| A Bite at The Cherry | A good opportunity that isn’t available to everyone |
| A Busy Bee | A busy, active person who moves quickly from task to task. |
| A Cat Has Nine Lives | Cats seem to get away with dangerous things |
| A Cat in Gloves Catches No Mice | You can’t get what you need if you’re too careful. |
| A Cat Nap | A short sleep during the day |
| A Cold Day In July | (Something that) will never happen |
| A Cold Fish | Someone who is not often moved by emotions, who is regarded as being hard and unfeeling. |
| A Cut Above | Slightly better than |
| A Cut Below | Inferior to; somewhat lower in quality than |
| A Day Late And A Dollar Short | Too delayed and insignificant to have much effect |
| A Dog in The Manger | A person who selfishly prevent others from using, enjoying or profiting from something even though he/ she cannot use or enjoy it himself. |
| A Few Sandwiches Short Of A Picnic | Abnormally stupid, not really sane |
| A Good Deal | To a large extent, a lot |
| A Great Deal | To a very large extent |
| A Guinea Pig | Someone who is part of an experiment or trial |
| A Hair’s Breadth | A very small distance or amount |
| A Home Bird | Somebody who prefers to spend his social and free time at home. |
| A Hundred And Ten Percent | More than what seems to be the maximum |
| A Lame Duck | A person or enterprise (often a business) that is not a success and that has to be helped. |
| A Leg Up | An advantage, a boost |
| A Lemon | A vehicle that does not work properly |
| A Life Of Its Own | An indepdendent existence |
| A Little Bird Told Me | I don’t wish to divulge where I got the information |
| A Little Bird Told Me | I got this information from a source I cannot reveal. |
| A Little from Column A, a Little from Column B | A course of action drawing on several different ideas or possibilities |
| A Lone Wolf | Someone who is not very social with other people |
| A Lot on One’s Plate | A lot to do |
| A Million and One | Very many |
| A Notch Above | Superior to; higher in quality |
| A Penny for Your Thoughts | What are you thinking? |
| A Penny Saved is A Penny Earned | Every small amount helps to build one’s savings |
| A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words | A visual presentation can communicate something very effectively |
| A Plum Job | An easy and pleasant job that also pays well |
| A Rare Bird | Somebody or something of a kind that one seldom sees. |
| A Scaredy-Cat | Someone who is excessively scared or afraid. |
| A Second Bite At The Cherry | A Second chance to do something |
| A Sight for Sore Eyes | Someone that you’re pleased to see |
| A Sitting Duck | A person or object in a vulnerable position that is easy to attack or injure. |
| A Snowball’s Chance in Hell | Little to no likelihood of occurrence or success |
| A Stitch in Time Saves Nine | Fix something quickly, because if you don’t, it will just get more difficult to fix |
| A Stone’s Throw | A very short distance |
| A Storm in a Teacup | Unnecessary anger or worry about an unimportant or trivial matter |
| A Tall Order | A difficult task |
| A Week Is A Long Time In _____ | In the field mentioned, the situation may change rapidly |
| About Time | Far past the desired time |
| About To | On the point of, occurring imminently |
| Above And Beyond | More than is expected or required |
| Above Board | Openly, without deceit. Honestly, reputably. |
| Above The Law | Exempt from the laws that apply to everyone else. |
| Above The Salt | Of high standing or honor |
| Above Water | Not in extreme difficulty. Especially said of finances |
| Accident Of Birth | Luck in something due to family good fortune |
| Accident Waiting To Happen | A dangerous way of setting up or organizing something |
| According To Hoyle | Properly, in accordance with established procedures |
| Ace In The Hole | A hidden advantage |
| Ace Up One’s Sleeve | A surprise advantage of which others are not aware. |
| Acid Test | A crucial event that determines the worth of something |
| Acknowledge The Corn | Admit to a mistake, especially a small one; point out one’s own shortcomings, or another’s |
| Acquired Taste | Something one learns to appreciate only after trying it repeatedly |
| Across The Board | In relation to all categories, for everyone |
| Across The Pond | On or to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. |
| Act High and Mighty | Be arrogant, presume that one is better than others |
| Act Of Congress | Hard to get, said of authorization |
| Act One’s Age | To be mature, not childish |
| Actions Speak Louder Than Words | One’s character and intentions are shown more accurately by one’s actions than by one’s words. |
| Achilles’ Heel | The weak point of an otherwise powerful person or organization |
| Add Fuel To The Fire | Worsen already existing tension |
| Add Insult To Injury | Compound a defeat with humiliation or mockery |
| Add Insult to Injury | Humiliate someone in addition to doing damage to him or her |
| After One’s Own Heart | Similar in a pleasing way |
| After The Fact | Too late; after something is completed or finalized |
| After The Lord Mayor’s Show (UK) | Anticlimactic; occurring after something impressive |
| Against The Clock | Forced to hurry to meet a deadline |
| Against the Clock | In a very limited amount of time; with a shortage of time being the main problem |
| Against The Grain | Contrary to one’s natural inclinations |
| Against The Run Of Play | A typical of the way a game has been going |
| Age Before Beauty | Something said by a younger woman to an older one, for instance allowing her to pass through a doorway |
| Agree To Disagree | Accept or set aside a disagreement |
| Agreement In Principle | In a negotiation, an agreement in which not all details have been worked out |
| Aha Moment | Sudden realization, the point at which one suddenly understands something |
| Ahead Of One’s Time | Offering ideas not yet in general circulation; highly creative |
| Ahead Of The Curve | Innovative, devising new ideas in advance of others |
| Ahead Of The Curve | Offering ideas not yet in general circulation; highly creative |
| Ahead Of The Game | Making faster progress than anticipated; ahead of schedule |
| Air Rage | Angry behavior inside an airplane |
| Airy Fairy | whimsical, nonsensical, impractical |
| Albatross Around One’s Neck | Something from one’s past that acts as a hindrance |
| Alive and Kicking | In good health despite health problems |
| All Along | For the entire time something has been happening |
| All And Sundry | Everyone(separately) Each one. |
| All Bark And No Bite | Tending to make verbal threats but not deliver on them |
| All Bets Are Off | What seemed certain is now unclear |
| All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go | Prepared (with clothing or otherwise) for an event that does not occur |
| All Ears | Listening willingly, waiting for an explanation |
| All Eyes And Ears | Attentive |
| All Eyes Are On | Watching alertly or attentively. Having prominent eyes. Everyone is paying attention to |
| All Fur Coat And No Knickers | Superficially attractive, physically or otherwise |
| All Hands on Deck | Everyone must help. |
| All Hat And No Cattle | Pretentious, full of bluster |
| All Hell Breaks Loose | The situation becomes chaotic. |
| All In A Day’s Work (Excl.) | That’s what I’m here for; although I have accomplished something, it is part of what I’m expected to do |
| All In Good Time | Eventually; at a more favorable time in the future. This phrase encourages one to be patient. |
| All in One Piece | Safely |
| All It’s Cracked Up To Be | As good as claims or reputation would suggest |
| All Mouth And No Trousers | Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance |
| All Over But The Shouting | Certain to end in a specific way |
| All Over Hell’S Half Acre | All over the place; everywhere. |
| All Over The Board | Everywhere, in many different locations |
| All Over The Map | Everywhere; in many different locations |
| All Over The Place | Everywhere; in many different locations |
| All Rights Reserved | Said of a published work; all reproduction rights are asserted by the copyright holder |
| All Roads Lead to Rome | There is more than one effective way to do something; many different methods will produce the same result |
| All Set | Ready, prepared, finished |
| All Sizzle And No Steak | Failing to live up to advance promotion or reputation |
| All Talk and No Trousers | Prone to empty boasts |
| All Told | With everything taken into consideration |
| All That Jazz | Similar things, similar qualities, et cetera |
| All The Marbles | The entire prize or reward |
| All The Rage | Very fashionable |
| All the Rage | Very much in fashion |
| All The Same | Anyway; nevertheless; nonetheless. |
| All The Tea In China | Great wealth, a large payment |
| All Things Being Equal | In the event that all aspects of a situation remain the same |
| All Things Considered | Taking all factors into consideration |
| All Thumbs | Clumsy |
| All Very Well | True to a certain extent |
| All Wet | Completely mistaken |
| Along The Lines Of | In general accordance with, in the same general direction as |
| Amateur Hour | A display of incompetence |
| Amber Gambler | Someone who accelerates to try to cross an intersection before a traffic light turns red |
| Amber Nectar | Beer |
| American Dream (The) | The belief among Americans that hard work leads to material success |
| An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away | Eating healthy foods will keep one from getting sick (and needing to see a doctor) |
| An Axe | To Grind A grievance, a disagreement with someone that justifies confrontation. |
| An Early Bird | A person who gets up early in the morning, or who starts work earlier than others. |
| An Eye for an Eye | Justice in which reparation or vengeance exactly matches the harm caused to the victim |
| An Offer One Can’t Refuse | An extremely attractive offer |
| Ancient History | Something, such as a disagreement, that happened long ago and ought to be forgotten |
| And All That | Et cetera, and so on. |
| And Counting | And the number just mentioned is increasing (or decreasing) |
| And Change | And an additional amount of money that’s less than the next round number |
| And His Mother | An intensifier for an inclusive noun or phrase such as everyone, everybody |
| And So Forth | Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner, etc. |
| And So On | Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner, etc. |
| And The Like | And other similar items, etc. |
| And Then Some | And even more than what has just been mentioned |
| Another Nail In One’s Coffin | Something that leads to someone’s death, literally or figuratively. |
| Answer Back | Respond impertinently; to talk back. |
| Ants In Your Pants | Restlessness |
| Any Port in a Storm | If you’re in trouble, you’ll turn to anything that improves the situation. |
| Any Tom, Dick or Harry | Any ordinary person |
| Angel’s Advocate | Someone who takes a positive outlook on an idea or proposal |
| Angle For | Aim toward something, try to obtain something, often indirectly or secretly |
| Apple of One’s Eye | A favorite person or thing, a person especially valued by someone |
| Apple of Someone’s Eye | The person that someone loves most of all and is very proud of |
| Apples and Oranges | Of two different classes, not comparable |
| Apples and Oranges | Of two different classes, not comparable |
| Arm Candy | An attractive woman accompanying a powerful or famous man at a social event |
| Armed to the Teeth | Carrying many weapons |
| Around the Clock | At all times |
| As American as Apple Pie | Very or typically American |
| As Far as I Can Throw (someone) | Only slightly |
| As Fit as A Fiddle | To be healthy and physically fit |
| As Pale as A Ghost | Extremely pale |
| As Pale as Death | Extremely pale |
| As Poor as a Church Mouse | Very poor |
| As Red as A Cherry | Very red |
| Asleep at the Wheel (Switch) | not paying attention to one’s work; not doing one’s job diligently. |
| At Death’s Door | Very near death |
| At Each Other’s Throats | Constantly and strongly arguing |
| At Loggerheads | In a state of persistent disagreement |
| At Loggerheads | In a state of persistent disagreement. |
| At Sixes and Sevens | Someone is in a state of confusion or not very well organized. |
| At the Drop of a Hat | Spontaneously, suddenly |
| At the Eleventh Hour | It happens when it is almost too late. |
| At the End of One’s Rope (Tether) | Running out of endurance or patience |
| At the End of the Day | In the final analysis; when all is said and done |
| At Wit’s End | Frustrated because all measures to deal with something have failed |
| Babe In Arms | A baby being carried |
| Babe In The Woods | An innocent, naive person |
| Babe Magnet | A man to whom women are attracted |
| Baby Blues | Blue eyes. |
| Baby Boomer | A person born in the years following World War II, when there was a temporary marked increase in the birth rate |
| Babysitter Test | An evaluation of the ease of use of household appliances, especially remote control devices |
| Back And Forth | Dialogue, negotiations |
| Back At You | Same to you (used to return a greeting or insult) |
| Back Burner (On The) | Not urgent; set aside until later |
| Back Forty | Remote, inaccessible land |
| Back in the Day | Formerly, when I was younger, in earlier times |
| Back Of Beyond | A remote location |
| Back Office | Support services for a business |
| Back on One’s Feet | Physically healthy again |
