عبارات اصطلاحی در گویش های مختلف زبان انگلیسی

Complate list Dictionary of English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

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Number of Idioms:		3148
1	A bit much	If something is excessive or annoying, it is a bit much.
2	A chain is no stronger than its weakest link	This means that processes, organisations, etc, are vulnerable because the weakest person or part can always damage or break them.
3	A day late and a dollar short	(USA) If something is a day late and a dollar short, it is too little, too late.
4	A fool and his money are soon parted	This idiom means that people who aren't careful with their money spend it quickly. 'A fool and his money are easily parted' is an alternative form of the idiom.
5	A fool at 40 is a fool forever	If someone hasn't matured by the time they reach forty, they never will.
6	A hitch in your giddy-up	If you have a hitch in your giddy-up, you're not feeling well. ('A hitch in your gittie-up' is also used.)
7	A lick and a promise	If you give something a lick and a promise, you do it hurriedly, most often incompletely, intending to return to it later.
8	A little bird told me	If someone doesn't want to say where they got some information from, they can say that a little bird told them.
9	A little learning is a dangerous thing	A small amount of knowledge can cause people to think they are more expert than they really are.eg. he said he'd done a course on home electrics, but when he tried to mend my table lamp, he fused all the lights! I think a little learning is a dangerous thing
10	A long row to hoe	Something that is a long row to hoe is a difficult task that takes a long time.
11	A lost ball in the high weeds	A lost ball in the high weeds is someone who does not know what they are doing, where they are or how to do something.
12	A OK	If things are A OK, they are absolutely fine.
13	A penny for your thoughts	This idiom is used as a way of asking someone what they are thinking about.
14	A penny saved is a penny earned	This means that we shouldn't spend or waste money, but try to save it.
15	A picture is worth a thousand words	A picture can often get a message across much better than the best verbal description.
16	A poor man's something	Something or someone that can be compared to something or someone else, but is not as good is a poor man's version; a writer who uses lots of puns but isn't very funny would be a poor man's Oscar Wilde.
17	A pretty penny	If something costs a pretty penny, it is very expensive.
18	A problem shared is a problem halved	If you talk about your problems, it will make you feel better.
19	A rising tide lifts all boats	This idiom, coined by John F Kennedy, describes the idea that when an economy is performing well, all people will benefit from it.
20	A rolling stone gathers no moss	People say this to mean that that an ambitious person is more successful than a person not trying to achieve anything. Originally it meant the opposite and was critical of people trying to get ahead.
21	A slice off a cut loaf is never missed	Used colloquially to describe having sexual intercourse with someone who is not a virgin, especially when they are in a relationship. The analogy refers to a loaf of bread; it is not readily apparent, once the end has been removed, exactly how many slices have been taken.('You never miss a slice from a cut loaf' is also used.)
22	A steal	If something is a steal, it costs much less than it is really worth.
23	A still tongue keeps a wise head	Wise people don't talk much.
24	A watched pot never boils	Some things work out in their own time, so being impatient and constantly checking will just make things seem longer.
25	A1	If something is A1, it is the very best or finest.
26	Abide by a decision	If you abide by a decision, you accept it and comply with it, even though you might disagree with it.
27	Abject lesson	(India) An abject lesson serves as a warning to others. (In some varieties of English 'object lesson' is used.)
28	About as useful as a chocolate teapot	Someone or something that is of no practical use is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
29	About face	If someone changes their mind completely, this is an about face. It can be used when companies, governments, etc, change their position on an issue.
30	Above board	If things are done above board, they are carried out in a legal and proper manner.
31	Above par	Better than average or normal
32	Absence makes the heart grow fonder	This idiom means that when people are apart, their love grows stronger.
33	Accident waiting to happen	If something is an accident waiting to happen, there's definitely going to be an accident or it's bound to go wrong. ('Disaster waiting to happen' is also used.)
34	Ace in the hole	An ace in the hole is something other people are not aware of that can be used to your advantage when the time is right.
35	Ace up your sleeve	If you have an ace up your sleeve, you have something that will give you an advantage that other people don't know about.
36	Achilles' heel	A person's weak spot is their Achilles' heel.
37	Acid test	An acid test is something that proves whether something is good, effective, etc, or not.
38	Across the board	If something applies to everybody, it applies across the board.
39	Across the ditch	(NZ) This idiom means on the other side of the Tasman Sea, used to refer to Australia or New Zealand depending on the speaker's location.
40	Across the pond	(UK) This idiom means on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, used to refer to the US or the UK depending on the speaker's location.
41	Act of God	An act of God is something like an earthquake or floods that human beings cannot prevent or control.
42	Act of war	An act of war is a action that is either intended to start a war or that is interpreted as being sufficient cause for a war.
43	Actions speak louder than words	This idiom means that what people actually do is more important than what they say- people can promise things but then fail to deliver.
44	Adam's apple	The Adam's apple is a bulge in the throat, mostly seen in men.
45	Add fuel to the fire	If people add fuel to the fire, they make a bad situation worse.
46	Add insult to injury	When people add insult to injury, they make a bad situation even worse.
47	After your own heart	A person after your own heart thinks the same way as you.
48	Against the clock	If you do something against the clock, you are rushed and have very little time to do it.
49	Against the grain	If doing something goes against the grain, you're unwilling to do it because it contradicts what you believe in, but you have no real choice.
50	Age before beauty	When this idiom is used, it is a way of allowing an older person to do something first, though often in a slightly sarcastic way.
51	Agony aunt	An agony aunt is a newspaper columnist who gives advice to people having problems, especially personal ones.
52	Ahead of the pack	If you are ahead of the pack, you have made more progress than your rivals.
53	Ahead of time	If something happens ahead of time, it happens early or before the set time.
54	Air your dirty laundry in public	If you air your dirty laundry in public, you reveal aspects of your private life that should really remain private, by telling a secret, arguing in public, etc.
55	Albatross around your neck	An albatross around, or round, your neck is a problem resulting from something you did that stops you from being successful.
56	Alike as two peas	If people or things are as alike as two peas, they are identical.
57	Alive and kicking	If something is active and doing well, it is alive and kicking. (It can be used for people too.)
58	All along	If you have known or suspected something all along, then you have felt this from the beginning.
59	All and sundry	This idiom is a way of emphasising 'all', like saying 'each and every one'.
60	All bark and no bite	When someone talks tough but really isn't, they are all bark and no bite.
61	All bets are off	(USA) If all bets are off, then agreements that have been made no longer apply.
62	All dressed up and nowhere to go	You're prepared for something that isn't going to happen.
63	All ears	If someone says they're all ears, they are very interested in hearing about something.
64	All eyes on me	If all eyes are on someone, then everyone is paying attention to them.
65	All fingers and thumbs	If you're all fingers and thumbs, you are too excited or clumsy to do something properly that requires manual dexterity. 'All thumbs' is an alternative form of the idiom.
66	All hat, no cattle	(USA) When someone talks big, but cannot back it up, they are all hat, no cattle.('Big hat, no cattle' is also used.)
67	All heart	Someone who is all heart is very kind and generous.
68	All hell broke loose	When all hell breaks loose, there is chaos, confusion and trouble.
69	All in a day's work	If something is all in a day's work, it is nothing special.
70	All in your head	If something is all in your head, you have imagined it and it is not real.
71	All mod cons	If something has all mod cons, it has all the best and most desirable features. It is an abbreviation of 'modern convenience' that was used in house adverts.
72	All mouth and trousers	(UK) Someone who's all mouth and trousers talks or boasts a lot but doesn't deliver. 'All mouth and no trousers' is also used, though this is a corruption of the original.
73	All my eye and Peggy Martin	(UK) An idiom that appears to have gone out of use but was prevalent in the English north Midlands of Staffordshire, Cheshire and Derbyshire from at least the turn of the 20th century until the early 1950s or so. The idiom's meaning is literally something said or written that is unbelievable, rumor, over embellished, the result of malicious village gossip etc.
74	All of the above	This idiom can be used to mean everything that has been said or written, especially all the choices or possibilities.
75	All over bar the shouting	When something is all over bar the shouting, the outcome is absolutely certain.('All over but the shouting' is also used.)
76	All over the map	(USA) If something like a discussion is all over the map, it doesn't stick to the main topic and goes off on tangents.
77	All over the place	If something is completely disorganised or confused, it is all over the place.
78	All over the shop	If something is completely disorganised or confused, it is all over the shop.
79	All over the show	If something is all over the show, it's in a complete mess.An alternative to 'All over the shop'.
80	All roads lead to Rome	This means that there can be many different ways of doing something.
81	All set	If you're all set, you are ready for something.
82	All sixes	If something is all sixes, it doesn't matter how it's done; it's the same as 'six of one and half a dozen of the other'.
83	All skin and bone	If a person is very underweight, they are all skin and bone, or bones.
84	All square	If something is all square, nobody has an advantage or is ahead of the others.
85	All talk and no trousers	(UK) Someone who is all talk and no trousers, talks about doing big, important things, but doesn't take any action.
86	All that glitters is not gold	This means that appearances can be deceptive and things that look or sound valuable can be worthless. ('All that glistens is not gold' is an alternative.)
87	All the rage	If something's all the rage, it is very popular or fashionable at the moment.
88	All the tea in China	If someone won't do something for all the tea in China, they won't do it no matter how much money they are offered.
89	All your eggs in one basket	If you put all your eggs in one basket, you risk everything at once, instead of trying to spread the risk. (This is often used as a negative imperative- 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket'. 'Have your eggs in one basket' is also used.)
90	All's fair in love and war	This idiom is used to say that where there is conflict, people can be expected to behave in a more vicious way.
91	All's well that ends well	If the end result is good, then everything is good.
92	All-singing, all-dancing	If something's all-singing, all-dancing, it is the latest version with the most up-to-date features.
93	Alter ego	An alter ego is a very close and intimate friend. It is a Latin phrase that literally means 'other self'.
94	Always a bridesmaid, never a bride	If someone is always a bridesmaid, never a bride, they never manage to fulfill their ambition- they get close, but never manage the recognition, etc, they crave.
95	Ambulance chaser	A lawyer who encourages people who have been in accidents or become ill to sue for compensation is an ambulance chaser.
96	Amen	Some use 'Amen' or 'Amen to that' as a way of agreeing with something that has just been said.
97	An apple a day keeps the doctor away	Eating healthy food keeps you healthy.
98	An old flame	An old flame is a person that somebody has had an emotional, usually passionate, relationship with, who is still looked on fondly and with affection.
99	An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure	This expression means that is is better to try to avoid problems in the first place, rather than trying to fix them once they arise.
100	And all that jazz	This idiom means that everything related or similar is included.
101	Angry as a bear	If someone is as angry as a bear, they are very angry.('Angry as a bear with a sore foot' is also used.)
102	Angry as a bull	If someone is as angry as a bull, they are very angry.
103	Answers on a postcard	This idiom can be used to suggest that the answer to something is very obvious or that the person would really like to hear what people think.
104	Ants in your pants	If someone has ants in their pants, they are agitated or excited about something and can't keep still.
105	Any port in a storm	This means that in an emergency any solution will do, even one that would normally be unacceptable.
106	Any Tom, Dick or Harry	If something could be done by any Tom, Dick or Harry, it could be done by absolutely anyone.
107	Apple of your eye	Something or, more often, someone that is very special to you is the 'apple of your' eye.
108	Apple pie order	Everything is in perfect order and tidy if it is in apple pie order.
109	Apples and oranges	Tis used when people compare or describe two totally different things. ('Apples to oranges' is also used.)
110	Apples for apples	An apples for apples comparison is a comparison between related or simialr things. ('Apples to apples' is also used.)
111	Apron strings	A man who is tied to a woman's apron strings is excessively dependent on her, especially when it is his mother's apron strings.
112	Argue the toss	(UK) If you argue the toss, you refuse to accept a decision and argue about it.
113	Arm and a leg	If something costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive.
114	Armchair critic	An armchair critic is someone who offers advice but never shows that they could actually do any better.
115	Armed to the teeth	If people are armed to the teeth, they have lots of weapons.
116	Around the clock	If something is open around the clock, it is open 24 hours a day. For example, an airport is open around the clock.
117	Arrow in the quiver	An arrow in the quiver is a strategy or option that could be used to achieve your objective.
118	As a rule	If you do something as a rule, then you usually do it.
119	As cold as ice	This idiom can be used to describe a person who does not show any emotion.
120	As cold as stone	If something is as cold as stone, it is very cold. If a person is as cold as stone, they are unemotional.
121	As cool as a cucumber	If someone is as cool as a cucumber, they don't get worried by anything.
122	As good as new	If something has been used but is still in extremely good condition, it is as good as new.
123	As mad as a hatter	This simile means that someone is crazy or behaves very strangely. In the past many people who made hats went insane because they had a lot of contact with mercury.
124	As mad as a wrongly shot hog	(USA) If someone is as mad as a wrongly shot hog, they are very angry. (Same as, Angry as a bear or Angry as a bull).
125	As much use as a chocolate fire-guard	A fire-guard is used in front of a fireplace for safety. A chocolate fire-guard is of no use. An alternative to 'As much use as a chocolate teapot'.
126	As much use as a chocolate teapot	Something that is as much use as a chocolate teapot is not useful at all.
127	As much use as a handbrake on a canoe	This idiom is used to describe someone or something as worthless or pointless.
128	As neat as a new pin	This idiom means tidy and clean.
129	As one man	If people do something as one man, then they do it at exactly the same time or in complete agreement.
130	As the actress said to the bishop	(UK) This idiom is used to highlight a sexual reference, deliberate or accidental.
131	As the crow flies	This idiom is used to describe the shortest possible distance between two places.
132	As you sow, so shall you reap	This means that if you do bad things to people, bad things will happen to you, or good things if you do good things.
133	Asleep at the switch	If someone is asleep at the switch, they are not doing their job or taking their responsibilities very carefully. 'Asleep at the wheel' is an alternative.
134	Asleep at the wheel	If someone is asleep at the wheel, they are not doing their job or taking their responsibilities very carefully. 'Asleep at the switch' is an alternative.
135	At a drop of a dime	(USA) If someone will do something at the drop of a dime, they will do it instantly, without hesitation.
136	At a loose end	(UK) If you are at a loose end, you have spare time but don't know what to do with it.
137	At a loss	If you are at a loss, you are unable to understand or comply.
138	At a snail's pace	If something moves at a snail's pace, it moves very slowly.
139	At arm's length	If something is at arm's length, it is a safe distance waway from you.
140	At cross purposes	When people are at cross purposes, they misunderstand each other or have different or opposing objectives.
141	At daggers drawn	If people are at daggers drawn, they are very angry and close to violence.
142	At death's door	If someone looks as if they are at death's door, they look seriously unwell and might actually be dying.
143	At each other's throats	If people are at each other's throats, they are fighting, arguing or competing ruthlessly.
144	At full tilt	If something is at full tilt, it is going or happening as fast or as hard as possible.
145	At large	If a criminal is at large, they have not been found or caught.
146	At loggerheads	If people are at loggerheads, they are arguing and can't agree on anything.
147	At loose ends	(USA) If you are at a loose end, you have spare time but don't know what to do with it.
148	At odds	If you are at odds with someone, you cannot agree with them and argue.
149	At sea	If things are at sea, or all at sea, they are disorganized and chaotic.
150	At the bottom of the totem pole	(USA) If someone is at the bottom of the totem pole, they are unimportant. Opposite is at the top of the totem pole.
151	At the coalface	If you work at the coalface, you deal with the real problems and issues, rather than sitting in a office discussing things in a detached way.
152	At the drop of a hat	If you would do something at the drop of a hat, you'd do it immediately.
153	At the end of the day	This is used to mean 'in conclusion' or 'when all is said and done'.
154	At the end of your rope	(USA) If you are at the end of your rope, you are at the limit of your patience or endurance.
155	At the end of your tether	(UK) If you are at the end of your tether, you are at the limit of your patience or endurance.
156	At the fore	In a leading position
157	At the top of my lungs	If you shout at the top of your lungs, you shout as loudly as you possibly can.
158	At the top of the list	If something is at the top of the list, it is of highest priority, most important, most urgent, or the next in one's line of attention.
159	At the top of your lungs	If you shout at the top of your lungs, you shout as loudly as you possibly can.
160	At the top of your voice	If you talk, shout or sing at the top of your voice, you do it as loudly as you can.
161	At your wit's end	If you're at your wit's end, you really don't know what you should do about something, no matter how hard you think about it.
162	At your wits' end	If you are at your wits' end, you have no idea what to do next and are very frustrated.
163	Average Joe	An average Joe is an ordinary person without anything exceptional about them.
164	Avowed intent	If someone makes a solemn or serious promise publicly to attempt to reach a certain goal, this is their avowed intent.
165	Away with the fairies	If someone is away with the fairies, they don't face reality and have unrealistic expectations of life.
166	Awe inspiring	Something or someone that is awe inspiring amazes people in a slightly frightening but positive way.
167	AWOL	AWOL stands for "Absent Without Leave", or "Absent Without Official Leave". Orignially a military term, it is used when someone has gone missing without telling anyone or asking for permission.
168	Axe to grind	If you have an axe to grind with someone or about something, you have a grievance, a resentment and you want to get revenge or sort it out. In American English, it is 'ax'.
169	Babe in arms	A babe in arms is a very young child, or a person who is very young to be holding a position.
170	Babe in the woods	A babe in the woods is a naive, defenceless, young person.
171	Baby boomer	(USA) A baby boomer is someone born in the years after the end of the Second World War, a period when the population was growing very fast.
172	Back burner	If an issue is on the back burner, it is being given low priority.
173	Back foot	(UK) If you are on your back foot, you are at a disadvantage and forced to be defensive of your position.
174	Back number	Something that's a back number is dated or out of fashion.
175	Back the wrong horse	If you back the wrong horse, you give your support to the losing side in something.
176	Back to back	If things happen back to back, they are directly one after another.
177	Back to square one	If you are back to square one, you have to start from the beginning again.
178	Back to the drawing board	If you have to go back to the drawing board, you have to go back to the beginning and start something again.
179	Back to the salt mine	If someone says they have to go back to the salt mine, they have to return to work.
180	Back to the wall	If you have your back to the wall, you are in a difficult situation with very little room for manoeuvre.
181	Backseat driver	A backseat driver is an annoying person who is fond of giving advice to the person performing a task or doing something, especially when the advice is either wrong or unwelcome.
182	Bad Apple	A person who is bad and makes other bad is a bad apple.
183	Bad blood	If people feel hate because of things that happened in the past, there is bad blood between them.
184	Bad egg	A person who cannot be trusted is a bad egg. Good egg is the opposite.
185	Bad hair day	If you're having a bad hair day, things are not going the way you would like or had planned.
186	Bad mouth	(UK) When you are bad mouthing,you are saying negative things about someone or something.('Bad-mouth' and 'badmouth' are also used.)
187	Bad shape	If something's in bad shape, it's in bad condition. If a person's in bad shape, they are unfit or unhealthy.
188	Bad taste in your mouth	If something leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth, you feel there is something wrong or bad about it.
189	Bad workers always blame their tools	"A bad worker always blames their tools" - If somebody does a job badly or loses in a game and claims that they were let down by their equipment, you can use this to imply that this was not the case.
190	Bag of bones	If someone is a bag of bones, they are very underweight.
191	Bag of nerves	If someone is a bag of nerves, they are very worried or nervous.
192	Baker's dozen	A Baker's dozen is 13 rather than 12.
193	Bald as a coot	A person who is completely bald is as bald as a coot.
194	Ball is in your court	If the ball is in your court, it is up to you to make the next decision or step.
195	Ballpark figure	A ballpark figure is a rough or approximate number (guesstimate) to give a general idea of something, like a rough estimate for a cost, etc.
196	Banana republic	Banana republic is a term used for small countries that are dependent on a single crop or resource and governed badly by a corrupt elite.
197	Banana skin	(UK) A banana skin is something that is an embarrassment or causes problems.
198	Bandit territory	An area or an industry, profession, etc, where rules and laws are ignored or flouted is bandit territory.
199	Baptism of fire	A baptism of fire was a soldier's first experience of shooting. Any unpleasant experience undergone, usually where it is also a learning experience, is a baptism of fire.
200	Bar fly	A bar fly is a person who spends a lot of time drinking in different bars and pubs.
201	Bare your heart	If you bare your heart to someone, you tell them you personal and private feelings. ('Bare your soul' is an alternative form of the idiom.)
202	Barefaced liar	A barefaced liar is one who displays no shame about lying even if they are exposed.
203	Bark is worse than their bite	Someone who's bark is worse than their bite may well get angry and shout, but doesn't take action.
204	Barking up the wrong tree	If you are barking up the wrong tree, it means that you have completely misunderstood something or are totally wrong.
205	Barkus is willing	This idiom means that someone is willing to get married.
206	Barrack-room lawyer	(UK) A barrack-room lawyer is a person who gives opinions on things they are not qualified to speak about.
207	Barrel of laughs	If someone's a barrel of laughs, they are always joking and you find them funny.
208	Basket case	If something is a basket case, it is so bad that it cannot be helped.
209	Bat an eyelid	If someone doesn't bat an eyelid, they don't react or show any emotion when surprised, shocked, etc.
210	Bated breath	If someone says they're waiting with bated breath, they're very excited and find it difficult to be patient.('Baited breath' is a common mistake.)
211	Batten down the hatches	If you batten down the hatches, you prepare for the worst that could happen to you.
212	Battle of nerves	A battle of nerves is a situation where neither side in a conflict or dispute is willing to back down and is waiting for the other side to weaken. ('A war of nerves' is an alternative form.)
213	Be all ears	If you are all ears, you are very eager to hear what someone has to say.
214	Be careful what you wish for	If you get things that you desire, there may be unforeseen and unpleasant consequences.('Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true.' and 'Be careful what you wish for; you may receive it.' are also used.)
215	Be on the pig's back	If you're on the pig's back, you're happy / content / in fine form.
216	Be out in force	If people are out in force, they are present somewhere in large numbers.
217	Be out in left field	(USA) To be out in left field is not to know what's going on. Taken from baseball, when youngsters assign less capable players to the outfield where the ball is less likely to be hit by a young player. In business, one might say, 'Don't ask the new manager; he's out in left field and doesn't know any answers yet.'
218	Be that as it may	Be that as it may is an expression which means that, while you are prepared to accept that there is some truth in what the other person has just said, it's not going to change your opinions in any significant manner.
