Idiom of the Day - 140 idioms

Idiom

A group of words with a special meaning that is different from the literal/ordinary meaning.

Example: Up in the air => undecided

At the 11th hour

You wait until the last possible moment; you procrastinate on something.

Punch above your weight

To perform or succeed beyond what is expected or typical.

To make a beeline for (something/someone)

To quickly go somewhere.

A dime a dozen

Something that is very common or easy to find

Not the sharpest tool in the shed

Not the smartest.

The tail is wagging the dog

When a small/insignificant factor dominates a larger factor.

This isn't/ain't my first rodeo

They have experience at/with something.

A slap on the wrist

A minor punishment when a more severe one is expected.

At the drop of a hat

Without hesitating; almost instantly

Someone's bread and butter

Someone's primary source of income.

On a high horse

Superior/ignorant person.

Get your head around something

To understand something.

Let sleeping dogs lie

Avoid starting/bringing up a perviously settled conflict.

The lion's share

The largest/majority of something.

To rubber stamp something

To approve immediately without much attention

To eat crow

To admit you have made a mistake.

To have many irons in the fire

To have too many/much responsibilities.

To have one's head in the clouds

To think unrealistically or to not pay attention.

Nip (something) in the bud

To stop something before it becomes a bigger problem.

Every cloud has a silver lining

There is a positive aspect to every negative situation.

Tongue in cheek

Humorously; not to be taken seriously.

To have bigger fish to fry

To have more important things to do.

Feeling under the weather

Feeling sick or not feeling well.

To put your nose to the grindstone

To work hard and consistently.

To add insult to injury

To make a bad situation worse by saying or doing something else upsetting.

Double-edged sword

Something good or beneficial that also has some significant cost or risk.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire

Moving from one difficult situation to an even worse one.

To play your cards right

To do something in the most advantageous way.

Spinning one's wheels

Feeling busy but making no progress.

To burn the midnight oil

To work late into the night.

Go back to the drawing board

Start again because the previous attempt was unsuccessful.

A foot in the door

An initial advantage or opportunity that can lead to something more.

Up to par

Meeting standards or expectations.

Not my cup of tea

Not something that you enjoy or are interested in.

Burning the candle at both ends

Working too hard or trying to do too many things at once.

Dip your toe in the water

To try something new before fully committing to it.

Canary in a coal mine

An early indicator of potential danger or failure.

Rule of thumb

A general guideline or principle.

Cat on a hot, tin roof

Extremely nervous.

"Out of the Blue"

Unexpectedly, or suddenly.

Beat/Flog a Dead Horse

To pursue a futile, pointless, or impossible task (often senselessly).

All bark, no bite

Someone who talks a lot but doesn't do anything.

A cat nap

A short nap during the day.

Put the cart before the horse

To do things in the wrong order.

Sell yourself short

To underestimate self ability or worth.

By the skin of your teeth

Just barely, narrowly.

A feather in your cap

An achievement or accomplishment that is a source of pride.

Get off the wrong foot

To make a bad start to a relationship or task.

Jump the gun

To do something too soon or before it's appropriate.

Go out on a limb

Take a risk or do something that may be dangerous.

Wear your heart on your sleeve

Show your emotions very openly/obviously.

A far cry

Something very different from something.

Cook the books

To dishonestly change accounts or figures (usually) to get money.

The die is cast

A decision has been made and cannot be altered/changed.

To smell a rat

Suspect that something is wrong.

Backseat Driver

Someone who criticizes things from outside the situation, like someone in the back seat of a car who gives unwarranted advice to the driver.

The Devil's Advocate

Someone who takes a contrary position or argues for the sake of arguing.

To beat around the bush

To avoid the main topic.

Long in the tooth

Old.

To air your dirty laundry

To publicly reveal or discuss information about somebody or something which is private/embarrassing.

To push the envelope

To challenge or test the limits.

To poke your nose (into something)

To intrude or interfere into something that isn't your business.

(To buy) a pig in a poke

To buy something that you didn't know all the details about.

To buy a lemon

To buy something that doesn't work well (usually cars).

A Dead Ringer

Something/someone that is completely identical; A duplicate.

To throw caution to the Wind

To act without considering the possible risks or consequences.

A drop in the bucket/ocean

A very small or insignificant amount.

Yellow-Bellied

Cowardly, Afraid.

Elbow Grease

Hard, Physical work/effort.

To get cold feet

To become nervous or hesitant about something.

To be on cloud nine

To be incredibly happy.

Fly on the wall

An unperceived observer- able to see and hear but unable to be seen or heard by others.

Dead in the Water

Not making any progress or not able to be completed.

Fair Weather Friend

Somebody during good times but not during difficult times.

You can't have your cake and eat it too

If you want something, you have to give something up.

Red Tape

Bureaucratic steps that seem unnecessary and seem to get in the way, especially in public business.

To sow one's wild oats

To engage in youthful misbehavior/recklessness (Young & Dumb).

The writing is on the wall

An indication of an impending event/outcome.

To know the ropes

To understand the details or know how to do something.

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth

Don't be rude or ungrateful when you receive a gift.

To let the cat out of the bag

To reveal a secret on accident.

To jump on the bandwagon

To join in on a trend that is popular or fashionable.

The Dog Days of Summer

Hottest, most humid day of summer.

A pillar of the community

A respectful or influential member of the community.

To fall on deaf ears

(Something/Someone) is not being listened to or paid attention to.

To tow the line

To conform to a rule/standard.

In the heat of the moment

The midst of strong emotion or excitement.

To have a bone to pick (with someone/something)

To have a disagreement or complaint to discuss.

All bets are off

The rules and expectations (which were agreed upon) are no longer in place.

To pull wool over somebody's eyes

To deceive or mislead someone.

To be out of steam

To be out of energy.

To jump through the hoops

To do a lot of hard work or go through a lot of effort especially if it is unnecessary to accomplish a goal.

(to be/skate) on thin ice

In a rocky or precarious situation.

To pull one's own weight

To contribute to a group effort.

To put your foot in your mouth

To say something inappropriate or embarrassing.

A dry run (of something)

To practice or rehearse something.

(to be) touch and go

When a situation is uncertain or risky.

Icing on the cake

Something that makes a good situation even better.

(To go) back to square one

Go back to the beginning of a project, because previous attempts have failed.