NationMaster - Encyclopedia: List of idioms in the English language

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Look up Category:Idioms in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

A list of idioms can be useful, since the meaning of an idiom cannot be deduced by knowing the meaning of its constituent words. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wiktionary is a Wikimedia Foundation project intended to be a free wiki dictionary (hence: Wiktionary) (including thesaurus and lexicon) in every language. ... An idiom is an expression (i. ...

For example, someone might know perfectly well what a bucket is and also understand the meaning of the verb "to kick" completely. However, unless they had already encountered the meaning of the phrase or were able to tell from the context the phrase appears in, they would not know that to kick the bucket is one of the many colorful idioms in the English language meaning to die. A bucket with a handle (grip) and spout. ...

Usage

There is limited global 'Standard English', and, just as there are variants of spelling and vocabulary in English across the world, so are different idioms used. Some idioms may well be used universally, but others are obscure or unknown outside their country or region of origin. A distinction needs also to be made between idioms understood by English speakers, and those naturally used by English speakers. This distinction is important, as very many American English idioms are understood by virtue of the export of American television programmes and films, but not naturally used in other countries. For example, while many people will understand what "To take the fifth" means, very few people outside the United States of America will actually use the phrase as the American Constitution is not extra-territorial.

Legend/Key

Global = Globally used

AUS = Australia

NAmer = North America
- CAN = Canada
- MEX = Mexico
- USA = United States

EU = Europe
- Ire = Ireland
- UK = United Kingdom
  - Eng = England
  - Sc = Scotland

NZ = New Zealand

The adjective global and adverb globally imply that the verb or noun to which they are applied applies to the entire Earth and all of its species and regions. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... World map showing Europe Political map (neighbouring countries in Asia and Africa also shown) Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification - by Athelstan AD 927 Area - Total 130,395 kmÂ² (1st in UK) 50,346 sq... Scottish English is usually taken to mean the standard form of the English language used in Scotland, often termed Scottish Standard English. ...

Dictionary references

ADHI — The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
MW — Merriam-Webster Online
OED — The Oxford English Dictionary Online
ODI — The Oxford Dictionary of Idioms

Contents:	A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z - See also - External link

A

Idiom	Meaning
Ace in the hole	A hidden advantage or resource kept in reserve until needed
Achilles' heel	A person's weak spot
Across the board	Applies to everyone or everything
Against the grain	Doing something even though one does not agree with or believe in it
(Having) airs and graces	Behaving in a manner above one's social station.
All ears	Showing intense interest in listening or hearing about something

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Look up Ace in the Hole in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An Achillesâ€™ heel is a fatal weakness in spite of overall strength, actually or potentially leading to downfall. ...

B

Idiom	Meaning
Babe in arms	A very young child, or a person who is very young to be holding a position (similar to 'wet behind the ears')
Babe in the woods	A naive and defenseless young person
(On the) back burner	Not requiring immediate attention; not urgent or high priority
(On the) back foot	On the defensive or otherwise at a disadvantage
Back the wrong horse	To give support to the losing side in something
Back to square one	Being forced to start over at the beginning. Variant: back to the drawing board

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C

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Call a spade a spade	Global	To speak one's opinion frankly and make little or no attempt to spare the feelings of one's audience
Call it a day	Global	Decide to finish or end something, like a day's work
Call the badger a bishop	UK	This term derives from the practice of badger-baiting, in which a badger is put into a pit and made to fight dogs. To call the badger a bishop is to imply that the badger's overwhelmed condition somehow makes it virtuous, when it is, in fact, just a badger. So, the term means committing the fallacy of projecting virtue on to the oppressed or disadvantaged
Call the shots	Global	Someone who is in charge and held responsible
Can of corn	USA	Very easy - from the practice at grocers of placing corn (or other foods) on high up shelves. A can could be pulled down with a stick and the ease with which it could be caught was applied to easy-to-catch hits (pop-up flies) in baseball
(Open up a) can of whoop-ass	USA	To attack another person physically, usually used as part of a threat to do so.
(Open up a) can of worms	Global	To create a situation that is hard to deal with, especially one that comes about unexpectedly and intractably. To "open a can of worms" is to get involved with something that is discomforting, hard to resolve, or not easily escaped (closing a container of worms, used as bait by fishermen, generally involves some tricky handling of the wriggling occupants)
Can't fling a dead cat in _____ without hitting a _____	USA	To describe a very common group of people that can be found in a regional area, even in a situation of completely picking them out at random (For example: You can't fling a dead cat in North Korea without hitting a Communist). (similar to 'not enough room to swing...'; see below) Categories: Stub ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ...
Can't _____ oneself out of a wet paper bag / Can't_____ to save one's life	Global	Woefully unable to perform the task in hand
Can't see the forest for the trees	USA	Losing sight of the big picture by getting mired in details
Can't see the wood for the trees	AUS, UK	Losing sight of the big picture by getting mired in details
Card up one's sleeve	Global	To have a surprise plan or idea that one is keeping back until the time is right. Originally in reference to cheating at cards.
Carry/take coals to Newcastle	UK	Engaging in useless labour (Newcastle is a famous coal-mining district of England). Usage is predominantly UK, but is at least understood more broadly.
Carry the can	AUS, UK	To take the blame for something one did not do
Cash in one's chips	USA	To sell something to make a quick profit believing the value is going to fall To die
Castle in the air	USA	A plan that is impractical, illogical and not likely to work
(To put a) cat amongst the pigeons	AUS, UK	A disruption, often premeditated, which is introduced to disturb the equilibrium
Cat died? / Has your cat died?	UK	Said to somebody when their trousers are too short or are pulled up (similar to 'expecting a flood?'); probably derives from trousers that are too short being said to be at 'half mast', and a flag flying at half mast signifies the death of somebody.
Cat got your tongue?	Global	Asked of someone rendered speechless to emphasize their inability to speak
Cat in the pan		Betrayer, renegade, turnabout and turncoat; the same as "flip-flopper"
Cat's out of the bag	Global	A secret or hidden thing has been discovered
Catch 22	Global	From the eponymous book by Joseph Heller: a problem with a method of resolution that negates the conditions for resolution. In the book, a soldier is considered insane and unfit for combat if he willingly continues to fly missions. However, asking to be relieved from duty on the basis of insanity shows that he is mentally competent. Consequently, he must continue to serve
(To be) catty	Global	Antagonistic about trivial matters, usually applied to women
(Wouldn't be) caught/seen dead with X	Global	Wants nothing to do with X
Caught red-handed	Global	Caught in the middle of the crime; discovered in a situation where your guilt is obvious
Cavalry, The	Global	Any entity which may help resolve a situation, usually to the speaker's advantage (see deus ex machina, although the concepts are not identical). Frequently used in, e.g., "Call in the cavalry", "Here come the cavalry", etc.
(Like) chalk and cheese	AUS, UK	Things or people who are very different and have nothing in common
Champ at the bit	Global	To be eager to do something, but held back. (See also: Chomp at the bit)
Change horses in midstream	Global	Make new plans or choose a new leader in the middle of an important activity; connotes an unwise, or at best risky, activity. Apparently first used by Abraham Lincoln in the form swap horses while crossing the river
Change of heart	Global	A sudden change of one's opinion about something
Charity begins at home	Global	Family members are more important than anyone else and should always be the focus of a person's efforts; family comes first
Chase rainbows	Global	To set out to do something one might never accomplish
Cherry pick	AUS, UK, USA	To support something that pertains to one's position and ignoring everything else that contradicts it
Chew the cud/chew it over	AUS, UK, USA	To think carefully and slowly about something before taking action
(The) chickens have come home to roost	AUS, UK	The deleterious consequences of your previous actions have now become apparent
Child's play/Kid stuff	Global	An easy and simple task that requires little or no effort
Chomp at the bit	AUS, USA	To be frustrated over something (See also: Champ at the bit)
Chop chop	AUS, UK	Used by someone in authority to indicate they want something done quickly, without delay.
Chuck a wobbly	AUS, UK	To act in an overly emotional way to express sadness and anger. (One's upper lip does not remain stiff, and wobbles). Also "Throw a wobbly".
Chip off the old block	Global	A person who is highly similar to a direct ancestor or predecessor
Close but no cigar	Global	Someone who is close to success but has not gotten there yet
Closed book	AUS, USA	Describes someone about whom very little is known (implied antonym is "open book"); alternately, an issue which is settled and will not be discussed again
(To be) cock-a-hoop	UK	To be elated
Cock and bull story	Global	A far-fetched and fanciful story of highly dubious validity
Cold day in hell	USA	A very unlikely event or situation (also "about as much chance as hell freezing over")
Cold feet	Global	Uncourageous, cowardly; reluctant to act
(Seen in the) cold light of day	Global	When things are seen as they really are, not as how one wants them to be
Cold shoulder	Global	Deliberate disregard for someone or something. This term, which first appeared in writings by Sir Walter Scott and others, supposedly alludes to the custom of welcoming a desired guest with a meal of roasted meat, but serving only a cold shoulder of beef or lamb (a far inferior dish) to those who outstayed their welcome, in the early 1800s.
Come clean	Global	To admit to wrongdoing or deceit
Come hell or high water	Global	Said by someone who is dedicated and committed to a task or cause despite any obstacles that may appear
Come out in the wash	Global	To come out without any negative effect
(To) come out of the closet	Global	When one publicly reveals a secret about oneself, usually an important or embarrassing secret. Often used in reference to homosexuality
He/she comes by it honestly	USA	Said in observing that a particular trait or characteristic is clearly inherited or learned from one's parents; it "runs in the family", so to speak
Cook someone's goose	UK	To ruin someone's plans
Cook up a storm	USA	To make a big fuss or generate a lot of talk over something unnecessary
Coon's age	USA	A long time (Note: This idiom is no longer in popular usage as it is mistakenly considered racist, as 'coon' is also offensive slang for an African American).
Couch potato	Global	An idle or lazy person who chooses to spend most of their leisure time in front of a television
Cousin Michael	UK	A disparaging designation of the Germans as slow, heavy, unpolished and ungainly. ('Michel,' in Old German, means 'gross')
Cox and Box	UK	To share a single resource by sharing turn and turn about. From "Cox and Box; or, The Long-Lost Brothers", which is a one-act comic opera with a libretto by F. C. Burnand and music by Arthur Sullivan, based on the farce "Box and Cox", by John Maddison Morton. Note that both the phrase "Cox and Box" and "Box and Cox" are used.
Crash a party	Global	To be somewhere one has not been invited to, to come uninvited
(To) criticize the paint job on the Titanic	USA	To point out the petty flaws in something which could not be saved even by a thorough overhaul
(To) cross all your T's and dot all your I's	Global	To take care of every detail, including the minor ones
Cross to bear	Global	A heavy burden of responsibility or a problem that one must cope with without help
Cry wolf	Global	To raise a false alarm. Alludes to the fable The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Curiosity killed the cat	Global	Don't be too inquisitive; know when to leave well enough alone. The literal meaning of the phrase makes reference to the characteristic tendency of housecats to thoroughly investigate anything unfamiliar. The phrase is often used as an urge towards caution, an admonition to "leave well enough alone", or, less benevolently, to stop asking questions (lest the benign listener lose patience with the questioner)
(to throw one a) Curve ball	USA	Refers to something or an action that is deceptive or unexpected. It originates from a type of pitch in the American sport of baseball which is used to confuse or mislead the batter.
Cut it fine	AUS, UK	To do something at the last moment
"(You have) cut me to the quick"	AUS, UK, USA	"You have genuinely hurt me." The literal meaning is to cut deeply through the skin to the "living flesh" (quick); perhaps referring to the raw flesh under the fingernails. The phrase is used to express emotional hurt arising from a disparaging comment
Cut off your nose to spite your face	Global	To take rash or single-minded action that hurts your own cause in the end. Similar to "throwing the baby out with the bathwater"
Cut the Gordian knot		To solve a complex problem in a simple way. Refers to a legend of Alexander the Great, who cut the famous knot with his sword when he could not untie it
Cut to the chase	Global	Get to the point, or to the most interesting or important part of something, without delay
(On/at the) cutting edge	Global	At the forefront of progress in an area

