A

A bad egg—dishonest person

A bed of thorns—full of difficulties
A big gun—an important person
A big shot— important person
A big wig— important person
A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush— having one is
better than seeing many
A Bird of passage—A person who moves from place to place
frequently
A blessing in disguise—something that at first seems bad, but
later turns out to be beneficial
A blind date—an arranged meeting for two people who have
never met each other befor
A blue eyed boy— a man who is liked and admired by someone
in authority
A bolt from the blue— an event or a piece of news which is
sudden or unexpected
A bone to pick with you— quarrel with little trifle
A broken reed—an unreliable person
A bunch of five— a punch from a closed fist
A carrot and stick—rewards and punishments
A cat's paw—A person used by another as a dupe or tool
A Chip On Your Shoulder—Being upset for something that
happened in past
A cold fish— a person who does not seem very friendly and does
not show their emotions
A cry in wilderness—someone who expresses an idea or opinion
that is not popular
A cuckoo in the nest—An unwelcome intruder
A curtain lecture—a private reprimand given to a husband by his
wife
A cushy job—(of a job or situation) undemanding, easy, or
secure)
A damp squib—which is disappointing when it happens
A daredevil— a reckless person who enjoys doing dangerous
things
A dark horse— An unknown entry
A dog chance—little hope
A dog in manger— a person who stops other people from
enjoying what he or she cannot use or does not want
A double edged sword— loss from both sides
A Drop in the Bucket—very small portion of the amount that's
needed
A drop in the ocean— a very little amount
A fair crack of the whip— an equal chance to do something
A fair mark— a mark free from abstacles
A far cry from— greatly different from
A far cry— futile effort
A feather in one's cap— an achievement that you can be proud of
A free hand— to allow someone to do whatever they think is
necessary
A fresh lease of life—to start new life
A gala day— day of happiness
A great hand at—expert
A greenhorn—a naive or gullible person; someone who is easily
tricked or swindled
A hard nut to crack—problems that is difficult to solve
A hard raw to the hoe— hard work
A house of cards— An insecure scheme
A jaundice eye—biased
A lady's man—A man who enjoys and attracts the company of
women
A laughing stock— an object of ridicule
A leg to stand on—to be in a situation where you cannot prove
something
A little gush of gratitude—Friendly feeling
A live wire—someone who is very quick and active, both mentally
and physically
A man before the mast— a common sailor
A man of his words—a man who tells the truth and keeps
promises
A man of straw—a person or an idea that is weak and easy to
defeat
A Moot point—disputable subject
A pipe dream— unpractical plan
Aplay a second fiddle—to have a less important position than
somebody
A pretty penny— a lot of money
A raw deal— unfair treatment
A rough diamond—a person who does not seem very polite or
well educated at first although they have a good character
A royal road—easy way
A scapegoat—to make someone take the blame for something
A shot in the dark— An attempt to guess something
A sitting duck— person or thing that is an easy target
A sixty-four dollar question—an important question that is
difficult to answer
A sop to Cerberus— a concession or bribe to conciliate a person
A sore point with— which make upset
A spanner in the works— ruin or sabotage of a plan
A square deal— fair
A stumbling block– hurdle
A tall story—a story or a statement that is difficult to believe
because it is too exciting or interesting
A taste of one's medicine—When you are mistreated the same
way you mistreat others.
Athorn in flesh— cause of trouble
A tool in the hands of—held and controlled by someone
A white color job—comfortable job
A white lie— a lie that you tell in order not to upset someone
A wild cat strike—unauthorised strike
Above board—in the open; visible to the public; honest
Acid test— tough exam
Adam's ale— pure water
Add fuel to fire— to make a problem worse
Add insult to injury— to make a bad situation worse
Afraid of her own shadow— to be extremely nervous and easily
frightened
After a fashion—to some degree but not very well
After the fact— after the commission of a crime
Against one's grain— in opposition to one's temper
Against the clock—in a great hurry to get something done before
a particular time
Age before beauty—it is a way of allowing an older person to do
something first
Airs and graces—false way of behaving
Albatross around your neck—keeps causing you problems and
stops you from being successful
Alfa and omega— begin and end
Alive and kicking— active and healthy
All agog— eagerly
All along the line—to say firmly
All and sundry—everyone; one and all
All at once– suddenly
All ears— listening eagerly and carefully
All eyes—with a lot of interest in something
All greek and latin— difficult to understand
All his ducks in a row— to organize things well
All in allEverything being taken into account
All intents and purposes— with full details
All moonshine—for from reality
All the day long—through the whole day
All the rage—in current fashion
All thumbs—Lacking physical coordination, skill, or grace; clumsy
Alma Mater—Institution where one got his maximum education
An ace of— very close to something
An apple of discord— cause of quarrel
An apple of one's eye— an apple or thing that is loved more than
any other
An axe to grind—to have something to complain about
An even bet—equal possibility success and failure
An eye to main chance—looking for opportunities to make money
An eye wash—to deceit
An iota of— situation of doubts
An old flame—old lover
An old hand—a person with a lot of experience in something
An old head on young shoulder— a child or young person who
thinks and talks like an older person who has more experience of
life
An old trout— bad—tempered or unpleasant old person
And all that jazz— and similar things
Apple pie order—very well organized
As a matter of course— that which one would expect to be
As a matter of course–that which one would expect to be
As daft as brush—Extremely silly
As fit as a fiddle—healthy
As hard as nail— to have no feelings or sympathy for other
people
As light as a feather— very light
As mad as a hatter— very mad
As sure as death— quite certain
As was his wont—often
Asleep at the wheels—not paying attention
At a loss— puzzled
At a pinch— it is possible in an urgent situation but it is difficult
At a premium—More valuable than usual
At a stone's throw— At a short distant
At all—in any degree
At bottom— indeed
At cross purposes— with different intentions
At daggers drawn—they are angry and ready to fight
At first blush— when first learning or thinking about something
At home—comfortable
At issue– dispute
At large— to flee
At loggerheads— hostile
At loose ends— without an occupation
At my fingers ends— to be an expert
At odds— dispute
At one— unanimously
At one's elbow— nearby
At one's last gasp— at the point of death; at the last moment
At one's wit's end—so upset that you do not know what to do
At random—not in sequence
At sea— puzzle
At sixes and seven— not well organised
At snail's pace— very slowly
At the drop of a hat— immediately
At the eleventh hour— in last time
At the helm—in control
At the helm of— in the position of being in control of something
At the helm of— in the position of being in control of something
At the top of the tree—be expert in your sector
At your beck and call—ready to obey someone
Augean stable— place marked by great accumulation of filth or
corruption
Augean stable— place marked by great accumulation of filth or
corruption

