No.

Idioms Meanings
1. a bad egg a worthless person
2. a bed of roses very comfortable
3. a black mark record showing one’s wrongdoing
4. a black sheep person who disgraces his family
5. a bolt from the blue an unpleasant surprise
6. a bone of contention a cause of argument
7. a cat on hot bricks very nervous
8. a chip of the old block very much like father
9. a cock and bull story a silly and incredible story
10. a die hard someone who does not give up his ideas easily
11. a dog with two tails a person who is extremely pleased
12. a doubting Thomas a person who does not believe something
13. a fly in the ointment something which prevents a plan from being
carried out smoothly
14. a good for nothing a useless person
15. a green horn someone new and inexperienced in a job
16. a heart to heart talk a confidential talk
17. a man of straw a weak and worthless person
18. a red herring something meant to mislead people and throw
them off the trail
19. a red letter day an important day where something good
happens
20. a red rag to a bull something which angers a person
21. a scapegoat somebody who is blamed for something he did
not do
22. a snake in the grass a person who is not to be trusted
23. a thorn in one’s flesh a nuisance
24. a white elephant a useless object which is expensive to upkeep
25. a wild goose chase an attempt to do something that has no chance
of success
26. a wild-cat scheme a rash scheme which will probably fail
27. alpha and omega the beginning and the end
28. an eye for an eye to return evil for evil
29. at one’s finger tips to know thoroughly
30. at one’s wit’s end quite puzzled
31. at the eleventh hour at the last moment
32. be a wet blanket discourage others from enjoying what they are
doing
33. be at loggerheads disagreeing or quarrelling
34. be on tenterhooks be in a state of suspense
35. between the devil and the between two equally bad alternatives
deep blue sea
36. big – headed conceited
37. blue collar job job requiring little skill, factory job
38. brain wave clever idea
39. break the ice take the first step to start a conversation
 Notes on Idioms

40. burn the midnight oil work till late at night

41. by hook or by crook by fair or foul means
42. cat and dog life always quarrelling
43. cat’s eyes able to see in the dark
44. caught red-handed caught while committing a crime
45. change hands pass from one owner to another
46. child’s play very easy to do
47. close fisted stingy, mean
48. cry over spilt milk be unhappy about something that cannot be
undone
49. cut one’s coat according to live within one’s income
one’s cloth
50. dead broke without a cent
51. dog-eared book well-worn, much-used book
52. donkey work work needing no skill
53. donkey’s years a very long time
54. drop a brick say or do something tactless
55. Dutch courage false courage, perhaps obtained by drinking
alcoholic drinks
56. elbow room space to move
57. eye wash deceit
58. feel blue feel unhappy
59. feel something in one’s bones to have feeling about something
60. final straw another problem that makes the situation
unbearable
61. fish out of water to feel uncomfortable in a strange place or
situation
62. fishy story an untrue story
63. from A to Z very thoroughly and completely
64. get your act together to get oneself organized
65. give the green light give permission
66. green belt place which has plenty of trees
67. green with envy filled with envy or jealousy
68. grey matter common sense, brains
69. guinea pig person used as a subject for an experiment
70. half – hearted having no enthusiasm for a particular task or job
71. hard – headed unemotional, business-like
72. hard and fast rule very strict rule
73. have a down on someone to be very hostile or opposed to someone
74. have a soft sport for feeling of special fondness for someone
75. Hobson’s choice no choice at all
76. hornet’s nest a source of great trouble
77. hue and cry outcry of alarm
78. in a nut shell to say everything in a few words
79. in a twinkling of an eye very quickly
80. in cold blood deliberately
81. in someone’s black book out of favour with someone
82. in the good books of in favour with
83. in the nick of time only just in time
84. in the red owing money
85. in the same boat in the same circumstances
86. Jack of all trades one who does many things but is not really an
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 Notes on Idioms

