Definitive Guide to English Idioms, Phrases, and Expressions

Couch potato : a person who watches too much television.

Hold out hope : to remain optimistic that something will happen.

Play tricks on : to deceive or confuse someone's mind.

Spill the beans : to reveal a secret.

Get on like a house on fire : to become friends very quickly.

Full extent : the total degree or amount of something.

Fly off the handle : to lose one's temper suddenly.

A ring of truth : something that sounds or seems true.

Back out of : to withdraw from an agreement.

Beat about the bush : to avoid getting to the point.

Poke fun at : to mock or make fun of someone.

Pin someone down : to force someone to give a definite answer.

Red rag to a bull : something that makes someone very angry.

Nudge : to push someone gently with the elbow.

Beyond wildest dreams : far better than imagined.

Feather in one's cap : a proud achievement.

Stalk : to follow prey stealthily.

Bear a grudge : to keep a feeling of anger toward someone.

Hutch : a wooden box for pet rabbits.

Bee in one's bonnet : to be obsessed with an idea.

Eat like a horse : to eat a very large amount.

Scruff of the neck : the back of an animal's neck.

Snake in the grass : a person who is untrustworthy.

By any standards : judged by any level of quality.

Shadow of a doubt : a small amount of uncertainty.

While away : to spend time in a lazy way.

Get to grips with : to begin to understand or deal with.

Know no bounds : to have no limits.

Great lengths : extreme efforts to achieve something.

Tendency : an inclination to act in a certain way.

Taken aback : to be very surprised.

Oversight : a mistake made by failing to notice.

Advise against : to recommend not doing something.

Makeshift : temporary and poor quality.

Spick and span : very clean and neat.

Put off : to delay or postpone.

Skirt : to go around the edge of something.

Take someone in : to deceive or trick someone.

Overdue : not finished or arrived on time.

Few and far between : very rare or infrequent.

Come at : to approach a problem in a certain way.

Gift for : a natural talent for something.

Bouncing with health : to be extremely healthy and energetic.

Jog someone's memory : to help someone remember.

Dislocated hip : when the hip bone is moved out of place.

Go in for : to take part in or sit an exam.

Shrug off : to treat as unimportant.

Spur someone on : to encourage someone.

Currently : at the present time.

Escape someone : to be forgotten or not noticed.

Drag : to pass slowly and boringly.

Make out : to see or hear with difficulty.

Churn out : to produce in large quantities.

Song and dance : an unnecessary fuss.

In stitches : laughing very hard.

Pulling your leg : joking or teasing.

Scared stiff : extremely frightened.

Go a long way : to be very helpful.

Run into : to meet by chance.

Wet blanket : a person who spoils the fun.

No good : useless or pointless.

Rough guess : an approximate estimate.

Resort to : to do something as a last option.

Pry into : to interfere in private affairs.

Cluttered with : filled with a mess.

Shattered : broken into small pieces.

Under my wing : under one's protection.

Back out : to withdraw from a deal.

Breach of contract : failure to honor an agreement.

Field of engineering : a specific area of study/work.

Thin air : disappearing completely.

Work fingers to the bone : to work very hard.

At a loss : selling for less than the cost price.

Passed over : ignored for a promotion.

Skeleton staff : minimum number of workers.

Scarcely : hardly or almost not.

Besetting sin : a main or constant fault.

Go to someone's head : to make someone arrogant.

Hand in notice : to resign from a job.

Go ahead : to proceed as planned.

Clean away : disappearing or getting away completely.

Foul play : suspicious or criminal activity.

Kill time : to occupy oneself while waiting.

Take a hard line : to maintain a strict policy.

Saw through : to realize the truth behind a lie.

Found guilty : judged to have committed a crime.

Spate of thefts : a sudden series of thefts.

Clear one's name : to prove one's innocence.

Banned from : officially forbidden from something.

Police custody : being held by the police.

Fit as a fiddle : in very good physical condition.

Pain in the neck : someone or something very annoying.

Look a gift horse in the mouth : to criticize something given for free.

Storm in a teacup : a lot of fuss about something unimportant.

High and dry : left in a difficult situation without help.

Part and parcel : an essential or basic part of something.

Chip on one's shoulder : holding a grudge due to feeling inferior.

Under the weather : feeling slightly ill or not well.

Turn over a new leaf : to change one's behavior for the better.

Pitch dark : completely dark with no light.