Animals

act as a guinea pig

- to allow some kind of test to be performed on someone

I was not happy to act as a guinea pig for the new training material.

ahead of the pack

- to be more successful than other people who are doing the same thing as you (a pack is a group of animals like dogs or wolves who live together)

The girl studied hard all summer and was ahead of the pack when she returned to school in the autumn.

alley cat

- a stray cat

I began to feed the alley cat and now it comes to my house every day.

as awkward as a cow on roller skates

- very awkward

The little girl was as awkward as a cow on roller skates when she first began riding her bicycle.

as blind as a bat

- blind

The man is as blind as a bat and cannot see more than a small distance ahead.

as busy as a beaver

- very busy

I have been as busy as a beaver all morning.

as clean as a hound's tooth

- very clean

The classroom was as clean as a hound's tooth when the students finished cleaning it.

as conceited as a barber's cat

- very conceited, vain

My friend became as conceited as a barber's cat after she won the award at school.

as crooked as a dog's hind leg

- dishonest

The politician is as crooked as a dog's hind leg and nobody trusts him.

as drunk as a skunk

- very drunk

The man was as drunk as a skunk when he walked into the restaurant.

as fat as a pig

- very fat

The woman in the supermarket was as fat as a pig.

as gentle as a lamb

- very gentle

The girl is as gentle as a lamb when she is with her little sister.

as gruff as a bear

- gruff, unsociable

Our neighbor is as gruff as a bear when we meet him in the morning.

as hungry as a bear

- very hungry

I was as hungry as a bear when I arrived home from work.

as innocent as a lamb

- having no guilt, naive

The little girl is as innocent as a lamb and everybody loves her.

as meek as a lamb

- quiet, docile, meek

The secretary was as meek as a lamb when she went to ask her boss for a salary increase.

as nervous as a cat

- very nervous

The man was as nervous as a cat when he talked to the woman.

as poor as a church mouse

- very poor

My cousin is as poor as a church mouse and never has any money to spend.

as quiet as a mouse

- very quiet, shy

I was as quiet as a mouse when I left my house early this morning.

as scared as a rabbit

- very scared

I was as scared as a rabbit when I entered the empty room.

as sick as a dog

- very sick

My friend was as sick as a dog when he left the restaurant last night.

as sly as a fox

- smart and clever

The manager of our apartment is as sly as a fox.

as strong as a horse/ox

- very strong

The man was as strong as an ox and easily helped us move the sofa.

as stubborn as a mule

- very stubborn

My friend is as stubborn as a mule and you can never make her change her mind.

as weak as a kitten

- weak, sickly

The girl is as weak as a kitten and cannot carry the books.

as wild as a tiger

- very wild

The little boy was as wild as a tiger when we were trying to look after him.

back the wrong horse

- to support someone or something that cannot or does not win or succeed

We backed the wrong horse when we supported the candidate for mayor.

badger (someone)

- to get someone to do something by repeated questions or by bothering them

I always have to badger my friend in order to make him return my computer games.

one's bark is worse than one's bite

- one's words are worse than one's actions

You should not worry about the secretary. Her bark is worse than her bite and she is really a very nice person.

bark up the wrong tree

- to choose the wrong course of action, to ask the wrong person (a hunting dog may make a mistake when chasing an animal and bark up the wrong tree)

My boss is barking up the wrong tree. I did not cause the computer problem.

beat a dead horse

- to continue fighting a battle that has been won, to continue to argue a point that has been settled

I was beating a dead horse when I was arguing with my boss.

the best-laid plans of mice and men

- the best thought-out plans that anyone can make

The best-laid plans of mice and men could not prevent our travel problems.

bet on the wrong horse

- to misread the future, to not choose the winning person or solution

The man is betting on the wrong horse if he supports the other city in their bid for the Olympic games.

the black sheep of the family

- the worst or the most unpopular or disliked member of a family

My cousin is the black sheep of the family and nobody likes to talk about him.

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

- to be very cheerful and eager (like a squirrel with bright eyes and a bushy tail)

The children were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when they woke up in the morning.

a bull in a china shop

- a tactless person who upsets others or upsets plans, a very clumsy person

The boy is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if you invite him to your house.

buy a pig in a poke

- to buy something without seeing it or knowing anything about it

You can buy the used computer but it will be like buying a pig in a poke if you do not look at it first.

by shank's mare

- by foot

I came to the meeting by shank's mare.

call the dogs off or call off the dogs

- to stop threatening or chasing or hounding someone

The police decided to call the dogs off and stop hunting for the man.

a cash cow

- a product or service that makes much money

Our new business is a cash cow. We are making much money now.

cast pearls before swine

- to waste something on someone who will not be thankful or care about it

Giving the jewellery to the woman will be casting pearls before swine. She will not appreciate it at all.

cat gets one's tongue

- one cannot speak because of shyness

The cat got the woman's tongue and she could not say anything at all.

a cat nap

- a short sleep taken during the day

I had a cat nap in the afternoon so that I would feel refreshed in the evening.

a cat on a hot tin roof

- full of lively activity

The boy was jumping around like a cat on a hot tin roof and we could not make him be quiet.

champ/chomp at the bit

- to be ready and anxious to do something (a bit is put into a horse's mouth for control of the horse)

Everyone was chomping at the bit to get started on their holiday.

change horses in midstream

- to make new plans or choose a new leader in an activity that has already begun

They have decided to change lawyers but I told them that they should not change horses in midstream.

a cock-and-bull story

- a silly story that is not true

Our neighbor gave us a cock-and-bull story about how our window was broken.

a copycat

- someone who copies another person's work etc.

The boy is a copycat and often copies the other students' work.

cry wolf

- to give a false alarm, to warn of a danger that is not there

The man is crying wolf. There is no danger from the electrical system.

curiosity killed the cat

- being too nosy may lead a person into trouble

"You should not worry about what your friend is doing. Remember, curiosity killed the cat."

a dark horse

- a candidate who is little known to the general public

The candidate for mayor was a dark horse until he gave some good speeches on TV.

dog and pony show

- something that you disapprove of because you think that it has only been organized to impress you (like a dog and pony show in a circus)

We had serious questions about the project but we only got a dog and pony show when we questioned our business partners.

dog-eat-dog

- ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what one wants

It is a dog-eat-dog world in our company.

dog in the manger

- someone who prevents others from doing what they themselves do not want to do (in Aesop's Fables a dog that cannot eat hay lays in the hayrack and prevents the other animals from eating the hay)

My friend always acts like a dog in the manger and often tries to prevent us from enjoying ourselves.

donkey's years

- a very long time

I was happy to see my friend because I had not seen her in donkey's years.

a dumb bunny

- a stupid or gullible person

"He really is a dumb bunny. He does such stupid things."

eager beaver

- a person who is always eager to work or do something extra

The woman is an eager beaver and will do very well in this company.

eat high on/off the hog

- to eat good or expensive food

We were eating high off the hog during our ocean cruise.

eat like a horse

- to eat a lot

My brother eats like a horse.

every dog has his day

- everyone will have his chance or turn, everyone will get what he deserves

"Don't worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing."

ferret (information or something) out of (someone)

- to get something from someone by being persistent

I worked hard to ferret the location of the party out of my friend.

fight like cats and dogs

- to argue and fight with someone (usually used for people who know each other)

The two children were fighting like cats and dogs when we entered the room.

flog a dead horse

- to continue fighting a battle that has been won, to continue to argue a point that has been settled

My friend was flogging a dead horse when she would not stop arguing about the mistake on her paycheck.

a fraidy-cat

- someone who is easily frightened (usually used by children)

The little boy called his friend a fraidy-cat because his friend would not climb the tree.

get (someone's) goat

- to annoy someone

My friend is always complaining about the way that I do things which gets my goat.

get off one's high horse

- to begin to be humble and agreeable

I wish that my supervisor would get off her high horse and begin to think about how other people feel about things.

get on one's high horse

- to behave with arrogance

My friend is always getting on her high horse and telling people what to do.

go ape (over someone or something)

- to become highly excited or angry about someone or something

Our teacher will go ape if you do not finish the work that was due today.

go hog-wild

- to behave wildly

The soccer fans went hog-wild when they arrived in the city for the game.

go to the dogs

- to deteriorate, to become bad

Many things in our city have gone to the dogs during the last ten years.

go whole hog

- to do everything possible, to be extravagant

We went whole hog in our effort to make the convention a success.

the hair of the dog that bit one

- a drink of alcohol that one takes when recovering from a hangover

The man had the hair of the dog that bit him before he ate breakfast.

have a cow

- to become very angry and upset about something

Our teacher had a cow when nobody prepared for the class.

have a whale of a time

- to have an exciting and interesting time

We had a whale of a time at the party last night.

have bats in one's belfry

- to be a little bit crazy

I think that our neighbor has bats in her belfry.

hit the bulls-eye

- to reach or focus on the main point of something

Our manager hit the bulls-eye when he talked about the problems in the company.

hold one's horses

- to wait, to be patient

"Hold your horses for a moment while I make a phone call."

Holy cow

- used to express strong feelings of astonishment or pleasure or anger

"Holy cow," the man said when he saw the car that hit the street lamp.

hoof it

- to walk or run (a hoof is the foot of a horse or sheep or cow etc.)

I decided to hoof it when I came downtown this morning.

horse around

- to play around (in a rough way)

The teacher told the children not to horse around while they were getting ready for class.

a horse of a different color

- another matter entirely, something else, something different than the subject that is being discussed

Changing locations is a horse of a different color and was never discussed in the meeting.

horse sense

- common sense, practical thinking

The boy does not have any horse sense and often makes the wrong decision.

horse trade

- to bargain in a hard and skillful way

We had to do some horse trading but finally we were able to buy the new house.

to hound (someone)

- to pursue or chase someone, to harass someone

The manager is always hounding the younger members of her staff to make them work hard.

in a pig's eye

- unlikely, not so, never

Never in a pig's eye will my friend be able to save enough money to go to Mexico for the winter.

in the doghouse

- in disgrace or disfavor, in trouble

The man is in the doghouse with his wife because he came home late last night.

in two shakes of a lamb's tail

- very quickly

I promised that I would meet my friend in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

kangaroo court

- an illegal court formed by a group of people to settle a dispute among themselves

The military court in the small country was a kangaroo court that permitted the military to do whatever they wanted.

keep the wolf from the door

- to maintain oneself at the most basic level

My friend's part-time job is enough for him to keep the wolf from the door.

keep the wolves at bay

- to fight against some kind of trouble

Many people are angry about the new tax. The government has to work hard to keep the wolves at bay.

kill the fatted calf

- to prepare an elaborate banquet for someone

We will kill the fatted calf and have a big feast for my parents.

lead a dog's life

- to lead a miserable life

The man is leading a dog's life since he married the woman who everyone told him not to marry.

a leopard can't change its spots

- you cannot change someone's basic human nature or bad qualities

The manager wrote a letter of apology to the customer but a leopard can't change its spots. The manager has not changed and the letter does not mean anything.

let sleeping dogs lie

- do not make trouble if you do not have to

You should let sleeping dogs lie and not ask our boss about the dispute.

let the cat out of the bag

- to tell something that is supposed to be a secret

The teacher let the cat out of the bag when she began talking about the plans to close the school.

like a bat out of hell

- with great speed and force

I ran like a bat out of hell to catch the bus.

