| Jump To: D - Idioms . E - Idioms . F - Idioms Ddance to a different tune - talk or act differently (usually better) because things have changed He has begun dancing to a different tune now that he knows that his head salesman is thinking of quitting. dark horse - a candidate little known to the general public At first he was a dark horse candidate but he later won the election. dash off - do or finish quickly, leave quickly I will dash off a letter now but then I must go to work. dawn on - become clear It finally dawned on me as to why he was angry. day and night - continually We worked day and night to finish the project before the end of the month. day in and day out - regularly, all the time He goes to that restaurant day in and day out and never gets tired of it. dead ahead - exactly in front, before There was a truck dead ahead so we put on the car brakes suddenly. dead as a doornail - very dead The man was dead as a doornail as we could see after the accident. deadbeat - a person who never pays his debts There is a policy to penalize deadbeat fathers by the local government. dead center - exact middle He was able to hit the target dead center. dead duck - person or thing in a hopeless situation or condition He is a dead duck and has no hope of recovering his former position. dead end - the closed end of a road or an impasse The negotiations between the team and the owners have come to a dead end. deadpan - with an expressionless or emotionless face He had a deadpan expression when he told us the story. dead set against something - determined not to do something They are dead set against their son going to Europe for a year. dead tired - very tired, exhausted I was dead tired so I went to bed as soon as I got home. dead to the world - fast asleep The little boy was dead to the world when his father took him out of the car. decked out - dressed in fancy clothes She was all decked out in her best clothes for the party. deep-six - throw away, dispose of I decided to deep-six the videos as I didn`t want them any longer. deep water - serious trouble or difficulty He will be in deep water if he doesn`t tell us where he spent the money. deliver the goods - succeed in doing what is expected well He is the best manager that we have ever had. He knows how to deliver the goods. devil-may-care - unworried, not caring what happens He has a devil-may-care attitude to his job and nothing ever bothers him. die down - come slowly to an end, grow weaker When the sound of the music finally died down we were able to get to sleep. die off - die one after another until the number is small The house plants began to die off as soon as he moved to a new apartment. die out - die or disappear slowly until all gone Dinosaurs died out millions of years ago. dig in - begin eating Let`s dig in and eat before everything is cold! dime a dozen - common, easy to get and of little value Used books are a dime a dozen so don`t worry if you can`t sell them. dirty look - a look that shows dislike or disapproval His mother gave him a dirty look when he smoked the cigarette. dish out - serve food from a large bowl or plate He began to dish out the food as soon as the guests arrived. dish out - treat or criticize roughly He likes to dish out criticism to others but he doesn`t like to hear criticism about himself. do a double take - look again in surprise at someone or something She did a double take when she saw her old boyfriend with another woman. do a job on - do harm to, make ugly or useless He really did a job on the plans for the new house that he was working on. do away with - put an end to, stop, get rid of The company has decided to do away with having fixed holidays every year. dog-eat-dog - ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what you want It is a dog-eat-dog world out in the world of advertising and public relations. do in - to ruin, destroy He quickly did in the new shoes that he received for his birthday. do in - to make tired, exhaust He was really done in by the time that he finished the marathon. doll up - dress in fancy clothes She was all dolled up for the party at the downtown hotel. done for - ruined, defeated, dying I think that the team is done for as far as this season is concerned. done with - be finished using something He was finally done with the computer and so he let his sister use it. do one`s best - try to do something as well as you can I tried to do my best on the exam. do one`s bit (part) - share in a group project by contributing one`s time and effort He did his bit for the planning of the party. do one`s thing - do what one wants to do and enjoys He is an individualist and enjoys doing his thing when and where he chooses. do-or-die - make a great effort while disregarding danger He was in a position of do-or-die when he finally found another job. do out of - cause to lose by trickery or cheating He was worried that the company would do him out of the large bonus that he was expecting. do someone good - be good or beneficial for someone It will do you good to go on a holiday. do something rash - take drastic action (usually without thinking) She is extremely angry so I hope that she doesn`t do anything rash. do the honors - perform the duty of a host (when serving a drink etc.) Would you like to do the honors and pour everyone a glass of wine? do the trick - work well, achieve a good result I think the new piece of equipment should do the trick and