Idiom / Phrase Meaning Example Sentence

She has a sweet tooth. She always eats ice cream

sweet tooth love sweet things
after dinner.
To reschedule at another Can I take a rain check? I don’t have time to go
take a rain check
time out tonight.
take my hat off I take my hat off to Rahul. He was the best singer
honour someone
to someone at the party.
To be successful in business, you need to take no
take no prisoners ruthlessly aggressive
prisoners and beat the competition.
take the bull by be brave and face a If you want to be the CEO of the company, take
the horns challenge the bull by the horns and work harder.
especially good or His slap shot definitely takes the cake. It’s the best
take the cake
outstanding in the league!
take the wind out Your comment took the wind out of my sails when
to feel deflated
of my sails you laughed at my new invention.
take with a grain don’t believe it is I always take whatever I read in the news with a
of salt completely accurate grain of salt.
Women who are close friends can talk a blue
talk a blue streak talk a lot
streak on the phone.
a situation involving fame The actress was ready for the big time when she
the big time
or success was nominated for the award.
the birds and the I remember learning about the birds and the bees
sex education
bees in middle school.
Just before the deadline, the student submitted the
the eleventh-hour last chance to do something
assignment at the eleventh hour.
We’re on the home stretch now. We’ll be there in
the home stretch near the end
a few minutes.
She was upset because her sister got the lion’s
the lion’s share the majority
share of the inheritance.
the tip of the a small part of a bigger Tax evasion was just the tip of the iceberg. The
iceberg problem company has committed countless other crimes.
the whole nine We covered the whole nine yards in the meeting.
everything
yards There’s nothing left to do.
Tommy is so thick in the head. He keeps licking
thick in the head stupid or foolish
the wall.
third time’s a the third time is usually I tried unlocking the door twice already. I hope the
charm successful third time’s a charm.
through thick
in good and bad times He loved his wife through thick and thin.
and thin
to let go of all
throw caution to Let’s throw caution to the wind, quit our jobs, and
responsibilities and have
the wind go on vacation!
fun
throw in the Rocky never threw in the towel during his fighting
give up
towel career.
throw the baby removing something good Keep writing your novel. Don’t throw the baby out
out with the while trying to remove with the bathwater. Most of what you have written
bathwater something bad is great.
throw under the sacrifice someone as a The player threw the goaltender under the bus
bus scapegoat saying he was the reason they lost the game.
The team lost the first game but won the second.
tick for tack retaliation
Tick for tack.
Are you ever going to tie the knot? You aren’t
tie the knot get married
getting any younger.
time flies time goes very fast Our vacation is over already? Time flies!
time is money time is valuable We can’t wait here all day. Time is money!
an enjoyable time of your Did you have the time of your life when you were
time of your life
life a teenager?
It’s time to run. I need to go and pick up my kids
time to run time to leave
from school.
the outcome will soon be Only time will tell what happens to the human
time will tell
known race.
Mandy was off base when she said that I needed a
to be off base not making a fair statement
hair transplant to get the acting role.
to fancy to think someone is very
Do you fancy Molly? She likes you too.
someone attractive
When I said to fly to Hawaii, I was speaking
not meaning what one is
tongue in cheek tongue in cheek. I didn’t think you would book a
saying
ticket!
actual character or I saw her true colours when she donated to the
true colours
personality local charity.
His girlfriend was two-timing him by sleeping
two-time cheat or betray
with the plumber.
Mick said the girl was under his thumb. She was
under my thumb under my control
the sweetest pet in the world.
We should keep this under the table until we know
under the table concealed or by secret
it’s safe to tell everyone.
under the Sorry, I can’t come to work today. I’m feeling a
feel sick
weather bit under the weather.
until the cows
for a long time She can watch Netflix until the cows come home.
come home
If I don’t wash the dishes tonight, I’ll be up the
up the creek in trouble
creek. Mom said to wash them two days ago.
walk out on My girlfriend walked out on me, so I was
to end a relationship
someone depressed.
wash my hands I’m washing my hands of his troubled past and
stop dealing with a problem
of something moving on with life.
water off a a harmful remark that does She insulted me but I didn’t care. It was like water
duck’s back not affect someone off a duck’s back.
water under the a past problem that no He cheated on her 10 years ago, but that is water
bridge longer affects the present under the bridge now.
