie – To say or show that you are sorry for the mistakes committed by you
Rule the roost – Exercise authority / To be the most powerful member in the group
Have something up your sleeve – Have an alternate plan
Take to task – Punished / Reprimanded
Feel one’s pulse – To find what one is thinking on some point
Donkey’s year – A long time
To make things done – To manage
Chicken out – Withdraw / To decide not to do something because you are afraid /
Ice braking – Starting a conversation
Bad hats – People of bad character
Give and take – Adjustment / Willingness in relationship to accept what somebody else wants and gives up some of what you want
Off and on – Irregularly
Man of straw – A man of no substance
Break down – Weep bitterly
Get down to business – To begin work seriously
Giving a piece of one’s mind – Speak sharply
Go about – Go around / To continue to do something
Take exception – To object at something
Picking up holes in – Finding out faults with something
To cast a die – To take a decision
Put up with – Bear patiently / To bear or endure
The gift of the gab – Ability to speak well
See through – Detect / To realize the truth
Cordon off – Isolate / To stop people from getting into an area by surrounding it with police
Keep an open house – Welcome all members
Wet behind ears – Young and inexperienced / Naïve
Pick on – Warn severely
Fight tooth and nail – Fight with strength and fury
Teething problems – Difficulties at the start
A wild goose chase – Fruitless pursuit
To get into hot water – To get into trouble
A bolt from the blue – A complete surprise
Plain sailing – Very easy
Take to one’s heel – Run off
To cut one short – To criticize
Show the white flag – To surrender
A cut above – Rather superior to
To throw dust in one’s eye – To deceive
Read between the lines – Know what the writer thinks / Know hidden meaning
Give vent to – To express
Bring about – Cause to happen
Husband one’s resource –To save / Economical
Foam at the mouth – Angry
Keep wolf away from the door – Keep away extreme poverty
Pin money – Additional money
The Alpha and Omega – Beginning and end
Salt of the earth – Good, honest and ideal
Bring the house down – Make the audience applaud enthusiastically
Gerrymandering way – In a manipulative and unfair way
Strain every nerve – Make all efforts / Try all tricks
Hard and fast – That cannot be altered / fixed
Turn up one’s nose at – To not accept something because you do not think it is good enough for you / To treat with contempt
Down in the dumps – Sad and depressed
Dot one’s I’s and cross one T’s – Be detailed and exact
All moonshine – Superficial
Wild goose chase – A foolish and useless enterprise
Swan song – Last prayer (at funeral or farewell)
By the skin of teeth – By the narrowest margin
Bury the hatchet – Make peace / Forget the quarrels
Keep up with – Go at equal pace
Flies off at a tangent – Start discussing something irrelevant
Batten down the hatches – Prepare for a difficult situation
Nail one’s colours to the mast – Refuse to climb down
All might and main – With full force
Red herrings – Clues intended to distract or mislead / An unimportant fact, idea, event, etc. that takes people attention from the important ones
To cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth – To live within one’s means
White elephant – A costly but useless possession
Look sharp – Pay attention
Big draw – Huge attraction
Bear down – To move quickly towards something/someone in a determined or threatening way
To put a spoke in someone’s wheel – Destroy the plan / Cause hindrance / To prevent somebody from putting their plan into action
At a stretch – Continuously
Know beans about something – Well informed and intelligent
To get into hot water – To get into troubles
Know the ropes – Learn the procedures
Barking up the wrong tree – Trying to find someone at wrong place
In the swim – Well informed and up-to-date
Rub up the wrong way – To irk or irritate someone
Add fuel to the fire – Worsen the situation
In the loop – Informed regularly
Hold one’s horses – To keep waiting
Black out – Lost consciousness
Cut and dry method – Specific
Back to the drawing board – Plan it all over again
In the air – Certain / Able to be firmly relied on to happen or be the case / Specific but not explicitly named or stated
On the same page – Thinks in a similar way
Pull no punch – Speaks frankly
Going places – Talented and successful
Stand / Hold your ground – Refuse to yield / To continue with your opinions or intentions when someone is opposing you
