IDIOMS AND THEIR MEANINGS

Across the board; including everyone or everything

The computer company decided to give the workers an across-the-board increase in their salary.
At a loss; sell something and lose money
We were forced to sell the computers at a big loss.
Bail a company out; help or rescue a company with financial problems
The government decided to bail out the failing bank in order to maintain stability in the
economy.
Ball park figure/estimate; a rough estimate or figure
The contractor gave us a ball park figure for the cost of repairing the new building.
Bang for the buck; value for the money spent
We were able to get a big bang for our buck when we advertised on the Internet.
Banker's hours; short work hours
My sister's husband owns his own company and is able to work banker's hours with his large
staff.
Bean-counter; an accountant
We asked the bean-counters to look over the figures in the new budget.
Big gun/cheese/wheel/wig; an important person, a leader
The new director was a big wheel in his previous company but is not so important now.
Bottom fall out/drop out; to fall below an earlier lowest price
When the bottom fell out of the coffee market many companies had to stop doing business.
Bottom line; the total, the final figure on a balance sheet
When they examined the bottom line of the company they decided not to invest in it.
Bottom out; reach the lowest or worst point of something
The value of the stock has begun to bottom out and should soon begin to increase in value.
Boys/men in the backroom; a group of men making decisions behind the scenes
The boys in the backroom told us that we must close down the factory as soon as possible.
Break even; have expenses equal to profits
After only three months the company was able to break even and start making profits.
Budget squeeze/crunch; a situation where there is not enough money in the budget

We have been going through a severe budget squeeze at our company and must begin to stop
spending money in a wasteful manner.
Buy off; use a gift or money to divert someone from their duty or purpose
The land developer tried to buy off the politician but he was not successful.
Buy out; buy the ownership or a decisive share of something
The company was bought out by another large company in the textile industry.
By a long shot; by a big difference, by far
The soap company was able to beat out the bids of the other companies by a long shot.
Calculated risk; an action that may fail but has a good chance to succeed
They took a calculated risk when they introduced the new computer screen onto the market.
Captain of industry; a top corporation officer
The president of our company was a captain of industry and after he retired he was appointed to
many government boards.
Carry over; save for another time; transfer (a figure) from one column or book to another
We were forced to carry over the sale to the Monday after the national holiday.
Our company is still facing difficult times and we will have to carry over last year's losses to this
year.
Carry the day; win completely
The president's new idea carried the day and everyone supported him energetically.
Carry through; put into action
The steel company carried through their plan to restructure all of their operations.
Close out; sell the whole of something, sell all the goods
They decided to close out the store and sell all of the remaining stock very cheap.
Close the books; stop taking orders, end a bookkeeping period
They usually close the books at the end of February every year.
Cold call; call a potential customer from a list of persons one has never seen
When he first started to work at his company he was asked to make cold calls using the
telephone book.
Come on strong; overwhelm with excessively strong language or personality
The salesman came on too strong at the meeting and angered the other members of the team.
Company man; a person who always works hard and agrees with his employees

My father was a true company man and was always putting in an extra effort for his company.
Company town; a town dominated by one industry or company
When the coal mine closed down the company town faced severe economic times.
Cut back; use fewer or use less
The company has been cutting back on entertainment expenses for over a year now.
Cut corners; economize
We have been forced to economize on stationary expenses during these severe economic times.
Cut off; interrupt or stop
The speech of the president was cut off when the electricity went off in the building.
Cut one's losses; do something to stop losing money or something
We should sell the old machinery as soon as possible and try and cut our losses.
Deliver the goods; succeed in doing well what is expected
The new owner of the company is not very popular but he is able to deliver the goods.
Double-check; check something again to confirm
We were unable to double-check the costs of the new products before the price list was printed.
Face value; the official worth or trust of something
Although the face value of the postage stamp was very low it sold at the auction for much
money.
Fair play; justice, equal and right action to someone
The company is very good to work for as they always use fair play when they are bargaining
with their employees.
Figure out; find an answer by thinking about something
Everyone in our company is trying to figure out what our boss is going to do with the new
equipment.
Fill the bill; be just what is needed
That new machine should fill the bill as to what we need to finish the job.
Finger in the pie; involved in what is happening, receiving money for something
The new manager has his finger in the pie in all aspects of our company's business.
Gain ground; go forward, make progress
Our company has been gaining ground in our attempt to be the best in the industry.
Get a break; get an opportunity or good deal