219	Be true blue	If a person/object/situation is considered to be 'true blue', it is considered genuine.
220	Be up the spout	(UK) If a woman is up the spout, she is pregnant.
221	Bean counter	A bean counter is an accountant.
222	Bear fruit	If something bears fruit, it produces positive results.
223	Bear market	A bear market is a period when investors are pessimistic and expect financial losses so are more likely to sell than to buy shares.
224	Bear the brunt	People who bear the brunt of something endure the worst of something bad.
225	Beard the lion in his own den	If you confront a powerful or dangerous rival on their territory, you are bearding the lion in his own den.
226	Beat about the bush	If someone doesn't say clearly what they mean and try to make it hard to understand, they are beating about (around) the bush.
227	Beat someone to the draw	(USA) If you beat someone to the draw, you do something before they do.
228	Beat swords into ploughshares	If people beat swords into ploughshares, they spend money on humanitarian purposes rather than weapons. (The American English spelling is 'plowshares')
229	Beat the daylights out of someone	If someone beats the daylights out of another person, they hit them repeatedly. ('Knock' can also be used and it can be made even stronger by saying 'the living daylights'.)
230	Beat the rap	If you beat the rap, you escape conviction and punishment for a crime or something you have done wrong.
231	Beat to the punch	If you beat someone to the punch, you act before them and gain an advantage.
232	Beat your brains out	If you beat your brains out, you think hard about something but cannot solve, understand or remember it.
233	Beating a dead horse	(USA) If someone is trying to convince people to do or feel something without any hope of succeeding, they're beating a dead horse. This is used when someone is trying to raise interest in an issue that no-one supports anymore; beating a dead horse will not make it do any more work.
234	Beauty is in the eye of the beholder	Beauty is in the eye of the beholder means that different people will find different things beautiful and that the differences of opinion don't matter greatly.
235	Beauty is only skin deep	This idiom means that appearances can be deceptive and something that seems or looks good may turn out to be bad.
236	Beck and call	Someone who does everything for you, no matter when you ask, is at your beck and call.
237	Bedroom eyes	Someone with bedroom eyes has a sexy look in their eyes.
238	Bee in your bonnet	If someone is very excited about something, they have a bee in their bonnet.
239	Bee's Knees	If something is the bee's knees, it's outstanding or the best in its class.
240	Beeline for	If you make a beeline for a place, you head there directly.
241	Been in the wars	(UK) If someone has been in the wars, they have been hurt or look as if they have been in a struggle.
242	Been there, done that	People say this when they have already experienced what is being discussed.
243	Beer and skittles	(UK) People say that life is not all beer and skittles, meaning that it is not about self-indulgence and pleasure.
244	Before the ink is dry	If people make an agreement or contract and then the situation changes very quickly, it changes before the ink is dry.
245	Before you can say Jack Robinson	The term Jack Robinson represents 'a short amount of time'. When you do something before you can say Jack Robinson, you do it very quickly.
246	Beg the question	In philosophy "to beg the question" is to assume something to be true that has not yet been proved. I have seen the idiom also to mean that a question is crying out to be asked.
247	Beggars can't be choosers	This idiom means that people who are in great need must accept any help that is offered, even if it is not a complete solution to their problems.
248	Behind bars	When someone is behind bars, they are in prison.
249	Behind closed doors	If something happens away from the public eye, it happens behind closed doors.
250	Behind someone's back	If you do something behind someone's back, you do it without telling them.
251	Behind the eight ball	A difficult position from which it is unlikely one can escape.
252	Behind the times	Someone that is behind the times is old-fashioned and has ideas that are regarded as out-dated.
253	Believe in the hereafter	A belief in the hereafter is a belief in the afterlife, or life after death. It is, therefore, associated with religions and the soul's journey to heaven or to hell, whichever way being just deserts for the person based on how they led their life.
254	Bells and whistles	Bells and whistles are attractive features that things like computer programs have, though often a bit unnecessary.
255	Bells on	(USA) To be somewhere with bells on means to arrive there happy and delighted to attend.
256	Belly up	If things go belly up, they go badly wrong.
257	Below par	If something isn't up to standard, or someone isn't feeling or doing very well, they are below par.
258	Below the belt	If someone says something that is cruel or unfair, it is below the belt, like the illegal punches in boxing.
259	Belt and braces	(UK) Someone who wears belt and braces is very cautious and takes no risks.
260	Belt and suspenders	(USA) Someone who wears belt and suspenders is very cautious and takes no risks.
261	Bend over backwards	If someone bends over backwards, they do everything they can to help someone.
262	Bend someone's ear	To bend someone's ear is to talk to someone about something for a long-enough period that it becomes tiresome for the listener.
263	Benjamin of the family	The Benjamin of the family is the youngest child.
264	Beside the point	If something is beside the point, it's not relevant to the matter being discussed or considered.
265	Beside themselves	If people are beside themselves, they are very worried or emotional about something.
266	Beside yourself	If you are beside yourself, you are extremely angry.
267	Best of a bad bunch	The best that could be obtained from a list of options that were not exactly what was required.
268	Best of both worlds	If you have the best of both worlds, you benefit from different things that do not normally go together.
269	Best thing since sliced bread	If something is the best thing since sliced bread, it is excellent. ('The greatest thing since sliced bread' is also used.)
270	Bet your bottom dollar	(USA) If you can bet your bottom dollar on something, you can be absolutely sure about it.
271	Better half	Your better half is your husband or wife.
272	Better late than never	This idiom suggests that doing something late is better than not doing it at all.
273	Better safe than sorry	This idiom is used to recommend being cautious rather than taking a risk.
274	Better than a kick in the teeth	If something is better than a kick in the teeth, it isn't very good, but it is better than nothing.
275	Better than a stick in the eye	If something is better than a stick in the eye, it isn't very good, but it is better than nothing.
276	Better the devil you know	This is the shortened form of the full idiom, 'better the devil you know than the devil you don't', and means that it is often better to deal with someone or something you are familiar with and know, even if they are not ideal, than take a risk with an unknown person or thing.
277	Between a rock and a hard place	If you are caught between a rock and a hard place, you are in a position where you have to choose between unpleasant alternatives, and your choice might cause you problems; you will not be able to satisfy everyone.
278	Between the devil and the deep blue sea	If you are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, you are in a dilemma; a difficult choice.
279	Between you and me and the cat's whiskers	This idiom is used when telling someone something that you want them to keep secret.
280	Beyond a shadow of a doubt	If something's beyond a shadow of a doubt, then absolutely no doubts remain about it.
281	Beyond belief	If people behave in such a way that you find it almost impossible to accept that they actually did it, then you can say that their behaviour was beyond belief.
282	Beyond our ken	If something's beyond your ken, it is beyond your understanding.
283	Beyond the black stump	(AU) An Australian idiom idicating that even if you go as far as you can, the black stump is still a little further.
284	Beyond the pale	If something's beyond the pale, it is too extreme to be acceptable morally or socially.
285	Big Apple	(USA) The Big Apple is New York.
286	Big bucks	If someone is making big bucks, they are making a lot of money.
287	Big cheese	The big cheese is the boss.
288	Big Easy	(USA) The Big Easy is New Orleans, Louisiana
289	Big fish	An important person in a company or an organisation is a big fish.
290	Big fish in a small pond	A big fish in a small pond is an important person in a small place or organisation.
291	Big girl's blouse	A person who is very weak or fussy is a big girl's blouse.
292	Big hitter	A big hitter is someone who commands a lot of respect and is very important in their field.
293	Big nose	If someone has a big nose, it means they are excessively interested in everyone else's business.
294	Big picture	The big picture of something is the overall perspective or objective, not the fine detail.
295	Big time	This can be used to with the meaning 'very much'- if you like something big time, you like it a lot.
296	Bigger fish to fry	If you aren't interested in something because it isn't important to you and there are more important things for you to do, you have bigger fish to fry.
297	Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush	'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' is a proverb meaning that it is better to have something that is certain than take a risk to get more, where you might lose everything.
298	Bird's eye view	If you have a bird's eye view of something, you can see it perfectly clearly.
299	Bird-brain	Someone who has a bird-brain, or is bird-brained, is stupid.
300	Birds and the bees	If a child is taught about the birds and the bees, they are taught about sex.
301	Birds of a feather flock together	This idiom means that people with similar interests will stick together.
302	Birthday suit	If you are in your birthday suit, you are naked.
303	Bit between your teeth	If you take or have the bit between your teeth, you take or have control of a situation. (Bit = piece of metal in a horse's mouth)
304	Bit part	If someone has a small or unimportant role in something, they have a bit part.
305	Bit player	A bit player has a small or unimportant role in something.
306	Bite off more than you can chew	If you bite off more than you can chew, you take on more responsibilities than you can manage. 'Don't bite off more than you can chew' is often used to advise people against agreeing to more than they can handle.
307	Bite someone's head off	If you bite someone's head off, you criticise them angrily.
308	Bite the bullet	If you have to bite the bullet, you have to accept or face something unpleasant because it cannot be avoided.
309	Bite the dust	This is a way of saying that somebody has died, especially if they are killed violently like a soldier in battle.
310	Bite your lip	If you have to bite your lip, you have to make a conscious effort not to react or to keep quiet about something that displeases you.
311	Bite your tongue	If you bite your tongue, you refrain from speaking because it is socially or otherwise better not to.
312	Bits and bobs	Bits and bobs are small, remnant articles and things- the same as 'odds and ends'.
313	Bitter end	If you do something to the bitter end, you do it to the very end, no matter how unsuccessful you are.
314	Bitter pill to swallow	A bitter pill to swallow is something that is hard to accept.
315	Black and blue	This means bruised, either physically or metaphorically.
316	Black and white	When it is very clear who or what is right and wrong, then the situation is black and white.
317	Black as Newgate's knocker	(UK) If things are as black as Newgate's knocker, they are very bad. Newgate was an infamous prison in England, so its door knocker meant trouble.
318	Black hole	If there is a black hole in financial accounts, money has disappeared.
319	Black sheep	Someone who is the black sheep doesn't fit into a group or family because their behaviour or character is not good enough.
320	Blackball	If you vote against allowing someone to be a member of an organisation or group, you are blackballing him or her.
321	Blank cheque	If you are given a blank cheque, you are allowed to use as much money as you need for a project.
322	Bleeding edge	Similar to 'cutting edge', this implies a technology or process that is at the forefront or beyond current practices. However, because it is unproven, it is often dangerous to use (hence the 'bleeding').
323	Bleeding heart	A bleeding heart is a person who is excessively sympathetic towards other people.
324	Bless your pointy little head	This expression is used as to patronise someone, especially when they don't realise that they're not very clever.('Bless your pointes little head' is also used.)
325	Blessing in disguise	If some bad luck or misfortune ultimately results in something positive, it's a blessing in disguise.
326	Blind acceptance	If people accept thing blindly, they accept them without questioning them at all.
327	Blind as a bat	If you are in total darkness and can't see anything at all, you are as blind as a bat.
328	Blind leading the blind	When the blind are leading the blind, the people in charge of something don't know anything more than the people they are in charge of, when they should have greater knowledge.
329	Blink of an eye	If something happens in the blink of an eye, it happens so fast it is almost impossible to notice it.
330	Blood and thunder	An emotional speech or performance is full of blood and thunder.
331	Blood from a turnip	It is impossible to get something from someone if they don't have it, just as you cannot get blood from a turnip.
332	Blood is thicker than water	This idiom means that family relationships are stronger than others.
333	Blood is worth bottling	(AU) If an Australian says to you "Your blood is worth bottling", he/she is complimenting or praising you for doing something or being someone very special.
334	Blood out of a stone	If something is like getting blood out of a stone, it is very difficult indeed.
335	Blood, sweat and tears	If something will take blood, sweat and tears, it will be very difficult and will require a lot of effort and sacrifice.
336	Blow a gasket	If you blow a gasket, you get very angry.
337	Blow by blow	A blow-by-blow description gives every detail in sequence.
338	Blow hot and cold	If you blow hot and cold on an idea, your attitude and opinion keeps changing; one minute you are for it, the next you are against.
339	Blow me down	People say '(well,) blow me down' when you have just told them something surprising, shocking or unexpected. ('Blow me down with a feather' is also used.)
340	Blow off steam	(USA) If you blow off steam, you express your anger or frustration.
341	Blow out of the water	If something, like an idea, is blown out of the water, it is destroyed or defeated comprehensively.
342	Blow smoke	(USA) If people blow smoke, they exaggerate or say things that are not true, usually to make themselves look better.
343	Blow the cobwebs away	If you blow the cobwebs away, you make sweeping changes to something to bring fresh views and ideas in.
344	Blow the whistle	If somebody blows the whistle on a plan, they report it to the authorities.
345	Blow your mind	Something that will blow your mind is something extraordinary that will amaze you beyond explanation.
346	Blow your own horn	If you blow your own horn, you boast about your achievements and abilities. ('Blow your own trumpet' is an alternative form.)
347	Blow your own trumpet	If someone blows their own trumpet, they boast about their talents and achievements. ('Blow your own horn' is an alternative form.)
348	Blow your stack	If you blow your stack, you lose your temper.
349	Blow your top	If someone blows their top, they lose their temper.
350	Blue blood	Someone with blue blood is royalty.
351	Blue-eyed boy	Someone's blue-eyed boy is their favourite person.
352	Bob's your uncle	(UK) This idiom means that something will be successful: Just tell him that I gave you his name and Bob's your uncle- he'll help you.
353	Body politic	A group of people organised under a single government or authority (national or regional) is a body politic.
354	Bold as brass	Someone who is as bold as brass is very confident and not worried about how other people will respond or about being caught.
355	Bolt from the blue	If something happens unexpectedly and suddenly, it is a bolt from the blue.
356	Bone of contention	If there is an issue that always causes tension and arguments, it is a bone of contention.
357	Bone to pick	If you have a bone to pick with someone, you are annoyed about something they have done and want to tell them how you feel.
358	Boot is on the other foot	When the boot's on the other foot, a person who was in a position of weakness is now in a position of strength.
359	Born to the purple	Someone who is born to the purple is born in a royal or aristocratic family. ("Born in the purple" is also used.)
360	Born with a silver spoon in your mouth	If you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you are born into a rich family.
361	Both ends meet	If you make both ends meet, you live off the money you earn and don't go into debt.
362	Bottom line	In accountancy, the bottom line is net income, and is used idiomatically to mean the conclusion.
363	Bounce ideas	If you bounce ideas off someone, you share your ideas with them to know whether they think they would work.
364	Bounce off the walls	If someone's bouncing off the walls, they are very excited about something.
365	Bouquet of orchids	Id someone deserves a bouquet of orchids, they have done something worthy of praise.
366	Box and dice	Box and dice means everything.
367	Box clever	(UK) If you box clever, you use your intelligence to get what you want, even if you have to cheat a bit.
368	Boxing and coxing	If people are boxing and coxing, they are sharing responsibilities so that one of them is working while the other isn't. It can also be used when couples are sharing a house, but their relationship has broken down and when one is at home, the other stays out.
369	Boys in blue	The boys in blue are the police.
370	Brain surgery	If something is not brain surgery, it isn't very complicated or difficult to understand or master.
371	Brass monkey	If it's brass monkey weather, or cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, it is extremely cold.
372	Brass neck	(UK) Someone who has the brass neck to do something has no sense of shame about what they do.
373	Brass tacks	If you get down to brass tacks, you get down to the real business.
374	Bread and butter	Bread and butter issues are ones that affect people directly and in a very important way.
375	Breadwinner	Used to describe the person that earns the most money. For example - She's the breadwinner in the family.
376	Break a leg	This idiom is a way of wishing someone good luck.
377	Break even	If you break even, you don't make any money, but you don't lose any either.
378	Break ground	If you break ground, or break new ground, you make progress, taking things into a new area or going further than anyone has gone before. 'Ground-breaking' is used an adjective.
379	Break the back of the beast	If you break the back of the beast, you accomplish a challenge.
380	Break the ice	When you break the ice, you get over any initial embarrassment or shyness when you meet someone for the first time and start conversing.
381	Break your duck	(UK) If you break your duck, you do something for the first time.
382	Break your heart	If someone upsets you greatly, they break your heart, especially if they end a relationship.
383	Breathe down your neck	If someone follows you or examines what you're doing very closely, they are breathing down your neck.
384	Breathe life into	If you breathe life into something, you give people involved more energy and enthusiasm again. ('Breathe new life' is also used.)
385	Breathe your last	When you breathe your last, you die.
386	Bridge the gap	If you bridge the gap, you make a connection where there is a great difference.
387	Bright and breezy	When someone is cheerful and full of energy, they are bright and breezy.
388	Bright as a button	A person who is as bright as a button is very intelligent or smart.
389	Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed	If someone's bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, they are full of energy and enthusiasm.
390	Brighten up the day	If something brightens up your day, something happens that makes you feel positive and happy all day long.
391	Bring a knife to a gunfight	If someone brings a knife to a gunfight, they are very badly prepared for something.
392	Bring home the bacon	A person who brings home the bacon earns the money that a family live on.
393	Bring on board	To make people embrace the ideas intended by the leader or agree to join a team or project is to bring them on board.
394	Bring someone to book	If somebody is brought to book, they are punished or made to account for something they have done wrong.
395	Bring someone to heel	If you bring someone to heel, you make them obey you.('Call someone to heel' is also used.)
396	Bring the house down	Something that brings the house down is acclaimed and praised vigorously.
397	Bring to the table	If you bring something to the table, you make a contribution or an offer in a discussion or negotiation..
398	Broad church	If an organisation is described as broad church, it is tolerant and accepting of different opinions and ideas.
399	Broad strokes	If something is described or defined with broad stokes, then only an outline is given, without fine details.
400	Broke as a joke and it ain't funny	This idiom in my opinion describes how it's not funny to be without a cent and just uses broke and joke as rhyming words that help explain this idiom a lot better.
401	Broken record	When someone sounds like a broken record, they keep on repeating the same things. ('Stuck record' is also used.)
402	Brown nose	When someone tries to make themselves popular with somebody, usually in a position of authority, especially by flattering them, they are brown nosing.
403	Browned off	To be tired of or fed up with
404	Brownie points	If you try to earn Brownie points with someone, you do things you know will please them.
405	Brush under the carpet	If you brush something under the carpet, you are making an attempt to ignore it, or hide it from others.
406	Buggles' turn	(UK) If it Buggles' turn, someone gets promotion through length of service rather than ability, especially in the British civil service.
407	Bull in a China shop	If someone behaves like a bull in a China shop, they are clumsy when they should be careful.
408	Bull market	A bull market is a period when investors are optimistic and there are expectations that good financial results will continue.
409	Bull session	If you have a bull session, you have an informal group discussion about something.
410	Bull-headed	If you're a bull-headed, you're stubborn or inflexible.
411	Bums on seats	The people who have paid to watch a performance are bums on seats.
412	Bun in the oven	If a woman has a bun in the oven, she is pregnant.
413	Bundle of nerves	Someone who is a bundle of nerves is very worried or nervous.
414	Bur under my saddle	A bur under your saddle is something that annoys you or spurs you into action.('Burr' is an alternative spelling.)
415	Burn rubber	If you burn rubber, you drive very fast to get somewhere.
416	Burn the candle at both ends	Someone who burns the candle at both ends lives life at a hectic pace, doing things which are likely to affect their health badly.
417	Burn the midnight oil	If you stay up very late working or studying, you burn the midnight oil.
418	Burn your bridges	If you burn your bridges, you do something that makes it impossible to go back from the position you have taken.
419	Burn your fingers	If you burn your fingers, you suffer a loss or something unpleasant as the result of something you did, making you less likely to do it again.
420	Burning question	A burning question is something we all want to know about.
421	Burst at the seams	To be filled to or beyond normal capacity: This room will be bursting at the seams when all the guests arrive.
422	Bury the hatchet	If you bury the hatchet, you make peace with someone and stop arguing or fighting.
423	Bury your head in the sand	If someone buries their head in the sand, they ignore something that is obviously wrong.
424	Busman's holiday	A busman's holiday is when you spend your free time doing the same sort of work as you do in your job.
425	Bust my chops	When someone says that they're not going to bust their chops, it means they are not going to work that hard or make much effort.
426	Busted flush	Someone or something that had great potential but ended up a useless failure is a busted flush.
427	Busy as a beaver	If you're as busy as a beaver, you're very busy indeed.
428	Busy as a bee	If you are as busy as a bee, you are very busy indeed.
429	Butt naked	If someone is butt naked, they have no clothes on at all, often when they can be seen.
430	Butt of a joke	If something or someone becomes the butt of a joke it or they are not taken seriously anymore.
431	Butter wouldn't melt in their mouth	If someone looks as if butter wouldn't melt in their mouth, they look very innocent.
432	Butterfingers	Someone who has butterfingers is clumsy and drops things.
433	Butterflies in your stomach	The nervous feeling before something important or stressful is known as butterflies in your stomach.
434	Button your lip	If you button your lip, you keep quiet and don't speak. It is also used as a way of telling someone to shut up.
435	Buy the farm	When somebody has bought the farm, they have died.
436	By a hair's breadth	If a person escapes from some danger by a hair's breadth, they only just managed to avoid it. The breadth is the thickness of a hair, so they probably feel somewhat lucky because the margin between success and what could easily have been failure was so close.
437	By a long chalk	(UK) If you beat somebody by a long chalk, you win easily and comfortably.
438	By a whisker	If you do something by a whisker, you only just manage to do it and come very near indeed to failing.
439	By and large	By and large means usually or generally.
440	By cracky	A term used by rural folks in years past to emphasize a matter of importance or urgency. An example: 'By cracky, you need to get out there in the field with that mule and plow and finish the sod-busting before dark.'
441	By dint of	This means 'as a result of' or 'because of': It would be good to think he'd risen to position of Chief Executive by dint of hard work.
442	By heart	If you learn something by heart, you learn it word for word.
443	By hook or by crook	If you are prepared to do something by hook or by crook, you are willing to do anything, good or bad, to reach your goal.
444	By leaps and bounds	Something that happens by leaps and bounds happens very quickly in big steps.
445	By the back door	If something is started or introduced by the back door, then it is not done openly or by following the proper procedures.
446	By the book	If you do something by the book, you do it exactly as you are supposed to.
447	By the by	This is used as a way of introducing an incidental topic in a conversation or to say that something is irrelevant. ('By the bye' is also used.)
448	By the numbers	If something is done by the numbers, it is done in a mechanical manner without room for creativity.
449	By the same token	If someone applies the same rule to different situations, they judge them by the same token: If things go well, he's full of praise, but, by the same token, when things go wrong he gets furious.