| Back to Square One | Back to the start |
| Back to Square One | Forced to begin something again |
| Back to the Drawing Board | Forced to begin something again |
| Back to the Salt Mine(s) | We have to go back to work. |
| Back to the Salt Mines | It’s time for me (us) to go back to work |
| Back the Wrong Horse | To support the losing side |
| Backing and Filling | Delaying a decision by making small changes or arguing about small details |
| Backseat Driver | A passenger in a car who gives unwanted advice to the driver is called a backseat driver. |
| Backseat Driver | Someone who likes to give (often annoying) advice to the driver of a car, or the leader of some other enterprise |
| Bad Apple | A discontented, trouble making, or dishonest person |
| Bad Blood | Enmity or hatred that stems from something in the past |
| Bad Egg | Someone who is not to be trusted |
| Bad Taste In One’s Mouth | Unease, a feeling that something unspecified is wrong in a situation |
| Bag of Tricks | A set of methods or resources |
| Bail Out | To rescue someone from a bad situation, to shield someone from the consequences of his or her actions |
| Ball and Chain | 1. One’s spouse (derogatory but often affectionate); 2. an ongoing burden |
| Ballpark Figure | A rough estimate |
| Banner Year | A year marked by strong successes |
| Bang for Your Buck | Value for money |
| Bang for Your Buck | Value for your money |
| Bang One’s Head Against the Wall (Against a Brick Wall) | Try repeatedly to do something without making progress |
| Baptism by Fire | A difficult task given right after one has assumed new responsibilities |
| Bar Fly (or Barfly) | Someone who spends much of his or her time in bars |
| Bare One’s Heart (Soul) | To confess one’s deepest secrets |
| Bark Up the Wrong Tree | Pursue a mistaken approach or belief; be wrong in a course of action |
| Basket Case | So upset or stunned that one is unable to function; in a hopeless condition |
| Bat/Play for Both Teams | To be bisexual. |
| Bat/Play for the Other Team | To be homosexual. |
| Batten Down the Hatches | Prepare for a storm |
| Batten Down the Hatches | Prepare for a storm |
| Be A Barrel of Laughs | To be fun, funny, and pleasant. |
| Be A Cold Day In Hell | (Something that) will never happen |
| Be An Item | Two people are an item when they are having a romantic relationship |
| Be Footloose and Fancy-Free | To be free of responsibilities, including romantic commitments |
| Be Head Over Heels (In love) | Be in love with somebody very much |
| Be in Seventh Heaven | Extremely happy |
| Be in Two Minds (about something) | To not be certain about something, or to have difficulty in making a decision |
| Be Like Chalk and Cheese | Things or people who are very different and have nothing in common |
| Be Lovey – Dovey | Expressing your love in public by constantly kissing and hugging |
| Be on the Mend | Be improving after an illness |
| Be Snowed Under | Be extremely busy with work or things to do |
| Bean Counters | Accountants, finance professionals in an organization |
| Bean Counters | Accountants, finance professionals in an organization |
| Beat Around the Bush | To speak in a roundabout way in order to avoid confronting an unpleasant topic |
| Beat Someone To The Draw | To accomplish or obtain something more quickly than someone else |
| Beat Someone to the Punch | Do something before or faster than someone else |
| Beat the Drum for (Something) | Speak in favor of something to try to generate support |
| Beauty Is Only Skin Deep | External appearance is a superficial basis for judging someone |
| Bed of Roses | A comfortable situation |
| Bedroom Eyes | An expression of the eyes that seems to invite sex |
| Bee in One’s Bonnet | Someone who has a bee in their bonnet has an idea which constantly occupies their thoughts. |
| Beggar Thy Neighbor | To do something beneficial for oneself without worrying about how it affects others |
| Behind the Eight (or 8) Ball | At a serious disadvantage |
| Behind the Scenes | In a way not apparent to the public |
| Behind the Times | Old-fashioned |
| Bell the Cat | Take on a difficult or impossible task |
| Bells And Whistles | Attractive but unnecessary features of a product |
| Belly Laugh | Loud, hearty laughter |
| Bend an Elbow | Drink alcoholic beverages at a tavern |
| Best (Greatest) Thing Since Sliced Bread | An innovative development |
| Best of Both Worlds | Combining two qualities that are usually separate |
| Bet One’s Bottom Dollar (On Something) | Be certain that something will happen |
| Bet the Farm | Risk everything; spend all one’s money on something in hopes of success |
| Better late Than Never | It implies that a belated achievement is better than not reaching a goal at all. |
| Between a Rock and a Hard Place | Caught between two undesirable options |
| Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea | In a difficult position |
| Beyond the Pale | Too morally or socially extreme to accept |
| Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt | Absolutely certain |
| Big Apple | An informal name for New York City |
| Big Brother | Government, viewed as an intrusive force in the lives of citizens; government spying |
| Big Cheese | An important person in a company or organization |
| Big Deal | An important event or accomplishment |
| Big Fish | An important person |
| Big Picture | A wide perspective; a broad view of something |
| Big time | If you do something big time, you do it to a great degree. |
| Birds of a Feather | People having similar characters, backgrounds, interests, or beliefs. |
| Bird’s-Eye View | A view from above; a broad perspective on something |
| Bite Off More Than You Can Chew | Try to do more than one is capable of doing |
| Bite the Bullet | To do something even though it involves pain, discomfort, or difficulty |
| Bite the Hand That Feeds You | Act badly toward someone who has helped you |
| Bitter Pill to Swallow | An unpleasant fact that one must accept |
| Black and White | A clear distinction between good and bad, positive and negative |
| Black Eye | A mark of shame |
| Black Sheep | A person who does not fit into a group, especially a family |
| Black-and-Blue | Bruised, showing signs of having been physically harmed |
| Blank Check | Permission to spend or do whatever one wishes; carte blanche |
| Blind Date | When two people who have never seen each other before go on a date |
| Blinded by Love | When a person is so madly in love with somebody that they can’t see the person’s faults or negative characteristics |
| Blood and Thunder | A dramatic, spectacular performance |
| Blow Away the Cobwebs | If something blows away the cobwebs, it makes you feel more lively and refreshes your ideas. |
| Blow Hot and Cold | Shift one’s level of enthusiasm repeatedly |
| Blow Off Steam | To express anger and frustration in a way that does no damage |
| Blow One’s Top | Lose one’s temper |
| Blow One’s Stack | To lose one’s temper and explode in anger |
| Blow the Cobwebs Away (or Out of Something) | Make space for fresh ideas, encourage something new |
| Blow the Whistle | Reporting an illegal or unacceptable activity to the authorities |
| Blow Up | Explode |
| Blow Your Own Trumpet | Brag; emphasize one’s own contributions |
| Blue Blood (adj. blue-blooded) | Person of aristocratic background |
| Blue Eyed Boy | A person who is a favorite of those in authority; someone whose mistakes are forgiven |
| Blue Light Special | 1. a temporary sale at a discount store. 2. a traffic stop by the police. |
| Bob’s Your Uncle | The rest is easy; you’re almost finished |
| Bolt From the Blue | Something completely unexpected |
| Bone Dry | Completely dry, totally without moisture |
| Born on The Wrong Side of the Blanket | Born to parents who were not married |
| Borrow Trouble | Take needless risks, invite problems |
| Bottom of the Barrel | Low-quality choices |
| Boy Toy | A young man who is the lover of an older, often wealthier woman (see toyboy) |
| Boys will be Boys | A phrase of resignation used when boys get into trouble or are stereotypically reckless or rowdy |
| Brainstorm | To generate many ideas quickly |
| Break a Leg | Good luck! This is used for a stage performer-or for anyone else who is about to give some kind of a performance, such as an important speech |
| Break Out in A Cold Sweat | To perspire from fever or anxiety |
| Break the Bank | Exhaust one’s financial resources |
| Break The Ice | To get something started, particularly by means of a social introduction or conversation |
| Break up/ Split up (With Somebody) | End the relationship |
| Bring Home the Bacon | Earn money for one’s family |
| Bringing a Knife to a Gunfight | Underequipped or unprepared |
| Brush Under the Carpet | Attempt to temporarily conceal a problem or error |
| Bucket List | Things you want to see or do before you die |
| Bull in a China Shop | A clumsy or tactless person |
| Bump in the Road | A temporary problem, a small setback |
| Bundle Up | Put on lots of warm clothing |
| Burn One’s Bridges | Leave a job or a relationship on such bad terms that one does not stay in contact |
| Burn the Candle at Both Ends | To work too hard, with possible bad consequences for one’s health |
| Burn the Candle at Both Ends | Work very long hours |
| Burn the Midnight Oil | To work late into the night |
| Burn the Midnight Oil | Working late into the night |
| Bury (Hide) One’s Head In the Sand | Ignoring something that’s obviously wrong, not facing reality |
| Bury the Hatchet | Make peace, agree to end a dispute |
| Business as Usual | A normal situation (whether related to business or not), typically restored after some change |
| Busman’s Holiday (UK) | A working vacation |
| Busman’s Holiday | A vacation where you do the same thing you do at work, a working vacation |
| Busted Flush | A failure, someone or something that seemed promising but did not develop well |
| Butter Wouldn’t Melt in (Someone’s) | Mouth This person is cool in manner, prim and proper |
| Buy a Pig in a Poke | To buy something with no prior inspection |
| Buy Time | Cause a delay in something with the aim of improving one’s position |
| By a Whisker | By a very short distance |
| By All Means | Of course, certainly |
| By Hook or by Crook | By some possibly dishonest means |
| By the Skin of One’s Teeth | Barely escaping disaster |
| By Word of Mouth | Via personal communications rather than written media |
| Call a Spade a Spade | To speak frankly and directly about a problem |
| Call It a Day | Decide that one has worked enough on something for the day |
| Call It a Night | End an evening’s activities and go home |
| Call the Shots | Make the important decisions in an organization |
| Call the Tune | Making important decisions and controlling a situation. |
| Can’t See the Forest for the Trees | Is unable to maintain a wider perspective |
| Can’t Swing A Dead Cat In (Place) | Without Hitting A (Thing) There are many examples of [thing] in this [place]. |
| Carrot-and-Stick (Approach) | A tactic in which rewards are offered, but there is also the threat of punishment |
| Carry a Torch (for) | To continue to be in love with someone even after a relationship has ended |
| Carry Coals To Newcastle | Supply something that is unneeded; engage in useless labor |
| Carry the Can | To take the blame for something one did not do |
| Cash In One’s Chips | 1. To take advantage of a quick profit 2. To die |
| Cash-Strapped | In need of money |
| Cast the First Stone | To be the first to criticize or attack someone |
| Castle in the Air | An impractical plan |
| Cat Fight | A fight between two women |
| Cat Got Your Tongue? | Don’t you have anything to say? |
| Cat on a hot tin roof | Be extremely nervous |
| Cat-and-Mouse (adj.) | In a toying way; playful in an unpleasant way |
| Catch One’s Death of Cold | To become very ill (with a cold/flu etc.) |
| Catch Some Rays | To sit or lie outside in the sun |
| Catch Someone’s Eye | Attract someone’s attention |
| Catch-22 | A difficult situation from which there is no escape because options for avoiding it involve contradictions |
| Cat’s Paw | A person being used by someone else, a tool |
| Caught Red-Handed | Apprehended while committing a crime |
| Circle the Wagons | To prepare as a group to defend against attack, adopt a defensive posture |
| Claim to Fame | Unusual feature or offering |
| Clean Up Nicely | Look good when one is dressed up. Usually said of women |
| Clear the Air | Defuse tension, be honest about conflict so as to reduce it |
| Clip Someone’s Wings | Reduce someone’s privileges or freedom |
| Close, But No Cigar | You are very close but not quite correct. |
| Cock and Bull Story | A far-fetched story, probably untrue |
| Cock-A-Hoop | Elated, excited |
| Cold Day in Hell | A condition for something that would be extremely unlikely to occur |
| Come By Something Honestly | Acquire something honestly, or inherit it |
| Come Clean | To confess; to admit to wrongdoing |
| Come Hell or High Water | No matter what happens |
| Come Out in the Wash | To be resolved with no lasting negative effect |
| Come Out of the Closet | Reveal a secret about oneself, usually that one is gay (homosexual) |
| Come Out Swinging | Respond to something very aggressively |
| Come Rain and Shine | Do regularly, whatever the circumstances |
| Come to Grips With | To acknowledge a problem as a prelude to dealing with it |
| Come to Terms With (Something) | Feel acceptance toward something bad that has happened |
| Coming Down the Pike | Likely to occur in the near future |