solve the problem. do time - spend time in prison He was doing time when I first heard about him. do with - benefit from I have been working hard all day so now I could do with a cold drink. do with - be acquainted, involved or associated with I don`t have anything to do with the party this year. do without - manage without something If there is no sugar, we`ll have to do without. double back - turn back from where you are going or have been We decided to double back from the arena to get some money to go to a movie. double-check - check again to be sure something is correct He double-checked the price of the airplane ticket. double-cross - deceive, promise one thing and do another He tried to double-cross his partner but was caught and sent to jail. double-talk - talk that appears to have meaning but does not He gave the audience a lot of double-talk so nobody knew what he wanted to say. double up - share a room or home with someone The passengers had to double up in hotel rooms when the plane was delayed because of the weather. down and out - have no money He has been down and out before but he has always been able to find a job eventually. down in the dumps - unhappy She has been really down in the dumps since her boyfriend moved away. down on (someone) - be critical of someone, angry at She is really down on her friend but I don`t really know the reason. down one`s alley - suited to one`s tastes and abilities Computers are down his alley so I am sure that he will be interested in taking the job. down the line - straight ahead, in future There will be many changes at this company down the line but for now your job is safe. down the drain - wasted or lost He is just throwing money down the drain when he goes to the horse races. down-to-earth - sensible and practical Her mother is a very down-to-earth person. down to the wire - nearing a deadline, running out of time We went right down to the wire but we were able to finish the job on time. do wonders - produce excellent results If you begin to do some exercise it will do wonders for your health. drag in - insist on bringing another subject into a discussion He always drags in his personal problems when we are talking about his performance on the job. drag on - pass very slowly, make longer The speech seemed to drag on and on so finally we decided to leave early. drag one`s feet/heels - act slowly or reluctantly He has been dragging his feet about whether or not to take the job. draw a blank - obtain nothing in return for an effort made, get a negative result He drew a blank when he went to the head office to try and receive some information about the merger. draw fire - receive criticism or argument He has been drawing a lot of fire since he announced that he would not play basketball another year. draw fire - be a target, attract or provoke shooting The soldiers drew fire when they entered the small village. draw in one`s horns - spend less money Their company is not doing well so they will have to draw in their horns for awhile. draw (someone) out - make a person talk or tell something She was very quiet but we finally were able to draw her out so that she would join the party. draw the line - set a limit We have to draw the line somewhere in regards to the costs of the party. draw up - put in writing They were able to draw up the new contract while we were waiting. dressed to kill - wear one`s finest clothes She was dressed to kill when I saw her at the concert last week. dressed to the nines (teeth) - dressed elegantly The stars were all dressed to the nines during the Academy Awards ceremony. dress up - put on one`s best clothes He decided to dress up for dinner at the restaurant. drive a hard bargain - conclude a bargain without making any concessions Although he drives a hard bargain I like doing business with him. drive at - try or want to say something I don`t know what he was driving at in his speech. drive someone up a wall - irritate or annoy someone greatly His constant complaining is driving me up a wall. drop a hint - casually utter a hint or suggestion He dropped a hint that he wanted to transfer to a new department. drop (someone) a line - write or mail a note or letter to someone She promised that she would drop me a line when she gets to Singapore. drop back - move or step backwards, retreat During the hike his foot began to get sore so he decided to drop back and rest for awhile. drop by - to visit someone or somewhere He dropped by after work for a drink. drop by the wayside - give up or fail before the finish Many runners dropped by the wayside as the marathon continued. Drop dead! - go away and be quiet, stop bothering someone I told him to drop dead when he came into my room and now he is angry at me. drop in - make a short or unplanned visit I decided to drop in and visit my friend after I finished work for the day. drop in the bucket - small amount The money he paid back was only a drop in the bucket compared to what he owes. drop out (of school) - quit school or a course of some kind She dropped out of the class after three months. drown one`s sorrows - drink alcohol to forget one`s problems He`s in the bar drowning his sorrows with a beer. drown out - make so much noise that it is impossible to hear The team captain was drowned out by the cheering fans. drum up - invent, encourage by making an effort They were able to drum up a lot of business during the summer. duck soup - easy, effortless