She wears the pants in the family. Her husband
wear the pants be in charge
stays home and sleeps all day.
wear your heart You always wear your heart on your sleeve and
show emotions openly
on your sleeve give annual donations to charity.
when it rains, it many misfortunes often Last week, my dog died and I broke my leg. When
pours occur all at once it rains, it pours.
whisper sweet to say romantic things to
Sue likes it when I whisper sweet nothings to her.
nothings someone
My old DVD player is a white elephant. I only
white elephant useless possession
watch Netflix now.
a controversial issue or The voting ballot has become a hot potato in the
a hot potato
situation country.
Being a good teacher, handling students was a
A piece of cake An easy task
piece of cake for him.
Once in a blue
A very rare event A referendum occurs once in a blue moon.
moon
A bed of roses An easy option or way Life isn’t a bed of roses.
Raining cats and
Heavy rains It rained cats and dogs during the cyclone
dogs
When pigs fly An impossible task or event The time machine will be invented when pigs fly.
one who presents a John always plays the devil’s advocate in every
Devil’s advocate
counter-argument plan we make.
Miss an opportunity or If you won’t study you will miss the boat to your
Miss the boat
chance dream college.
someone very precious or
Apple of the eye A child is an apple of the parents’ eyes
dear
The angry teacher asked the students to zip their
zip your lip Shut up or stop talking
lips
A second burst of energy He felt a second wind surging through his body.
Second wind
after being tired He grabbed the shovel and started digging again.
dog’s life A miserable life. In the 1800s, slaves led a dog’s life
S.No. Idioms & Phrases Meaning
1. Rank and File Ordinary People
2. By fits and starts In short periods, not regularly
3. A wee bit A little
4. Out of the wood Free from difficulties and dangers
5. Under his thumb Under his control
6. At one’s wits end In a state where one does not know what to do
Between the devil and the
7. Between two dangers
deep sea
8. Burn the midnight oil Work or study hard
9. Call a spade a spade Speak frankly and directly
10. Come off with flying colors Be highly successful
11. Hoping against hope Without hope
12. Hit the nail on the head Do or say the exact thing
13. An axe to grind A personal interest in the matter
14. To get rid of Dispose of
15. At daggers drawn Bitterly hostile
16. To play ducks and drakes To act foolishly or inconsistently
To take the bull by the
17. To tackle a problem in a bold and direct fashion
horns
18. Rain cats and dogs Rain heavily
19. To move heaven and earth To make a supreme effort
20. No avail Without any result
21. Bark up the wrong tree Accuse or denounce the wrong person
22. Keep one at bay Keep one at a distance
Confess – especially when a person has done a
23. Make a clean breast of it
wrong thing
24. Have a card up one’s sleeve Have a secret plan in reserve
25. Like a cat on hot bricks Very nervous
26. Cat and dog life Life full of quarrels
27. Cock and bull story Made up story that one should not believe
28. Cry for the moon Ask for the impossible
29. The pros and cons The various aspects of a matter in detail
30. Be in a tight corner In a very difficult situation
31. Cross one’s t’s and dot Be precise, careful and one’s i’s exact
32. At arm’s length To keep at a distance
33. Out of the question Impossible
34. Out of the way Strange
35. Show a clean pair of heals Run away
The anxiety in which you hope that nothing will
36. Keep one’s fingers crossed
upset your plans
37. In the nick of time Just at the last moment
38. Sitting on the fence Hesitate between two decisions
39. Spread like wild fire Spread quickly
40. The gift of the gab Talent for speaking
41. By hook or by crook By fair or foul means
42. Feather one’s own nest Make money unfairly
43. Throw out of gear Disturb the work
44. Take to one’s heels Run away
45. Tooth and nail With all one’s power
46. Die in harness Die while in service
Take a leaf out of one’s
47. Imitate one
book
48. Leave no stone unturned Use all available means
49. A man of straw A man of no substance
50. Read between the lines Understand the hidden meaning
51. In cold blood Deliberately and without emotion
52. A thorn in the flesh A constant source of annoyance
53. Smell a rat Suspect something foul
54. Harp on the same string Dwell on the same subject
55. Bury the hatchet End the quarrel and make peace
Desert one in difficulties; leave one in a helpless
56. Leave one in the lurch
condition
57. Like a fish out of water In a strange situation
58. At one’s beck and call Under his control
59. To make both ends meet To live within one’s income
60. In hot water In trouble
61. Nip in the bud Destroy in the early stage
62. Stick to one’s guns Remain faithful to the cause
To apologize humbly and to yield under
63. To eat humble pie
humiliating circumstances