like a deer caught in the headlights

- like someone who is very confused and does not know what to do

The boy looked like a deer caught in the headlights when we discovered him in the locked room.

like lambs to the slaughter

- quietly and without complaining about the dangers that may lie ahead

Our football team went like lambs to the slaughter to play against the best football team in the country.

lion's share of (something)

- the larger part or share of something

We found the lion's share of the lost tickets but some are still missing.

live high on/off the hog

- to have the best of everything

My friend has been living high on the hog since he changed jobs.

loaded for bear

- very angry

The man was loaded for bear when he went in to see the supervisor.

lock horns with (someone)

- to get into an argument with someone

I locked horns with my neighbor yesterday morning.

lock the barn door after the horse is gone

- to try to deal with something after it is too late

My friend wants to fix his house. However, it is like locking the barn door after the horse is gone. There was a flood and the damage is already done.

a lone wolf

- someone who prefers to spend time alone and has few friends

The boy was a lone wolf and spent most of his time alone.

look a gift horse in the mouth

- to complain if a gift is not perfect

The girl should not look a gift horse in the mouth. She should be happy that she received a present from her friends.

look like something the cat dragged in

- to look tired or worn out or dirty

I was very tired and I looked like something the cat dragged in.

look like the cat that swallowed/ate the canary

- to look smug and self-satisfied, to look as if you have just had a great success

"You look like the cat that swallowed the canary. What happened?"

make a monkey out of (someone)

- to make someone look foolish

My friend made a monkey out of me when he started arguing with me in front of my boss.

make a mountain out of a molehill

- to make something that is unimportant seem important

You are making a mountain out of a molehill when you talk about the mistake.

make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

- to create something of value from something of no value

You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. There is no point in trying to teach that woman manners.

monkey around with (someone or something)

- to play with or waste time with someone or something

The boy spent the morning monkeying around with the old radio.

monkey business

- unethical or illegal activity, mischief

The boy should stop the monkey business and do the job correctly.

a monkey on one's back

- a serious problem that stops someone from being successful at something

Seven games without scoring a goal was a monkey on the back of the famous soccer player.

monkey see, monkey do

- someone copies something that someone else does

It is monkey see, monkey do for the boy. He copies everything that his friend does.

more fun than a barrel of monkeys

- very funny, fun

The children love their teacher because he is more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

not enough room to swing a cat

- not very much space

There was not enough room to swing a cat in the small apartment.

on horseback

- on the back of a horse

We rode to the river on horseback.

a paper tiger

- a person or organization that is supposed to have a lot of power but is actually very weak

The manager was a paper tiger and did not have any power in the company.

piggy bank

- a small bank (sometimes in the shape of a pig) for saving money

The boy has been putting money into his piggy bank to save for a bicycle.

piggyback

- sitting or being carried on someone's back and shoulders

The boy was riding piggyback on his father's shoulders.

play cat and mouse with (someone)

- to tease or fool someone, to change between different types of behavior when dealing with someone

The man is playing cat and mouse with his company about his plans to quit or not.

play possum

- to pretend to be inactive or asleep or dead

I think that the man is playing possum and is not really sleeping.

put on the dog

- to dress or entertain in a luxurious and extravagant manner

We put on the dog for my parents when they came to visit us.

put (someone or something) out to pasture

- to retire someone or something (just as you would put a horse that is too old to work out to pasture)

We finally decided to put our old car out to pasture and buy a new one.

put the cart before the horse

- to do things in the wrong order

Buying a ticket before we make our holiday plans is putting the cart before the horse.

put the cat among the pigeons

- to cause trouble

Sending the unpopular supervisor to talk to the angry workers was like putting the cat among the pigeons.

rain cats and dogs

- to rain very hard

It has been raining cats and dogs all day.

rat on (someone)

- to report someone's bad behavior to someone

The little boy ratted on his friend at school.

rat out on (someone)

- to desert or betray someone

The boy ratted out on his friends. Now they won't talk to him.

rat race

- a rushed and confusing way of living that does not seem to have a purpose

My uncle is tired of being in the rat race every day. He plans to quit his job soon and do something else.

ride herd on (someone)

- to watch closely and strictly supervise someone (as a cowboy would supervise a herd of cattle)

The manager has been riding herd on his employees so that they can finish the job quickly.

a road hog

- a car driver who uses more than his share of the road

The person in front of me on the highway was a road hog but I tried not to get angry.

rub (someone/someone's fur) the wrong way

- to irritate someone (just as you would irritate a dog or cat if you rub their fur the wrong way)

The woman who I work with always rubs me the wrong way.

a sacred cow

- a person or thing that is never criticized or changed even if it should be (from a cow which is sacred in India)

The school lunch program is a sacred cow which they do not want to change.

a scaredy-cat

- someone who is easily frightened (usually used by children)

The children called their friend a scaredy-cat because she would not enter the empty house.

see a man about a dog

- to leave for some unmentioned purpose (often to go to the washroom)

I left our table in the restaurant to go and see a man about a dog.

separate the sheep from the goats

- to divide people into two groups

We had to separate the sheep from the goats when we began to make selections for the school choir.

serve as a guinea pig

- to allow some kind of test to be performed on someone

I was not happy that I had to serve as a guinea pig for the new training material.

a shaggy dog story

- a long and often pointless story that is told as a joke and often ends in a very silly or unexpected way

My friend told me a shaggy dog story about how he lost his bicycle.

smell a rat

- to be suspicious of someone or something, to feel that something is wrong

I smell a rat. There is something wrong with the free credit card offer.

squirrel away (something) or squirrel (something) away

- to hide or store something

My niece likes to squirrel away as much money as possible from her part-time job.

straight from the horse's mouth

- directly from the person who said something, directly from a dependable source

I heard it straight from the horse's mouth that our supervisor will be leaving the company next week.

the straw that broke the camel's back

- a small final trouble or problem which follows other troubles and causes everything to collapse or something to happen

The mistake on the bill was the straw that broke the camel's back. We finally fired the new accounting clerk.

one's tail between one's legs

- feeling beaten or humiliated (like a frightened or defeated dog as it walks away)

The manager left the meeting with his tail between his legs after he was criticized by the company president.

the tail wagging the dog

- a situation where a small part controls the whole thing

The tail is wagging the dog. The receptionist controls everything in the office.

take the bull by the horns

- to take decisive and direct action

My aunt decided to take the bull by the horns and begin preparations for the family reunion.

there is more than one way to skin a cat

- there is more than one way to do something

I knew that there was more than one way to skin a cat so I did not worry about the rules and time limit of my project.

throw (someone) to the lions

- to permit someone to be blamed or criticized for something without trying to help or protect him or her

The company threw the manager to the lions and made him take responsibility for the problem.

throw (someone) to the wolves

- to send someone into danger without protection, to sacrifice someone

The salesman decided to throw his coworker to the wolves when he asked him to meet the angry customer.

top dog

- the most important person in an organization

My uncle is the top dog in his company.

turn tail

- to run away from trouble or danger

We decided to turn tail and leave the restaurant before there was an argument.

until the cows come home

- until very late, for a long time

We can talk until the cows come home this evening.

weasel out of (something)

- to not have to do something (like a weasel which can move through small openings)

My friend was able to weasel out of going to the store for his mother.

when the cat's away, the mice will play

- when you are not watching someone they may get into trouble

When the cat's away, the mice will play and when the teacher left the classroom the students began to play around.

a white elephant

- something that is not useful and costs a lot of money to maintain

The airport is a white elephant and nobody liked to use it.

wild horses could not drag (someone away)

- there is nothing that will force someone to go somewhere or do something

Wild horses could not drag me away from my favorite TV show last night.

a wildcat strike

- a strike spontaneously arranged by a group of workers

There was a wildcat strike at the factory and the workers stopped work.

wolf down (something)

- to gulp down something, to eat something quickly

I wolfed down my dinner and left the house for the movie.

a wolf in sheep's clothing

- a person who pretends to be good but really is bad

"Be careful of that man. He is a wolf in sheep's clothing."

work like a dog

- to work very hard

The boy worked like a dog on his school project.

work like a horse

- to work very hard

My grandfather worked like a horse when he was a young man.

you can lead a horse to water (but you can't make it drink)

- you can give someone the opportunity to do something but you cannot force him or her to do it if they do not want to

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink and no matter how hard we try to help my cousin get a job he will not make any effort to find one.

you can't teach an old dog new tricks

- it is difficult for older people to learn new things

You can't teach an old dog new tricks and I do not think that my father will ever change his eating habits.

cat Idioms

alley cat

- a stray cat

I began to feed the alley cat and now it comes to my house every day.

as conceited as a barber's cat

- very conceited, vain

My friend became as conceited as a barber's cat after she won the award at school.

as weak as a kitten

- weak, sickly

The girl is as weak as a kitten and cannot carry the books.

cat gets one's tongue

- one cannot speak because of shyness

The cat got the woman's tongue and she could not say anything at all.

a cat nap

- a short sleep taken during the day

I had a cat nap during the afternoon so that I would feel refreshed in the evening.

a cat on a hot tin roof

- full of lively activity

The boy was jumping around like a cat on a hot tin roof and we could not make him be quiet.

a copycat

- someone who copies another person's work etc.

The boy is a copycat and copies the other students' work.

curiosity killed the cat

- being too nosy may lead a person into trouble

"You should not worry about what your friend is doing. Remember, curiosity killed the cat."

fight like cats and dogs

- to argue and fight with someone (usually used for people who know each other)

The two children were fighting like cats and dogs when we entered the room.

a fraidy-cat

- someone who is easily frightened (usually used by children)

The little boy called his friend a fraidy-cat because his friend would not climb the tree.

let the cat out of the bag

- to tell something that is supposed to be a secret

The teacher let the cat out of the bag when she began talking about the plans to close the school.

look like something the cat dragged in

- to look tired or worn out or dirty

I was very tired and I looked like something the cat dragged in.

look like the cat that swallowed/ate the canary

- to look smug and self-satisfied, to look as if you have just had a great success

"You look like the cat that swallowed the canary. What happened?"

not enough room to swing a cat

- not very much space

There was not enough room to swing a cat in the small apartment.

play cat and mouse with (someone)

- to tease or fool someone, to change between different types of behavior when dealing with someone

The man is playing cat and mouse with his company about his plans to quit or not.

put the cat among the pigeons

- to cause trouble

Sending the unpopular supervisor to talk to the angry workers was like putting the cat among the pigeons.

rain cats and dogs

- to rain very hard

It has been raining cats and dogs all day.

rub (someone) the wrong way

- to irritate someone (just as you would irritate a dog or cat if you rub their fur the wrong way)

The woman who I work with rubs me the wrong way.

a scaredy-cat

- someone who is easily frightened (usually used by children)

The children called their friend a scaredy-cat because she would not enter the empty house.

there is more than one way to skin a cat

- there is more than one way to do something

I knew that there was more than one way to skin a cat so I did not worry about the rules and time limit of my project.

when the cat's away, the mice will play

- when you are not watching someone they may get into trouble

When the cat's away, the mice will play and when the teacher left the classroom the students began to play around.

cow Idioms

as awkward as a cow on roller skates

- very awkward

The little girl was as awkward as a cow on roller skates when she began riding her bicycle.

a bull in a china shop

- a tactless person who upsets others or upsets plans, a very clumsy person

The boy is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if you invite him to your house.

a cash cow

- a product or service that makes much money

Our new business is a cash cow. We are making much money now.

have a cow

- to become very angry and upset about something

Our teacher had a cow when nobody prepared for the class.

hit the bulls-eye

- to reach or focus on the main point of something

Our manager hit the bulls-eye when he talked about the problems in the company.