We were able to get a break on the price of the paint and saved a lot of money.
Get off the ground; make a successful beginning, go ahead
We were unable to get the new product off the ground and will have to wait until next year.
Give someone the green light; give permission to go ahead with a project
Our boss gave us the green light to begin work on the new sales promotion.
Go public; sell shares of a privately owned company to the public
The stock of the Internet company rose very quickly when they went public.
Go through with; finish, do as planned or agreed
We have decided not to go through with our plans to launch the new product until we have
solved all of its problems.
Hard sell; sell something by being very aggressive
The car salesman gave us a hard sell so we decided to go to another dealer.
Heads will roll; someone will be punished
Heads will roll when our boss learns about the money that we have lost recently.
In black and white; in writing
The company refused to deal with the customer's complaints until they saw them in black and
white.
In charge of; in control of, responsible for
My sister has been in charge of buying supplies at her company for many years.
In short supply; not enough, in less than the amount or number needed
Experienced computer programmers are in short supply at our company.
In stock; have something ready to sell or use
They didn't have any computer printer ribbons in stock at the store.
In the black; successful or making money
The new company has been in the black for over a year now.
In the long run; in the final result
The company has been losing money recently but in the long run they should do very well.
In the market for; ready to buy something
We have been in the market for a new computer for a long time but still we haven't bought one.
In the red; losing money, unprofitable
The company began to go into the red when the price of oil began to rise rapidly.

In the works; in preparation, being planned or worked on

The camera company has a new automatic camera in the works but nobody knows about it yet.
Jack up; make a price higher
The steel companies decided to jack up the price of steel at the beginning of the year.
Keep books; keep records of money gained and spent
The new assistant to the sales manager has no experience keeping books and has made many
mistakes.
Keep track of; keep a count or record, stay informed
They have been making a great effort to keep track of the number of visitors to their store.
Kickback; money paid illegally for favourable treatment
The construction company was taken to court for giving kickbacks to the local politicians.
Make a go of; produce good results, succeed
Although he works very hard in his small business he has been unable to make a go of it and may
soon go out of business.
Mean business; be serious
Our boss means business when he tells everyone to try and work harder.
Number-cruncher; an accountant, someone who works with numbers
Our president is a good number-cruncher and understands about the finances of our company.
On hand; in one's possession, ready
We didn't have any supplies on hand and were unable to finish the job.
(buy) on credit; buy something without paying cash
My friend had no money so he decided to buy the furniture on credit.
On the block; for sale
As soon as they purchased the company they began to put some of the equipment on the block.
Pay off; make a profit, be successful
The furniture manufacturer was unable to pay off their loan and had to go out of business.
Piece/slice of the action; a share in the activity or the profits of something
The inventor wanted a large piece of the action of the profits from the new computer that he had
invented.
Red ink; debt (red ink on a financial statement)
The automobile company has been drowning in red ink since the US dollar began to rise.

Run short; not have enough in quantity

They ran short of gasoline at the gas station and had to close early.
Saddled with debt; burdened with debt
Our sister company is saddled with a great amount of debt and should be sold as soon as
possible.
Sell like hotcakes; sell very quickly
The children's toys were selling like hotcakes at the end of the year.
Sell out; sell all of a product
Every year at least one company sells out all of their products which frustrates many customers.
Strike while the iron is hot; take advantage of an opportunity
We decided to strike while the iron was hot and began to market the product around the time of
the Olympics.
Sweetheart deal; a deal made between friends so that both may make a big profit
We were able to make a sweetheart deal with our landlord and got the rent greatly reduced.
Take a nosedive; collapse, fail, decrease in value
The stock market took a nosedive when the earnings of the oil company began to weaken.
Take on; to give a job to or hire someone
The company took on many new workers during the busy holiday season.
Take over; take control or possession of something, take charge or responsibility
The government decided to take over the bank after it declared bankruptcy.
Take public; sell shares in a company to the general public
We decided it was necessary to take our company public in order to raise money to expand our
facilities.
Take stock; count the items of merchandise or supplies in stock, take inventory
The department store closes down for 3 days every March in order to take stock.
Throw cold water on; discourage, forbid
The managers threw cold water on the plans to close down the factory for one week in August.
Throw money at something; try to solve a problem by spending money on it
The president of our company is willing to throw a lot of money at the problem in the hope of
solving it.
Tight spot; a difficult situation

