English-language idioms

An idiom is a common word or phrase with a culturally understood meaning that differs from what its composite words' denotations would suggest; i.e. the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words.[1][2] By another definition, an idiom is a speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements.[3] For example, an English speaker would understand the phrase "kick the bucket" to mean "to die" – and also to actually kick a bucket. Furthermore, they would understand when each meaning is being used in context.

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Thou

Idioms should not be confused with other figures of speech such as metaphors, which evoke an image by use of implicit comparisons (e.g., "the man of steel"); similes, which evoke an image by use of explicit comparisons (e.g., "faster than a speeding bullet"); or hyperbole, which exaggerates an image beyond truthfulness (e.g., "missed by a mile"). Idioms are also not to be confused with proverbs, which are simple sayings that express a truth based on common sense or practical experience.

Notable idioms in English
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.
Idiom Definition/Translation Notes Source(s)
a bitter pill to swallowA situation or information that is unpleasant but must be accepted[4]
a dime a dozen(US) Anything that is common, inexpensive, and easy to get or available anywhere.[5]
a hot potatoA controversial issue or situation that is awkward or unpleasant to deal with[6]
a sandwich short of a picnicLacking intelligence
ace in the holeA hidden or secret strength; an unrevealed advantage[7]
Achilles' heelA small but fatal weakness in spite of overall strength.[8]
all earsListening intently; fully focused or awaiting an explanation.[9]
all thumbsClumsy, awkward.[10]
an arm and a legVery expensive or costly; a large amount of money[11]
apple of discordAnything causing trouble, discord, or jealousy.[12]
at the drop of a hatWithout any hesitation; instantly
back to the drawing boardRevising something (such as a plan) from the beginning, typically after it has failed.[lower-alpha 1][14]
ball is in his/her/your courtIt is up to him/her/you to make the next decision or step.
balls to the wallFull throttle; at maximum speed.
barking up the wrong treeLooking in the wrong place.[lower-alpha 2][15]
basket caseOne made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic, or stress.[lower-alpha 3]
beating a dead horseTo uselessly dwell on a subject far beyond its point of resolution.
beat around the bushTo treat a topic but omit its main points, often intentionally or to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant.[16]
bed of rosesA situation or activity that is comfortable or easy.[17]
the bee's kneesSomething or someone outstandingly good, excellent, or wonderful.[lower-alpha 4][17]
bird brainA person who is not too smart; a person who acts stupid.[20]
bite off more than one can chewTo take on more responsibility than one can manage.
bite the bulletTo endure a painful or unpleasant situation that is unavoidable.
bite the dustA euphemism for dying or death.
bought the farmA euphemism for dying or death.
break a legA saying from the theatre that means "good luck".[21]
burn the midnight oilTo work late into the night.[lower-alpha 5][22]
bust one's chopsTo exert oneself.[lower-alpha 6][23]
by the length and breadth of something or somewhereyou are emphasizing that it happens everywhere in that place.
by the seat of one's pantsTo achieve through instinct or to do something without advance preparation.[24]
by the skin of one's teethNarrowly; barely. Usually used in regard to a narrow escape from a disaster.[lower-alpha 7][25]
call a spade a spadeTo speak the truth, even to the point of being blunt and rude.
call it a dayTo declare the end of a task.[lower-alpha 8][26]
champ at the bit or chomp at the bitTo show impatience or frustration when delayed.[27]
cheap as chipsInexpensive; a good bargain.
chew the fatTo chat idly or generally waste time talking.
chink in one's armorAn area of vulnerability.[lower-alpha 9][28]
clam upTo become silent; to stop talking.
cold shoulderTo display aloofness and disdain.[29]
couch potatoA lazy person.[30]
crocodile tearsFake tears or drama tears; fake crying.
cut off your nose to spite your faceTo pursue revenge in a way that would damage oneself more than the object of one's anger.
cut a rugTo dance.
cut the cheese (US)To fart.
cut the mustardTo perform well; to meet expectations.[31]
dig one's heels inOn genuine objection to some process or action or motion, actually to stop or oppose it strongly.
don't count chickens before they hatchDon't make plans for something that may not happen; alternatively, don't make an assumption about something that does not have a definitively predetermined outcome.
don't have a cowDon't overreact.[32]
drop a dime (US)To make a telephone call; to be an informant.
elephant in the roomAn obvious, pressing issue left unaddressed due to its sensitive nature.
fit as a fiddleIn good physical health.[33]
for a songAlmost free; very cheap.
fly in the ointmentA minor drawback or imperfection, especially one that was not at first apparent, that detracts from something positive, spoils something valuable, or is a source of annoyance.[34]
from A to ZCovering a complete range; comprehensively.[lower-alpha 10]
from scratch / make from scratchTo make from original ingredients; to start from the beginning with no prior preparation.
get bent out of shapeTo take offense; to get worked up, aggravated, or annoyed.
get one's ducks in a rowto become well prepared for a desired outcome.[35]
get your goatTo irritate someone.
gone southhaving an unforeseen or chaotic result