Put your feet down – Take a firm stand / To be very strict in opposing what somebody wishes to do
Read between the line – To understand the inner meaning
To the letter – Paying attention to every detail / Doing or following exactly what somebody something says
To carve out a niche – To work harder in order to have successful career / Develop a special position for oneself
Wild goose chase – Useless search / Unprofitable adventure
In Dutch – In trouble
See eye to eye – To have the same opinion
Come to light – Been revealed / To become known to people
Around the clock – Day and night
Balloon goes up – The situation turns unpleasant or serious
Watching grass grow – Very boring
Nine day’s wonder – A dazzling short-lived spectacle of no real value
Beyond the pale – Outside commonly accepted standards
Took after – Similar to / to look or behave like an older member of your family
Throw dust into one’s eye – To deceive
Cool about working – Not tense about working / Reading to work
All ears – Attentive
Maiden speech – First speech
Hold water – With logical backing / To stand up to critical examination
Other fish to fry – Some important work to attend to
A close shave – A narrow escape from danger
To tell in a nut shell – In a brief manner / Summarize
Within a stone’s throw – At a short distance
To feather one’s nest – To enrich oneself when opportunity occurs
A close-fisted person – A miser
To gather roses only – To seek all enjoyments of life
A black sheep – A person with bad reputation
To grease the palm – To bribe
For good – Permanently
An about turn – Complete change of opinion or situation
Make a mockery – To make something seem ridiculous or useless / No serious outcome
Eat like a horse – Eat a lot
Go to the dogs – To be ruined
Pay on the nail – Pay promptly / Payment without delay
Penelope’s web – An endless job
At draggers drawn – Enmity
Bury the hatchet – Make peace
Null and void – Not binding / Having no legal force
Break in – Force entry to a building
Stir up a Hornet’s nest – To create a lot of trouble
Second thoughts – Reconsidering the original idea
Average out – Balance
Go to the dogs – Ruin / to go to in very bad situation
Floored – To surprise or confuse
Give way – Collapse
Tall tales – Boasting
Backseat driver – A person who gives unwanted advice
At random – Without any aim or target
Break off – Suddenly stop
Go haywire – Become out of control
Above board – Honest / Without any secret
Feather in one’s cap – An achievement
Follow one’s nose – To go straight ahead
To latch onto – To promote
Fight shy of – To avoid someone/ something
Add fuel to the fire – Worsen the matter
Cock and bull story – Absurd an unbelievable story
Hold water – Seem logical
To be down to earth – To be realistic
In the nick of time – Just in time
To shun evil company – To avoid or give up bad company
Seamy side – Unpleasant and immoral
A sacred cow – A person never to be criticized
A dog’s breakfast – A total mess / A thing that has been done badly
Sail in the same boat – To be in same situation
Take the bull by the horns – To face a difficulty courageously
Shed crocodile tears – To pretend to be sympathetic
To be in a quandary – In a confusing situation
Take French leave – Absenting oneself without permission
To put in a nutshell – To state something very concisely
The genomes of Zurich – A slang term for Swiss bankers
To make up one’s mind – To decide what to do
To call it a day – Decide to finish working of the day
In two minds – To be undecided
Put something by – To save money for a particular purpose
On cloud nine – Extremely happy
The jury is out – No decision has been reached
Have a finger in every pie – To be meddlesome / To involved in a lot of different activities and having influence over them
To take after – To resemble an older member of family
Flying visit – Very short visit
Telling upon – Showing effectively / Having strong effect
Kith and kin – Relatives
Part and parcel – Important part
Beat about the bush – Circumlocution / Does not talk specifically
Carry out – Complete something
Take fancy – To attract or please somebody
Snake in the grass – A hidden enemy
Make a mountain of a mole hill – Exaggerate a minor problem
Spill the beans – Reveal the secret information
Make amends for – Compensate the loss
Leave high and dry – In a difficult situation without help or money / Leave alone to work / A boat in a position out of water
Make believe – To pretend that something is true
Go for the jugular – Attack all out / To attack somebody’s weaker point during a discussion