expert in any one of them

87. jump out of the frying pan go from a bad to a worse situation
into the fire
88. keep a cool head to keep calm
89. keep a person in the dark keep something hidden from a person
90. keep one’s fingers crossed to hope for luck
91. let bygones be bygones let things that are past be forgotten
92. light-fingered to have the habit of stealing
93. like a bat out of hell extremely quickly
94. like a bear with a sore head very bad tempered
95. like gold dust extremely rare
96. live from hand to mouth spending money as soon as it is earned
97. make a mountain out of to make a small matter appear important
molehill
98. mare’s nest unfounded suspicion
99. monkey business behaviour which is full of tricks or causes troubles
100. no laughing matter something very serious
101. not turn a hair to remain calm
102. on the cards very likely to happen
103. on thin ice in a dangerous and difficult position
104. once in a blue moon very seldom
105. one’s bread and butter one’s livelihood
106. out of the blue suddenly
107. out of the question impossible
108. out of the top drawer from the upper social classes
109. paddle your own canoe mind your own business, depend on yourself
110. paint the town red go out and behave noisily
111. parrot fashion learn or repeat words mechanically
112. pass the buck to pass on the responsibility
113. pig in a poke to buy something blindly
114. puppy fat fat which young people have during
adolescence
115. put two and two together to arrive at conclusion
116. rat race competitive world
117. red carpet welcome special welcome to a guest
118. red tape official rules which cause delay
119. short – handed lacking help
120. show one’s true colours show one’s true character
121. single – handed to do something alone
122. slap in the face a rebuff
123. spread like wildfire to spread very quickly
124. that’s all moonshine that’s all rubbish
125. the apple of one’s eyes a favoured person
126. the die is cast something has been done that makes the future
inevitable on yourself
127. the gift of the gab the ability to speak well on yourself
128. the lion’s share the largest part on yourself
129. the salt of the earth the best people
130. thick – skinned insensitive
131. through thick and thin under all conditions
132. to add insult to injury to harm a person and then insult him
133. to back out to withdraw from an agreement
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 Notes on Idioms

134. to back up to assist

135. to be a bundle of nerves to be very nervous
136. to be a dog in a manger to prevent others from having what is useless to
oneself
137. to be all ears to listen attentively
138. to be behind bars to be in prison
139. to be born with a silver to be born in wealth and luxury spoon in one’s
mouth
140. to be caught napping to be taken by surprise
141. to be cock-sure to be very certain
142. to be in black and white to write it down on paper
143. to be on cloud nine to feel very happy
144. to be on the carpet to be scolded by somebody
145. to be on the rocks the be in desperate or difficult condition
146. to be true to one’s salt to be faithful to one’s employer
147. to beat about the bush to talk in a roundabout way
148. to bell the cat to do something dangerous
149. to bite off more than one can to try to do more than one is able to do
chew
150. to bite the hand that feeds to be ungrateful or to harm someone who helped
you you
151. to blow one’s own trumpet to boast about oneself
152. to bring someone to book to punish
153. to build castles in the air to day dream
154. to burn the candle at both to expend energy in two directions at the same
ends time
155. to burry the hatchet to forget the past quarrels and become friends
again
156. to call a spade a spade to be very frank and outspoken
157. to call it a day to decide that something has come to an end
158. to carry coal to New Castle to do something which is unnecessary
159. to carry the cart before the to do something the wrong way round
horse
160. to carry weight to be important
161. to chance one’s arm to take a risk
162. to clear the air to make a situation less tense and difficult by
talking about it
163. to close shave a narrow escape
164. to clutch at any straw to look for anything to save oneself, no matter
how weak it may be
165. to come clean to tell truth about something
166. to come to the point to speak briefly and directly
167. to cook one’s goose to spoil one’s chances
168. to cool one’s heels to wait
169. to draw the line somewhere to have a limit
170. to eat humble pie to (be forced to) act in a humble way
171. to eat like a bird to eat very little
172. to eat like a horse to eat heartily or to have a hearty appetite
173. to eat one’s words to take back what one has said
174. to face the music to take punishment or scolding without complaint
175. to feel run down to feel unwell
176. to fight tooth and nail to fight with all one’s power
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 Notes on Idioms

