English IA Idioms 1-167

Mr. Hentschke

at the 11th hour

at the last moment (when you procrastinate on something)

punch above your weight

to perform or succeed beyond what is expected or typical

to make a beeline for (someone/something)

to go quickly and directly to a specific place or person

a dime a dozen

something that is very common or easy to find

not the sharpest tool in the shed

not the most intelligent or perceptive person

the tail wagging the dog

when a small and usually insignificant factor (or person) dominates over one that is usually more powerful & influential

"This ain't my first rodeo" (more generally, not someone's first rodeo)

said by someone with a lot of experience in something

a slap on the wrist

a very minor punishment, often said when a more severe punishment might be expected

at the drop of a hat

without hesitation; immediately

someone's bread and butter

someone's primary source of income or livelihood

on a high horse (or "get off your high horse")

in a superior/arrogant position

go down like a lead balloon

be recieved badly

get your head around something

understand something (especially something complex/surprising)

let sleeping dogs lie

avoid starting up a conflict again which was previously settled

the lion's share (of something)

the largest portion or majority of something

to rubber stamp something

when a person/organization automatically approves something without addressing its merit or value; as a noun, when something is approved as such

to eat crow

to have to admit that you made a mistake

to have too many irons in the fire

to have too many responsibilities or try to do too many things at the same time

to have one's head in the clouds

to be unrealistic or not be paying attention to the present

to 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 & consistently

to add insult to injury

to make a bad situation worse by saying/doing something else upsetting

double-edged sword

something good or beneficial that also has some significant cost/risk

out of the frying pan and into the fire

moving from one difficult situation into 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/expectation

not my cup of tea

not something you enjoy/are interested in

burning the candle on both ends

working too hard or trying to do too many things at once

dip your toe in the water

to try something new ("test the water") before fully committing to it

canary in the 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

suddenly and unexpectedly

beat/flog a dead horse

pursue a futile, pointless, or impossible task, often senselessly

all bark and no bite

someone who talks a lot but doesn't actually do anything

a cat nap

a short nap during the day

put the cart before the horse

do things out of the proper order

sell yourself short

underestimate your own abilities & worth

by the skin of your teeth

barely; narrowly

a feather in your cap

an achievement or accomplishment that is a source of pride

get off on the wrong foot

make a bad start in a relationship or task

jumping the gun

doing something too soon or before it is 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 and obviously

a far cry (from something)

to be very different (from something)

cook the books

change accounts or figures dishonestly, usually to get money

the die is cast

a decision has been made and cannot be altered/changed

to smell a rat

to suspect that something is wrong

backseat driver

someone who criticizes things from outside the situation, much like somebody in the back seat of a car who gives unwanted advice to the driver

the devil's advocate

somebody who takes a contrary position or argues against a belief just 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/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 in something (that's not your business)

(to buy) a pig in a poke

(to buy) something that you don't know all the details or facts about

to buy a lemon

to buy something that doesn't work well (usually a car)

a dead ringer

something/someone 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, insignificant amount

yellow-bellied

cowardly; afraid

elbow grease

hard physical work or effort

to get cold feet

to become nervous/hesitant about something

to be on cloud nine

to be incredibly happy

a 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 who is a friend during good times but not during difficult times

you can't keep/have your cake and eat it too

you can't have it all; if you want something, you have to give up something else

red tape

bureaucratic steps that seem unnecessary or seem to get in the way, especially in public business

to sow one's wild oats

to engage in youthful misbehavior or recklessness ("young and dumb")

the writing is on the wall

an indication of an impending event or 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 accidentally

to jump on the bandwagon

to join in on a trend that is popular or fashionable

the dog days of summer

the hottest, most humid days of summer

a pillar of the community

a respected and influential member of the community

(something) falls on deaf ears

(something/someone) is not being listened or paid attention to

to toe the line

to conform to a rule or standard

in the heat of the moment

in the midst of strong emotion or excitement

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

to have a disagreement or complaint to discuss (with someone)

all bets are off

the rules and expectations (which were agreed on earlier) are no longer in place

to pull wool over somebody's eyes

to deceive or mislead somebody

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 feels unnecessary) to accomplish a goal

(to be/skate) on thin ice

in a risky or precarious situation

to pull one's weight

to contribute equally to a group effort

to put your foot in your mouth

to say something inappropriate or embarrasing

a dry run

a practice or rehearsal

(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

to start something over from the beginning