| Cook Someone’s Goose | To insure someone’s defeat, to frustrate someone’s plans |
| Cook Up a Storm | Cook a great deal of food |
| Cooking Up a Storm | Cooking a great deal of food |
| Cool as A Cucumber | Calm and composed even in difficult or frustrating situations; self-possessed |
| Cool Cat | Someone who has the respect of their peers in a young, casual way. |
| Cool Your Heels | Wait |
| Couch Potato | A lazy person who watches a great deal of television |
| Crash a Party | To attend a party without being invited |
| Crickets | Silence |
| Cross to Bear | A problem one must deal with over a long time, a heavy burden |
| Crunch Time | A period of high pressure when one has to work hard to finish something |
| Crunch the Numbers | Do calculations before making a decision or prediction |
| Cry Over Spilt (USA | Spilled) |
| Cry Wolf (verb) | To issue a false alarm, to ask for help when none is needed |
| Cry Your Eyes Out | Cry hard for a very long time |
| Cry Your Eyes Out | Cry hard for a very long time |
| Curiosity Killed The Cat | Stop asking questions, don’t be too curious |
| Cut (Someone) To the Quick | To deeply hurt someone emotionally |
| Cut Corners | Economize by reducing quality; take shortcuts |
| Cut It Fine | To do something at the last moment |
| Cut Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face | To act in a proud way that ultimately damages your own cause |
| Cut Someone Some Slack | Avoid treating someone strictly or severely |
| Cut to the Chase | Get to the point; explain the most important part of something quickly; skip the preliminaries |
| Cut the Gordian Knot | To solve a complex problem in a simple way |
| Cut the Mustard | Do something adequately |
| Cut Your Teeth on Something | To learn basic skills in a field |
| Cutting-Edge | Very novel, innovative |
| Champagne taste on a beer budget | Expensive or extravagant tastes or preferences that are beyond one’s economic means. |
| Change Horses in Midstream | Change plans or leaders in the middle of a process |
| Change of Heart | A change in one’s opinion or outlook |
| Change One’s Tune | To alter one’s opinion about something. |
| Changing of the Guard | A change in leadership at an organization |
| Chase Rainbows | To pursue unrealistic goals |
| Cheap Shot | An unfair attack; a statement that unfairly attacks someone’s weakness |
| Cherry-Pick | To present evidence selectively to one’s own advantage |
| Cherry-Pick | To select the best or most desirable |
| Chew the Fat | Chat for a considerable length of time |
| Chickens Come Home To Roost | The negative consequences of previous actions reveal themselves |
| Child’s Play | A very easy task |
| Chill Out | Do something that helps them to calm down and relax for a while. |
| Chin Music | Meaningless talk |
| Chin Up/ Keep Your Chin Up | Cheer up; try to be cheerful and strong |
| Chip off the Old Block | Someone who resembles a direct ancestor, usually the father |
| Chomp (Champ) at the Bit | Be eager to do something |
| Chomp at the Bit | To be eager to do something |
| Chop Chop | Quickly, without delay |
| Chop Shop | A shop where stolen cars are disassembled for parts |
| Chuck a Wobbly | To act in an emotional way |
| Da Man (Slang) | An accomplished or skillful person. Generally used in the compliment “”You da man!”” |
| Dance to Someone’s Tune | Consistently follow someone’s directions or influence |
| Dance with the Devil | Knowingly do something immoral |
| Dark Horse | A surprise candidate or competitor, especially one who comes from behind to make a strong showing |
| Darken Someone’s Door (Step) | Make an unwanted visit to someone’s home |
| Dead Ahead | Directly ahead, either in a literal or a figurative sense |
| Dead as the Dodo | Completely extinct; totally gone |
| Dead Eye | A good shooter, a good marksman |
| Dead Heat | An exact tie in a race or competition |
| Dead of Winter | The coldest, darkest part of winter |
| Dead ringer | Very similar in appearance |
| Dead Run | Running as fast as possible |
| Dead Shot | A good shooter, a good marksman |
| Deep Pockets | The new owner has deep pockets, so fans are hoping the football team will improve next year with new players |
| Deliver the Goods | Provide what is expected |
| Devil’s Advocate | Someone who argues a point not out of conviction, but in order to air various points of view |
| Dirty Look | A facial manner that signifies disapproval |
| Do 12-Ounce Curls | Drink beer |
| Dodge a Bullet | To narrowly escape disaster |
| Doesn’t Amount to a Hill of Beans | Is unimportant, is negligible |
| Dog Days of the Summer | The hottest day of summer |
| Dog in the Manger | A person who prevents others from using something, even though the person himself or herself does not want it |
| Dog-and-Pony Show | A flashy presentation, often in a marketing context |
| Dog-Eat-Dog | Intensely competitive |
| Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover | Don’t be deceived by looks; don’t rely on looks when judging someone or something |
| Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk | Don’t worry about minor things. |
| Don’t Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth | Do not question the value of a gift. The expression comes from the practice of determining the age and health of a horse by looking at its teeth. |
| Double-Dip | Improperly get income from two different sources |
| Double-Edged Sword | Something that can be helpful or harmful; something beneficial that also has a downside |
| Down in the Dumps | Depressed, sad |
| Down the Road | In the future (in your lifetime) |
| Drag One’s Feet (or Heels) | To do something reluctantly and slowly |
| Drag Your Feet | Do something very reluctantly; delay doing something |
| Drain the Lizard | Urinate |
| Draw a Blank | Be unable to remember something |
| Draw a Line in the Sand | Issue an ultimatum; specify an absolute limit in a conflict |
| Draw a Line Under (Something) | To conclude something and move on to something else |
| Draw a Long Bow | Exaggerate, lie |
| Draw the Line | To set a limit to what one will accept |
| Dressed Up to the Nines | Someone is wearing very smart or glamorous clothes |
| Drink the Kool-Aid | Accept a set of ideas uncritically, often dangerous ones |
| Drive a Hard Bargain | To arrange a transaction so that it benefits oneself. |
| Drive a Hard Bargain | To negotiate effectively |
| Drive a Wedge Between | Try to split factions of a united group by introducing an issue on which they disagree |
| Drive Someone Up the Wall | Deeply irritate someone |
| Drop a Line | To write a letter or send an email |
| Drop the Ball | Fail to fulfill one’s responsibilities; make a mistake |
| Dry Run | A practice execution of a procedure |
| Dutch Courage | Alcohol drunk with the intention of working up the nerve to do something |
| Dutch Uncle | A highly critical person |
| Dyed-In-The-Wool (adj.) | Consistent in an affiliation or opinion over a long period; inveterate |
| Eager beaver | The term eager beaver refers to a person who is hardworking and enthusiastic, sometimes considered overzealous. |
| Eagle-Eyed | Having sharp vision |
| Early Bird [noun or adjective] | Someone who does something prior to the usual time, or someone who gets up early. |
| Eat Crow | To admit one was wrong, and accept humiliation |
| Eat Humble Pie | To admit defeat or error, to accept humiliation |
| Eat Someone’s Lunch | Defeat someone thoroughly |
| Eat Your Heart Out! | (excl.) Go ahead, be jealous. |
| Eighty-Six (v.) | 1) Discard, eliminate. 2) Throw someone out of a bar or store. |
| Elephant in the Room | A major problem that no one is talking about |
| Elevator Music | Pleasant but boring recorded music that is played in public places. |
| Elevator Pitch | A brief presentation of an idea, one short enough to be delivered in an elevator |
| Eleventh Hour | The last minute |
| Even Steven | Owing nothing; tied (in a game) |
| Every Dog Has His (Its) | Day Everyone has a moment of fame, power, or influence |
| Every Man and His Dog | Many people |
| Every Man for Himself | Pursue your own interests; don’t expect help from others. |
| Excused Boots | Allowed to avoid mandatory tasks |
| Face the Music | Dealing with consequences of one’s actions |
| Face the Music | To accept judgment or punishment |
| Fall for Something | Hook, Line, and Sinker To be completely deceived |
| Fall in Love with Somebody | Start feeling love towards somebody |
| Fall Off the Wagon | To begin using alcohol (or another problem substance) after quitting |
| Fall on One’s Sword | To accept blame; to sacrifice oneself |
| Fall Prey to | Be victimized by; be harmed by; be vulnerable to |
| Fancy Someone (British English) | To find someone very attractive |
| Farther (On) Down the Road | Later, at some unspecified time |
| Farther (On) Down the Road | Later, at some unspecified time |
| Fashion-Forward | Tending to adopt new styles quickly |
| Fat Cat | A highly placed, well-paid executive |
| Father Figure | A mentor, a person who offers guidance |
| Feast Your Eyes On | To take great pleasure in looking at someone or something |
| Feather in One’s Cap | An achievement for which one is recognized; a noteworthy achievement |
| Feather One’s (Own) Nest | Use one’s influence or power improperly for financial gain |
| Feather One’s Nest | To take advantage of one’s position to benefit oneself |
| Fed Up With | Refusing to tolerate something any further; out of patience |
| Feel Like a Million Dollars | To feel great, to feel well and healthy. |
| Feel On Top of The World | To feel very healthy |
| Fell off a Truck | Probably stolen or illicitly obtained; said of something offered for sale to avoid discussing its origins |
| Fell off the Back of a Lorry | Probably stolen or illicitly obtained; said of something offered for sale to avoid discussing its origins |
| Fifteen Minutes of Fame | Temporary renown |
| Fifth Wheel | A superfluous person |
| Fight Fire with Fire | Use the same measures that are being used against you, even if they’re stronger than you would usually use |
| Fight Like Cat and Dog | Continually arguing with each other |
| Find One’s Voice | Become more confident in expressing oneself |
| Find Your Feet | To adjust to a new place or situation |
| Finger-Pointing | Blame; a situation within a group where each member attempts to blame others |
| Finger-Pointing | Blame; a situation within a group where each member attempts to blame others |
| Fire in the Belly | strong ambition |
| First In, Best Dressed | The first people to do something will have an advantage |
| Fish for Compliments | Try to manipulate people into praising you |
| Fish or Cut Bait (usually an exclamation) | Make a decision or give someone else a chance |
| Fish Out of Water | A person who is in unfamiliar, confusing surroundings |
| Five-Finger Discount | Shoplifting |
| Flash in the Pan | A one-time occurrence, not a permanent phenomenon |
| Flat Broke | Having no money at all |
| Flat Out Like a Lizard | Drinking Very busy |
| Flesh and Blood | Blood relatives, close relatives |
| Flew the Coop | Left, escaped |
| Flip-Flop (v. or n.) | To vacillate between two choices, to be indecisive |
| Fly by the Seat of One’s Pants | To improvise, to make decisions without planning or preparation |
| Fly High | Be very successful, especially temporarily |
| Fly Off The Handle | Lose one’s temper suddenly and unexpectedly |
| Fly off the Handle | To become suddenly enraged |
| Follow In Someone’s Footsteps (Tracks) | Follow the example laid down by someone else; supplant |
| Follow Your Heart | Rely on one’s deeper feelings and instincts when making a decision |
| Food for Thought | Something that makes you think carefully |
| For a Song | At very low cost |
| For a Song | At very low cost |
| For Crying Out Loud (excl.) | An expression of extreme annoyance |
| For Xyz Reasons | For multiple reasons, not worth specifying individually |
| Foul Play | Crime, typically murder |
| Fourth Estate | The media and newspapers |
| Fox in the Henhouse (Chickenhouse) | Someone who causes trouble |
| Freak Out | A wildly irrational reaction or spell of behavior |
| French Leave | Absence without permission |
| Freudian Slip | Accidental use of an incorrect word; a revealing slip of the tongue |
| From Pillar to Post | From one place to another, in a forced, random way |
| From Scratch | From individual ingredients, not using a prepared mix |
| From Soup to Nuts | Everything; from beginning to end |
| From the Bottom of One’s Heart | Sincerely and with deep feeling |
| FUBAR | Hopelessly ruined, not working, messed up. |
| Fu** (Or Screw) The Dog (Pooch) | To make an embarrassing error |
| Full Fathom Five | Lost deep in the sea |
| Full of the Joys of Spring | Very happy, enthusiastic and full of energy |
| Face the Music | Dealing with consequences of one’s actions |
| Face the Music | To accept judgment or punishment |
| Fall for Something | Hook, Line, and Sinker To be completely deceived |
| Fall in Love with Somebody | Start feeling love towards somebody |
| Fall Off the Wagon | To begin using alcohol (or another problem substance) after quitting |
| Fall on One’s Sword | To accept blame; to sacrifice oneself |
| Fall Prey to | Be victimized by; be harmed by; be vulnerable to |
| Fancy Someone (British English) | To find someone very attractive |
| Farther (On) Down the Road | Later, at some unspecified time |
| Farther (On) Down the Road | Later, at some unspecified time |
| Fashion-Forward | Tending to adopt new styles quickly |
| Fat Cat | A highly placed, well-paid executive |
| Father Figure | A mentor, a person who offers guidance |