177. to fly off the handle to get angry

178. to foot the bill to pay the bill
179. to get into hot water to get into trouble
180. to get off scot-free not to be punished
181. to get your monkey up to get angry
182. to go as the crow flies to go in a straight line
183. to go to the dogs to become worse
184. to go to the root of the to find out the source of the matter
matter
185. to have a bee in one’s to have a crazy idea
bonnet
186. to have a bee in one’s head to have a crazy idea
187. to have a bone to pick to have something to say which may lead to a
quarrel
188. to have a chance of heart to change a decision
189. to have a finger in the pie to mixed up in an affair (in a meddlesome sense)
190. to have a sweet tooth to like sweet things
191. to have an axe to grind to have something to gain by an action
192. to have green eyes to be jealous
193. to have green fingers to have natural skill in making plants grow
194. to have no backbone to have no will of one’s own
195. to have the trump card to have some methods of becoming victorious
196. to hit below the belt to act unfairly towards an opponent
197. to hit the bottle to begin to drink too much
198. to hit upon to discover
199. to hold one’s tongue to keep quiet
200. to hold the reins to be in full control of things
201. to keep a person at arm’s to avoid being too familiar with a person
length
202. to keep in mind to remember
203. to keep one’s chin up not to get discouraged or lose hope in a difficult
situation
204. to keep the ball rolling to keep things going or conversation going
205. to keep up appearances to make things appear well when they are not
206. to kick the bucket to die
207. to kill two birds with one stone to do two jobs with one action
208. to know which side one’s to be mindful of one’s interest
bread is buttered
209. to knuckle under to give way
210. to laugh up your sleeve to laugh secretly at someone
211. to lead by the nose to lead blindly
212. to leave no stone unturned to try one’s hardest or to use all means
213. to lend a hand to help
214. to let the cat out of the bag to reveal a secret
215. to look a gift-horse in the to ask questions about source of a gift
mouth
216. to make a clean breast of to confess all
217. to make a day of it to spend the whole day
218. to make both ends meet to live within one’s means
219. to make the air turn blue to swear strongly and profusely
220. to mind one’s p’s and q’s to be careful how one behaves
221. to nip in the bud to stop something before it can develop
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 Notes on Idioms

222. to pass the hat around to ask for donation

223. to pass with flying colours to do very well in a test
224. to pay lip service to pretend to be loyal
225. to pay off old scores to have one’s revenge
226. to pay through the nose to pay too high a price
227. to pick and choose to choose very carefully
228. to play fast and loose to say one thing and do another
229. to play second fiddle to be unimportant
230. to pull one’s weight to do one’s fair share of a task
231. to pull someone’s leg to play a joke on someone
232. to pull strings to get the help of high officials
233. to pull up the socks to improve in what one is doing
234. to put on one’s thinking cap to think of a way to resolve a problem
235. to put on the back burner to delay dealing with something
236. to put your best foot forward to do your very best
237. to put your foot down to put a stop to
238. to rain cats and dogs to rain very heavily
239. to read between the lines to find the hidden meaning
240. to read the riot act to to give somebody a very severe warning
somebody
241. to receive with open arms to welcome warmly
242. to sail too near the wind to take a risk which brings disaster
243. to save face to save oneself from shame
244. to see eye to eye with to agree with
245. to see red to lose control of one’s temper
246. to see the light to understand
247. to shed crocodile tears to shed false tears
248. to sit on the fence to take no sides in a debate or a quarrel
249. to smack one’s lips to show pleasure
250. to smell a rat to suspect something
251. to sow the seed to give the idea
252. to spin a yarn to tell a story
253. to stand on one’s own feet to be independent
254. to strike while the iron is hot to seize your opportunity while it is available
255. to take a leaf out of to imitate him
another’s book
256. to take French leave to take leave without permission
257. to take the law into to do whatever you think is right your own hands
even if it is unlawful
258. to take to one’s heels to run away at great speed
259. to take up arms to go to war
260. to take your slipper to to give someone a beating
someone
261. to talk big to boast
262. to tell a white lie to tell a lie for a good cause
263. to throe in sponge to admit defeat
264. to turn one’s back upon to refuse help, to abandon
another
265. to turn over a new leaf to change one’s conduct or behaviour for the
better
266. to turn turtle to overturn
267. to wash your dirty linen in to show people your troubles and problems
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 Notes on Idioms

public
268. to waste one’s breath to say something which is ignored
269. to win the day to be victorious
270. to work like a charm to be very effective
271. turn a blind eye to refuse to see
272. turn a deaf ear to refuse to hear
273. turn the tables to reverse the situation
274. under one’s roof in one’s own house
275. up to date modern
276. up to the mark up to a certain standard
277. white collar job office job, indoor job
278. willing horse willing and helpful person
279. wipe the state clean to start afresh
280. with one foot in the grave only a short time to live
281. with the naked eye the eye unaided by any instrument
282. within a stone’s throw of very near
283. wolf in sheep’s clothing an enemy who pretends to be friendly
284. wolf whistle male whistle to attract a female’s attention
285. yellow at heart cowardly