Table Of ContentIdiomatic
Expressions
Glossary
Updated Version - 2013
Ashraf Amer
Letter
Idiomatic Expression Explanation
If you have an ace up your sleeve, it means that you
A Have an ace up your sleeve. havesomething in reserve with which you can gain an
advantage.
A person who holds all the aces is in a very strong position
because they have more advantages than anyone else.
Hold all the aces
"Given the high unemployment figures in some countries,
employers hold all the aces."
If you tell someone to get their act together, you mean that
Get your act together! they need to organize their affairs more effectively in order
to be more successful.
If people make "much ado about nothing", they make a lot
Much ado about nothing.
of fuss about something which is not important.
To say that you are all ears means that you are listening
All ears
very attentively. "Of course I want to know - I'm all ears!"
To say that all hell broke loose means that there was a
sudden angry, noisy reaction to something. " All hell broke
All hell broke loose
loose when it was announced that the plant was going to
close down."
If you are all fingers and thumbs, you are awkward and
All thumbs/all fingers and thumbs clumsy and do things incorrectly. "Would you mind wrapping
this for me? I'm all fingers and thumbs!"
When you are in difficulty, any port in a storm refers to a
solution you accept, which in normal circumstances you
Any port in a storm
would find unacceptable. "The hotel was substandard, but it
was a case of any port in a storm; all the others were full."
If somebody is the apple of your eye, this means that you
The apple of your eye.
like them very much : "My grandson is the apple of my eye".
To upset (or to overturn) the applecart means to spoil a
To upset the applecart satisfactory plan or situation "I hope Julie doesn't attend the
meeting - she could upset the applecart!"
Give your right arm If you say "I'd give my right arm for that", you mean that
you want it a lot and would do almost anything to obtain it.
"I'd give my right arm to have a apartment on Central Park."
If something costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive!
Cost an arm and a leg "The house cost us an arm and a leg, but we have no
regrets."
If you are up in arms about something, you are very angry.
To be up in arms "The population was up in arms over the demolition of the
old theatre."
If you get a rude awakening, you are forced to accept the
A rude awakening
unpleasant truth.
If you have an axe to grind, you have personal reasons for
adopting a particular attitude about something. "It was
Have an axe to grind decided that the best candidates would be selected by a
recruitment agency who had no axe to grind within the
company."
If someone is left holding the baby, they are made
responsible for a problem that others don't want to deal with.
B Leave somebody holding the baby
"When the angry customer started to complain, my
colleague disappeared and left me holding the baby."
If you tell somebody to get off your back, you ask them to
Get off my back!
stop finding faults or criticizing you.
This expression is used to describe an isolated place
In the back of beyonds located far from any town. "It took us hours to find Jack's
house. He lives in the back of beyonds!"
If you put a project or issue on the back burner, you
decide to deal with it at a later date because you do not
On the back burner consider it to be that urgent or important. "When Julie was
offered a promotion, she put her MBA plans on the back
burner."
To say that someone is back to square one, means that
they have not succeeded in what they were trying to do, and
Back to square one
so they have to start again. "When the plans were refused, it
was back to square one for the architect."
A remark that appears to express admiration but could also
be interpreted as an insult is called a backhanded
Backhanded compliment
compliment. "He said my presentation was 'surprisingly
clear' - how's that for a backhanded compliment!"
A backseat driver is a passenger in a car who gives
Backseat driver unwanted advice to the driver. "I can't stand backseat
drivers like my mother-in-law!"
To refer to someone as a bad egg means that they cannot
A bad egg be trusted. "I don't want my son to be friends with Bobby
Smith. Bobby's a bad egg."
If you badger someone into doing something, you
Badger someone into doing persistently nag or pester them until you obtain what you
something want. "Sophie badgered her parents into buying her a new
computer."
If you think something is in the bag, you are almost certain
it will be achieved. "An hour before the polling stations
In the bag
closed, victory seemed in the bag for the Conservative
candidate."
If something is in the balance, it means the situation is
uncertain and it is not clear what is going to happen. "The
In the balance
future of the company is in the balance while the takeover
bid is being examined."
If you are on the ball, you are aware of what is happening
Be on the ball
and are able to react to the situation quickly.
If you have a ball, you enjoy yourself. "The party was great.
Have a ball
We had a ball."
If you start the ball rolling, you start an activity in which
Start the ball rolling other people will join. "Let's start the ball rolling by calling on
our first speaker."
If a person or organization jumps on the bandwagon, they
decide to do something when it is already successful or
Jump on the bandwagon fashionable. "When organic food became popular, certain
stores were quick to jump on the bandwagon and promote
it."
A bar fly refers to someone who spends a lot of time
Bar fly drinking in bars and pubs. "You'll find Johnny down at the
pub - he's a real bar fly!"