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This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification - by Athelstan AD 927 Area - Total 130,395 kmÂ² (1st in UK) 50,346 sq... Catch 22 has become a term, inspired by Joseph Hellers novel Catch-22, describing a general situation in which A must have been preceded by B, and B must have been preceded by A. Symbolically, (~B => ~A) & (~A => ~B) where either A or B must come into being first. ... Deus ex machina is a Latin phrase that is used to describe an unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot (e. ... Chop Chop may refer to: A colloquial expression often used when speaking to children, which means Hurry! It is a pidgin-Chinese term now frequently considered racist. ... Portrait of Sir Walter Scott, by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 â€“ 21 September 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe during his time. ... Coming out of the closet (very often shortened to coming out in winking reference to the public introduction of debutantes) describes the voluntary public announcement of ones sexual orientation, sexual attractions, gender identity, or (less commonly) paraphilia. ... A couch potato is (originally U.S.) slang for a person who spends most or much of his time sitting or lying on a couch, or perhaps an armchair or recliner, watching television in his underwear and often drinking beer. ... Cox and Box (video tape cover) Cox and Box is a comic opera with a libretto by by Francis Cowley Burnand and music by Arthur Sullivan, based on the farce Box and Cox, by John Maddison Morton. ... Comic opera is a subcategory of opera, and denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature. ... From The History of Punch Sir Francis Cowley Burnand (November 29, 1836 â€“ April 21, 1917), often credited as F. C. Burnand, was an editor of Punch, taking over from Tom Taylor in 1880, until 1906, when he was succeeded by Sir Owen Seaman. ... Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (May 13, 1842 â€“ November 22, 1900) was an English composer best known for his operatic collaborations with librettist W. S. Gilbert. ... A farce is a comedy written for the stage, or a film, which aims to entertain the audience by means of unlikely and extravagant - yet often possible - situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include puns and sexual innuendo, and a fast-paced... John Maddison Morton (January 3, 1811 - December 19, 1891), English playwright, was born at Pangbourne. ... RMS Titanic was an Olympic class passenger liner that became infamous for its collision with an iceberg and dramatic sinking in 1912. ... The Boy Who Cried Wolf, also known as The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf, is a fable by Aesop. ... Curiosity killed the cat is a proverb used to warn against being too inquisitive lest you come to harm. ... A view of the playing field at Busch Stadium II St. ... Alexander the Great (Greek: ),[1] Megas Alexandros; July 356 BCâ€“June 11, 323 BC), also known as Alexander III, king of Macedon (336â€“323 BC), was one of, if not the most successful military commanders in history, conquering most of the known world before his death; he is regarded as...

D

Idiom	Meaning
Dead to the world	Not in touch, unaware of what is happening; asleep
Death of (or by) a thousand cuts	Many injuries, none fatal in themselves, which ultimately add up to a slow and painful demise
(Having) deep pockets	Rich and/or generous
Dutch uncle		An unhelpful person who gives unwelcome advice

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E

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Each to one's own	Global	Different people have different preferences (Typically to each his own)
Eagle eyes/eagle eyed	AUS, UK, USA	Someone who sees everything
Eat crow		To suffer humiliation and/or reluctantly admit defeat. Came about during the Revolutionary War when a soldier was forced to eat a crow. Soldiers try to avoided eating crow because it tastes horrible.^{[citation needed]}
Eat humble pie	AUS, UK	To suffer humiliation and/or reluctantly admit defeat.
Eat your heart out	Global	Bitterness or pain of longing for something out of reach.
(To have) egg on one's face	Global	To be embarrassed
Elephant in the room	UK, USA	The problem or situation immediately obvious to all, but spoken of by none. Usually the topic in question is emotionally charged and so felt by most involved to be best ignored. (Similar to "let's not discuss the 500 pound gorilla in the corner" which is more common in the US)
Eleventh hour	Global	The last minute
(The) end justifies the means	Global	A good result will (or should) atone for any unethical actions which were taken to get there
Even Stevens	Global	When everything is equal among people
Every man for himself	Global	Used of persons trying to save themselves from a difficult situation while ignoring the needs of everyone else
Excused boots	UK	Allowed to avoid doing something that is mandatory for other people. From military usage, where a serviceman with a foot condition was allowed to attend parade and execute other duties in soft shoes rather than boots.
Explore all avenues	AUS, UK, USA	To try everything, for a possibility that one will obtain the right result
Eye for an eye	Global	Equal justice; the punishment dealt to the criminal is exactly the same as the harm which he/she caused to the victim. Originates from the Bible book of Exodus. Also known as lex talionis

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To eat boiled crow is to be proven wrong after having strongly expressed ones opinion. ... The elephant in the room (also elephant in the living room, elephant in the corner, elephant on the dinner table, elephant in the kitchen, etc. ... Eye for an Eye is a movie starring Sally Field, Keifer Sutherland, Ed Harris, Beverly DAngelo and Joe Mantegna. ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... Exodus is the second book of the Torah, the Tanakh, and the Old Testament. ...

F

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Face the music	AUS, UK, USA	To accept the negative consequences [of your actions] ; to take punishment for something [wrong] that you have been involved with
Fall off the wagon	AUS, USA	To return to a previous bad practice one is trying to overcome (usually alcoholism); to revert to undesirable behavior after a period of attempted reform
Fall on (one's) sword	Global	To take responsibility or blame for a negative outcome, especially if one's own idea To sacrifice oneself Originated in the Bible: - Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me." But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him... 1 Samuel 31:4-5
Fat Cat	AUS, UK, USA	A derogatory term for a person in a position of power/responsibility at a company who earns more money than is reasonable. Often used to describe executives at a company who award themselves large pay rises whilst giving their staff little or no pay rise, or even making staff redundant.
Father figure	Global	A person to whom one can turn for advice and support
Feather one's nest	AUS, UK	To make a profit only for oneself, especially by taking advantage of others or one's position
Fell off a truck	AUS, USA	Something offered for sale that was probably stolen or obtained by questionable methods.
Fell off the back of a lorry	AUS, UK	Something offered for sale that was probably stolen or obtained by questionable methods.
Fell off the wagon	USA	For an alcoholic who had quit drinking to have started again
Fifteen minutes of fame	Global	To be very popular or famous for a short span of time (i.e. a one hit wonder) and then to be forgotten. Based on the 1968 quote by Andy Warhol, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes"
Fifth wheel	USA	An unnecessary person or thing
Fifty-fifty		Refers to a decision between two choices that are essentially equivalent, i.e., the 50% probability of being better off with the chosen option.
(With a) fine-tooth(ed) comb	Global	Very carefully; usually used with a 'searching' or 'looking' verb (e.g. she examined the room with a fine tooth-comb.) It derives from the use of combs with close-set teeth. The Oxford English dictionary dates the figurative usage to 1891 ("...go through this town like a fine-tooth comb...").
First in, best dressed	AUS	The first people to do or ask for something will usually get the thing or will gain an advantage
Fish or cut bait (A variation is "shit or get off the pot")	USA?	A pragmatic expression which demands that an indecisive person either do a specific thing immediately, or step aside and let another person attempt it [1]
Fish out of water	Global	A person in uncharted territory; in a confused state due to lack of experience with a situation
(On a) fishing expedition	AUS, USA	Trying to find some evidence of something, often through improper methods and without a defined target. Sometimes used in court
Flash in the pan	Global	A transient happening which results in no long-term effect. From a type of misfire of a flintlock gun; OED cites its usage to 1810: "Flash in the pan, an explosion of gunpowder without any communication beyond the touch-hole."[2]
Flat broke	AUS, UK	In the state of having no money
Flat out, like a lizard drinking	AUS	Extremely busy
Flesh and blood	Global	Blood relatives, especially nuclear family
To flip-flop or to be a flip-flopper	AUS, USA	To be inconsistent in views or stances on a subject and to repeatedly go between the two choices. A vacillator.
Fly high	AUS, USA	Very successful. Also: be/come/get off to a flying start
Fly off the handle	Global	To react to something with anger or rage
Fly on the wall	Global	To see and hear events as they happen
Follow in someone's footsteps (tracks)	Global	Follow someone's example or guidance
A fool and his money are soon (easily) parted; or A fool and his money are often parted	Global	Someone who recklessly uses money spends it quickly; or in the opinion of the speaker, a person has just spent money unnecessarily and is, therefore, a fool.
For crying out loud	Global	An expression of anger or frustration, e.g., "Oh, for crying out loud, why don't these people move when the light turns green..." Apparently akin to "for Christ's sake".
Fourth estate	Global	The media and newspapers
Fox in the henhouse/chickenhouse	USA	Trouble or mischief is apparent
French leave	UK	Absent without permission to be so. AWOL
(Breath of) fresh air	Global	New and refreshing
Freudian slip	Global	Accidental use of the wrong word, especially when the word used implies something that the speaker would not want to admit about his or her true thoughts, e.g. "My mom is here to pick me up," upon the arrival of the speaker's wife.
From rags to riches	Global	To start out as poor and a make a fortune later
From scratch	Global	To start from the beginning. Often used in cooking and baking, meaning that the dish is made from individual ingredients and not from a box mix. Also used to mean starting with nothing, or no advantage over others.
From the bottom of one's heart	Global	To do something with genuine feeling and emotion
FUBAR	Global	Old world war expression meaning: Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition
Fucked six ways to (or from) Sunday	USA	To be utterly ruined in every possible manner; by every imaginable method.
Fucking (or screwing) the dog	CAN	Slacking off, being unindustrious.
Full fathom five	Global	(From Shakespeare, The Tempest) Lost deep in the sea
Full swing	Global	Means that things are going well. From the idea of a factory working in a reduced capacity when first opened, or when an accident occurs, but then later, returning to full production.
In the fullness of time	Global	Means that something will happen when the time is right and appropriate. From Galatians 4:4.
Funny enough to make a cat laugh.	UK	Very funny indeed.

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15 minutes of fame (or famous for 15 minutes) is an expression coined by the American artist Andy Warhol. ... Andy Warhol, photographed by Helmut Newton. ... A trial at the Old Bailey in London as drawn by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... Two flintlock pistols Flintlock is the general term for any firearm based on the flintlock mechanism. ... AWOL (pronounced a-wall) is an acronym for the United States and other armed forces expression Absent WithOut Leave or Absence Without Official Leave. The United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy use the term Unauthorized Absence (UA) instead. ... A Freudian slip, or parapraxia, is an error in human action, speech or memory that is believed to be caused by the unconscious mind. ... The term Rags to Riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth. ... William Shakespeare—born April 1564; baptised April 26, 1564; died April 23, 1616 (O.S.), May 3, 1616 (N.S.)—has a reputation as the greatest of all writers in English. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Epistle to Galatians is a book of the New Testament. ...