| Feast Your Eyes On | To take great pleasure in looking at someone or something |
| Feather in One’s Cap | An achievement for which one is recognized; a noteworthy achievement |
| Feather One’s (Own) Nest | Use one’s influence or power improperly for financial gain |
| Feather One’s Nest | To take advantage of one’s position to benefit oneself |
| Fed Up With | Refusing to tolerate something any further; out of patience |
| Feel Like a Million Dollars | To feel great, to feel well and healthy. |
| Feel On Top of The World | To feel very healthy |
| Fell off a Truck | Probably stolen or illicitly obtained; said of something offered for sale to avoid discussing its origins |
| Fell off the Back of a Lorry | Probably stolen or illicitly obtained; said of something offered for sale to avoid discussing its origins |
| Fifteen Minutes of Fame | Temporary renown |
| Fifth Wheel | A superfluous person |
| Fight Fire with Fire | Use the same measures that are being used against you, even if they’re stronger than you would usually use |
| Fight Like Cat and Dog | Continually arguing with each other |
| Find One’s Voice | Become more confident in expressing oneself |
| Find Your Feet | To adjust to a new place or situation |
| Finger-Pointing | Blame; a situation within a group where each member attempts to blame others |
| Finger-Pointing | Blame; a situation within a group where each member attempts to blame others |
| Fire in the Belly | strong ambition |
| First In, Best Dressed | The first people to do something will have an advantage |
| Fish for Compliments | Try to manipulate people into praising you |
| Fish or Cut Bait (usually an exclamation) | Make a decision or give someone else a chance |
| Fish Out of Water | A person who is in unfamiliar, confusing surroundings |
| Five-Finger Discount | Shoplifting |
| Flash in the Pan | A one-time occurrence, not a permanent phenomenon |
| Flat Broke | Having no money at all |
| Flat Out Like a Lizard | Drinking Very busy |
| Flesh and Blood | Blood relatives, close relatives |
| Flew the Coop | Left, escaped |
| Flip-Flop (v. or n.) | To vacillate between two choices, to be indecisive |
| Fly by the Seat of One’s Pants | To improvise, to make decisions without planning or preparation |
| Fly High | Be very successful, especially temporarily |
| Fly Off The Handle | Lose one’s temper suddenly and unexpectedly |
| Fly off the Handle | To become suddenly enraged |
| Follow In Someone’s Footsteps (Tracks) | Follow the example laid down by someone else; supplant |
| Follow Your Heart | Rely on one’s deeper feelings and instincts when making a decision |
| Food for Thought | Something that makes you think carefully |
| For a Song | At very low cost |
| For a Song | At very low cost |
| For Crying Out Loud (excl.) | An expression of extreme annoyance |
| For Xyz Reasons | For multiple reasons, not worth specifying individually |
| Foul Play | Crime, typically murder |
| Fourth Estate | The media and newspapers |
| Fox in the Henhouse (Chickenhouse) | Someone who causes trouble |
| Freak Out | A wildly irrational reaction or spell of behavior |
| French Leave | Absence without permission |
| Freudian Slip | Accidental use of an incorrect word; a revealing slip of the tongue |
| From Pillar to Post | From one place to another, in a forced, random way |
| From Scratch | From individual ingredients, not using a prepared mix |
| From Soup to Nuts | Everything; from beginning to end |
| From the Bottom of One’s Heart | Sincerely and with deep feeling |
| FUBAR | Hopelessly ruined, not working, messed up. |
| Fu** (Or Screw) The Dog (Pooch) | To make an embarrassing error |
| Full Fathom Five | Lost deep in the sea |
| Full of the Joys of Spring | Very happy, enthusiastic and full of energy |
| Game of Chicken | A conflict situation in which neither side will back down for fear of seeming cowardly (chicken) |
| Get A Charley Horse | To develop a cramp in the arm or the leg |
| Get A Word In Edgewise | Be able to say something while someone else is talking a lot |
| Get Along (with Someone) | To have a satisfactory relationship |
| Get Bent Out of Shape | Become angry, upset |
| Get Carried Away | Become overly enthusiastic |
| Get In on the Ground Floor | Invest in or join something while it is still small |
| Get in Shape | Undertake a program of physical conditioning; exercise regularly |
| Get Off Scot Free | Be accused of wrongdoing but pay no penalty at all |
| Get Off Scot Free | Be accused of wrongdoing but pay no penalty at all |
| Get One’s Ducks in a Row | Have everything organized; get oneself organized |
| Get One’s Hands Dirty | To do the unpleasant parts of a job |
| Get Someone’s Goat | To irritate someone deeply |
| Get To Grips With | To begin to understand and deal with something |
| Get the Ball Rolling | Do something to begin a process |
| Get the Picture | Understand what’s happening |
| Get the Runaround | Be given an unclear or evasive answer to a question |
| Get the Sack, Be Sacked | To be fired |
| Get the Third Degree | To be questioned in great detail about something |
| Get Wind of | Hear about |
| Get With the Program | Figure out what everyone else already knows. Often used sarcastically, as a command |
| Go Along (With) | Agree to something, often provisionally |
| Go Ape | Express wild excitement or anger |
| Go Ballistic | Fly into a rage |
| Go Bananas | To become irrational or crazy |
| Go Bananas | To become irrational or crazy |
| Go Belly Up | To go bankrupt |
| Go Berserk | To go crazy |
| Go Bonkers | To be or become wild, restless, irrational, or crazy; to act in such a way |
| Go Cold Turkey | Stop using an addictive substance suddenly, without tapering off |
| Go Down in Flames | Fail in a spectacular way |
| Go Mental | To suddenly become extremely angry |
| Go Nuclear | Use an extreme measure; because extremely angry |
| Go Nuts | To become crazy |
| Go Off Half-Cocked | To say or something prematurely, with a negative effect |
| Go Off the Deep End | To unexpectedly become very angry, especially without a good reason |
| Go Off The Rails | To go wrong, to begin acting strangely or badly |
| Go Out on a Limb | Assert something that may not be true; put oneself in a vulnerable position |
| Go Pear-Shaped | To fail; to go wrong |
| Go See a Man About a Dog | Go to the bathroom (said as a euphemism) |
| Go to the Dogs | To become disordered, to decay |
| Go to the Mattresses | To go to into battle |
| Go the Extra Mile | Put forth greater-than-expected effort |
| Go Under the Knife | Undergo surgery |
| Go Viral | Begin To spread rapidly on the Internet |
| Go with the Flow | To accept the way things naturally seem to be going |
| Grab (Take) the Bull by the Horns | To begin forthrightly to deal with a problem |
| Grasp (Grab) at Straws | To take desperate actions with little hope of success |
| Grease Monkey | A mechanic, especially an auto mechanic |
| Grease the Wheels | Do something to make an operation run smoothly |
| Greasy Spoon | An inexpensive restaurant that fries foods on a grill |
| Green Around the Gills | To look sick |
| Green as Grass | Lacking training, naive; often said of young people in new jobs |
| Grind One’s Teeth | Be very annoyed or angry about something without being able to say anything about it. |
| Guilty Pleasure | Enjoying something which is not generally held in high regard, while at the same time feeling a bit guilty about it, is called a guilty pleasure. |
| Guinea Pig | A test subject, a person who is used as a test to see if something will work |
| Give and Take | Negotiations, the process of compromise |
| Give ’em Hell (often excl.) | Express something passionately to a group |
| Give Lip Service to | Talk about supporting something without taking any concrete action |
| Give Lip Service | to Talk about supporting something without taking any concrete action |
| Give One’s Two Cents (That’s My Two Cents) | Offer an opinion, suggest something |
| Give Someone a Holler | Contact someone |
| Give Someone a Piece of Your Mind | Angrily tell someone what you think |
| Give Someone a Run for Their Money | Compete effectively with the leader in a particular field |
| Give Someone an Earful | angrily express an opinion to someone |
| Give Someone the Cold Shoulder | act hostile toward someone; to ignore, snub |
| Give Someone The Old Heave-Ho | Fire someone, remove someone from a group or team |
| Give Something a Whirl | Attempt something without being totally familiar with it |
| Give the Green Light | Approve something; allow something to proceed |
| Hail Mary (n. or adj.) | A desperate, last-ditch attempt |
| Hair of the Dog (That Bit You) | A small amount of the alcoholic beverage that caused your hangover |
| Hands are Tied | You are prevented from doing something. It is not within your power |
| Hands Down | Undoubtedly |
| Hang It Up | To retire, to end an activity one has pursued for a long time |
| Hang Tough | Maintain one’s resolve |
| Hanging by a Thread | In great danger of elimination or failure |
| Happy-Go-Lucky | If you are a happy-go-lucky person, you are cheerful and carefree all the time. |
| Hard Nut to Crack | A difficult problem or a difficult person |
| Has the Cat Got Your Tongue? | Why are you not saying anything? |
| Hat Trick | Scoring three goals in hockey or soccer (football), or accomplishing three of anything. |
| Hatchet Job | A strong attack on someone’s reputation; intentionally destructive criticism; calumny |
| Haul Over the Coals | To scold someone severely |
| Have (one’s) head in the clouds | Not know what is happening around you or out of touch with reality |
| Have A Ball | To have a very enjoyable time |
| Have a Bone to Pick (with Someone) | To want to discuss something someone has done that has angered or annoyed you. |
| Have a Bone to Pick (with Someone) | To want to discuss something someone has done that has angered or annoyed you. |
| Have a Chip on One’s Shoulder | To harbor resentment; to have an angry attitude |
| Have a Dog in the Hunt (Fight, Race) | To support a certain person in a competition |
| Have a Lead Foot | A tendency to drive very fast |
| Have a Lot on One’s Plate | Be busy, be in the middle of many ongoing tasks |
| Have a Lot Riding On (Something) | Be depending on the successful outcome or development of something |
| Have a Nose for (Something) | To have natural ability at something, a talent for finding something |
| Have a Screw Loose | Be slightly unbalanced or crazy |
| Have a Tough Row to Hoe | Be faced with a task that is difficult because of unfavorable conditions |
| Have A Whale of A Time | To enjoy yourself very much |
| Have an Ace Up One’s Sleeve | To have a hidden advantage |
| Have Bigger Fish to Fry | Have more important things to do |
| Have Egg on Your Face | They are made to look foolish or embarrassed |
| Have Foot-in-Mouth Disease | To embarrass oneself through a silly mistake |
| Have Hand of Aces/Hold All the Aces | To be in a very strong position in a competition |
| Have It Out with Someone | To have an argument with someone in order to settle a dispute |
| Have One Foot in The Grave | To be near death (usually because of old age or illness) |
| Have One Over the Eight | A person is slightly drunk. |
| Have One Too Many | Drink too much alcohol |
| Have One’s Cake and Eat It, Too | To want two incompatible things (usually used in the negative) |
| Have Skin in the Game | Be risking something in an undertaking |
| Have Something in the Bag | Be certain to win |
| Have the Hots for (Somebody) | To be (sexually) attracted to somebody |
| Have the Hots for Somebody | Finding somebody extremely attractive |
| Have The Time of Your Life | If you have the time of our life, you enjoy yourself very much. |
| Have the Time of Your Life | To have a very fun, exciting, or enjoyable time |
| Have Your Nose in the Air | Have a snobbish or disdainful attitude |
| Have Your Say | Express your opinion on something |
| Have Your Thumb Up Your Ass | Have nothing to do |
| He Who Laughs Last Laughs Best | Being victorious is often a matter of simply surviving a conflict |
| He Would Put Legs Under A Chicken | He will talk your head off; he is very talkative |
| Head (Go) South | Decline, get worse |
| Head and Shoulders Above | Far superior to |
| Head and Shoulders | Above Far superior to |
| Head Start | An advantage over everyone else |
| Heads Up (excl.) | Get ready! Be prepared |
| Heads Up! | Be careful! |
| Heads Will Roll (Are Going to Roll) | People will be fired |
| Heads Will Roll (Are Going to Roll) | People will be fired |
| Hear (Something) Through the Grapevine | To learn something via gossip |
| Heart and Soul | With all one’s energy or affection |
| Heavens Open | Start to rain heavily |
| Heavy Hitter | A powerful, influential person |
| Helicopter Parenting | Overattentive child-raising |
| Hell for Leather | Very fast, as fast as possible |
| High as a Kite | Strongly under the influence of drugs or intoxcants |
| High as a Kite | Strongly under the influence of drugs or intoxcants |
| High as a Kite | Strongly under the influence of drugs or intoxcants |
| Hightail It (Out of There) | Flee |
| Highways and Byways | You take large and small roads to visit every part of the country. |
| Hit a Wall | suddenly stop making forward progress |
| Hit It Out of the Park | Succeed brilliantly |
| Hit the Books | To study (generally said of students |
| Hit the Ground Running | To begin a job or project with no learning or training period needed |
| Hit the Hay | To go to bed |
| Hit the Jackpot | Do something that brings great success |