Holy cow

- used to express strong feelings of astonishment or pleasure or anger

"Holy cow," the man said when he saw the car that hit the street lamp.

a sacred cow

- a person or thing that is never criticized or changed even if it should be (from a cow which is sacred in India)

The school lunch program is a sacred cow which they will never change.

take the bull by the horns

- to take decisive and direct action

My aunt decided to take the bull by the horns and begin preparations for the family reunion.

until the cows come home

- until very late, for a long time

We can talk until the cows come home this evening.

dog Idioms

as clean as a hound's tooth

- very clean

The classroom was as clean as a hound's tooth when the students finished cleaning it.

as crooked as a dog's hind leg

- dishonest

The politician is as crooked as a dog's hind leg and nobody likes him.

as sick as a dog

- very sick

My friend was as sick as a dog when he left the restaurant last night.

one's bark is worse than one's bite

- one's words are worse than one's actions

You should not worry about the secretary. Her bark is worse than her bite and she is really a very nice person.

bark up the wrong tree

- to choose the wrong course of action, to ask the wrong person (a hunting dog may make a mistake when chasing an animal and bark up the wrong tree)

My boss is barking up the wrong tree. I did not cause the computer problem.

call the dogs off or call off the dogs

- to stop threatening or chasing or hounding someone

The police decided to call the dogs off and stop hunting for the man.

dog and pony show

- something that you disapprove of because you think that it has only been organized to impress you (like a dog and pony show in a circus)

We had serious questions about the project but we only got a dog and pony show when we questioned our business partners.

dog-eat-dog

- ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what one wants

It is a dog-eat-dog world in our company.

dog in the manger

- someone who prevents others from doing what they themselves do not want to do (in Aesop's Fables a dog that cannot eat hay lays in the hayrack and prevents the other animals from eating the hay)

My friend always acts like a dog in the manger and often tries to prevent us from enjoying ourselves.

every dog has his day

- everyone will have his chance or turn, everyone will get what he deserves

"Don't worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing."

fight like cats and dogs

- to argue and fight with someone (usually used for people who know each other)

The two children were fighting like cats and dogs when we entered the room.

go to the dogs

- to deteriorate, to become bad

Many things in our city have gone to the dogs during the last ten years.

the hair of the dog that bit one

- a drink of alcohol that one takes when recovering from a hangover

The man had the hair of the dog that bit him before he ate breakfast.

to hound (someone)

- to pursue or chase someone, to harass someone

The manager is always hounding the younger members of her staff to make them work hard.

in the doghouse

- in disgrace or disfavor, in trouble

The man is in the doghouse with his wife because he came home late last night.

lead a dog's life

- to lead a miserable life

The man is leading a dog's life since he married the woman who everyone told him not to marry.

let sleeping dogs lie

- do not make trouble if you do not have to

You should let sleeping dogs lie and not ask our boss about the dispute.

put on the dog

- to dress or entertain in a luxurious and extravagant manner

We put on the dog for my parents when they came to visit us.

rub (someone/someone's fur) the wrong way

- to irritate someone (just as you would irritate a dog or cat if you rub their fur the wrong way)

The woman who I work with always rubs me the wrong way.

see a man about a dog

- to leave for some unmentioned purpose (often to go to the washroom)

I left our table in the restaurant to go and see a man about a dog.

a shaggy dog story

- a long and often pointless story that is told as a joke and often ends in a very silly or unexpected way

My friend told me a shaggy dog story about how he lost his bicycle.

one's tail between one's legs

- feeling beaten or humiliated (like a frightened or defeated dog as it walks away)

The manager left the meeting with his tail between his legs after he was criticized by the company president.

the tail wagging the dog

- a situation where a small part of something controls the whole thing

The tail is wagging the dog. The receptionist controls everything in the office.

top dog

- the most important person in an organization

My uncle is the top dog in his company.

turn tail

- to run away from trouble or danger

We decided to turn tail and leave the restaurant before there was an argument.

work like a dog

- to work very hard

The boy worked like a dog on his school project.

you can't teach an old dog new tricks

- it is difficult for older people to learn new things

You can't teach an old dog new tricks and I do not think that my father will ever change his eating habits.

horse Idioms

as strong as a horse/ox

- very strong

The man was as strong as an ox and easily helped us move the sofa.

as stubborn as a mule

- very stubborn

My friend is as stubborn as a mule and you can never make her change her mind.

back the wrong horse

- to support someone or something that cannot or does not win or succeed

We backed the wrong horse when we supported the candidate for mayor.

beat a dead horse

- to continue fighting a battle that has been won, to continue to argue a point that has been settled

I was beating a dead horse when I was arguing with my boss.

bet on the wrong horse

- to misread the future, to not choose the winning person or solution

The man is betting on the wrong horse if he supports the other city in their bid for the Olympic games.

by shank's mare

- by foot

I came to the meeting by shank's mare.

champ/chomp at the bit

- to be ready and anxious to do something (a bit is put into a horse's mouth for control of the horse)

Everyone was chomping at the bit to get started on their holiday.

change horses in midstream

- to make new plans or choose a new leader in an activity that has already begun

They have decided to change lawyers but I told them that they should not change horses in midstream.

a dark horse

- a candidate who is little known to the general public

The candidate for mayor was a dark horse until he gave some good speeches on TV.

dog and pony show

- something that you disapprove of because you think that it has only been organized to impress you (like a dog and pony show in a circus)

We had serious questions about the project but we only got a dog and pony show when we questioned our business partners.

donkey's years

- a very long time

I was happy to see my friend because I had not seen her in donkey's years.

eat like a horse

- to eat a lot

My brother eats like a horse.

flog a dead horse

- to continue fighting a battle that has been won, to continue to argue a point that has been settled

My friend was flogging a dead horse when she would not stop arguing about the mistake on her paycheck.

get off one's high horse

- to begin to be humble and agreeable

I wish that my supervisor would get off her high horse and begin to think about how other people feel about things.

get on one's high horse

- to behave with arrogance

My friend is always getting on her high horse and telling people what to do.

hold one's horses

- to wait, to be patient

"Hold your horses for a moment while I make a phone call."

hoof it

- to walk or run (a hoof is the foot of a horse or sheep or cow etc.)

I decided to hoof it when I came downtown this morning.

horse around

- to play around (in a rough way)

The teacher told the children not to horse around while they were getting ready for class.

a horse of a different color

- another matter entirely, something else, something different than the subject that is being discussed

Changing locations is a horse of a different color and was never discussed in any of our meetings.

horse sense

- common sense, practical thinking

The boy does not have any horse sense and often makes the wrong decision.

horse trade

- to bargain in a hard and skillful way

We had to do some horse trading but finally we were able to buy the new house.

lock the barn door after the horse is gone

- to try to deal with something after it is too late

My friend wants to fix his house. However, it is like locking the barn door after the horse is gone. There was a flood and the damage is already done.

look a gift horse in the mouth

- to complain if a gift is not perfect

The girl should not look a gift horse in the mouth. She should be happy that she received a present from her friends.

on horseback

- on the back of a horse

We rode to the river on horseback.

put (someone or something) out to pasture

- to retire someone or something (just as you would put a horse that is too old to work out to pasture)

We finally decided to put our old car out to pasture and buy a new one.

put the cart before the horse

- to do things in the wrong order

Buying a ticket before we make our holiday plans is putting the cart before the horse.

ride herd on (someone)

- to watch closely and strictly supervise someone (as a cowboy would supervise a herd of cattle)

The manager has been riding herd on his employees so that they can finish the job quickly.

straight from the horse's mouth

- directly from the person who said something, directly from a dependable source

I heard it straight from the horse's mouth that our supervisor will be leaving the company next week.

wild horses could not drag (someone away)

- there is nothing that will force someone to go somewhere or do something

Wild horses could not drag me away from my favorite TV show last night.

work like a horse

- to work very hard

My grandfather worked like a horse when he was a young man.

you can lead a horse to water (but you can't make it drink)

- you can give someone the opportunity to do something but you cannot force him or her to do it if they do not want to

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink and no matter how hard we try to help my cousin get a job he will not make any effort to find one.

monkey Idioms

go ape (over someone or something)

- to become highly excited or angry about someone or something

Our teacher will go ape if you do not finish the work that was due today.

make a monkey out of (someone)

- to make someone look foolish

My friend made a monkey out of me when he started arguing with me in front of my boss.

monkey around with (someone or something)

- to play with or waste time with someone or something

The boy spent the morning monkeying around with the old radio.

monkey business

- unethical or illegal activity, mischief

The boy should stop the monkey business and do the job correctly.

a monkey on one's back

- a serious problem that stops someone from being successful at something

Seven games without scoring a goal was a monkey on the back of the famous soccer player.

monkey see, monkey do

- someone copies something that someone else does

It is monkey see, monkey do for the boy. He copies everything that his friend does.

more fun than a barrel of monkeys

- very funny, fun

The children love their teacher because he is more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

mouse Idioms

as poor as a church mouse

- very poor

My cousin is as poor as a church mouse and never has any money to spend.

as quiet as a mouse

- very quiet, shy

I was as quiet as a mouse when I left my house early this morning.

the best-laid plans of mice and men

- the best thought-out plans that anyone can make

The best-laid plans of mice and men could not prevent our travel problems.

play cat and mouse with (someone)

- to tease or fool someone, to change between different types of behavior when dealing with someone

The man is playing cat and mouse with his company about his plans to quit or not.

when the cat's away, the mice will play

- when you are not watching someone they may get into trouble

When the cat's away, the mice will play and when the teacher left the classroom the students began to play around.

pig/hog Idioms

as fat as a pig

- very fat

The woman in the supermarket was as fat as a pig.

buy a pig in a poke

- to buy something without seeing it or knowing anything about it

You can buy the used computer but it will be like buying a pig in a poke if you do not look at it first.

cast pearls before swine

- to waste something on someone who will not be thankful or care about it

Giving the jewellery to the woman will be casting pearls before swine. She will not appreciate it at all.

eat high on/off the hog

- to eat good or expensive food

We were eating high off the hog during our ocean cruise.

go hog-wild

- to behave wildly

The soccer fans went hog-wild when they arrived in the city for the game.

go whole hog

- to do everything possible, to be extravagant

We went whole hog in our effort to make the convention a success.

in a pig's eye

- unlikely, not so, never

Never in a pig's eye will my friend be able to save enough money to go to Mexico for the winter.

live high on/off the hog

- to have the best of everything

My friend has been living high on the hog since he changed jobs.

make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

- to create something of value from something of no value

You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. There is no point in trying to teach that woman manners.

piggy bank

- a small bank (sometimes in the shape of a pig) for saving money

The boy has been putting money into his piggy bank to save for a bicycle.

piggyback

- sitting or being carried on someone's back and shoulders

The boy was riding piggyback on his father's shoulders.

a road hog

- a car driver who uses more than his share of the road

The person in front of me on the highway was a road hog but I tried not to get angry.

rat Idioms

rat on (someone)

- to report someone's bad behavior to someone

The little boy ratted on his friend at school.

rat out on (someone)

- to desert or betray someone

The boy ratted out on his friends. Now they won't talk to him.