G

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Get one's goat	Global	To become irritated by something. Goats used to be put in with nervous horses to calm them down before a race, if you took away the goat the horse would become nervous
Get to grips with	Global	To deal with something decisively, battle with or gain an understanding of. See also: lose one's grip (nerve)
Get the sack, be sacked	AUS, UK	To have one's employment terminated abruptly, often for a misdeed.
Get your ass in gear	AUS, USA	To try and motivate one self to get ready or started. Akin to "Light a fire under" someone
(Bird) in a gilded (or golden) cage	UK	In a pleasant situation but suffering a loss of freedom. For example, celebrities fear they are "prisoners in gilded cages", because despite their wealth and fame, every action they make is under intense scrutiny
Give him the old heave-ho.	AUS, UK	Drop him from the team, sack him.
Give one's two cents, or "That's my two cents"	AUS, USA	To ask for a person's opinion, to give one's opinion
Give 'em hell	AUS, USA	An encouragement to a person to give a task or opponent their best effort and ability
Give someone curry		To abuse someone angrily
Give up the ghost	Global	To die, expire, or otherwise come to an end. To end all things
Go to the mattresses	Global	To go to war
Go with the flow	Global	To conform or go along with whatever happens
Go off half-cocked	Global	To do something, typically violent or disruptive, prematurely. From a term for premature firing of a flintlock. (incorrect) Flintlocks "safety" position was halfway between down and fully cocked. This position was used for the loading of the weapon, since the gun would not fire from this position. Soldiers would forget to completely cock the weapon, resulting in the inability to fire when desired. Thus the phrase "Don't go off half cocked!"
Go ye forth	AUS	Another way of saying "Get f*cked" (short for, "Go ye forth and multiply").
Going to the dogs	Global	Becoming unkempt or chaotic, tending to a state of disorder.
Gone for a Burton	UK	Dead
Goody two shoes	Global	A self-righteous person who makes a deal of their virtue
(His/her) goose is cooked	Global	The person being referred to is in deep trouble with little hope of recovery
(To) grab/grasp at straws	Global	To make final attempts at reaching an end, especially in a moment of desperation and especially using means that otherwise would be known to be futile. Refers to a drowning person grabbing at straws floating in the water in the effort to stay afloat. If the threat of drowning wasn't so imminent, that person wouldn't bother grabbing at the straws, knowing they would be of no help
(The) grass is greener on the other side	Global	When a different situation seems better than one's own
(Take it with a) Grain of salt	Global	To be skeptical and cautious about whether what someone has said is true, or is the complete story
(To be on the) gravy train	??	To be the recipient of benefits earned by colleagues, such as the agent of an athlete.
Green as grass	UK	Naive, untrained, usually said of young people in a new job.

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Two flintlock pistols Flintlock is the general term for any firearm based on the flintlock mechanism. ... (With) a grain of salt is a literal translation of an ancient Latin phrase, (cum) grano salis. ...

H

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Hanging by a thread	Global	In danger; must use more precise caution
(A) hard (or tough) nut to crack	Global	A difficult or troublesome problem, or a person who is difficult to convince.
Haul (someone) over the coals	Global	To harshly scold, reprimand or interrogate someone about something they did. For example, a boss might 'haul an employee over the coals' for poor performance, or the police might do the same to a suspect. In the USA, "rake (someone) over the coals" is more common.
Have a cow	AUS, CAN, USA	To be dramatically upset or angry, e.g. "He will have a cow if he sees the mess you made"
Have a dog in the fight/race		To have a stake in, or be exposed to the risks associated with, the outcome of some problem or dispute. Conversely, "I don't have a dog in that fight" is frequently used as a way to beg off and opt out of being expected to assist
Have/hold all the aces	Global	To be in a strong position when one is competing with someone else, having all the advantages
Have an ace up one's sleeve	Global	To have an advantage that other people do not know about
Have it out with someone	AUS, UK	To resolve a point of disagreement or tension with someone, often longstanding, and sometimes by physical means i.e to intend to have a fight.
Have one's cake and eat it too	Global	To attempt to get all the positive aspects of something while avoiding any negative but usually occurring aspects
(To) have the hots for somebody	AUS, UK	To be (sexually) attracted to somebody
(Falling) head over heels	Global	Utter infatuation (e.g. "I fell head over heels for her").
He who laughs last laughs best/loudest/hardest	AUS	He who is left standing/celebrating in the end of a conflict is victorious
He would put legs under a chicken	Ire	He is voluble/loquacious, excessively talkative
Heads Up	Global	Prepare for more information
Hear (straight) from the horse's mouth	Global	To hear or get information through a direct source
Heard through the grapevine	Global	To obtain information via public transfer or gossip
Heart and soul	Global	The entirety of one's energies or affections
A ___ chance in Hell	Global	No chance. ___ can be a cat or a snowball.
(Going to) Hell in a handbasket	USA	Going wrong with alarming speed and ease. Said of a situation, e.g. 'This meeting is going to Hell in a handbasket'
Herding cats	Global	Trying to elicit coordinated action from a group not inclined to do so. Doing something that is very difficult. Also, "Like stacking hard-boiled eggs"
Hit the ground running	AUS, UK	To begin an endeavor at full effectiveness, with no delay
Hit the hay	AUS, CAN, USA	To go to bed; also 'hit the sack'
Hit the nail on the head	Global	To get something exactly right
Hit the roof	AUS, UK	Became very angry
Hit the sack	AUS, USA	To go to bed; also 'hit the hay'
Hobson's choice	UK	A choice that is no real choice; a situation from which there is no escape; a problem in which any course of action is likely to result in undesirable consequences. Derives from the practice of Thomas Hobson, a Cambridge innkeeper, of allowing patrons to choose the horse nearest the door, or no horse at all. Similar to a "no-win situation" and Catch 22
Hoist by your own petard	UK	To be harmed by one's own plan to harm someone else or to fall in one's own trap.
A home (away) from home	Global	Place where one feels very welcome
Home truths	AUS, UK	Honest criticism which is often painful
(Fell for it) hook, line, and sinker	Global	Completely taken in by someone's deceit
Hot potato	Global	In the common political usage the 'hot potato' represents an issue which is controversial and generally avoided. In a business setting it sometimes refers to a project or responsibility that no one wants to assume, usually because the probability of failure is high. From a children's game in which an object which represents (or actually is) a hot potato is passed around a circle of players while music plays (or time is kept). The loser - the one left holding the 'potato' when the music stops (or time is up) - is eliminated, until only one person is left. A variation (when using an actual very hot potato) is to eliminate anyone who drops the potato
Hung the moon	US	To think very highly of; To be infatuated with; To be in awe of something. (she thinks he hung the moon)

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To wish to have ones cake and eat it too (sometimes eat ones cake and have it too) is to want more than one can handle or deserve, or to try to have two incompatible things. ... In colloquial English, a Hobsons choice is an apparently free choice that is really no choice at all. ... Shown within Cambridgeshire Geography Status City (1951) Region East of England Admin. ... Catch-22 is a 1961 novel by the American author Joseph Heller. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

I

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
(The) Icing on the cake	AUS, UK	Something that makes a good situation even better
If it had been a snake, it would have bitten you	USA	Said of someone when what they were looking for was in a very obvious place
If we had A we could have A and B... If we had B.	USA	Used to express that a desired result can not be achieved directly when there are multiple obstacles in the way. For example, "If we had liver we could make liver and onions... If we had onions."
I'll cross that bridge when I get to it		I'll deal with that (usually unpleasant) situation only when I can't avoid it any longer; sometimes mangled ironically as "I'll burn that bridge when I get to it", in allusion to "burning one's bridges" (see above).
In a jam	USA	In a difficult position, often needing help
In a pickle	Global	In a difficult position, often needing help
In clover	Global	In a fortunate position, well provided for.
In for a penny, in for a pound	esp. UK	Said by someone realising that risks of failure are increasing, but still prepared to press onwards, maintaining their earlier efforts. Similar to the expression "no turning back"
(To stand/step/run/walk) in front of a moving train	Global	To die, or to die a loyal death (suicide) and not necessarily from a train. Sometimes taken literally, as people have died from being in front of trains. Also means to take a huge risk. Another variant is "to crawl in front of/under a moving train" which means to engage in extremely risky behavior since trains have little crawlspace underneath.
In his cups	UK	Drunk
In hot water	Global	In a difficult position, often needing help
In the limelight/spotlight	Global	Possessing large amounts of attention. Originating from Victorian times when spotlights in theatres were used by burning quicklime (Calcium oxide)
In (or out) of the loop	Global	Informed or not informed of key information, respectively
In the same boat	Global	Two or more parties in the same situation, especially a situation where what affects one party affects the other. Making a hole in the boat out of spite would drown the one and the other equally
In the twinkle/blink of an eye/in a flash	Global	To happen very quickly
In this day and age	Global	The present, indicating vast differences between modern and old times
Iron out the difficulty	AUS, UK	To resolve an issue. It suggests the problem is minor but is something that will need work (as in smoothing wrinkles out of cloth with an iron)
Is the glass half empty or half full?	Global	A phrase illustrating that 'good' or 'bad' is often a matter of perspective. From the belief that someone who refers to a glass as "half full" has an optimistic outlook on life, and someone who refers to the same glass as half empty has a pessimistic one
Is the Pope Catholic?	Global	A phrase used to answer in the affirmative, implying that the questioner is silly to ask the question, as the answer is obvious. Used in many variations ("Is/Does the ___ ___?") of equally obvious nature, e.g., "Is the sky blue?"
Is the Pope Jewish?		Much like asking if the Pope is Catholic, except to answer in the negative. This phrase is less prevalent, though.
(the) 'it' factor	Global	A specific aspect of a person which makes him/her better or more appealing than those around him.
It's (all) Greek to me	Global	Beyond comprehension, unintelligible. This expression was coined by William Shakespeare, who used it literally in Julius Caesar (1:2), where Casca says of a speech by Seneca, deliberately given in Greek so that some would not understand it, "For mine own part, it was Greek to me."

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Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of willfully ending ones own life. ... Calcium oxide (CaO), commonly known as lime, quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used chemical compound. ... Half empty or half full? Is the glass half empty or half full? is a common expression, used rhetorically to indicate that a particular situation could be a cause for optimism (half full) or pessimism (half empty), or as a general litmus test to simply determine if an individual is... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... GÄius JÅ«lius Caesar (IPA: ;[1]), July 12 or July 13, 100 BC â€“ March 15, 44 BC) was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in world history. ...

J

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Jack of all trades, master of none	Global	A person who is skilled at many things, who can do many different types of jobs; a person who knows a little about many jobs but isn't skilled at any one job. (Ex: "I'll have my son fix that plumbing problem for you. He's really a jack of all trades.") In the USA, the second clause is usually omitted.
Join the club	Global	A phrase used to express sympathy for a common (often unpleasant) experience
Jump down someone's throat	Global	Strongly criticize, reprimand or disagree with someone (Late 1800s)
Jump to a conclusion	Global	Form an opinion or judgment hastily
Jump the gun	Global	Start doing something too soon, act too hastily. Alludes to starting a race before the starter's gun has gone off, and supplants the earlier beat the pistol, which dates from about 1900. (Mid 1900s)
Jump the shark	USA	Passing the peak and beginning the slide into mediocrity or worse. Originally coined in the context of television shows, the idiom has moved into broader usage. This is a relatively modern idiom.
(To) Jump on the (band)wagon	AUS, USA	To follow the crowd, sometimes with out knowing why. To join up just because everyone else is. A derogatory term used for people who follow fads.
Juggling picked onions (or frogs)		Carrying out a hazardous or difficult task. Both onions and frogs are slippery and so likely to be hard to juggle with ease.
Just for the record	AUS, USA	To set things straight, make clear. This usage employs record in the sense of "public knowledge".

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Look up jack of all trades in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Jumping the shark is a slang term used by television critics since the 1990s. ... In biochemistry, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is the precursor molecule to FADH2. ...