| Hit the Nail on the Head | To be absolutely correct (said of an utterance) |
| Hit the Road | To leave |
| Hit the Roof | Explode in rage; become extremely angry |
| Hit the Roof | To become very angry |
| Hit the Sack | To go to bed |
| Hit the Spot | Be very satisfying (said of something eaten) |
| Hive Mind | The knowledge of humans as a group |
| Hobson’s Choice | A choice among bad options |
| Hold One’s Liquor | Be able to drink a large amount without being affected |
| Hold One’s Peace | Be silent |
| Hold the Phone | Wait a moment (whether you’re on the phone or not) |
| Hold the Phone | Wait a moment (whether you’re on the phone or not) |
| Hold Your Horses (generally excl.) | Stop; restrain yourself; don’t be so excited |
| Home Away from Home | A habitual hangout; a place one frequents often and where one feels welcome |
| Home Truths | Honest, often painful criticism |
| Honor System | A system of payments that relies on the honesty of those paying |
| Hot Mess | Something or someone in a state of extreme disorder |
| Hot on the Heels (of) | In close pursuit |
| Hot on the Heels (of) | In close pursuit |
| Hot Potato | A controversial subject or difficult project that is best avoided |
| I Wouldn’t Put It Past (Someone) | I think it’s quite possible that [this person] would do this. |
| If It Had Been a Snake, It Would Have Bitten Me | It was very obvious, but I missed it. |
| If the Shoe Fits, Wear It | If this description of you is accurate, accept it. |
| I’m All Ears | You have my attention, so you should talk |
| In a Fog | Confused, not mentally alert |
| In a Heartbeat | Immediately. This is especially used in hypothetical situations |
| In a Jam | In need of help, in a difficult spot |
| In a New York Minute | Very quickly |
| In a Nutshell | Expressed in a few words |
| In a Pickle | In need of help, in a difficult spot |
| In a Rut | Confined by routine, bored and seeking new experiences |
| In Broad Daylight | When something occurs in broad daylight, it means the event is clearly visible |
| In Clover | Benefiting from a positive financial situation |
| In For a Penny, In for a Pound | Committed to something even though the risks are increasing |
| In Full Swing | When something, such as an event, gets into full swing, it is at its busiest or liveliest time. |
| In His Cups | Drunk |
| In Hot Water | In need of help; in trouble |
| In One Fell Swoop | All at once, in a single action |
| In One’s Element | In a situation which is entirely suitable, familiar, or enjoyable. |
| In Someone’s Wheelhouse | In someone’s strongest area of competence or enthusiasm |
| In Touch | In contact |
| In the Blink of an Eye | Quickly, seemingly instantaneously |
| In the Cards | Likely; likely to occur |
| In the Crosshairs (Cross Hairs) | Targeted for blame or criticism |
| In the Dark | Not informed |
| In the Dark | Unaware of something |
| In the Driver’s Seat | In a dominant position, in control |
| In the Hot Seat | Undergoing criticism or scrutiny; under pressure publicly |
| In the Interim | It denotes a period of time between something that ended and something that happened afterwards |
| In the Limelight, In the Spotlight | Receiving large amounts of publicity or attention |
| In the Long Run | Over an extended period of time |
| In the Nick of Time | Just in time; with no time to spare |
| In the opinion of the speaker, a person has just spent money unnecessarily and is, therefore, a fool. | |
| In the Pipeline | Being prepared for the marketplace, being worked on |
| In the Red | Losing money; (of a market index) below a specified starting point |
| In the Same Boat | In a similar situation; similarly vulnerable |
| In the Toilet | In disastrous condition |
| In the Works | Under development; coming soon |
| Iron Out (Problems, Difficulties) | To resolve |
| Is the Pope Catholic? | Isn’t the answer obvious? |
| It Never Rains but It Pours | Bad luck and bad things tend to happen at the same time |
| It Takes Two to Tango | When something goes wrong involving two people, it’s likely that they share the blame; cooperation is necessary |
| It Takes Two to Tango | You say this when you think that a difficult situation or argument cannot be the fault of one person alone. |
| It Won’t Fly | It won’t work; it won’t be approved. |
| Itchy Feet | A person who has itchy feet is someone who finds it difficult to stay in one place and likes to travel and discover new places. |
| It’s a Wash | A positive and a negative development cancel each other out, so the situation has neither improved nor gotten worse |
| It’s All Greek to Me | It is unintelligible, impossible to understand |
| It’s No Skin off My (Your) Nose (Back) | The outcome will not affect me personally |
| It’s Not Over Till the Fat Lady Sings | Do not give up too soon; things may improve. |
| It’s Not Rocket Science | It’s not difficult to understand. |
| I’ve Had It Up to Here | My patience is almost exhausted. |
| Jack of All Trades | A person with a wide variety of skills |
| Jam Session | Playing improvised music in an informal setting |
| Jim Crow | The system of racial segregation in the American South prior to the American civil rights movement. |
| Join the Club (excl.) | I feel sympathy for you because I have experienced something similar. |
| Jump in with Both Feet | Begin a new experience wholeheartedly |
| Jump on the Bandwagon | To follow a trend or craze |
| Jump on the Bandwagon | To follow a trend; follow the crowd |
| Jump the Gun | Start doing something too soon |
| Jump the Shark | To pass peak quality and begin to decline. Often used to describe television programs or movie series. |
| Jump the Track | To shift suddenly from one activity or line of thought to another |
| Jump Through Hoops | Complete a series of tasks in order to satisfy someone |
| Just Around the Corner | Occurring soon |
| Just for the Record | I would like to make it clear that … |
| Just What the Doctor Ordered | Exactly the thing that is or was needed to help improve something or make one feel better |
| Kangaroo Court | A court of law where proper procedures are not followed at all; a sham judicial proceeding |
| Keep (Something) at Bay | Maintain a distance from something or someone |
| Keep a Stiff Upper Lip | Control one’s emotions; not give in to fear or grief |
| Keep an Eye On | To keep an eye on something or someone is to watch it periodically, to keep it under surveillance. |
| Keep an Eye Peeled | Be observant; watch out for something |
| Keep It Under Your Hat | Don’t tell anyone; don’t reveal this secret |
| Keep Someone at Arm’s Length | Avoid close interaction or cooperation |
| Keep Your Nose Clean | Avoid trouble or situations that compromise one’e honesty |
| Keep Your Powder Dry | Do not attack until you are ready. |
| Keeping One’s Nose to the Grindstone | Working hard on something repetitive or tedious |
| Kick Ass, Kick Butt | 1) Defeat badly; 2) be excellent or highly effective (only kick ass would be used for 2) |
| Kick the Bucket | To die |
| Kick the Can Down the Road | Postpone an important decision |
| Kill a Fly With an Elephant Gun | Approach a problem with excessive measures |
| Kill Two Birds with One Stone | Act in such a way as to produce two desirable effects |
| Kill Two Birds with One Stone | Solve two problems with one move |
| Kill the Goose That Laid the Golden Egg | To destroy a source of ongoing profits or benefits |
| Kink in One’s Neck | A cramp in one’s neck that causes pain |
| King of the Hill | At the top of one’s field; the most influential person in a given field or area |
| Kiss and Make Up | Make peace after an argument |
| Kith and Kin | Family (collectively) |
| Knock on Wood; Touch Wood | Let’s hope I have good luck or continue to have good luck. |
| Knock Some Sense Into | To beat someone in order to teach him/her a lesson. May be used figuratively. |
| Knock Someone’s Socks Off | Amaze someone |
| Knock Up | To impregnate a woman. Often used in the form knocked up. |
| Knockout | An extremely beautiful woman |
| Know (Something) Like the Back of One’s Hand | To be very familiar with something, especially an area |
| Larger Than Life | Conveying a sense of greatness, imposing |
| Last But Not Least | What I have just said does not reflect a ranking in importance. |
| Laughter is the Best Medicine | Laughing a lot is a very effective means of recovering from physical or mental injury |
| Learn the Ropes | Become more familiar with a job or field of endeavor; be trained |
| Leave Someone in the Lurch | Abandon someone in a difficult situation |
| Lend an Ear | Listen |
| Let Bygones Be Bygones | Agree to forget about a past conflict |
| Let Bygones Be Bygones | Agree to forget about a past conflict |
| Let Off Steam | To express anger and frustration in a way that does no damage |
| Let One’s Hair Down | To relax and enjoy themselves. |
| Let Sleeping Dogs Lie | To avoid stirring up a problem; to leave things alone |
| Let the Cat Out of the Bag | Reveal a secret, usually a secret you or others are trying to keep |
| Let the Genie Out of the Bottle | Reveal something hitherto suppressed |
| Letter of the Law | The explicit meaning of a law, as opposed to the spirit of the law, the law’s general intention |
| Lick One’s Wounds | Rest after a bad defeat |
| Life is A Bowl of Cherries | Life is wonderful or very pleasant |
| Light a Fire Under Someone | Inspire someone to work very hard |
| Light at the End of the Tunnel | A sign of hope after a long period of difficulties |
| Like a Kid in a Candy Store | To be so excited about one’s surroundings that one acts in a childlike or silly way |
| Like a Moth to a Flame | Drawn to something or someone despite the dangers |
| Like Father, Like Son | Sons inherit their fathers’ traits and preferences, often even without realizing it. |
| Like Shooting | Fish in a Barrel Very easy |
| Like Taking Candy from a Baby | Very easy |
| Like Two Peas in a Pod | Bearing a strong resemblance |
| Like The Cat That Got The Cream | Looking particularly self-satisfied, often to the annoyance of others |
| Lion’s Den | Any dangerous or frightening place. |
| Lion’s Share | The largest part of something |
| Live Large | Have a luxurious lifestyle |
| Living in Cloud Cuckooland | Having unrealistic or foolish beliefs or plans. |
| Living on Borrowed Time | Following an illness or near-death experience, may people believe they have cheated death |
| Living Under a Rock | Ignorant of important events. Usually used as a question |
| Loaded for Bear | Prepared for problems, well prepared for a challenge |
| Loan Shark | A predatory lender; one who makes high-interest loans to desperate people |
| Lock Horns | To lock horns is to argue, to come into conflict. |
| Long Shot | Something with little chance of success |
| Look the Other Way | Take no notice of violations of laws or rules, unofficially condone something |
| Look What the Cat Dragged In | Someone unwelcome has arrived. |
| Loose Cannon | Someone out of control; someone who speaks or acts recklessly |
| Lose It | To suddenly become unable to behave or think in a sensible way |
| Lose One’s Touch | Suffer a decline in one’s skill at doing something |
| Lose Touch | To fall out of contact |
| Lose the Thread | Be unable to follow someone’s reasoning |
| Love at First Sight | Falling in love with somebody the first time you see them |
| Love Rat | Somebody who cheats on his/her partner |
| Love Someone With All of One’s Heart And Soul | To love someone completely |
| Lower the Boom | Implement a punishment; reprimand severely |
| Low-Hanging Fruit | Easy parts of a task; solutions easy to obtain |
| Mad As A Box Of (Soapy) Frogs | extremely mentally unstable; psychotic; detached from reality. |
| Mad as A Hatter | Mentally ill, psychotic |
| Main Squeeze | Committed romantic partner |
| Make a Break for It | Try to escape, run off |
| Make a Mountain out of a Molehill | To take something too seriously; to make too much of something |
| Make a Silk Purse out of a Sow’s Ear | Turn something ordinary or inferior into something refined and beautiful |
| Make Ends Meet | Have enough money to cover basic expenses |
| Make Hay (While the Sun Shines) | To take advantage of an opportunity at the right time. |
| Make Love | To have sexual intercourse |
| Make Nice | Act cordial despite conflict |
| Make One’s Mark | Attain influence or recognition |
| Make Someone’s Day | Do something pleasing that puts someone in a good mood |
| Make Waves | Cause controversy, disturb a calm group dynamic |
| Man Cave | A part of the house, often the basement, that is left to the man of the household, perhaps with a workshop, a television for watching sports, etc. |
| March to the Beat of Your Own Drum | When someone does things the way they want to, without taking anybody else or anything else into consideration. |
| Match Made in Heaven | A relationship in which the two people are great together, because they complement each other so well |
| May-December (adj.) | Significantly different in age. Said of couples where one member is much older. The most common usage is May-December romance. |
| May-December Marriage | A marriage between a younger and an older partner, typically a young woman and an old man. |
| Me Time | Activities undertaken for one’s own enjoyment, free from responsibilities to others. |
| Meeting of the Minds | Strong instinctive agreement on something |
| Mend Fences | Improve relations after a dispute |
| Mind One’s P’s and Q’s | Be attentive to details; be on one’s best behavior |