rat race

- a rushed and confusing way of living that does not seem to have a purpose

My uncle is tired of being in the rat race every day. He plans to quit his job soon and do something else.

smell a rat

- to be suspicious of someone or something, to feel that something is wrong

I smell a rat. There is something wrong with the free credit card offer.

sheep/goat Idioms

as gentle as a lamb

- very gentle

The girl is as gentle as a lamb when she is with her little sister.

as innocent as a lamb

- having no guilt, naive

The little girl is as innocent as a lamb and everybody loves her.

as meek as a lamb

- quiet, docile, meek

The secretary was as meek as a lamb when she went to ask her boss for a salary increase.

the black sheep of the family

- the worst or the most unpopular or disliked member of a family

My cousin is the black sheep of the family and nobody likes to talk about him.

get (someone's) goat

- to annoy someone

My friend is always complaining about the way that I do things which gets my goat.

in two shakes of a lamb's tail

- very quickly

I promised that I would meet my friend in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

like lambs to the slaughter

- quietly and without complaining about the dangers that may lie ahead

Our football team went like lambs to the slaughter to play against the best football team in the country.

separate the sheep from the goats

- to divide people into two groups

We had to separate the sheep from the goats when we began to make selections for the school choir.

wolf Idioms

cry wolf

- to give a false alarm, to warn of a danger that is not there

The man is crying wolf. There is no danger from the electrical system.

keep the wolf from the door

- to maintain oneself at the most basic level

My friend's part-time job is enough for him to keep the wolf from the door.

keep the wolves at bay

- to fight against some kind of trouble

Many people are angry about the new tax. The government has to work hard to keep the wolves at bay.

a lone wolf

- someone who prefers to spend time alone and has few friends

The boy was a lone wolf and spent most of his time alone.

throw (someone) to the wolves

- to send someone into danger without protection, to sacrifice someone

The salesman decided to throw his coworker to the wolves when he asked him to meet the angry customer.

wolf down (something)

- to gulp down something, to eat something quickly

I wolfed down my dinner and left the house for the movie.

a wolf in sheep's clothing

- a person who pretends to be good but really is bad

"Be careful of that man. He is a wolf in sheep's clothing."

Birds

an albatross (around someone's neck)

- a problem that prevents someone from succeeding or making progress

The man's lack of a university degree is an albatross around his neck and it prevents him from being promoted.

as a duck takes to water

- easily and naturally

When the boy learned to swim it was just as a duck takes to water. It was very easy.

as bald as a coot

- completely bald

The man in the gas station is as bald as a coot.

as crazy as a loon

- crazy

Our neighbor is as crazy as a loon.

as dead as a dodo

- dead, no longer in existence

The dog was as dead as a dodo after the accident.

as easy as duck soup

- very easy, requiring no effort

Convincing the man to buy the car was as easy as duck soup.

as free as a bird

- completely free, carefree

I was as free as a bird when I finished my final school exam.

as graceful as a swan

- very graceful

The figure skater is as graceful as a swan.

as happy as a lark

- very happy and cheerful

The boy was as happy as a lark when he received his birthday present.

as hoarse as a crow

- very hoarse

The professor was as hoarse as a crow during the lecture.

as mad as a wet hen

- angry

The nurse was as mad as a wet hen when the patient tried to bite her.

as naked as a jaybird

- naked

The little boy was as naked as a jaybird when he finished his bath.

as proud as a peacock

- very proud, haughty

The man is as proud as a peacock of his young son.

as scarce as hen's teeth

- very scarce or nonexistent

Cheap hotels in this city are as scarce as hen's teeth.

as silly as a goose

- very foolish, very silly

My aunt acted as silly as a goose last evening.

as soft as down

- very soft to the touch (down is the soft and fine feathers from a goose or duck)

The fur on the little dog is as soft as down.

as the crow flies

- by the most direct way, along a straight line between two places

As the crow flies, it is about six kilometers between my house and downtown.

as wise as an owl

- very wise

My grandfather is as wise as an owl and he seems to know everything.

a bat out of hell

- very fast (bats are not birds but are mammals that can fly)

The man left here like a bat out of hell. I do not know why he was in such a hurry.

bats in the belfry

- crazy, eccentric (bats are not birds but are mammals that can fly)

I think that my boss has bats in the belfry. His ideas are absolutely crazy.

bird brain

- someone who you think is stupid

The man is a bird brain and he always makes mistakes at work.

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

- something that is certain is better than something that is not certain

"You should keep the prize money and not try to win more. Remember that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

birds and the bees

- the facts about sex and birth and life, the facts of life

The boy learned about the birds and the bees in his health education class at school.

birds-eye view

- a general view from above

"Let's go up to the roof and get a birds-eye view of the surrounding area."

birds of a feather flock together

- people who are similar become friends or join together

"Do not complain about your friends. Remember, birds of a feather flock together. Your friends are just like you."

chicken and egg situation

- a situation where two things happen together and it is difficult to see which one of them caused the other, related to two factors - each of which causes or leads to the other

I do not know if I should buy a new computer so I can make some money with it or make some money first and then buy a new computer. It is a chicken and egg situation.

chicken feed

- a small sum of money

The amount of money that I spent last night was chicken feed and I am not worried about it at all.

chicken-livered

- cowardly, easily scared

The boy called his friend chicken-livered which made the friend very angry.

chicken out of (doing something)

- to stop doing something because of fear

My friend was planning to come with us but he chickened out at the last moment.

chickens come home to roost

- someone's words or actions come back to cause trouble for him or her

The man is always unkind to other people. However, his chickens have come home to roost and people are now very unkind to him.

clip (someone's) wings

- to limit someone, to bring someone under control

We plan to clip the supervisor's wings because he is becoming too aggressive when dealing with other people.

cock-and-bull story

- a silly story that is not true

The student told her teacher a cock-and-bull story about why she was absent.

cock of the walk

- someone who thinks that he or she is more important than others in a group

The supervisor thinks that he is cock of the walk. He thinks that he can do anything that he wants.

cold turkey

- immediate and complete withdrawal from something on which one has become dependent (used when someone stops taking addictive drugs or tries to stop a bad habit)

The government program helped the drug addicts stop using heroin cold turkey.

The man plans to quit smoking cold turkey.

cook (someone's) goose

- to damage someone's plans, to damage or ruin someone

The woman cooked her goose when she fought against her company and lost.

count one's chickens before they're hatched

- to depend or think that you will get something before you actually have it

"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. Remember, you may not get the new job so you should not spend too much money."

dead duck

- someone in a hopeless situation or condition

The man is a dead duck. When the police catch him he will have to go to jail.

duck soup

- a task that does not require much effort

The exam was duck soup. I am sure that I did very well.

eagle eye

- an intently watchful eye

The boy has an eagle eye and he never misses anything.

early bird

- someone who arrives someplace early or starts something early

I am an early bird and I like to arrive early at work every morning.

the early bird catches the worm

- a person who gets up early in the morning has the best chance of success

"Let's leave at six o'clock in the morning. Remember, the early bird catches the worm."

eat crow

- to admit that you are mistaken or defeated

Our boss was forced to eat crow when he discovered that he was totally wrong.

eat like a bird

- to eat very little

The boy must be sick. He has been eating like a bird recently.

feather in one's cap

- something to be proud of, an honor

Winning the speech contest was a feather in the boy's cap.

feather one's nest

- use one's position for one's own financial benefits - especially while holding public office

The politician was feathering his nest for many years until he lost the election.

fly the coop

- to escape, to leave (like a chicken escaping from a chicken coop)

The two boys wanted to fly the coop when the school bell rang.

for the birds

- not interesting, something that you do not like, worthless

The movie was for the birds so we left early and went to a restaurant.

foul one's own nest

- to harm one's own interests, to bring discredit to one's family

I do not want to foul my own nest so I try to be very honest in all of my dealings with others.

get one's ducks in a row

- to put one's affairs in order

When I get my ducks in a row I will be able to make a decision about a new career.

go to bed with the chickens

- to go to bed as the sun is setting, to go to bed very early

My grandfather always goes to bed with the chickens because he works on a farm.

a gone goose

- someone or something that has departed or run away

The boy is a gone goose. He will not be returning today.

goose bumps

- a prickly or bumpy feeling on one's skin because of cold or fear or excitement (like the skin of a goose or a chicken)

I got goose bumps as I watched the horror movie.

one's goose is cooked

- one has been discovered to have done something wrong and he or she is now in trouble, one is finished, one's chances for something are ruined

My goose is cooked. Soon my friend will discover that I lost her bicycle.

in fine feather

- in good humor

My friend is in fine feather today. He has been laughing all morning.

kill the goose that lays the golden egg

- to spoil or destroy something that is beneficial or makes a lot of money

My friends sold part of their business but it is the most profitable part. I think that they have killed the goose that lays the golden egg.

kill two birds with one stone

- to succeed in doing two things with only one action

"Let's have the meeting when we come to town to go shopping so that we can kill two birds with one stone."

lame duck

- a politician who has only a little time left in office and therefore has little power

The politician is a lame-duck leader and he is not effective at all.

lay an egg

- to give a bad performance

The performer laid an egg at the concert last night.

like water off a duck's back

- without any effect, easily

Criticism falls away from my father like water off a duck's back and he never worries about anything.

a little bird told me

- something is learned from a mysterious and secret source who you do not want to name

A little bird told me that my friend will have a surprise birthday party for me next week.

look like the cat that swallowed the canary

- to look very self-satisfied, to look as if you have just had a great success

The boy looked like the cat that swallowed the canary after he won the relay race.

lovely weather for ducks

- rainy weather

I commented to the wet letter carrier that it was lovely weather for ducks today.

neither fish nor fowl

- something that does not belong to a definite group

The manager's idea was neither fish nor fowl. Nobody knew what to do about it.

night owl

- someone who likes to stay up very late at night

My friend is a night owl and he loves to stay up late at night.

no spring chicken

- not young anymore

I do not know how old my aunt is but she is no spring chicken.

pecking order

- the way that people are ranked in relation to each other

I have not worked at my company very long so I do not understand the pecking order yet.

play chicken

- to do something dangerous in order to see who becomes frightened first and stops

The two boys were playing chicken in the schoolyard.

rare bird

- someone who is unusual

The woman is a rare bird and has done many interesting things in her life.

ruffle its feathers

- a bird points its feathers outward

The bird sat in the tree and ruffled its feathers.

ruffle (someone's) feathers

- to upset or annoy someone

I am usually very careful not to ruffle my supervisor's feathers.

rule the roost

- to be the boss or manager somewhere - often at home (a roost is a place where birds can perch or sit)

My grandfather ruled the roost in his family.

run around like a chicken with its head cut off

- to run around frantically and with no aim or purpose

I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off all morning as I prepared for my trip.

scarcer than hen's teeth

- very scarce or nonexistent

People who know about computers are scarcer than hen's teeth in our company.

sitting duck

- an unsuspecting person who is easily fooled - as if waiting to be attacked

The soldier at the window was like a sitting duck for the enemy.

spread one's wings

- to begin to be independent and try new things

My uncle's friend is beginning to spread his wings and try many new things.

swan song

- the last work or performance by an artist before death or retirement

The actor's swan song was his magnificent performance in his recent movie.

take (someone) under one's wings

- to begin to look after and care for someone

The teacher took the young boy under her wings when he came to the school.

talk turkey

- to talk frankly, to talk business

I went to see my friend because I knew that it was time to talk turkey with him.

try out one's wings

- to try to do something that you have recently learned or become qualified to do

I plan to try out my wings at golfing now that my lessons have finished.

ugly duckling

- an ugly or plain child (who grows up to be pretty)

The girl was an ugly duckling when she was a child but now she is very beautiful.

under the wings of (someone)

- to be under the care or control or protection of someone

The new teacher is now under the wings of the principal of the school.

watch (someone or something) like a hawk

- to watch someone or something very carefully

The mother watched her young child like a hawk.

what's good/sauce for the goose is good/sauce for the gander

- what is good for one person should be good for another person as well

What's good for the goose is good for the gander and if the food is good enough for me, then it is good enough for the other members of our team.

wild goose chase

- a chase that is futile or worthless

The motorcycle riders led the police on a wild goose chase.

wing it

- to do the best in a situation that one is not prepared for

I forgot to study so I had to wing it on the test.