How was the test last week? It was duck soup - no problem at all. dumb bunny - a stupid gullible person He is a dumb bunny and you never know what he will do next. Dutch treat - meal/movie etc. where each person pays their own way, contribute equally to something When he goes out with his girlfriend it is always a Dutch treat as he doesn`t have much money. dwell on - think about or talk about something all the time I wish he wouldn`t always dwell on his personal problems. Eeach and every - every (used for emphasis) I would like each and every one of you to bring your textbooks tomorrow. eager beaver - person who is always eager to work or do extra work He is a real eager beaver and is always available to work when we need him. earful - scolding, a lot of information (often critical) He really gave his daughter an earful when she came home late. early bird catches the worm - a person who gets up early in the morning has the best chance of success He always goes to work before his colleagues because he knows that the early bird catches the worm. (keep/have one`s) ear to the ground - pay attention to the way things are going or the way people feel and think He always has his ear to the ground and knows everything that is going on in our company. ease off - reduce in severity or pressure, relax The president was asked to ease off on his efforts to save money in the company. easy come, easy go - something that you get easily can be lost easily He doesn`t care if he loses his job or not. For him everything is easy come, easy go. easy does it - do something without sudden movements or too fast "Easy does it" he said as he helped to move the large piano. easy-going - tolerant and relaxed He has a very easy-going management style. eat away - rot, erode, destroy The mildew has been eating away at the window frame all summer. eat crow - admit one is mistaken or defeated He was forced to eat crow when the figures that he gave us at the meeting were all wrong. eat dirt - accept another`s insult or bad treatment, act humble He made the senior manager eat dirt as revenge for his bad treatment in the past. eat one`s heart out - suffer greatly from longing You can eat your heart out. I`m going to Hawaii for three weeks! eat humble pie - admit one`s error and apologize He had to eat humble pie in front of his friends when they discovered his mistake. (be) eating someone - bothering or worrying someone I don`t know what is eating her but she doesn`t seem to be in a good mood today. eat like a bird - eat very little He eats like a bird. That`s why he can`t put on enough weight to join the football team. eat like a horse - eat a lot He eats like a horse but he never puts on any weight. eat one`s cake and have it too - use or spend something and still keep it He always wants to eat his cake and have it too and is never prepared to sacrifice anything. eat one`s words - admit being wrong in something one has said, retract one`s statement He was forced to eat his words after his boss proved that he was wrong. eat out - eat in a restaurant He eats out three or four times a week. egg (someone) on - urge or push someone to do something He is always egging his friend on when he is angry which makes him even angrier. eke out - earn with difficulty He was unable to eke out a living on the farm so he sold it. elbow grease - effort and strength to clean something We`ll have to use a lot of elbow grease to get the kitchen cleaned. elbow room - space (enough to be comfortable) They moved to the country in order to have a little more elbow room. end in itself - a purpose or goal one wants for itself alone and not as a way to something else For some people travelling is an end in itself and the destination is not important. (at the) end of one`s rope - the last of one`s ability or ideas about how to proceed or do something He is at the end of his rope regarding what to do about his job. end up - finish, finally do something We ended up going to the restaurant after the movie last night. even so - nevertheless, however He always works hard but even so he has no money saved. every dog has his day - everyone will have his chance or turn, everyone will get what he deserves You should be patient and wait until you get a chance. Remember every dog has his day. every other - alternate, every second one She has to work every other Saturday evening. every so often - occasionally You should walk around every so often when you are on a long plane trip. every Tom, Dick and Harry - the average person He said he is not the same as every Tom, Dick and Harry. eyes are bigger than one`s stomach - one wants more food than one can eat His eyes are bigger than his stomach. He will never finish all of the food that he took. eyes in the back of one`s head - ability to know what is happening behind one`s back He has eyes in the back of his head and you can never borrow anything without him knowing about it. eyes pop out - much surprised Her eyes popped out when she saw her name in the newspaper. Fface down - confront boldly and win, defy They decided to face down their competitors and were able to easily stay in business. face the music - accept the consequences of something He is going to have to face the music sooner or later. face up to - accept something that is not easy to accept You must face up to the fact that you are never going to have enough money to buy that car. face value - value or price printed on a