Back pedal on something— reverse one's previous action

Back to square one—back to the beginning
Backseat driver—an annoying passenger who tells the driver how
to drive
Backstairs influence—Secret and unfair influence
Bad blood— Enmity
Bad business— harmfull event
Bad hat—who stir trouble
Bag and baggage— with all belongings
Baker’s Dozen—a group of thirteen
Banana republic— a small, poor country with a weak
Bandy words—to argue
Bark up the wrong tree—to make the wrong choice
Bated breath—you feel very excited or anxious holding one's
breath
Bats in the belfry—Crazy; eccentric
Batter at the door–to attack by artillery
Be all and end all—everything
Be down with— Suffering from
Be in the bag– definite
Be in the cart–to be in defeated state
Be in the limelight— to become famous
Be in the mire— fall into trouble
Be in the throes of— unpleasant period
Be left out in the cold— be ignored or neglected
Be like watching grass grow— very boring
Be off one’s bargain–free from duty
Be shaking in their shoes—to be very frightened or anxious
Bear a garden–a place of tumult
Bear a hand–give assistance
Bear the bell–get the first rank
Bear the palm— prominent
Beat a retreat—to withdraw from a place very quickly
Beat black and blue—black marks caused by being hit
Beat hollow—to defeat easily
Beat one to/into fits— to defeat easily
Beat the clock—to do something before a deadline
Beauty is only skin deep—a person's character is more important
than his appearance
Bed of roses— comfortable
Bed presser—lazy
Before one's very eyes— in one's very presence
Behind one's back—in the absence of
Behind the scene— secretly
Below the mark—not as good as
Bend Over Backwards—to make a special effort, esp in order to
please
Beside oneself— unable to control yourself
Beside the mark–irrelevant
Bet one’s bottom dollar—to be certain of something
Better off— more prosperous condition
Between scylla and charybdis— In a position where avoidance
of one danger exposes one to another danger
Between the devil and deep sea— between two equally
unpleasant situations
Between two stools— in confusion
Between you, me and the bedpost— in strictest confidence
Beyond all question— beyond the doubts
Beyond the pale— Unreasonable or unacceptable
Beyond the shadow of a doubt—with certainty, definitely
Bid defiance—not obey
Bid fair—To appear likely
Bide one’s time–wait for a favourable opportunity
Bird's eye view—cursory glance
Birds of the same feather— same nature
Bite the hand that feeds one— to treat someone badly who has
helped you in some way
Bite Your Tongue—you force yourself not to say something you
really want to say
Bitten off more than chew — to try to do more than you are able
to do
Black dog— depression or melancholy
Black guard–scoundrel
Black in the face–dark red with the anger
Black ox— bad luck
Black sheep—bad person
Blaze a tail—to lead
Blind alley—an alley open at one end only
Blood and iron–use of force
Blow a gasket—to become very angry
Blow his own trumpet—boasting
Blow hot and cold— in confusion
Blow one'sown trumpet—Praise oneself
Blow somebody up–to scold severely
Blue blood—royal or aristocratic descent
Body and soul– completely
Bone head–stupid person
Bone of contention— Cause for quarrel
Bore to death—to be very bored
Born on the wrong side of the blanket—of a child
Born under lucky stars—Very fortunate
Born with silver spoon in his mouth—born in a rich family
Bosom friend—intimate friends
Bow and scrape–to be excessively polite and respectful
Brace oneself–prepare for something unpleasant
Brain drain—the emigration of highly trained or qualified people
from a particular country
Brain sauce—knowledge
Branch water—Plain water
Brass monkey weather—extremely cold weather
Brazen-faced— openly shameless; impudent
Breach the etiquette—breaking such rules and doing something
against the accepted code of behavior
Bread & butter— livelihood
Break even— for income to equal expenses
Break one's brain out— to try very hard to do something
Breast the tape— to win the race
Bring down the house— to get praise
Bring the book—to punish
Bring to light— to reveal something to the public
Brown study—a state of deep thought
Built upon sand—unpractical plan
Bull in a china shop— a very clumsy creature in a delicate
situation
Bull's eye—target
Burn the candle at both ends—to work very hard and stay up
very late at night
Burn the midnight oil—to stay up working, especially studying,
late at night
Burn your boat—Do something that makes it impossible to return
to the previous situation
Burn your finger— get into trouble yourself
Burning question— a very important and urgent
Bury one's head in the sand— to avoid reality; ignore the facts of
a situation
Bury the hatchet—to forget about past enmity
But for—except
But me no buts—do not argue or excuse
Butt in—interrupt
Button her lip—stop talking
Buy A Lemon—the vehicle which constantly gives problem and
breaks down continuously
By and by—After a while; soon
By and large—com—pletely
By fair means and foul—you use any method you can to achieve
it
By fits and starts– spasmodic
By hook or by crook— by any means
By leaps and bounds— very quickly
By the book— according to rule
By the long chalk—big difference
By the skin of one's teeth—you only just succeed in doing it
By the way–introducing a new topic
By word of mouth—by speaking rather than writing

C
Cake walk—easy work
Call a spade a spade— to say frankly
Call in question— to challenge
Call names— to abuse
Call one’s shots— make intention clear
Can’t be bothered to do something–no to do something because
one thinks it to be of too much trouble
Capital punishment— punishment by death
Carry favour— Seek favourable attention
Carry the day—to be successful
Carrying favour— to flatter
Cast a slur— to defile
Cast into the shade–make less noticeable
Cast one’s net wide–cover a wide field
Cast one's net wide — cover a wide field
Cast pearl before swine— to offer something valuable to
someone who does not understand that it is valuable
Castle in the air—daydream
Cat and Dog life— quarrelful life
Cat nap–short sleep
Catch one's breath— stop suddenly
Catch red handed—to catch a person in the act of doing
something wrong
Catch the fancy of— be happy
Catch with chaff–to deceive easily
Catch-22— an illogical, unreasonable, or senseless situation
Cave in—surrender or bend
Chapter and verse—to say something in brief
Cheating cock—dishonest person
Cheek by jowl—Very close together
Chew someone out—to scold someone
Chew the cud—to ponder
Chew the fat–to chat in an informal manner
Chicken out—to fail to do something through fear
Child's play— easy work
Chip off the old block— who behaves in the same way as his
father or resembles his father
Chop the change—to keep changing what you do or what you
plan to do
Clean pair of heels— to flee
Clinch the issue—settle your dispute
Cloak and dagger— an activity that involves mystery and secrecy
Close book—secret
Close fisted person—miser person
Close shave— narrow escape
Cock and bull story— a story that is unlikely to be true
Cock of the walk—very proud
Cock shot–aim
Cock sure— confident in an excessive or arrogant way
Coining money—to make money rapidly
Cold comfort— no comfort or consolation at all
Comeof age—become an adult or develop completely
Come on the carpet–to be under consideration
Come out of his shell— to become more friendly; to be more
sociable
Come short of–to be less than is required
Come through with flying colours— to complete a difficult
activity very successfully
Come to a pretty pass–to be in a difficulty out of which there is no
escape
Come to an untimely end–when one meets death early in life
Come to crunch— when a situation becomes extremely serious
and a decision must be made
Come to grief—to fail
Come to pass–to happen
Come to such a pretty pass— reach a sad or critical stage
Come under the hammer— be sold by auction
Come what may–whatever happens
Common as muck— very common
Cooking the accounts—to cheat
Cool as cucumber—very calm, with no worries
Cool your heels—to wait
Corporal punishment— the physical punishment of the people
Cows come home— for a very long time
Crack Someone Up—To make someone laugh
Cramp one’s style–to prevent a person from showing his best
abilities
Crocodile tears— false tears
Crook an elbow— drink alcoholic beverages
Cross one’s bridges when one comes to them–not to worry
about a problem before it actually arrives
Cross one’s fingers–hope that one’s plans will be successful
Cry for the moon—ask for what is unattainable or impossible
Cry shame upon–to oppose, to protest against
Cry wolf—to ask for help when you do not need it
Cudgel one’s brains–to think hard
Cup Of Joe—a cup of coffee
Cut a poor figure—to produce a poor impression
Cut above—better than other people or things
Cut and dried—it is final and will not be changed
Cut down to brass tacks—talk state forward
Cut him off, without a shilling—To be intentionally disinherited
from a will
Cut me dead—to ignore someone totally
Cut my teeth on—to gain experience
Cut off a corner— short method
Cut on ice—had no influence on me
Cut one to the quick—to upset someone by criticizing
Cut one's coats according to one's cloth— to plan one's aims
and activities in line with one's resources and circumstances
Cut one's own throat—to do something that harms oneself
Cut short– interrupt
Cut the crackle— to be active
Cut to the Chase—get to the point without wasting time
D
Damn all—nothing
Dead air— silence
Dead beat— one who deliberately avoids paying one's debt
Dead duck— scheme, which has been abandoned or will fail
Dead letter— out of date
Dead lock— Hurdle
Dead sure— definitely
Dead to the world—sound asleep
Dead wood— useless or unneeded people
Debt of nature– death
Deep down—in reality
Deliver the goods— to do what someone hopes you will do
Devil's advocate—a person who advocates an opposing or
unpopular view, often for the sake of argument
Devil's luck–fortunate
Die a dog's death— to die in a bad way
Die in harness— to die while still working or active
Dill dally— hesitate
Dime a dozen— So plentiful as to be valueless
Dip your toes in the water—to do something initial stage
Do a roaring trade— highly successful
Do a thing off—hand— to do it at once without delay or hesitation
Do it up brown— to do thoroughly
Doctor the accounts— manipulate some important documents
Dog Days of Summer— Hottest days of summer season
Donkey's year—A long time
Donkey's year—a very long time
Donkey's years—after long time
Dot the i's and cross the t's— To take care of every detail
Double dealing—False or deceitful dealing
Down at heel—bad fortune
Down in the dumps—sad
Down in the mouth—filled with melancholy and despondency
Down to earth—practical person
Dragging one's feet—postpone
Draw a blank—elicit no successful response; fail
Draw the long bow— to say something exaggerated manner
Dressing down—Give a scolding
Drink like a fish— to drink alcohol excessively
Drive someone up the wall—to irritate someone
Drop like flies—rapidly collapse
Dropping Like Flies—Rapidly collapse, die, or drop out in a large
group
Drops a bombshell—shattering announcement
Drug on the Market—something that is on the market in great
abundance
Duck in the thunder storm—in tension
Dutch courage— courage acquired from drinking liquor