Keep a level head – To remain calm and sensible in a difficult situation
Under the weather – Sick
At loggerheads – In strong disagreement
Go Dutch – Divide the cost
Alma mater – Institution where one got education
A closefisted man – A miser
As daft as a brush – Very silly
Rise with the lark – Get up early / To get out of bed very early in the morning
At one’s wit’s end – To be so worried by a problem that you don’t know what to do next
Make a beeline – Rush / To go straight towards something as quick as you can
Wild goose chase – Useless search
A man of letters – A literary person
Horse sense – Basic common sense
Shot in the arm – Something that gives encouragement
Catch time by the forelock – Seize opportunity
Get on nerves – Annoying
Clean hands – Innocent
A golden mean – Middle course between two extremes
Vexed question – Controversial issue
Keep the wolf away from the door – To keep off starvation
Out of sorts – Ill or sick / Upset
Gut feeling – Strong instinct (based on feelings and emotions rather than thought and reason)
Finish with something – Be through / To have something at the end / To stop doing something
Red-letter day – An important day
A close fisted man – Miser
To set the Thames on fire – Do a heroic deed / To do such a work that needs a strenuous effort
Eat humble pie – To say sorry for mistakes / Suffer humiliation
Play ducks and drakes – Spend lavishly / To waste or squander
Be taken aback – Shocked or surprised
Lay it on thick – An exaggeration / To talk about somebody or something in a way than they really are
Bird’s eye view – A overview / A general view from above
To win laurels – To earn great prestige
In the soup – To be in trouble
Draw the line – To set a limit
A bee hive – A busy place
To cut the Gordian knot – To perform a difficult task
Take a French leave – Being absent without permission
Arm-chair critic – A person who give advice based on theory not on practice
A chip of the old block – An experienced old man
Feather your nest – To make yourself richer, especially by spending money on yourself that should be spent on something else
Throw up cards – To give in / To blow away the plan
Vote with your feet – Showing your disapproval
Dog in a manger – A selfish person
Chapter and verse – Providing minutes details
Bring down the house – Amuse the audience greatly / To make everyone cheer
Give a wide berth to – To stay away from or avoid someone
A hard nut to crack – A difficult problem to solve
In black and white – In writing
Beside the mark – Irrelevant / Not to be accurate
To give a piece of mind – Scolding / To tell someone that you are angry with them or you disapprove of their behavior
Give away – To distribute something
Fight tooth and nail – Fight with all strengths
Show a clean a pair of heels – To run away fast / To flee swiftly
All moonshine – Concocted
Up to the mark – According to the required standard
A red letter day – An important day
Sit on the fence – To avoid becoming involved in deciding or influencing something
Shake off – Forget / To get away from somebody who is chasing or following you
Cock and bull story – A concocted or absurd story
Pull a long face – Look dejected / An unhappy or disappointed expression
Under a cloud – Under suspicion
Cat-nap – Short sleep
To pull a long face – Look sad
Fit like a glove – Perfectly
Caught red-handed – Discovered in the act of doing
Gate crasher – Uninvited guest
To angle – To fish
For all intents and purposes – Practically
Go out of one’s way – Do everything possible
In the running – Has good prospects in competition
Beat about the bush – To say everything except the main topic
Make room – Make space
Mend your way’s – Improve one’s behavior
Beggar description – Cannot be described
Drag one’s feet – Be reluctant to act
Hope against hope – Nurture an impossible hope
For keeps – Forever
Paled into insignificance – Seemed less important
With one voice – Unanimously
Make it light – Treat lightly
Every inch a gentleman – Entirely
Catch a tartar – A rough, violent, troublesome person
To add fuel to the fire – Make thing worse
To take to heart – To be greatly affected
To bring to light – To reveal
All moon shine – Far from reality
At a snail’s pace – Slowly
Call on – Pay a visit
Pros and cons – Advantages and disadvantage
Once in a blue moon – Very rarely
Fish out of water – An uncomfortable position
Be down with – Suffering from
Fair-weather friend – Supports only when easy and convenient
Pull together – Work harmoniously
To bury the hatchet – To make peace