If you bare your heart or soul to someone, you reveal
your innermost thoughts and feelings to them. "John couldn't
Bare one's heart (or soul)
keep things to himself any longer. He decided to bare his
soul to his best friend."
This expression is used to refer to a person who sounds
His bark is worse than his bite much more severe or angry than they really are. "Don't be
afraid of him - his bark is worse than his bite."
A person who barks up the wrong tree is doing the wrong
Bark up the wrong tree thing, because their beliefs or ideas are incorrect or
mistaken.
If you say that somebody has bats in the belfry, you are
Have bats in the belfry
saying that their ideas are completely mad.
Be full of beans A person who is full of beans is lively, active and healthy.
If someone is behaving like a bear with a sore head, they
Like a bear with a sore head are very irritable and bad-tempered. "When his team lost the
match, Brad was like a bear with a sore head."
If a person is at somebody's beck and call, they are
always ready to do things for them or obey orders to please
At someone's beck and call
them. "Parents should not be at the beck and call of their
children."
A person who has a bee in their bonnet has an idea which
Have a bee in one's bonnet constantly occupies their thoughts. "She's got a bee in her
bonnet about moving to New York."
If you say that someone/something is the bee's knees, you
think they are exceptionally good. If you say "Julie thinks
The bee's knees
she's the bee's knees", it means that Julie has a high
opinion of herself!
This expression is used to indicate that the speaker is
familiar with the situation mentioned. It can also refer to an
attitude which reflects a certain boredom at the idea of
Been there, done that
repeating an experience that has lost its novelty. "His
suggestions produced a 'been there, done that' attitude
which undermined his enthusiasm."
This expression means that you should not reject an offer if
Beggars can't be choosers. it is the only possibility you have. You have no choice.
"Beggars can't be choosers"!
If something rings a bell, it is vaguely familiar to you, but
Ring a bell. you can't remember the exact details . "John Bentley? The
name rings a bell but I don't remember him."
An action or remark described as below the belt means
Below the belt that it is considered unfair or cruel. "Politicians sometimes
use personal information to hit their rivals below the belt.'
If you need to tighten your belt, you must spend your
Tighten your belt money carefully. "Another bill? I'll have to tighten my belt this
month!"
If you bend over backwards, you try very hard to do
something, especially to please somebody. "The manager
Bend over backwards
bent over backwards to try to make Jack stay, but Jack
wouldn't change his mind."
If you bend the truth, you say something that is not entirely
true. "OK, I bent the truth a bit; I told him it was my natural
Bend the truth
colour, but I didn't say that my hairdresser helped me to
keep it natural!"
If you give somebody the benefit of the doubt, you choose
to believe that that person is innocent, honest or telling the
The benefit of the doubt truth, because there is no evidence to the contrary.
"Although he found it hard to believe Tom's explanation, the
teacher decided to give him the benefit of the doubt."
If a person has the best of both worlds, they have the
benefits and advantages of two different things. "We live in
The best of both worlds
the centre of town, but only 5 minutes from the beach. We
have the best of both worlds."
It's better to be too cautious than to be careless and have
Better safe than sorry regrets later. "Let's book tickets in advance - better safe
than sorry!"
If you think better of something, you decide not to do
something that you intended doing. "I wanted to go
Think better of something
shopping, but when I saw the crowded car park, I thought
better of it."
Between the devil and the deep If you are between the devil and the deep blue sea, you
blue sea are in a situation where there are two equally unacceptable
alternatives. "When the new product didn't take off, the
Marketing Director was caught between the devil and the
deep blue sea!"
The expression "it's beyond me" means: "it's impossible
It's beyond me for me to understand" "It's beyond me why Mary wants to
marry John."
If something is beyond your wildest dreams, it is better
than you imagined or hoped for. "The research team
Beyond one's wildest dreams
received a grant from the government that was beyond their
wildest dreams."
If you bide your time, you wait for a good opportunity to do
Bide your time something. "He's not hesitating, he's just biding his time.
He's waiting for the price to drop."
If a person has a clean bill of health, they have a report or
Clean bill of health
certificate declaring that their health is satisfactory.
If you kill two birds with one stone, you succeed in doing
Kill two birds with one stone.
two things at the same time.
To say that two people are birds of a feather means that
Birds of a feather.
they are very similar in many ways.
This humorous expression means that you are wearing
In/wearing one's birthday suit nothing! "The bathroom door blew open, and there I was in
my birthday suit!"
If you bite off more than you can chew, you try to do
something that is too difficult for you, or more than you can
Bite off more than you can chew
manage. "As soon as I started to translate the report, I
realized that I had bitten off more than I could chew."
This is said by a person who has had an unpleasant
Once bitten, twice shy. experience which has made them cautious. "I'm never going
to get married again. Once bitten, twice shy."
