English Idioms

There’s no accounting for taste (s)!

you can’t understand why someone likes or doesn’t like something

an acid test

a key test which will prove the value, quality or truth of something

get in on the act

become or be involved in a particular activity, in order to gain profit or advantage

a piece/slice of the action

take part in something exciting, profit from it

be out of action

be back to work again

a hive of activity

a place where a lot of people are working very hard

add insult to injury

act in a way that makes a bad situation worse

be floating/walking on air

to be very happy

be in the air

to be noticeable in a particular setting or group

pluck a number out of the air

say it without thinking much about it before they speak

airs and graces

an affection of superiority

set alarm bells ringing

feel worried or conerned about something

be all at sea

confused or unable to decide what to do

be all sweetness and light

to be very peaceful and friendly

have all the the makings of

to have the talent needed to become (someone successful)

leave well alone

stop disturbing, interfering with, or trying to improve someone or something

not go amiss

to be unhelpful or inappropriate

anybody who is anybody

any person who is well-known or important, especially one who has prominent social standing

never/ not do anything/ things by halves

someone always does things very thoroughly

whet yout appetite

sharpen one’s desire for food

chance your arm

to take a risk in order to get something that you want

a chink in your armour

an area of vulnerability

cast aspersions on

to criticize (someone or someone’s actions or character) harshly or unfarily

at a push

if absolutely necessary; only with a certain degree of difficulty

be at loggerheads

disagree strongly about

have an axe to grind

to have strong personal opinion about something that you want people to accept and that is the reason why you do something

be left holding the baby

to suddenly have to deal with a difficult situation because others have decided that they do not want the responsibility

throw the baby out with the bathwater

you lose the good parts of something as well as the bad parts, because you reject it as a whole instead of just removing what is bad

back-pedal

change one’s mind

at/in the back of beyond

a place that is very far from other places and people

be (like) water off a duck’s back

used to refer to a potentially hurtful remark or situation that has no apparent effect on the person involved

off the back of a lorry

they bought something that they knew was stolen

a back-seat driver

a passenger in a car who gives driving advice to the driver, someone who gives unwanted advide or who tries to control something that is supposed to be controlled by another person

give something up as a bad job

decide that it is futile to devote further time or energy to something

the bare bones

reduced to or comprising only the basic or essential elements of something

I wouldn’t touch sb/sth with a barge pole

to refuse to go near or become involved with (someone or something)

have sb over a barrel

to put someone in a very difficult situation in which the person has no choice about what they do

have a bash

to try or attempt

like a bat out of hell

very fast and wildly

off your own bat

to do something without anyone else telling you or asking you to do it

be like a bear with a sore head

to be in a bad mood that causes you to treat other people badly and complain a lot

be off the beaten track

in or into an isolated place

be at sb’s beck and call

to be ready to react to their commands without delay

green belt

a strip of countryside round a city or town where building is not allowed

the best/greastest thing since sliced bread

something or someone that one thinks is very good, useful, etc.

for want of a better word

lacking a more precise term

go one better

narrowly surpass a previous effort or achievement

foot the bill

to pay for something

a bird in the hand

it is better to hold onto something one has than to risk losing it by trying to get something better

a stumbling block

something that stops you from doing what you want to do

get blood out of a stone

something that cannot be obtained, regardless of how much force or persuasion is used

somebody’s blood is up

one is in a fighting mood

blue-collar

a classification of people, especially those in the workforce

between the devil and the deep blue sea

you are in a difficult situation where you have to choose between two equally unpleasant courses of action

as bold as brass

very confident or bold; not afraid at all

a bone of contention

a subject or issue over which there is continuing disagreement

a brain drain

the situation in which large numbers of educated and very skilled people leave their own country to live and work in another one where pay and conditions are better

rack your brains

to think very hard about something or try very hard to remember it

somebody’s bread and butter

a person’s livelihood or main source of income

a dog’s breakfast

a poor piece or work; a mess

make a clean breast of it

to speak openly and honestly about (something that previously has been lied about or kept secret)

pass the buck

shift the responsibility for something to someone else

be like a red rag to a bull

produce an angry or violent reaction; to be certain to produce an angry or violent reaction

take care of the pence/pennies

if you take care of little things one at a time, they can add up to big things

not (enough) room to swing a cat

very little space, cramped quarters

change tack

a change in direction, position, or course of action

have a chip on your shoulder

to seem angry all the time because you think you have been treated unfairly or feel you are not as good as other people

sail close to the wind

to do something that is dangerous or only just legal or acceptable

to coin a phrase

to invent a new saying or idiomatic expression that is new or unique

a cold fish

someone who seems unfriendly and who does not share their feelings

blow hot and cold

alternate inconsistently between two moods, attitudes, or courses of action

pour cold water on something

to criticize someone’s opinions or ideas and stop people believing them or being excited about them

if push comes to shove

it can be done if the situation becomes so bad that you have to do it

commit something to memory

to learn (something) so that one remembers it perfectly

a foregone conclusion

a result that can be predicted with certainty

a cross-purposes

misunderstanding or having different aims from one another

cut things fine

allow a very small margin of something, especially time

put a dampener/damper on

to make (something) less strong, active, or exciting

a dark horse

a person who is not expected to succeed in or unexpectedly wins an election, race, or other competition

be a dead loss

a person or thing that is completetly useless

leave a lot to be desired

used to say that something is not very good at all or is not close to being good enough

a spin doctor

a spokesperson employed to give a favourable interpretation of events to the media, especially on behalf of a political party

a doddle

a very easy task

go to the dogs

to become ruined

be in the doldrums

a period of being sad or bored with no energy or enthusiasm

from/since the year dot

for a very long time

sign on the dotted line

to agree to do something, especially by signing an agreement

six of one and half a dozen of the other

the two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent

like gold dust

said about something that is very difficult to get because a lot of people want it

play it by ear

proceed instinctively according to results and circumstances rather than according to rules or a plan

have egg on your face

to look foolished or be embarrassed

a narrow escape

a situation in which an accident or other unfortunate indident is only just avoided

a necessary evil

an unfavorable thing that must be done or accepted, especially because the available alternatives courses of action or inaction would be worse

the lesser or two evils

the somewhat less unpleasant of two poor choices

face the music

be confronted with the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions

be as plain as the nose on your face

to be very obvious

fall on stony ground

ignored or unpopular

fast and furious

full of rapid action; lively and exciting

fine-tune

make small adjustments to (something) in order to achieve the best or a desired performance

flavour of the month

a person or thing that enjoys a short period of great popularity