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Christopher D. Morgan

377 common IDIOMS and their meanings

An IDIOM is an expression or manner of speaking that's used in common parlance. IDIOMs are culture specific and may be

based on past history not necessarily evident in the modern world. Understanding where the IDIOM comes from will help to

understand its meaning.

IDIOM MEANING

Acid test Proves the effectiveness of something.

Actions speak louder than words People's intentions can be judged better by what they do than what they say.

Add insult to injury To further a loss with mockery or indignity; to worsen an unfavourable situation.

After the watershed A time when after which programmes for older audiences may be aired on TV.

Against the clock Being rushed and having little time to complete something.

Ahead of time Something that happens early or before it is supposed to.

All ears Awaiting an explanation.

An arm and a leg Very expensive or costly. A large amount of money.

Around the clock At any time of the day or night

Around the corner Will happen soon.

As time goes by The passing of one moment to the next.

At the drop of a hat Without any hesitation; instantly.

Back to basics An approach that uses traditional ideas that have previously worked.

Back to the drawing board When an attempt fails and it's time to start all over.

Bad apple Troublemaker or undesirable person in a group.

Ball is in your court It is up to you to make the next decision or take the next step.

Barking up the wrong tree Looking in the wrong place. Accusing the wrong person.

Be glad to see the back of Be happy when a person leaves.

Beat around the bush Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.

Beat the clock Do something quickly before it's too late.

Bee in one's bonnet Carrying and idea that's constantly in your thoughts.

Behind the times Being old-fashioned.

Bells and whistles Lots of desirable features.

Best of both worlds Enjoying the advantage of two things simultaneously.

Best thing since sliced bread A good invention or innovation. A good idea or plan.

Better late than never It is better to do something late than not at all.

Bide one's time Waiting for further developments before taking action or making decisions.

Big cheese Influential person

Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush Better to be satisfied with what you have than risk losing it by trying to get something better.

Bite off more than you can chew To take on a task that is way too big.

Black and blue Badly bruised.

Black and white Take everything into consideration and over simply. Judge everything good or bad.

Black as night Very dark and hard to see.

Black eye Bruise around the eye.

Black market Where goods are illegally bought and sold for profit.

Black out Darken by turning off or dimming the lights. Lose consciousness.

Black sheep Undesirable member of a group.

Blackball Exclude or ostracise someone socially. Reject someone.

Blacklist Exclude someone.

Blackmail Extort or take money from someone by threatening to use their secrets against them.

Blessing in disguise Something good that isn't recognised as such at first.

Blind date Pre-arranged social interaction between people who have never met.

Blood red Description of something with a deep red colour.

Blood, sweat & tears Something that requires a lot of effort and hard work.

Blow a fuse Suddenly get very angry, perhaps over something unexpected.

Blow up in the face A plan or project that suddenly fails.

Blue blood From noble, aristocratic or wealthy family.

Blue collar Working in a manual labour job.

Blue in the face Try hard to win an agreement but usually unsuccessful.

Blue ribbon Superior quality or distinction. The best of a group.

Bolt from the blue Unexpected bad news.

Bookworm Someone who reads a lot.

Born with a silver spoon in one's mouth Born into a rich and affluent family.

Answer:

1. The phrase 'A Blessing in Disguise' refers to something that at first appears to be bad or unlucky but is actually good. Example of Use: “My car broke down again, but maybe it was a blessing in disguise; I've been wasting too much time driving around anyway.”

2. The phrase 'Beating around the Bush' means to avoid answering a question; to stall; to waste time. Example of Use: “If you want to ask me, just ask; don't beat around the bush.”

3. To decide that you will believe someone, even though you are not sure that what the person is saying is true: She said she was late because her flight was canceled, and we gave her the benefit of the doubt.

4. "don't judge a book by its cover" is a metaphorical phrase that means one should not judge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone. For example, "That man may look very small and insignificant, but don't judge a book by its cover – he's a very powerful man in his circle".

5.  it takes two to tango. Its not right to blame only the other woman for his adulterous affair – it takes two to tango.

6. to succeed in achieving two things in a single action: I killed two birds with one stone and picked the kids up on the way to the supermarket.

7. US (UK to cut a long story short); (also spoken long story short) used when you are explaining what happened in a few words, without giving all the details: We started going out and, to make a long story short, we ended up getting serious about one another.

8. To do something “once in a blue moon” is to do it very rarely: “That company puts on a good performance only once in a blue moon.” The phrase refers to the appearance of a second full moon within a calendar month, which actually happens about every thirty-two months.

9. A piece of cake. Meaning: To be easy. Example: No problem, it should be a piece of cake.

10. "A picture is worth a thousand words" is an English language adage meaning that complex and sometimes multiple ideas can be conveyed by a single still image. "someone truly said that a picture paints a thousand words. Such a beautiful portrait of a little girl"