450	By the seat of your pants	If you do something by the seat of your pants, you achieve something, but only by a narrow margin or do something without advance preparation.
451	By the skin of your teeth	If you do something by the skin of your teeth, you only just manage to do it and come very near indeed to failing.
452	By word of mouth	If something becomes known by word of mouth, it gets known by being talked about rather than through publicity or advertising, etc.
453	Cake's not worth the candle	If someone says that the cake's not worth the candle, they mean that the result will not be worth the effort put in to achieve it.
454	Calf lick	A calf lick is the weird parting in your fringe where your hair grows in a different direction, usually to one side.
455	Call a spade a spade	A person who calls a spade a spade is one speaks frankly and makes little or no attempt to conceal their opinions or to spare the feelings of their audience.
456	Call it a day	If you call it a day, you stop doing something for a while, normally at least until the following day.
457	Call on the carpet	If you are called on the carpet, you are summoned for a reprimand by superiors or others in power.
458	Call the dogs off	If someone calls off their dogs, they stop attacking or criticising someone.
459	Call the shots	If you call the shots, you are in charge and tell people what to do.
460	Call the tune	The person who calls the tune makes the important decisions about something.
461	Calm before the storm	A calm time immediately before period of violent activity or argument is the calm before the storm.
462	Can of worms	If an action can create serious problems, it is opening a can of worms.
463	Can't dance and it's too wet to plow	(USA) When you can't dance and it's too wet to plow, you may as well do something because you can't or don't have the opportunity to do anything else.
464	Can't do it for toffee	If you can't so something for toffee, you are incapable of doing something properly or to any sort of standard.
465	Can't hack it	Unable to perform an act, duty, job etc. (example: I have to quit my job as a computer technician; I just can't hack it.)
466	Can't hold a candle	If something can't hold a candle to something else, it is much worse.
467	Can't see the forest for its trees	If someone can't see the forest for its trees, they are too focused on specific details to see the picture as a whole.
468	Canary in a coal mine	(UK) A canary in a coal mine is an early warning of danger.
469	Card up your sleeve	If you have a card up your sleeve, you have a surprise plan or idea that you are keeping back until the time is right.
470	Carpetbagger	A carpetbagger is an opportunist without any scruples or ethics, or a politican who wants to represent a place they have no connection with.
471	Carrot and stick	If someone offers a carrot and stick, they offer an incentive to do something combined with the threat of punishment.
472	Carry the can	If you carry the can, you take the blame for something, even though you didn't do it or are only partly at fault.
473	Carry the day	If something carries the day, it wins a battle (the sense is that the battle has been long and could have gone either way) or competition for supremacy.
474	Case by case	If things are done case by case, each situation or issue is handled separately on its own merits and demerits.
475	Case in point	Meaning an instance of something has just occurred that was previously discussed. For instance, a person may have told another that something always happens. Later that day, they see it happening, and the informer might say, 'case in point'.
476	Cash cow	A product, business, etc, that generates a continuous flow of money or a high proportion of overall profits is a cash cow.
477	Cash in your chips	If you cash in your chips, you sell something to get what profit you can because you think its value is going to fall. It can also mean 'to die'.
478	Cast a long shadow	Something or someone that casts a long shadow has considerable influence on other people or events.
479	Cast aspersion	If you cast aspersion, you try to blacken someone's name and make people think badly of them.
480	Cast doubt on	If you make other people not sure about a matter, then you have cast doubt on it.
481	Cast iron stomach	A person with a cast iron stomach can eat or drink anything without any ill effects.
482	Cast pearls before swine	If you cast pearls before swine, you offer something of value to someone who doesn't appreciate it- 'swine' are 'pigs'.
483	Cast sheep's eyes at	If you cast sheep's eyes at at someone, you look lovingly or with longing at them.
484	Cast your mind back	If somebody tells you to cast your mind back on something, they want you to think about something that happened in the past, but which you might not remember very well, and to try to remember as much as possible.
485	Cast your net widely	If you cast your net widely, you use a wide range of sources when trying to find something.
486	Casting vote	The casting vote is a vote given to a chairman or president that is used when there is a deadlock.
487	Castles in the air	Plans that are impractical and will never work out are castles in the air.
488	Cat among the pigeons	If something or someone puts, or sets or lets, the cat among the pigeons, they create a disturbance and cause trouble.
489	Cat and dog life	If people lead a cat and dog life, they are always arguing.
490	Cat burglar	A cat burglar is a skillful thief who breaks into places without disturbing people or setting off alarms.
491	Cat fur and kitty britches	(USA) When I used to ask my grandma what was for dinner, she would say 'cat fur and kitty britches'. This was her Ozark way of telling me that I would get what she cooked. (Ozark is a region in the center of the United States)
492	Cat got your tongue?	If someone asks if the cat has got your tongue, they want to know why you are not speaking when they think you should.
493	Cat nap	If you have a short sleep during the day, you are cat napping.
494	Cat's lick	(Scot) A cat's lick is a very quick wash.
495	Cat's pajamas	(USA) Something that is the cat's pajamas is excellent.
496	Cat's whiskers	Something excellent is the cat's whiskers.
497	Catch as catch can	This means that people should try to get something any way they can.
498	Catch hell	If you catch hell, you get into trouble or get scolded. ('Catch heck' is also used.)
499	Catch some z's	If you catch some z's, you get some sleep.
500	Catch someone red-handed	If someone is caught red-handed, they are found doing something wrong or illegal.
501	Catch-22	Catch-22 is a situation where conflicting rules make the desired outcome impossible. It comes from a novel by the American author Joseph Heller, in which pilots would not have to fly missions if they were mentally ill, but not wanting to fly dangerous missions was held to be proof of sanity, so they had to fly anyway. ('Catch 22', without the hyphen, is also used.)
502	Caught with your hand in the cookie jar	(USA) If someone is caught with his or her hand in the cookie jar, he or she is caught doing something wrong.
503	Chalk and cheese	Things, or people, that are like chalk and cheese are very different and have nothing in common.
504	Champ at the bit	If someone is champing at the bit, they are very eager to accomplish something. ('Chomping at the bit' is also used.)
505	Champagne taste on a beer budget	Someone who lives above their means and likes things they cannot afford has champagne taste on a beer budget.
506	Change horses in midstream	If people change horses in midstream, they change plans or leaders when they are in the middle of something, even though it may be very risky to do so.
507	Change of heart	If you change the way you think or feel about something, you have a change of heart.
508	Change tack	If you change tack, you use a different method for dealing with something.
509	Change your tune	If someone changes their ideas or the way they talk about them, they change their tune.
510	Chaps my ass	When something/someone really annoys you, it chaps your ass.
511	Chapter and verse	When you know something very well, and can quote it, you know it chapter and verse.
512	Charity begins at home	This idiom means that family members are more important than anyone else, and should be the focus of a person's efforts.
513	Chase rainbows	If someone chases rainbows, they try to do something that they will never achieve.
514	Chase your tail	If you are chasing your tail, you are very busy but not being very productive.
515	Cheap as chips	(UK) If something is very inexpensive, it is as cheap as chips.
516	Cheap at half the price	If something's cheap at half the price, it's very cheap indeed.
517	Cheap shot	A cheap shot is an unprincipled criticism.
518	Cheat death	If someone cheats death, they narrowly avoid a major problem or accident.
519	Cheek by jowl	If things or people are cheek by jowl, they are very close together.
520	Cherry pick	If people cherry pick, they choose things that support their position, while ignoring things that contradict it.
521	Chew on a bone	If someone is chewing on a bone, he or she is thinking about something intently.
522	Chew the cud	If you chew the cud, you think carefully about something.
523	Chew the fat	If you chew the fat with someone, you talk at leisure with them.
524	Chickenfeed	If something is small or unimportant, especially money, it is chickenfeed.
525	Child's play	If something is child's play, it is very easy and simple.
526	Chinese walls	Chinese walls are regulatory information barriers that aim to stop the flow of information that could be misused, especially in financial corporations.
527	Chinese whispers	(UK) When a story is told from person to person, especially if it is gossip or scandal, it inevitably gets distorted and exaggerated. This process is called Chinese whispers.
528	Chip off the old block	If someone is a chip off the old block, they closely resemble one or both of the parents in character.
529	Chip on your shoulder	If someone has a chip on their shoulder, they are resentful about something and feel that they have been treated badly.
530	Chop and change	If things chop and change, they keep changing, often unexpectedly.
531	Cigarette paper	If you cannot get or put a cigarette paper between people, they are so closely bonded that nothing will separate them or their positions on issues.
532	Circle the wagons	(USA) If you circle the wagons, you stop communicating with people who don't think the same way as you to avoid their ideas. It can also mean to bring everyone together to defend a group against an attack.
533	Circling the drain	If someone is circling the drain, they are very near death and have little time to live. The phrase can also describe a project or plan or campaign that that is on the brink of failure.
534	Class act	Someone who's a class act is exceptional in what they do.
535	Clean as a whistle	If something is as clean as a whistle, it is extremely clean, spotless. It can also be used to mean 'completely', though this meaning is less common nowadays. If somebody is clean as a whistle, they are not involved in anything illegal.
536	Clean bill of health	If something or someone has a clean bill of health, then there's nothing wrong; everything's fine.
537	Clean break	If you make a clean break, you break away completely from something.
538	Clean hands	Someone with clean hands, or who keeps their hands clean, is not involved in illegal or immoral activities.
539	Clean sheet	When someone has a clean sheet, they have got no criminal record or problems affecting their reputation. In football and other sports, a goalkeeper has a clean sheet when let no goals in.
540	Clean slate	If you start something with a clean slate, then nothing bad from your past is taken into account.
541	Clean sweep	If someone makes a clean sweep, they win absolutely everything in a competition or contest.
542	Clean your clock	If you clean your clock, you beat someone decisively in a contest or fight.
543	Clear as a bell	If something is as clear as a bell, it is very clear or easy to understand.
544	Clear as mud	If something is as clear as mud, then it is very confusing and unclear.
545	Cliffhanger	If something like a sports match or an election is a cliffhanger, then the result is so close that it cannot be predicted and will only be known at the very end.
546	Climb on the bandwagon	When people climb on the bandwagon they do something because it is popular and everyone else is doing it.
547	Climb the greasy pole	Advance within an organisation - especially in politics.
548	Cling to hope	If people cling to hope, they continue to hope though the chances of success are very small.
549	Close at hand	If something is close at hand, it is nearby or conveniently located.
550	Close but no cigar	(USA) If you are close but no cigar, you are close to success, but have not got there.
551	Close call	If the result of something is a close call, it is almost impossible to distinguish between the parties involved and to say who has won or whatever. It can also mean that you very nearly have a serious accident or get into trouble.
552	Close shave	If you have a close shave, you very nearly have a serious accident or get into trouble.
553	Close the stable door after the horse has bolted	If people try to fix something after the problem has occurred, they are trying to close the stable door after the horse has bolted. 'Close the barn door after the horse has bolted' is alternative, often used in American English.
554	Close to your heart	If something is close to your heart, you care a lot about it. ('Dear to your heart' is an alternative.)
555	Closed book to me	If a subject is a closed book to you, it is something that you don't understand or know anything about.
556	Cloth ears	If you don't listen to people, they may suggest you have cloth ears.
557	Cloud cuckoo land	If someone has ideas or plans that are completely unrealistic, they are living on cloud cuckoo land.
558	Cloud nine	If you are on cloud nine, you are extremely happy. ('cloud seven' is a less common alternative)
559	Cloud of suspicion	If a cloud of suspicion hangs over an individual, it means that they are not believed or are distrusted.
560	Cloud on the horizon	If you can see a problem ahead, you can call it a cloud on the horizon.
561	Clutch at straws	If someone is in serious trouble and tries anything to help them, even though their chances of success are probably nil, they are clutching at straws.
562	Clutch play	If an activity is referred to as a clutch play, it means that the activity was the key to the success or failure of the venture. For instance, a clutch play in a baseball game may be striking out a batter with the bases loaded.
563	Coals to Newcastle	(UK) Taking, bringing, or carrying coals to Newcastle is doing something that is completely unnecessary.
564	Coast is clear	When the coast is clear, the people supposed to be watching you are not there and you are able to move or leave.
565	Cock a snook	To make a rude gesture by putting one thumb to the nose with the fingers outstretched.
566	Cock and bull story	A cock and bull story is a lie someone tells that is completely unbelievable.
567	Cock in the henhouse	This is used to describe a male in an all-female environment.
568	Cock of the walk	A man who is excessively confident and thinks he's better than other people is the cock of the walk.
569	Cold day in hell	This is used as a prediction there is no chance some event or condition will ever happen.'There will be a cold day in hell before he manages it.'
570	Cold feet	If you get cold feet about something, you lose the courage to do it.
571	Cold fish	A cold fish is a person who doesn't show how they feel.
572	Cold light of day	If you see things in the cold light of day, you see them as they really are, not as you might want them to be.
573	Cold shoulder	If you give or show someone the cold shoulder, you are deliberately unfriendly and unco-operative towards them.
574	Cold sweat	If something brings you out in a cold sweat, it frightens you a lot.
575	Cold turkey	If someone suddenly stops taking drugs, instead of slowly cutting down, they do cold turkey.
576	Colder than a witches tit	If it is colder than a witches tit, it is extremely cold outside.
577	Collateral damage	Accidental or unintended damage or casualties are collateral damage.
578	Collect dust	If something is collecting dust, it isn't being used any more.
579	Color bar	Rules that restrict access on the basis of race or ethnicity are a color bar.
580	Come a cropper	(UK) Someone whose actions or lifestyle will inevitably result in trouble is going to come a cropper.
581	Come clean	If someone comes clean about something, they admit to deceit or wrongdoing.
582	Come hell or high water	If someone says they'll do something come hell or high water, they mean that nothing will stop them, no matter what happens.
583	Come of age	When something comes of age it develops completely and reaches maturity. When someone comes of age, they reach adulthood or fulfill their potential.
584	Come on hard	If you come on hard, you are aggressive in your dealing with someone.
585	Come on the heels of	If something comes on the heels of something, it follows very soon after it.
586	Come out in the wash	If something will come out in the wash, it won't have any permanent negative effect.
587	Come out of the woodwork	When things come out of the woodwork, they appear unexpectedly. ('Crawl out of the woodwork' is also used.)
588	Come out of your shell	If someone comes out of their shell, they stop being shy and withdrawn and become more friendly and sociable.
589	Come rain or shine	If I say I'll be at a place come rain or shine, I mean that I can be relied on to turn up; nothing, not even the vagaries of British weather, will deter me or stop me from being there.
590	Come to a head	If events reach a crisis point, they come to a head.
591	Come to bear	If something comes to bear on you, you start to feel the pressure or effect of it.
592	Come to call	If someone comes to call, they respond to an order or summons directly.
593	Come to grips	If you come to grips with a problem or issue, you face up to it and deal with it.
594	Come to heel	If someone comes to heel, they stop behaving in a way that is annoying to someone in authority and start being obedient.
595	Come up roses	If things come up roses, they produce a positive result, especially when things seemed to be going badly at first.
596	Come up smelling of roses	(UK) If someone comes up smelling of roses, they emerge from a situation with their reputation undamaged.
597	Come up trumps	When someone is said to have 'come up trumps', they have completed an activity successfully or produced a good result, especially when they were not expected to.
598	Come what may	If you're prepared to do something come what may, it means that nothing will stop or distract you, no matter how hard or difficult it becomes.
599	Come with the territory	If something comes with the territory, it is part of a job or responsibility and just has to be accepted, even if unpleasant.
600	Comes with the territory	If something comes with the territory, especially when undesirable, it is automatically included with something else, like a job, responsibility, etc.('Goes with the territory' is also used.)
601	Comfort zone	It is the temperature range in which the body doesn't shiver or sweat, but has an idiomatic sense of a place where people feel comfortable, where they can avoid the worries of the world. It can be physical or mental.
602	Connect the dots	When you connect the dots, you understand the connections and relationships.
603	Constitution of an ox	If someone has the constitution of an ox, they are less affected than most people by things like tiredness, illness, alcohol, etc.
604	Cook someone's goose	If you cook someone's goose, you ruin their plans.
605	Cook the books	If people cook the books, they keep false accounts to make money illegally or avoid paying tax.
606	Cook up a storm	If someone cooks up a storm, they cause a big fuss or generate a lot of talk about something.
607	Cool as a cat	To act fine when you a actually scared or nervous
608	Cool your heels	If you leave someone to cool their heels, you make them wait until they have calmed down.
609	Coon's age	(USA) A very long time, as in 'I haven't seen her in a coon's age!'
610	Corner a market	If a business is dominant in an area and unlikely to be challenged by other companies, it has cornered the market.
611	Couch potato	A couch potato is an extremely idle or lazy person who chooses to spend most of their leisure time horizontal in front of the TV and eats a diet that is mainly junk food.
612	Could eat a horse	If you are very hungry, you could eat a horse.
613	Couldn't give two hoots	If you couldn't give two hoots about something, you don't care at all about it.
614	Count sheep	If people cannot sleep, they are advised to count sheep mentally.
615	Count your blessings	When people count their blessings, they concentrate on all the good things in their lives instead of the negative ones.
616	Country mile	(USA) A country mile is used to describe a long distance.
617	Cover all the bases	If you cover all the bases, you deal with all aspects of a situation or issue, or anticipate all possibilities. ('Cover all bases' is also used.)
618	Crack a nut with a sledgehammer	If you use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, you apply too much force to achieve a result. ('Jackhammer' is also used.)
619	Crash a party	If you crash a party, or are a gatecrasher, you go somewhere you haven't been invited to.
620	Cream of the crop	The cream of the crop is the best there is.
621	Cream rises to the top	A good person or idea cannot go unnoticed for long, just as cream poured in coffee or tea eventually rises to the top.
622	Creature comforts	If a person said "I hate camping. I don't like giving up my creature comforts." the person would be referring, in particular, to the comfortable things he/she would have at home but not when camping. At home, for example, he/she would have complete shelter from the weather, a television, a nice comfortable warm bed, the ability to take a warm bath or shower, comfortable lounge chairs to relax in and so on. The person doesn't like giving up the material and psychological benefits of his/her normal life.
623	Cr�me de la cr�me	The cr�me de la cr�me is the very best of something.
624	Crocodile tears	If someone cries crocodile tears, they pretend to be upset or affected by something.
625	Crooked as a dog's hind leg	Someone who is very dishonest is as crooked as a dog's hind leg.
626	Cross swords	When people cross swords, they argue or dispute. This expression is used when some groups accuse each other for non-adherence to norms. Actually no sword is used but the tempo of the argument is high enough to cause worsening of the already bad situation. It is a tussle (vehement struggle without use of arms) between the parties to establish supremacy.
627	Cross that bridge when you come to it	If you will cross that bridge when you come to it, you will deal with a problem when it arises, but not until that point
628	Cross to bear	If someone has a cross to bear, they have a heavy burden of responsibility or a problem that they alone must cope with.
629	Crossing the Rubicon	When you are crossing the Rubicon, you are passing a point of no return. After you do this thing, there is no way of turning around. The only way left is forward.
630	Crunch time	When people, companies, etc, have to make an important decision that will have a considerable effect on their future, it is crunch time.
631	Cry wolf	If someone cries wolf, they raise a false alarm about something.
632	Cry your eyes out	If you cry your eyes out, you cry uncontrollably.
633	Cry-baby	A cry-baby is a person who gets emotional and cries too easily.
634	Cuckoo in the nest	Is an issue or a problem, etc, is a cuckoo in the nest, it grows quickly and crowds out everything else.
635	Cupboard love	(UK) To show love to gain something from someone
636	Curate's egg	(UK) If something is a bit of a curate's egg, it is only good in parts.
637	Curiosity killed the cat	As cats are naturally curious animals, we use this expression to suggest to people that excessive curiosity is not necessarily a good thing, especially where it is not their business.
638	Curry favour	If people try to curry favour, they try to get people to support them. ('Curry favor' is the American spelling.)
639	Curve ball	(USA) If something is a curve ball, it is deceptive.
640	Cut a long story short	This idiom is used as a way of shortening a story by getting to to the end or the point.
641	Cut a rug	To cut a rug is to dance.
642	Cut above	If a person is described as a cut above other people, they are better in some way.
643	Cut and dried	If something is cut and dried, then everything has already been decided and, in the case of an opinion, might be a little stale and predictable.
644	Cut and run	If people cut and run, they take what they can get and leave before they lose everything.
645	Cut corners	If people try to do something as cheaply or as quickly as possible, often sacrificing quality, they are cutting corners.
646	Cut down the tall poppies	(AU) If people cut down the tall poppies, they criticise people who stand out from the crowd.
647	Cut it fine	If you cut it fine, you only just manage to do something- at the very last moment. 'Cut things fine' is the same. 'Cut it a bit fine' is a common variation.
648	Cut off your nose to spite your face	If you cut off your nose to spite your face, you do something rash or silly that ends up making things worse for you, often because you are angry or upset.
649	Cut someone some slack	To relax a rule or make an allowance, as in allowing someone more time to finish something.
650	Cut the Gordian knot	If someone cuts the Gordian knot, they solve a very complex problem in a simple way.
651	Cut the mustard	(UK) If somebody or something doesn't cut the mustard, they fail or it fails to reach the required standard.
652	Cut to the chase	If you cut to the chase, you get to the point, or the most interesting or important part of something without delay.
653	Cut to the quick	If someone's cut to the quick by something, they are very hurt and upset indeed.
654	Cut your coat according to your cloth	If you cut your coat according to your cloth, you only buy things that you have sufficient money to pay for.
655	Cut your losses	If you cut your losses, you avoid losing any more money than you already have by getting out of a situation before matters worsen.
656	Cut your teeth on	The place where you gain your early experience is where you cut your teeth.
657	Cute as a bug	(USA) If something is as cute as a bug, it is sweet and endearing.
658	Cuts no ice	If something cuts no ice, it doesn't have any effect or influence.
659	Cutting edge	Something that is cutting edge is at the forefront of progress in its area.
660	Daft as a brush	(UK) Someone who is daft as a brush is rather stupid.
661	Damp squib	(UK) If something is expected to have a great effect or impact but doesn't, it is a damp squib.
662	Dancing on someone's grave	If you will dance on someone's grave, you will outlive or outlast them and will celebrate their demise.
663	Dark horse	If someone is a dark horse, they are a bit of a mystery.
664	Davey Jones' locker	Davey Jones' locker is the bottom of the sea or resting place of drowned sailors.('Davy Jones' locker' is an alternative spelling.)