stamp/bond/paper money etc. He gave me the face value that was printed on the used stamps. face value - seeming value or truth of something He is a nice person but you must always take at face value what he says. facts of life - what one should know about sex, marriage and birth He seems to be a little too young to know about the facts of life. fair and square - honestly, just, straightforward The British team won the game fair and square but still the other team complained. fair game - a likely object of aggressive interest The company is fair game as a takeover target by other international companies. fair play - justice, equal and right action He believes in fair play and is a wonderful person to have on our team. fair shake - honest treatment She was not given a fair shake at the inquiry into her behavior. fair-weather friend - a person who is a friend only when one is successful He is a fair-weather friend only and you can`t rely on him if you have a problem. fall apart - become to not work properly The equipment fell apart about six months after I bought it. fall back - move back, go back The runner fell back from the rest of the runners when the race was half over. fall back on something/someone - turn to for help when something else has failed She had to fall back on her father`s money when her business had problems. fall behind - fail to keep up with work or studies or payments etc. He fell behind with his homework at the beginning of the term and had problems throughout the year. fall by the wayside - give up or fail before the finish He had a good chance of winning the competition but he fell by the wayside near the end. fall flat - be unsuccessful, fail I think that my attempt at humor fell flat and now she doesn`t like me. fall for - begin to like very much, begin to love He fell for the woman at the bank but he is afraid to ask her for a date. fall from grace - lose approval The politician fell from grace with the public over the money scandal. falling-out - argument, disagreement, quarrel We had a falling-out during our holiday and we haven`t spoken since. fall in love with - begin to love someone I fell in love with her the first time that I saw her at the restaurant. fall into line - go and stand properly in a row (like soldiers) The students were forced to fall into line as they waited for the doors to open. fall in with - become associated with a bad group of people He fell in with a bad group of friends and began to get lower marks. fall off - decrease The number of tourists to visit the island has fallen off recently. fall off the wagon - return to the consumption of alcohol or drugs after stopping for awhile He fell off the wagon after he stopped drinking for three years. fall on - meet (troubles) The town had fallen on hard times before the new computer company moved to town and created many jobs. fall out of use - be no longer used That kind of stereo system has fallen out of use over the last 20 years. fall over oneself - be extremely eager to do something or please someone They fell over themselves in their effort to please their host. fall short (of one`s expectations) - not be as good as you expected, not succeed The new movie fell short of everyone`s expectations and attendance is very low. fall through - fail, not happen My plan to go abroad fell through when my father refused to lend me some money. far and wide - everywhere, in all directions We looked far and wide for the book but could not find it. far cry - something very different What he said to my friend is a far cry from what he told me over the telephone. farm out - have someone else do something, send away We farmed out all of the printing to another company in order to save money. fast buck - money earned quickly and easily He is always trying to make a fast buck without really trying to work very hard. fast talker - con artist, clever talker who convinces others easily He is a fast talker so you should be careful not to believe everything that he says. fat chance - little or no possibility, almost no chance Fat chance that he will let me use his car. He never lets me borrow anything. (live off the) fat of the land - have the best of everything, especially without having to work for it He plans to move to the mountains and try and live off the fat of the land. favorite son - a candidate supported by his home state for President etc. We voted for him because he is the favorite son of our state. feather in one`s cap - something you achieve and are proud of Winning the new contract was a real feather in his cap. feather one`s nest - look after one`s own interest (while holding public office or a trusted job etc.) The mayor has been feathering his nest for many years and is now very rich. fed up with - disgusted or bored with someone or something I think that he is getting fed up with the constant demands of his boss. feed someone a line - deceive He was feeding me a line about his plans to open a new restaurant downtown. feel like a million dollars - feel wonderful I feel like a million dollars today so I think that I will go for a walk. feel out - talk or act carefully with someone and find out what he thinks I will try and feel out my boss this weekend and see what he thinks of my chance of promotion. feel sorry for - pity I feel sorry for him after losing his job. feel up to (do something) - feel able (healthy enough or rested enough) to do something I don`t feel up to going to the