E
Easy come easy go— said to explain the loss of something that
required only a small amount of effort to acquire in the first place
Easy money— bribe
Easy virtue— bad character
Eat height off the hog— to appropriate selfishly
Eat like a horse— to eat large amounts of food
Eat one's heart out — to brood over one's sorrows
Eat one's salt —to be somebody's guest
Egg all over your face— looking foolish
Elbow grease— Strenuous physical labor and effort.
Elbow room—to give freedom
Elixir to life— a substance believed to cure all ills
End in smoke— dcome to no result
End is fiasco— to end with a failure
Enough and to spare— plentiful
Ever and anon— now and then; occasionally
Every cloud has a silver lining— optimism always remains in
pessimism
Every inch a gentleman— Entirely
Every inch— entirely

F
Fabian policy—to delay deliberately
Face the music— Be punished
Fair and square—honest
Fair weather friends— someone who is your friend only when
things are pleasant or going well for you
Fall flat— Produce no effect
Fall foul of— to get into trouble with someone or something
Fall into the line—to line up so that each person (except the first
person) stands behind someone)
Fall on deaf ears— to avoid
Far cry— very different from something
Far and near– everywhere
Far and wide—many places
Far-fetched– improbable
Far-flung— widely extended
Faux pas—mistake
Feather one's own nest—To look after one's own interests,
especially material ones
Feel like death warmed up—to become sick
Feel one's pulse—To judge the mood or views of
Fell on stony ground— people ignore it
Fetch and carry— to be in attendance
Field Day—An enjoyable day or circumstance
Fight shy of—to try to avoid something
Fight to finish—fight to the end
Fight to the bitter end—to struggle
Fill the bill— to meet all requirements
Finger licking’ good—A very tasty food or meal
Fire and brimstone—The punishment of hell
Fire and fury—with full spirits
Fish in the troubled water— to take advantage somebody's
problem
Fishout of water—Uncomfortable position
Fit her like a glove— perfectly
Fit of the blues— depression
Fit somebody like a glove— fit the wearer perfectly in size and
shape
Fit to hold a candle to— to equal
Fit to kill— to the limit exceedingly
Five-by-five— short and fat
Flash in the pan—someone or something that draws a lot of
attention for a very brief time
Flea in one's ear— a disconcerting rebuke or rebuff
Flea Market—street market selling second—hand goods
Fling away—to throw or sling someone or something away or out
of the way
Flip The Bird—stick one's middle finger up at someone as a sign
of contempt or anger
Flog a dead horse—to waste time trying to do something that will
not succeed
Flog something to dead—to use, do, or say something so often
that it is no longer interesting
Flood the market— be offered for sale in large quantities in low
cost
Fly a kite—to suggest a possible explanation for something
Fly in the face of— to act in defiance of authority, customs
Fly in the ointment—a small, unpleasant matter that spoils
something; a drawback
Fly of the handle— to anger
Foar to mouth—to hate
Follow one's nose— go in a straight line
Fool's paradise—a state of illusory happiness
Foot the bill— to pay the bill
For a song—very cheaply
For all—in spite of
For better or worse— this could be good or bad
For good— permanent
For instance— by way of example
For keeps—forever
Forbid the banns— to object to a marriage
Forbid the banns–to object to a marriage
Fortune hunter—man seeking a rich woman to marry
Forty winks— a nap; a sort
Foul play— to cheat somebody
Free forall—a disorganized brawl or argument
French leave—a period when you are absent from work without
asking for permission
Fret away/out one's life— to despair
From Pillar to Post— from one place to a series of other places
From stem to stern— all the way from the front of a ship to the
back
Fromthe blue—sudden or unexpected
From the sublime to the ridicule— to decline
From the word go from the very beginning
Fuddy duddy—An old fashioned and foolish type of person
Full of beans— vigorously active
Full of hot air— full of nonsense
Full tilt—as fast or hard as possible
G
Gain ground— to become popular
Gall and wormwood— Hateful
Gate crasher—Uninvited guest
Gentleman at large— unemployed person
Get above oneself— have too high an opinion of oneself
Get a raw deal— unfair treatment
Get cold feet— to suddenly become too frightened to do
something you had planned to do
Get cold feet— to suddenly become too frightened to do
something you had planned to do
Get into a flap— be in a state of agitation
Get into bad odour— to become unpopular
Get into scrape— to get into an embarrassing or distressing
situation, Predicament
Get into/be stuck in a groove— become set in one's ways, one's
style of living
Get on the gravy train— get a job where such money is easily
acquired
Get the better of— it becomes too strong to control
Get the chop
Get the chop–to be dismissed
Get the sack—dismissed from job
Get to the bottom— try to know the root cause
Get Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed—Someone who is
having a horrible day
Get wind of something— hear a rumour that something is
happening; hear about something secret
Getting into row— giving unwanted advice
Ghost of chance— hopeless
Ghost of something— unclear
Gibble-gabble—senseless chatter
Gift of the gab— ability to speak effortlessly
Gird up one's loins— to prepare for action
Give a bit of one’smind–to say clearly
Give and take—mutual concessions, shared benefits, and
cooperation
Give countenance to— to support
Give him the cold shoulder— to show no interest in someone
Give me hand with—to help someone do something
Give oneself to— to apply habitually to
Give someone beans— to treat someone harshly
Give the game away— to reveal one's intentions
Give tone to— to invigorate
Give yourself airs— to boast
Go a begging— available to be taken because no one else wants
it
Go a long way— will be successful
Go at a good pace— go fast
Go for a Jugular —to make a serious effort to defeat someone,
usually by criticizing or harming them in a cruel way
Go great gumptions— to act or function with great speed
Go ill with— not to match or suit properly
Go off at a tangent— to go wide of the mark
Go off the deep end— to lose one's temper
Go the devil—to fail completely
Go The Extra Mile— Going above and beyond whatever is
required for the task at hand
Go the wall— to disappoint
Go to whole hog—to do something as completely as possible
God's ape—a born fool
Golden handshake— a large sum of money which is given to
someone when they leave a company
Gone down the drain—to fail; to be thrown away or wasted
Good for—nothing worthless
Good turn—a favour for someone
Grasp the nettle— to attempt something with boldness and
courage
Grass widow— woman whose husband is temporarily absent
Graveyard Shift— The time of the day when most other people
are sleeping— 12:00 am to 8:00 am)
Grease the palm— to bribe someone
Great account— doomsday
Green hand– inexperienced
Grey area— a subject or problem that people do not know how to
deal with because there are no clear rules
Grid up one’s loins— to get ready, especially for hard work
Grist to one's mill— anything that can be turned to profit
Grow too big for one’s boots–to be arrogant
Gunboat diplomacy—intimidation by threat or use of military force
Gung ho— too enthusiastic about sth, without thinking seriously
about it

