11307 idioms

decide
.
• All told- all
together
• She’s the
apple of his eye.

• Everything is
above board.
• You’re
barking
up the
wrong

• He’s up in
arms.

tree.

• For all I
know-

• He’s broke.

he’s a
millionai
re.
• Plans are up in
the air.
• Steve of all
people failed

the math
test!
• Take
everythi
ng into
account
before
you
1


• The child is full of
beans.

• I just had a
brainwave.
• He’s always
butering up
his boss.

• Stop beating
around the
bush!
• The murderer is
behind
bars now.
• She’s so big-headed.
• He was black and blue
after the
accident.

• That’s a
blessing
in
disguise
• It was a bolt
from the
blue.

2


• He was
caught

• The exam was a
piece of
cake.

redhanded.
• William is a

to get

chip off the

married-

old block.

out of the

• Don’t hold
your breath!
• I’ve got

blue.
• That name
rings a bell.

buterflies in
my stomach.
• I hate going
out with
Jim- he’s a
• His
grandfather
just kicked the
bucket.
• That makes my
blood boil.
• They elopedon the spur
of the
moment.
• He asked her

wet
blanket.


• Stop calling me

names!
• She always cries
crocodile tears.
• It never crossed my
mind
to ask
for
help.
• She’s been feeling
down in the
dumps lately.
• Everything is
going to the
dogs these days.
• That’s a lost cause.
• If you play your
cards right,
you’ll probably
get the job.

• He passed the
test with flying
colors.
• Don’t count your
chickens before

they hatch.


• I’m dying for some

chocolate ice cream.
• Play fair and square.
• He got off on the wrong
foot.
• There’s a lot of give and
take in a marriage.
• I can’t speak- I’ve got a
frog in my throat.

• You should put your foot
down and not do what
others want you to do.
• Take it easy.
• You shouldn’t take your
wife for granted.
• He’s sound asleep.
• He’s the spiting image of
his father.
• Ask him a simple questionjust to break the ice.
• Forget it! You’re beating a
dead horse.
• He has so many irons in

• I heard on the grapevine
that Mary is engaged.
• It all happened in a flash.
• It’s all Greek to me.
• I couldn’t keep a straight

the fire that he does

nothing well. Or he has so
much on his plate.
• Hold your horses! Be
patient.

face when she told me the
joke.
• There’s plenty more fish
in the sea.
• Keep it under your hatdon’t tell a soul.
• They are always trying to
keep up with the Joneses-


the sand!
They just
had to
buy a
plasma
TV too.
• Don’t lose
heartthings will
turn out all
right.
• I have it
straight from
the horse’s
mouth that…
• She’s got her
hands full

with 3 litle
children.
• That’s just
the tip of
the iceberg.

• Stop burying
your head in

• That’s a fine
kettle of fish!
• Keep your
fingers crossed.
• He made
a killing
in the
stock
market.
• Stop pulling
my leg! I
don’t
believe you.
• I always
sleep like a
log.


• He’s the life
and soul of the
party.

• He’s going to turn
over a

Florida.
• Oh no it slipped my
mind!
• This cream can work
miracles on
wrinkled skin.

new leaf .
• I’m a night owl.
• Don’t cry over spilt
milk.
• I looked in every

• He gave us
the green light.

nook and cranny
and I couldn’t
find my ring.
• Rude people really get
on
my nerves.
• His business
is making
money hand
over fist.

• He became
success
against all
odds.
• I’m

really

out

of

practice or
rusty)

I

haven’t
played
tennis
• Once in a blue
moon it
snows in

years.
• This
is a
gol

in

den
oppor
tunity
- take
advan
tage
of it.
• He’s
wonderful in
public
and
impossible in
private.
• For once
and for
rememb
my

name
correctly
.
• That book is
out of print.
• Out of the
frying pan
and into the
fire.

• Let’s throw
a party on
Saturday.
• Send all your
white
elephants to
the refugees.
• He hit the
roof when
he heard
that his son
had crashed

aller

• Status
symbol

his new car.
• If you’re in
a rut, get a
new job.
• He spoke off the
record.
• I racked my
brains for the
answer to the
math problem.
• She’s got a memory
like a

sieve.


• If I were in your
shoes, I
would…
• Let’s hit the sack!
• It goes without
saying …
• He’s
totally at
seacompletel
y lost.

• He got his
new job
by pulling
a few
strings.


• You better
pull your
socks up and
study harder.
• OK I’ll sleep
on it.
• I smell a rat!
Something is
fishy.

• Don’t spill the
beans- try
to keep the
secret.
• You should
take that with
a pinch of
salt.

• Oh this is the
last straw!
• He’s ahead of
his time.
• She’s
living
with her
parents
for

the

time
being.
• The
accident
was
prevented
in the nick
of time.
• She’s not my

cup of tea at
all.


• There’s too much red
tape
in Greece.

• Don’t make
waves in the
company or
your goose
will be
cooked.

• We’ve been friends
through thick and
thin.
• He just
drives me up
a wall.
• This morning I
got out of the
wrong side of the
bed.

• It’s no wonder
he lost his jobhe was always
late.
• He’s an up and

coming
lawyer.
• That’s an old wives
tale
that drafts make
you sick.
• He saw
red when
he
received
the bill.


• It was pitch
black- couldn’t
see a thing.
• He’s in hot
water.
• That really
makes my day.
• Robert is the
black sheep
of the
family.

in detective
stories.
• They
fight like
cats and

dogs.
• She feels
like a fish out
of
water
in her
new
job.
• He’s as busy
as a bee.

• That’s
pot
calling
the
ketle
black.
• I
explained
everythin
g until I
was blue
in

the

face.
• Watch out for
red herrings

• It’s 50

make a

kilometers as

mountain out

the crow flies.

of a molehill?

• John is really in
the doghouse
with his math
teacher.
• Life is dog eat dog

• Such a small
apartmentnot enough
room to swing
a cat.

nowadays.
• She always has
to do the donkey
work in her
ofice.
• I haven’t seen

• It was
raining
cats and
dogs.

my aunt in
donkey’s years.
• That would kill two
birds
with one stone.

• Business
these
days is
called
the rat
race.
• You can talk

• Oh no! You let

to her until

the cat out of

the cows

the bag!

come home

• Why does she
always have to

and she still
won’t


understand.
• That’s just
sour grapes.

• He got
cold feet
right
before the
wedding.

• I have a real
sweet tooth.
• Working in an
office is a
white collar
job.
• Working
construction is a
blue collar
job.
• If only I were

• I saw Mary
last night and
she gave me
the cold
shoulder.
• She’s got a

a fly on the

real sharp

wall

tongue-

• That’s his
Achilles’ heel
• His brother

beware!
• He’s got an eye for

is a real pain

fashion.

in the neck.

• Rich people

look down
their noses
on everyone
else.
• That was meant
tongue in


cheek.
• Don’t lose any sleep
over
that.
• He’s a jack of all

trades.
• Some say the
wiretapping is
a storm in a
teacup.