game. feet on the ground - sensible ideas He is a good family man and always has his feet on the ground. few and far between - not many, rare, few and scattered The gas stations were few and far between on the highway through the mountains. fiddle around - tinker, do something in an unplanned way I tried fiddling around with the computer printer for awhile but it still won`t work. fifty-fifty - equally, evenly We divided the cost of the trip fifty-fifty. fight tooth and nail - fight fiercely or with all one`s might He is fighting tooth and nail to get a transfer to another department. figure on - depend on, be sure about You can figure on about 30 people coming to the party next week. figure out - try to understand or solve He finally figured out how to use the new video recorder. fill (someone) in - tell someone the details I will fill you in later about our plans for the weekend. fill (something) in - write words needed in blanks Please fill in this form and give it to the receptionist. fill one`s shoes - substitute satisfactorily for Although he is a good supervisor he is unable to fill the shoes of those who came before him. fill out - write down the facts that are asked for (in a report etc.) We were asked to fill out the forms before we could have an interview for the job. fill the bill - be suitable for what is required I think that the new equipment should fill the bill for us. find fault with - criticize He is always finding fault with everything that I do. find out - learn, discover She is angry at me because she found out that I quit the night class. (go over with a) fine-toothed comb - very carefully We went over the apartment with a fine-toothed comb but couldn`t find her watch. finger in the pie - part ownership or responsibility He has his finger in the pie of all the small companies in the area. first come, first served - the person who comes will have his turn first "First come, first served" she called as she put the food on the table. firsthand - directly I learned the news from him firsthand. first-run - new, shown for the first time There are a lot of first-run movies that I haven`t had time to see yet. fish for - try to get or to find out (something) by hinting at it She is always fishing for complements when I see her at work. fish out of water - someone who does not fit in He was like a fish out of water at the expensive restaurant. (be) fishy - strange and suspicious Something is fishy with his excuse. Why did he take the day before the holiday off work? fit as a fiddle - in good athletic condition or health Her grandfather is 92 years old but he is as fit as a fiddle. fit like a glove - fit perfectly The new pair of jeans that he bought fit like a glove. fit to be tied - very angry or upset He was fit to be tied when he heard that I was going to take a month off work in the summer. fix someone up with someone - help someone get a date by arranging a meeting for the two I tried to fix my sister up with a date with my friend but she refused me. fizzle out - fail after a good start, end in failure The party began to fizzle out about midnight when many people went home. flare up - become suddenly angry, begin again suddenly The fighting flared up again after the United Nations soldiers left the town. flash in the pan - something that makes a showy start and then fails His sports career was a flash in the pan. Recently I haven`t heard of him at all. flat broke - have no money I have been flat broke since I stopped working last month. flat-out - without hiding anything, plainly, openly I told her flat-out that I would not go with her to the party. flea in one`s ear - an annoying hint, an idea or answer that is not welcome I put a flea in his ear regarding the proposal deadline that he had missed. flea market - a place where antiques or secondhand things are sold We went to a flea market last Saturday to try and buy some dishes. flesh and blood - a close relative She is my own flesh and blood so of course I felt terrible when she got into trouble. flip one`s lid - become very excited, lose one`s temper He really flipped his lid when I told him about the huge telephone bill. flip out - go insane, go out of one`s mind, become very angry She flipped out when she heard that I had sold her car. fly by the seat of one`s pants - do a job instinctively rather than by using concrete information I had to fly by the seat of my pants when the supervisor left me alone for a week. flying high - very happy, joyful She has been flying high since she heard that she had won a new car. fly in the ointment - a small thing that spoils enjoyment The problem with the music was a fly in the ointment at the party. fly off the handle - become angry He really flew off the handle when he saw the bill for the meal. fly-by-night - unreliable (business) That new company is a real fly-by-night operation. foam at the mouth - be very angry (like a mad dog) He was foaming at the mouth when I told him that I had had an accident with his car. follow in one`s footsteps (tracks) - follow someone`s example, follow someone exactly He is following in his father`s footsteps and has decided to work for a bank. follow suit - do as someone else has done, follow someone`s example, play a card of the same color and kind that another has put down He followed suit and began to leave work early on Friday just as his boss was doing. follow through - continue or finish an action that one has started