665	Day in the sun	If you have your day in the sun, you get attention and are appreciated.
666	Daylight robbery	If you are overcharged or underpaid, it is a daylight robbery; open, unfair and hard to prevent. Rip-off has a similar meaning.
667	Days are numbered	When someone�s days are numbered, they are expected to die soon.
668	Dead air	When there is a period of total silence, there is dead air.
669	Dead and buried	If something is dead and buried, it has all long been settled and is not going to be reconsidered.
670	Dead as a dodo	If something's dead as a dodo, it is lifeless and dull. The dodo was a bird that lived the island of Mauritius. It couldn't fly and was hunted to extinction.
671	Dead as a doornail	This is used to indicate that something is lifeless.
672	Dead duck	If something is a dead duck, it is a failure.
673	Dead even	If people competing are dead even, they are at exactly the same stage or moving at exactly the same speed.
674	Dead from the neck up	Someone who's dead from the neck up is very stupid indeed.
675	Dead heat	If a race ends in a dead heat, two or more finish with exactly the same result.
676	Dead in the water	If something is dead in the water, it isn't going anywhere or making any progress.
677	Dead level best	If you try your dead level best, you try as hard as you possibly could to do something.
678	Dead man walking	A dead man walking is someone who is in great trouble and will certainly get punished, lose their job or position, etc, soon.
679	Dead meat	This is used as a way of threatening someone: You'll be dead meat if you don't go along.
680	Dead men's shoes	If promotion or success requires replacing somebody, then it can only be reached by dead men's shoes' by getting rid of them.
681	Dead right	This means that something or someone is absolutely correct, without doubt.
682	Dead to the world	If somebody's fast asleep and completely unaware of what if happening around them, he or she's dead to the world.
683	Dead wrong	If someone is dead wrong, they are absolutely in error, absolutely incorrect or of incorrect opinion.
684	Deaf as a post	Someone who is as deaf as a post is unable to hear at all.
685	Dear John letter	A letter written by a partner explaining why they are ending the relationship is a Dear John letter.
686	Death of a thousand cuts	If something is suffering the death of a thousand cuts, or death by a thousand cuts, lots of small bad things are happening, none of which are fatal in themselves, but which add up to a slow and painful demise.
687	Death warmed up	(UK) If someone looks like death warmed up, they look very ill indeed. ('death warmed over' is the American form)
688	Decorate the mahogany	(USA) When someone buys a round a pub or bar, they decorate the mahogany; putting cash on the bar.
689	Deep pockets	If someone has deep pockets, they are wealthy.
690	Deep pockets but short arms	Someone who has money but never puts his hand in his pocket to pay for anything has deep pockets but short arms.
691	Deer in the headlights	When one is caught offguard and needs to make a decision, but cannot react quickly.
692	Deliver the goods	Do what is required, come up to expectations. For example, Kate delivered the goods and got us the five votes we needed. This phrase alludes to delivering an order of groceries or other items. [Colloquial; second half of 1800s]
693	Demon weed	Tobacco is the demon weed.
694	Derring-do	If a person shows derring-do, they show great courage.
695	Devil finds work for idle hands	When people say that the devil finds work for idle hands, they mean that if people don't have anything to do with their time, they are more likely to get involved in trouble and criminality.
696	Devil is in the detail	When people say that the devil in the detail, they mean that small things in plans and schemes that are often overlooked can cause serious problems later on.
697	Devil may care	If you live a devil-may-care life it means you are willing to take more risks than most people.
698	Devil's advocate	If someone plays Devil's advocate in an argument, they adopt a position they don't believe in just for the sake of the argument
699	Diamond in the rough	A diamond in the rough is someone or something that has great potential, but isn't not refined and polished.
700	Die is cast	If the die is cast, a decision has been made that cannot be altered and fate will decide the consequences.
701	Different kettle of fish	If something is a different kettle of fish, it is very different from the other things referenced.
702	Different ropes for different folks	(USA) This idiom means that different people do things in different ways that suit them.
703	Different strokes for different folks	(USA) This idiom means that different people do things in different ways that suit them.
704	Dig way down deep	When someone digs way down deep, they look into their inner feelings to see how they feel about it.
705	Dig your heels in	If you dig your heels in, you start to resist something.
706	Dime a dozen	(USA) If something is a dime a dozen, it is extremely common, possibly too common.
707	Dine on ashes	I someone is dining on ashes he or she is excessively focusing attention on failures or regrets for past actions.
708	Dinosaur	A dinosaur is a person who is thought to be too old for their position.
709	Dip your toes in the water	If you dip your toes in the water, you try something tentatively because you are not sure whether it will work or not.
710	Dirty dog	A dirty dog is an untrustworthy person.
711	Discerning eye	If a person has a discerning eye, they are particularly good at judging the quality of something.
712	Discretion is the better part of valour	This idiom means that it is often better to think carefully and not act than to do something that may cause problems.
713	Dish the dirt	If you dish the dirt on something or someone, you make unpleasant or shocking information public.
714	Do a Devon Loch	(UK) If someone does a Devon Loch, they fail when they were very close to winning. Devon Loch was a horse that collapsed just short of the winning line of the Grand National race.
715	Do a Lord Lucan	(UK) If someone disappears without a trace or runs off, they do a Lord Lucan. (Lord Lucan disappeared after a murder)
716	Do a runner	(UK) If people leave a restaurant without paying, they do a runner.
717	Do as you would be done by	Treat and respect others as you would hope to be respected and treated by them.
718	Do the needful	(India) If you do the needful, you do what is necessary.
719	Do the running	(UK) The person who has to do the running has to make sure that things get done. ('Make the running' is also used.)
720	Do their dirty work	Someone who does someone's dirty work, carries out the unpleasant jobs that the first person doesn't want to do. Someone who seems to enjoy doing this is sometimes known as a 'henchman'.
721	Do's and don't's	The do's and don't's are what is acceptable or allowed or not within an area or issue, etc.
722	Dodge the bullet	If someone has dodged a bullet, they have successfully avoided a very serious problem.
723	Dog and pony show	(USA) A dog and pony show is a presentation or some marketing that has lots of style, but no real content.
724	Dog days	Dog days are very hot summer days.
725	Dog eat dog	In a dog eat dog world, there is intense competition and rivalry, where everybody thinks only of himself or herself.
726	Dog in the manger	(UK) If someone acts like a dog in the manger, they don't want other people to have or enjoy things that are useless to them.
727	Dog tired	If you are dog tired, you are exhausted.
728	Dog's dinner	Something that is a dog's dinner is a real mess.
729	Dog's life	If some has a dog's life, they have a very unfortunate and wretched life.
730	Dog-eared	If a book is dog-eared, it is in bad condition, with torn pages, etc.
731	Dog-whistle politics	(AU) When political parties have policies that will appeal to racists while not being overtly racist, they are indulging in dog-whistle politics.
732	Doggy bag	If you ask for a doggy bag in a restaurant, they will pack the food you haven't eaten for you to take home.
733	Doldrums	If a person is in the doldrums, they are depressed. If a project or something similar is in the doldrums, it isn't making any progress.
734	Dollars for doughnuts	(USA) If something is dollars for doughnuts, it is a sure bet or certainty.
735	Don't bite the hand that feeds	When someone says this to you, they are trying to tell you not to act against those on whom you depend.
736	Don't catch your chickens before they're hatched	This means that you should wait until you know whether something has produced the results you desire, rather than acting beforehand. ('Don't count your chickens until they've hatched' is an alternative.)
737	Don't cry over spilt milk	When something bad happens and nothing can be done to help it people say, 'Don't cry over spilt milk'.
738	Don't give up the day job	This idiom is used a way of telling something that they do something badly.
739	Don't hold your breath	If you are told not to hold your breath, it means that you shouldn't have high expectations about something.
740	Don't judge a book by the cover	This idiom means that you should not judge something or someone by appearances, but should look deeper at what is inside and more important.
741	Don't know whether to wind a watch or bark at the moon	If you don't know what to do, you don't know whether to wind a watch or bark at the moon.
742	Don't look a gift horse in the mouth	This means that if you are given something, a present or a chance, you should not waste it by being too critical or examining it too closely.
743	Don't mention the war	This means that you shouldn't speak about things that could cause an argument or tension.This idiom was used in a classic episode of the much-loved British comedy series Fawlty Towers. As a consequence if you use this phrase in Britain, listeners will understand you to be referring to Germans, or just start laughing.
744	Don't push my buttons!	This can be said to someone who is starting to annoy you.
745	Don't stand there with curlers in your hair	This means 'don't keep me waiting'. It's said to someone who is taking too long to get moving.
746	Don't sweat the small stuff	(USA) This is used to tell people not to worry about trivial or unimportant issues.
747	Don't take any wooden nickels	(USA) This idiom is used to advise people not to be cheated or ripped off.
748	Don't throw bricks when you live in a glass house	Don't call others out on actions that you, yourself do. Don't be a hypocrite.
749	Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you	Don't go looking for trouble or problems- let them come to you.
750	Don't upset the applecart	If you are advised not to upset the applecart, you are being told not to disturb the way things are done because it might ruin things.
751	Don't wash your dirty laundry in public	(UK) People, especially couples, who argue in front of others or involve others in their personal problems and crises, are said to be washing their dirty laundry in public; making public things that are best left private. (In American English, 'don't air your dirty laundry in public' is used.)
752	Done to death	If a joke or story has been done to death, it has been told so often that it has stopped being funny.
753	Donkey work	Donkey work is any hard, boring work or task.
754	Donkey's years	This idiom means 'a very long time'.
755	Doormat	A person who doesn't stand up for themselves and gets treated badly is a doormat.
756	Dot all the i's and cross all the t's	If you dot all the i's and cross all the t's, you do something very carefully and thoroughly.
757	Double Dutch	(UK) If something is double Dutch, it is completely incomprehensible.
758	Double take	If someone does a double take, they react very slowly to something to show how shocked or surprised they are.
759	Double whammy	A double whammy is when something causes two problems at the same time, or when two setbacks occur at the same time.
760	Double-edged sword	If someone uses an argument that could both help them and harm them, then they are using a double-edged sword sword; it cuts both ways.
761	Doubting Thomas	A Doubting Thomas is someone who only believes what they see themselves, not what they are told.
762	Down and out	If someone is down and out, they are desperately poor and need help.
763	Down at heel	Someone who is down at heel is short of money. ('Down in heel' is used in American English)
764	Down for the count	If someone is down for the count, they have lost a struggle, like a boxer who has been knocked out.
765	Down in the doldrums	If somebody's down in the doldrums, they are depressed and lacking energy.
766	Down in the dumps	If someone's down in the dumps, they are depressed.
767	Down in the mouth	If someone is down in the mouth, they look unhappy or depressed.
768	Down the drain	If something goes down the drain, especially money or work, it is wasted or produces no results.
769	Down the hatch	This idiom can be said before drinking alcohol in company.
770	Down the pan	If something has gone down the pan, it has failed or been ruined.
771	Down the tubes	If something has gone down the tubes, it has failed or been ruined.
772	Down to the wire	(USA) If something goes down to the wire, like a competition, then it goes to the very last moment before it is clear who has won.
773	Down-to-earth	Someone who's down-to-earth is practical and realistic. It can also be used for things like ideas.
774	Drag your feet	If someone is dragging their feet, they are taking too long to do or finish something, usually because they don't want to do it.
775	Drag your heels	If you drag your heels, you either delay doing something or do it as slowly as possible because you don't want to do it.
776	Draw a blank	If you try to find something out and draw a blank, you don't get any useful information.
777	Draw a line in the sand	If you draw a line in the sand, you establish a limit beyond which things will be unacceptable.
778	Draw a long bow	If someone draws a long bow, they lie or exaggerate.
779	Draw the line	When you draw the line, you set out limits of what you find acceptable, beyond which you will not go.
780	Draw the shortest straw	If someone draws the shortest straw, they lose or are chosen to do something unpleasant.
781	Dress someone down	If you dress someone down, you scold them.
782	Dress to kill	When someone is dressed to kill, they are dressed very smartly.
783	Dressed to the nines	If you are in your very best clothes, you're dressed to the nines.
784	Drink like a fish	If someone drinks like a fish, they drink far too much alcohol.
785	Drive a wedge	If you drive a wedge between people, you exploit an issue so that people start to disagree.
786	Drive home	The idiomatic expression 'drive home' means 'reinforce' as in 'The company offered unlimited technical support as a way to drive home the message that customer satisfaction was its highest priority.'
787	Drive someone up the wall	If something or someone drives you up the wall, they do something that irritates you greatly.
788	Drive you spare	If someone or something drives you spare, it is extremely annoying.
789	Driven by a motor	This is used to describe people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder when they talk excessively: 'they act as if driven by a motor.'
790	Drop a bombshell	If someone drops a bombshell, they announce something that changes a situation drastically and unexpectedly.
791	Drop a dime	(USA) If you tell someone to drop a dime, you're suggesting he or she telephone you at some future time.
792	Drop in the bucket	(USA) A drop in the bucket is something so small that it won't make any noticeable difference.
793	Drop in the ocean	A drop in the ocean implies that something will have little effect because it is small and mostly insignificant.
794	Drop into your lap	If something drops into your lap, you receive it suddenly, without any warning. ('Fall into your lap' is also used.)
795	Drop like flies	This means that something is disappearing very quickly. For example, if you said people were dropping like flies, it would mean that they were dying off, quitting or giving up something rapidly.
796	Drop someone a line	If you drop someone a line, you send a letter to them.
797	Drop the ball	If someone drops the ball, they are not doing their job or taking their responsibilities seriously enough and let something go wrong.
798	Dropped like a hot cake	If something is dropped like a hot cake, it is rejected or disposed of very quickly.
799	Drown your sorrows	If someone gets drunk or drinks a lot to try to stop feeling unhappy, they drown their sorrows.
800	Drunk as a lord	(UK) Someone who is very drunk is as drunk as a lord.
801	Drunker than a peach orchard boar	(USA) Southern US expression - Very drunk, as when a boar would eat fermented peaches that have fallen from the tree.
802	Dry as a bone	If your lawn is as dry as a bone, the soil is completely dry.
803	Dry as snuff	If something is as dry as snuff, it is very dry indeed.
804	Dry run	A dry run is a full rehearsal or trial exercise of something to see how it will work before it is launched.
805	Dry spell	If something or someone is having a dry spell, they aren't being as successful as they normally are.
806	Duck soup	(USA) If something is duck soup, it is very easy.
807	Duck to water	If you take to something like a duck to water, you find when you start that you have a natural affinity for it.
808	Ducks in a row	(USA) If you have your ducks in a row, you are well-organized.
809	Dull as ditchwater	(UK) If something is as dull as ditchwater, it is incredibly boring. A ditch is a long narrow hole or trench dug to contain water, which is normally a dark, dirty colour and stagnant (when water turns a funny colour and starts to smell bad). (In American English,'things are 'dull as dishwater'.)
810	Dumb as a rock	If you are dumb as a rock, you have no common sense and are stupid.
811	Dunkirk spirit	(UK) Dunkirk spirit is when people pull together to get through a very difficult time.
812	Dutch auction	If something is sold by setting a price, then reducing it until someone buys it, it is sold in a Dutch auction. It can also mean that something is changed until it is accepted by everyone.
813	Dutch courage	Dutch courage is the reckless bravery caused by drinking too much.
814	Dutch treat	If something like a meal is a Dutch treat, then each person pays their own share of the bill.
815	Dutch uncle	A Dutch uncle is a person who gives unwelcome advice.
816	Dutch wife	A Dutch wife is a long pillow or a hot water bottle.
817	Dwell on the past	Thinking too much about the past, so that it becomes a problem is to dwell on the past.
818	Dyed-in-the-wool	If someone is a dyed-in-the-wool supporter of a political party, etc, they support them totally, without any questions.
819	Each to their own	Different people have different preferences. In American English, 'Each to his own' is more common.
820	Eager beaver	A person who is extremely keen is an eager beaver.
821	Eagle eyes	Someone who has eagle eyes sees everything; no detail is too small.
822	Early bath	(UK) If someone has or goes for an early bath, they quit or lose their job or position earlier than expected because things have gone wrong.
823	Early bird catches the worm	The early bird catches the worm means that if you start something early, you stand a better chance of success.
824	Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise	It means that sleeping well and not staying up late will help you out physically and financially.
825	Earn a living	To make money Ex: We need to get a good job to earn a decent living.
826	Easier said than done	If something is easier said than done, it is much more difficult than it sounds. It is often used when someone advises you to do something difficult and tries to make it sound easy.
827	Easy as ABC	Something that is as easy as ABC is very easy or simple.
828	Easy as beans	Something that is so easy that anyone can do it is easy as beans.
829	Easy as pie	If something is easy as pie, it is very easy indeed.
830	Easy come, easy go	This idiom means that money or other material gains that come without much effort tend to get spent or consumed as easily.
831	Easy peasy	(UK) If something is easy peasy, it is very easy indeed. ('Easy peasy, lemon squeezy' is also used.)
832	Eat crow	(USA) If you eat crow, you have to admit that you were wrong about something.
833	Eat humble pie	If someone apologises and shows a lot of contrition for something they have done, they eat humble pie.
834	Eat like a bird	If someone eats like a bird, they eat very little.
835	Eat like a horse	Someone who eats like a horse, eats a lot.
836	Eat like a pig	If some eats like a pig, they either eat too much or they have bad table manners.
837	Eat my hat	People say this when they don't believe that something is going to happen e.g. 'If he passes that exam, I'll eat my hat!'
838	Eat someone alive	If you eat someone alive, you defeat or beat them comprehensively.
839	Eat your heart out	If someone tells you to eat your heart out, they are saying they are better than you at something.
840	Eat your words	If you eat your words, you accept publicly that you were wrong about something you said.
841	Economical with the truth	(UK) If someone, especially a politician, is economical with the truth, they leave out information in order to create a false picture of a situation, without actually lying.
842	Egg on your face	If someone has egg on their face, they are made to look foolish or embarrassed.
843	Elbow grease	If something requires elbow grease, it involves a lot of hard physical work.
844	Elbow room	If you haven't got enough elbow room, you haven't got enough space.
845	Elephant in the room	An elephant in the room is a problem that everyone knows very well but no one talks about because it is taboo, embarrassing, etc.
846	Eleventh hour	If something happens at the eleventh hour, it happens right at the last minute.
847	Empty vessels make the most noise	The thoughtless often speak the most.
848	End in smoke	If something ends in smoke, it produces no concrete or positive result. This expression refers to the boasting by a person, of having put in a lot of efforts by him, for a particular cause or to attain a result which is very difficult to be done by any person. (This mainly refers to an investigation of a crime or solving a serious offence or a mystery). But at the end, when the desired result is not obtained, his claims are found to be false and not worth mentioning. So, he looses his credibility.
849	Etched in stone	Something, especially rules and customs, that cannot be changed at all is said to be etched in stone.
850	Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while	This expression means that even if people are ineffective or misguided, sometimes they can still be correct just by being lucky.
851	Even a broken clock is right twice a day	This is used when people get lucky and are undeservedly successful.('Even a stopped clock is right twice a day' is also used.)
852	Even keel	If something is on an even keel, it is balanced.
853	Even Stevens	If everything is equal between people, they are even Stevens.
854	Even the dogs in the street know	(Irish) This idiom is used frequently in Ireland, and means something is so obvious that even the dogs in the street know it.
855	Every ass likes to hear himself bray	This means that people like the sound of their own voice.
856	Every cloud has a silver lining	People sometimes say that every cloud has a silver lining to comfort somebody who's having problems. They mean that it is always possible to get something positive out of a situation, no matter how unpleasant, difficult or even painful it might seem.
857	Every dog has its day	This idiom means that everyone gets their moment to shine.
858	Every man and his dog	A lot of people - as in sending out invitations to a large number of people
859	Every man for himself	If it's every man for himself, then people are trying to save themselves from a difficult situation without trying to help anyone else.
860	Every man has his price	Anyone's opinion or support can be bought, everyone's principles have a limit.
861	Every man jack	If every man jack was involved in something, it is an emphatic way of saying that absolutely everybody was involved.
862	Every nook and cranny	If you search every nook and cranny, you look everywhere for something.
863	Every Tom, Dick and Harry	If every Tom, Dick and Harry knows about something, then it is common knowledge.
864	Every trick in the book	If you try every trick in the book, you try every possible way, including dishonesty and deceit, to get what you want.
865	Everybody and their uncle	This basically means a lot of people or too many people; everybody and their uncle was there.
866	Everything but the kitchen sink	If people include everything but the kitchen sink, they include every possibility, regardless of whether they are useful.
867	Exception that proves the rule	This expression is used by many to indicate that an exception in some way confirms a rule. Others say that the exception tests the rule. In its original legal sense, it meant that a rule could sometimes be inferred from an exemption or exception. In general use, the first meaning predominates nowadays, much to the annoyance of some pedants.
868	Explore all avenues	If all avenues are being explored, then every conceivable approach is being tried that could possibly get the desired result.
869	Eye candy	When a person is very attractive, they can be described as eye candy - sweet to look at!
870	Eye for an eye	This is an expression for retributive justice, where the punishment equals the crime.
871	Eye- wash	This expression 'eye-wash' is generally used to cover up the anxiety of a person who is seeking a concrete reply or justification for an act or an event that had affected his personal image or caused him a loss. The affected person usually represents his case to the higher-ups and puts forth his demands for redressal. But the authority, in order to avoid embarassment to his organisation or to himself, is not in a position to expose the entire material or evidence which in turn tell upon the credibility of the organisation. In such circumstances, he will usually call for an investigation to satisfy the complainant, but will not be keen in disposing the case. The authority will drag on the issue, (at the same time pretending to be serious) until the seriousness of the issue dies down and no finality is reached. So, ' The investigation on the issue by the authority is an eye-wash'.
872	Eye-opener	Something surprising, unexpected which reveals the truth about something or someone.
873	Eyes are bigger than one's stomach	If someone's eyes are bigger than their stomach, they are greedy and take on more than they can consume or manage.
874	Face like thunder	If someone has a face like thunder, they are clearly very angry or upset about something.
875	Face only a mother could love	When someone has a face only a mother could love, they are ugly.
876	Face the music	If you have to face the music, you have to accept the negative consequences of something you have done wrong.
877	Face value	If you take something at face value, you accept the appearance rather than looking deeper into the matter.