H
Had better— should
Hair breath escape— close save
Hair of the dog— a drink of liquor
Halcyon days—a very happy or successful period in the past
Half—hearted—having or showing little enthusiasm
Hammer and tongs—to work hard
Hand and glove— close relationship
Hand in one's cheeks— to die
Hand it to— to give just credit to pay respect to
Hang in balance—to depend on something for success
Hang on his lips—surprised
Hanky- Panky— to mislead
Hard and fast— stern
Hard hearted—unsympathetic
Hard of hearing—to be deaf
Has too many irons in the fire— doing too many things at once
Have a bash at something— attempt something for the first time
Have a bee in your bonnet—An obsession
Have a butterfly in your stomach— a nervous feeling in one's
stomach
Have a card up one's sleeve— to make secret plan
Have a finger in pie—to take interest
Have a heart of stone—to be cruel and have no sympathy for
people
Have a thin skin— be extremely sensitive to criticism or rebuffs
Have an ace up your sleeve—to have an advantage that other
people do not know about
Have an axe to grind—to have a selfish reason for saying or
doing something
Have an eye for— to have the ability to appreciate distinctions to
be discerning
Have feet of clay— have some basic weakness or faults
Have hollow legs— have a large appetite
Have no stomach for something— not interested in doing
something
Have one's tail between one's legs— be humiliated, dejected
Have something under your belt—to have succeeded
Have the best of it— to win
Have the courage of one’s conviction–to act in accordance with
one’s beliefs
Heads will roll— dismissed or forced to resign
Heads will roll— dismissed or forced to resign
Heart and soul—with complete faith
Hell bent— to be absolutely determined to do something
Helter skelter— to work hastily
Herculean task— hard work
Hidden agenda— a secret plan
High time—The appropriate or urgent time
Himalayan blunder— big mistake
His heart is in the right place—kindness
Hit the jackpot—windfall
Hit the nail on the head— to do exactly the right thing
Hit the road— to begin or resume travelling
Hit the roof—to get angry
Hit the sack—go to bed
Hither and thither—here and there
Hobson's choice— only one choice
Hocus-pocus— trickery or chicanery
Hoity-toity— assuming airs; or haughty
Hold a brief for another— to support or defend a position by
argument
Hold court with— to get a lot of attention from a group of people
Hold good—be valid
Hold the fort— to take care of a place while someone is away
Hold your tongue— to refrain from saying something unpleasant
Hole and corner policy—secret policy
Hook, Line, Sinker—completely
Hoping against hope—hopeful against difficult situation
Hue and cry— to make a noise
Huff and puff— breathe heavily
Hugger-mugger— disorderly confusion
Hung fire—to delay or wait; to be delayed
Hurly-burly– commotion
Hurry- scurry— to move or act with excessive hurry and confusion
Hush Money— bribe paid to keep something secret
 I
I can't thank you enough—a polite expression of gratitude
Ill at ease— fall into trouble
In a jiffy— sudden
In a muck—in bad situation
In a nutshell—Briefly and concisely
In all one’s born days–during whole life
In black and white— in written form
In camera— In secret; privately
In cold blood— without feeling or mercy; ruthlessly
In deep water— vulnerable situation
In dol drum— in confusion
In double quick time—in quickly
In embryo— undeveloped
In full swing— moving fast or efficiently
In hand— control
In High dudgeon—a feeling of intense indignation
In high feathers— in good form humour or health
In high spirits— enthusiasm
In hot water— get into trouble
In lieu of—in place of
In merry pin—in a good mood, cheerful
In name only—having a particular title without the power or duties
that are a part of it
In no time—immediately
In queer street— in debt
In sack cloth and ashes— in a state of repentance or sorrow
In the arms of Morpheus—in the lap of sleep
In the autumn of one's life— in the later part of one's life
In The Buff—without clothes on
In the clouds—unreal; fanciful
In the dark— ignorance
In the doldrums—Depressed; dull and listless
In the groove— in the popular fashion; up to-date
In the land of the living– alive
In the lime light—to become famous
In the long run– eventually
In the melting point—confusion state
In the mind's eye— in imagination
In the nick of time— just in time before something bad happens
In the offing— possible or likely to happen soon
In the pipeline—being developed
In the pudding club– pregnant
In the same boat— in the same position
In the soup— in a bad situation
In the teeth of— while experiencing something difficult
In tight corner— fall into trouble
Into the bargain— in addition to
Iron will— strength of mind or will
It's as broad as it is long— it makes no real difference which of
the two alternatives is chosen
Its Greek to me— something that you do not understand
Itsy bitsy—very small; tiny

J
Jack in office— A self-important minor official
Jack of all trades— to have a little knowledge of every subject
Jersey justice— very severe justice
Juda's kiss—false love
Jump down some one's throat— rebuke
Jump on the band wagon—to support something that is popular
Jump to it— hurry up
Jumped out of my skin— very surprised or
Just the job— exactly what is wanted or needed
Just what the doctor ordered—exactly what is wanted or needed

K
Keep a firm hold on— not to let go
Keep a good table—to be a good host
Keep at arms length— to avoid becoming connected with
someone or something
Keep breath to cool porridge— to refrain from talking
Keep hands in— to remain involved in something
Keep in the dark—to not tell someone about something
Keep in touch—to maintain communications with someone
Keep one's finger crossed—to hope for a good outcome for
someone
Keep one's word—to uphold one's promise; to do as one says
Keep somebody at bay—to prevent someone from moving closer
Keep somebody's nose to the grindstone— force somebody to
work hard without rest
Keep the ball rolling—progress to continue
Keep under wrap—to keep something concealed
Keep up appearance— to make things look all right whether they
are or not
Keep wolf from the door—to maintain oneself at a minimal level
Keep your chin up— To remain joyful in a tough situation
Keep your wig on— Calm down
Kick against the pricks— hurt oneself by useless resistance or
protest
Kick one's heels— wait or pass the time aimlessly
Kick up a row—make a noise
Kill time— to waste time
Kiss the rod—to accept the punishment
Kith and kin— acquaintances and relatives
Knit one's brow—to become angry

L
Lame excuse—unacceptable lies
Lapped in luxury—in conditions of wealth and comfort
Latched on to—to stay close to someone
Lay at someone's door– blame
Lay by the heels— to put in fetters or shackles; imprison
Lay down their arms—to surrender
Lay hand on—to assault
Lay it on thick— to use exaggerated praise or flattery
Lay wait for— to await in concealment
Leap in the dark—something you do without being certain what
will happen as a result
Leave high and dry— to leave someone helpless
Leave no stone unturned—Try every possible way
Led by the nose— lead someone by coercion
Left hand compliment— false praise
Length and breadth— in every place
Let bygones be bygones — forget about disagreements that
happened in the past
Let her hair down— behave much more freely than usual and
enjoy yourself
Let sleeping dogs lie—Do not instigate trouble
Let the cat out of the bag— to reveal the secret
Let the wind up— become frightened
Lick the dust— to be killed; die
Lie at someone's door— to be the responsibility of
Like a cat on hot bricks—to vex
Like a dose of salts— very fast
Like grim death— with great determination or perseverance in
spite of difficulties
Like hot cakes—very rapidly
Lily livered—coward
Lion's share— the greatest part
Live by one's wits— get money by ingenious and irregular
methods
Live from hand to mouth—to have just enough money to live on
and nothing extra
Loaves and fishes—material gain
Lock horns with—disagree
Lock the stable door after the horse has bolted— try to prevent
or avoid loss, when too late
Lock, stock and barrel—including everything; completely
Long drawn agony— extreme pain
Long in the tooth—an old experienced person
Look blank—Be expressionless
Look sharp—in hurry
Looked blank—expressionless
Lose ground— to become unpopular
Lose one’s bearings–miss the direction
Lose one's heart— fall in love
Lose your temper— to become very angry
Lose/win by a neck— to win by a small amount or narrow margin
Lump in the throat—you feel pressure in the throat because you
are very angry or emotional