grasp the nettleTo tackle a problem in a bold manner, despite the difficulty or complexity of doing so; to solve a problem despite short-term adverse consequences.[36][37][38]
have a blastTo have a good time; to enjoy oneself.[39]
have eyes bigger than one's stomachTo have asked for or taken more of something (especially food) than one is actually capable of handling (or eating).[17]
have eyes in the back of one's headTo be able to perceive things and events that are outside of one's field of vision.
head over heelsBe smitten, infatuated.
heard it through the grapevineTo have learned something through gossip, hearsay, or a rumor.
hit the ceilingTo become enraged, possibly in an overreaction
hit the nail on the head1. To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem; 2. To do or say exactly the right thing or to find the exact answer; 3. To do something in the most effective and efficient way; 4. To be accurate or correct about something.
hit the roadTo leave; start a journey[40]
hit the sack/sheets/hayTo go to bed; to go to sleep.[41]
hit the spotTo be particularly pleasing or appropriate; to be just right.
hold all the cardsTo control a situation; to be the one making the decisions.
hook, line and sinkerTo be completely fooled by a deception.[42]
jump shipTo leave a job, organization, or activity suddenly.[43]
kick the bucketA euphemism for dying or death.[44]
kick the habitTo stop engaging in a habitual practice
kill two birds with one stoneTo accomplish two different tasks at the same time and/or with a single action
let the cat out of the bagTo reveal a secret
like pulling hens' teethhaving difficulty in getting a person or item to act in a desired fashion; reference to an impossible task[45]
look a gift horse in the mouthTo find fault with something that has been received as a gift or favor
method to (one's) madnessDespite one's seemingly random approach, there is actually orderly structure or logic to it
My two cents(US) one's opinion on the subject[46]
nip (something) in the budTo stop something at an early stage, before it can develop into something of more significance (especially an obstacle or frustration).
no horse in this race or no dog in this fightNo vested interest in the outcome of a particular contest or debate.
off one's trolley or
off one's rocker		Crazy, demented, out of one's mind, in a confused or befuddled state of mind, senile.[lower-alpha 11][47]
off the hookTo escape a situation of responsibility or obligation, or, less frequently, danger.[48]
once in a blue moonOccurring very rarely.
own goalTo do something accidentally negative against yourself or your own team.
pop one's clogs(UK) A euphemism for dying or death.
the pot calling the kettle blackUsed when someone making an accusation is equally as guilty as those being accused.[49]
piece of cakeA job, task or other activity that is pleasant – or, by extension, easy or simple.
preaching to the choirTo present a side of a discussion or argument to someone who already agrees with it; essentially, wasting your time.[50]
pull somebody's legTo tease or joke by telling a lie.
push the envelopeTo approach, extend, or go beyond the limits of what is possible; to pioneer.[lower-alpha 12][17]
pushing up daisiesA euphemism for dying or death.
put the cat among the pigeonsTo create a disturbance and cause trouble.[51]
raining cats and dogsRaining very hard or strongly.[52]
right as rainNeeded, appropriate, essential, or hoped-for; also has come to mean perfect, well, or absolutely right.[lower-alpha 13][53]
rock the boatTo do or say something that will upset people or cause problems.
shoot the breezeTo chat idly or casually, without any serious topic of conversation.[54]
shooting fish in a barrelFrivolously performing a simple task.
calm your horsesCalm down
step up to the plateTo deliver beyond expectations.
screw the poochTo screw up; to fail in dramatic and ignominious fashion.
sleep with the fishesA euphemism for dying or death.[lower-alpha 14]
spill the beansTo reveal someone's secret.
spin one's wheelsTo expel much effort for little or no gain.
straw that broke the camel's backThe last in a line of unacceptable occurrences; the final tipping point in a sensitive situation.
take the biscuit(UK) To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.
take (or grab) the bull by the hornsTo deal bravely and decisively with a difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant situation; to deal with a matter in a direct manner, especially to confront a difficulty rather than avoid it.[17]
take the cake(US) To be especially good or outstanding. Alternatively (US) To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.
take with a grain of saltTo not take what someone says too seriously; to treat someone's words with a degree of scepticism.
throw stones in glass housesOne who is vulnerable to criticism regarding a certain issue should not criticize others about the same issue.
throw the baby out with the bathwaterTo discard, especially inadvertently, something valuable while in the process of removing or rejecting something unwanted.
throw under the busTo betray or sacrifice someone for selfish reasons.
through thick and thinIn both good and bad times.
thumb one's noseTo express scorn or disregard.
tie one onTo get drunk.
to steal someone's thunderTo take credit for something someone else did.
trip the light fantasticTo dance.[lower-alpha 15][56]
two a pennyCheap or common.
under my thumbUnder my control.[57]
under the weatherFeeling sick or poorly.[58]
the whole nine yardsEverything; all the way.
wild goose chaseA frustrating or lengthy undertaking that accomplishes little.
you can say that againThat is very true; an expression of wholehearted agreement.