878	Face your demons	If you face your demons, you confront your fears or something that you have been trying hard to avoid.
879	Facts of life	When someone is taught the facts of life, they learn about sex and reproduction.
880	Failure is the mother of success	Failure is often a stepping stone towards success.
881	Faint heart never won fair lady	This means that you will not get the partner of your dreams if you lack the confidence to let them know how you feel.
882	Fair and square	If someone wins something fair and square, they follow the rules and win conclusively.
883	Fair crack of the whip	(UK) If everybody has a fair crack of the whip, they all have equal opportunities to do something.
884	Fair shake of the whip	(USA) If everybody has a fair shake of the whip, they all have equal opportunities to do something.
885	Fair thee well	Meaning completely and fully: I am tied up today to a fair-thee-well.
886	Fairweather friend	A fairweather friend is the type who is always there when times are good but forgets about you when things get difficult or problems crop up.
887	Fall by the wayside	To fall by the wayside is to give up or fail before completion.
888	Fall from grace	If a person falls from grace, they lose favor with someone.
889	Fall off the back of a lorry	(UK) If someone tries to sell you something that has fallen of the back of a lorry, they are trying to sell you stolen goods.
890	Fall off the turnip truck	(USA) If someone has just fallen off the turnip truck, they are uninformed, naive and gullible. (Often used in the negative)
891	Fall off the wagon	If someone falls off the wagon, they start drinking after having given up completely for a time.
892	Fall on our feet	If you fall on your feet, you succeed in doing something where there was a risk of failure.
893	Fall on your sword	If someone falls on their sword, they resign or accept the consequences of some wrongdoing.
894	Familiarity breeds contempt	This means that the more you know something or someone, the more you start to find faults and dislike things about it or them.
895	Famous last words	This expression is used as a way of showing disbelief, rejection or self-deprecation.'They said we had no chance of winning- famous last words!'
896	Fast and furious	Things that happen fast and furious happen very quickly without stopping or pausing.
897	Fat cat	A fat cat is a person who makes a lot of money and enjoys a privileged position in society.
898	Fat chance!	This idiom is a way of telling someone they have no chance.
899	Fat head	A fat head is a dull, stupid person.
900	Fat hits the fire	When the fat hits the fire, trouble breaks out.
901	Fat of the land	Living off the fat of the land means having the best of everything in life.
902	Fate worse than death	Describing something as a fate worse than death is a fairly common way of implying that it is unpleasant.
903	Feast today, famine tomorrow	If you indulge yourself with all that you have today, you may have to go without tomorrow.
904	Feather in your cap	A success or achievement that may help you in the future is a feather in your cap.
905	Feather your own nest	If someone feathers their own nest, they use their position or job for personal gain.
906	Feathers fly	When people are fighting or arguing angrily, we can say that feathers are flying.
907	Fed up to the back teeth	When you are extremely irritated and fed up with something or someone, you are fed up to the back teeth.
908	Feel at home	If you feel relaxed and comfortable somewhere or with someone, you feel at home.
909	Feel free	If you ask for permission to do something and are told to feel free, the other person means that there is absolutely no problem
910	Feel like a million	If you feel like a million, you are feeling very well (healthy) and happy.
911	Feel the pinch	If someone is short of money or feeling restricted in some other way, they are feeling the pinch.
912	Feeling blue	If you feel blue, you are feeling unwell, mainly associated with depression or unhappiness.
913	Feet of clay	If someone has feet of clay, they have flaws that make them seem more human and like normal people.
914	Feet on the ground	A practical and realistic person has their feet on the ground.
915	Fence sitter	Someone that try to support both side of an argument without committing to either is a fence sitter.
916	Few and far between	If things are few and far between, they happen very occasionally.
917	Fiddle while Rome burns	If people are fiddling while Rome burns, they are wasting their time on futile things while problems threaten to destroy them.
918	Fifth columnist	(UK) A fifth columnist is a member of a subversive organisation who tries to help an enemy invade.
919	Fifth wheel	(USA) A fifth wheel is something unnecessary or useless.
920	Fight an uphill battle	When you fight an uphill battle, you have to struggle against very unfavourable circumstances.
921	Fight tooth and nail	If someone will fight tooth and nail for something, they will not stop at anything to get what they want. ('Fight tooth and claw' is an alternative.)
922	Fighting chance	If you have a fighting chance, you have a reasonable possibility of success.
923	Find your feet	When you are finding your feet, you are in the process of gaining confidence and experience in something.
924	Fine and dandy	(UK) If thing's are fine and dandy, then everything is going well.
925	Fine tuning	Small adjustments to improve something or to get it working are called fine tuning.
926	Fine words butter no parsnips	This idiom means that it's easy to talk, but talk is not action.
927	Finger in the pie	If you have a finger in the pie, you have an interest in something.
928	Fingers and thumbs	If you are all fingers and thumbs, you are being clumsy and not very skilled with your hands.
929	Fire away	If you want to ask someone a question and they tell you to fire away, they mean that you are free to ask what you want.
930	Fire on all cylinders	If something is firing on all cylinders, it is going as well as it could.
931	First come, first served	This means there will be no preferential treatment and a service will be provided to those that arrive first.
932	First out of the gate	When someone is first out of the gate, they are the first to do something that others are trying to do.
933	First port of call	The first place you stop to do something is your first port of call.
934	Fish in troubled waters	Someone who fishes in troubled waters tries to takes advantage of a shaky or unstable situation. The extremists were fishing in troubled waters during the political uncertainty in the country.
935	Fish or cut bait	(USA) This idiom is used when you want to tell someone that it is time to take action.
936	Fish out of water	If you are placed in a situation that is completely new to you and confuses you, you are like a fish out of water.
937	Fishy	If there is something fishy about someone or something, there is something suspicious; a feeling that there is something wrong, though it isn't clear what it is.
938	Fit as a fiddle	If you are fit as a fiddle, you are in perfect health.
939	Fit for a king	If something is fit for a king, it is of the very highest quality or standard.
940	Fit like a glove	If something fits like a glove, it is suitable or the right size.
941	Fit of pique	If someone reacts badly because their pride is hurt, this is a fit of pique.
942	Fit the bill	If something fits the bill, it is what is required for the task.
943	Fit to be tied	If someone is fit to be tied, they are extremely angry.
944	Five o'clock shadow	A five o'clock shadow is the facial hair that a man gets if he doesn't shave for a day or two.
945	Flash in the pan	If something is a flash in the pan, it is very noticeable but doesn't last long, like most singers, who are very successful for a while, then forgotten.
946	Flat as a pancake	It is so flat that it is like a pancake- there is no head on that beer it is as flat as a pancake.
947	Flat out	If you work flat out, you work as hard and fast as you possibly can.
948	Fleet of foot	If someone is fleet of foot, they are very quick.
949	Flesh and blood	Your flesh and blood are your blood relatives, especially your immediate family.
950	Flogging a dead horse	(UK) If someone is trying to convince people to do or feel something without any hope of succeeding, they're flogging a dead horse. This is used when someone is trying to raise interest in an issue that no-one supports anymore; beating a dead horse will not make it do any more work.
951	Flowery speech	Flowery speech is full of lovely words, but may well lack substance.
952	Fly by the seat of one's pants	If you fly by the seat of one's pants, you do something difficult even though you don't have the experience or training required.
953	Fly in the ointment	A fly in the ointment is something that spoils or prevents complete enjoyment of something.
954	Fly off the handle	If someone flies off the handle, they get very angry.
955	Fly on the wall	If you are able to see and hear events as they happen, you are a fly on the wall.
956	Fly the coop	When children leave home to live away from their parents, they fly the coop.
957	Fly the flag	If someone flies the flag, they represent or support their country. ('Wave the flag' and 'show the flag' are alternative forms of this idiom)
958	Follow your nose	When giving directions, telling someone to follow their nose means that they should go straight ahead.
959	Food for thought	If something is food for thought, it is worth thinking about or considering seriously.
960	Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me	This means that you should learn from your mistakes and not allow people to take advantage of you repeatedly.
961	Fools rush in where angels fear to tread	This idiom is used where people who are inexperienced or lack knowledge do something that more informed people would avoid.
962	Foot in mouth	This is used to describe someone who has just said something embarrassing, inappropriate, wrong or stupid.
963	Foot in the door	If you have or get your foot in the door, you start working in a company or organisation at a low level, hoping that you will be able to progress from there.
964	Foot the bill	The person who foots the bill pays the bill for everybody.
965	Football's a game of two halves	(UK) If something's a game of two halves, it means that it's possible for someone's fortunes or luck to change and the person who's winning could end up a loser.
966	For a song	If you buy or sell something for a song, it is very cheap.
967	For donkey's years	(UK) If people have done something, usually without much if any change, for an awfully long time, they can be said to have done it for donkey's years.
968	For England	(UK) A person who talks for England, talks a lot- if you do something for England, you do it a lot or to the limit.
969	For kicks	If you do something for kicks, or just for kicks, you do it purely for fun or thrills.
970	For my money	This idiom means 'in my opinion'.
971	For Pete's sake	This is used as an exclamation to show exasperation or irritation.
972	For the birds	If something is worthless or ridiculous, it is for the birds.
973	For the love of Pete	Usually used in exasperation, as in 'Oh, for the love of Pete!'
974	For the time being	For the time being indicates that an action or state will continue into the future, but is temporary. I'm sharing an office for the time being.
975	Forbidden fruit	Something enjoyable that is illegal or immoral is forbidden fruit.
976	Foregone conclusion	If the result of, say, a football match is a foregone conclusion, then the result is obvious before the game has even begun.
977	Forest for the trees	(USA) If someone can't see the forest for the trees, they get so caught up in small details that they fail to understand the bigger picture.
978	Fortune knocks once at every man's door	Everyone gets one good chance in a lifetime.
979	Foul play	If the police suspect foul play, they think a crime was committed.
980	Four corners of the earth	If something goes to, or comes from, the four corners of the earth, it goes or comes absolutely everywhere.
981	Four-eyes	A person who wears glasses
982	Four-square behind	If someone stands four-square behind someone, they give that person their full support.
983	Fourth estate	This is an idiomatic way of describing the media, especially the newspapers.
984	Free rein	If someone has a free rein, they have the authority to make the decisions they want without any restrictions. ('Free reign' is a common mistake.)
985	Free-for-all	A free-for-all is a fight or contest in which everyone gets involved and rules are not respected.
986	French leave	To take French leave is to leave a gathering without saying goodbye or without permission.
987	Fresh from the oven	If something is fresh from the oven, it is very new.
988	Freudian Slip	If someone makes a Freudian slip, they accidentally use the wrong word, but in doing so reveal what they are really thinking rather than what they think the other person wants to hear.
989	Friendly footing	When relationships are on a friendly footing, they are going well.
990	From a different angle	If you look at something from a different angle, you look at it from a different point of view.
991	From Missouri	(USA) If someone is from Missouri, then they require clear proof before they will believe something.
992	From pillar to post	If something is going from pillar to post, it is moving around in a meaningless way, from one disaster to another.
993	From rags to riches	Someone who starts life very poor and makes a fortune goes from rags to riches.
994	From scratch	This idiom means 'from the beginning'.
995	From soup to nuts	If you do something from soup to nuts, you do it from the beginning right to the very end.
996	From the bottom of your heart	If someone does something from the bottom of their heart, then they do it with genuine emotion and feeling.
997	From the get-go	(USA) If something happens from the get-go, it happens from the very beginning.
998	From the horse's mouth	If you hear something from the horse's mouth, you hear it directly from the person concerned or responsible.
999	From the sublime to the ridiculous	If something declines considerably in quality or importance, it is said to have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous.
1000	From the word go	From the word go means from the very beginning of something.
1001	Full as a tick	If you are as full as a tick, you have eaten too much.
1002	Full bore	If something is full bore, it involves the maximum effort or is complete and thorough.
1003	Full circle	When something has come full circle, it has ended up where it started.
1004	Full Monty	(UK) If something is the Full Monty, it is the real thing, not reduced in any way.
1005	Full of beans	If someone's full of beans, they are very energetic.
1006	Full of hot air	Someone who is full of hot air talks a lot of rubbish.
1007	Full of oneself	Someone who acts in a arrogant or egotistical manner is full of himself/herself.
1008	Full of piss and vinegar	Someone who's full of piss and vinegar is full of youthful energy.
1009	Full of the joys of spring	If you are full of the joys of spring, you are very happy and full of energy.
1010	Full swing	If a something is in full swing, it is going or doing well.
1011	Full throttle	If you do something full throttle, you do it with as much speed and energy as you can.
1012	Fullness of time	If something happens in the fullness of time, it will happen when the time is right and appropriate.
1013	Fur coat and no knickers	Someone with airs and graces, but no real class is fur coat and no knickers.
1014	Fuzzy thinking	Thinking or ideas that do not agree with the facts or information availabl.
1015	Game on	When someone says 'Game on!', it means that they are accepting a challenge or ready to get something done.
1016	Game plan	A game plan is a strategy.
1017	Garbage fee	A garbage fee is a charge that has no value and doesn't provide any real service.
1018	Garbage in, garbage out	If a computer system or database is built badly, then the results will be bad.
1019	Gardening leave	(UK) If someone is paid for a period when they are not working, either after they have given in their notice or when they are being investigated, they are on gardening leave.
1020	Gather pace	If events gather pace, they move faster.
1021	Gather steam	If something gathers speed, it moves or progresses at an increasing speed.
1022	Get a handle on	When you get a handle on something, you come to understand it.
1023	Get a sheepskin	Getting a sheepskin (or your sheepskin) means getting a degree or diploma. (Sheepskin refers to the parchment that a degree is printed on- parchment comes from sheepskin.)
1024	Get along famously	If people get along famously, they have an exceedingly good relationship.
1025	Get away scot-free	If someone gets away scot-free, they are not punished when they have done something wrong. ('Get off scot-free' is an alternative.)
1026	Get away with murder	If you get away with murder, you do something bad and don't get caught or punished.('Get away with blue murder' is also used.)
1027	Get back on the horse that bucked you	When you start drinking again after being hungover from drinking the previous night.
1028	Get in on the act	If people want to get in on the act, they want to participate in something that is currently profitable or popular.
1029	Get in on the ground floor	If you get in on the ground floor, you enter a project or venture at the start before people know how successful it might be.
1030	Get it in the neck	(UK) If you get it in the neck, you are punished or criticised for something.
1031	Get it off your chest	If you get something off your chest, you confess to something that has been troubling you.
1032	Get my drift	If you get someone's drift, you understand what they are trying to say. ('Catch their drift' is an alternative form.)
1033	Get off the ground	If a project or plan gets off the ground, it starts to be put into operation.
1034	Get on like a house on fire	If people get on like a house on fire, they have a very close and good relationship.
1035	Get on your nerves	If something gets on your nerves, it annoys or irritates you.
1036	Get on your soapbox	If someone on their soapbox, they hold forth (talk a lot) about a subject they feel strongly about.
1037	Get out of bed on the wrong side	If you get out of bed on the wrong side, you wake up and start the day in a bad mood for no real reason.
1038	Get the axe	If you get the axe, you lose your job. ('Get the ax' is the American spelling.)
1039	Get the ball rolling	If you get the ball rolling, you start something so that it can start making progress.
1040	Get the green light	If you get the green light to do something, you are given the necessary permission, authorisation.
1041	Get the monkey off your back	If you get the monkey off your back, you pass on a problem to someone else.
1042	Get the nod	(UK) If you get the nod to something, you get approval or permission to do it.
1043	Get the picture	If you get the picture, you understand a situation fully.
1044	Get the show on the road	If you get the show on the road, you put a plan into operation or begin something.
1045	Get to grips	If you get to grips with something, you take control and do it properly.
1046	Get up and go	If someone has lots of get up and go, they have lots of enthusiasm and energy.
1047	Get wind of	If you get wind of something, you hear or learn about it, especially if it was meant to be secret.
1048	Get your ducks in a row	If you get your ducks in a row, you organise yourself and your life.
1049	Get your feathers in a bunch	If you get your feathers in a bunch, you get upset or angry about something.
1050	Get your feet wet	If you get your feet wet, you gain your first experience of something.
1051	Get your goat	If something gets your goat, it annoys you.
1052	Get your hands dirty	If you get your hands dirty, you become involved in something where the realities might compromise your principles. It can also mean that a person is not just stuck in an ivory tower dictating strategy, but is prepared to put in the effort and hard work to make the details actually happen.
1053	Get your head around something	If you get your head around something, you come to understand it even though it is difficult to comprehend.
1054	Get your teeth into	If you get your teeth into something, you become involved in or do something that is intellectually challenging or satisfying. ('Dig you teeth into' and 'sink your teeth into' are also used.)
1055	Get your wires crossed	If people get their wires cross, they misunderstand each other, especially when making arrangements. ('Get your lines crossed' is also used.)
1056	Ghost of a chance	If something or someone hasn't got a ghost of a chance, they have no hope whatsoever of succeeding.
1057	Ghostly presence	You can feel or otherwise sense a ghostly presence, but you cannot do it clearly only vaguely.
1058	Gift of the gab	If someone has the gift of the gab, they speak in a persuasive and interesting way.
1059	Gild the lily	If you gild the lily, you decorate something that is already ornate.
1060	Gilded cage	If someone is in a gilded cage, they are trapped and have restricted or no freedom, but have very comfortable surroundings- many famous people live in luxury but cannot walk out of their house alone.
1061	Girl Friday	A girl Friday is a female employee who assists someone without any specific duties.
1062	Give a big hand	Applaud by clapping hands. 'Let's give all the contestents a big hand.'
1063	Give a dog a bad name	A person who is generally known to have been guilty of some offence will always be suspected to be the author of all similar types of offence. Once someone has gained a bad reputation, it is very difficult to lose it.
1064	Give and take	Where there is give and take, people make concessions in order to get things they want in negotiations.
1065	Give as good as you get	If you give as good as you get, you are prepared to treat people as badly as they treat you and to fight for what you believe.
1066	Give it some stick	(UK) If you give something some stick, you put a lot of effort into it.
1067	Give me a hand	If someone gives you a hand, they help you.
1068	Give me five	If someone says this, they want to hit your open hand against theirs as a way of congratulation or greeting.
1069	Give someone a leg up	If you give someone a leg up, you help them to achieve something that they couldn't have done alone.
1070	Give someone a piece of your mind	If you give someone a piece of your mind, you criticise them strongly and angrily.
1071	Give someone a run for their money	If you can give someone a run for the money, you are as good, or nearly as good, as they are at something.
1072	Give someone enough rope	If you give someone enough rope, you give them the chance to get themselves into trouble or expose themselves. (The full form is 'give someone enough rope and they'll hang themselves)
1073	Give someone stick	(UK) If someone gives you stick, they criticise you or punish you.
1074	Give someone the runaround	If someone gives you the runaround, they make excuses and give you false explanations to avoid doing something.
1075	Give the nod	(UK) If you give the nod to something, you approve it or give permission to do it.
1076	Give up the ghost	People give up the ghost when they die. Machines stop working when they give up the ghost.
1077	Give your eye teeth	If you really want something and would be prepared to sacrifice a lot to get it, you would give your eye teeth for it.
1078	Given the day that's in it	(Irish) This idiom is used when something is obvious because of the day that it occurs: traffic, for example would be busy around a football stadium on game day, given the day that's in it. On any other day the traffic would be unexplainable, but because its game day its obvious why there is traffic.
1079	Glass ceiling	The glass ceiling is the discrimination that prevents women and minorities from getting promoted to the highest levels of companies and organisations.
1080	Glory hound	A glory hound is a person seeking popularity, fame and glory.
1081	Gloves are off	When the gloves are off, people start to argue or fight in a more serious way. ('The gloves come off' and 'take the gloves off' are also used. It comes from boxing, where fighters normally wear gloves so that they don't do too much damage to each other.)
1082	Glutton for punishment	If a person is described as a glutton for punishment, the happily accept jobs and tasks that most people would try to get out of. A glutton is a person who eats a lot.
1083	Gnaw your vitals	If something gnaws your vitals, it troubles you greatly and affects you at a very deep level. ('Gnaw at your vitals' is also used.)
1084	Go against the grain	A person who does things in an unconventional manner, especially if their methods are not generally approved of, is said to go against the grain. Such an individual can be called a maverick.
1085	Go awry	If things go awry, they go wrong.
1086	Go bananas	If you go bananas, you are wild with excitement, anxiety, or worry.
1087	Go blue	If you go blue, you are very cold indeed. ('Turn blue' is an alternative form.)
1088	Go bust	If a company goes bust, it goes bankrupt.
1089	Go by the board	When something has gone by the board, it no longer exists or an opportunity has been lost.
1090	Go by the boards	If something goes by the boards, it fails to get approved or accepted.
1091	Go down like a cup of cold sick	(UK) An idea or excuse that will not be well accepted will go down like a cup of cold sick.
1092	Go down like a lead balloon	(UK) If something goes down like a lead balloon, it fails or is extremely badly received.
1093	Go down swinging	If you want to go down swinging, you know you will probably fail, but you refuse to give up.
1094	Go down without a fight	If someone goes down without a fight, they surrender without putting up any resistance.
1095	Go Dutch	If you go Dutch in a restaurant, you pay equal shares for the meal.
1096	Go fly a kite	(USA) This is used to tell someone to go away and leave you alone.
1097	Go for broke	If someone goes for broke, they risk everything they have for a potentially greater gain.
1098	Go fry an egg	(USA) This is used to tell someone to go away and leave you alone.
1099	Go hand in hand	If things go hand in hand, they are associated and go together.
1100	Go nuts	If someone goes nuts, they get excited over something.
1101	Go off on a tangent	If someone goes off on a tangent, they change the subject completely in the middle of a conversation or talk.
1102	Go over like a lead balloon	(USA) If something goes over like a lead balloon, it will not work well, or go over well.
1103	Go overboard	If you go overboard, you do something excessively.
1104	Go pear-shaped	If things have gone wrong, they have gone pear-shaped.
1105	Go play in traffic	This is used as a way of telling someone to go away.
1106	Go round in circles	If people are going round in circles, they keep discussing the same thing without reaching any agreement or coming to a conclusion.
1107	Go south	If things go south, they get worse or go wrong.
1108	Go spare	(UK) If you go spare, you lose your temper completely.
1109	Go tell it to birds	This is used when someone says something that is not credible or is a lie.
1110	Go the distance	If you go the distance, you continue until something ends, no matter how difficult.
1111	Go the extra mile	If someone is prepared to go the extra mile, they will do everything they can to help or to make something succeed, going beyond their duty what could be expected of them .