Chicken Idioms

as mad as a wet hen

- angry

The nurse was as mad as a wet hen when the patient tried to bite her.

as scarce as hen's teeth

- very scarce or nonexistent

Cheap hotels in this city are as scarce as hen's teeth.

chicken and egg situation

- a situation where two things happen together and it is difficult to see which one of them caused the other, related to two factors - each of which causes or leads to the other

I do not know if I should buy a new computer so I can make some money with it or make some money first and then buy a new computer. It is a chicken and egg situation.

chicken feed

- a small sum of money

The amount of money that I spent last night was chicken feed and I am not worried about it at all.

chicken-livered

- cowardly, easily scared

The boy called his friend chicken-livered which made the friend very angry.

chicken out of (doing something)

- to stop doing something because of fear

My friend was planning to come with us but he chickened out at the last moment.

chickens come home to roost

- someone's words or actions come back to cause trouble for him or her

The man is always unkind to other people. However, his chickens have come home to roost and people are now very unkind to him.

count one's chickens before they're hatched

- to depend or think that you will get something before you actually have it

"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. Remember, you may not get the new job so you should not spend too much money."

go to bed with the chickens

- to go to bed as the sun is setting, to go to bed very early

My grandfather always goes to bed with the chickens because he works on a farm.

no spring chicken

- not young anymore

I do not know how old my aunt is but she is no spring chicken.

play chicken

- to do something dangerous in order to see who becomes frightened first and stops

The two boys were playing chicken in the schoolyard.

run around like a chicken with its head cut off

- to run around frantically and with no aim or purpose

I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off all morning as I prepared for my trip.

scarcer than hen's teeth

- very scarce or nonexistent

People who know about computers are scarcer than hen's teeth in our company.

Crow Idioms

as hoarse as a crow

- very hoarse

The professor was as hoarse as a crow during the lecture.

as the crow flies

- by the most direct way, along a straight line between two places

As the crow flies, it is about six kilometers between my house and downtown.

eat crow

- to admit that you are mistaken or defeated

Our boss was forced to eat crow when he discovered that he was totally wrong.

Duck Idioms

as a duck takes to water

- easily and naturally

When the boy learned to swim it was just as a duck takes to water. It was very easy.

as easy as duck soup

- very easy, requiring no effort

Convincing the man to buy the car was as easy as duck soup.

dead duck

- someone in a hopeless situation or condition

The man is a dead duck. When the police catch him he will have to go to jail.

duck soup

- a task that does not require much effort

The exam was duck soup. I am sure that I did very well.

get one's ducks in a row

- to put one's affairs in order

When I get my ducks in a row I will be able to make a decision about a new career.

lame duck

- a politician who has only a little time left in office and therefore has little power

The politician is a lame-duck leader and he is not effective at all.

like water off a duck's back

- without any effect, easily

Criticism falls away from my father like water off a duck's back and he never worries about anything.

lovely weather for ducks

- rainy weather

I commented to the wet letter carrier that it was lovely weather for ducks today.

sitting duck

- an unsuspecting person who is easily fooled - as if waiting to be attacked

The soldier at the window was like a sitting duck for the enemy.

ugly duckling

- an ugly or plain child (who grows up to be pretty)

The girl was an ugly duckling when she was a child but now she is very beautiful.

Goose Idioms

as silly as a goose

- very foolish, very silly

My aunt acted as silly as a goose last evening.

cook (someone's) goose

- to damage someone's plans, to damage or ruin someone

The woman cooked her goose when she fought against her company and lost.

a gone goose

- someone or something that has departed or run away

The boy is a gone goose. He will not be returning today.

goose bumps

- a prickly or bumpy feeling on one's skin because of cold or fear or excitement (like the skin of a goose or a chicken)

I got goose bumps as I watched the horror movie.

one's goose is cooked

- one has been discovered to have done something wrong and he or she is now in trouble, one is finished, one's chances for something are ruined

My goose is cooked. Soon my friend will discover that I lost her bicycle.

kill the goose that lays the golden egg

- to spoil or destroy something that is beneficial or makes a lot of money

My friends sold part of their business but it is the most profitable part. I think that they have killed the goose that lays the golden egg.

what's good/sauce for the goose is good/sauce for the gander

- what is good for one person should be good for another person as well

What's good for the goose is good for the gander and if the food is good enough for me, then it is good enough for the other members of our team.

wild goose chase

- a chase that is futile or worthless

The motorcycle riders led the police on a wild goose chase.

Owl Idioms

as wise as an owl

- very wise

My grandfather is as wise as an owl and he seems to know everything.

night owl

- someone who likes to stay up very late at night

My friend is a night owl and he loves to stay up late at night.

Swan Idioms

as graceful as a swan

- very graceful

The figure skater is as graceful as a swan.

swan song

- the last work or performance by an artist before death or retirement

The actor's swan song was his magnificent performance in his recent movie

Body

able to breathe easily again

- to be able to relax after a busy and stressful time

I was able to breathe easily again when I knew that I would not miss my flight.

able to breathe freely again

- to be able to relax after a busy and stressful time

I could breathe freely again when the exams were over.

as broad as a barn door

- very broad or fat

The flight attendant at the airport was as broad as a barn door.

as dry as a bone

- very dry

The river bed was as dry as a bone at the end of the summer.

as soft as a baby's bottom

- very soft and smooth

My new silk pajamas are as soft as a baby's bottom.

at each other's throats

- fighting or arguing all the time

The two boys were at each other's throats when they entered the room.

at the top of one's lungs

- with a very loud voice

I yelled at the top of my lungs to get the man's attention.

back-to-back

- next to each other and touching backs

The students were sitting back-to-back as they exercised in the gym class.

bad blood (between people)

- anger or a bad relationship due to past problems with someone

There is much bad blood between the two supervisors.

bare bones (of something)

- the most basic and important parts of something

The company had to restructure and most services were cut to the bare bones of the operation.

behind (someone's) back

- without someone's knowledge, secretly, when someone is absent

I do not like people who talk behind my back.

belly up

- bankrupt

The small video store near my house is now belly-up.

blood is thicker than water

- family members are closer to one another than to others

Blood is thicker than water and people usually support and help their family in times of trouble.

blood on the carpet

- much trouble

There was much blood on the carpet after the meeting.

blood runs cold

- terrified or horrified

My blood ran cold when I saw the poison spider on my bed.

blood, sweat, and tears

- great personal effort

We put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into fixing our old house.

blue blood

- the blood (family line) of a noble or aristocratic family

Many blue bloods attended the opening of the new opera.

a body blow

- something that causes something to be badly damaged or destroyed

The small food store was hit with a body blow when the large supermarket moved in next door.

a bone of contention

- something that people disagree about

The issue of working on Saturday evenings is a bone of contention between the store and the workers.

break into a cold sweat (about something)

- to become nervous or frightened about something

I broke into a cold sweat when I went to tell my teacher about my mistake.

break one's back (to do something)

- to do all one possibly can, to work very hard to do something

I broke my back trying to help my friend with his project.

break one's neck (to do something)

- to do all one possibly can, to work very hard to do something

I broke my neck to try and get the report finished on time.

a breath of fresh air

- new ideas or new energy or new ways of doing something

The new manager is a breath of fresh air in our company.

not breathe a word (about someone or something)

- to keep a secret about someone or something

"Please don't breathe a word about my new job to my supervisor."

breathe down (someone's) neck

- to watch someone closely (often by standing right behind them), to pressure someone to do something

My boss has been breathing down my neck all day to pressure me to finish the report.

breathe easy/easier

- to relax after a busy and stressful time

I could breathe easy after I finished my essay and gave it to my teacher.

breathe one's last

- to die, to breathe one's last breath before dying

The elderly man breathed his last late yesterday evening.

broad in the beam

- wide hips or large buttocks

The woman is broad in the beam but she does not worry about it at all.

a bundle of nerves

- someone who is very nervous and anxious

I was a bundle of nerves after I finished studying for my exams.

bust a gut (to do something)

- to work very hard to do something, to strain oneself to do something

I had to bust a gut to get my work done before the weekend.

by the nape of one's neck

- by the back of the neck

The man picked up the cat by the nape of the neck.

by the sweat of one's brow

- by one's hard work or effort

The restaurant owner built his business by the sweat of his brow.

can't stomach (someone or something)

- to dislike someone or something very much

I cannot stomach the new woman who I work with.

carry one's (own) weight

- to do one's share of something

Everyone in the group had to carry his or her own weight during the project.

carry the weight of the world on one's shoulders

- to appear to be dealing with all the problems in the whole world

My friend has much stress and thinks that he is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

catch one's breath

- to return to normal breathing after breathing very hard

I stopped at the top of the stairs to catch my breath.

chilled to the bone

- very cold

I was chilled to the bone after swimming in the cold lake.

close to the bone

- something (a story or remark) that is embarrassing or upsetting

The remarks of my boss hit close to the bone when he began to criticize my work habits.

contemplate one's navel

- to spend a lot of time thinking about one's own problems rather than being concerned about more important things

I spent the summer contemplating my navel and did not do a thing.

cover one's back

- to do something to protect yourself from criticism or future blame

I was very careful to cover my back when dealing with the lawyers.

a crick in one's back/neck

- a painful cramp in one's back or neck

I woke up this morning with a crick in my neck.

curdle (someone's) blood

- to frighten someone

The sight of the accident curdled my blood.

cut a fine figure

- to dress and look good

I cut a fine figure as I walked through the doors to interview for the job.

cut one's (own) throat

- to experience certain failure, to do something that will cause problems now or in the future

My friend is cutting his own throat if he does not make an effort to find a new job quickly.

cut (something) to the bone

- to cut down severely on something, to severely reduce something

The company cut all of the extra expenses to the bone.

dead from the neck up

- to be very stupid

My boss seems to be dead from the neck up.

difficult to stomach (someone or something)

- to be unable to accept someone, to be unable to accept something that you think is unpleasant or wrong

It is difficult to stomach my friend when she begins to complain about things.

Don't hold your breath.

- Don't stop breathing to wait for something (because it will never happen).