K

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Kangaroo loose in the top paddock		Denotes a person who is a little crazy
Keep a stiff upper lip	Global	To exercise self-restraint in the expression of emotion, especially fear or grief
Keep one's eyes open/peeled/skinned	Global	Be observant and perceptive
Keep your nose clean	USA	To stay out of trouble
King of the castle or Lord of the manor	Global	A man who is in complete control of his home
(to be) king of the hill	USA	To be at the pinnacle of one's field
Kill the goose that laid the golden egg	Global	To do away with, in one form or another, a source of benefit, intentionally or not
Kick the bucket	Global	To die. Derived from the slaughter of pigs, the wooden block a pig was hung from during slaughter was referred to as a buque. Thus in the process of killing the pig, it would inevitably kick it
Killing two birds with one stone	Global	Achieving two desirable effects with one process or action
Kick ass/butt	AUS, USA	Punish harshly or defeat soundly; also used to express extreme approval of a situation - "this concert kicks ass."
Kick ass and take names	USA	More superlative version of the idiom "to kick ass."
Knock on wood/Touch wood (Knocking on wood)	Global	Knock on (or touch) unfinished wood to avert the bad luck evoked by making a confident statement (example: "I haven't been sick in twenty years, knock on wood.") By 'knocking on wood', the speaker hopes to prevent their remarkable good health from suddenly ending because they've bragged about it. The custom comes from the hope of evoking the care of spirits that live in trees (druids)
(Kith and) kin		Family

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Stiff Upper Lip is a 2000 (see 2000 in music) hard rock album by Australian band AC/DC. The album was recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia and mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City. ... Knocking on wood, and the spoken expression knock on wood or touch wood are used as a charm to bring good luck or to avoid tempting fate after making some boast or similar statement. ...

L

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Lah-di-dah	AUS, UK	Assuming manners and customs above one's social station. See also: Airs and graces.
Last but not least	Global	Things are not necessarily in order of importance. Often introduces the strongest point in an argument, the last point of a message, or the last person to be formally introduced. Sometimes spitefully or facetiously reversed (e.g. "Last and definitely the least")
Last straw	Global	A problem or obstacle that may be trivial in itself, but causes cataclysmic failure because it pushes the total array of problems or obstacles to an intolerable level. Also referred to as the Straw that broke the camel's back, after the original proverb: a straw by itself has an insignificant weight, but enough of them together can be a crushing weight. Another variant is the "drop that broke the dam."
Let off steam	Global	See blow off steam.
Let the cat out of the bag	Global	Reveal a big secret, usually without the intention to
(The) lights are on, but no one's home	Global	Said of a person that is lacking intellect and/or sanity, even if they may appear at first to possess full mental faculties. Like "two bricks short of a load", there are endless variations, based around the metaphor of a machine or a system that is not operating as it should ("His elevator doesn't stop at all floors.")
Like a moth to a flame	Global	Strongly attracted to something, regardless of likely negative consequence
Like father, like son	Global	In the same manner and likeness from generation to generation
Like taking candy from a baby / Like shooting fish in a barrel	UK (especially in second form), USA, AUS	Very easily done
Lion's den	Global	Any dangerous or frightening place
A little bird told/tells me	Global	A source who cannot or will not be identified gave this information.
A little bit from column A, a little bit from column B		An answer to an either/or question implying that both answers are correct
Living in Cloud-cuckooland	UK, AUS	Having unrealistic or foolish beliefs or plans
Living under a rock	AUS, USA	Ignorant of common knowledge or major events/trends ("Have you been living under a rock?")
Loan shark	Global	A predatory lender, usually one that charges inordinately high interest (Usury).
Loose cannon	Global	A reckless individual
Lose one's nerve	Global	To become frightened or timid, or to lose courage.

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The idiom the straw that broke the camels back is from an Arab proverb about loading up a camel beyond its capacity to move. ... Cloud Cuckoo Land refers to an idealistic state where everything is perfect - Youre living in Cloud-cuckoo-land. The reference is to the play by the Athenian playwright Aristophanes, The Birds, in which the Birds of the title, tired of the Earth and Olympus, decide to erect a perfect... Usury (//, from the Medieval Latin usuria, interest or excessive interest, from Latin usura interest) was defined originally as charging a fee for the use of money. ...

M

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Mad as a box of (soapy) frogs	UK	extremely mentally unstable; psychotic; detached from reality.
Mad as a hatter	UK	extremely mentally unstable; psychotic; detached from reality.
Make hay (while the sun shines)	UK (only in full), USA, AUS	To take advantage of a favorable opportunity. To work diligently toward a goal.
Make love	Global	To court or to have sexual intercourse. Used by Shakespeare; from French (faire l'amour) or Italian (fare l'amore).
Make a mountain out of a molehill	Global	Interpret great significance (generally negative) from a (seemingly) minor event; to assume something is much worse than it actually is. This is most often used in criticism
May/December	USA	Describes a couple where there is a significant age difference (i.e. 20+ years) between the participants. Often implies that the older 'December' participant should have pursued his or her own age group instead of taking the younger and more desirable person out of circulation
Mind one's Ps and Qs	Global	To be very careful and/or to behave correctly. It is tied to the fact that the lowercase letters "p" and "q" mirror each other. This is a term from typesetters in the printing industry. In the days of lead type, letters were set individually into a page, and they were placed one by one, upside down. They were pulled from a typecase, in which each letter had a designated space to reside. Problems came when pages were being taken apart and letters put away. If someone was in a hurry or was not paying attention to what he was doing, he could end up with p's and q's in the wrong slots in the typecase, which he wouldn't notice until the next time he was putting together a page, when he would unknowingly pick out the wrong letter. (This could also happen with b's and d's, but as they are more common than q's, typesetters were more accustomed to finding them, and they were mixed up less often.) Hence, pay attention to what you're doing now, so that you don't give yourself problems later on. Alternatively, in England this phrase is also associated with "p'ease" and "'k you" baby talk for 'Please' and 'Thank you', hence "Mind your P's and Q's" is sometimes used to mean "Remember to say 'Please' and 'Thank you.'" Another less widely accepted origin of this phrase purports to have originated in England where, when patrons at a bar were becoming unruly, the bartender would remind them to, "Mind your pints and quarts." This has been shortened to the phrase, "Mind your P's and Q's."
Mind like a steel trap	AUS, USA	An intelligent person who is quick to grasp concepts. Refers to an animal trap that shuts quickly. Similarly the mind is quick to remember and understand information.
(There is) more than one way to skin (or kill) a cat	Global	Something can be achieved in several different ways. Often used upon the realization that one attempted method has failed or is about to fail (e.g. "This method has failed, but there's more than one way to skin a cat!")
Monday-morning quarterback	USA	Someone who criticizes a strategy after already knowing the outcome. In the USA, football games are usually shown on TV on Sundays. A Monday-morning quarterback is thus somebody who purports to know all the calls the quarterback should have made in Sunday's game, but only because he has seen the effect of calling, or not calling, those plays.
Month of Sundays	AUS, UK	A long time - 28, 29, 30 or 31 weeks depending on your definition of a month.
Move up (in the world)	Global	Advance to a higher level and succeed
Mother nature	Global	Nature and its benevolence towards human beings
Much of a muchness	AUS, UK	Indicates that the choices available to the speaker are not greatly different in their effect e.g. "Would you like tea or coffee? Oh, it's all much of a muchness when I'm thirsty."
Mum's the word	Global	The issue or topic at hand is of great secrecy and one cannot reveal any more than one already has
Mutton dressed up as lamb	UK	1. A person (usually female) who behaves and/or dresses as though they are younger than they actually are. 2. A female who dresses in a vulgar/unflattering manner to be attractive to men, with the opposite effect.
My dogs are barking	USA	When someone's feet are tired or sore from standing or walking.
My old (wo)man	Global	A slightly derogatory term for husband/wife or father/mother

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Coition of a Hemisected Man and Woman (c. ... Baby talk, motherese, parentese, or child-directed speech (CDS) is a nonstandard form of speech used by adults, particularly mothers, in talking to children. ... Trinomial name Homo sapiens sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin for wise man or knowing man) under the family Hominidae (known as the great apes). ...

N

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Nailing jelly to a wall/tree	USA	A futile endeavor; impossible task
Namby-pamby	UK	Effete, weak, unpreposessing
(That's) neither here nor there	Global	It doesn't matter; said of something irrelevant to the topic under consideration
Near miss	Global	An incident involving two objects, where one object almost hits the other
Nest Egg	Global	Accumulated wealth, generally liquid investments, earmarked for some future purpose; used most commonly in the US to refer to retirement savings.
Nip __ in the bud	Global	Taking action at the onset of a problem before it grows into an uncontrollable situation. A bud that is pinched will not bloom
No-brainer	Global	A problem that is especially easy to solve, if not outright obvious
No holds barred	Global	Unrestricted. At liberty; free of obstruction, inhibition, prohibition, forbiddance, governance. No rules of conduct
No names, no pack-drill	UK	If nobody can be identified, then nobody can be punished. From military usage - pack-drill was a form of punishment.
No skin off one's nose/back	Global	To be indifferent to the outcome of a situation because it does not affect one personally
(Having one's) nose to the grindstone	Global	Working very hard, especially at a tedious task
(There's) no smoke without a fire	Global	If there is telltale evidence of some event, the event is probably occurring
Not enough room to swing a cat/You couldn't swing a cat in here	AUS, UK	An extremely compact room. Sometimes used for the opposite meaning, "You could swing a cat in here." (similar to 'can't fling a...'; see above)
(the) Not IT factor	Global	The opposite of "the IT factor" (see above); a certain aspect that ruins a persons ability to become "something special".
(The opera's/it's) not over until the fat lady sings		This phrase is similar in meaning to "Don't count your chickens before they hatch," i.e., nothing is certain until the final conclusion. It is attributed to Yogi Berra and is probably a humorous jab at the girth of a stereotypical female opera singer, combined with the legitimate observation that such a woman will often sing the final notes of the performance
Not playing with a full deck	Global	Someone who is eccentric, mad or wildly unconventional, bordering on crazy. See Two bricks short of a load
Not the X-est Y in Z		Having comparatively diminished capacities, especially in reference to intelligence. Similar to "A few X short of a Y", but describing quality rather than quantity and often used for mock-humility Not the sharpest pencil in the drawer. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Not the sharpest tool in the shed. Not the brightest [light] bulb on the [Christmas] tree. Not the brightest crayon in the box. Not the brightest star in the sky. Not the longest grass ever.

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A near miss is an unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage - but had the potential to do so. ... Categories: Move to Wiktionary | Stub ... Yogi Berra on his 80th birthday Lawrence Peter Yogi Berra (born May 12, 1925) is a former catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who played almost his entire career for the New York Yankees and was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. ...

