PAIRS, PROVERBS, REDUPLICATIVES, EUPHEMISMS

wheel and deal (C1)

try to make a profit or get an advantage

airs and graces (C2)

an affectation of superiority

all and sundry (C2)

everyone rather than particular people

bow and scrape (C2)

show too much politeness to sb

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (C2)

happy and full of energy

cut-and-dried (C2)

being or done according to a plan

every nook and cranny (C2)

every part of a place

hale and hearty (C2)

healthy and strong

hammer and tongs (C2)

with great force, vigor, or violence

haves and have-nots (C2)

the rich people and the poor people

kith and kin (C2)

family and friends

nearest and dearest (C2)

closest family members or friends

null and void (C2)

having no legal force

odds and ends (C2)

miscellaneous articles or remnants

part and parcel of sth (C2)

an essential feature or element of

prim and proper (C2)

having very traditional conservative beliefs

the nuts and bolts (C2)

the basic practical details

toss and turn (C2)

move around restlessly while sleeping

wine and dine (C2)

entertain someone with food and drink

go to rack and ruin (C2)

become decayed, decline or fall apart

all good things come to an end (B2)

nothing great will last forever

the grass is always greener (B2)

people are never happy with their own lives

when in Rome do as the Romans do (B2)

it's good to follow the local customs

a bad workman blames his tools (C1)

a poor workman blames his tools

one swallow doesn't make a summer (C1)

one instance of sth doesn't indicate a trend

it's an ill wind (that blows...) (C1)

even misfortune can benefit sb or sth

life is not all beer and skittles (C1)

life is not pleasurable all the time

the end justifies the means (C1)

any methods are allowed to achieve sth

throw good money after bad (C1)

spending more money when sth is failing

bite off more than you can chew (C2)

take on a commitment one cannot fulfil

don't count your chickens (C2)

don't expect all your hopes to come true

every cloud has a silver lining (C2)

don't expect all your hopes to come true

lightning never strikes twice (C2)

the same misfortune will never recur

the early bird catches the worm (C2)

if we do sth early, we will be successful

too many cooks spoil the broth (C2)

many people participate in a task can ruin it

two wrongs don't make a right (C2)

a 2ndmistake does not cancel the 1st

high and dry (C1)

without resources or help

bric-a-brac (C2)

miscellaneous objects of little value

dilly-dally (C2)

waste time by loitering or delaying

fuddy-duddy (C2)

a person who is old-fashioned and fussy

helter-skelter (C2)

quickly and in all directions

hoi polloi (C2)

an insulting word for ordinary people

hush-hush (C2)

kept secret from people

nitty-gritty (C2)

the basic facts of a situation

teeny-weeny (C2)

very small, tiny

wishy-washy (C2)

lacking in character or determination

give someone the cold shoulder (B2)

ignore someone deliberately

long in the tooth (C1)

old, often too old to do something

make the supreme sacrifice (C1)

die for your country, for a principle

pass/break wind (C1)

allow gas to escape from your bottom

time of the month (C1)

the time when a woman has her period

eff and blind (C2)

using words that are considered offensive

have a bun in the oven (C2)

be pregnant, expecting a baby

otherwise engaged (C2)

busy doing something else

play the field (C2)

date more than one person

the call of nature (C2)

the need to use the toilet

accidents will happen (B2)

unexpected events are part of life

actions speak louder than words (B2)

doing is better than just speaking

all's well that ends well (B2)

everything has turned out satisfactorily

curiosity killed the cat (B2)

it's best to mind one's own business

die with one's boots on (B2)

die in battle or while actively occupied

experience is the best teacher (B2)

life teaches more effectively than books

learn a/your lesson (B2)

learn sth about life from making a mistake

look a gift horse in the mouth (B2)

find fault with a free gift or chance benefit

no news is good news (B2)

sb is told only the bad things about sth

practice makes perfect (B2)

regular exercise makes one better at it

silence is golden (B2)

it is often best not to say anything

when the cat's away (the mice ...) (B2)

dishonest behaviour is a basic trait

where there's life there's hope (B2)

as long as you are alive, there is hope

every why has a wherefore (C1)

there is a reason for everything

necessity is the mother of invention (C1)

our needs push us to find new solutions