Table Of ContentT H O IV IS O IM
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AGuide to Idioms
Editors
Kay Cullen, Panny Hands, Una McGovern and John Wright
Published by arrangement with Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd.
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Introduction
What is an idiom?
The term ‘idiom’ is not an easily defined one - it can refer to
many kinds of words and phrases. The traditional definition
of an idiom is ‘a group of words which has a different mean
ing from the sum of its parts’. For example, you can make
someone’s blood boil or say they are a sight for sore eyes.
Knowing the meanings of all the words in such a phrase will
not necessarily help you to understand the meaning of the
whole phrase.
This guide is designed to help anyone who wants to know
about idioms, including not only what they mean, but also
how to use them. It provides an introduction to the most com
monly used idioms in British and American English. Each
idiom has its own entry with a full-sentence definition.
These not only define the idiom but also show it in grammat
ical context. Further usage information is given in the ex
amples, which have all been based on a corpus. Idioms are
clearly labelled to show whether they are common in British
or American English and which register or level of language
the idiom belongs to. When the idiom has any synonyms or
near-synonyms these are also shown.
To make this guide as easy to use as possible, idioms are
listed according to a strict ordering system. Under this sys
tem, any idiom that you are looking for which contains a
noun will be found under the first noun that occurs within
it. So make someone’s blood boil will be found under
blood. If there is no noun in the idiom, look for the first verb.
For example not much to look at will be found under look.
If there is no noun or verb in the idiom that you are looking
for, it will be found at the first adjective. An example of this
kind of idiom would be alive and kicking, which will be
found under alive. If there is no noun, verb, or adjective, look
for the first adverb. So anywhere from, will be found under
anywhere.
m
There is one notable exception to this rule. This is that
idioms of the type happy as a clam, or cool as a cucumber,
although they contain a noun, will always be found under the
first adjective. This is because there are often several possible
nouns which can go with the adjective, and so it is more
useful to see them grouped together.
This guide also includes Idioms Study panels which present
a variety of idioms that can be used in particular situations.
Turn to the panel on anger and you will find sections called
being angry, suddenly becoming angry, making some
one angry, and speaking angrily to someone. These will
help you to express anger in many different ways.
Idioms Study Panels
Page
Anger 4
Appearance 5
Change 29
Difficulties 46
Dishonesty 47
Failure 59
Fear 60
Happiness and sadness 74
Intelligence and stupidity 81
Liking and not liking 95
Money 112
Success 180
Surprise 181
Work 216
Contributors
Publishing Manager
Elaine Higgleton
Editors
Kay Cullen
Penny Hands
Una McGovern
John Wright
Organization of entries
books
Definitions are
o cook the books (informal)
written as whole
Someone cooks the books when they
sentences, Register labels
change the numbers in their, or their
showing the show if an idiom
idiom being used company’s, accounts in order to gain is formal,
in a natural and money for themselves or the company: informal,
grammatically They are now saying that everyone is insulting or
correct way. cooking the books. If its true, its a very vulgar. They will
also tell you if
serious allegation.
the idiom is used
boom
Idioms are
humorously, or if
labelled to show o lower the boom on someone (AmE;
it was more
whether they are informal) commonly used
common in When you lower the boom on some in the past.
British English
one, you severely scold or punish them:
(.BrE) or
If my daughter stays out late again, I ’m
American
going to lower the boom on her.
English (AmE).
card
Variants are
have a card up your sleeve or keep a
always given in
card up your sleeve
full.
You have, or are keeping, a card up
Notes of interest
your sleeve if other people think that
(i) explain the
you are in a difficult situation, but you Examples,
history of certain
have a secret solution which you plan supported by the
idioms, (ii)
British National
define words to surprise them with: Don’t cry. Just
Corpus, show
within idioms wait and see. Your old grandad has still
how the idiom is
and (iii) give got plenty of cards up his sleeve.
used.
variants and
information on When people cheat at cards they some
usage.
times hide an extra card up their
sleeve. American
spellings are
The mark 1 shows
colour (AmE color) shown in
where the main
brackets.