"Don't hold your breath," I said when my friend asked when he would be able to borrow our friend's car.

down to the bone

- entirely, to the core

The rain and snow chilled me right down to the bone.

draw blood

- to make a wound that bleeds

The young boxer was the first to draw blood during the boxing match.

drop (something) into (someone's) lap

- to give a problem that you have to someone else to solve

My boss dropped much extra work into my lap just before my vacation.

dump (something) into (someone's) lap

- to give a problem that you have to someone else to solve

My supervisor dumped some extra work into my lap just before I was going home.

eyes are bigger than one's stomach

- taking more food than one can eat

My eyes were bigger than my stomach when I went to the buffet table and took too much food.

fall into one's lap

- to come to you by chance and good luck and without any effort on your part (used for an opportunity or chance)

My new position in my company fell into my lap last summer.

feel (something) in one's bones

- to sense something, to have an intuition about something

I feel it in my bones that I am not going to get the job that I want.

(one's) flesh and blood

- a close relative (father,daughter,brother etc.), a living human body

The man's own flesh and blood refused to help him when he needed money.

flex one's muscles

- to do something that shows that you have power and intend to use it

The new president of our company was flexing his muscles when he threatened to close one of the factories.

force (something) down (someone's) throat

- to force someone to do or agree to something that they do not want or like

The government tried to force the new law down the public's throat.

get a frog in one's throat

- to get soreness in your throat that prevents you from talking well

I got a frog in my throat just as I answered the phone to talk to my professor.

get a lump in one's throat

- to feel like there is something in your throat as if you are going to cry

I got a lump in my throat as I listened to the tragic story of the woman's family.

get butterflies in one's stomach

- to get a feeling of fear or anxiety in one's stomach

I got butterflies in my stomach just before I took the test.

get off (someone's) back

- to stop criticizing or nagging someone

I wish that my mother would get off my back about trying to find a better job.

get on (someone's) nerves

- to irritate someone

The constant complaints of my coworkers get on my nerves.

get (someone's) back up

- to make someone become angry

I got my friend's back up when I asked to borrow her notes from school.

get (something) off one's chest

- to tell something that has been bothering you

I talked to my parents and I was able to get some things that were bothering me off my chest.

get (something) out of one's system

- to eliminate some food or medicine out of one's body, to get rid of the desire to do something (usually by doing what you want to do)

My friend went travelling last year and finally got travelling out of her system. Now she is happy to stay home and work.

get the cold shoulder (from someone)

- to be ignored or rejected (by someone)

I often get the cold shoulder from my coworker.

get under (someone's) skin

- to bother or irritate someone

My neighbor is beginning to get under my skin with her constant complaining.

gird up one's loins

- to get ready to do something that will be difficult

I began to gird up my loins and work on my final essay.

give (someone) the cold shoulder

- to ignore someone, to reject someone

The office staff gave the man the cold shoulder when he did not go to the farewell party.

give (someone) the shirt off one's back

- to be very generous to someone

My friend is very generous and will be happy to give you the shirt off his back.

go for the jugular

- to attack someone in a way that you know will harm him or her most (the jugular is a large vein in the neck)

When the political candidate began to have problems the other candidates decided to go for the jugular and attack.

goose bumps

- the bumpy skin (like a goose) that one gets because of excitement or fear

I got goose bumps when the woman began to talk about her sick child.

grab (someone) by the throat

- to feel very interested or excited or frightened because of a performance or book or idea

The ballet performance grabbed the audience by the throat and everyone left the auditorium speechless.

grate on (someone's) nerves

- to annoy or bother someone

The woman who I work with grates on my nerves. She is very irritating.

a gut feeling/reaction/response

- a personal or intuitive feeling and response

I had a gut feeling that my friend was going to be late for our meeting.

hard to stomach (someone or something)

- to be unable to accept something, to be unable to do something that you think is unpleasant or wrong

I find the attitudes of some of my classmates hard to stomach.

hardly have time to breathe

- to be very busy

I hardly had time to breathe while I was preparing for the barbecue.

hate (someone's) guts

- to hate someone very much

I think that my neighbor hates my guts. He will never say hello to me.

have a chip on one's shoulder

- to have a tendency to try to get into a conflict with others

Our supervisor has a chip on his shoulder and is not an easy person to work with.

have a frog in one's throat

- to have soreness in your throat that prevents you from talking well

I had a frog in my throat this morning before I left my house.

have a lump in one's throat

- to feel like there is something in your throat as if you were going to cry

The man had a lump in his throat during his daugher's graduation.

have broad shoulders

- to have the ability to work hard and take on responsibilities and accept criticism (because you are strong with broad shoulders)

The man has broad shoulders and does more than his share of work in our company.

have butterflies in one's stomach

- to have a feeling of fear or anxiety in one's stomach

The little boy had butterflies in his stomach when he gave the speech to the class.

have one's back to the wall

- to be in a defensive position

I have my back to the wall at work and I must deal with many problems.

have one's back up against the wall

- to be in a defensive position

The man has his back up against the wall and may have to quit his job soon.

have (someone's) blood on one's hands

- to be responsible for someone's death

The driver of the car had the passengers' blood on his hands after two people were killed in an accident.

have (someone's) hide

- to scold or punish someone (a hide is the skin of an animal)

The mother promised to have the little boy's hide if he did not behave well.

not have the stomach for (something)

- to have no desire to do something because you think that it is unpleasant or wrong

I do not have the stomach to talk with my friend about his work and financial problems.

head and shoulders above (someone or something)

- to be superior to someone or something

Our soccer coach is head and shoulders above the other coaches in the city.

hit a raw nerve

- to upset someone by talking about a subject that upsets or embarrasses him or her

It hit a raw nerve when my friend asked me about my former boyfriend.

hold one's breath

- to stop breathing for a moment, to stop doing something and wait until something happens

I held my breath and waited to see if my name had been called for an interview with the movie company.

huff and puff

- to breathe very hard

I was huffing and puffing when I reached the top of the stairs.

in cold blood

- without feeling

The man was murdered in cold blood by a group of criminals.

in one breath

- spoken rapidly without stopping to breathe

I told my friend in one breath what happened at the party.

in one's blood

- to be built into one's personality or character

My cousin has music in her blood and is very good at it.

in the flesh

- in person, present

I finally was able to see my favorite movie actor in the flesh.

in the same breath

- almost at the same time

My friend was complaining about her teacher but in the same breath she said that she will continue with the class.

joined at the hip

- two people spending all their time together

The two boys are joined at the hip and never spend any time apart.

jump down (someone's) throat

- to suddenly become very angry at someone

The man's wife jumped down his throat when he came home late.

jump out of one's skin

- to be badly frightened, to be very surprised

I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw my boyfriend at the movie theater with another girl.

keep body and soul together

- to stay alive, to survive

The girl has been working very hard to keep body and soul together after her illness.

a kink in one's neck

- a cramp in one's neck that causes pain

I have a kink in my neck and it hurts when I turn my head.

know (something) in one's bones

- to know and sense something, to have an intuition about something

I know it in my bones that I am not going to pass my English exam.

know where all the bodies are buried

- to know all the important details and secrets about something

Our new boss knows where all the bodies are buried in our company and knows how to keep a secret.

land in (someone's) lap

- to come to you and you now have to deal with it (used for things like extra work)

Several resignations from our company landed in the personnel director's lap last Friday.

like getting blood out of a stone

- very difficult to get something from someone or something

It is like getting blood out of a stone to ask my friend for anything.

look over one's shoulder

- to be worried that something dangerous or bad may happen to you

I always look over my shoulder when I am walking next to a construction site.

make a clean breast of (something)

- to get something off one's chest, to confess something

I talked to my supervisor and tried to make a clean breast of my past problems in the company.

make no bones about (something)

- to make no mistake about something, to not doubt something

"Make no bones about it, I am not going to lend my friend any more money."

make (someone's) blood boil

- to make someone very angry

It makes my blood boil to think about what happened to my coworker.

make (someone's) blood run cold

- to shock or horrify someone

It made my blood run cold when I saw the little boy run into the road.

make (someone's) flesh crawl

- to become frightened so that your skin feels funny or you get goose bumps

The movie was very scary and from the beginning it made my flesh crawl.

a millstone around (someone's) neck

- a burden or handicap for someone

My parents' condominium is a millstone around their neck and they want to sell it.

(not) move a muscle

- to not move at all

I did not move a muscle when the large dog approached me on the street.

neck and neck

- exactly even in a race or contest

The two horses were neck and neck at the end of the race.

new blood

- new members brought into a group, new workers in a company

We have lots of new blood in our club.

No sweat!

- No problem! No difficulty!

"No sweat. I will finish work early and then drive you to the airport."

off one's back

- to not bother someone, to remove someone or something as an annoyance

I wish my boss would get off my back and stop bothering me.

off one's chest

- something is removed so that it does not bother you anymore

I talked to my friend for a long time and I was able to get some problems off my chest.

on (someone's) back

- constantly criticizing someone, pressuring someone

My sister is always on her daughter's back to clean up her room.

on (someone's) shoulders

- someone's responsibility

I do not want to have the failure of the project on my shoulders.

out for blood

- to be very determined to defeat or punish someone, to be very angry at someone

My boss was out for blood when he discovered that someone had deleted some files on his computer.

out of breath

- breathing fast and hard

I was out of breath after I ran to catch the train.

over my dead body

- not if I can stop you

I told my friend that I would lend him money only over my dead body.

a pain in the neck

- an annoying or bothersome person or event

Our customer is a pain in the neck and is always complaining about something.

pare (something) to the bone

- to cut down severely on something, to severely reduce something

We recently pared our household expenses to the bone.

a pat on the back

- praise, congratulations, encouragement

The man was given a pat on the back for his efforts to stop pollution in the river.

play one's cards close to one's chest

- to negotiate in a careful and private manner

I played my cards close to my chest when I went to talk to my supervisor about changing jobs.

press the flesh

- to shake hands with people in order to become more popular (often used for a politician)

The politician spent most of the weekend pressing the flesh in the shopping mall.

pull one's (own) weight

- to do one's share of something

The woman at the bank will not pull her own weight so nobody likes her.

put flesh on (something)

- to add details to something so that it becomes clearer and more detailed

I worked all weekend to try and put flesh on my ideas for a company proposal.

put one's back into (something)

- to use great physical or mental energy to do something

We put our backs into trying to move the freezer out of the basement.

put one's shoulder to the wheel

- to get busy and do some work

We must put our shoulders to the wheel and get our work done early.

ram (something) down (someone's) throat

- to force someone to do or agree to something that they do not want or like

My friend is always ramming his opinions down our throats.

rip (someone) limb from limb

- to attack someone in a violent way

The cat ripped the stuffed toy limb from limb.

risk one's neck (to do something)

- to risk harm in order to do something

The fireman risked his neck to save the young child.

rub elbows with (someone)

- to be in the same place as someone, to meet and mix with others

The small restaurant is very popular and you can rub elbows with different types of people.

rub shoulders with (someone)

- to be in the same place as someone, to meet and mix with others

We went to the party and were able to rub shoulders with some interesting artists.

save one's breath

- to keep silent because talking will do no good

"You can save your breath and not bother talking to him. He never listens to anyone."

save (someone's) neck/skin

- to save someone from danger or trouble or embarrassment

The worker tried to save his own neck without thinking about other people.

say (something) under one's breath

- to say something so softly that nobody can hear it

The clerk in the store said something under her breath about the customer.

scratch (someone's) back

- to do someone a favor in the hope that they will do something for you

If you scratch the supervisor's back he will help you when you need help.

shoot from the hip

- to speak directly and frankly, to fire a gun that is held at one's side and against one's hip

Our manager always shoots from the hip and everyone likes her because of that.