1112	Go the whole hog	If you go the whole hog, you do something completely or to its limits.
1113	Go through the motions	When you go through the motions, you do something like an everyday routine and without any feelings whatsoever.
1114	Go to seed	If someone has gone to seed, they have declined in quality or appearance.
1115	Go to the wire	If someone goes to the wire, they risk their life, job, reputation, etc, to help someone.
1116	Go to your head	If something goes to your head, it makes you feel vain. If alcohol goes to your head, it makes you feel drunk quickly.
1117	Go under the hammer	If something goes under the hammer, it is sold in an auction.
1118	Go west	If something goes west, it goes wrong. If someone goes west, they die.
1119	Go with the flow	If you go with the flow, you accept things as they happen and do what everyone else wants to do.
1120	Go-to guy	A go-to guy is a person whose knowledge of something is considerable so everyone wants to go to him or her for information or results.
1121	Going concern	A successful and active business is a going concern.
1122	Going overboard	If you go overboard with something, then you take something too far, or do too much.
1123	Golden handshake	A golden handshake is a payment made to someone to get them to leave their job.
1124	Golden rule	The golden rule is the most essential or fundamental rule associated with something. Originally, it was not a general reference to an all purpose first rule applicable to many groups or protocols, but referred to a verse in the Bible about treating people they way you would want them to treat you, which was considered the First Rule of behavior towards all by all.
1125	Golden touch	Someone with a golden touch can make money from or be successful at anything they do.
1126	Gone fishing	If someone has gone fishing, they are not very aware of what is happening around them.
1127	Gone for a burton	(UK) If something's gone for a burton, it has been spoiled or ruined. If a person has gone for a burton, they are either in serious trouble or have died.
1128	Gone pear-shaped	(UK) If things have gone pear-shaped they have either gone wrong or produced an unexpected and unwanted result.
1129	Gone to pot	If something has gone to pot, it has gone wrong and doesn't work any more.
1130	Gone to the dogs	If something has gone to the dogs, it has gone badly wrong and lost all the good things it had.
1131	Good antennae	Someone with good antennae is good at detecting things.
1132	Good as gold	If children are as good as gold, they behave very well.
1133	Good egg	A person who can be relied on is a good egg. Bad egg is the opposite.
1134	Good fences make good neighbours	This means that it is better for people to mind their own business and to respect the privacy of others. ('Good fences make good neighbors' is the American English spelling.)
1135	Good hand	If you are a good hand at something, you do it well.
1136	Good Samaritan	A good Samaritan is a persoon wh helps others in need.
1137	Good shape	If something's in good shape, it's in good condition. If a person's in good shape, they are fit and healthy.
1138	Good spell	A spell can mean a fairly or relatively short period of time; you'll hear weather forecasts predict a dry spell. Sports commentators will say that a sportsperson is going through a good spell when they're performing consistently better than they normally do.
1139	Good time	If you make good time on a journey, you manage to travel faster than you expected.
1140	Good to go	Someone or something that meets one's approval. 'He is good to go.' 'The idea you had is good to go.'
1141	Good walls make good neighbours	Your relationship with your neighbours depends, among other things, on respecting one another's privacy.
1142	Goody two-shoes	A goody two-shoes is a self-righteous person who makes a great deal of their virtue.
1143	Grab the bulls by its horns	If you grab (take) the bull by its horns, you deal head-on and directly with a problem.
1144	Grain of salt	If you should take something with a grain of salt, you shouldn't necessarily believe it all. ('pinch of salt' is an alternative)
1145	Grasp the nettle	(UK) If you grasp the nettle, you deal bravely with a problem.
1146	Grass may be greener on the other side but it's just as hard to mow	'The grass may be greener on the other side but it's just as hard to mow' is an expression used to mean a person's desire to have that which another person has in the belief it will make their life easieris false as all situations come with their own set of problems.
1147	Grass roots	This idioms is often used in politics, where it refers to the ordinary people or voters. It can be used to mean people at the bottom of a hierarchy.
1148	Grass widow	A grass widow is a woman whose husband is often away on work, leaving her on her own.
1149	Graveyard shift	If you have to work very late at night, it is the graveyard shift.
1150	Gravy train	If someone is on the gravy train, they have found and easy way to make lots of money.
1151	Grease monkey	A grease monkey is an idiomatic term for a mechanic.
1152	Grease someone's palm	If you grease someone's palm, you bribe them to do something.
1153	Grease the skids	If you grease the skids, you facilitate something.
1154	Greased lightning	If something or someone moves like greased lightning, they move very fast indeed.
1155	Great guns	If something or someone is going great guns, they are doing very well.
1156	Great Scott	An exclamation of surprise.
1157	Great unwashed	This is a term used for the working class masses.
1158	Great white hope	Someone who is expected to be a great success is a great white hope.
1159	Greek to me	If you don't understand something, it's all Greek to you.
1160	Green around the gills	If someone looks green around the gills, they look ill.
1161	Green fingers	(UK) Someone with green fingers has a talent for gardening.
1162	Green light	If you are given the green light, you are given approval to do something.
1163	Green thumb	(USA) Someone with a talent for gardening has a green thumb.
1164	Green with envy	If you are green with envy, you are very jealous.
1165	Green-eyed monster	The green-eyed monster is an allegorical phrase for somebody's strong jealousy
1166	Greenhorn	A greenhorn or someone who is described simply as green lacks the relevant experience and knowledge for their job or task
1167	Grey area	A grey/gray area is one where there is no clear right or wrong.
1168	Grey Cardinal	Someone who is a Grey Cardinal exerts power behind the scenes, without drawing attention to himself or herself.
1169	Grey cells	'Grey cells' means 'brain' Eg: Use your grey cells to understand it
1170	Grey matter	Grey/gray matter is the human brain.
1171	Grey pound	(UK) In the UK, the grey pound is an idiom for the economic power of elderly people.
1172	Grey suits	The men in grey suits are people who have a lot of power in business or politics, but aren't well-known or charismatic.
1173	Grin and bear it	If you have to grin and bear it, you have to accept something that you don't like.
1174	Grin like a Cheshire cat	If someone has a very wide smile, they have a grin like a Cheshire cat.
1175	Grinds my gear	Something that is very annoying grinds your gear.
1176	Grist for the mill	Something that you can use to your advantage is grist for the mill. ('Grist to the mill' is also used.)
1177	Guinea-pig	If you are a guinea-pig, you take part in an experiment of some sort and are used in the testing.
1178	Gunboat diplomacy	If a nation conducts its diplomatic relations by threatening military action to get what it wants, it is using gunboat diplomacy.
1179	Gung ho	If someone is gung ho about something, they support it blindly and don't think about the consequences.
1180	Hail-fellow-well-met	Someone whose behavior is hearty, friendly and congenial.
1181	Hair of the dog	If someone has a hair of the dog, they have an alcoholic drink as a way of getting rid of a hangover, the unpleasant effects of having drunk too much alcohol the night before. It is commonly used as a way of excusing having a drink early on in the day.
1182	Hairy at the heel	(UK) Someone who is hairy at the heel is dangerous or untrustworthy.
1183	Hale and hearty	Someone who is hale and hearty is in very good health.
1184	Half a mind	If you have half a mind to do something, you haven't decided to do it, but are thinking seriously about doing it.
1185	Half-baked	A half-baked idea or scheme hasn't not been thought through or planned very well.
1186	Hammer and tongs	If people are going at it hammer and tongs, they are arguing fiercely. The idiom can also be used hen people are doing something energetically.
1187	Hand in glove	If people are hand in glove, they have an extremely close relationship.
1188	Hand in hand	Hand in hand= work together closely When people in a group, say in an office or in a project, work together with mutual understanding to achieve the target, we say they work hand in hand. There is no lack of co-operation and each synchoranises the activity with that of the other.
1189	Hand that rocks the cradle	Women have a great power and influence because they have the greatest influence over the development of children- the hand that rocks the cradle. ('The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world' is the full form.)
1190	Hand to mouth	Someone who's living from hand to mouth, is very poor and needs the little money they have coming in to cover their expenses.
1191	Hands down	If someone is better hands down than everyone else, they are much better.
1192	Handwriting like chicken scratch	If your handwriting is very hard to read, it is like chicken scratch.
1193	Hang by a thread	If something hangs by a thread, there is a very small chance indeed of it being successful or surviving.
1194	Hang in the balance	If an outcome is hanging in the balance, there are at least two possibilities and it is impossible to predict which will win out.
1195	Hang out to dry	If you hang someone out to dry, you abandon them when they are in trouble.
1196	Hangdog expression	A hangdog expression is one where the person's showing their emotions very clearly, maybe a little too clearly for your liking. It's that mixture of misery and self-pity that is similar to a dog when it's trying to get something it wants but daren't take without permission.
1197	Hanged for a sheep as a lamb	This is an expression meaning that if you are going to get into trouble for doing something, then you ought to stop worrying and should try to get everything you can before you get caught.
1198	Happy medium	If you reach a happy medium, you are making a compromise; reaching a conclusion or decision.
1199	Hard as nails	A person who is as hard as nails is either physically tough or has little or no respect for other people's feelings.
1200	Hard by	"Hard by" means mean "close to" or "near".
1201	Hard cheese	(UK) Hard cheese means hard luck.
1202	Hard of hearing	Someone who's hard of hearing is a bit deaf.
1203	Hard on someone's heels	If you are hard on someone's heels, you are close to them and trying to catch or overtake them. ('Hot on someone's heels' is also used.)
1204	Hard sell	If someone puts a lot of pressure on you to do or buy something, they are hard selling it.
1205	Hard to come by	If something is hard to come by, it is difficult to find.
1206	Hard up	If you are hard up, you have very little money.
1207	Haste makes waste	This idiom means that if you try to do something quickly, without planning it, you're likely to end up spending more time, money, etc, doing it.
1208	Hat trick	Three successes one after the other is a hat trick.
1209	Hatchet job	A piece of criticism that destroys someone's reputation is a hatchet job.
1210	Have a ball	If you have a ball, you have a great time, a lot of fun.
1211	Have a bash	If you have a bash at something, you try to do it, especially when there isn't much chance of success.
1212	Have a blast	It means "to have a lot of fun".
1213	Have a crack	If you have a crack at something, you try to do it. If someone is attempting to do something and they are unsuccessful, you might say, "Let me have a crack at it" suggesting that you might be successful at performing the task. ('Take a crack' is also used.)
1214	Have a go	If you have a go, you try to do something, often when you don't think you have much chance of succeeding.
1215	Have a heart	If someone has a heart, they arekind and sympathetic. If you say, 'Have a heart' to someone, you are asking them to be understanding and sympathetic.
1216	Have a ripper	If you have a ripper of a time, you enjoy yourself.
1217	Have a trick up your sleeve	If you have a trick up your sleeve, you have a secret strategy to use when the time is right.
1218	Have no truck with	If you have no truck with something or someone, you refuse to get involved with it or them.
1219	Have the floor	If someone has the floor, it is their turn to speak at a meeting.
1220	Have the guts	Someone who has enough courage to do something has the guts to do it.
1221	Have your cake and eat it too	If someone wants to have their cake and eat it too, they want everything their way, especially when their wishes are contradictory.
1222	Have your collar felt	If someone has their collar felt, they are arrested.
1223	Have your fill	If you have had your fill, you are fed up of somebody or something.
1224	Have your lunch handed to you	If you have you lunch handed to you, you are outperformed and shown up by someone better.
1225	Have your moments	Someone who has his or her moments exhibits a positive behavior pattern on an occasional basis but not generally.
1226	Have your tail up	If someone has their tail up, they are optimistic and expect to be successful.
1227	Have your work cut out	If you have your work cut out, you are very busy indeed.
1228	Having a gas	If you're having a gas, you are having a laugh and enjoying yourself in company.
1229	Hay is for horses	This idiom is used as a way of telling children not to say the word 'hey' as in hey you or hey there.
1230	He that travels far knows much	People who travel widely have a wide knowledge.
1231	He who hesitates is lost	If one waits too long, the opportunity vanishes.
1232	Head for the hills	If people head for the hills, they run away from trouble.
1233	Head is in the clouds	If a person has their head in the clouds, they have unrealistic, impractical ideas.
1234	Head is mince	(Scot) When someone's thoughts are in a state of abject confusion, especially when facing a severe dilemma, their head is mince.
1235	Head nor tail	If you can't make head nor tail of something, you cannot understand it at all or make any sense of it.
1236	Head on a spike	If someone wants a head on a spike, they want to be able to destroy or really punish a person.
1237	Head on the block	If someone's head is on the block, they are going to be held responsible and suffer the consequences for something that has gone wrong.
1238	Head over heels in love	When someone falls passionately in love and is intoxicated by the feeling has fallen head over heels in love.
1239	Head south	If something head south, it begins to fail or start going bad.'The project proceeded well for the first two months, but then it headed south.'
1240	Heads will roll	If heads will roll, people will be punished or sacked for something that has gone wrong.
1241	Headstrong	A headstrong person is obstinate and does not take other people's advice readily.
1242	Healthy as a horse	If you're as healthy as a horse, you're very healthy.
1243	Heap coals on someone's head	To do something nice or kind to someone who has been nasty to you. If someone felt bad because they forgot to get you a Christmas gift, for you to buy them a specially nice gift is heaping coals on their head. ('Heap coals of fire' is also used.)
1244	Hear a pin drop	If there is complete silence in a room, you can hear a pin drop.
1245	Hear on the grapevine	To receive information indirectly through a series of third parties, similar to a rumour.
1246	Heart in the right place	If someone's heart is in the right place, they are good and kind, though they might not always appear to be so.
1247	Heart in your boots	If you're heart is in your boots, you are very unhappy.
1248	Heart in your mouth	If your heart is in your mouth, then you feel nervous or scared.
1249	Heart isn't in it	If your heart is not in something, then you don't really believe in it or support it.
1250	Heart misses a beat	If your heart misses a beat, you are suddenly shocked or surprised. ('Heart skips a beat' is an alternative)
1251	Heart of glass	When someone has a heart of glass, they are easily affected emotionally.
1252	Heart of gold	Someone with a heart of gold is a genuinely kind and caring person.
1253	Heart of steel	When someone has a heart of steel, they do not show emotion or are not affected emotionally.
1254	Heart-to-heart	A heart-to-heart is a frank and honest conversation with someone, where you talk honestly and plainly about issues, no matter how painful.
1255	Heaven knows	If you ask someone a question and they say this, they have no idea.
1256	Heavenly bodies	The heavenly bodies are the stars.
1257	Heavy-handed	If someone is heavy-handed, they are insensitive and use excessive force or authority when dealing with a problem.
1258	Hedge your bets	If you hedge your bets, you don't risk everything on one opportunity, but try more than one thing.
1259	Hell for leather	If you do something hell for leather, especially running, you do it as fast as you can.
1260	Hell in a handcart	If something is going to hell in a handcart, it is getting worse and worse, with no hope of stopping the decline.
1261	Herding cats	If you have to try to co-ordinate a very difficult situation, where people want to do very different things, you are herding cats.
1262	Here today, gone tomorrow	Money, happiness and other desirable things are often here today, gone tomorrow, which means that they don't last for very long.
1263	Hide nor hair	When there's no trace of something or a person, you haven't seen hide nor hair of it or them.('Neither hide nor hair' is also used.)
1264	Hiding to nothing	If people are on a hiding to nothing, their schemes and plans have no chance of succeeding. 'Hiding to nowhere' is an alternative.
1265	High and dry	If you are left high and dry, you are left alone and given no help at all when you need it.
1266	High and low	If you search high and low, you look everywhere for something or someone.
1267	High and mighty	The high and mighty are the people with authority and power. If a person is high and mighty, they behave in a superior and condescending way.
1268	High as a kite	If someone's as high as a kite, it means they have had too much to drink or are under the influence of drugs.
1269	High on the hog	To live in great comfort with lots of money.
1270	High-handed	If someone is high-handed, they behave arrogantly and pompously.
1271	High-wire act	A high-wire act is a dangerous or risky strategy, plan, task, etc.
1272	Highway robbery	Something that is ridiculously expensive, especially when you have no choice but to pay, is a highway robbery.
1273	Himalayan blunder	A Himalayan blunder is a very serious mistake or error.
1274	Hindsight is twenty-twenty	After something has gone wrong, it is easy to look back and make criticisms.
1275	Hit a nerve	If something hits a nerve, it upsets someone or causes them pain, often when it is something they are trying to hide.
1276	Hit and miss	Something that is hit and miss is unpredictable and may produce results or may fail.
1277	Hit me with your best shot	If someone tells you to hit them with your best shot, they are telling you that no matter what you do it won't hurt them or make a difference to them.
1278	Hit rock bottom	When someone hits rock bottom, they reach a point in life where things could not get any worse.
1279	Hit rough weather	If you hit rough weather, you experience difficulties or problems.
1280	Hit the airwaves	If someone hits the airwaves, they go on radio and TV to promote something or to tell their side of a story.
1281	Hit the books	If you hit the books, you study or read hard.
1282	Hit the bull's-eye	If someone hits the bull's-eye, they are exactly right about something or achieve the best result possible. "Bulls-eye" and "bullseye" are alternative spellings.
1283	Hit the ceiling	If someone hits the ceiling, they lose their temper and become very angry.
1284	Hit the fan	When it hits the fan, or, more rudely, the shit hits the fan, serious trouble starts.
1285	Hit the ground running	If someone hits the ground running, they start a new job or position in a very dynamic manner.
1286	Hit the hay	When you hit the hay, you go to bed.
1287	Hit the mark	If someone hits the mark, they are right about something.
1288	Hit the nail on the head	If someone hits the nail on the head, they are exactly right about something.
1289	Hit the road	When people hit the road, they leave a place to go somewhere else.
1290	Hit the roof	If you lose your temper and get very angry, you hit the roof.
1291	Hit the sack	When you hit the sack, you go to bed.
1292	Hive of worker bees	A hive of worker bees is a group of people working actively and cooperatively. Example: The classroom was a hive of worker bees.
1293	Hobson's choice	A Hobson's choice is something that appears to be a free choice, but is really no choice as there is no genuine alternative.
1294	Hoist with your own petard	If you are hoist with your own petard, you get into trouble or caught in a trap that you had set for someone else.
1295	Hold all the aces	If you hold all the aces, you have all the advantages and your opponents or rivals are in a weak position.
1296	Hold the baby	(UK) If someone is responsible for something, they are holding the baby.
1297	Hold the bag	(USA) If someone is responsible for something, they are holding the bag.
1298	Hold the fort	If you hold the fort, you look after something or assume someone's responsibilities while they are away.
1299	Hold the torch	If you hold the torch for someone, you have an unrequited or unspoken love.
1300	Hold water	When you say that something does or does not 'hold water', it means that the point of view or argument put forward is or is not sound, strong or logical. For e.g., 'Saying we should increase our interest rates because everyone else is doing so will not hold water'.
1301	Hold your horses	If someone tells you to hold your horses, you are doing something too fast and they would like you to slow down.
1302	Hold your own	If you can hold your own, you can compete or perform equally with other people.
1303	Hold your tongue	If you hold your tongue, you keep silent even though you want to speak.
1304	Holier-than-thou	Someone who is holier-than-thou believes that they are morally superior to other people.
1305	Hollow leg	Someone who has a hollow leg eats what seems to be more than his stomach can hold.
1306	Hollow victory	A hollow victory is where someone wins something in name, but are seen not to have gained anything by winning.
1307	Holy smoke!	This is a way of expressing surprise: "Holy smoke! Look at all of those geese!"
1308	Home and hearth	'Home and hearth' is an idiom evoking warmth and security.
1309	Home is where you lay your hat	Wherever you are comfortable and at ease with yourself is your home, regardless where you were born or brought up.('Home is where you lay your head' and 'Home is where you hang your hat' are also used.)
1310	Home stretch	The home stretch is the last part of something, like a journey, race or project.
1311	Home sweet home	This is said when one is pleased to be back at one's own home.
1312	Home, James	(UK) This is a cliched way of telling the driver of a vehicle to start driving. It is supposed to be an order to a chauffeur (a privately employed driver). The full phrase is 'Home, James, and don't spare the horses'.
1313	Honest truth	If someone claims that something is the honest truth, they wish to sound extra-sincere about something.
1314	Honor among thieves	If someone says there is honor among thieves, this means that even corrupt or bad people sometimes have a sense of honor or integrity, or justice, even if it is skewed. ('Honour among thieves' is the British English version.)
1315	Honours are even	If honours are even, then a competition has ended with neither side emerging as a winner.
1316	Hook, line, and sinker	If somebody accepts or believes something hook, line, and sinker, they accept it completely.
1317	Hop, skip, and a jump	If a place is a hop, skip, and a jump from somewhere, it's only a short distance away.
1318	Hope against hope	If you hope against hope, you hope for something even though there is little or no chance of your wish being fulfilled.
1319	Hope in hell	If something hasn't got a hope in hell, it stands absolutely no chance of succeeding.
1320	Hornets' nest	A hornets' nest is a violent situation or one with a lot of dispute. (If you create the problem, you 'stir up a hornets' nest'.)
1321	Horns of a dilemma	If you are on the horns of a dilemma, you are faced with two equally unpleasant options and have to choose one.
1322	Horse of a different color	(USA) If something is a horse of a different color, it's a different matter or separate issue altogether.
1323	Horse trading	Horse trading is an idiom used to describe negotiations, especially where these are difficult and involve a lot of compromise.
1324	Horses for courses	Horses for courses means that what is suitable for one person or situation might be unsuitable for another.
1325	Hostile takeover	If a company is bought out when it does not want to be, it is known as a hostile takeover.
1326	Hot air	Language that is full of words but means little or nothing is hot air.
1327	Hot as blue blazes	If something's as hot as blue blazes, it's extremely hot.
1328	Hot as Hades	If something's as hot as Hades, it's extremely hot.
1329	Hot button	(USA) A hot button is a topic or issue that people feel very strongly about.
1330	Hot foot	If you hot foot it out of a place, you leave very quickly, often running.
1331	Hot ticket	(USA) A hot ticket is something that is very much in demand at the moment.
1332	Hot to trot	If someone is hot to trot, they are sexually aroused or eager to do something.
1333	Hot under the collar	If you're hot under the collar, you're feeling angry or bothered.
1334	Hot water	If you get into hot water, you get into trouble.
1335	Hot-blooded	Someone who is hot-blooded is easily excitable or passionate.
1336	Hot-headed	A hot-headed person gets angry very easily. (The noun 'hothead' can also be used.)
1337	Hour of need	A time when someone really needs something, almost a last chance, is their hour of need.
1338	House of cards	Something that is poorly thought out and can easily collapse or fail is a house of cards.
1339	How come	If you want to show disbelief or surprise about an action, you can ask a question using 'how come'. How come he got the job? (You can't believe that they gave the job to somebody like him)
1340	How do you like them apples	(USA) This idiomatic expression is used to express surprise or shock at something that has happened. It can also be used to boast about something you have done.