stress occurs in add colour to something
the idiom. If the Something that adds colour to some
main stress thing else brings some energy, interest
Cross-references
shifts to another or variety to that thing: His enthusias
to other idioms
part of the
tic lecturing style adds colour to a subject
are marked with
sentence in
that many people regard as dull. a diamond and
speech, this is
shown in the day (see also days) introduced with
example. 3 all in a day's work the words see
also. These draw
You can say that something is all in a
your attention to
day’s work if it forms part of your
variations and
Cross-references everyday activities, and must be ac
other idioms
to other
cepted as normal, even if you find it un with similar
headwords help
pleasant or difficult in some way: meanings to help
you to find the
Controlling a class of excitable seven you to expand
idiom you are
year olds is all in a day’s work if you are your knowledge
looking for.
in particular
a teacher on a placement scheme. !♦ see
subject areas.
also a necessary evil >evil The arrow r> tells
you where to find
the idiom.
vi
in return for something unpleasant
that they have done to you in the past:
It has been suggested that the murder
was committed as a way of settling an
account between the two gangs.
ace
3 have an ace up your sleeve or (AmE)
have an ace in the hole
You have an ace up your sleeve or
have an ace in the hole when you have
a secret or hidden advantage that you
can use against an opponent: I bet he's
A
got an ace up his sleeve; he wouldn't let
d go from A to ' B or get from A to ' B anybody beat him that easily.
You go or get from A to B when you go act
from one place to another: How long
o act of God
does it take to get from A to B?
An act of God is a totally unexpected
3 A to Z
natural event, such as an earthquake,
From A to Z means from the beginning
which you could not have predicted or
to the end, or, of a subject, covered
prevented: Famine caused by drought is
thoroughly: She went through the whole
not an unstoppable act of God. It is
explanation again from A toZ. □ an A to
simply the most dramatic manifestation
Z of London. [= book of maps showing
of soil degradation, caused by poor agri
all the roads in London]
cultural techniques.
accident
o an accident waiting to happen Act of God’ is a legal term referring I
You can say that someone or something to events for which you cannot expect
is an accident waiting to happen if compensation from insurance.
you feel sure that they are going to be \_________________ J
involved in some kind of disaster at 3 catch someone in the act
some time: That son of theirs is an acci You catch someone in the act when
dent waiting to happen, you discover them while they are doing
o more by accident than de sign something wrong: ♦ see also catch
Something desirable that happens someone red-handed >catch
more by accident than design, hap 3 clean up your act
pens more through chance than be Someone cleans up their act when
cause of anyone’s skill or judgement: they start complying with general stan
He got the job more by accident than de dards of behaviour: I think its about
sign, since it was he who had to take over time I cleaned up my act and started tak
when his boss first went off sick. ing my responsibilities a bit more ser
account iously.
o on no ac count 3 get in on the act
1 You say that on no account will you You get in on the act when you get
do something, or will something hap yourself involved in some profitable
pen, when you will not do it, or it will deal or activity in order to share the
not happen, under any circumstances: benefits: Everybody's getting in on the
On no account will I ask them for money. act now; the market's totally flooded with
2 You say that something should on no computer games of this type.
account, or not on any account, be 3 get your act together
done, if it must never be done: Don't on You get your act together when you
any account switch off the computer. organize yourself, your time and your
o settle an ac count work efficiently: We're going to have
You settle an account with someone to get our act together if we want to
when you do something to harm them finish this job by the end of the month.
arm 4 arm
IDIOMS
anger
sUAy
The next time you write or talk about anger you might try to use some
of the following idioms. (Remember you can see how to use each idiom
correctly by looking at its entry, which you can find under the word
printed in heavy type.)
being angry
up in arms hopping mad
like a bear with a sore head foam at the mouth
beside yourself on the warpath
suddenly becoming angry
throw up your arms blow, or flip, your lid blow your stack
cut up rough do your nut throw a tantrum
go off the deep end lose your rag lose your temper
blow a fuse fly into a rage blow your top
fly off the handle see red throw a wobbly
lose your head go spare
making someone angry
make someone’s blood boil set someone’s teeth on edge
get a rise out of someone
speaking angrily to someone
send someone away with a rant and rave
flea in their ear give someone the rough side of
give someone hell your tongue
let fly cause a stink
take it out on someone tear someone off a strip
give someone a piece of your jump down someone’s throat
mind have words with someone
o cost an arm and a leg something, if you would like it very
Something costs an arm and a leg much: I would have given my right arm
when it is very expensive: I can’t believe to be there with a camera.
these shoes have broken already; they
3 put the arm on someone {AmE)
cost an arm and a leg. ♦ see also a pret
You put the arm on someone when
ty penny >penny you put pressure on them for
something, especially a loan: Jeff is put
d give your right arm
ting the arm on his best friend for $200.