M
Mad as a march hare— completely insane
Made light of— Treated it lightly
Maiden speech —first speech
Make a game of— to make fun of
Make a hash— to defeat or destroy
Make a hole in the still water— invite troubles
Make a man bleed— to victimize him
Make a mark—to make recognition
Make a mountain to a mole hill— to make an unimportant matter
seem important
Make both ends meet— To live within means
Make ducks and drakes of—To squander; waste
Make good— compensate for the loss
Make hay of sb/sth— throw sb/sth into confusion
Make hay—to use an opportunity to get the most benefit
Make inroads into something— gradually consume more and
more of something
Make it hot for— to make things uncomfortable
Make light of—to take thing lightly
Make little of something— read hardly anything of sth
Make my flesh creep— to frightened
Make neither head nor tail of something— not to understand it
Make one's hair stand on end— to terrify
Make one's mark— distinguish oneself
Make room—make space
Make somebody's gorge rise— fill somebody with anger or
disgust
Make somebody's gorge rise— fill somebody with anger or
disgust
Make the best of a bad bargain— to turn adverse circumstances
to one's favour
Make the best of a bad job— to manage as well as one can
under unfavourable or adverse circumstances
Make the clean breast of— to accept openly
Make up my mind— to determine
Make up the leeway—to reach a satisfactory position after a
period when you did not make enough progress.
Man of parts— talented
Many moons ago—long time ago
Mare’s nest— false news
Mealy mouthed—hesitant or afraid to speak plainly; not outspoken
Means business— serious and determined
Measure up—to compare well to someone or something
Meet one's waterloo— to defeat a decisive war
Mend one's way—to improve your habits
Midas touch— magical power
Milk of human kindness—natural kindness and sympathy shown
to others
Mind one’s own business–to confine oneself one’s own affairs
Mother Wit—Common sense
Move heaven to earth—to do everything you can to achieve
something
Much cry the little wool—a lot of noise something that has little
important
Mumbo Jumbo—speech or writing that is nonsense or very
complicated and cannot be understood
Music to one's ear—good news
Mutton dressed as lamb— older person dressed in a style
suitable for a younger person
My hands are full—busy

N
Name dropping— the practice of referring frequently to famous or
fashionable people
Narrow bed—grave
Narrow circumstances— day of poverty
Nasty taste in the mouth— to leave a bad feeling or memory with
someone
Neck and crop—completely
Neither chick nor child—have no child
Neither here or there— irrelevant and immaterial
Never a rose without the prick—good things always have
something bad as well
Nig-Nag—Poking to irritate someone
Nine days wonder— something that is of interest to people only
for a short time
Nineteen to the dozen—talking very fast, without stopping
Nip in the bud—to put an end to something before it develops into
something larger.
Nitty gritty— most important details of an issue or a situation
No end— very much
No hard and fast rules—no clear rules which you must obey
No love lost between them— do not like each other
No vice like avarice—greed is greater than any other vice
Nook and corner— in every
Not care a fig for— not care at all
Not dry behind the ears– immature
Not fit to be touched with a barge pole— to avoid someone
Not for nuts— cannot do it at all
Not give a damn—not give heed
Not have a dog chance—not have any chance of doing
something
Not hold a candle to— to be not nearly as good as
Not in a month of Sundays—that it is not likely to happen
Not lift a finger—to do nothing to help someone
Not the only pebble on the beach— not the only person who
matters or who has to be considered
Not to bad on eyelid—do not worry
Not to look a gift horse in the mouth— to be ungrateful to
someone who gives you something
Not worth its salt—you do not loyal with your job
Not worth the candle— not worth the cost or trouble.
Now a gentleman at large— who is not serious about their work
Null and void— affectless
Nutty as a fruitcake—senseless
O
Off and on—discontinuous
Off one's legs– resting
Off the beaten track— in an isolated place where people rarely go
Off the top of his head— without giving it too much thought or
without precise knowledge
Oil the wheels— make things go smoothly by behaving tactfully or
craftily
On a knife edge– nervous
On and on— to continue
On end– continuously
On good terms— friendly with someone
On its last legs— about to stop working
On one's high horse– supercilious
On purpose– knowingly
On tenterhooks—nervously waiting to find out what is going to
happen
On the anvil—In a state of formation
On the ball– alert
On the bread line—to live in misery
On the bum—to live wandering life
On the cards—in the future
On the cuff— credit
On the eve of—just before something
On the horns of dilemma— unable to decide between two things
On the house— at the expense of the management
On the nail—immediately
On the par with— at the same level as someone or something
On the par with— at the same level as someone or something
On the qui vive– watchful
On the rack— suffering intense distress or strain
On the right track—in right direction
On the spur of moment—immediately
On the verge of— on the brink of
Onthe wane—to weak
On the wrong side of sixty—to be older than 60
On the wrong track—in wrong direction
On thin ice– unsafe
Once for all— finally
Once in blue moon—very seldom
Open one's eyes— to know reality
Open secret—known by many people
Order of the day— in fashion
Other fish to fry— more interesting to do
Out and out–Complete
Out for the counting— to defeat
Out for the counting–to defeat
Out of my wits—to make someone very frightened
Out of sorts— to become sick
Out of the frying pan into the fire— situation become worse
Out of the frying—pan into the fire — escaping a bad situation for
a worse situation
Out of the frying—pan into the fire — escaping a bad situation for
a worse situation
Out of the question—Impossible
Out of the wood — free from trouble or difficulties
Out of the wood— free from trouble or difficulties
Out of the word— out of danger
Out of thin air— out of nothing.
Over egg and pudding— add unnecessary details to make
something seem better or worse
Over head and ears— deeply immersed
Over heads and ears—Completely trapped

P
Pain in the neck— irritating
Paint with a broad brush—describe in general way
Paint the town red— to go to a lot of different bars , clubs and
enjoy yourself
Pale into insignificance—seemed less important
Palm off— to dispose off with the intent to deceive
Palmy days— gala days
Pandora’s box— cause of trouble
Pants on fire— to lie so badly
Parrot fashion— learn by repeat the word
Part and parcel—an essential part of something
Pass the buck—to blame someone
Pass the hat round— to ask for contribution of money, as for
charity
Passing the buck—to pass the blame
Past master—expert
Pay a man back in his own coin— treat him as he has treated
you
Pay lip service— to flattery
Pay off old score— to have his revenge
Pay on the nail— pay promptly in cash
Pay somebody back in their own coin— to treat someone in the
same bad way that they have treated you
Pay the piper—to bear expenses
Pay through the nose— to pay too much for something
Pell mell—very quickly and a way that is not controlled
Pene lope's web— endless work
Penny pincher— miserly, niggardly
Petticoat government— undue influence by women in
government
Pick holes—to find fault others
Pick of the basket— the best
Pick someone’s brains–to ask somebody question in order to get
information that one can use oneself
Pin money—pocket money
Pin prick— a small irritation
Pinch and save— live in a very miserly way
Pink slip— notice of dismissal from one's job
Pipe one's eyes— to weep
Play cat and mouse with somebody— keep somebody in a state
of uncertain expectation
Play me false—betrayed me
Play the devil with— to ruin completely, spoil
Play to the gallery—to behave in an exaggerated way to attract
people’s attention
Playing with fire—to do something in ignorance
Point blank—direct and without explanation or qualification
Poor as job's turkey— extremely poor
Potluck dinner— dinner where somebody brings something to eat
Pours cold water—to discourage doing something
Pros and cons— the advantages and disadvantages of something
Puffed up with pride— be conceited
Pull a fast one—Play a trick
Pull oneself up by one’s own boot straps–to help oneself
without help of others
Pull the fat from the fire— help someone in a difficult situation
Pull together— Work harmoniously
Pulled out all the stops — to make every effort to achieve
something
Put an end to— to finish
Put his foot down— to strong your position
Put his hand to his pocket—give money to charity
Put in cold storage—pending
Put me in mind— to remind
Put me on my mettle— do one's best in difficult situation
Put on a bold face— to give the appearance of confidence
Put on a pedestal—to believe that someone is perfect
Put on airs—to pretend to be good or to be superior
Put on the dog— to put on airs
Put on the market— openly available for sale
Put one's best foot forward— to hurry
Put one's foot in it— to make an embarrassing blunder
Put or set one's house in order— to improve one's behaviour or
correct one's faults
Put the axe in the helve—to work out solution of the problem
Put the cart before the horse— to have things in the wrong order
Put the saddle on the right horse—to allege on criminal
Put the screw on—to use force
Put to the sword— to kill someone
Put two and two together—to figure something out from the
information available
Put up the shutters—went out of business
Put your shoulder to the wheel—hard work