A bitter pill to swallow is something very difficult or
A bitter pill to swallow unpleasant to accept. "Losing his job after organizing the
merger was a bitter pill to swallow."
To be in a black mood means to be irritable, angry or even
In a black mood
depressed - also : to be in a bad mood.
To say that a person or organizaion is in the black means
In the black that they are financially sound, have a positive balance on
their account, and that they owe no money.
Black gold Black gold refers to the black colour and high value of oil.
The black market refers to the illegal buying and selling of
Black market
goods or currencies.
Black out If you black out, you lose consciousness.
The black sheep of the family is one who is very different
Black sheep from the others, and least respected by the other members
of the family,
If you give someone a blank cheque, you authorize them
to do what they think is best in a difficult situation. "Tom was
A blank cheque
given a blank cheque and told to negotiate the best deal
possible."
To refer to someone as a wet blanket means that they
spoil other people's fun, or make an event less enjoyable
A wet blanket
that it could have been "Come on, Mike! Don't be such a wet
blanket.You're spoiling the party!"
This expression is used to refer to something which is
unpleasant at first but later turns out to have advantages.
A blessing in disguise
"Missing the plane was a blessing in disguise - that's how
he met his wife. She was a hostess on the next flight!"
This expression refers to a person with very little ability
trying to help or guide a person with no ability. "Don't ask
The blind leading the blind
Sofia to translate it. She hardly speaks a word of English
herself. It would be the blind leading the blind".
A project or action which involves blood, sweat and tears
Blood, sweat and tears requires a lot of effort and hard work. "His success wasn't
due to luck; it was blood, sweat and tears all the way."
If you blow a fuse, you suddenly lose your temper and
Blow a fuse become very angry. "Charlie blew a fuse yesterday when he
discovered that his ipod had been stolen."
If you blow hot and cold about something, you constantly
change your opinion about it. "The boss keeps blowing hot
Blow hot and cold
and cold about the marketing campaign - one day he finds it
excellent, the next day he wants to make changes."
To feel blue means to have feelings of deep sadness or
Feel blue
depression.
To refer to something as a bolt from the blue means that it
A bolt from the blue happened completely unexpectedly. "The chariman's
resignation came as a bolt from the blue!"
A blue-eyed boy is somebody's favourite e.g. he's the
Blue-eyed boy
director's blue-eyed boy!
If something happens out of the blue, it happens
Out of the blue
unexpectedly.
If a situation or business is described as above board, it is
Above board open, honest and legal. "There are no secret negotiations.
Our dealings have always been above board."
The expression "the mind boggles" is used as a reaction
The mind boggles
to something you find amazing or difficult to understand.
Someone who is bold as brass behaves without shame or
Bold as brass embarrassment. "Bold as brass, he refused the gift and
handed it back to his mother-in-law."
A bone of contention is a matter or subject about which
there is a lot of disagreement. "The salaries have been
Bone of contention
agreed on, but opening on Sundays remains a bone of
contention."
To say that you have a bone to pick with somebody means
Have a bone to pick with someone that you are annoyed with them and want to talk to them
about it.
If you make no bones about something, you do not
Make no bones about something hesitate to express your thoughts or feelings about it, even if
it is embarrassing.
If you are in somebody's good or bad books, you have
In somebody's good/bad books their approval or disapproval. "I'm in my wife's bad books at
the moment because I forgot our wedding anniversary!"
To say that one person licks another person's boots
Lick someone's boots means that they are trying to please that person, often in
order to obtain something.
To say that a person is getting too big for their boots
means that you think they are behaving as if they were more
Get too big for your boots (or
important that they really are. "Tom's really getting too big
britches)
for his boots since he got a promotion - he hardly says hello
any more!"
This expression is used to indicate that you are not as
foolish or as easily deceived as some people seem to think.
I wasn't born yesterday
"Stop inventing silly excuses. I wasn't born yesterday you
know!"
To say that someone is bowing and scraping means that
Bow and scrape they are being excessively polite or servile. "The President
was greeted with much bowing and scraping."
Someone who has a brain like a sieve has a very bad
Brain like a sieve memory and forgets things easily. "Oh, I forgot to buy bread
- I've got a brain like a sieve these days!"
If you have something on the brain, you think or talk
Have something on the brain about it constantly. "Stop talking about golf. You've got golf
on the brain!"
If you take the bread out of somebody's mouth, you take
Take the bread out of somebody's away their means of earning a living. "The decision to ban
mouth street vendors took the bread out of the mouths of many
people."
This is a humorous way of wishing somebody good luck,
Break a leg! especially among stage performers. "So tonight's the
opening night? Break a leg!"
If somebody is breathing down your neck, they are
watching you too closely and making you feel
Breathe down someone's neck
uncomfortable. "The atmosphere at work isn't great; the
boss keeps breathing down our necks all the time."