1341	How long is a piece of string	If someone has no idea of the answer to a question, they can ask 'How long is a piece of string?' as a way of indicating their ignorance.
1342	How's tricks?	This is used as a way of asking people how they are and how things have been going in their life.
1343	Hue and cry	Hue and cry is an expression that used to mean all the people who joined in chasing a criminal or villain. Nowadays, if you do something without hue and cry, you do it discreetly and without drawing attention.
1344	Hung the moon	If you refer to someone as having hung the moon, you think they are extremely wonderful, or amazing, or good.
1345	Hungry as a bear	If you are hungry as a bear, it means that you are really hungry.
1346	Hunky Dory	If something is hunky dory, it is perfectly satisfactory, fine
1347	I hereby give notice of my intention	Hereby is used sometimes in formal, official declarations and statements to give greater force to the speaker' or the writer's affirmation. People will say it sometimes to emphasise their sincerity and correctness.
1348	I may be daft, but I'm not stupid	I might do or say silly things occasionally, but in this instance I know what I am doing (Usually used when someone questions your application of common-sense).
1349	I should cocoa	(UK) This idiom comes from 'I should think so', but is normally used sarcastically to mean the opposite.
1350	I'll cross that road when I come to it	I'll think about something just when it happens, not in advance.
1351	I'll eat my hat	You can say this when you are absolutely sure that you are right to let the other person know that there is no chance of your being wrong.
1352	I've got a bone to pick with you	If somebody says this, they mean that they have some complaint to make against the person they are addressing.
1353	I've got your number	You have made a mistake and I am going to call you on it. You are in trouble (a threat). I have a disagreement with you. I understand your true nature.
1354	Icing on the cake	This expression is used to refer to something good that happens on top of an already good thing or situation.
1355	Idle hands are the devil's handiwork	When someone is not busy, or being productive, trouble is bound to follow.
1356	If at first you don't succeed try try again	When you fail, try until you get it right!
1357	If I had a nickel for every time	(USA) When someone uses this expression, they mean that the specific thing happens a lot. It is an abbreviation of the statement 'If I had a nickel for every time that happened, I would be rich'
1358	If it ain't broke, don't fix it	Any attempt to improve on a system that already works is pointless and may even hurt it.
1359	If Mohammed won't come to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed	If something cannot or will not happen the easy way, then sometimes it must be done the hard way.
1360	If the cap fits, wear it	This idiom means that if the description is correct, then it is describing the truth, often when someone is being criticised. ('If the shoe fits, wear it' is an alternative)
1361	If wishes were horses, beggars would ride	This means that wishing for something or wanting it is not the same as getting or having it.
1362	If you are given lemons make lemonade	Always try and make the best out of a bad situation. With some ingenuity you can make a bad situation useful.
1363	If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen	Originally a Harry S. Truman quote, this means that if you can't take the pressure, then you should remove yourself from the situation.
1364	If you fly with the crows, you get shot with the crows	If you wish to be associated with a particular high risk and/or high profile situation and benefit from the rewards of that association, you have to accept the consequences if things go wrong - you cannot dissociate yourself.
1365	If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas	This means that if you become involved with bad company, there will be negative consequences.
1366	If you lie down with the Devil, you will wake up in hell	This means that if you become involved with bad company, there will be negative consequences.
1367	If you will	'If you will' is used as a way of making a concession in a sentence: He wasn't a very honest person, a liar if you will. Here, it is used a way of accepting that the reader or listener might think of the person as a liar, but without commit the writer or speaker to that position fully.
1368	If you'll pardon my French	(UK) This idiom is used as a way of apologising for swearing.
1369	Ill at ease	If someone is ill at ease, they are worried or uncomfortable.
1370	Ill-gotten gains	Ill-gotten gains are profits or benefits that are made either illegally or unfairly.
1371	In a cleft stick	If you are in a cleft stick, you are in a difficult situation, caught between choices.
1372	In a fix	If you are in a fix, you are in trouble.
1373	In a flash	If something happens in a flash, it happens very quickly indeed.
1374	In a fog	If you're in a fog, you are confused, dazed or unaware.
1375	In a heartbeat	If something happens very quickly or immediately, it happens in a heartbeat.
1376	In a jam	If you are in a jam, you are in some trouble. If you get out of a jam, you avoid trouble.
1377	In a jiffy	If something happens in a jiffy, it happens very quickly.
1378	In a nutshell	This idiom is used to introduce a concise summary.
1379	In a pickle	If you are in a pickle, you are in some trouble or a mess.
1380	In a rut	In a settled or established pattern, habit or course of action, especially a boring one.
1381	In a tick	(UK) If someone will do something in a tick, they'll do it very soon or very quickly.
1382	In a tight spot	If you're in a tight spot, you're in a difficult situation.
1383	In all honesty	If you say something in all honesty, you are telling the complete truth. It can be used as a way of introducing a negative opinion whilst trying to be polite; in all honesty, I have to say that I wasn't very impressed.
1384	In an instant	If something happens in an instant, it happens very rapidly.
1385	In another's shoes	It is difficult to know what another person's life is really like, so we don't know what it is like to be in someone's shoes.
1386	In apple-pie order	If something is in apple-pie order, it is very neat and organised.
1387	In broad daylight	If a crime or problem happens in broad daylight, it happens during the day and should have been seen and stopped.
1388	In cahoots	If people are in cahoots, they are conspiring together.
1389	In cold blood	If something is done in cold blood, it is done ruthlessly, without any emotion.
1390	In dire straits	If you're in dire straits, you're in serious trouble or difficulties.
1391	In donkey's years	'I haven't seen her in donkey's years.' - This means for a very long time.
1392	In dribs and drabs	If people arrive in dribs and drabs, they come in small groups at irregular intervals, instead of all arriving at the same time.
1393	In droves	When things happen in droves, a lot happen at the same time or very quickly.
1394	In for a penny, in for a pound	If something is worth doing then it is a case of in for a penny, in for a pound, which means that when gambling or taking a chance, you might as well go the whole way and take all the risks, not just some.
1395	In full swing	If things are in full swing, they have been going for a sufficient period of time to be going well and very actively.
1396	In high gear	(USA) If something is in high gear, it is in a quick-paced mode. If someone is in high gear, they are feverishly on the fast track.
1397	In high spirits	If someone is in high spirits, they are in a very good mood or feeling confident about something.
1398	In hot water	If you are in hot water, you are in serious trouble.
1399	In light of	'In light of' is similar to 'due to'.
1400	In like Flynn	Refers to Errol Flynn's popularity with women in the 40's. His ability to attract women was well known throughout the world. ('In like flint' is also used.)
1401	In my bad books	If you are in someone's bad books, they are angry with you. Likewise, if you are in their good books, they are pleased with you.
1402	In my book	This idiom means 'in my opinion'.
1403	In my good books	If someone is in your good books, you are pleased with or think highly of them at the moment.
1404	In one ear and out the other	If something goes in one ear and out the other, you forget it as soon as you've heard it because it was too complicated, boring etc.
1405	In over your head	If someone is in over their head, they are out of the depth in something they are involved in, and may end up in a mess.
1406	In perfect form	When something is as it ought to be. Or, when used cynically, it may refer to someone whose excesses are on display; a caricature.
1407	In rude health	(UK) If someone's in rude health, they are very healthy and look it.
1408	In so many words	This phrase may be used to mean 'approximately' or 'more or less'. I think it may have a sarcastic connotation in that the individual listening needed 'so many words' to get the point. It also may suggest the effort on the part of the speaker to explain an unpleasant truth or difficult concept.
1409	In someone's pocket	If a person is in someone's pocket, they are dependent, especially financially, on them.
1410	In spades	(UK) If you have something in spades, you have a lot of it.
1411	In stitches	If someone is in stitches, they are laughing uncontrollably.
1412	In tandem	If people do things in tandem, they do them at the same time.
1413	In the bag	If something is in the bag, it is certain that you will get it or achieve it
1414	In the ballpark	This means that something is close to the adequate or required value.
1415	In the black	If your bank account is in credit, it is in the black.
1416	In the cards	If something is in the cards, it is bound to occur, it is going to happen, or it is inevitable.
1417	In the catbird seat	(USA) If someone is in the catbird seat, they are in an advantageous or superior position.
1418	In the clear	If someone is in the clear, they are no longer suspected of or charged with wrongdoing.
1419	In the clink	(UK) If someone is in the clink, they are in prison.
1420	In the club	(UK) If a woman's in the club, she's pregnant. 'In the pudding club' is an alternative form.
1421	In the dock	If someone is in the dock, they are on trial in court.
1422	In the doghouse	If someone is in the doghouse, they are in disgrace and very unpopular at the moment.
1423	In the driver's seat	If you are in the driver's seat, you are in charge of something or in control of a situation.
1424	In the face of	If people act in the face of something, they do it despite it or when threatened by it.
1425	In the family way	If a woman is in the family way, she is pregnant.
1426	In the flesh	If you meet or see someone in the flesh you actually meet or see them, rather than seeing them on TV or in other media.
1427	In the gravy	If you're in the gravy, you're rich and make money easily.
1428	In the hole	If someone is in the hole, they have a lot of problems, especially financial ones.
1429	In the hot seat	If someone's in the hot seat, they are the target for a lot of unwelcome criticism and examination.
1430	In the know	If you are in the know, you have access to all the information about something, which other people don't have.
1431	In the lap of luxury	People in the lap of luxury are very wealthy and have have everything that money can buy.
1432	In the long run	This means 'over a long period of time', 'in the end' or 'in the final result'.
1433	In the loop	If you're in the loop, you are fully informed about what is happening in a certain area or activity.
1434	In the lurch	If you are left in the lurch, you are suddenly left in an embarrassing or tricky situation.
1435	In the making	When something is in the making, it means it is in the process of being made.
1436	In the offing	If something is in the offing, it is very likely to happen soon.
1437	In the pink	If you are in very good health, you are in the pink.
1438	In the pipeline	If something's in the pipeline, it hasn't arrived yet but its arrival is expected.
1439	In the red	If your bank account is overdrawn, it is in the red.
1440	In the saddle	If you're in the saddle, you are in control of a situation.
1441	In the same boat	If people are in the same boat, they are in the same predicament or trouble.
1442	In the short run	This refers to the immediate future.
1443	In the soup	If you're in the soup, you're in trouble.
1444	In the swim	If you are in the swim, you are up-to-date with and fully informed about something.
1445	In the swing	If things are in the swing, they are progressing well.
1446	In the tall cotton	A phrase that expresses good times or times of plenty and wealth as tall cotton means a good crop.
1447	In the twinkling of an eye	If something happens in the twinkling of an eye, it happens very quickly.
1448	In the zone	If you are in the zone, you are very focused on what you have to do.
1449	In turn	This means one after the other. Example: She spoke to each of the guests in turn.
1450	In two minds	If you are in two minds about something, you can't decide what to do.
1451	In your blood	A trait or liking that is deeply ingrained in someone's personality and unlikely to change is in their blood. A similar idiom is 'in his DNA.'
1452	In your element	If you are in your element, you feel happy and relaxed because you are doing something that you like doing and are good at. "You should have seen her when they asked her to sing; she was in her element."
1453	In your face	If someone is in your face, they are direct and confrontational. (It is sometime written 'in yer face'colloquially)
1454	In your sights	If you have someone or something in your sights, they are your target to beat.
1455	Indian file	If people walk in Indian file, they walk in a line one behind the other.
1456	Indian giver	An Indian giver gives something, then tries to take it back.
1457	Indian summer	If there is a period of warmer weather in late autumn, it is an Indian summer.
1458	Ins and outs	If you know the ins and outs of something, you know all the details.
1459	Into each life some rain must fall	This means that bad or unfortunate things will happen to everyone at some time.
1460	Into thin air	If something vanishes or disappears without trace, it vanishes into thin air; no-one knows where it has gone.
1461	Iron fist	Someone who rules or controls something with an iron fist is in absolute control and tolerates no dissent. An iron fist in a velvet glove is used to describe someone who appears soft on the outside, but underneath is very hard. 'Mailed fist' is an alternative form.
1462	Irons in the fire	A person who has a few irons in the fire has a number of things working to their advantage at the same time.
1463	Is Saul also among the prophets?	It's a biblical idiom used when somebody known for something bad appears all of a sudden to be doing something very good.
1464	It ain't over till the fat lady sings	This idiom means that until something has officially finished, the result is uncertain.
1465	It cost an arm and a leg	If something costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive indeed.
1466	It cost the earth	If something costs the earth, it is very expensive indeed.
1467	It never rains but it pours	'It never rains but it pours' means that when things go wrong, they go very wrong.
1468	It takes a village to raise a child	It takes many people to teach a child all that he or she should know.
1469	It takes two to tango	This idiom is used to suggest that when things go wrong, both sides are involved and neither side is completely innocent.
1470	It's an ill wind that blows no good	This is said when things have gone wrong; the idea being that when bad things happen, there can also be some positive results.
1471	It's no use crying over spilt milk	This idiom means that getting upset after something has gone wrong is pointless; it can't be changed so it should be accepted.
1472	It's not the size of the dog in fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog	Usually refering to a small dog attacking a larger animal, this means that fierceness is not necessarily a matter of physical size, but rather mental/psychological attitude.
1473	It's not the size of the man in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the man	This idiom means that determination is often more important than size, strength, or ability. ('It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.' is also used.)
1474	It's your funeral	The other person has made a decision that you think is bad. However, it is their choice; it is their funeral.
1475	Itch to	If you are itching to do something, you are very eager to do it.
1476	Itchy feet	One gets itchy feet when one has been in one place for a time and wants to travel.
1477	Ivory tower	People who live in ivory towers are detached from the world around them.
1478	Jack Frost	If everything has frozen in winter, then Jack Frost has visited.
1479	Jack the Lad	A confident and not very serious young man who behaves as he wants to without thinking about other people is a Jack the Lad.
1480	Jack-of-all-trades	A jack-of-all-trades is someone that can do many different jobs.
1481	Jam on your face	If you say that someone has jam on their face, they appear to be caught, embarrassed or found guilty.
1482	Jam tomorrow	(UK) This idiom is used when people promise good things for the future that will never come.
1483	Jane Doe	Jane Doe is a name given to an unidentified female who may be party to legal proceedings, or to an unidentified person in hospital, or dead. John Doe is the male equivalent.
1484	Jekyll and Hyde	Someone who has a Jekyll and Hyde personality has a pleasant and a very unpleasant side to the character.
1485	Jersey justice	(UK) Jersey justice is very severe justice.
1486	Jet set	Very wealthy people who travel around the world to attend parties or functions are the jet set.
1487	Jet-black	To emphasise just how black something is, such as someone's hair, we can call it jet-black.
1488	Job's comforter	Someone who says they want to comfort, but actually discomforts people is a Job's comforter. (Job's is pronounced 'jobes', not 'jobs')
1489	Jobs for the boys	Where people give jobs, contracts, etc, to their friends and associates, these are jobs for the boys.
1490	Jockey for position	If a number of people want the same opportunity and are struggling to emerge as the most likely candidate, they are jockeying for position.
1491	Jog my memory	If you jog someone's memory, you say words that will help someone trying to remember a thought, event, word, phrase, experience, etc.
1492	John Doe	John Doe is a name given to an unidentified male who may be party to legal proceedings, or to an unidentified person in hospital, or dead. Jane Doe is the female equivalent.
1493	John Q Public	(USA) John Q Public is the typical, average person.
1494	Johnny on the spot	A person who is always available; ready, willing, and able to do what needs to be done.('Johnny-on-the-spot' is also used.)
1495	Johnny-come-lately	A Johnny-come-lately is someone who has recently joined something or arrived somewhere, especially when they want to make changes that are not welcome.
1496	Joined at the hip	If people are joined at the hip, they are very closely connected and think the same way.
1497	Judge, jury and executioner	If someone is said to be the judge, jury, and executioner, it means they are in charge of every decision made, and they have the power to be rid of whomever they choose.
1498	Juggle frogs	If you are juggling frogs, you are trying to do something very difficult.
1499	Jump down someone's throat	If you jump down someone's throat, you criticise or chastise them severely.
1500	Jump on the bandwagon	If people jump on the bandwagon, they get involved in something that has recently become very popular.
1501	Jump the gun	If you jump the gun, you start doing something before the appropriate time.
1502	Jump the shark	Said of a salient point in a television show or other activity at which the popularity thereof begins to wane: The Flintstones jumped the shark when a man from outer space came to visit them. The expression derives from an episode of the television sitcom 'Happy Days' in which Fonzie, clad in leather jacket and on water skis, jumps over a shark. That episode was widely seen as the beginning of the end for the formerly popular series.
1503	Jump through hoops	If you are prepared to jump through hoops for someone, you are prepared to make great efforts and sacrifices for them.
1504	Jump to a conclusion	If someone jumps to a conclusion, they evaluate or judge something without a sufficient examination of the facts.
1505	Jumping Judas!	An expression of surprise or shock.
1506	Jungle out there	If someone says that it is a jungle out there, they mean that the situation is dangerous and there are no rules.
1507	Jury's out	If the jury's out on an issue, then there is no general agreement or consensus on it.
1508	Just around the corner	If something is just around the corner, then it is expected to happen very soon.
1509	Just as the twig is bent, the tree�s inclined	Things, especially education, that affect and influence us in our childhood shape the kind of adult we turn out to be. (There are various versions of this, like 'As the twig is bent, the tree's inclined' and 'As the twig is bent, so the tree inclines', 'As the twig is bent so is the tree inclined')
1510	Just coming up to	If the time is just coming up to nine o'clock, it means that it will be nine o'clock in a very few seconds. You'll hear them say it on the radio in the morning.
1511	Just deserts	If a bad or evil person gets their just deserts, they get the punishment or suffer the misfortune that it is felt they deserve.
1512	Just for the heck of it	When someone does something just for the heck of it, they do it without a good reason.
1513	Just for the record	If something is said to be just for the record, the person is saying it so that people know but does not necessarily agree with or support it.
1514	Just in the nick of time	If you do something in the nick of time, you just manage to do it just in time, with seconds to spare.
1515	Just off the boat	If someone is just off the boat, they are naive and inexperienced.
1516	Just what the doctor ordered	If something's just what the doctor ordered, it is precisely what is needed.
1517	Kangaroo court	When people take the law into their own hands and form courts that are not legal, these are known as kangaroo court.
1518	Keen as mustard	(UK) If someone is very enthusiastic, they are as keen as mustard.
1519	Keep abreast	If you keep abreast of things, you stay informed about developments.
1520	Keep at bay	If you keep someone or something at bay, you maintain a safe distance from them.
1521	Keep body and soul together	If you earn enough to cover your basic expenses, but nothing more than that, you earn enough to keep body and soul together.
1522	Keep in touch	If you keep in touch with someone, you keep communicating with them even though you may live far apart.
1523	Keep it on the Q T	If you keep something on the Q T, you keep it quiet or secret.('Q-T' is also used.)
1524	Keep it under your hat	If you keep something under your hat, you keep it secret.
1525	Keep mum	If you keep mum about something, you keep quiet and don't tell anyone.
1526	Keep posted	If you keep posted about something, you keep up-to-date with information and developments.
1527	Keep someone at arm's length	If you keep someone or something at arm's length, you keep a safe distance away from them.
1528	Keep someone on their toes	If you keep someone on their toes, you make sure that they concentrate on what they are supposed to do.
1529	Keep the wolf at bay	If you keep the wolf at bay, you make enough money to avoid going hungry or falling heavily into debt.
1530	Keep up with the Joneses	People who try to keep up with the Joneses are competitive about material possessions and always try to have the latest and best things.
1531	Keep your chin up	(UK) This expression is used to tell someone to have confidence.
1532	Keep your cool	If you keep your cool, you don't get excessively excited or disturbed in a bad situation.
1533	Keep your ear to the ground	If you keep your ear to the ground, you try to keep informed about something, especially if there are rumours or uncertainties.
1534	Keep your eye on the ball	If you keep your eye on the ball, you stay alert and pay close attention to what is happening.
1535	Keep your eye on the prize	This means that you should keep your focus on achieving a positive end result.
1536	Keep your eyes peeled	If you keep your eyes peeled, you stay alert or watchful.
1537	Keep your fingers crossed	If you are keeping your fingers crossed, you are hoping for a positive outcome.
1538	Keep your hair on	Keep your hair on is advice telling someone to keep calm and not to over-react or get angry.
1539	Keep your head	If you keep your head, you stay calm in times of difficulty.
1540	Keep your head above water	If you are just managing to survive financially, you are keeping your head above water.
1541	Keep your nose clean	If someone is trying to keep their Nose Clean, they are trying to stay out of trouble by not getting involved in any sort of wrong-doing.
1542	Keep your nose to the grindstone	If you keep your nose to the grindstone, you work hard and seriously.
1543	Keep your options open	If someone's keeping their options open, they aren't going to restrict themselves or rule out any possible course of action.
1544	Keep your pecker up	If someone tells you to keep your pecker up, they are telling you not to let your problems get on top of you and to try to be optimistic.
1545	Keep your powder dry	If you keep your powder dry, you act cautiously so as not to damage your chances.
1546	Keep your shirt on!	This idiom is used to tell someone to calm down.
1547	Keep your wig on!	(UK) This idiom is used to tell someone to calm down.
1548	Kettle of fish	A pretty or fine kettle of fish is a difficult problem or situation.
1549	Kick a habit	If you kick a habit, you stop doing it.
1550	Kick away the ladder	If someone kicks away the ladder, they remove something that was supporting or helping someone.
1551	Kick in the teeth	Bad news or a sudden disappointment are a kick in the teeth.
1552	Kick something into the long grass	If an issue or problem is kicked into the long grass, it is pushed aside and hidden in the hope that it will be forgotten or ignored.
1553	Kick the ballistics	It means you realise the intensity of a situation. For example, there is too much unemployment now, so the prime minister must kick the ballistics and change his policy.