Q
Quarrels with one’s Butter and Bread— to complain about one’s
means of livelihood
Quids in— to make money

R
Raise the devil— to cause a commotion or disturbance
Rank and File— Ordinary person
Rat race—a dull and unrewarding job
Read between the lines— to infer something (from something
else)
Red letter day— important
Red rag to a bull— Something that will enrage another particular
person
Rhyme or reason—without any reason
Ride and high horse— to show
Ride roughshod over—to treat someone or something with
disdain or scorn
Right hand man—trusted person
Rings a bell—to cause someone to remember something
Rip open old sores—reopen a quarrel or enmity
Rise and shine—to progress
Rise like a phoenix from its ashes— come out from big
difficulties
Rise with the lark— get up early in the morning
Rolling in cash—earn lot of money
Rolling in the aisles—wild with laughter
Rolling plan—to continue over period of time
Rome was not built in a day—something that you say which
means that it takes a long time to do an important job
Root and branch— completely
Rub shoulders with—to meet and spend time with a famous
person
Ruffle somebody's feathers— annoy somebody
Rule of thumb— based on experience
Rule with the rod of iron—to govern very harshly
Run in the same groove— to maintain relations in good spirits
Run into rough weather— to pass through difficulties
Run its course—to continue until finished
Run one's eyes over— examine hastily
Run the gauntlet— be exposed to continuous severe criticism

S
Safe and sound—secure and unharmed
Salad days— carefree pleasures, a time of youth
Salt of the earth—the most worthy of people
Save one’s breath–to avoid futile discussion
Save one's bacon— prevent somebody from failing
Save one's breath— to avoid futile discussion
School master is abroad—to spread education
Scot free—to free from without punishment
See eye to eye— agree entirely
See red— become very angry suddenly
See with half an eye— to realize soon
See/think fit— consider to be correct
Sell one a bargain— befool someone
Sell somebody down the river— betray somebody
Selling like hot cakes—to have a very good sell
Send him to coventry— to ostracise someone, usually by not
talking to the
Separate the sheep from the goats— keep away the good from
the bad
Set teeth on edge—irritate someone's nerves
Set the record straight— to put right a mistake or
misunderstanding
Set the Thames on fire— to surprised
Shake the dust from one's feet— to depart in anger or disdain
Sharp practice—dishonest dealings
Sheet anchor— person who helps in difficult situation
Shoot one's bolt— to do all that one can do
Shoplifter—a person who steals goods from a shop during
shopping hours
Shoulder to Shoulder— side by side
Show my hand—to reveal your plan
Show one teeth— threatening manner
Shut the door on— refuse to consider
Sight for sore eyes— a welcome sight a pleasant surprise
Sinews of wary–Money
Sit on the fence– undecided
Sit on the fence—(undecided)
Sit pretty—in a good situation
Six feet under—dead
Slip of the pen—A mistake in handwriting
Slip through one's fingers— to elude one, as an opportunity not
taken
Slow coach—lazy person
Small fry— ordinary people
Small talk—trivial conversation
Smell a rat— to suspect
Smoke the peace pipe—to stop dispute
Snap one's fingers— to show contempt
Snow job— to mislead
Soft in head—stupid
Soft option— in a number of choices
Somebody over the coals— scold him severely
Sow one's wild oats— to go through a period of wild behaviour
while young
Sow the dragon's teeth—doing something that will give rise to a
dispute
Spare no pains doing— do everything possible; take as much
trouble as is necessary to achieve success
Spick and span— neat and clean
Spill the beans— to reveal the secret
Spread like wildfire— to spread rapidly
Square meal—a substantial, satisfying, and balanced meal
Square up— to prepare
Stalking horse— to conceal someone's real candidacy
Stand his ground— to maintain one's position
Stand in a good stead—to be of great use and benefit to
someone
Stand offish— aloof or reserved
Stand on one's own bottom— to be independent
Stand to his gun—to strong your position
Stand to reason—based on real things
Status quo—the existing state or condition)
Stick one's neck out— to take a risk
Stole the show—to be looked upon as the most interesting,
popular, etc, esp. unexpectedly
Storm in a tea cup— worried about something that is not
important
Stormed out— to burst out of some place angrily
Strain at the leash — be eager to have the freedom to do what one
wants
Strain every nerve— to try as hard as you can to do something)
Straw in the wind— An indication of what might happen
Strike a bargain—to reach an agreement on a price or negotiation
Struck a chill to the heart— arouse fear
Stuff and nonsense—senseless talk
Sum and substance—summary
Summer friend— who with you in the day of prosperous
Sure card–sure way to success
Swallow a camel–have a great power of tolerance
Swan Song — the final performance or activity of a person's
career
Sweat of one's brow—hard work
Sweeping statement— thoughtless statement
Swept under the carpet—to hide or ignore something
Swollen headed—an exaggerated sense of self—importance
Sword of Damocles— imminent danger

