Idioms a - c.txt

they can say that a little bird told them.

but when he tried to mend my table lamp

but try to save it.

but is not as good is a poor man's version; a writer who uses lots of puns but isn't very funny would be a poor man's Oscar Wilde.

it costs much less than it is really worth.

so being impatient and constantly checking will just make things seem longer.

this is an about face. It can be used when companies

they are carried out in a legal and proper manner.

their love grows stronger.

there's definitely going to be an accident or it's bound to go wrong. ('Disaster waiting to happen' is also used.)

you have something that will give you an advantage that other people don't know about.

effective

it applies across the board.

mostly seen in men.

they make a bad situation worse.

you are rushed and have very little time to do it.

you're unwilling to do it because it contradicts what you believe in

it is a way of allowing an older person to do something first

ahead of the curve literally refers to your position on the statistical bell curve

you have made more progress than your rivals.

it happens early or before the set time.

you reveal aspects of your private life that should really remain private

it is alive and kicking.� (It can be used for people too.)

then you have felt this from the beginning.

like saying 'each and every one'.

they are all bark and no bite.

then agreements that have been made no longer apply.

then everyone is paying attention to them.

you are too excited or clumsy to do something properly that requires manual dexterity. 'All thumbs' is an alternative form of the idiom.

no cattle

but cannot back it up

there is chaos

it is nothing special.

you have imagined it and it is not real.

especially all the choices or possibilities.

it doesn't stick to the main topic and goes off on tangents.

it is all over the place.

it is all over the shop.

it's in a complete mess.An alternative to 'All over the shop'.

you are ready for something.

they are all skin and bone

nobody has an advantage or is ahead of the others.

they won't do it no matter how much money they are offered.

you risk everything at once

people can be expected to behave in a more vicious way.

usually passionate

they are very angry.

they are agitated or excited about something and can't keep still.

more often

it is very expensive.

it is open 24 hours a day. For example

it is very cold. If a person is as cold as stone

it is as good as new.

they will do it instantly

you have spare time but don't know what to do with it.

you are unable to understand or comply.

it moves very slowly.

it is a safe distance waway from you.

they look seriously unwell and might actually be dying.

they are fighting

it is going or happening as fast or as hard as possible.

they have not been found or caught.

you have spare time but don't know what to do with it.

or all at sea

you'd do it immediately.

you are at the limit of your patience or endurance.

you shout as loudly as you possibly can.

it is of highest priority

you have no idea what to do next and are very frustrated.

or "Absent Without Official Leave". Orignially a military term

you have a grievance

or a person who is very young to be holding a position.

defenceless

a period when the population was growing very fast.

it is being given low priority.

you have to start from the beginning again.

you have to go back to the beginning and start something again.

they have to return to work.

there is bad blood between them.

things are not going the way you would like or had planned.

you are saying negative things about someone or something.('Bad-mouth' and 'badmouth' are also used.)

you feel there is something wrong or bad about it.

they are very worried or nervous.

it is up to you to make the next decision or step.

like a rough estimate for a cost

usually where it is also a learning experience

it means that you have completely misunderstood something or are totally wrong.

it produces positive results.

they are beating about (around) the bush.

you do something before they do.

you think hard about something but cannot solve

they're beating a dead horse. This is used when someone is trying to raise interest in an issue that no-one supports anymore; beati

they are in prison.

it happens behind closed doors.

though often a bit unnecessary.

they go badly wrong.

or someone isn't feeling or doing very well

it is below the belt

they do everything they can to help someone.

it's not relevant to the matter being discussed or considered.

they are very worried or emotional about something.�

you are extremely angry.

you benefit from different things that do not normally go together.

it is excellent. ('The greatest thing since sliced bread' is also used.)

'better the devil you know than the devil you don't'

you are in a position where you have to choose between unpleasant alternatives

you are in a dilemma; a difficult choice.

then absolutely no doubts remain about it.

then you can say that their behaviour was beyond belief.

it is too extreme to be acceptable morally or socially.

they are making a lot of money.

Louisiana

it means they are excessively interested in everyone else's business.

not the fine detail.

you like it a lot.

you have bigger fish to fry.

they are taught about sex.

you are naked.

you criticise them angrily.

you have to accept or face something unpleasant because it cannot be avoided.

especially if they are killed violently like a soldier in battle.

you have to make a conscious effort not to react or to keep quiet about something that displeases you.

you refrain from speaking because it is socially or otherwise better not to.

you do it to the very end

money has disappeared.

this implies a technology or process that is at the forefront or beyond current practices. However

it's a blessing in disguise.

they accept them without questioning�them at all.

you are as blind as a bat.

the people in charge of something don't know anything more than the people they are in charge of

an event with a negative impact takes you completely by surprise.

it happens so fast it is almost impossible to notice it.

just as you cannot get blood from a turnip.

you get very angry.