An established trading company (office/shop) is referred to
as a 'brick-and-mortar' business. 'Click companies' refer to
Bricks and mortar/ bricks and
Internet-based operations. Companies which do both are
clicks
called 'bricks and clicks'. "Click businesses are usually more
flexible than brick-and-mortar operations."
Bring the house down If you bring the house down, you give a very successful
performance. "If he sings like that on Saturday, he'll bring
the house down."
To say that someone is brown as a berry means that they
Brown as a berry
are very tanned.
To be browned off means to be bored, fed up or
Browned-off
disheartened. "Tom is browned off with his job."
To say that the bubble has burst means that the success
of an idea, a product or a situation has suddenly stopped.
The bubble has burst
"The video game was a phenomenal success but the bubble
has burst."
If you say that someone is passing the buck, you are
Pass the buck accusing them of not taking responsibility for a problem and
expecting someone else to handle it.
To kick the bucket is a light-hearted way of talking about
Kick the bucket. death. "He will inherit when his grandfather kicks the
bucket."
If you nip a problem or a bad situation in the bud, you stop
it at an early stage, before it becomes worse. "He wanted to
To nip something in the bud
be a clown, but his parents soon nipped that idea in the
bud."
If a person builds bridges between opposing groups, they
Build bridges
help them to cooperate and understand each other better.
To take the bull by the horns means that a person
Take the bull by the horns decides to act decisively in order to deal with a difficult
situation or problem.
If you describe somebody as a bundle of nerves, you
mean that they are very nervous, tense or worried. "My son
Bundle of nerves
is doing his driving test today. Needless to say he's a bundle
of nerves!"
This expression is used to tell somebody to say what they
Don't beat around the bush
have to say, clearly and directly, even if it's unpleasant.
If you say that somebody looks as if butter wouldn't melt
in their mouth, you are saying that they look completely
Butter wouldn't melt in your mouth
innocent, but that they are capable of doing unpleasant
things.
To refer to something as a piece of cake means that you
C A piece of cake consider it to be very easy. "The English test was a piece of
cake!"
To say that someone wants to have their cake and eat it
means that they want the advantages of two alternative
Have your cake and eat it situations when only one is possible . "Jack enjoys his
comfort but is always complaining about the cost of things.
He can't have his cake and eat it!"
Things that sell like hot cakes sell quickly or in large
Sell like hot cakes
quantities.
Call a spade a spade A person who calls a spade a spade speaks openly and
truthfully about something, especially difficult matters. "What
I like about the new manager is that he calls a spade a
spade - it makes things so much easier for everyone."
The person who calls the tune is the one who makes all
the important decisions and is in control of the situation. "He
Call the tune
shows a lot of authority but in fact it's his wife who calls the
tune."
To describe a situation as a can of worms means that it is
complicated, unpleasant and difficult to deal with. "The
Can of worms
discovery of the transfer of funds turned out to be a real can
of worms."
To say that some is burning the candle at both ends
Burn the candle at both ends means that they are trying to do too much and that they go
to bed very late and get up very early.
If you paddle your own canoe, you do what you want to
Paddle one's own canoe do without help or interference from anyone. "He decided to
paddle his own canoe and set up his own company."
If someone can't see the wood for the trees, they are so
concentrated on the details that they can't see the situation
Can't see the wood for the trees
as a whole. "The new manager found the situation so
complicated that he couldn't see the wood for the trees."
If you tell someone to put their thinking cap on, you ask
them to find an idea or solve a problem by thinking about it.
Put on your thinking cap
"Now here's this week's quiz - it's time to put your thinking
caps on!"
You say "if the cap fits wear it" to let someone know that
the critical remark they have just heard applies to them. "Are
If the cap fits, wear it!
you referring to me?" "If the cap fits wear it!" (US : If the
shoe fits ...)
This means that you do all that is necessary in order to
Play your cards right
succeed. "If we play our cards right, we'll get the contract.
If you put your cards on the table, you speak honestly
put/lay one's cards on the table and openly about your feelings and intentions. "Let's clear
the air and put our cards on the table."
If you use a carrot-and-stick approach, you use the
promise of reward and the threat of punishment to make
Carrot and stick
somebody work harder. "Some parents use a carrot-and-
stick approach to obtain good results from their children."
A person who puts the cart before the horse is doing
things in the wrong order. "Building a school before knowing
Put the cart before the horse
the age of the population is putting the cart before the
horse."
This expression means that if you are too careful and polite,
A cat in gloves catches no mice you may not obtain what you want. "Negotiate carefully, but
remember : a cat in gloves catches no mice!"
To refer to a rich and powerful person as a fat cat means
A fat cat that you disapprove of the way they use their money or
power.