T
Take a grain salt of— to consider something to be not completely
true or right
Take a running jump— go away; be off
Take away my breath—to surprised
Take exception to— to oppose
Take for granted—to value someone or something too lightly
Take him to task—to rebuke
Take one's mind off—to cause you to stop thinkingabout who or
what is causing worry
Take somebody to task— to scold
Take stock of—to survey
Take the bit in one’s teeth–to cast off control, rebel
Take the floor— to begin dancing on a dance
Take the gilt off the gingerbread— do something which makes a
situation less attractive
Take thee at thy word— I believe what you say.
Take their lives in their hands—To take a dangerous risk
Take to heart— to consider that some comment is significant to
oneself
Take to his heels— to flee
Take to the road— become a tramp
Take to wife—to marry
Take up the cudgels— to argue strongly in support of someone or
something
Take up the hatchet— prepare for or go to war
Take you for a ride—to cheat or deceive someone
Talk big— talk boastfully or overconfidently
Talk Big— talk boastfully or overconfidently
Talk shop—to talk your business
Talk to death—to talk continuous
Tall order— difficult to do
Tanked up— to drink a great quantity of alcoholic beverage
Tar with the same brush— to believe wrongly that someone
Tell something a mile off— very easily
The Achilles’ heel— weak point
The balloon goes up— a situation suddenly becomes very
serious or unpleasant
The bee's knees— an excellent or ideally suitable person or thing
The blunt the edge of—to make less sharp
The bottom line—the fundamental and most important factor
The business of the day— agenda programme of work
The crack of dawn— morning time
The early bird catches the worm— the person who tries will
probably succeed
The fourth estate—media
The grave of our reputation— cause of our defamation
The ins and outs— the correct and successful way to do
something
The jolly foot— happy person
The king of terror— death
The last nail in the coffin—an event that causes the failure of
something that had already started to fail
The law of jungle—the way in which only the strongest and
cleverest people in a society stay alive or succeed
The long and short of—summary
The man in the street— ordinary people
The mote in somebody's eye— the minor fault that somebody
has committed with one's own much greater fault
The people at large— common people
The snow one up—to reveal the secret
The talk of the town— burning point
The thin end of the wedge— the start of a harmful development
The world is one's oyster— one is able to enjoy all the pleasures
and opportunities that life has to offer
Thick and fast— in large numbers or amounts and at a rapid
rate
Three R's—reading, writing, and arithmetic
Through the agency of something— as a result of the action of
something
Through thick and thin— in every condition
Throw cold water—To discourage
Throw dirt at something— remove from memory
Throw down the gauntlet—to give challenge
Throw in towel— acknowledge defeat
Throw up the cards—to fail
Thrust nose into— to meddle officiously with anything
Tied to the apron strings of—cannot think or act independently
Tired to death— badly exhausted
To come clean—to be honest with somebody about something
To a nicety—with precision
To adore the rising sun— to worship a man who is going very
successful
To angel—To fish
To bait the hook to suit the fish—To do things to please others
To be a bad books of— annoyed with you
To be a die hard— stubborn
To be a good books of— be a favour of somebody
To be a good samaritan—someone who tries to help people who
have problems
To be in a fix—In a difficult situation
To be in a rut—disappoint
To be in abeyance—inactive
To be in two minds—in dilemma
To be led by the nose— to control someone and make them do
exactly what you want them to do
To be like a dog with two tails—to be very happy
To be off— to be finished
To be up and doing—to take part actively
To bear the lion in his den—to confront someone on his or her
own territory
To beat about the bush—to talk about irrelevant things
To beat the air—Useless effort
To beggar's description— difficult to describe
To bell the cat— to take risk
To bend one's ear— to talk to someone uninterruptedly and often
so as to induce boredom
To bend over backwards— to exert oneself to the utmost
To bend the brow—to rebuke with angry
To bite the dust— to break; to fail; to give out
To blunt the edge of— make it less effective
To brace oneself for—prepare mentally or emotionally for
something unpleasant
To break the ice—Made people relaxed and comfortable
To break the ice— to start talking
To bridge the gulf—to remove differences and reconcile
To bring book— to give punishment
To bring something to hammer—to sell something by auction
To burn one's boat/bridge—to close all ways of returning
To bury one's head in the sand— to ignore or hide from obvious
signs of danger
To bury oneself in books—to occupy (oneself) with deep
concentration; engross
To call out the militia–is to require the militia to get under arms
To cap it all— as a final piece of good or bad fortune
To carry coals to new castle— to do something un-necessary
To carry off the bell—to win
To carry weight– important
To cast slur— to vilify
To catch a tartar—to grapple with an un-expectedly formidable
opponent
To catch up with— to find (and, of police, to arrest) someone after
a period of time trying to track that person down
To clip one's wings— To deprive one of power
To come true—to come true
To count chicken before they are hatched— to plan how to
utilize good results of something before those results have
occurred
To cross the bridge when one gets to it—Deal with a problem
when and if it arises
To cross the rubicon—take important step
To cry stinking fish—to cry one's own goods
To curl one's lip— show hatred
To cut a dash— to make a striking impression
To cut a fine figure—to look good; to look elegant
To cut and run— to be off with all possible speed
To cut both ways— advantage as well as disadvantage
To cut one short—To stop before the end; abbreviate
To cut one's own throat—to do something that harms oneself
To cut short— to interrupt, to shorten
To cut the gordian knot— to solve difficult problem
To die hard— difficult to change
To die in bed—to die naturally
To dig one's own grave—to be responsible for one's own
downfall or ruin
To do things off hand— to do without preparation
To doctor the accounts— adjust or alter something after it is
complete
To dot one’s I’s and cross t’s–to be meticulous or precise
To dot one's i's and cross t's— to be meticulous or precise
To draw a blank— come out no result
To drink life to the lees— Live life to the fullest
To drive home—to emphasize an important point about something
To dust someone's jacket— to beat, scold
To eat humble pie— to say and show that you are sorry for a
mistake that you made
To eat your word— to admit that what you said was wrong
To egg on— to encourage, urge, or dare someone to continue
doing something
To end it all— to commit suicide
To enter into details— to tell in details
To fall back on—To seek support out of necessity
To fall on one's feet— to come suddenly into a prosperous
position
To fall short of one expectation—to be sad
To fall under one's notice— to come to notice
To feather one’s own nest— to look after one's own interests
To feel in one's bones—Have an intuition or hunch about
something
To feel one's bone—to sense something; to have an intuition
about something
To fiddle- faddle— Nonsense
To fight a losing battle— to try hard to do something when there
is no chance that you will succeed
To foam at one's mouth—to be uncontrollably excited
To follow the primrose path— to find easy way
To fool's errand—hope that is impossible to fill
To get into scrap— in confusion
To get rid of— to free from something
To get the axe—to get dismiss
To get to the bottom of something—to discover the truth about a
situation
To get winds of— to know the secret
To give a rap on the knuckle—to strike someone on the knuckles
To give chapter and verse for a thing— to give evidence
To give currency— to become famous
To give it a shot—to attempt to do something
To give one a long rope—to allow someone to do what they want
to
To give oneself airs— behaving arrogantly
To give the bird—to make a very impolite sign
To give the devil his due—to give your foe proper credit (for
something)
To give vent to—to express anger.
To gloss over sb's faults— to hide one's mistake
To go against the tide—to do the opposite of what most other
people are doing
To go off the rails—to start behaving strangely or in a way that is
not acceptable to society
To go scot free— to go unpunished
To go the dogs—to ruin
To go to rack and ruin—to become ruined
To have a memory like a sieve—to be very bad at remembering
things
To have a wash and brush up—to get ready
To have at one's finger—ends— to know thoroughly
To have no truck with—to refuse to become involved with
something
To have one’s heart in one’s boot–to be disheartened
To have one's hand full— busy
To have one's heart in one's mouth— be badly frightened
To have to do with— to deal with
To have two strings to one’s bow–have a second skill
To hit below the belt— to take advantage by unfair means
To hold court— entertain visitors, admires
To hold something in leash—to prevent
To hold the against somebody— remain dominant
To iron out— to solve all problems that are still left
To keep a good table— to entertain one's guests sumptuously
To keep a straight face—to be serious
To keep abreast of— in touch of
To keep at bay—to prevent something unpleasant from coming
too near you or harming you
To keep his head above water—to manage to survive, especially
financially
To keep in abeyance— In a state of suspension
To keep one's head—to keep calm
To keep one's weather eye open— to be on the alert
To keep pot boiling— to earn enough money to buy one's food
To keep under the thumb— under someone's control and
management
To keep up appearances—to make things look all right whether
they are or not
To keep watch and ward— to keep a watchful eye
To kick one's heels—to wait
To kill the fatted calf for— to prepare an elaborate banquet (in
someone's honor)
To kill two birds with one stone— to solve two problems at one
time with a single action
To kiss the dust— to humiliate
To knock against—to strike something against something
To lead to the altar— to marry
To leave no avenue unexplored— to do everything that you can
in order to achieve something
To let loose—to set free
To let the grass grow under his feet—to delay deliberately
To lick one’s chops–to await with pleasure
To lick somebody boots—to flatter
To lie bed one has made—You have to suffer the consequences
of what you do
To live in clover—to live in luxury
To live on the fat of the land— to live a prosperous life
To look down one's nose— to contempt or disdain
To look down upon— to think that you are better than somebody
To lose one's bearing— to deviate from the right path
To lose the thread of speech—to forget about your speech
To make a dent— make an impression
To make a fortune—to become rich
To make both ends meet— to earn just enough money to be able
to buy the things you need
To make do—to manage
To make eye at someone—to praise someone
To make good the loss—compensate
To make grade—to be successful
To make hay while the sun shine—to take advantage of
opportunity
To make headway—obtain advantages, such as points
To make much ado about nothing—a furor over something
unimportant
To make neither head nor tail—To be unable to figure something
out
To make pig of oneself—to overeat or to be selfish
To make with a white stone— make fortunate
To mean business—to be serious about achieving something
To meet trouble half way— to worry about anything before it
comes
To mince matter— Hide the truth and pretend
To mind one's P's and Q's—to be accurate
To miss the boat—to be too late to get something that you want
To move heaven to earth—to do everything you can to achieve
something
To nip in the budTo stop something at the start
To oil some one’s hand— to give bribe
To peck out— to pierce hole in
To pester with— to annoy someone with something
To pin someone's ears back— to give someone a sound beating
To pinch and save scrapto live in a very miserly way
To play fast and loose— to be inconsistent
To play havoc—to destroy something
To play one's cards badly— not to executive your planning
To play possum—to pretend to be dead or sleeping
To play the devil with—to ruin or upset.
To play the game—to do work with honesty
To play truant—one who is absent without permission, especially
from school
To play with fire—to be involved in an activity that could be
dangerous
To plough a lonely furrow—to do something alone and without
help from other people
To pocket an insult—to bear insult
To poison one's ears against—to backbite
To poke one’s nose into— to meddle
To pour oil on troubled water—say something in order to make
people stop arguing and become calmer
To pull a long face—looks indifferent
To pull of pieces— to scold
To pull one's leg—to kid, fool, or trick someone
To pull one's socks up—to try hard to improve your work or
behaviour
To pull one's weight— do one's fair share in a job, project
To pull out all the stops—to strain every nerve
To pull strings—To exert hidden influence
To pull the wool over someone's eyes— To deceive or fool
someone
To pull wires—influence or control shrewdly or deviously
To put a spoke in one wheel— to spoil someone else's plans and
stop them from doing something
To put all one's egg in one basket—to make everything
dependent on only one thing
To put one's hand to plough—to take responsibility in hand
To put pen to paper— to begin writing
To put up with— to bear with
To rack one's brains—strain to remember or think very hard
To rain cats and dogs— to heavy rain
To read for the bar—law study
To rise from the rank— to progress
To rock the boat—to do or say something that causes problems
To roll out the red carpet—to give someone treatment befitting
royalty
To roll up one's sleeve— to prepare for hard work
To rolling stone—a person who is unwilling to settle for long in
one place
To rub salt into wounds—to make someone feel even worse
about something
To rule the roost—To be in charge
To run amuck— to go into a frenzy
To run short—to begin to run out of something
To scratch one's head—puzzled
To screw up one's courage—to encourage
To seal close to wind—to take risk
To see eye to eye— to agree
To see how the wind is blowing— to determine what is the most
expedient thing to do under the conditions at hand
To see the light—to be born
To send one packing—dismiss from job
To set at naught— come to no result
To set at naught—Disregard or despise
To set by the ears—to cause disagreement or commotion
To set price one's head—to backbite
To set stranded— puzzle
To set your face against— to oppose
To shed blood— to murder, to kill
To sheet of anchor—to encourage
To shoot one's mouth off—to boast or talk too much; to tell
secrets
To show him up—to reveal the secret
To show one's cards—to reveal the secret
To show one's teeth—to frighten
To show the white feather— To act like a coward.
To sit at someone feet—to pay worshipful attention to someone
To skin a flint— much greedy or miser
To small purpose—little aim
To smell a rat— To suspect foul dealing
To snap one's finger— to make a sharp noise by moving your
second or third finger quickly against your thumb
To sow the wind and reap the whirlwind— to start some kind of
trouble that grows much larger than you planned
To speak one's mind—make one's position known
To stir up a hornet's nest— to create a lot of trouble
To strain at a gnat and swallow a camel— to fuss about trifles
while assenting readily in more serious matters
To strike one’s colours— to surrender; to no longer to support or
defend a course of action
To sword of damocles— imminent danger
To take a leaf out of on the mans book—to imitate
To take heed— to give your attention
To take into account— to remember to consider someone
To take into one's head—overpowering idea into one's thinking
To take one’s courage in both hands–make oneself do
something which one is afraid of
To take one's chance—Accept the risks
To take one's courage in both hands— make oneself do
something which one is afraid of
To take one's hat off to— to express high regard for praise
To take one's hat off to— to express high regard for praise
To take pains— to work hard
To take spear—to accept full blame for something
To take the bull by the horns—to confront a problem head—on
and deal with it openly
To take the rough with the smooth—Accept difficult as well as
easy times
To take the veil—become a nun
To take the wind out of one's sails— to make someone feel less
confident
To take time by the forelock—act quickly and decisively
To talk shop—to talk about business or work matters at a social
event
To talk through ones hat— to talk nonsense
To tear somebody limb from limb— to attack someone violently
To tell someone's fortune— to tell the future
To tell the world—to spread around someone's private business
To tempt providence— to take a foolish risk because you are
depending too much on luck
To the core— Ultimately or completely or totally
To the devil— to fail completely
To the last man— with no exception, everyone
To the letter— exactly as instructed
To think light—not take seriously
To throw in the towel—to leave
To throw light on—to clarify something
To tighten one's belt—to be more frugal or to bear hardship
patiently
To touch someone on the raw—to touch someone's weak point
To travel incognito—With one's identity disguised or concealed
To turn one's back on— ignore (someone) by turning away from
them.
To turn one's coat—to change party
To turn the other cheek— to ignore abuse or an insult
To wait for the cat to jump— delay taking action until you see
how events will turn out
To warm the cockles of someone's heart—to make someone
feel warm and happy
To wash dirty linen in the public— to discuss private or
embarrassing matters in public
To wear a long face— you look sad
Toe the line— To follow the lead
Tom, Dick and Harry—everyone, without discrimination; ordinary
people
Too fond of one own choice—does not listen properly to anyone
else
Too many chief and not enough Indians— an inefficient
situation
Too many irons in the hand—to be doing too many things at
once
Took cue from—to use someone else's behavior or reactions as a
guide to one's own
Tooth and nail—with full force
Toss one's hat in the ring— to become a participant in a contest
Tower of strength—a person that you can rely on to help, protect
and comfort you when you are in trouble
Tread on somebody toe—to say or do something which upsets
someone
Tread on the toes— to offend or insult someone
True to their salt—faithful to their employers
Trumped up—overly praised
Try his hand—Attempt to do something
Turn a blind eye—to ignore something and pretend you do not
see it
Turn one's head— To cause to become egotistical and conceited
Turn out crabs— end in failure
Turn over a new leaf— to give fresh start
Turn something to good account— use money, talent profitably
Turn the table—to change the situation
Turn to deaf year—to ignore what someone is saying
Turn turtle—to turn upside down
Turn up one's nose—to reject someone or something
Turn-turtle—over—turn
Two string to his bow— More than one option
U
Ugly customer—a hostile or dangerous person
Under a cloud—suspected of something
Under a rose—secretly
Under cloud—under suspicion
Under one's nose—in front of
Under somebody's thumb—they control you completely
Under the counter—secretly
Under the rose– secretly
Under the thumb—under the influence of
Under the weather—to feel sick
Under the wire—just barely in time or on time
Under your wing—helped and protected by you
Up and Doing— active; busy
Up to mark—to be good enough
Up to one's ears— deeply involved or occupied
Up to one's elbows— very busy
Up to the ears—very busy
Up to the eyes–completely
V
Vanish into thin air— disappear without leaving a trace
Vexed question—much debated