See also

Notes
  1. This expression refers to the fact that plans or blueprints are often drawn on a drawing board. It probably originated during World War II, most likely in the caption of a cartoon by Peter Arno published in The New Yorker.[13]
  2. Originally a hunting term.
  3. Originally a British slang term for a quadruple amputee during World War I.
  4. The origin is unclear; it may simply have emerged in imitation of the numerous other animal-related nonsense phrases popular in the 1920s such as "the cat's pyjamas" or "the monkey's eyebrows",[18] or it may be a deliberate inversion of the earlier attested singular "bee's knee" used to refer to something small or insignificant.[19][17]
  5. Alludes to burning oil to produce light in the time before electric lighting; originated with the English writer Francis Quarles who wrote: "Wee spend our mid-day sweat, or mid-night oyle; :Wee tyre the night in thought; the day in toyle."
  6. At the turn of the century, wearing very long sideburns – called "mutton chops" – was common. A bust in the chops was to get hit in the face.
  7. The phrase first appears in English in the Geneva Bible (1560), in Job 19:20, which provides a literal translation of the original Hebrew, "I haue escaped with the skinne of my tethe." The original Hebrew בְּעוֹר שִׁנָּי (b'3or shinai) is a phono-semantic match of the Hebrew word בְּקוֹשִׁי (b'qoshi) which means "barely, hardly, with difficulty." It may never be known if this phrase became an idiom before the biblical book of Job was written, or if the word b'qoshi was mis-heard by a scribe.
  8. Its 19th-century predecessor is seen in the line "It would have been best for Merlin... to quit and call it half a day", from the novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) by American writer Mark Twain.
  9. The word "chink" here is generally used in the sense of fissure; it may also be used as a derogatory racial slur.
  10. As of the English alphabet, which ranges from the first letter, A, to the last letter, Z.
  11. Since both "off one's trolley" and "off one's rocker" became popular in the late 1890s about the same time streetcars were installed in major American cities, and since "rocker", like "trolley", means the wheel or runner that makes contact with an overhead electric cable, it is likely that the "rocker" of the expression carries the same meaning as "trolley". "Off your trolley" may refer to the fact that when the wires are "off the trolley", the vehicle no longer receives an electric current and is, therefore, rendered inoperative.
  12. This expression originated as aviation slang and referred to graphs of aerodynamic performance on which "the envelope" is the boundary line representing the limit of an aircraft's capabilities (especially its altitude and speed). It was popularized by Tom Wolfe's 1979 book The Right Stuff.[17]
  13. The life of an agrarian community depends on the success of the local crops, which in turn depends on rain. In pre-industrial times, rain was widely appreciated as essential for survival.
  14. The original text in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather reads: "'The fish means that Luca Brasi is sleeping on the bottom of the ocean,' he said. 'It's an old Sicilian message.'"
  15. The expression is generally attributed to John Milton's 1645 poem L'Allegro, which includes the lines: "Com, and trip it as ye go,
    On the light fantastick toe."[55]