1554	Kick the bucket	When someone kicks the bucket, they die.
1555	Kick up your heels	(USA) If you kick up your heels, you go to parties or celebrate something.
1556	Kick your heels	(UK) If you have to kick your heels, you are forced to wait for the result or outcome of something.
1557	Kicked to touch	Touch is a zone of the playing field in Rugby. Kicked to touch means the ball was put safely out of play. Idiomatic usage usually means a person has deftly avoided an issue in argument.
1558	Kid gloves	If someone is handled with kid gloves, they are given special treatment and handled with great care.
1559	Kill the goose that lays the golden egg	If you kill the goose that lays the golden egg, you ruin something that is very profitable.
1560	Kill two birds with one stone	When you kill two birds with one stone, you resolve two difficulties or matters with a single action.
1561	Kindred spirit	A kindred spirit is someone who feels and thinks the way you do.
1562	King of the castle	The king of the castle is the person who is in charge of something or in a very comfortable position compared to their companions.
1563	King's ransom	If something costs or is worth a king's ransom, it costs or is worth a lot of money.
1564	Kiss and tell	If people kiss and tell, they disclose private or confidential information.
1565	Kiss of death	The kiss of death is an action that means failure or ruin for someone, a scheme, a plan, etc.
1566	Kiss something goodbye	If someone tells you that you can kiss something goodbye, you have no chance of getting or having it.
1567	Kissing cousin	A kissing cousin is someone you are related to, but not closely.
1568	Kitchen-sink	(UK) Kitchen-sink drama deals with ordinary people's lives.
1569	Kith and kin	Your kith and kin are your family; your next of kin are close relations you nominate to deal with your affairs in the event of your death on a document, like a passport.
1570	Knee-jerk reaction	A knee-jerk reaction is an instant, instinctive response to a situation.
1571	Knickers in a twist	When your knickers are in a twist, you are angry and snappish over something trivial. 'Whenever he loses his car keys, he gets his knickers in a twist.'
1572	Knight in shining armour	A knight in shining armour is someone who saves you when you are in great trouble or danger.
1573	Knit your brows	If you knit your brows, you frown or look worried.
1574	Knock 'em dead	'Knock 'em dead' is used as a way of wishing someone luck before they give a performance or have to appear before people, as in an interview, etc. ('em = them)
1575	Knock on wood	This idiom is used to wish for good luck. ('Touch wood' is also used.)
1576	Knock something on the head	If you knock something on the head, you stop it or stop doing it.
1577	Knock the pins from under someone	If someone knocks the pins from under you, they let you down.
1578	Knock your block off	To punch someone in the face Eg : The next time you do something like that I'm going to "knock your block off".
1579	Knock your socks off	If something knocks your socks off, it amazes and surprises you, usually in a positive way.
1580	Know a hawk from a handsaw	If someone knows a hawk from a handsaw, they are able to distinguish things and assess them.
1581	Know full well	When you know full well, you are absolutely sure that you know.
1582	Know the ropes	Someone who is experienced and knows how the system works know the ropes.
1583	Know where all the bodies are buried	Someone who by virtue of holding a position of trust with an organization for a long period of time has come to know many of the secrets that others in more powerful positions would rather be kept secret knows where the bodies are buried. An implication is that the person knowing these secrets will use that knowledge to secure something of value for him- or herself.
1584	Know which side one's bread is buttered on	If you know which side one's bread is buttered on, you know where your interests lie and will act accordingly to protect or further them.
1585	Know which way the wind blows	This means that you should know how things are developing and be prepared for the future.
1586	Know your onions	If someone is very well-informed about something, they know their onions.
1587	Know your place	A person who knows their place doesn't try to impose themselves on others
1588	Labor of love	A labor of love is a project or task undertaking for the interest or pleasure in doing it rather than the reward, financial or otherwise.
1589	Labour of love	A labour of love is a project or task undertaking for the interest or pleasure in doing it rather than the reward, financial or otherwise.
1590	Lame duck	If something or someone is a lame duck, they are in trouble.
1591	Land of nod	If someone has gone to the land of nod, they have fallen asleep or gone to bed.
1592	Landslide victory	A landslide victory is a victory in an election by a very large margin.
1593	Lap dog	A lap dog is a person who is eager to please another at the expense of his or her own needs in order to maintain a position of privilege or favor.
1594	Lap of the gods	If something is in the lap of the gods, it is beyond our control and fate will decide the outcome.
1595	Larger than life	If something is excessive or exaggerated, it is larger than life.
1596	Last hurrah	If an elderly person does something special before they die, it is a last hurrah.
1597	Last laugh	The person who has the last laugh ends up with the the advantage in a situation after some setbacks.
1598	Last straw	The last straw is the final problem that makes someone lose their temper or the problem that finally brought about the collapse of something. It comes from an Arabic story, where a camel was loaded with straw until a single straw placed on the rest of the load broke its back.
1599	Last-ditch	A last-ditch attempt is a desperate attempt that will probably fail anyway.
1600	Laugh a minute	Someone who is a laugh a minute is very funny.
1601	Laugh to see a pudding crawl	(UK) Someone who would laugh to see a pudding crawl is easily amused and will laugh at anything.
1602	Laugh up your sleeve	If you laugh up your sleeve, you laugh at someone secretly.
1603	Laughing stock	If someone becomes a laughing stock they do something so stupid or wrong that no one can take them seriously and people scorn and laugh at them.
1604	Laughter is the best medicine	Laughing is often helpful for healing, especially emotional healing.
1605	Law unto yourself	If somebody's a law unto themselves, they do what they believe is right regardless of what is generally accepted as correct.
1606	Lay down the law	If someone lays down the law, they tell people what to do and are authoritarian.
1607	Lead someone up the garden path	If someone leads you up the garden path, they deceive you, or give you false information that causes you to waste your time. 'Lead someone down the garden path' is also used.
1608	Lead with the chin	If someone leads with their chin, they speak or behave without fear of the consequences.
1609	Lean and mean	An organisation that is lean and mean has no excess or unnecessary elements and is very competitive.
1610	Learn the ropes	If you are learning the ropes, you are learning how to do something.
1611	Leave no stone unturned	If you look everywhere to find something, or try everything to achieve something, you leave no stone unturned.
1612	Leave well alone	If you leave something well alone, you keep a safe distance from it, either physically or metaphorically.
1613	Left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing	If the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, then communication within a company, organisation, group, etc, is so bad that people don't know what the others are doing.
1614	Left in the dark	If you are left in the dark about something, you aren't given the information that you should have.
1615	Left to your own devices	If someone is left to their own devices, they are not controlled and can do what they want.
1616	Left-handed compliment	A left-handed compliment is one that sounds like praise but has an insulting meaning. ('Backhanded compliment' is an alternative form.)
1617	Legend in your own lunchtime	Somebody who becomes a legend in their own lifetime acquires fame, but often only to a select or specialist audience, while they are still alive.
1618	Lend an ear	If you lend an ear, you listen to what someone has to say. ('Lend your ear' is an alternative form.)
1619	Leopard can't change its spots	This idiom means that people cannot change basic aspects of their character, especially negative ones. ("A leopard doesn't change its spots" is also used.)
1620	Lesser of two evils	Something that is the lesser of two evils, is an unpleasant option, but not as bad as the other.
1621	Let alone	This is used to emphasise how extreme something could be: 'We hadn't got the money to phone home, let alone stay in a hotel.' This emphasises the utter impossibility of staying in a hotel.
1622	Let bygones be bygones	If people decide to let bygones be bygones, they decide to forget old problems or grievances they have with each other.
1623	Let sleeping dogs lie	If someone is told to let sleeping dogs lie, it means that they shouldn't disturb a situation as it would result in trouble or complications.
1624	Let the best be the enemy of the good	If the desire for an unattainable perfection stops someone from choosing good possibilities, they let the best be the enemy of the good.
1625	Let the cat out of the bag	If you accidentally reveal a secret, you let the cat out of the bag.
1626	Let the chips fall where they may	This means that we shouldn't try to control events, because destiny controls them.
1627	Let the devil take the hindmost	This idiom means that you should think of yourself and not be concerned about other people; look after yourself and let the devil take the hindmost.
1628	Let the genie out of the bottle	If people let the genie out of the bottle, they let something bad happen that cannot be put right or controlled.
1629	Let the grass grow round your feet	If you let the grass grow round your feet, you delay doing things instead of taking action.
1630	Let your guard down	If you let your guard down, you relax and stop looking out for danger.
1631	Let your hair down	If someone lets their hair down, they relax and stop feeling inhibited or shy.
1632	Let's call it a day	This is used as a way of suggesting that it is time to stop working on something.
1633	Letter of the law	If people interpret laws and regulations strictly, ignoring the ideas behind them, they follow the letter of the law.
1634	Level playing field	If there's a level playing field everybody is treated equally.
1635	Lie like a rug	If someone lies like a rug, they lie to the point where it becomes obvious that they're lying.
1636	Lie low	If someone lies low, they try not to be found or caught.
1637	Lie through your teeth	Someone who is always lying, regardless of what people know, lies through their teeth.
1638	Life and limb	When people risk life and limb, they could be killed or suffer serious injuries.
1639	Life is just a bowl of cherries	This idiom means that life is simple and pleasant.
1640	Light at the end of the tunnel	If you can see light at the end of the tunnel, then you can see some signs of hope in the future, though things are difficult at the moment.
1641	Light bulb moment	A light bulb moment is when you have a sudden realisation about something, like the light bulbs used to indicate an idea in cartoons.
1642	Light on your feet	If someone is light on their feet, they can move quickly and are agile.
1643	Light years ahead	If you are light years ahead of others, you are a long way in front of them in terms of development, success, etc.
1644	Lightning rod	Someone or something that attracts a lot of negative comment, often diverting attention from other problems, is a lightning rod.
1645	Like a bat out of hell	This expression means extremely quickly.
1646	Like a beached whale	Once a whale is on a beach, it cannot get back into the easily, so if you are completely stuck somewhere and can't get away, you are stranded like a beached whale.
1647	Like a bear with a sore head	(UK) If someone's like a bear with a sore head, they complain a lot and are unhappy about something.
1648	Like a bull at a gate	If you tackle a job very quickly, without any real thought about what you are doing, you are going at it like a bull at a gate.
1649	Like a cat on hot bricks	If someone is like a cat on hot bricks, they are very nervous or excited.
1650	Like a cat that got the cream	If someone looks very pleased with themselves and happy, they look like a cat that got the cream.
1651	Like a duck to water	If someone has a natural talent for something and enjoys it, they take to it like a duck to water.
1652	Like a fish needs a bicycle	If someone needs something like a Fish Needs a Bicycle, they do not need it at all, originally a feminist slogan: A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.
1653	Like a fish out of water	If someone feels like a fish out of water, they are very uncomfortable in the situation they are in.
1654	Like a hawk	If you watch something or someone like a hawk, you observe very closely and carefully.
1655	Like a headless chicken	If someone rushes about like a headless chicken, they move very fast all over the place, usually without thinking.
1656	Like a kid in a candy store	If someone is like a kid in a candy store, they are very excited about something.
1657	Like a moth to a flame	Something that is like a moth to a flame is attracted to something that is deadly or dangerous.
1658	Like a rat deserting a sinking ship	If people leave a company because they know that it's about to have serious problems, or turn their back on a person about to be in a similar situation, they are said to be like rats deserting a sinking ship.
1659	Like Chinese arithmetic	If something is complicated and hard to understand, it's like Chinese arithmetic.
1660	Like clockwork	If something happens like clockwork, it happens at very regular times or intervals.
1661	Like father, like son	This idiom is used when different generations of a family behave in the same way or have the same talents of defects.
1662	Like giving a donkey strawberries	(UK) If something is like giving a donkey strawberries, people fail to appreciate its value.
1663	Like it or lump it	When people say this, they mean that the person will have to accept the situation because it isn't going to change.
1664	Like lambs to the slaughter	If somebody does something unpleasant without any resistance, they go like lambs to the slaughter.
1665	Like no one's business	If I say my children are growing like no one's business, it means they're growing very quickly. See also 'Like the clappers' and 'Like there's no tomorrow'.
1666	Like peas in a pod	If people or things are like peas in a pod, they look identical.
1667	Like pulling teeth	If something if like pulling teeth, it is very difficult, especially if trying to extract information or to get a straight answer from someone.
1668	Like taking candy from a baby	(USA) If something is like taking candy from a baby, it is very easy to do.
1669	Like the back of your hand	If you know something like the back of your hand, you know it very well indeed.
1670	Like the clappers	If something is going like the clappers, it is going very fast.
1671	Like there's no tomorrow	If you do something like there's no tomorrow, you do it fast or energetically.
1672	Like two peas in a pod	Things that are like two peas in a pod are very similar or identical,
1673	Like watching sausage getting made	If something is like watching sausages getting made, unpleasant truths about it emerge that make it much less appealing. The idea is that if people watched sausages getting made, they would probably be less fond of them.
1674	Like white on rice	(USA) If you do something like white on rice, you do it very closely: When Bob found out I had front row tickets for the concert, he stuck to me like white on rice.
1675	Like wildfire	If something happens or spreads like wildfire, it happens very quickly and intensely.
1676	Lily-livered	Someone who is lily-livered is a coward.
1677	Lines of communication	Lines of communication are the routes used to communicate by people or groups who are in conflict; a government might open lines of communication with terrorists if it wished to negotiate with them.
1678	Lion's share	The lion's share of something is the biggest or best part.
1679	Lip service	When people pay lip service to something, they express their respect, but they don't act on their words, so the respect is hollow and empty.
1680	Little pitchers have big ears	(USA) This means that children hear more and understand the world around them better than many adults realize.
1681	Little strokes fell great oaks	Meaning: even though something may seem impossible, if you break it up into small parts and take one step at a time, you will succeed.
1682	Live high off the hog	If you are living high off the hog, you are living lavishly.
1683	Live wire	A person who is very active, both mentally and physically, is a live wire.
1684	Lo and behold	This phrase is used to express surprise.
1685	Loan shark	A loan shark lends money at very high rates of interest.
1686	Lock and load	This is a military term meaning "be ready and prepared".
1687	Lock horns	When people lock horns, they argue or fight about something.
1688	Lock the stable door after the horse has bolted	If someone takes action too late, they do this; there is no reason to lock an empty stable.
1689	Lock, stock and barrel	This is an expressions that means 'everything'; if someone buys a company lock, stock and barrel, they buy absolutely everything to do with the company.
1690	Long face	Someone with a long face is sad or depressed about something.
1691	Long in the tooth	If someone is long in the tooth, they are a bit too old to do something.
1692	Long shot	If something is a long shot, there is only a very small chance of success.
1693	Long time no hear	The speaker could say this when they have not heard from a person, either through phone calls or emails for a long time.
1694	Long time no see	'Long time no see' means that the speaker has not seen that person for a long time.
1695	Look after number 1	You are number one, so this idiom means that you should think about yourself first, rather than worrying about other people.
1696	Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves	(UK) If you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves, meaning that if someone takes care not to waste small amounts of money, they will accumulate capital. ('Look after the pence and the pounds will look after themselves' is an alternative form of this idiom.)
1697	Look before you leap	This idiom means that you should think carefully about the possible results or consequences before doing something.
1698	Look on the bright side	If you look on the bright side, you try to see things in an optimistic way, especially when something has gone wrong.
1699	Look out for number one	If you look out for number one, you take care of yourself and your interests, rather than those of other people.
1700	Look what the cat dragged in	This idiom is used when someone arrives somewhere looking a mess or flustered and bothered.
1701	Loose cannon	A person who is very difficult to control and unpredictable is a loose cannon.
1702	Loose lips sink ships	To have loose lips means to have a big mouth, susceptible to talking about everything and everyone. Sinking ships refers to anything from small acquaintances to long and hearty relationships (with friends or a significant other). So when one says loose lips sink ships, one is basically saying if you can't shut up you are going to end hurting people, usually psychologically or emotionally.Loose lips sink ships comes from World War I and/or WWII, when sailors on leave from their ships might talk about what ship they sailed on or where it had come from, or where it was going. If they talked too much (had 'loose lips') they might accidentally provide the enemy with anecdotal information that might later cause their ship to be tracked, and bombed and sunk, hence 'Loose lips sink ships.' Later, it came to mean any excessive talk might sabotage a project.
1703	Lord love a duck	An exclamation used when nothing else will fit. Often fitting when one is stunned or dismayed.
1704	Lord willing and the creek don't rise	Pertains to the ability to accomplish a task or meet an obligation, barring unforseen complications. Example: "I will be at work tomorrow, Lord willing and the creek don't rise."
1705	Lose face	To lose one's reputation or standing is to lose face
1706	Lose the plot	If someone loses the plot, they have stopped being rational about something.
1707	Lose your bottle	(UK) If someone loses their bottle, they lose the courage to do something.
1708	Lose your lunch	(UK) If you lose your lunch, you vomit.
1709	Lose your marbles	If someone has lost their marbles, they've gone mad.
1710	Lose your shirt	If someone loses their shirt, they lose all their money through a bad investment, gambling, etc.
1711	Love is blind	If you love someone, it doesn't matter what they look like. You will also overlook faults.
1712	Low-hanging fruit	Low-hanging fruit are things that are easily achieved.
1713	Lower than a snake's belly	Someone or something that is lower than a snake's belly is of a very low moral standing.
1714	Lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut	(USA) If someone or something is lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut, they are of low moral standing because a snake's belly is low and if the snake is in a wagon rut, it is really low.
1715	Lower the bar	If people change the standards required to make things easier, they lower the bar.
1716	Lower your sights	If you lower your sights, you accept something that is less than you were hoping for.
1717	Luck of the draw	To have the 'Luck of the draw' is to win something in a competition where the winner is chosen purely by chance.
1718	Mad as a badger	If someone is as mad as a badger, they are crazy.
1719	Mad as a bag of hammers	Someone who is as mad as a bag of hammers is crazy or stupid. ('Daft as a bag of hammers' is also used.)
1720	Mad as a cut snake	(USA) One who is mad as a cut snake has lost all sense of reason, is crazy, out of control.
1721	Mad as a hornet	(USA) If someone is as mad as a hornet, they are very angry indeed.
1722	Mad as a March hare	Someone who is excitable and unpredictable is as mad as a March hare.
1723	Made in the shade	One has an easy time in life or in a given situation. Finding things working to one's benefit.
1724	Made of money	If you are made of money, you have a lot of money.
1725	Mailed fist	Someone who rules or controls something with a mailed fist is in absolute control and tolerates no dissent. A mailed fist in a velvet glove is used to describe someone who appears soft on the outside, but underneath is very hard. 'Iron fist' is an alternative form.
1726	Major league	Something major league is very important.
1727	Make a better fist	If someone makes a better fist of doing something, they do a better job.
1728	Make a clean breast	If someone makes a clean breast, they confess in full to something they have done.
1729	Make a killing	If you make a killing, you do something that makes you a lot of money.
1730	Make a meal	If someone makes a meal of something, they spend too long doing it or make it look more difficult than it really is.
1731	Make a mint	If someone is making a mint, they are making a lot of money.
1732	Make a monkey of someone	If you make a monkey of someone, you make them look foolish.
1733	Make a mountain out of a molehill	If somebody makes a mountain out of a molehill, they exaggerate the importance or seriousness of a problem.
1734	Make a pig's ear	If you make a pig's ear of something, you make a mess of it.
1735	Make a pitch	If you make a pitch for something, you make a bid, offer or other attempt to get it.
1736	Make a request	If you request something, or make a request, you are asking for something you want or need.
1737	Make a song and dance	(UK) If someone makes a song and dance, they make an unecessary fuss about something unimportant.
1738	Make a virtue out of necessity	If you make a virtue out of necessity, you make the best of a difficult or unsatisfactory situation.
1739	Make an enquiry	If you make an enquiry, you ask for general information about something.
1740	Make bets in a burning house	(USA) If people are making bets in a burning house, they are engaged in futile activity while serious problems around them are getting worse.
1741	Make ends meet	If somebody finds it hard to make ends meet, they have problems living on the money they earn.
1742	Make hay	If you make hay, or may hay while the sun shines, you take advantage of an opportunity as soon as it arises and do not waste time.
1743	Make headway	If you make headway, you make progress.
1744	Make money hand over fist	If you make money hand over fist, you make a lot of money without any difficulty.
1745	Make my day	If something makes your day, it satisfies you or makes you happy.
1746	Make no bones about it	If somebody make no bones about a scandal in their past, they are open and honest about it and show no shame or embarrassment.
1747	Make out like a bandit	(USA) If someone is extremely successful in a venture, they make out like a bandit.
1748	Make waves	If someone makes waves, they cause a lot of trouble.
1749	Make your blood boil	If something makes your blood boil, it makes you very angry.
1750	Make your flesh crawl	If something makes your flesh crawl, it really scares or revolts you. ('Make your flesh creep' is an alternative. 'Make your skin crawl' is also used.)
1751	Make your hair stand on end	If something makes your hair stand on end, it terrifies you.
1752	Make your toes curl	If something makes your toes curl, it makes you feel very uncomfortable, shocked or embarrassed.
1753	Make yourself scarce	If someone makes themselves scarce, they go away from a place, especially to avoid trouble or so that they can't be found.
1754	Man Friday	From 'Robinson Crusoe', a 'Man Friday' refers to an assistant or companion, usually a capable one. The common feminine equivalent is 'Girl Friday'. (Also, 'right-hand man'. )
1755	Man in the street	The man in the street is an idiom to describe ordinary people, especially when talking about their opinions and ideas.
1756	Man of his word	A man of his word is a person who does what he says and keeps his promises.
1757	Man of letters	A man of letters is someone who is an expert in the arts and literature, and often a writer too.
1758	Man of means	A man, or woman, of means is wealthy.
1759	Man of parts	A man of parts is a person who is talented in a number of different areas or ways.
1760	Man of straw	A weak person that can easily be beaten of changed is a man of straw.
1761	Man of the cloth	A man of the cloth is a priest.
1762	Man on the Clapham omnibus	(UK) The man on the Clapham omnibus is the ordinary person in the street.
1763	Man proposes, God disposes	Your fate lies in the hands of God.
1764	Man upstairs	When people refer to the man upstairs, they are referring to God.
1765	Man's best friend	This is an idiomatic term for dogs.
1766	Man's man	A man's man is a man who does things enjoyed by men and is respected by other men.
1767	Many a slip twixt cup and lip	There's many a slip twixt cup and lip means that many things can go wrong before something is achieved.
1768	Many hands make light work	This idiom means that when everyone gets involved in something, the work gets done quickly.