| Miss the Boat | Be too late for something; miss an opportunity |
| Monday Morning Quarterback | Someone who offers criticisms or comments after already knowing the outcome of something |
| Month of Sundays | A long time, many months |
| More Fun Than A Barrel of Monkeys | A very good time; a pleasant occasion |
| Mother Nature | The natural world |
| Move Heaven and Earth | Take all possible steps in trying to accomplish something |
| Move the Needle | Have a measurable effect on something |
| Move Up in the World | Become more successful |
| Movers and Shakers | Influential people, especially in a particular field |
| Much Of A Muchness | Essentially equal, not significantly different (said of a choice) |
| Mum’s the Word | This is secret; don’t talk about this. Often used as an answer to a request not to talk about something. |
| Music to My Ears | Good to hear; welcome news |
| Mutton Dressed Up as Lamb | A woman who dresses in a style appropriate to someone of a younger age |
| My Dogs Are Barking | My feet hurt. |
| My Old Man, My Old Lady | My spouse |
| My Way or the Highway | If you do not do things the way I want or require, then you can just leave or not participate. |
| Nail-Biter | A suspenseful event |
| Nailing Jelly/Jello/Pudding To A Wall/Tree | An impossible task |
| Neck and Neck | Very close in a competition, with neither of two entities clearly in the lead |
| Neck of the Woods | A region, especially one’s home region |
| Nest Egg | Retirement savings; wealth saved for a future purpose |
| Never in A Million Years | Absolutely never |
| Never Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth | It’s rude to examine a gift closely; accept gifts politely. |
| New Wrinkle | A novel aspect to a situation, a new development |
| Nice Chunk of Change | A large amount of money |
| Nickel and Dime | To negotiate over very small sums; to try to get a better financial deal, in a negative way |
| Nine Times Out of Ten | Almost always |
| Nine-to-Five Job | A routine job in an office that involves standard office hours |
| Nip (Something) In The Bud | Deal with a problem before it becomes large |
| No Holds Barred (usually adj., often hyphenated) | Unrestricted, without rules |
| No Love Lost Between | There is a mutual animosity between two people |
| No Names, No Pack Drill | By not accusing anyone specifically, I may avoid trouble. |
| No Names, No Pack Drill | If no one can be identified, no one will be punished. |
| No Rhyme or Reason (to) | Without logic or pattern |
| No Room to Swing A Cat | Very small, not big enough |
| No Shit, Sherlock | That’s very obvious! |
| No Tree Grows to the Sky | Growth cannot continue indefinitely. |
| Not Cut Out for (Something) | Not naturally skillful enough to do something well |
| Not Enough Room to Swing a Cat | A very small space |
| Not Give A Fig | To not care at all about something |
| Not Have A Cat In Hell’s Chance | Have no possibility of succeeding, coming to pass, or achieving something |
| Not Have a Prayer | Have no chance of success |
| Not Know Jack | Not know anything |
| Not Lift a Finger | Do nothing to help |
| Not Mince Words | Moderate or weaken a statement |
| Not One’s Cup of Tea | Not something one is interested in |
| Not Playing with A Full Deck | Stupid, mentally deficient or impaired |
| Not Ready for Prime Time | Not yet perfected; inexperienced |
| Not Sit Well with (Someone) | Be difficult to accept; make someone uncomfortable |
| Nothing to Write Home About | Unspectacular, ordinary |
| Nuts and Bolts | Everyday details of something |
| Nutty as a Fruitcake | Crazy; idiotic; wacky. |
| Pack Heat | Carry a gun |
| Paddle One’s Own Canoe | To be able to act independently. |
| Page-Turner | A page-turner is an exciting book that’s easy to read, a book that’s difficult to put down. |
| Pain in the Ass; Pain in the Butt; | |
| Pain in the Neck | Someone or something making your life difficult |
| Paint the Town Red | Go out drinking and partying |
| Par for the Course | What would normally be expected. This has a negative connotation. |
| Pass the Buck | Transfer a problem to someone else |
| Pass With Flying Colors | To succeed brilliantly, as on an exam or other test |
| Passing Fancy | A temporary interest or attraction |
| Pay Through the Nose (For Something) | Pay a large amount of money |
| Peaches and Cream | A situation, process, etc., that has no trouble or problems |
| Pecking Order | Hierarchy, rank of importance |
| Pencil Something In | Make tentative arrangements |
| Penny-Pinching | Frugal, avoiding expenses whenever possible |
| Pep Talk | An encouraging speech given to a person or group |
| Perfect Storm | A rare combination of disastrous occurrences |
| Pet Peeve | A small thing that you find particularly annoying |
| Pick a Fight | Intentionally provoke a conflict or fight with someone |
| Pick Up the Slack | Do something that someone else is not doing; assume someone else’s responsibilities |
| Pick Up the Tab | To pay a bill presented to a group, especially in a restaurant or bar |
| Pie in the Sky | Something that is unrealistic or that cannot be achieved |
| Piece of Cake | Very easily done |
| Pin Someone Down | Demand a decision or clear answer |
| Pinch Pennies | To be careful with money, to be thrify |
| Pink Slip | A layoff notice; loss of a job, typically because of layoffs |
| Pipe Dream | An unrealistic hope, a fantasy |
| Piping Hot | Very hot (generally said of food) |
| Pipped to the Post | Defeated by a narrow margin |
| Pissing Contest | A meaningless argument or competition, typically between males |
| Play Ball | Cooperate, agree to participate |
| Play Cat And Mouse | Trying to trick someone into making a mistake so you can defeat them. |
| Play Hardball | Adopt a tough negotiating position; act aggressively |
| Play it by Ear | To play a piece of music without referencing sheet music or a recording |
| Play It by Ear | To respond to circumstances instead of having a fixed plan |
| Play the Percentages | Bet on or rely on what is most likely to happen |
| Play the Ponies | Bet on horse racing. |
| Play With Fire | Do something very risky |
| Play Your Cards Right | Exploit a situation to your best advantage |
| Point of No Return | A place from which it is impossible to go back to the starting point |
| Point the Finger At | Blame (someone) |
| Point the Finger | At Blame (someone) |
| Poison Pill (n) | A provision or feature added to a measure or an entity to make it less attractive, an undesirable add-on |
| Poison Pill | A provision or feature added to a measure or an entity to make it less attractive, an undesirable add-on |
| Pop One’s Clogs | To die |
| Pop One’s Cork | To release one’s anger; to blow one’s top |
| Pop the Question | Propose marriage |
| Pot Calling the Kettle Black | Accusing someone of something of which you are also guilty; being hypocritical |
| Pour (Rub) Salt into (on) the Wound (an open wound) | Worsen an insult or injury; make a bad situation worse for someone |
| Powder Keg | An explosive situation, a situation in which people are angry and ready to be violent |
| Powder Keg | An explosive situation, a situation in which people are angry and ready to be violent |
| Powder One’s Nose | To use the restroom (lavatory). This is used by women |
| Preach to the Choir, Preach to the Converted | To make an argument with which your listeners already agree |
| Preaching to the Choir | Making arguments to those who already agree with you |
| Pretty Penny | A lot of money; too much money (when referring to the cost of something) |
| Price Yourself Out of the Market | Try to sell goods or services at such a high price that nobody buys them. |
| Puddle Jumper | A small airplane, used on short trips |
| Pull Out All the Stops | Do everything possible to accomplish something |
| Pull Strings | Use influence that’s based on personal connections |
| Pull the Plug On | Terminate (something) |
| Pull Yourself Together | Control your emotions; recover from a strong emptional upset |
| Puppies And Rainbows | Perfect, ideal (usually used slightly sarcastically, in contrast with a less ideal situation) |
| Puppy Dog Eyes | A begging look |
| Puppy Love | Adolescent love or infatuation, especially one that is not expected to last |
| Pure as the Driven Snow | To be innocent and chaste (frequently used ironically) |
| Push the Envelope | Go beyond common ways of doing something, be innovative |
| Pushing Up Daisies | Dead |
| Pushing Up Daisies | Dead and buried |
| Put a Thumb on the Scale | Try to influence a discussion in an unfair way, cheat |
| Put Down Roots | Establish oneself in a place; settle |
| Put in One’s Two Cents | Say your opinion |
| Put Lipstick on a Pig | Make cosmetic changes to something bad |
| Put one’s Face On | Apply cosmetics |
| Put Out Feelers | Make discreet, informal suggestions, ask around |
| Put Someone on the Spot | Force someone to answer a question or make a decision immediately |
| Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It | Accept and consider what I’m saying, even if you don’t like it! |
| Put the Best Face On (Something) | Emphasize the positive aspects of a bad situation |
| Put the Brakes On | Slow something down |
| Put the Cart Before The Horse | To do things in the wrong order |
| Put the Cart Before the Horse | To do things out of the proper order. |
| Put the Cat Among The Pigeons | Say or do something that causes trouble or controversy |
| Put the Genie Back in the Bottle | Try to suppress something that has already been revealed or done |
| Put the Pedal to the Metal | Drive as fast as possible |
| Put Up with (Something) | Tolerate, accept |
| Put Words Into Someone’s Mouth | Attributing an opinion to someone who has never stated that opinion |
| Put Your Foot Down | Use your authority to stop negative behavior |
| Put Your Foot In Your Mouth | Say something that you immediately regret |
| Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is | Back up your opinions with a financial commitment |
| Quake In One’s Boots | To be very frightened |
| Quarter Past | Fifteen minutes after the hour |
| Quarter To/Of | Fifteen minutes before the hour |
| Queer the Pitch | Interfere with someone’s plans; make something more difficult |
| Quick as a Flash | Very fast |
| Quick-and-Dirty | Approximate, hastily done |
| Quote Unquote | Ironically speaking; suggesting that if a phrase were written out, it would be in quotation marks to convey sarcasm |
| Race Against Time | To rush to meet a deadline, to be forced to do something very quickly |
| Rain Cats And Dogs | Rain heavily |
| Rain Cats and Dogs | Rain very heavily |
| Rain on Someone’s Parade | Spoil someone’s plans |
| Raise (Someone’s) Hackles | Make someone angry and defensive |
| Raise One’s Voice | Talk loudly |
| Raise Red Flags | Warn of trouble ahead |
| Raise the Bar | Increase standards in a certain competition or area of endeavor |
| Raise the Roof | Make a great deal of noise (said of a crowd) |
| Rake (Someone) Over the Coals | To scold someone severely |
| Rake Over the Ashes | Restart a settled argument; examine a failure |
| Rake Someone Over the Coals | Scold severely |
| Rank and File | The ordinary members of an organization |
| Read Between the Lines | Perceive what is not explicitly stated |
| Read the Tea Leaves | Predict the future from small signs |
| Rear Its Ugly Head (said of a problem or something unpleasant) | Appear, be revealed |
| Rearrange the Deck Chairs on the Titanic | Taking superficial actions while ignoring a much larger and perhaps fatal problem |
| Red Flag | A warning; a sign of trouble ahead |
| Red Herring | A misleading clue; something intended to mislead |
| Red Meat | Political appeals designed to excite one’s core supporters; demagoguery |
| Red Tape | Bureaucracy; difficult bureaucratic or governmental requirements |
| Red-Light District | A neighborhood with many houses of prostitution |
| Reinvent the Wheel | Devise a solution to a problem for which a solution already exists |
| Riding High | Enjoying success |
| Right as Rain | Absolutely correct |
| Right Under (One’s) Nose | In an obvious location, yet overlooked |
| Right-Hand Man | Chief assistant |
| Right-Hand Man | Chief assistant |
| Ring a Bell | Sound familiar |
| Ring a Bell | When something seems familiar |
| Rob Peter to Pay Paul | Pay off a debt with another loan; solve a problem in such a way that it leads to a new problem |
| Rob the Cradle | To be sexually or romantically involved with someone who is very young |
| Rob the Cradle | To be sexually or romantically involved with someone who is very young |
| Rock Bottom | An absolute low point |
| Rock the Boat | Cause a disruption in a group. Often used in the negative |
| Roll the Dice On | Take a risk |
| Roll With the Punches | Deal with problems by being flexible |
| Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day | Complex projects take time |
| Rookie Mistake | An error made by an inexperienced person |
| Rotten to the Core | Entirely evil |
| Rub (Something) in Someone’s Face | Humiliate someone by repeating and criticizing his or her mistake |
| Rub It In | Say something that makes someone feel even worse about a mistake |
| Rub Someone’s Nose in (Something) | Humiliate someone by repeating and criticizing his or her mistake |
| Rubber-Stamp (v.) | Approve something without consideration, as a formality |
| Rule of Thumb | A general principle or guideline, not a specific formula |
| Run a Tight Ship | Manage an organization in a strict, well-regulated way |
| Run in the Family | Be inherited (as a trait) by multiple members of a family |
