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Idioms and Phrases | Meaning |
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Hobson's choice | - A choice of taking what is available or nothing at all |
Left handed compliment | - A criticism or insult disguised as a compliment |
A red letter day | - A day of special significance |
A snake in the grass | - a deceitful or treacherous person |
A fair crack of the whip | - A fair chance or opportunity |
Tall order | - A formidable task |
Castles in the air | - A hope or desire unlikely to be realized |
A Ladies man | - A man who shows fondness for the company of women |
To be a good samaritan | - A person who voluntarily offers help |
White elephant | - A possession that is useless |
Storm in a cup | - A small event that has been exaggerated out of proportion |
A tall order | - A task difficult to accomplish |
Gift of the gab | - Ability to speak easily and confidently |
French leave | - Absence without permission |
To take a leap in the dark | - An act whose consequences cannot be predicted |
A fool's errand | - An attempt to do something that has no chance of success |
Bird's eye view | - An overall or cursory look at something |
A pipe dream | - An unattainable or fanciful hope |
To throw cold water on | - be discouraging or negative about |
Hush money | - Bribe paid to someone to prevent them from disclosing discreditable information |
By the skin of one's teeth | - By the smallest margin |
Make both ends meet | - Earn just enough money to live on |
All and sundry | - Everyone without distinction |
The pros and cons | - For and against a thing |
Wild goose chase | - Fruitless pursuit of something unattainable |
Lock, stock, and barrel | - Including all or every part of something |
Swan song | - Last work or performance of a musician, actor etc before death or retirement |
Pin money | - Money for incidental expenses |
To cry wolf | - Raising false alarm |
Wolf in sheep's clothing | - Someone who is pretending to be something they are not |
No love lost | - Strong hatred, hostility, or enmity for the other person |
To take up the gauntlet | - To accept a challenge |
To be at loggerheads | - To be at strife or enmity |
To be at daggers drawn | - To be bitter enemy |
To keep one's head above water | - To be cautious |
Eat humble pie | - To be forced to apologize humbly |
To kick your heels | - To be forced to wait for a period of time |
Be in the mire | - To be in difficulties |
In hot water | - To be in trouble |
To blow hot and cold | - To be inconsistent |
To get cold feet | - To become nervous or anxious |
To play fast and loose | - To behave in a recklessly irresponsible or deceitful manner |
To end in smoke | - To come to nothing |
To read between the lines | - To detect the real meaning |
To give up the ghost | - To die |
To die in harness | - To die while actively engaged in work |
Blaze a trail | - To do early or pioneering work that others will follow up on |
To set the thames on fire | - To do something remarkable |
To pour oil in troubled water | - To do something to calm a quarrel |
Bite the bullet | - To endure a painful or otherwise unpleasant situation that is seen as unavoidable |
To make a mountain of a molehill | - To exaggerate the importance of something trivial |
To wrangle over an ass's shadow | - To fight or quarrel over trivial and insignificant matters |
To catch a Tartar | - To fight with strong enemy |
Hit the nail on the head | - To guess or arrive at exactly the right answer |
To hit below the belt | - To harm unfairly |
Have an axe to grind | - To have a reason for being involved in something |
To pay off old scores | - To have one's revenge |
Let bygones be bygones | - To ignore the past |
Throw down the gauntlet | - To issue a challenge |
To grease one's palm | - To offer bribe |
To cast pearls before a swine | - To offer someone a thing who doesn't care about it |
To break the ice | - To overcome shyness and start a conversation |
To push someone to the wall | - To put someone in a defensive position |
To put the cart before the horse | - To put things in the wrong order |
To turn a deaf ear | - To refuse to listen or hear something |
To spill the beans | - To reveal confidential information or secrets |
Pick holes in | - To seek and discover fault |
To show the white feather | - To show signs of cowardice |
Call a spade a spade | - To speak frankly about something, even if it is unpleasant |
To play on a fiddle | - To spend time in aimless or fruitless activity |
Smell a rat | - To suspect that something is wrong |
To smell a rat | - To suspect that something is wrong |
To take with a grain of salt | - To take with some reservation |
To keep the wolf from the door | - To ward off poverty or hunger |
Get the sack | - Told to leave the job |
To beat the air | - Useless efforts |
Within an ace of | - Very close to doing something |
Once in a blue moon | - Very rarely |
Adams ale | - water |
Burning the candle at both ends | - wearing themselves out or working too hard |
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