He said that he would help me paint my house but he has never followed through with his offer. follow up - make (one action) more successful by doing something more He followed up his phone call in the morning with a visit in the afternoon. foot in the door - an opening or opportunity I finally got a foot in the door when they accepted my application. food for thought - something worth thinking about I don`t really agree with his proposal but at least it is food for thought. fool around - spend time playing rather than working, waste time If he would spend less time fooling around he would be able to get some work done. foot the bill - pay The company will foot the bill for his move to Chicago. for all - in spite of, even with For all the time that he spends studying his marks are still very low. for all one is worth - as hard as one can I will try for all I am worth to help you get the job at the supermarket. for all the world - for anything, for any price For all the world I do not know what he is trying to tell me with the notes that he writes. for a song - for very little money He was able to buy his new car for a song. for better or worse - depending on how one looks at the matter, with good or bad effects For better or worse he has decided to quit his job and go to live in Brazil. force one`s hand - make someone do something sooner than planned I forced his hand and he told me what he planned to do about the new contract for our company. for certain - without doubt, certailnly, surely It is for certain that he will not be playing in the game tonight. for crying out loud - used to show that you are surprised or angry For crying out loud please turn your radio down a little. for dear life - as though afraid of losing one`s life The mountain climber held on to the rock for dear life as he waited for someone to rescue him. forever and a day - forever, always It took forever and a day to get the book that we ordered from the bookstore. for good - permanently He has decided to move to Los Angeles for good. for keeps - for always, forever He told the boy that he could have the baseball bat for keeps. fork out - pay, pay out I had to fork out a lot of money to fix my car. fork over - hand over, give The robber told me to fork over my money or he was going to shoot me. for love or money - by any means We were unable to get him to agree to the proposal for love or money. for once - one time For once he listened to what I said. Usually he ignores me. for sure - without doubt, certainly, surely I will go to the movie with you for sure next week. for that matter - about that, with regard to that I don`t want to go shopping with you and for that matter I don`t want to go anywhere with you. for the asking - by asking, on request You can get a free ticket to the concert for the asking from the front office. for the birds - uninteresting, something you don`t like Doing the cleaning all day is really for the birds. for the time being - for now, for awhile We really need a new car but for the time being we`ll have to continue using the old one. for the world - under any conditions I would not want to sell my car for the world. foul up - ruin or spoil by stupid mistake, go wrong There was a problem with our tickets so our plans were all fouled up. frame of mind (good or bad) - one` mental state He made sure his boss was in a good frame of mind before he asked him for the time off. freak/freak out - become angry or lose control of oneself I freaked out when I discovered that my reservations had not been made. free and easy - informal He has a free and easy attitude about his work. free hand - great freedom to do something We had a free hand in designing the new sport`s program for the university. freeload - accept food and housing at someone else`s expense He was angry at his brother because he was always freeloading and never worried about finding a job. freeze out - keep from a share in something by unfriendly or dishonest treatment They froze him out of the profits that they made on the sale of land. from hand to hand - from one person to another and another The plate of food went from hand to hand until finally it was all finished. from A to Z - know everything about something He knows about cars from A to Z. from the bottom of one`s heart - with great feeling, sincerely I thanked him from the bottom of my heart for helping my daughter when she was sick. from the heart - sincerely, honestly He gave her some flowers with a message straight from his heart. from now on - from this moment forward From now on I will study Italian every day. from scratch - from the very beginning He decided to build the house from scratch. from time to time - occasionally We go to that restaurant from time to time. from way back - since a long time ago, for a long time I know him from way back. In fact we went to elementary school together. full-fledged - complete, having everything that is needed to be something She became a full-fledged nurse before she went to Saudi Arabia to work for a year. full of beans - in high spirits, energetic She seems to be full of beans today. She must be excited about something. fun and games - a very difficult task (used ironically) It was all fun and games today when I wrote my two final exams. funny bone - the place at the back of the elbow that tingles when hit I hit my funny bone and it still hurts a little.
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