a shoulder to cry on

- someone to whom you can tell your problems to and then ask for sympathy and advice

I gave my friend a shoulder to cry on when I met him at the coffee shop.

shoulder to shoulder

- side by side, with a shared purpose

The children were standing shoulder to shoulder during the exercise class.

shove (something) down (someone's) throat

- to force someone to do or agree to something that they do not want or like

The workers were angry because the company tried to shove the new work rules down their throats.

skeleton in (someone's) closet

- a hidden and shocking secret

The politician had a skeleton in his closet that he did not want anyone to know about.

skin and bones

- a person or animal that is very thin or skinny

The dog was skin and bones after his owner stopped giving him food.

skin-deep

- on the surface only, not having any deep or honest meaning

I believe that the speaker's interest in the environment is only skin-deep.

slit one's (own) throat

- to experience certain failure, to do something that will cause problems now or in the future

The man is slitting his own throat to come to work late every day.

smell blood

- to sense an opponent's weakness or vulnerability

The reporters could smell blood when they began to investigate the politicians and the scandal.

soaked to the skin

- one's clothing is wet right through to the skin

I was soaked to the skin after walking in the rain.

split one's sides (with laughter)

- to laugh so hard that one's sides almost split

I split my sides with laughter when I heard the story about my friend.

stab (someone) in the back

- to betray someone

My friend stabbed me in the back although I helped him find a job.

stick in (someone's) throat/craw

- an idea or situation that is difficult for you to accept and irritates or displeases you

The customer's attitude sticks in my throat and I am happy to see him leave.

stick one's neck out (for someone or something)

- to do something dangerous or risky for someone

My friend will never stick his neck out to help other people.

stick to one's ribs

- to last a long time and fill one up (used for food)

The rice and beans stuck to my ribs and I was not hungry for a long time.

straight from the shoulder

- an open and honest way of speaking

The manager was speaking straight from the shoulder when he told the workers about the factory closing.

strike a raw nerve

- to upset someone by talking about a subject that upsets or embarrasses him or her

The discussion about death struck a raw nerve in the woman.

sweat blood

- to be very anxious and tense about something

I began to sweat blood when I heard that some of our staff may be transferred to another city.

sweat it out

- to wait patiently until something bad or unpleasant ends

We had to sweat it out with no food while our car was being repaired.

take (someone's) breath away

- to overwhelm someone with beauty or grandeur, to cause someone to be out of breath

The beauty of the mountain lake took my breath away.

take (someone's) pulse

- to measure the frequency of the beats of a person's pulse

The ambulance driver took the pulse of the woman.

tan (someone's) hide

- to spank or beat someone

The angry mother threatened to tan her child's hide.

taste blood

- to be able to harm an opponent and therefore want to try to do even more harm

I could taste blood when I discovered the weak points of my opponent.

tear (someone) limb from limb

- to attack someone in a violent way

The dogs attacked the cat and tore it limb from limb.

thick-skinned

- insensitive, not easily upset or hurt

You must be thick-skinned if you decide to get involved in politics.

thin-skinned

- easily upset or hurt, very sensitive

My friend is thin-skinned and is always upset about something that someone says to her.

a thorn in (someone's) side

- a constant bother or annoyance to someone

The teacher is a thorn in the principal's side and is always complaining about something.

throw one's weight around

- to give orders, to attempt to boss people around

The new supervisor likes to throw his weight around the company.

time to catch one's breath

- enough time to relax or behave normally

I did not have time to catch my breath while I was getting ready for the convention.

to the bone

- entirely, to the core

I was wet to the bone after walking in the rain for two hours.

too rich for (someone's) blood

- to be too expensive for someone's budget

The holiday in the expensive resort was too rich for our blood so we did not go.

touch a raw nerve

- to upset someone by talking about a subject that upsets or embarrasses him or her

The criticism from the supervisor touched a raw nerve in the secretary.

turn one's back on (someone or something)

- to refuse to help someone who is in trouble or need

The woman turned her back on her friend when the friend asked her for money.

turn (someone's) stomach

- to make someone feel sick, to disgust someone

The sight of the dead dog on the road turned my stomach.

up to one's ears (in something)

- to have a lot of something, to be much involved or busy with something

My friend is up to her ears in her science project at the moment.

up to one's eyeballs (in something)

- to have a lot of something, to be much involved or busy with something

I was up to my eyeballs in homework all weekend.

up to one's neck (in something)

- to have a lot of something, to be much involved or busy with something

I am up to my neck in work at the moment and will not be able to attend the dinner tonight.

vent one's spleen

- to get rid of one's feelings of anger by attacking someone or something

I went for a coffee with one of my coworkers who spent the whole time venting her spleen about her job.

wait with bated breath

- to wait anxiously for something

I waited with bated breath for the results of my exams.

warts and all

- including all one's faults and disadvantages

I talked to my friend and told him everything - warts and all.

waste one's breath

- to waste one's time talking, to talk in vain

I am wasting my breath to ask my parents to use the car this weekend.

wet one's whistle

- to have a drink (one's whistle is one's throat)

I stopped at a small cafe near the beach to wet my whistle.

with every (other) breath

- repeatedly or continually saying something

My friend tells me with every other breath that she does not like my boyfriend.

words stick in one's throat

- one can hardly speak because he or she is so overcome by emotion

I tried to ask the girl for a date but the words stuck in my throat and I could not say anything.

wring (someone's) neck

- to be extremely angry at someone

I want to wring my friend's neck for breaking my new laptop computer.

yellow-bellied

- extremely timid, cowardly

The new supervisor handled the matter in a yellow-bellied manner.

a yoke around (someone's) neck

- a burden for someone, something that oppresses people

The legal problems of my friend were a yoke around his neck.

You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

- if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor

"You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours," is a common expression in the construction industry.

Back Idioms

back-to-back

- next to each other and touching backs

The students were sitting back-to-back as they exercised in the gym class.

behind (someone's) back

- without someone's knowledge, secretly, when someone is absent

I do not like people who talk behind my back.

break one's back (to do something)

- to do all one possibly can, to work very hard to do something

I broke my back trying to help my friend with his project.

cover one's back

- to do something to protect yourself from criticism or future blame

I was very careful to cover my back when dealing with the lawyers.

a crick in one's back

- a painful cramp in one's back

I woke up this morning with a crick in my back.

get off (someone's) back

- to stop criticizing or nagging someone

I wish that my mother would get off my back about trying to find a better job.

get (someone's) back up

- to make someone become angry

I got my friend's back up when I asked to borrow her notes from school.

give (someone) the shirt off one's back

- to be very generous to someone

My friend is a very generous person and will be happy to give you the shirt off his back.

have one's back to the wall

- to be in a defensive position

I have my back to the wall at work and I must deal with many problems.

have one's back up against the wall

- to be in a defensive position

The man has his back up against the wall and may have to quit his job soon.

off one's back

- to not bother someone, to remove someone or something as an annoyance

I wish my boss would get off my back and stop bothering me.

on (someone's) back

- constantly criticizing someone, pressuring someone

My sister is always on her daughter's back to clean up her room.

a pat on the back

- praise, congratulations, encouragement

The man was given a pat on the back for his efforts to stop pollution in the river.

put one's back into (something)

- to use great physical or mental energy to do something

We put our backs into trying to move the freezer out of the basement.

scratch (someone's) back

- to do someone a favor in the hope that they will do something for you

If you scratch the supervisor's back he will help you when you need help.

stab (someone) in the back

- to betray someone

My friend stabbed me in the back although I helped him get a job.

turn one's back on (someone or something)

- to refuse to help someone who is in trouble or need

The woman turned her back on her friend when the friend asked her for some money.

You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

- if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor

"You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours," is a common expression in the construction industry.

Blood Idioms

bad blood (between people)

- anger or a bad relationship due to past problems with someone

There is much bad blood between the two supervisors.

blood is thicker than water

- family members are closer to one another than to others

Blood is thicker than water and people usually support and help their family in times of trouble.

blood on the carpet

- much trouble

There was much blood on the carpet after the meeting.

blood runs cold

- terrified or horrified

My blood ran cold when I saw the poison spider on my bed.

blood, sweat, and tears

- great personal effort

We put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into fixing our old house.

blue blood

- the blood (family line) of a noble or aristocratic family

Many blue bloods attended the opening of the new opera.

curdle (someone's) blood

- to frighten someone

The sight of the accident curdled my blood.

draw blood

- to make a wound that bleeds

The young boxer was the first to draw blood during the boxing match.

(one's) flesh and blood

- a close relative (father,daughter,brother etc.), a living human body

The man's own flesh and blood refused to help him when he needed money.

go for the jugular

- to attack someone in a way that you know will harm him or her most (the jugular is a large vein in the neck)

When the political candidate began to have problems the other candidates decided to go for the jugular and attack.

have (someone's) blood on one's hands

- to be responsible for someone's death

The driver of the car had the passengers' blood on his hands after two people were killed in an accident.

in cold blood

- without feeling

The man was murdered in cold blood by a group of criminals.

in one's blood

- to be built into one's personality or character

My cousin has music in her blood and is very good at it.

like getting blood out of a stone

- very difficult to get something from someone or something

It is like getting blood out of a stone to ask my friend for anything.

make (someone's) blood boil

- to make someone very angry

It makes my blood boil to think about what happened to my coworker.

make (someone's) blood run cold

- to shock or horrify someone

It made my blood run cold when I saw the little boy run into the road.

new blood

- new members brought into a group, new workers in a company

We have lots of new blood in our club.

out for blood

- to be very determined to defeat or punish someone, to be very angry at someone

My boss was out for blood when he discovered that someone had deleted some files on his computer.

smell blood

- to sense an opponent's weakness or vulnerability

The reporters could smell blood when they began to investigate the politicians and the scandal.

sweat blood

- to be very anxious and tense about something

I began to sweat blood when I heard that some of our staff may be transferred to another city.

taste blood

- to be able to harm an opponent and therefore want to try to do even more harm

I could taste blood when I discovered the weak points of my opponent.

too rich for (someone's) blood

- to be too expensive for someone's budget

The holiday in the expensive resort was too rich for our blood so we did not go.

Bone Idioms

as dry as a bone

- very dry

The river bed was as dry as a bone at the end of the summer.

bare bones (of something)

- the most basic and important parts of something

The company had to restructure and most services were cut to the bare bones of the operation.

a bone of contention

- something that people disagree about

The issue of working on Saturday evenings is a bone of contention between the store and the workers.

chilled to the bone

- very cold

I was chilled to the bone after swimming in the cold lake.

close to the bone

- something (a story or remark) that is embarrassing or upsetting

The remarks of my boss hit close to the bone when he began to criticize my work habits.

cut (something) to the bone

- to cut down severely on something, to severely reduce something

The company cut all of the extra expenses to the bone.

down to the bone

- entirely, to the core

The rain and snow chilled me right down to the bone.

feel (something) in one's bones

- to sense something, to have an intuition about something

I feel it in my bones that I am not going to get the job that I want.

know (something) in one's bones

- to know and sense something, to have an intuition about something

I know it in my bones that I am not going to pass my English exam.

make no bones about (something)

- to make no mistake about something, to not doubt something

"Make no bones about it, I am not going to lend my friend any more money."

pare (something) to the bone

- to cut down severely on something, to severely reduce something

We recently pared our household expenses to the bone.

skeleton in (someone's) closet

- a hidden and shocking secret

The politician had a skeleton in his closet that he did not want anyone to know about.

skin and bones

- a person or animal that is very thin or skinny

The dog was skin and bones after his owner stopped giving him food.

to the bone

- entirely, to the core

I was wet to the bone after walking in the rain for two hours.