O

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Off his trolley	AUS, UK	Mentally unbalanced, insane
Off (or below) the radar	AUS, USA	Beyond popular consciousness, less obvious or less mainstream
Off one's rocker	Global	Mentally imbalanced, crazy
Off the hook	Global	Someone who is off the hook has avoided a situation in which they would be blamed for something or punished for something. Note, however, that a telephone that is off the hook is one where the handset has been raised from the body of the telephone, preventing it from ringing - for instance, if somebody does not wish to be disturbed, they will take the 'phone off the hook.
Off the rails	AUS, UK	Living a dissolute lifestyle, habitually acting outside the rules or acting illegally
Off the straight and narrow	AUS, UK	Someone who is off the straight and narrow is acting in immoral ways.
Off the top of one's head	Global	To have a particular piece of information or knowledge ready.
Off the wall	Global	Strange, odd, or unusual
Off the X		Fairly recent slang expression, in which X is replaced by various nouns to make an expression with the general meaning of "great" or "wonderful". (e.g. Off the chain, off the wall, off the hook, etc.)
Old flame	Global	Someone a person was strongly attracted to in the past, a former lover
On a hiding to nothing	AUS, UK	Someone on a hiding to nothing is attempting the impossible, working hard at something that will not produce results.
On (someone's) last nerve	UK, USA	Straining another's patience or tolerance to the breaking point. In the UK, said as a plural and without 'last', eg: "He's getting on my nerves"
On a promise	AUS, UK	Someone on a promise is acting in the expectation of being rewarded. Usually applies to a man doing something in the expectation that a particular woman will be nice to him/reward him later.
On a wing and a prayer	Global	To rely mostly on hope to get through a desperate situation. Originating from a WWII era song depicting badly damaged aircraft limping back home after a bombing raid
On point	USA	Describing someone or something as extremely effective or very well prepared. See also 'On the ball'
On the blink	AUS, UK	Not working, or intermittently faulty. Said of an item of equipment or machinery.
On the fence	Global	Undecided between two options; vacillating between two ideas or choices
On the Q.T.	UK	In confidence, secretly, without other people knowing. 'On the down low' is a similar USA saying
On the rag	AUS, USA	Someone who is cranky, especially a woman exhibiting symptoms of PMS or menstrual cramps
On the same page	Global	Two or more parties understand a situation the same way and are operating accordingly
On the wagon	AUS, UK, USA	To have sworn off alcoholic beverages or become involved in a recovery program.
One for the road	Global	A final (usually alcoholic) drink before departure.
(To think) one's head will burst	USA	To be extremely angry
Once Bitten, Twice Shy	USA	If you fall in love with someone and that someone rejects you--"once bitten"--you may be very, very reluctant--"twice shy"--to let yourself fall in love again.
Only the tip of the iceberg	Global	Something which is much larger than it appears, or a situation which is more complex than it first seems. Refers to icebergs floating in the ocean; only a small fraction of the iceberg is above water and visible.
On a roll	Global	Enjoying a continuous series of successes
On cloud nine	Global	To be extremely happy. Original connotation referred to a state of stupor or unconsciousness; possibly drug or alcohol induced. Popular usage may have originated from a 1950s American radio program 'Johnny Dollar' in which one character was regularly knocked out and transported to 'Cloud Nine'. A numbering system for clouds in which level 9 is ascribed to the (30-40,000 feet) cumulo-nimbus clouds was established in the 19th century. Its first known codification in 'International Cloud Atlas' was based on work by Luke Howard. These clouds are the white cottony, mountainous appearing clouds that look like one could lie down on them and rest comfortably
On the ball	Global	Prepared for the situation, especially in regard to anticipated future requests or instructions
On the dot	Global	Precisely, punctually. Exactly at the expected interval. Refers to time (e.g. every three months on the dot)
(The situation) on the ground		The practical reality of common, everyday experience, as opposed to what theory or idealism says it could/should be. Sometimes used to mildly disparage an opponent's position as failing to pay sufficient attention to what is actually the case
On the nod	- UK	Under the influence of heroin Also means the passage of resolution in a committee or meeting without a formal vote - it is just 'nodded through' or passes 'on the nod'.
On the nose	USA	Exactly correct. When regarding screenwriting, "on the nose" is referred to dialogue and occurs when a character says something that's rather obvious
On/off the tip (on my tip)	USA	Extremely interested, usually with annoyance. Understood to refer to the sensitive end of a penis (get off my tip, that bitch was on my tip)
Out of (from) left field	AUS, USA	Unexpected. In conversation, a topic or idea coming out of left field is one with no obvious logical connection to what has just been said, a non-sequitur. Generally used to denote anything strange and/or random as well as unexpected
Out of the loop	AUS, USA	To be unaware of the details of a situation (frequently implying that one has been deliberately kept uninformed)
Out of luck	Global	Experiencing a temporary misfortune
Out of (from) nowhere	Global	Unexpected. Similar to "out of (from) left field", but without the 'strange/random' connotation. Also: out of the blue
Out of order	Global	Not functioning properly or inappropriate
Out of place	Global	Not in the proper situation or arrangement, or inappropriate for the circumstances
Out of (all) proportion(s)	Global	Not in a proper or pleasing relation to other things, especially in terms of size
Out of sorts	Global	Feeling poorly
Out of the frying pan, into the fire	Global	Escaping a serious predicament only to end up in a worse one
Out of touch	Global	To be unaware of current trends, news, or fashions, especially because of actual physical distance from others
Out of tune	Global	Not in agreement, especially in musical pitch
(born) out of wedlock	Global	Born to parents not legally married (illegitimacy)
Out of work	Global	Unemployed or having nothing to do
Out of the way	Global	Not obstructing or hindering Taken care of
Out the wazoo	USA	Out the ass; excessive or excessively; too much
Over one's head	Global	More complex or confusing than one can understand; beyond one’s comprehension Too much for one to handle
Over my dead body	Global	No way, under no circumstances
Over the hill	Global	To be past one's prime, old, a senior citizen. A person has reached his/her peak of physical or employment capabilities and is starting the downhill slide
Over the moon	Global	Very happy, giddy

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Premenstrual stress syndrome Pocahontas Middle School ... An exploding head is a surreal involuntary gesture sometimes found in cartoons and comics, from South Park to Dilbert. ... An iceberg (a partial loan translation, probably from Dutch ijsberg (literally: mountain of ice),[1] cognate to German Eisberg) is a large piece of ice that has broken off from a snow-formed glacier or ice shelf and is floating in open water. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Screenwriting refers to the art and craft of writing screenplays. ... Dialogue should create conflict. ... The position of the left fielder A left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder in the sport of baseball who plays defense in left field. ... In music, pitch is the psychological correlate of the fundamental frequency of a note. ... Illegitimacy was a term in common use for the condition of being born of parents who were not validly married to one another; the legal term was bastardy. ...

P

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Pain in the arse.	AUS, UK	A nuisance; a source of trouble or annoyance
Pain in the ass.	USA	A nuisance; a source of trouble or annoyance
Pain in the backside.	AUS, UK	A nuisance; a source of trouble or annoyance
Pain in the butt.	AUS, USA	A nuisance; a source of trouble or annoyance
Pain in the neck.	Global	A nuisance; a source of trouble or annoyance
Pass the buck	Global	To lay responsibility on to another party so they will get the blame. Orig. poker jargon.
Pass with flying colors	Global	To succeed in the best way possible
Passing fancy	Global	A temporary liking for someone or something
Pay through the nose (for something)	Global	Pay an unusually large amount of money for something
Peace and quiet	Global	Tranquility; freedom from stress or interruptions
Peg the X-(o)meter, or similar	USA	To X as much as possible, or to be as X as it is possible to be, sometimes ironically; examples are, "That really pegged the suckometer" (about, e.g., a bad movie), or "My fun-meter's pegged" (ironic: I'm no longer having fun).
Penny for your thoughts	Global	A phrase used to ask a person what they are thinking
Penny pinching	Global	Being frugal with one's money, avoiding unnecessary expenses (can also mean stingy)
Penny wise, pound foolish	UK	Cautious with small amounts of money but wasteful with large amounts. This expression is usually used when discussing short-sighted parsimony (example: "The manager's decision to save money by cutting the maintenance budget was penny wise, pound foolish.")
Pick up the tab	AUS, USA	To accept a charge and pay for it, especially for a restaurant meal
Piece of cake	Global	Something done very easy
(To have a) pink slip	UK USA	To be authorised to do something not normally allowed e.g. "I've got a pink slip from my wife to let me go out drinking this evening." To be discharged from employment - see Pink slip
Piping hot	Global	Very hot
Pissing contest	USA	A competition in which two or more people, usually (but not exclusively) male, urinate with the intention of producing the stream with the furthest distance. Meaningless though nonetheless entertaining event or act in which people try to outdo one another. "What started out as a rational debate quickly degenerated into a pissing contest."
(To) spit/piss into the wind	Global	To continue with an ineffective action, usually against the natural flow of things, when it is clear that said action will have no useful result. An exercise in futility
(To) piss in one's Cheerios	USA	To do something to annoy, anger or otherwise displease another.
To piss on one's own feet		To try to accomplish something beneficial to yourself but hurting yourself in the process so much that the original action is rendered worthless. (e.g. "There's no way I could have stolen Bill's TV because I was at home doing heroin that whole night.") Similar in meaning to 'shoot oneself in the foot'
Play cat and mouse	Global	Amuse oneself or trifle with, toy with
Play second fiddle (to)	AUS, USA	To play a subordinate role to another; to be upstaged
(To) play one's ace	USA	To do the thing that one knows will bring success
Play the ponies	USA	To bet on horse racing
Play with fire	Global	Take part in a dangerous undertaking
Point of no return	Global	To have gone so far that it is impossible to go back.
Point the finger at	Global	To accuse
Pop one's clogs	UK	To die
Pop the cherry	Global	To break the hymen; to lose one's virginity. Often a ribald metaphor.
Pop the question	Global	To propose marriage
Pot calling the kettle black	Global	Accusing someone else of something of which one is also guilty; to betray one's own hypocrisy. From the practice of cooking over an open fire, where soot would blacken any cooking containers so used.
Pour salt into the wound	Global	To make a bad situation worse.
Powder one's nose	AUS, UK	To use the lavatory. E.g. "Excuse me while I go to powder my nose"
Preach to the choir/converted	Global	To declare something with which those present already agree
To pull strings	Global	Using influence or personal connections to facilitate a favorable outcome. Usually implies that the outcome would not occur without said intervention
Pulling the strings	Global	Refers to the practice of those really in power limiting the authority of those who appear to be. An analogy to marionettes, which have the illusion of life because unseen puppeteers manipulate their limbs
Pulling one's leg	Global	Being facetious, or kidding around. Playfully lying
Puppies and rainbows		Eternal bliss, happy-go-lucky, child-like and carefree innocence. May also include: puppies and rainbows, butterflies, daisies, or bunnies.
Puppy (dog) eyes	USA	A young child who has a very cute look in his or her eyes.
Puppy love	Global	Adolescent love or infatuation, especially one that is not expected to last. Also called calf love
Push the envelope	AUS, USA	To approach the limits of normal behavior, to be exceptional
Pushing up daisies	Global	Dead and buried. This comes from the Western cultural practice of burying the deceased in a cemetery or memorial park, often with flowers or grass growing at the grave site
(To) put a spanner in the works.	AUS, UK	To cause an endeavour to fail, or to complicate things greatly.
(To) put a wrench in it.	USA	To cause an endeavour to fail, or to complicate things greatly.
(To) put one's back into	Global	To make a strenuous effort to do something
Put the cart before the horse	AUS, UK	To start a task without adequate preparation or forethought. Alternately, to jump to conclusions
Put one's foot in one's mouth	Global	Say something which is quickly regretted, usually offensive to someone else. Connotes speaking in ignorance or without appropriate forethought
Put one's money where one's mouth is	Global	Back up one's opinions with practical action
Putting words into one's mouth	Global	Asserting that another person has certain feelings or opinions which the other person has not stated or confirmed (example: "My boss was putting words into my mouth when he told me what he thought I wanted to do.")

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In the card game Poker the buck or button is a marker used to indicate the player who is the dealer or, in casino games with a house dealer, the player who acts last on that deal (who would be the dealer in a home game). ... Stress has different meanings in different fields: Look up stress in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up pink slip in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A box of the popular Cheerios breakfast cereal. ... Illustration of the female sex organs with hymen The hymen (or maidenhead) is a membranous tissue structure that partially or completely obstructs the vaginal opening. ... In Roman times, the Vestal Virgins remained celibate for 30 years on penalty of death Virginity is a term used to describe what a person has when he or she has not yet engaged in sexual intercourse. ... Ribaldry is the third and somewhat neglected genre of sexual entertainments, something different from either pornography or erotica, yet is often confused with them. ... The phrase Pot calling the kettle black is an idiom, used to accuse another speaker of hypocrisy, in that the speaker disparages the subject in a way that could equally be applied to him or her. ... Graves at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies are buried. ...