You say that you would give your
right arm for something, or to do o twist someone's arm
arms 0 awakening
IDIOMS*?*/**
appearance
The next time you write or talk about appearance you might try to use
some of the following idioms. (Remember you can see how to use each
idiom correctly by looking at its entry, which you can find under the
word printed in heavy type.)
attractive
a bit of all right a sight for sore eyes
unattractive
a blot on the landscape not much to look at
like nothing on earth as ugly as sin
dressed up
cut a dash dressed up to the nines
You twist someone’s arm when you 3 you could have cut the atmosphere
try hard to persuade them to do some with a knife
thing; people often say, humorously, You say that you could have cut the
that someone has twisted their arm if atmosphere with a knife when you
they accept an offer readily: ‘Have an are describing a situation in which
other drink! ‘Oh go on then, you’ve you felt that there were very unplea
twisted my arm/ sant or unfriendly feelings between
arms people there: I think they must have
been having a row just before I arrived -
o throw up your arms
you could have cut the atmosphere with a
You say that someone throws up their
knife in there.
arms when they express a strong emo
auction
tion such as anger or despair: She
threw up her arms in despair when I told 3 put something up at auction (AmE)
her Fd crashed the car again. You put something up at auction
3 up in arms when you offer an item for sale at an
People are up in arms when they are auction: Now I know where my records
very angry, and are protesting about went. Dad put them up at auction.
something: My lads are really up in avail
arms. Nobody believes this story about
3 to no a vail
the sacking incident.
You do something to no avail when you
art do not get the desired result: I have
3 get something down to a fine art scoured magazines for any information
You say you have got something on this subject, but so far to no avail.
down to a fine art if after a lot awakening
of practice you have discovered the
3 a rude a wakening
best way of doing it: Over the years
You experience a rude awakening
Fve got it down to a fine art. I make
when you have an unpleasant surprise:
lists.
Jones is an idealist, and will probably
atmosphere face a rude awakening when confronted
axe 6 back
with the realities of bureaucracy. water
axe (AmE ax) You throw the baby out with the
) have an axe to grind bathwater when you are so enthusias
You have an axe to grind when you tic about change and getting rid of old
have a strong belief or desire that ideas that you destroy or dispose of
something should happen, and you things that remain essential: The more
keep telling people about it, and trying ambitious supporters of the new method
to persuade them to see its importance; threw the baby out with the bathwater.
you have no axe to grind if you are back
not very concerned about a particular the back of be yond (informal)
matter, or if you do not disapprove of A place that is in, or at, the back of
it: We all have an axe to grind ?iow that beyond is a long way from any public
our working conditions have become so facilities or houses: You feel as if you re
unbearable. □ Mr Doe insists that he is in the back of beyond, yet its only forty-
no opponent of privatization as such five minutes from London. ♦ see also in
and has no political axe to grind. the middle of nowhere ^ m iddle;
out in the sticks ^ sticks; off the
beaten track >track; out of the
way >
way
This idiom is often used to speak about
a place in a critical way.
er break the back of something
You say you have broken the back of
something, such as a task, when you
have completed most of it, or the most
difficult part of it: They are confident
that they have finally broken the back of
the technical problem.
babe o get off someone's back (informal)
If you tell someone to get off your
o babe in the woods (AmE)
back you mean that you want them to
A babe in the woods is a person who is
stop criticizing and pressurizing you:
innocent and can easily be deceived:
If I can just pay this last instalment, the
Mary only knew the countryside, and
bank manager might get off my back for a
was a babe in the woods when she moved
while.
to Miami.
o have your back to the wall
baby
You have your back to the wall when
o leave someone holding the baby
you are forced into a difficult situation
(BrE)
which you feel you cannot escape from:
You leave someone holding the baby
Of course, if your back is to the wall and
when you stop working on a problem
you have to fight, then that is also
or project, and leave someone else to
classed as self-defence.
deal with it on their own; you are left
( " 7~" ’ " \
holding the baby when you are the This idiom comes from sword fighting,
person who has to deal with a problem when the person who is losing has
or organize something because every walked backwards as far as they can
one else has left you to do it on your go, and must continue to defend them
own: Fve been left holding the baby; job selves from a fixed position.
less, practically penniless, worrying
about how I ’m going to pay the rent. ♦ o put your back into something (infor
see also leave someone in the lurch mal)
!>LURCH You put your back into something
) throw the baby out with the bath when you try hard to do it well: If he