| Run in the Family | To be a common family characteristic |
| Run into a Buzz | Saw Encounter severe and unexpected problems |
| Run into a Buzz | Saw Encounter severe and unexpected problems |
| Run off at the Mouth | Talk a lot about unimportant things, talk incoherently |
| Run on Fumes | To be in a situation where one’s energy or resources is almost exhausted |
| Run Out of Steam | Lose momentum, become tired |
| Run the Table | Win every game or contest |
| Sacred Cow | An indvidual or organization that one cannot criticize |
| Saving Grace | Something that redeems a bad situation |
| Scare the Living Daylights Out of Someone | Frighten someone severely |
| Scorched Earth (Tactics, Policy, etc.) | Ruthless, extremely destructive |
| Screw The Pooch | To make a serious error |
| School Of Hard Knocks | Difficult real-life experiences from which one has learned |
| Second Banana | A person in a subservient position |
| Second Stringer | A substitute player in a sport; a substitute for a job who is not the most talented person |
| Second Wind | Renewed energy |
| See Eye to Eye | To concur, agree |
| See Something Out of the Corner of Your Eye | Use peripheral vision |
| Seize (Take) the Bull By the Horns | Attack a problem directly |
| Seize the Day | Take an opportunity |
| Sell (Someone) a Bill of Goods | Trick someone; be deceptive |
| Sell Like Hotcakes | Be sold very quickly |
| Selling Point | An attractive feature of something for sale |
| Set in Stone | Fixed; unchangeable |
| Set something to Music | To write a piece of music to accompany a set of words |
| Set the Bar (Too) High | To set a high standard for something |
| Set the Thames on Fire | Do something amazing. Usually used in the negative. |
| Set the World on Fire | Do something amazing; have a brilliant stretch in one’s career |
| Shake the Dust off Your Shoes (Feet) | Make a clean break with a relationship or situation |
| Shape Up or Ship Out | Behave properly or leave the organization |
| Sharp as A Tack | Mentally agile |
| Shell Game | A method of deception in which you conceal your actions by moving something frequently |
| Shift Gears | Change the subject, or change what one is doing |
| Shipshape And Bristol Fashion | Tidy, clean |
| Shit a Brick | Be extremely fearful. |
| Shoot from the Hip | Talk or act without consideration |
| Shoot Off One’s Mouth | Talk without considering one’s words |
| Shoot Oneself In The Foot | Do something that damages oneself or one’s own cause |
| Short Fuse | A quick temper; a tendency to anger quickly |
| Shot Across the Bow | A warning of more serious actions to come |
| Shoulder A Weight Off Your Shoulders | You no longer worry about something or deal with something difficult |
| Show Me an X And I’ll Show You a Y | There is a consequence to X that you may not have thought of. |
| Show One’s True Colors | Reveal one’s true nature |
| Show Your Cards | Reveal your resources or plans |
| Sick and Tired of | Extremely annoyed by something that occurs repeatedly |
| Sick as a Dog | Extremely ill. |
| Sick as a Parrot | Very disappointed |
| Sight for Sore Eyes | A sight that makes you happy |
| Silver Bullet | Something simple that resolves a difficult problem |
| Simmer Down | Become less angry; regain one’s composure |
| Sink or Swim | Fail or succeed |
| Sing a Different Tune | Change your opinion |
| Sit On (Something) | Delay revealing or acting on something |
| Sit Tight | Wait and do not go anywhere |
| Sitting Duck | Something or someone easily attacked or criticized |
| Sitting Pretty | In a favorable situation |
| Six Feet Under | Dead and buried |
| Six Feet Under | Dead and buried |
| Six of One, a Half Dozen of the Other | The two choices have no significant differences. |
| Six Ways to (from) Sunday | In every possible way |
| Slam Dunk | An effort that is certain to succeed |
| Sleep Like a Baby | To experience a very deep and restful sleep; to sleep soundly |
| Sleep with the Fishes | Dead, often by murder |
| Slip Someone a Mickey | Add a drug to an alcoholic drink in order to knock someone out |
| Slippery Slope | A series of undesirable effects that, one warns, could result from a certain action |
| Slower than Molasses | Exceptionally slow or sluggish; not fast at all. |
| Small Beer | Unimportant, insignificant |
| Small Fry | People or organizations with little influence; children |
| Small Potatoes | Unimportant, insignificant |
| Smell a Rat | Suspect deception |
| Smoking Gun | indisputable evidence of a crime |
| Snafu | A malfunction; a chaotic situation |
| Snake Oil | A useless medicine; a quack remedy; a product or measure promoted as a solution that really does nothing to help |
| Snake Oil | Medicine of unproven value; fraudulent medicine |
| Sneak Peek | A sneak peek is an opportunity to view something in advance of its official opening or debut |
| Soak Up the Sun | To enjoy the sun |
| Sold On (Something) | Convinced of something |
| Some Eggs | Achieving a major goal requires the ability to tolerate some problems |
| Someone’s Fingerprints Are All Over (Something) | Someone’s influence is evident |
| Something to Crow | About Something to be proud of, an accomplishment about which one is justified in bragging |
| Son of a Gun | 1) A rogue. 2) An exclamation of surprise. |
| Sore Point | A sensitive topic for a particular person |
| Sour Grapes | Disparagement of something that has proven unattainable |
| Sour Grapes | Spiteful disparagment of a goal one has failed to achieve |
| Spare The Rod And Spoil The Child | It is necessary to physically punish children in order to raise them right. |
| Speak of the Devil (and He Shall Appear) | The person we have just been talking about has entered. |
| Speak with A Plum in (one’s) Mouth | To speak in a manner that is indicative of a high social class. |
| Spick and Span | Clean and neat |
| Spill the Beans | Reveal a secret |
| Spin A Yarn | Tell a story |
| Spin One’s Wheels | Engaging in activity that yields no progress; getting nowhere |
| Spit into The Wind | Wasting time on something futile |
| Spoiling for a Fight | Combative, wanting conflict, eager to argue or fight |
| Spoiling for a Fight | Combative, wanting conflict, eager to argue or fight |
| Square the Circle | Attempt an impossible task |
| Stab Someone in the Back | To betray (somebody) |
| Stalking Horse | Someone who tests a concept in advance of its application; a candidate who enters a political race in order to test the strength of the incumbent |
| Stand (Someone) In Good Stead | Be useful in the future |
| Stand On One’s Own Two Feet | To be independent and self-sufficient |
| Stand One’s Ground | Refuse to back down; insist on one’s position |
| Start with a Clean Slate | To start (something) again with a fresh beginning; to work on a problem without thinking about what has been done before |
| Steal Someone’s Thunder | Upstage someone |
| Stem the Tide | To stop or control the growth of something, usually something unpleasant. |
| Step Up One’s Game | Work to advance to a higher level of a competition |
| Step Up to the Plate | Prepare to take action, be the person in a group who takes action |
| Stick It to the Man | Do something that frustrates those in authority |
| Stick Your Nose into Something | Intrude into something that is not your affair |
| Sticker Shock | Surprise at the high price of something |
| Stick-in-the-Mud | A person who dislikes or adapts slowly to new ideas |
| Sticky Wicket | A difficult, tricky situation |
| Stiff-Necked | Stubborn; excessively formal |
| Storm in a Teacup | A commotion that dies down quickly, about something unimportant |
| Stormy Relationship | Relationship that has a lot arguments and disagreement |
| Stumbling Block | An obstacle, physical or abstract |
| Straight Arrow | An honest, trustworthy person |
| Strain at a Gnat and Swallow a Camel | To make a fuss over something unimportant while ignoring larger issues |
| Strike A Chord | Used to describe something that is familiar to you, reminds you of something or is connected to you somehow. |
| Sugar Daddy | A rich man who is generous with younger women in return for sexual favors |
| Sure-Fire | Certain to occur |
| Swan Song | A final appearance |
| Swan Song | This expression is used to describe a final act before dying or ending something. |
| Sweep Under the Carpet | Attempt to temporarily conceal a problem or error |
| Sweep Under the Rug | Attempt to temporarily conceal a problem or error |
| Sweet Dreams! | Sleep well! |
| Sweeten the Deal | Add something to an offer during a negotiation |
| Sweeten the Pot | Increase the amount of winnings potentially available in a game of chance, especially poker |
| Swim Against the Tide | Do something contrary to a trend or usual opinion |
| Swim with Sharks | To take a major risk |
| Swim with the Fishes | Have been killed, especially with involvement of organized crime |
| Swing for the Fences | Attempt to achieve the largest accomplishment possible |
| Swing for the Fences | Attempt to achieve the largest accomplishment possible |
| Sword of Damocles | Something that causes a feeling of constant threat. |
| Take (Someone) to the Cleaners | 1) Swindle; 2) defeat badly |
| Take a Deep Dive (Into) | Explore something extensively |
| Take a Flyer | To take a rise; especially to make a speculative investment |
| Take a Gander | Go to take a look at something |
| Take a Hike | Go away |
| Take A Powder | To leave, especially in order to avoid a difficult situation |
| Take a Rain Check | Decline an invitation but suggest that you’ll accept it at a later time. |
| Take Five (Ten) | Take a short break of five (ten) minutes |
| Take Five | To take one brief (about five minutes) rest period |
| Take It Easy | 1) Relax, rest; 2) (as a command) Calm down! |
| Take It Easy | Don’t hurry; relax; don’t get angry |
| Take It Easy | When you relax, or do things at a comfortable pace, you take it easy. |
| Take It on The Chin | Be attacked; suffer an attack |
| Take It or Leave It (command) | You must decide now whether you will accept this proposal |
| Take Someone to Task | Reprimand someone strongly |
| Take Something with a Pinch (grain) of Salt | If you take what someone says with a pinch of salt, you do not completely believe it. |
| Take the Cake | Be the most extreme instance |
| Take the Edge Off (of Something) | To slightly improve something negative |
| Take the Fifth | Refuse to answer because answering might incriminate or cause problems for you |
| Take the Gloves Off | Negotiate in a more aggressive way |
| Take the High Road | Refuse to descend to immoral activities or personal attacks |
| Take The Mickey (Piss) (Out Of Someone) | Make fun of or ridicule someone |
| Take the Shine Off (Something) | To do something that diminishes a positive event |
| Take the Starch out of (Someone) | Make someone less confident or less arrogant |
| Take The Wind Out of Someone’s Sails | To reduce someone’s confidence, ofte by doing something unexpected |
| Take Your Life in Your Hands | Undergo extreme risk |
| Take Your Medicine | Accept something unpleasant, for example, punishment, without protesting or complaining |
| Take Your Time | Don’t hurry, work at a relaxed pace |
| Taste of Your Own Medicine | The same unpleasant experience or treatment that one has given to others |
| Teach an Old Dog New Tricks | To change someone’s long-established habits. Usually used in the negative |
| Tear One’s Hair out | Be extremely worried or frustrated |
| Tear-Jerker | A film or book that makes you cry |
| Tee Many Martoonies | Too many martinis, scrambled to suggest drunkenness |
| Tell It to the Marines | I don’t believe you; you must think I’m gullible. |
| Tempest in a Teapot | A commotion about something unimportant |
| Ten a Penny | Ordinary, inexpensive |
| Ten to One | Something very likely |
| Test the Waters | Experiment with something cautiously |
| Test the Waters | Try something out in a preliminary way |
| Tie the Knot | Get married |
| Tighten the Screws | Increase pressure on someone |
| Tight-Lipped | secretive, unwilling to explain something |
| Til the Cows Come Home | For a very long time |
| Time is Money | time is valuable, so don’t waste it. |
| Tip of the Iceberg | A small, visible part of a much larger problem |
| Tip One’s Hand | Reveal one’s advantages; reveal useful information that one possesses |
| TLC | Tender Loving Care |
| To be A Peach | Someone or something that is extremely good, impressive, or attractive |
| To be Smitten With Someone | To be completely captivated by someone and feel immense joy |
| To be someone’s One and Only | To be unique to the other person |
| To be the Apple of Someone’s Eye | To be loved and treasured by someone |
| To Bear Fruit | To develop in a profitable or positive way |
| To Bear Fruit | To develop in a profitable or positive way |
| To Carpool | To travel to the same place with a group of people in one car. e.g. work/school |
| To Each His Own | People have different tastes. |
| To Get Cold Feet | To experience reluctance or fear |
| To Have a Chip on One’s Shoulder | To be combative, to be consistently argumentative |
| To Have Butterflies In Your Stomach | To be nervous |
| To Have One For the Road | To have one last (alcoholic) drink before you go home |
| To Pay an Arm and a Leg | A very high cost |
| To Pop (one’s) Cherry | To do something for the first time |
| To Pull Someone’s Leg | Lie playfully |
| To Run Hot and Cold | To be unable to make up one’s mind |
| To the Letter | Exactly (said of instructions or procedures) |