R

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Rain on someone's parade		Do something to make another person's ideas or actions less worthy of merit.
Raining/pouring cats and dogs	Global	Raining heavily
Rake over the ashes	Global	To restart an argument that was thought to be completed; closely examine the history of a failed endeavor or relationship.
Rake (someone) over the coals	Global	To harshly scold, reprimand or interrogate someone about something they did. For example, a boss might 'rake an employee over the coals' for poor performance, or the police might do the same to a suspect. (AHDI[3])
Raise one's voice	Global	Talking loudly as to be heard clearer or when angry
(Having a) ramrod up one's spine	USA	Being stubborn or strong willed. A ramrod is a stiff pole which does not bend easily
(Read/in) between the lines	Global	Inferring additional information or nuances not explicitly stated, perhaps revealing a hidden agenda or true motive. The lines here refers to lines of printed text
Read my lips: _____	Global	Used to emphasize the statement or promise which immediately follows, often with slight aggression or belligerence. Example: George H.W. Bush's famous 1988 promise "Read my lips: No new taxes", meaning he absolutely would not raise taxes
(To) rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic	Global	Attempting to solve a serious problem with superficial or irrelevant actions. Alt. Performing a futile action.
Red herring	Global	A false clue or issue intended to lead one astray or a fallacious argument (Ignoratio elenchi)
Red-light district	Global	Area of town or city with a high concentration of houses of prostitution or prostitutes. From the practice of displaying a red light in a window or over the door to notify potential customers of the activity available within; possibly also related to the red brake lights seen on the rear of cars slowly 'kerb-crawling' and looking for prostitutes
Red tape	Global	Bureaucratic obstacles to a desired result. Derived from the former British and US civil-war era practice of binding records and files with red tape.
Reinvent the wheel	Global	Duplicate a basic method or concept; create a new solution to a problem for which an adequate one already exists. The new solution does not add value and implies a waste of time and/or money. Related to the "Not Invented Here" reaction in which a technician or artisan refuses to use an existing solution through the arrogant notion that only they can produce a 'correct' solution
Right under your nose		Something so obvious that it is easily overlooked
Rob Peter to pay Paul	Global	Solving a problem in a way that leads to a new problem; a quick solution with an obvious drawback (St Peter and St Paul being the disciples of Jesus); robbing Peter to pay Paul was used at least as far back as the 14th century, when theologian John Wycliff asked, "How should God approve that you rob Peter, and give this robbery to Paul in the name of Christ?" (courtesy of Merriam-Webster Online [4])
Rock the boat	Global	Disturbing the social group. Breaking with tradition or going against custom or an apparent consensus, possibly with entirely benign motives - but perhaps out of selfishness
Rotten or evil to the core	Global	To say of someone who has no good within them at all
Run the table		In sports or other competitions, to win every contest or series. ("To make the playoffs, the team will have to run the table."). Most often used in various games of pocket billiards meaning to shoot all (or sometimes the remainder of) balls off the table and winning the game without giving the opponent the opportunity to "shoot"
(It) Runs in the family	Global	Ability, talent, or trait (good or bad) that is passed on through generations; see "Comes by it honestly"

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Look up ramrod in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Order: 41st President Vice President: Dan Quayle Term of office: January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993 Preceded by: Ronald Reagan Succeeded by: Bill Clinton Date of birth: June 12, 1924 Place of birth: Milton, Massachusetts First Lady: Barbara Pierce Bush Political party: Republican George Herbert Walker Bush, KBE (born... Bush delivering the famous line at the 1988 convention Read my lips: No new taxes was a famous pledge made by Republican Presidential candidate George H.W. Bush at the 1988 Republican convention in his acceptance speech on August 18. ... RMS Titanic was an Olympic class passenger liner that became infamous for its collision with an iceberg and dramatic sinking in 1912. ... Look up red herring in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Ignoratio elenchi (also known as irrelevant conclusion) is the logical fallacy of presenting an argument that may in itself be valid, but which proves or supports a different proposition than the one it is purporting to prove or support. ... The De Wallen red-light district in Amsterdam. ... Reinventing the wheel is a phrase that means a generally accepted technique or solution is ignored in favour of a locally invented solution. ... Not Invented Here (NIH) is a pejorative term used to describe a persistent corporate or institutional culture that either intentionally or unintentionally avoids using previously performed research or knowledge because the research and developed knowledge was not originally executed in-house. ... According to tradition, Peter was crucified upside-down, as shown in this painting by Caravaggio. ... The name Saint Paul may refer to one of several possible meanings or references, though it is most commonly used to refer to the Biblical Paul of Tarsus. ... Jesus (8â€“2 BC/BCE to 29â€“36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... Wycliffe may also refer to Wycliffe Bible Translators John Wyclif (or Wycliffe) (1328 - December 31, 1384) was an English theologian and early proponent of reform in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. ...

S

Sail you down the river

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
(What's) sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander	Global	Also said as "What's good for the goose is good for the gander" (a gander is a male goose) When said to a person, essentially, don't complain about being treated the way you've treated others If something is good for one person, it follows that it is good for everybody
School of hard knocks	AUS, USA	The (sometimes painful) education one gets from life, often contrasted with formal education.
Scraping (the bottom of) the barrel	Global	The last possible selection
Screw the pooch	USA	To make a grievous error
To see a man about a dog (or a horse)	Global	To urinate (in men), but occasionally used when someone goes missing
To seize/take the bull by its horns	AUS, UK	Take direct action to solve a problem without looking for other, less demanding, approaches.
Sell like hotcakes	Global	Selling very rapidly
Send flying	Global	Cause to be knocked or scattered about
Set the Thames on fire	UK	Perform an astonishing feat. This phrase is almost invariably used in the negative: "He'll never set the Thames on fire." Latin and German have similar idioms regarding the Tiber and the Rhine, respectively
Set the world on fire	Global	Region-free variant of above.
Shake one's booty	AUS, USA	To dance vigorously
Shake the dust off your shoes/feet		Make a clean break from a (bad) former situation. Derived from the gospel of S. Matthew, ch. 10 v. 14: "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet."
Shanks' pony (or mare)	UK	One's own feet. To travel someplace by Shanks' pony is to walk there
To shift gears	AUS, USA	To talk about or work on a different subject or to change the speed at which one is working. Normally referring to speeding up. "Boy he sure shifted (into a higher) gear(s) when he saw that the end was in sight!"
(To) Shit it in	AUS	To be doing very well (eg. "We're shitting it in."), or considered highly likely to succeed (eg. "He'll shit in in.")
(To be) Shit out of luck (S.O.L.)	Global	To have no alternative hope or action.
Shipshape and Bristol fashion	UK	Everything is nice and tidy, with no rubbish strewn around.
To shoot oneself in the foot	Global	Similar to spit or piss into the wind, to bring injury or ill fortune upon oneself (although this idiom tends to imply a self-inflicted misfortune)
"Show me an X and I'll show you a Y"	USA	"I see possibilities that you don't." Example: "Show me a traumatized ant and I'll show you a vulnerable midnight snack"
Show one's true colors	Global	One's true nature is now visible. Implies that there has been a period of ambiguity if not outright deception beforehand. Comes from the age of sail, when seeing a ship's colors (i.e., flag) was the only way to gauge whether it might be friendly or not.
Short/shitty end of the stick; short end	Global	The worse part of an unequal deal or situation AHDI cites the first use of "short end..." to the 1930s, but notes the etymology is lost; it also posits an origin in the phrase "worse end of the staff" from the 1500s, which evolved into thye current "short/shitty end...", "allegedly from a stick poked up one's rectum by another in command of the situation". It also suggests an origin in stick-fighting.[5] OED does not cite the whole phrase, but lists "short end" alone as "US Slang, the inferior part or share (of something), the losing end, a bad deal"; it is listed with other uses meaning odds-and-ends or leftovers, and cites first usage in 1904[6].Compare "wrong end of the stick," below.
Short of a —	Global, orig. AUS & NZ	Not possessing all of one's mental faculties; i.e., crazy or stupid. These phrases often take the form "A few X short of a Y" where X is a common component of Y. In these phrases, Y represents full mental capacity, and the lack of a few X implies a lack of full mental capacity. Examples: A few fries short of a Happy Meal. A few sandwiches short of a picnic. Two bricks short of a load. A couple of cans short of a six-pack. A few clowns short of a circus. In the quarterly updates to OED Online (2000– )[7]. Gander is a town in northeastern Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ... Two American-style pancakes A pancake is a batter cake fried in a pan or on a griddle with oil or butter. ... The Thames (pronounced []) is a river flowing through southern England, in its lower reaches flowing through London into the sea. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Tiber River in Rome The Tiber (Italian Tevere, Latin Tiberis), the third-longest river in Italy at 406 km (252 miles) after the Po and the Adige, flows through Rome in its course from Mount Fumaiolo to the Tyrrhenian Sea, which it reaches in two branches that cross the suburbs... Loreley At 1,320 kilometres (820 miles) and an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second, the Rhine (Dutch Rijn, French Rhin, German Rhein, Italian: Reno, Romansch: Rein, ) is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe. ... Shipshape and Bristol fashion is an English saying. ... The age of sail is the period in which international trade and naval warfare were both dominated by sailing ships. ... Happy Meal logo, English Happy Meal logo, Japanese. ... It has been suggested that Circus clown be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Acrobalance be merged into this article or section. ...
Sick as a parrot	UK	Extremely disappointed, upset, dismayed (esp. with regards to the results of a soccer match).
Sitting ducks	Global	Something or someone that is easy to attack or criticize
Six feet under	Global	Dead and buried (from a traditional depth for human graves)
Six of one, half a dozen of another / Six and two threes/ Sixes	Global	Two options which are essentially the same so there is no real choice to be made (USA first one only)
Six ways to (or from) Sunday	USA	In every possible manner; by every imaginable method
Skeletons in the closet	AUS, USA	Secrets from one's past that one would like to conceal
Skeleton in the cupboard	UK	A personal secret that one would not like to reveal for fear of embarrassment, as it usually reflects badly on the person having the secret.
Skin of (one's) teeth	Global	A very close miss from some disaster
Sleep with the fishes	USA	To be dead, often murdered. "X knew too much. Now he is sleeping with the fishes."
Slower than molasses in January	USA	Excruciatingly slow; molasses is very thick and therefore would run slowly at any time of year, but is exaggerated here with the coldest month in many regions. Often used to describe a person or an object ("My computer is running slower than molasses in January.")
Small beer	UK	Of little consequence or value.
Small fry	AUS, UK (esp. in second sense), USA	Young children, or persons of little importance or influence
Small world	Global	One encounters familiar people, events or situations in unexpected places
A snowball's chance in hell	USA	Essentially zero likelihood (also occasionally "an ice cube's chance")
Soft sawder		Cajoling or flattery
Son of a gun	CAN, UK, USA	A unique person
Soup to nuts	USA	From beginning to end; etymologically, from the first course of a meal (soup) to the last course (nuts, which are often found in desserts)
Sour grapes	Global	To decide that an out-of-reach prize was probably not worth having. Spitefully belittling another's success when one has failed. (Aesop's Fables: The Fox and the Grapes)
Speak of the devil (and he shall appear)	AUS, UK, USA	Said aloud when someone who was being discussed in conversation enters the area of those conversing; from the belief that uttering the name of a demon could serve to summon it
To spit or piss into the wind	Global	Similar to shooting oneself in the foot, to bring injury or ill fortune upon oneself
To spin a yarn	AUS, USA	To tell a story, especially a long one with distorted truths or exaggerations
Spick and span	AUS, UK	Neat, clean, and tidy
Spill the beans	Global	To reveal a secret
Spirit of the law	Global	To interpret something as it is meant, not as explicitly stated. The 'spirit' of the law is often contrasted with the 'letter' of same, which is its explicit statement
Spitting image	AUS, UK	Resembling strongly. e.g. "He's the spitting image of his grandfather at his age." See also: Dead ringer
Squaring the circle/Make a square circle		Trying to do something which is impossible
Stalking horse	UK	A political candidate unlikely to succeed against an incumbent, standing to generate an election and to reveal disquiet with the incumbent's recent performance — possibly inducing other competitors for that post to declare their interest. Refers to American Indian hunting practice of approaching a herd of wild animals while mostly concealed by a tame mount
Start with a clean slate/sheet (of paper)	Global	To completely start over, or to contemplate solving a problem without preconceptions
Stand in good stead	AUS, UK	To be extremely useful in the future
Steal someone's thunder	Global	Taking the credit for something positive occasioned largely by someone else, or simply to upstage someone. From a stage thunder device by John Dennis which actually was stolen
Stem the tide	Global	To stop or control the growth or increase of something, usually unpleasant
Stick (or stuck) in the mud	Global	An old-fashioned idea or concept, or someone who moves or adapts slowly. Also used to describe a person who does not want to participate in activities suggested by one or more people
Stick it to The Man	USA	To perform an action that is against the wishes of 'The Man.'
Sticky wicket	AUS, UK	A tough situation; for example, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, maneuvering his way through the sticky wicket of the Middle East, wanted to stress the need to maintain an international coalition. -- William Safire; Fog of War: Von Clausewitz Strikes Again; The New York Times Magazine; Nov 18, 2001. The term comes from the parlance of cricket, and describes a situation in which rain has dampened the pitch. This makes the path of the ball more unpredictable thus making the job of defending the stumps that much more difficult.
Stiff-necked	UK	Stubborn. This is an example of metonymy. A stubborn person frequently does not turn his head to listen and appears stiff in the neck. Thus having a stiff neck and not turning both imply stubbornness; by the rule of metonymy, 'stiff necked' means stubborn
Storm in a teacup	AUS, UK	A large fuss about an insignificant matter. (USA: tempest in a teapot)
Strain at a gnat and swallow a camel	Global	(from Matthew 23:24 in the King James Version of the Bible) The phrase is often used to indicate that someone is making a big deal out of an issue that should not be a big deal.
Straw that broke the camel's back	Global	From a proverb about loading up a camel beyond its capacity to move. This is a reference to any process by which catastrophic failure (a broken back) is achieved by a seemingly inconsequential addition (a single straw). This also gives rise to the phrase 'the last straw'
Sugar daddy	Global	A rich man who is generous to younger women in return for sexual favors; a patron
Sure-fire	Global	Something which is 'sure-fire' is certain to happen.
Swan song	Global	A final appearance; a theatrical or dramatic farewell, from a legendary belief that a swan would sing its own dirge as it died
Sweet dreams	Global	A wish that someone will sleep well
Swim with the fishes	USA	To die, especially to be murdered and have your body disposed of, often in a body of water. (See also "sleep with the fishes"). It's presumed to be a bit of Mafia jargon
Swim with (the) sharks	Global	To take a huge risk
Sword of Damocles	Global	Alludes to a myth in which a man who resented the ruling classes was invited to dine with a sword perilously suspended over his head in order to experience life as they do. The Sword of Damocles refers to the insecurity felt by those with great power due to the possibility of that power being taken away suddenly, or, more generally, any feeling of impending doom