W
Walk tall—be proud and confident
Want a thing badly— need it very much
Warp and woof—a base or foundation
Washed their hands off— to end one's association with someone
or something
Washing one's dirty line in public—to discuss private matter in
public
Watch the world go by—to look at people as they go past
Weak at knees—fell fall down because of sudden emotion
Weal and woe—Good times and bad times
Wear and tear— damage
Wear your heart on your sleeve— to display one's feelings
openly
Well heeled— wealthy, with sufficient money
Well to do— in prosperous circumstances
Well, do not eat me— don't bore me
Went haywire— to go wrong; to mal-function
Went off well—succeed
Wet behind the ears—young and inexperienced
Wet blanket—depressing person who spoils other people's
enjoyment
Wet one's whistle— to have a drink, especially an alcoholic drink
What a business it is— a difficult work
Wheels within wheels—difficult to understand
White Elephant—expensive possession that is a financial burden
to maintain
Whiter than white–honest
Whole bag of tricks—every possibility
Wide off the mark— irrelevant
Wild cat strike—a strike begun by workers spontaneously or
without union approval
Wild goose chase— to futile search
Wild goose chase—A foolish, unprofitable adventure
Will— impossible to reach or catch
Willy- Nilly—without interest
Win his spur— to become popular in the field of politics
Win your laurel— to become popular
With a pinch of salt— with reservations
With bad grace—Out of favor with
With bated breath— with restrained breath due to fear
With bated breath–with restrained breath due to fear
With half an ear—to listen to something without giving it all your
attention
With might and main—with full force
With one voice—unanimously
With open arms—you are extremely happy and pleased to see
them
Without turning a hair — remaining calm
Wolf in sheep's clothing— a dangerous person pretending to be
harmless
Work against the time—to work very fast because you know you
only have a limited period of time to do something
Y
Yeomen service—useful help in need