| Toe the Line | Accept authority, follow the rules |
| Tone-Deaf | Not good at perceiving the impact of one’s words, insensitive |
| Tongue-in-Cheek | Said ironically; not meant to be taken seriously |
| Too Busy Fighting Alligators to Drain the Swamp | So occupied with multiple challenges that one can’t keep the big picture in mind |
| Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth | A project works best if there is input from a limited number of people |
| Too Many Chiefs and Not Enough Indians | Everyone wants to be a leader, and no one wants to do the actual work |
| Too Many To Shake A Stick At | A large number |
| Toot Your Own Horn | Brag; emphasize one’s own contributions |
| Top Banana | The boss, the leader |
| Toss a Wrench (Spanner) Into | Sabotage; cause a process to stop |
| Touch Base | Meet briefly with someone |
| Touch One’s Heart | Affect someone emotionally, be touching |
| Touch Water | Be launched. Said of a boat. |
| Tough Cookie | A very determined person |
| Tough Cookie | Someone who can endure hardship; especially |
| Tough Sledding | Difficult progress |
| Turn a Blind Eye | (to) Choose not to notice something |
| Turn on a Dime | Quickly reverse direction or position |
| Turn Someone Inside Out | To cause strong emotional turmoil; to completely change someone |
| Turn Something on Its Head | Reverse something, cause something to be done in a new way |
| Turn Turtle | Capsize, turn over |
| Turn the Corner | To begin to improve after a problem |
| Turn the Tables | Reverse a situation |
| Turnabout Is Fair Play | If you suffer from the same suffering you have inflicted on others, that’s only fair |
| Twenty-Four Seven | At any time |
| Twist the Knife (in Deeper) | Make someone’s suffering worse |
| Twist the Knife (in Deeper) | Make someone’s suffering worse |
| Two a Penny | Ordinary, inexpensive |
| Two Peas in A Pod | Two people who are very similar in appearance |
| Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF) | Let’s be happy that the workweek is over! |
| That Ship Has Sailed | That opportunity has passed. |
| That’s Music to My Ears | I am very happy to hear this. |
| That’s a Stretch | What you are suggesting is very difficult to believe; I am very skeptical |
| That’s All She Wrote | That was the end of the story. |
| The Apple Never Falls Far From the Tree | Family characteristics are usually inherited |
| The Birds and the Bees | Human sexuality and reproduction |
| The Cat Is Out of the Bag | The secret has been revealed. |
| The Coast Is Clear | We are unobserved; it is safe to proceed. |
| The Cherry On the Cake | The final thing that makes something perfect |
| The Deck Is (The Cards Are) | Stacked Against You Unfavorable conditions exist. |
| The Jig Is Up | A secret illicit activity has been exposed; your trickery is finished |
| The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same | Although something may seem superficially new, it has not altered the basic situation. |
| The Only Game in Town | The sole option for a particular service. |
| The Powers That Be | People in charge, often used when the speaker does not want to identify them. |
| The Real McCoy | A genuine item |
| The Story Has Legs | People are continuing to pay attention to the story. |
| The Time is Ripe | If you say that the time is ripe, you mean that it is a suitable point for a particular activity |
| The Walls Have Ears We | may be overheard; be careful what you say |
| The Walls Have Ears | We may be overheard; be careful what you say |
| The Whole Enchilada | All of something. |
| The Whole Shebang | Everything, all the parts of something |
| The World Is Your Oyster | You have many opportunities and choices. |
| There But For The Grace Of God Go I | I could easily have done what that person did. |
| There’s More Than One Way to Skin a Cat | There’s more than one way of achieving a certain goal. |
| There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch | Nothing is given to you without some expectation of something in return. |
| Thin On The Ground | Rare, seldom encountered |
| Think Big | Consider ambitious plans; avoid becoming overly concerned with details |
| Think Outside the Box | Try to solve a problem in an original way; think creatively |
| Think Tank | A group of experts engaged in ongoing studies of a particular subject; a policy study group |
| Think Tank | A group of experts engaged in ongoing studies of a particular subject; a policy study group |
| Third Rail | A topic so sensitive that it is dangerous to raise. This is especially used in political contexts |
| Third Time’s a Charm | Even if you fail at something twice, you may well succeed the third time. |
| Thirty-Thousand-Foot View | A very broad or general perspective |
| This Has (Person X) Written All Over It | [Person X] would really like or be well suited to this. |
| This Is Not Your Father’s ____ | This item has been much updated from its earlier versions. |
| Three Sheets to the Wind | Very drunk |
| Through the Grapevine | Via gossip |
| Through Thick and Thin | In good times and bad |
| Throw a Wet Blanket on (Something) | Discourage plans for something |
| Throw a Wrench Into | To sabotage; to cause to fail |
| Throw Caution to the Wind | To act in a daring way, without forethough |
| Throw Down the Gauntlet | To issue a challenge |
| Throw Elbows | Be combative; be aggressive (physically or figuratively) |
| Throw in the Towel | To give up, admit defeat |
| Throw Someone for a Loop | Deeply surprise someone; catch someone off guard |
| Throw Someone Under the Bus | Sacrifice someone else’s interests for your own personal gain |
| Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water | Eliminate something good while discarding the bad parts of something |
| Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water | To discard something valuable or important while disposing of something worthless |
| Throw The Book At | Prosecute legally as strongly as possible |
| Throw the Fight | Intentionally lose a contest, usually in collusion with gamblers |
| Throw the Game | Intentionally lose a contest, usually in collusion with gamblers |
| Throw the Match | Intentionally lose a contest, usually in collusion with gamblers |
| Thumbs-Up | Approval |
| Train Wreck | Anything that develops in a disastrous way |
| Trash Talk | Insults directed at one’s opponent in a sporting event or contest |
| Tread Water | Maintain a current situation without improvement or decline |
| Trial Balloon | A test of someone’s or the public’s reaction |
| Trip the Light Fantastic | Dance well; do ballroom dancing |
| U Turn | A complete change of opinion, direction, etc. |
| Ugly Duckling | An awkward child or young person who grows into a beautiful person |
| Under (Below) the Radar | Not generally perceived, below popular consciousness |
| Under Someone’s Spell | Fascinated, entranced by someone |
| Under the Impression | Believing something, perhaps mistakenly |
| Under the Table | Without being officially recorded |
| Under the Weather | Feeling ill |
| Under the Weather | Not feeling well |
| Under Wraps | Temporarily hidden, secret |
| University of Life | Difficult real-life experience, as opposed to formal education |
| Until the Cows Come Home | For a long time |
| Until You’re Blue in the Face | For a long time with no results |
| Up a Creek | In a very bad situation |
| Up for Grabs | Available |
| Up for Grabs | Available for anyone |
| Up in Arms | Angry, protesting (usually said of a group) |
| Up in the Air | Not yet decided |
| Up to One’s Neck | Nearly overwhelmed |
| Up to Scratch | Meeting a basic standard of competence or quality |
| Up to Snuff | Meeting a basic standard |
| Up the Ante | Raise the stakes; increase the importance of something under discussion |
| Up the Duff | Pregnant |
| Upset the Apple Cart | To disorganize or spoil something, especially an established arrangement or plan |
| Use One’s Head | To think, to have common sense |
| Vale of Tears | The world in general, envisioned as a sad place; the tribulations of life |
| Vicious Circle | A situation in which an attempt to solve a problem makes the original problem worse. |
| Victory Lap | Visible public appearances after a victory or accomplishment |
| Virgin Territory | Something that has never been explored, physically or intellectually |
| Vote with One’s Feet | To physically depart from something as a way of showing disapproval |
| Waiting in the Wings | Ready to assume responsibilities but not yet active, ready to become a successor |
| Waka-Jumping | Change political parties (said of politicians themselves) |
| Wake Up and Smell the Coffee | Stop deluding yourself |
| Wake Up on the Wrong Side of the Bed | Be grumpy or ill-humored. Generally used in past tense |
| Walk on Eggshells | To have to act very sensitively in order to avoid offending someone |
| Walk the Plank | Be forced to resign a position |
| Wandering Eye | A tendency to look at and desire women or men other than one’s committed romantic partner |
| Wandering Eye | A tendency to look at and desire women or men other than one’s committed romantic partner |
| Wash Your Hands of (Something) | Decline to take further responsibility; refuse to be involved with something anymore |
| Water Under the Bridge | Something in the past that’s no longer worth worrying about |
| Watering Hole | A place where alcoholic beverages are served, a bar |
| Weekend Warrior | Someone who has an office job but enjoys contact sports on weekends; a member of a military reserve force (whose exercises are typically on weekends) |
| We’ll Cross That Bridge | When We Come to It We’ll deal with that problem if and when it comes up |
| Welsh (Welch) on a Deal | Not observe the terms of an agreement |
| Wet Behind the Ears | inexperienced, immature, new to something |
| Wet Behind the Ears | Inexperienced, immature, new to something |
| Wet Blanket | Someone who dampens a festive occasion |
| Wet Your Whistle | Drink something |
| What Do You Make of (Him)? | What is your evaluation of this person? |
| What Goes Around Comes Around | The kind of treatment you give to others will eventually return to you; things go in cycles |
| What’s Good for the Goose Is Good for the Gander | What’s OK for a man is OK for a woman, too |
| When Hell Freezes Over | Never |
| When In Doubt, Leave It Out | When unsure about something, omit it. |
| When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do | When you visit a new place, follow the customs of the people there |
| When It Rains, It Pours | Problems tend to come in groups. |
| When Pigs Fly | Never |
| When the Chips Are Down | When a situation becomes urgent or difficult |
| Where (When) the Rubber | Meets the Road In reality; where an idea meets a real-world test |
| Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way | If you have a strong desire to accomplish something, you will achieve it even in the face of considerable odds. |
| Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire | If there is typical evidence of something, the most likely explanation is that it is actually occurring. |
| Whisper Sweet Nothings (in Someone’s Ear) | Speak meaningless romantic utterances |
| Whistle in the Dark | To be unrealistically confident or brave; to talk about something of which one has little knowledge |
| Whistle Past the Graveyard | Remain optimistic despite dangers; be clueless |
| Whistling Dixie | Being unrealistically optimistic |
| White Elephant | An unwanted item that is difficult to sell or dispose of |
| Who’s She, the Cat’s Mother? | Why does she have such a high opinion of herself? |
| Wild Goose Chase | An impossible or futile search or task |
| Window Dressing | A misleading disguise intended to present a favorable impression |
| Window Shop | To look at merchandise in a store without intending to buy it |
| Witch Hunt | An organized attempt to persecute an unpopular group of people and blame them for a problem. |
| With Bells On | Eagerly, willingly, and on time. |
| Work One’s Fingers to the Bone | Work very hard over an extended period |
| Worn to a Frazzle | Exhausted, completely worn out |
| Wouldn’t Be Caught Dead | Would absolutely not allow myself to do this |
| Writing (Handwriting) on the Wall | Hints of coming disaster |
| Year In, Year Out | Annually without change |
| You Can Lead a Horse to Water, but You Can’t Make It Drink | It’s very hard to force someone to do something against his or her will. |
| You Can Say That Again! | I agree totally! |
| You Can Take It to the Bank | I absolutely guarantee this |
| You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover | You can’t know people (or things) well by their external appearances. |
| You Can’t Make an Omelet (Omelette) | Without Breaking |
| You Can’t Make Fish of One and Fowl of the Other | People must be treated equally. |
| You Know the Drill | You are already familiar with the procedure. |
| You Snooze, You Lose | If you delay or are not alert, you will miss opportunities |
| Young at Heart | Having a youthful outlook, regardless of age |
| Your Guess Is as Good as Mine | I don’t know; I have no idea |
| Your Mileage May Vary | You may get different results. This does not necessarily refer to a car, although it may. |
| Your Number Is Up | You are going to die (or suffer some bad misfortune or setback) |
| You’re Driving Me Nuts | To make someone giddy or crazy |
| Yours Truly | Me |
| Zero In On | Focus closely on something; take aim at something |
| Zig When One Should Be Zagging | To make an error; to choose an incorrect course |
| Zip One’s Lip | Be quiet |