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Small beer (also, small ale) is a beer/ale that contains very little alcohol, perhaps less than one percent. ... The small world phenomenon (also known as the small world effect) is the hypothesis that everyone in the world can be reached through a short chain of social acquaintances. ... The term sour grapes refers to the denial of ones desire for something that one fails to acquire. ... Aesops Fables or Aesopica refers to a collection of fables credited to Aesop (circa 620 BC â€“ 560 BC), a slave and story-teller living in Ancient Greece. ... Speak of the Devil is the name of three albums (one released by Ozzy Osbourne in 1982 which is a live album, one by John Abercrombie in 1993, and last by Chris Isaak in 1998) and one documentary directed by Nick Bougas in 1993. ... This square and circle have the same area. ... Look up Stalking horse in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... John Dennis (1657 - January 6, 1734), English critic and dramatist, the son of a saddler, was born in London. ... The Man is a pejorative slang phrase used by the counterculture to describe higher authority. ... In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings: // Meanings of wicket Each wicket consists of three stumps, upright wooden poles that are hammered into the ground, topped with two wooden crosspieces, known as the bails. ... William L. Safire on NBCs Meet The Press with Tim Russert. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... For the insect, see Cricket (insect). ... In rhetoric, metonymy (from Greek beyond/changed and , a suffix used to name figures of speech from name (OED)) (IPA //) is the substitution of one word for another with which it is associated. ... The idiom the straw that broke the camels back is from an Arab proverb about loading up a camel beyond its capacity to move. ... A swan song is a reference to an ancient and false belief that the occasional Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is completely mute during its lifespan, but may sing one heartbreakingly beautiful song just before it dies. ... Genera and species Cygnus Bechstein 1803 C. cygnus C. buccinator C. columbianus C. (c. ... The Mafia is a secret society which first developed in the mid-19th century in Sicily. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In Richard Westalls Sword of Damocles, 1812, the pretty boys of Ciceros anecdote have been changed to maidens for a neoclassical patron, Thomas Hope. ...

T

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
(The) tail that wags the dog	Global	The reversal of a normal control-reaction relationship. Often used in reference to relationships of authority and subjugation. Normally a dog wags its tail, not the other way around. To have misplaced priorities, with the less important part controlling the main thing. See also: putting the cart before (or in front of) the horse
Take a flyer		To take a chance or risk
Take a hike	AUS, USA	To go away
Take a powder		To leave. Especially: to leave unexpectedly and without a firm (or any) intention to return. Often used to describe the actions of a man who abandons family or other obligations when conditions no longer suit him
Take five (or ten)	AUS, USA	Pause, take a short or break, as of five (or ten) minutes. (OED: "US Colloquial", from 1929[8]; ADHI[9]
Take it easy	Global	Don't hurry, proceed at a comfortable place, relax; also used as a farewell statement in the same way as "good bye."
Take it on the chin		Accept a difficult situation without complaining
Take it or leave it	Global	Accept or reject unconditionally
Take/taking the piss/mickey (out of someone)	AUS, UK	Making fun (of someone)
Take the edge off something	AUS, UK	To slightly diminish the effects of something. E.g "She ate a biscuit to take the edge off her hunger."
Take the shine off something	UK	To diminish the merits of something. E.g. "The boring speeches at the end of the dinner took the shine off the evening."
Take the wind out of somebody's sails	AUS, UK	To render someone's argument useless, or to make their efforts useless
Taken to the cleaners	Global	Defrauded, robbed, cheated, conned
Teach an old dog new tricks	Global	To change longstanding habits, especially in a person who of an older generation. References the difficulty of changing one's ways in an ever-changing society.
Tee many martoonies	US	Humorous spoonerism to indicate alcohol-induced intoxication ("too many martinis")
Tell it to the marines	Global	"I do not believe what you said." Originated among British sailors circa 1800, who believed marines to be stupid and gullible(AHDI). Also Tell it to Sweeney.
Tempest in a teapot	USA	see storm in a teacup
The cat's mother	UK	Used to describe somebody (usually female) who has an unjustifiably high opinion of themselves, as in, "Who's she, the cat's mother?"
To test the waters	Global	To try something in a small amount with caution to then judge whether to go in fully or not at all
That's all she wrote	USA	There is nothing more to be said on the subject.
The jig is up	USA	Some activity that was supposed to remain secret (implied to be illegal, immoral or otherwise prohibited activity) is now exposed
The more things change, the more they stay the same	Global	Despite the appearance of change, there is little fundamental difference between the past and the present
The Man	USA	Any government, company, boss, or set of rules that hold power over a person's behavior; often used in the abstract. Similar to 'The Powers That Be'
The Powers That Be	Global	Generic term for people who are in charge. Often used either derisively or when the actual people are not known. Usually capitalized
The Real McCoy	USA	The genuine article; the real thing; not an imitation or fake. Generally used in reference to a person or object.
There but for the grace of God go I	Global	That could have been me. Attributed to John Bradford.
Thin on the Ground	UK	To be quite rare.
Third rail	USA	A topic or issue of such contention or sensitivity that any attempt to address it will result in deleterious consequences for those who attempt to do so. From the electrified third rail used to power many subway systems, the touching of which will result in death. (Example: Social Security reform is the third rail of American politics, anyone who brings it up is likely to find himself out of office)
Thirty-thousand foot view	USA	Alternately, the five-thousand foot view, ten-thousand foot view, fifty-thousand foot view, etc. Used to mean "speaking in general terms", but often used as a hand-waving generalization when the user isn't able to discuss specifics. The landscape view out of the window of a commercial aircraft at cruising altitude.
This is not your father's ____	USA	Despite similarities, there is a fundamental difference between the past and the present subject; usually implying a favorable updating. From an ad campaign for Oldsmobile in the 1980s
Three sheets to the wind	Global	Drunk, usually heavily inebriated. 'Sheets' are ropes used to attach a sail; if three of them are unattached ('to the wind'), the sail will not sit correctly and the ship will lurch and wobble
Throw caution to the wind	AUS, CAN, UK	To act without forethought.
Throw down the gauntlet	Global	To challenge
Throw in the towel	Global	To give up a fight, argument or conflict and to admit defeat, taken from boxing
Throw into the frying pan	USA	To place someone with woefully insufficient training into a serious predicament, and assuming he will adapt to the situation.
Throw/toss a (monkey) wrench in(to) (something)	USA	To do something that causes a process to be hindered or stopped completely
Throw a spanner in the works	AUS, UK	To do something that causes a process to be hindered or stopped completely
Throw out the baby with the bath water	Global	To discard something of value with something useless
Throw the game/match/fight	AUS, USA	To intentionally lose the game/match/fight
Thumb up (one's) ass	USA	Expression of a lack of something industrious to do, i.e., "He was standing around with his thumb up his ass."
Till the cows come home	Global	For a long time. Alludes to when the cows return to the barn for milking.
(Like) tits on a bull	USA	Utterly useless
Too busy fighting alligators to drain the swamp	USA	Too busy dealing with tactical items to make progress on strategic aims.
Too many chiefs and not enough Indians	USA, AUS	Too many people in a situation are assuming a leadership role without enough people taking on the subservient/working roles.
Too many to shake a stick at	Global	A very large amount
Too many cooks spoil the broth/soup	Global	Too many people crowding a situation are bound to ruin it; alternately, consulting a large number of people for a solution will inevitably result in confusing or self-contradictory advice
To the letter/To the "T"	Global	To interpret and follow instructions or rules in as literal a manner as possible, doing nothing that one is not explicitly instructed or told to do, often deliberately ignoring the implicit meaning of those instructions or rules. To follow the letter of the law to the detriment of the spirit in which it was written
To turn turtle	UK	To capsize
Tongue-in-cheek	Global	To speak in irony only half seriously
Touch base	AUS, USA	To briefly communicate with someone in order to ascertain that a shared situation or project is proceeding as it should
Toot your own horn/blow your own trumpet	Global	To brag about oneself, often downplaying the contributions of others
Toe the line or Toe the mark	Global	To follow rules and regulations faithfully. To be careful to never commit any transgressions. To conform, particularly to conform to onerous or odious demands through loyalty. Frequently used pejoratively in reference to politicians who comform to their party's policy on an issue despite their stated personal beliefs ("toe the party line"). (ADHI[10]; OED cites "toe the mark", an American usage, to 1813; earliest British usage "toe...a tolerable line", 1826[11]
Treading water	Global	Sustaining the present situation, neither improving or worsening. Usually used to denote a negative situation or achieving the bare minimum above defeat. A person working very hard at his job but never receiving promotion would be "treading water"
Trip the light fantastic	Global	To dance nimbly
Turn the tables	Global	To change a situation so that someone's position is the opposite of what it was
Twenty-four seven	Global	Always; at all times. From 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week.
Two (or ten) a penny	UK	Very common, cheap, not special. Similar in meaning to the USA's 'a dime a dozen'
Two peas in a pod	Global	To bear a close resemblance