Breathe/Breath Idioms

able to breathe easily again

- to be able to relax after a busy and stressful time

I was able to breathe easily again when I knew that I would not miss my flight.

able to breathe freely again

- to be able to relax after a busy and stressful time

I was able to breathe freely again when the exams were over.

at the top of one's lungs

- with a very loud voice

I yelled at the top of my lungs to get the man's attention.

a breath of fresh air

- new ideas or new energy or new ways of doing something

The new manager is a breath of fresh air in our company.

not breathe a word (about someone or something)

- to keep a secret about someone or something

"Please don't breathe a word about my new job to my supervisor."

breathe down (someone's) neck

- to watch someone closely (often by standing right behind them), to pressure someone to do something

My boss has been breathing down my neck all day to pressure me to finish the report.

breathe easy/easier

- to relax after a busy and stressful time

I could breathe easy after I finished my essay and gave it to my teacher.

breathe one's last

- to die, to breathe one's last breath before dying

The elderly man breathed his last late yesterday evening.

catch one's breath

- to return to normal breathing after breathing very hard

I stopped at the top of the stairs to catch my breath.

Don't hold your breath.

- Don't stop breathing to wait for something (because it will never happen).

"Don't hold your breath," I said when my friend asked when he would be able to borrow our friend's car.

hardly have time to breathe

- to be very busy

I hardly had time to breathe while I was preparing for the barbecue.

hold one's breath

- to stop breathing for a moment, to stop doing something and wait until something happens

I held my breath and waited to see if my name had been called for an interview with the movie company.

huff and puff

- to breathe very hard

I was huffing and puffing when I reached the top of the stairs.

in one breath

- spoken rapidly without stopping to breathe

I told my friend in one breath what happened at the party.

in the same breath

- almost at the same time

My friend was complaining about her teacher but in the same breath she said that she will continue with the class.

out of breath

- breathing fast and hard

I was out of breath after I ran to catch the train.

save one's breath

- to keep silent because talking will do no good

"You can save your breath and not bother talking to him. He never listens to anyone."

say (something) under one's breath

- to say something so softly that nobody can hear it

The clerk in the store said something under her breath about the customer.

take (someone's) breath away

- to overwhelm someone with beauty or grandeur, to cause someone to be out of breath

The beauty of the mountain lake took my breath away.

time to catch one's breath

- enough time to relax or behave normally

I did not have time to catch my breath while I was getting ready for the convention.

wait with bated breath

- to wait anxiously for something

I waited with bated breath for the results of my exams.

waste one's breath

- to waste one's time talking, to talk in vain

I am wasting my breath to ask my parents to use the car this weekend.

with every (other) breath

- repeatedly or continually saying something

My friend tells me with every other breath that she does not like my boyfriend.

Neck Idioms

break one's neck (to do something)

- to do all one possibly can, to work very hard to do something

I broke my neck to try and get the report finished on time.

breathe down (someone's) neck

- to watch someone closely (often by standing right behind them), to pressure someone to do something

My boss has been breathing down my neck all day to pressure me to finish the report.

a crick in one's neck

- a painful cramp in one's neck

I woke up this morning with a crick in my neck.

dead from the neck up

- to be very stupid

My boss seems to be dead from the neck up.

a kink in one's neck

- a cramp in one's neck that causes pain

I have a kink in my neck and it hurts when I turn my head.

a millstone around (someone's) neck

- a burden or handicap for someone

My parents' condominium is a millstone around their neck and they want to sell it.

neck and neck

- exactly even in a race or contest

The two horses were neck and neck at the end of the race.

a pain in the neck

- an annoying or bothersome person or event

Our customer is a pain in the neck and is always complaining about something.

risk one's neck (to do something)

- to risk harm in order to do something

The fireman risked his neck to save the young child.

save (someone's) neck/skin

- to save someone from danger or trouble or embarrassment

The worker tried to save his own neck without thinking about other people.

stick one's neck out (for someone or something)

- to do something dangerous or risky for someone

My friend will never stick his neck out to help other people.

up to one's neck (in something)

- to have a lot of something, to be much involved or busy with something

I am up to my neck in work at the moment and will not be able to attend the dinner tonight.

wring (someone's) neck

- to be extremely angry at someone

I want to wring my friend's neck for breaking my new laptop computer.

a yoke around (someone's) neck

- a burden for someone, something that oppresses people

The legal problems of my friend were a yoke around his neck.

Shoulder Idioms

carry the weight of the world on one's shoulders

- to appear to be dealing with all the problems in the whole world

My friend has much stress and thinks that he is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

get the cold shoulder (from someone)

- to be ignored or rejected (by someone)

I often get the cold shoulder from my coworker..

give (someone) the cold shoulder

- to ignore someone, to reject someone

The office staff gave the man the cold shoulder when he did not go to the farewell party.

have a chip on one's shoulder

- to have a tendency to try to get into a conflict with others

Our supervisor has a chip on his shoulder and is not an easy person to work with.

have broad shoulders

- to have the ability to work hard and take on responsibilities and accept criticism (because you are strong with broad shoulders)

The man has broad shoulders and does more than his share of work in our company.

head and shoulders above (someone or something)

- to be superior to someone or something

Our soccer coach is head and shoulders above the other coaches in the city.

look over one's shoulder

- to be worried that something dangerous or bad may happen to you

I always look over my shoulder when I am walking next to a construction site.

on (someone's) shoulders

- someone's responsibility

I do not want to have the failure of the project on my shoulders.

put one's shoulder to the wheel

- to get busy and do some work

We must put our shoulders to the wheel and get our work done early.

rub shoulders with (someone)

- to be in the same place as others, to meet and mix with others

We went to the party and were able to rub shoulders with some interesting artists.

a shoulder to cry on

- someone to whom you can tell your problems to and then ask for sympathy and advice

I gave my friend a shoulder to cry on when I met him at the coffee shop.

shoulder to shoulder

- side by side, with a shared purpose

The children were standing shoulder to shoulder during the exercise class.

straight from the shoulder

- an open and honest way of speaking

The manager was speaking straight from the shoulder when he told the workers about the factory closing.

Skin Idioms

as soft as a baby's bottom

- very soft and smooth

My new silk pajamas are as soft as a baby's bottom.

get under (someone's) skin

- to bother or irritate someone

My neighbor is beginning to get under my skin with her constant complaining.

goose bumps

- the bumpy skin (like a goose) that one gets because of excitement or fear

I got goose bumps when the woman began to talk about her sick child.

jump out of one's skin

- to be badly frightened, to be very surprised

I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw my boyfriend at the movie theater with another girl.

save (someone's) skin

- to save someone from danger or trouble or embarrassment

The worker tried to save his own skin without thinking about other people.

skin and bones

- a person or animal that is very thin or skinny

The dog was skin and bones after his owner stopped giving him food.

skin-deep

- on the surface only, not having any deep or honest meaning

I believe that the speaker's interest in the environment is only skin-deep.

soaked to the skin

- one's clothing is wet right through to the skin

I was soaked to the skin after walking in the rain.

thick-skinned

- insensitive, not easily upset or hurt

You must be thick-skinned if you decide to get involved in politics.

thin-skinned

- easily upset or hurt, very sensitive

My friend is thin-skinned and is always upset about something that someone says to her.

Stomach Idioms

can't stomach (someone or something)

- to dislike someone or something very much

I cannot stomach the new woman who I work with.

contemplate one's navel

- to spend a lot of time thinking about one's own problems rather than being concerned about more important things

I spent the summer contemplating my navel and did not do a thing.

difficult to stomach (someone or something)

- to be unable to accept someone, to be unable to accept something that you think is unpleasant or wrong

It is difficult to stomach my friend when she begins to complain about things.

eyes are bigger than one's stomach

- taking more food than one can eat

My eyes were bigger than my stomach when I went to the buffet table and took too much food.

get butterflies in one's stomach

- to get a feeling of fear or anxiety in one's stomach

I got buterflies in my stomach just before I took the test.

hard to stomach (someone or something)

- to be unable to accept something, to be unable to do something that you think is unpleasant or wrong

I find the attitudes of some of my classmates hard to stomach.

have butterflies in one's stomach

- to have a feeling of fear or anxiety in one's stomach

The little boy had butterflies in his stomach when he gave the speech in front of the class.

not have the stomach for (something)

- to have no desire to do something because you think that it is unpleasant or wrong

I do not have the stomach to talk with my friend about his work and financial problems.

turn (someone's) stomach

- to make someone feel sick, to disgust someone

The sight of the dead dog on the road turned my stomach.

Sweat Idioms

blood, sweat, and tears

- great personal effort

We put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into fixing our old house.

break into a cold sweat (about something)

- to become nervous or frightened about something

I broke into a cold sweat when I went to tell my teacher about my mistake.

by the sweat of one's brow

- by one's hard work or effort

The restaurant owner built his business by the sweat of his brow.

sweat blood

- to be very anxious and tense about something

I began to sweat blood when I heard that some of our staff may be transferred to another city.

sweat it out

- to wait patiently until something bad or unpleasant ends

We had to sweat it out with no food while our car was being repaired.

Throat Idioms

at each other's throats

- fighting or arguing all the time

The two boys were at each other's throats when they entered the room.

cut one's (own) throat

- to experience certain failure, to do something that will cause problems now or in the future

My friend is cutting his own throat if he does not make an effort to find a new job quickly.

force (something) down (someone's) throat

- to force someone to do or agree to something that they do not want or like

The government tried to force the new law down the public's throat.

get a frog in one's throat

- to get soreness in your throat that prevents you from talking well

I got a frog in my throat just as I answered the phone to talk to my professor.

get a lump in one's throat

- to feel like there is something in your throat as if you are going to cry

I got a lump in my throat as I listened to the tragic story of the woman's family.

grab (someone) by the throat

- to feel very interested or excited or frightened because of a performance or book or idea

The ballet performance grabbed the audience by the throat and everyone left the auditorium speechless.

have a frog in one's throat

- to have soreness in your throat that prevents you from talking well

I had a frog in my throat this morning before I left my house.

have a lump in one's throat

- to feel like there is something in your throat as if you were going to cry

The man had a lump in his throat during his daugher's graduation.

jump down (someone's) throat

- to suddenly become very angry at someone

The man's wife jumped down his throat when he came home late.

ram (something) down (someone's) throat

- to force someone to do or agree to something that they do not want or like

My friend is always ramming his opinions down our throats.

shove (something) down (someone's) throat

- to force someone to do or agree to something that they do not want or like

The workers were angry because the company tried to shove the new work rules down their throats.

slit one's (own) throat

- to experience certain failure, to do something that will cause problems now or in the future

The man is slitting his own throat to come to work late every day.

stick in (someone's) throat

- an idea or situation that is difficult for you to accept and irritates or displeases you

The customer's attitude sticks in my throat and I am happy to see him leave.

wet one's whistle

- to have a drink (one's whistle is one's throat)

I stopped at a small cafe near the beach to wet my whistle.

words stick in one's throat

- one can hardly speak because he or she is so overcome by emotion

I tried to ask the girl for a date but the words stuck in my throat and I could not say anything.