Selling like hot cakes – To have a very good sale
Scot free – Unpunished
To give oneself airs – Behave arrogantly
At a stone’s throw – At short distance
Bone of contention – Matter of dispute
To eat humble pie – To yield under humiliating circumstances
To end in smoke – To fail / To end without any practical results
To spill the beans – To reveal a secret
Drive home – Emphasise
A left hand compliment – An ambiguous compliment
Cut a sorry figure – Make a poor impression
To take to task – Reprimand
Bad blood – Enmity
Maiden speech – First speech
To get cold feet – Fear
Beside the mark – Not to the point
On tenterhooks – In suspense and anxiety
A cuckoo in the nest – An unwelcomed intruder
A house of cards – An insecure scheme
To smell a rat – To suspect foul dealings
Old head on young shoulder – To be wise beyond one’s age
A wild-goose chase – Pointless search
Hard of hearing – To be deaf
Burn your boats – Do something that makes it impossible to return to the previous situation
Dressing-down – To give scolding
Null and void – Invalid
A dark horse – Unexpected winner
Throw cold water – Discourage
Butt in – Interrupt
Couch potato – A person who prefers to watch television
Carry the ball – Be in charge
Turn down – Reject
Catch a tartar – To deal with a person who is more than one’s match
Cap in hand – In a respectful manner
In the blues – Cheerless and depressed
Cheek by jowl – Very close together
Beyond the pale – Unreasonable or unacceptable
Blow one’s own trumpet – Praise oneself
Stick to one’s guns – Maintain own opinion
At sea – Confused
Straw in the wind – An indication of what might happen
Face the music – Be punished
Curry favours – Seek favourable attention
Weal and woe – Good times and bad times
Call in question – Challenge
Make both ends meet – Live within means
Put up the shutters – Go out of business
A drop in a bucket – A very insignificant amount
Draw a blank – Find no favour
To keep in abeyance – In a state of suspension
To be in a fix – In a difficult situation
To break the ice – Make people comfortable and relaxed / Start conversation
As daft as a brush – Extremely silly
In a nutshell – Briefly and concisely
Strain every nerve – Work very hard
Evening of life – Old age
Button one’s lips – Stop talking
Cock and bull stories – Absurd and unlikely stories
A live wire – Lively and active
Capital punishment – Death sentence
Leaps and bounds – Rapidly
Wet behind the ears – Young and without much experience
Under a cloud – Under suspicion
Get the sack – Be dismissed
Feather in one’s cap – A new and additional distinction
Donkey’s year – A long time
Leave no stone unturned – To try every possible way
A man of letters – Scholar
Bear in mind – Remember
To nip in the bud – To stop something in the starting
To put a spoke in one’s wheel – To hinder
To clip one’s wings – To deprive one of power
Hold up – Delay
To play fast and loose – To act in an unreliable way
Feather one’s own nest – Make money in an improper way
Pull a fast one – Play a trick
Turn-turtle – Complete over-turn of a situation
Take the bull by the horns – Grapple the situation courageously
A gentleman at large – A man without a job
Lose face – Become embarrassed
Build castle in the air – Day dreaming
Fall back on – Resort to something
Go to rack and ruin – Get into a bad condition
Bite the dust – Suffer a defeat
Have a chip on one’s shoulder – Nurse a grudge
The seamy side – Unpleasant aspect
Too many chiefs and not enough Indians – An inefficient situation (too many managers and not enough people to do the work)
Make one’s mark – Distinguish oneself
Throw in the towel – Acknowledge defeat
Mare’s nest – Worthless thing
A storm in a teacup – Big fuss over a small matter
Blue-blooded – Of noble birth
Do a roaring trade – Highly successful
Keep body and soul together – To have just enough to sustain
Will-o-the-wisp – Unreal Imagining
Cloak-and-dagger – An activity that involves mystery and secrecy
Palm off – To dispose off with the intent to deceive
From stem to stern – All the way from the front of a ship to the back
Over-egg the pudding – Add unnecessary details to make something seem better or worse
Turn over a new leaf – Change ones behavior for the better
Take up the hatchet – Prepare for or go to war
At loose ends – In an uncertain situation
With might and main – With full force
Ruffle somebody’s feather – Annoy somebody
Cut short – Interrupt
Bad blood – Ill feeling
A laughing stock – An object of laughter

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