References
  1. usingenglish.com
  2. idiomconnection
  3. "id·i·om". The Free Dictionary. Farlex, Inc. 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  4. "A bitter pill to swallow - Idioms by The Free Dictionary".
  5. "The Idioms". Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  6. "A hot potato". TheIdioms.com. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  7. "Ace in the hole". The free dictionary.com. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
  8. "Achilles' heel". phrases.org.uk free.
  9. "All ears". The free dictionary.com. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
  10. "Idioms = "All Thumbs" = Today's English Idioms & Phrases". Goenglish.com. Retrieved 2012-07-17.
  12. "Idioms.in - Idioms and Phrases". Retrieved 2013-11-24.
  13. back to the drawing board. (n.d.) The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. (2003, 1997).
  14. "Back to the drawing board - Idioms by The Free Dictionary".
  15. "Barking up the wrong tree". The Phrase Finder. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
  16. "Bizarre English Phrases You Need To Know". Preply blog.
  17. Siefring, Judith, ed. (2005). The Oxford Dictionary of Idioms (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-861055-6.
  18. Harry Oliver, Bees' Knees and Barmy Armies: Origins of the Words and Phrases We Use Every Day, John Blake Publishing Ltd, 2011 ISBN 1857829441
  19. Robert Allen, Allen's Dictionary of English Phrases, Penguin UK, 2008 ISBN 0140515119.
  20. "Bird Brain - English Idioms". English The Easy Way.
  21. Urdang, Laurence; Hunsinger, Walter W.; LaRoche, Nancy (1985). Picturesque Expressions: A Thematic Dictionary (2 ed.). Gale Research. p. 321. ISBN 0-8103-1606-4.
  22. "Burning the midnight oil". The Phrase Finder. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
  23. "Idioms & Axioms currently used in America". Pride UnLimited. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
  24. "Idiom: By the seat of your pants". www.usingenglish.com. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  25. "Skin of your teeth". Theidioms.com. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
  26. "American-English idiom Call it a day". Quotations.me.uk. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
  27. "Chomp at the bit". onlineslangdictionary.com. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  28. "Chink in one's armor | Define Chink in one's armor at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2012-07-17.
  29. "The Phrase Finder".
  30. "My English Pages".
  31. Ammer, Christine (May 7, 2013). The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 106. ISBN 0-547-67753-7.
  32. "Idiom: Don't have a cow". idiomsphrases.com. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  33. "Idiom: Fit as a fiddle". UsingEnglish.com. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
  34. "Fly in the ointment - Idioms by The Free Dictionary".
  36. "Collins Dictionary Definition of 'grasp the nettle'".
  37. "Macmillan Dictionary'grasp the nettle' definition and synonyms".
  38. "The Phrase Finder: The meaning and origin of the expression: Grasp the nettle".
  39. "Have a blast". iStudyEnglishOnline.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-19. Retrieved 2013-03-24.
  41. "Hit the sack". funkyenglish.com. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  42. "Hook, Line and Sinker". Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  43. "Jump Ship".
  44. "Kick the bucket". idiomreference.com. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  47. Greenwald, Ken (24 June 2005). "off your rocker". wordwizard.com. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
  48. "Off the hook". Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved 2013-04-05.
  49. "The Pot Calling The Kettle Black - Cambridge Dictionary".
  50. "Preaching to the Choir".
  51. "Random Idiom Definition - put the cat among the pigeons". myenglishpages.com. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
  52. "Raining cats and dogs - Idioms by The Free Dictionary".
  53. "Right as rain". Islandnet.com. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
  54. "Shoot the breeze - Idioms by The Free Dictionary".
  55. Kirkpatrick, Betty and Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth McLaren (1999) "light fantastic" Clichés: Over 1500 Phrases Explored and Explained Macmillan, New York, page 115, ISBN 978-0-312-19844-2
  56. "Trip the light fantastic - Idioms by The Free Dictionary".
  57. Evans, Andrew (19 January 2017). "How Irish falconry changed language". BBC Travel. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  58. "Freedictionary dot com".
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