The computer manufacturing company has been in a tight spot since the shortage of computer
chips appeared.
Turn over; to buy and then sell something to customers
The turn-over at that discount store is very rapid.
Work out; plan, develop
I spent the weekend trying to work out the budget estimates for next year.
Write off; remove from a business record, cancel a debt
It was impossible for the bank to collect the money so they were forced to write off the loan.
20 IDIOMS AND THEIR MEANINGS
Don't give up the day job; to be not very good at that
I really like the way you sing but don't give up your day job.
A cash cow; an easy way to earn money regularly
Income tax is a real cash cow for the government.
Clear the air; discuss something that was causing people to feel upset
There seems to have been a misunderstanding. I'd like to explain what happened, just to clear the
air.
Turn your back on; give up on, or abandon
I need your help but you just turned your back on me.
Not cut out for; not suitable for something
He tried mountain climbing but he simply was not cut out for it.
A class act; sophisticated, above average
He offered to help, even though he doesn't know me. He's a real class act.
Clean up your act; improve your behavior
If you are ever going to improve your English skills, you must start getting to class on time and
doing your homework. Why don't you clean up your act?
Get your act together; get more organized
You have been late for work every day this week. if you want to keep this job, you must get your
act together.
In the air; being discussed; generally obvious
The days are getting longer and the flowers are blooming. Spring is in the air.
Up in arms; angry

The crowd was agitated. Everyone was up in arms over the government decision.
Scratch the surface; examine only a part of something; uncover only a few facts about
something
Cancer research is a very long-term process. so far, we have just begun to scratch the surface.
Spill the beans; tell a secret
I won't be the one to spill the beans.
Give the benefit of the doubt; believe someone's statement without proof
The teacher's explanation did not seem logical, but i gave her the benefit of the doubt.
Black and blue; bruised
He was beaten until he was black and blue.
By the book; doing something according to the rules
He is a good cop. he does everything by the book.
In the clear; out of trouble
His innocence has been proven. He is in the clear.
Steer clear of; avoid
She is not very nice. I think we should steer clear of her.
Round the clock; all day
He is a very hard worker. He usually works round the clock.
Turn back the clock; go back in time
I feel old. I wish I could turn back the clock.
Like clockwork; with mechanical efficiency
He is very predictable. He always eats at the same time, like clockwork.
100 MOST IMPORTANT IDIOMS AND THEIR MEANINGS