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Look up take the mickey in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A spoonerism is a play on words in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched (see metathesis), named after the Reverend William Archibald Spooner (1844â€“1930), Warden of New College, Oxford, who was notoriously prone to this tendency. ... A tempest is a violent storm. ... The Man is a pejorative slang phrase used by the counterculture to describe higher authority. ... Look up real McCoy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... John Bradford (1510 - 1555) was an English Protestant Reformer and martyr best remembered for his utterance, There but for the grace of God go I. Born in 1510 to a reasonably well-off family, Bradford received a good education from a Manchester grammar school. ... Professional boxing bout featuring Ricardo DomÃnguez (left) versus Rafael OrtÃz Boxing, also called Western Boxing, prizefighting (when referring to professional boxing) or the sweet science (a common nickname among fans), is a sport and martial art in which two participants of similar weight fight each other with their... Monkeywrenching is economic warfare by sabotage, often by illegal means, used to slow down or halt an undesired government-sanctioned activity. ... Sarcasm is the making of remarks intended to mock the person referred to (who is normally the person addressed), a situation or thing. ... Toe the line is an idiomatic expression with disputed origins. ... The phrase to trip the light fantastic is a verb phrase which means to dance nimbly or lightly, or to move in a pattern to musical accompaniment. ...

U

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Ugly duckling	Global	An ugly or unpromising individual who grows into an attractive or talented person. Alludes to Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, The Ugly Duckling, about a cygnet hatched with ducklings that is despised for its clumsiness until it grows up into a beautiful swan.
Under someone's spell	Global	Fascinated or influenced by someone. Derives from the literal meaning of spell.
Under the impression	Global	Thinking, assuming, or believing something.
Under the weather	Global, orig. USA	Feeling ill
Under wraps	Global	Kept secret or hidden
Until the cows come home	AUS, UK	For a long time
Up a/shit creek without a paddle		In an untenable position. Having no recourse or satisfactory course of action. Or "Up a creek with a hole in the boat". Being in a particularly bad situation can often be described as being "up shit creek, in a barbed wire canoe, without a paddle".
Up for grabs	Global	Available for anyone
Up to eleven		As high, loud, or powerful as possible...and then some. One more than the standard 'ten'. From the famous mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap
Up to one's neck	Global	neck-deep: deeply involved; "neck-deep in work"; "up to their necks in debt"
Up the duff	orig. AUS, now esp.^{[citation needed]} UK	Pregnant
Use one's head	Global	To think, to have common sense

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This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Ugly Duckling (Danish: Den grimme Ã¦lling) is a classic-contemporary story by Hans Christian Andersen about a duckling, notably larger, clumsier and uglier than the other ducklings in his brood. ... Look up up to eleven in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the film. ... Look up Common sense in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

W

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Waka-jumping	NZ	Used to describe elected politicians that transfer allegiance from one political party to another.
Wake up on the wrong side of the bed		Be very grumpy. Usually used in response to discovering someone is very grumpy. "Whoa! Looks like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed today!"
Walk the/one's talk	AUS, USA	To do what one said one could do, or would do -- not just making empty promises. Variant of "walk the walk", arising out of challenge: "You talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?" To walk one's talk is to be innocent of hypocrisy, whereas to "walk the walk" is to disprove any charge of braggadocio.
Walk the walk	USA	To prove oneself capable of following through with deeds and performance, so that one's claims may be seen not to have been mere idle boast. "You talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?"
Walking on eggshells	Global	An idiomatic expression used to convey sensitivity in conversations. Originating from expressions such as "walking on thin ice.". 1800 Old English usage of eggshells being easily broken.
Wash one's hands of something	AUS, UK	To remove oneself from taking any further part in some endeavour, or to take no further responsibility for something. Alludes to the actions of Pontius Pilate as described in Matthew 27:24. Note that this was actually a Jewish custom, not a Roman one - see Ablution in the Hebrew Bible.
Water under the bridge	Global	Something that has happened in the past and is no longer worth agonizing over. A dismissal of prior offenses or transgressions. Generally said after emotional conflicts
Weekend warrior	AUS, USA	A person who indulges in a sport or pastime on an infrequent basis, usually on weekends when work commitments are not present
Welch on a deal/Welsh on a deal	AUS, UK	To not follow the terms of an agreement. Although many Welsh people regard this phrase as insulting towards the Welsh, the likely etymology is the reverse, as it apparently refers to the poor behaviour of King Edward I of England who refused to honour a treaty (the Treaty of Montgomery (1267)) concluded by his father (Henry III)with Llywelyn ap Gruffydd.
Wet behind the ears	Global	Inexperienced because of youth, practically a newborn. A humorous exaggeration
(throw a) wet blanket (on...)		When someone is said to be a wet blanket, that person is known for taking the fun out of things, or for bringing down the mood by unwillingness to participate or negativity. Similarly, to throw a wet blanket on, is to purposely bring to cessation an activity, event or practice. Taken from the idea that throwing a wet blanket on a fire will deaden if not extinguish the fire.
What is coming down the pike	USA	Events or happenings expected to come to pass in the near future
What goes around comes around	Global	If a person does something bad, something bad will eventually happen to him. See: karma
What's good for the goose is good for the gander; or (chiefly UK) What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander;		Generally speaking, that which benefits the individual benefits society as a whole; or What you've had or put up with can equally well be had or put up with by me or somebody else. Alternatively, you shouldn't complain about getting that you gave to others (e.g., things, treatment, etc.); see "what goes around, comes around" above.
When in Rome, do as the Romans	Global	To follow the majority when one is confused
When the gloves are off		After the polite negotiations have failed, when false posturing is no longer plausible. Similar to 'when the chips are down' or 'when push comes to shove'
When Old Nick's wearing iceskates.	UK	Never, or at least a very long time. 'Old Nick' is the Devil, so the phrase alludes to Hell freezing over.
Where is Bucky, and what has he HAD?	USA	To question an unknown or perplexing circumstance, particularly the erratic behavior of an individual.
Where there's smoke, there's fire	AUS, CAN, USA	If there is telltale evidence of some event, the event is probably occurring
Whistling Dixie	USA	Being unrealistically optimistic.
Whistling past the graveyard	USA	To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation. To ignore an obvious hazard. To enter a situation with little or no understanding of the possible consequences. To proceed despite ignorance while hoping for a good outcome
Whistle in the dark		To speak of something despite having little knowledge of it
Whole kit and caboodle	UK	Everything
The whole nine yards	Global	The entire amount, everything. Frequently "Going the whole nine yards" to indicate completion to surfeit, sparing nothing, or employing procedures reserved for only the most important events. The etymology is ambiguous, with explanations ranging from the 9 yard machine gun belts used in some WWII military aircraft to an older use of 9 yards in the textile industry for ceremonious saris, normal saris comprising only 6 yards, dating back to English introduction to Indian tailoring in the 18th century. Another explanation is that the term is a sarcastic reference to American football, where ten yards is the length of a first down. With running nine yards being no real achievement, to say that someone ran 'the whole nine yards' would be to say that they almost achieved something. Like many words with ambiguous etymology, this phrase may have more than one derivation.[12] The New Zealand nickname for an elected politician switching parties between elections (and thus taking his seat with him). ... Ecce Homo (Behold the Man!), Antonio Ciseris depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged Jesus to the people of Jerusalem. ... Ablution may refer to the practice of removing sins or diseases through the use of ritual washing, or the practice of using ritual washing as one part of a ceremony to remove sin or disease. ... Edward I (June 17, 1239 â€“ July 7, 1307), popularly known as Longshanks because of his 6 foot 2 inch (1. ... By means of the Treaty of Montgomery (1267), Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was able to get his new title Prince of Wales acknowledged by the English king Henry III. Llywelyn ap Gruffydd finished the work his grandfather, Llywelyn the Great, had started: by force and diplomacy all the other Welsh dynasties... Henry III (1 October 1207 â€“ 16 November 1272) was crowned King of England in 1216, despite being less than ten years of age. ... Arms used by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Llywelyn ap Gruffydd or Gruffudd (in Welsh, he is remembered by the alliterative soubriquet Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf - Llywelyn, Our Last Leader; c. ... Karma(Sanskrit: from the root , to do, [meaning deed] meaning action, effect, destiny) means (the result of) action, generally taken as a term that comprises the entire cycle of cause and effect. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ... The madisar is a 9 yard saree and is a very important part of the Tamil Brahmin culture. ... Illustration of a sari-clad woman, c. ...
Wild goose chase	Global	To send someone on a task that is impossible or completely irrelevant as a distraction to keep them occupied, out of your way, or away from something else.
Window dressing	Global	To disguise something, by words or actions, in such a way as to hide one's real nature or intent.
Work one's arse off	AUS, UK	Work especially hard and energetically, e.g. "We worked our arses off to get this project done."
Work one's tail/ass off	USA	US equivalent of the above
Work one's fingers to the bone.	AUS, UK, USA	Work especially hard, usually for an extended period.
(The) worm has turned		Circumstances have changed
Wrestling blancmange	Global	Attempting to grapple with a hard to grasp or almost insoluble issue
Writing on the wall; or handwriting on the wall	Global	Ominous signals of impending disaster, or of one's own unpleasant fate. "To see the (hand)writing..." is to note those signals and be prepared to act accordingly. AHDI lists both usages[13], MW only "handwriting..."[14]. OED[15] and ODI[16] both list "writing..." (although ODI mentions "handwriting" as a "North American variant"), and cite its origin in the Bible at Daniel 5:5 and 5:25-28, in which King Belshazzar of Babylon sees a ghostly hand writing on the wall, and the prophet Daniel interprets it to mean that he would lose his kingdom to the Medes and Persians[17]
Wrong end of the stick	Global	The wrong idea about something, often in the phrase "get (a hold of) the wrong end of the stick". AHDI cites an origin in the 1400s as "worse end of the staff", referring to holding a walking stick upside-down; it evolved to its current phraseology in the late 1800s[18].

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Blancmange, pronounced [], is a jelly dessert made of milk and/or cream, sugar, gelatin or cornstarch, and flavouring (usually almond). ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... The Book of Daniel, written in Hebrew and Aramaic, is a book in both the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and the Christian Old Testament. ... Belshazzar (or Baltasar; Akkadian Bel-sarra-usur) was a prince of Babylon, the son of Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon. ...

X

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
X marks the spot	Global	Used in locating something

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Y

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Year in, year out	Global	Regularly as in every year, annually
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink	Global	Even favorable circumstances won't force one to do something one doesn't want to
You can say that again	Global	To agree completely with what was previously communicated
You know (what/where/who/when)	Global	To be aware, to understand what one is communicating about. Sometimes used in oral speech as a conversation filler.
Young at heart	Global	Having a youthful outlook at an advanced age
Your guess is as good as mine	Global	Not knowing any more than the other person
Yours truly	Global	A self-reference, from a common salutation at the end of a letter.

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Z

Idiom	Where Used	Meaning
Zero in	Global	To take aim or focus on an exact location; to converge on. The phrase comes from adjusting a sighting mechanism to the zero point.

Usage GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Legend/Key

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Usage