) blow me down' when you have just told them something surprising

you express your anger or frustration.

like an idea

they exaggerate or say things that are not true

you make sweeping changes to something to bring fresh views and ideas in.

they report it to the authorities.

you boast about your achievements and abilities. ('Blow your own trumpet' is an alternative form.)

they boast about their talents and achievements.� ('Blow your own horn' is an alternative form.)

you lose your temper.

they lose their temper.

it is a bone of contention.

you are annoyed about something they have done and want to tell them how you feel.

a person who was in a position of weakness is now in a position of strength.

you are born into a rich family.

you live off the money you earn and don't go into debt.

the bottom line is net income

you share your ideas with them to know whether they think they would work.

they are very excited about something.

it isn't very complicated or difficult to understand or master.

or cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey

you don't make any money

or break new ground

you get over any initial embarrassment or shyness when you meet someone for the first time and start conversing.

they break your heart

you make a contribution or an offer in a discussion or negotiation..

you burn the midnight oil.

you do something that makes it impossible to go back from the position you have taken.

you suffer a loss or something unpleasant as the result of something you did

you burst their bubble. (Bust someone's bubble is also used.)

you make peace with someone and stop arguing or fighting.

they ignore something that is obviously wrong.

you are very busy indeed.

they have no clothes on at all

you keep quiet and don't speak. It is also used as a way of telling someone to shut up.

they have died.

you only just manage to do it and come very near indeed to failing.

you learn it word for word.

you do it exactly as you are supposed to.

it is done in a mechanical manner without room for creativity.

they judge them by the same token: If things go well

you achieve something

you only just manage to do it and come very near indeed to failing.

it gets known by being talked about rather than through publicity or advertising

they mean that the result will not be worth the effort put in to achieve it.

you stop doing something for a while

you are summoned for a reprimand by superiors or others in power.

they stop attacking or criticising someone.

you are in charge and tell people what to do.

it is opening a can of worms.

duty

it is much worse.

they are too focused on specific details to see the picture as a whole.

you have a surprise plan or idea that you are keeping back until the time is right.

they offer an incentive to do something combined with the threat of punishment.

you take the blame for something

it wins a battle (the sense is that the battle has been long and could have gone either way) or competition for supremacy.

a person may have told another that something always happens. Later that day

business

you sell something to get what profit you can because you think its value is going to fall. It can also mean 'to die'.

or sets or lets

they are always arguing.

they want to know why you are not speaking when they think you should.

you are cat napping.

you get into trouble or get scolded. ('Catch heck' is also used.)

they are found doing something wrong or illegal.

in which pilots would not have to fly missions if they were mentally ill

he or she is caught doing something wrong.

or people

they try to do something that they will never achieve.

you are very busy but not being very productive.

they narrowly avoid a major problem or accident.

they choose things that support their position

he or she is thinking about something intently.

you talk at leisure with them.

especially money

it is very easy and simple.

especially in financial corporations.

they closely resemble one or both of the parents in character.

they are resentful about something and feel that they have been treated badly.

it is extremely clean

then there's nothing wrong; everything's fine.

you break away completely from something.

or who keeps their hands clean

then nothing bad from your past is taken into account.

they win absolutely everything in a competition or contest.

you beat someone decisively in a contest or fight.

it is very clear or easy to understand.

then it is very confusing and unclear.

then the result is so close that it cannot be predicted and will only be known at the very end.

they continue to hope though the chances of success are very small.

it is nearby or conveniently located.

you are close to success

it is almost impossible to distinguish between the parties involved and to say who has won or whatever.� It can also mean that you very nearly have a serious accident or get into trouble.

you very nearly have a serious accident or get into trouble.

you care a lot about it. ('Dear to your heart' is an alternative.)

it is something that you don't understand or know anything about.

they may suggest you have cloth ears.

they are living on cloud cuckoo land.

you are extremely happy. ('cloud seven' is a less common alternative)

you can call it a cloud on the horizon.

the people supposed to be watching you are not there and you are able to move or leave.

you lose the courage to do it.

you see them as they really are

you are deliberately unfriendly and unco-operative towards them.

it frightens you a lot.

instead of slowly cutting down

it isn't being used any more.

they admit to deceit or wrongdoing.

they reach adulthood or fulfill their potential.

you are aggressive in your dealing with someone.

it follows very soon after it.

it won't have any permanent negative effect.

they appear unexpectedly.� ('Crawl out of the woodwork' is also used.)

they stop being shy and withdrawn and become more friendly and sociable.

I mean that I can be relied on to turn up; nothing

they come to a head.

you start to feel the pressure or effect of it.�

they respond to an order or summons directly.

you face up to it and deal with it.

they stop behaving in a way that is annoying to someone in authority and start being obedient.

they produce a positive result

especially when undesirable

but has an idiomatic sense of a place where people feel comfortable

you understand the connections and relationships.

they are less affected than most people by things like tiredness

you ruin their plans.

they keep false accounts to make money illegally or avoid paying tax.

you make them wait until they have calmed down.

as in 'I haven't seen her in a coon's age!'

it has cornered the market.

you could eat a horse.

they are advised to count sheep mentally.

they concentrate on all the good things in their lives instead of the negative ones.

you deal with all aspects of a situation or issue

or are a gatecrasher

they pretend to be upset or affected by something.

they criticise people who stand out from the crowd.

you only just manage to do something- at the very last moment. 'Cut things fine' is the same. 'Cut it a bit fine' is a common variation.

as in allowing someone more time to finish something.

they fail or it fails to reach the required standard.

you get to the point

they are very hurt and upset indeed.

you avoid losing any more money than you already have by getting out of a situation before matters worsen.

it is sweet and endearing.

it doesn't have any effect or influence.