To add insult to injury; to intensify a person

To be born with a silver; to be born in a rich family; spoon in ones mouth

A bolt from the blue; an expected disaster

To blow ones own trumpet; to boast

A bone of contention; cause of quarrel

To burn ones fingers; to suffer

To beat black & blue; to beat mercilessly

To cast an aspersion; to bring discredit

To cry over spilt milk; to feel sorry for what has happened

To cut a sorry figure; to make a poor impression

To die in harness; to die while doing ones duty

To end in smoke; to fail

To go to the dogs; to be ruined

To hang in the balance; to remain undecided

To hit the nail on the head; to do the right thing at the right time

To hold water; to sound logical

To live no stone unturned; to try ones level best

To live from hand to mouth; to live with great difficulty

To make up ones mind; to decide

To see eye to eye with; agree

To play ducks and drakes; waste

To put the cart before the horse; to do a thing in a wrong way

To have too many irons in the fire; to have too many things in hand

To read between the lines; to try to understand the hidden meaning

To turn over a new leaf; to change for the better

To take the bull by horns; to face difficulties boldly

To win laurels; to distinguish oneself

At daggers drawn; at enmity or fighting

Blake and white; written

By leaps and bounds; very fast

In cold blood; deliberately

Laid up with; confined to bed

Ins and outs; full details

A black sheep; scoundrel; a bad person

A cock and bull story; an absurd tale

A gala day; a day of festivity; a holiday with rejoicing

A hard nut to crack; a difficult person or problem to deal with

A turn coat; one who changes ones opinion or party

A fools paradise; in a state of happiness founded on vain hopes

Beat a retreat; to retire before the enemy

To be on the horns of a dilemma; to have a choice between two equal evils

To beat about the bush; to not come to the point in discussion

Bury the hatchet; to make peace with

By fits and starts; irregularly

Capital punishment; death sentence

By hook or by crook; by fair or foul means

Eat humble pie; to face humiliation

Hit below the belt; to act unfairly

In apple pie order; in perfect order

Leave one in lurch; to desert in difficulty

To make a clean breast of; to confess fully ones faults

To nip the evil in the bud; to destroy an evil in early stage

Pick holes in anothers coat; to find fault with another

Scot free; to go unpunished

Smell a rat; to have a reason to suspect

Through thick and thin; through every difficulty

True to ones salt; faithful to ones master

To turn the corner; to begin to improve

With a grain of salt; to accept a statement with doubt as to its complete true

Worship the rising sun; to respect one rising in power

A Herculean task; an extremely difficult or dangerous task

A fish out of water; in a wrong place

A leap in the dark; an act of which we cant force consequences

A thorn in ones side; a constant source of annoyance

To be at ones beck and call; under ones absolute control

Bread and butter; means of subsistence

Burn ones fingers; to get into trouble

Burn the candle at both ends; use up too much energy

To cut the Gordian knot; to solve the difficulty

Cut and dried; ready-made

Feather ones own nest; to make money by unfair means

To fish in troubled water; to do something under very unpromising circumstance

To give oneself airs; affected manners

To give the devil his due; to allow even a bad man the credit due

To hang by thread; to be in a critical condition

A henpecked husband; a man habitually snubbed by his wife

Hush money; money given as a bribe to hush or make one keep silent

Kick up a row; make a great noise

To let the cat out of the bag; to reveal a secret

Null and void; not valid; of no effect

On the spur of the moment; at once

Pay one back in ones own coin; to treat in the same way as one has been treated

Put in cold storage; to forget or neglect something

Pull wires; to manage the show by secret influence

Read between the lines; to hit at the real meaning

Sit on the fence; to avoid taking sides; to remain neutral

A square deal; justice

Sword of Damocles; treating danger

To take up the gauntlet; to accept the challenge

To eat ones heart out; to suffer silently, bitterly

Between the devil and the deep sea; between two dangers equally harmful

A sweet tooth; a liking for sweetmeat

A dark horse; an unknown person

A bottleneck; anything that cause delays

To put ones foot down; to show determination

A wet blanket; a grumbling, depressing person

To throw up the sponge; to acknowledge defeat

A feather in ones cap; something to be proud of

A red letter day; an auspicious day

Bag and baggage; with all ones belongings

IDIOMS

Time and tide;

Over head and ears;

To play truant;

To turn turtle;

To play down;

To turn the corner;

Under a cloud;

Horse trading;

To beat the air;

To cap it all;

To clip ore's wings;

To cross the Rubicon;

To feel the pulse;

To fly in the face of;

To rise like a phoenix from its ashes;

To beggar description;

To beat the air;

A mug's game;

A feather in his cap;

The rank file;

Fly in the ointment;

Close fisted;

Steal a march to someone;

The ruling passion;

A left handed compliment;

A cock and bull story;

Find one's feet;

The tip of the iceberg;

Turn someone in;

Idioms:
All that jazz; all related things; other similar topics
They were talking about UFO's and all that jazz.
To split hair; be very fussy, notice small differences
Clyde likes to work on research that requires him to split hairs.
An uphill task; very complicated mission
The struggle for more freedom and justice is always an uphill task.
Note: I am not sure about this one, correct me if Im wrong
To pay lip service to; to express words without any practical action
The government is paying just a lip service over the matters of electoral reforms.
The loaves and fishes; the actual profits, the material benefits

Evil genius;

Expose to Odium;

Look your age;

Pecuniary Aid;

A cry in Wilderness;