64. In high spirits Very happy
Put the cart before the
65. Put or do things in the wrong order
horse
66. To all names To abuse
67. On tenterhooks In a state of suspense and anxiety
Discuss unpleasant in public-private matters
68. Wash one’s dirty linen
before strangers
69. To bell the cat To face the risk
70. A hard nut to crack A difficult problem
71. Let the cat out of the bag Reveal a secret
72. A big gun An important person
 Kill two birds with one
73. To achieve two results with one effort
stone
74. Take one to task Rebuke
75. Gain ground Become Popular
76. To blow one’s own To praise one’s own trumpet achievement
77. A bosom friend A very close friend
78. A brown study Dreaming
79. Turn a deaf ear Disregard / ignore what one says
80. A close shave Narrow escape
81. Turn over a new leaf Change for the better
82. Make up one’s mind Decide
83. In the long run Eventually; ultimately
84. Bring to light Disclose
85. Pay off old scores Take revenge
86. Hard and fast rules Strict rules
87. At the eleventh hour At the last moment
88. A close shave Narrow escape
89. To cut a sorry figure To make a poor show
90. With a high hand Oppressively
91. Burn one’s fingers Get into trouble by interfering in other’s affairs
92. Laugh one’s head off Laugh heartily
93. Chew the cud Ponder over something
94. Play second fiddle Take an unimportant part
95. Above board Honest and open
96. Through thick and thin Under all conditions
97. Put a spoke in one’s wheel To upset one’s plans
98. At sixes and sevens In a disordered/disorganized manner, chaotic
99. At home Comfortable
100. Alpha and omega The beginning and the end
101. At sea Confused and lost
102. A bosom friend A very close friend
103. At one’s beck and call At one’s service
104. By leaps and bounds Rapidly
105. To burn one’s boats Go back on a decision
106. To beat about the bush Talk irrelevantly
107. To burn candle at both ends To waste lavishly
108. Take one to task Rebuke
109. A bone of contention A source of quarrel
110. Add fuel to the fire To aggravate the situation
111. An acid test A critical test
112. At a snail’s pace Very slowly
113. A bolt from the blue Something unexpected
114. To build castles in the air Make imaginary schemes
115. Once in a blue moon Something that happens very rarely
116. Beating around the bush Avoiding the main topic
117. Cry over spilled milk Complaining about a loss or failure from the past
When someone is upset about something that
118. Chip on your shoulder
happened a while ago
119. Piece of cake Something that is easy to understand or do
A big sum of money given to a person when
120. Golden handshake
he/she leaves a company or retires
121. Spill the beans To disclose a secret
Something good and useful that did not initially
122. Blessing in disguise
seem that way
123. Mean business Being Serious or Dedicated
124. Come hell or high water Possible obstacles in your path
125. Apple of one’s eye Being cherished
Bite off more than you can
126. Not able to complete a task due to lack of ability
chew
The benefits of widely differing situations,
127. The best of both worlds
enjoyed at the same time
Feeling a bit under the
128. Feeling slightly ill
weather
129. Icing on the cake Something that turns good into great
130. Cost an arm and a leg Be very expensive
131. Jump the bandwagon To join a popular activity or trend
When it is up to you to make the next decision or
132. Ball is in your court
step
133. To be in the doldrums To be in low spirits
134. To sit on the fence To remain neutral
135. Break the ice To initiate a social conversation or interaction
136. Hear it on grapevine To hear rumors about something or someone
Can’t judge a book by its
137. Cannot judge something primarily on appearance
cover
Actions or communications need more than one
138. It takes two to tango
person
139. Let the cat out of the bag To reveal the secret carelessly or by mistake
140. Black and blue Full of Bruises
141. Be on cloud nine Be very happy
142. Last straw The final problem in a series of problems
A view from a very high place that allows you to
143. A bird’s eye view
see a very large area
A method that helps to know if something is
144. A litmus Test
correct
145. At the drop of a hat Willingness to do something instantly
Afraid of one’s own
146. To become easily frightened
shadow
147. A house of cards A poor plan
148. Fool’s paradise False sense of happiness
149. Get a raw deal To not be treated as well as other people
150. Give cold shoulder To ignore
151. Hand to mouth Live on only basic necessities
To show dislike or disappointment through facial
152. Make a face
expressions
153. It’s Greek to me Something that is not understandable
To pour oil on troubled
154. To make peace
waters
Don’t put all your eggs in Do not put all your resources in one basket (in one
155.
one basket place or thing)
To say in a few words or to make something
156. To put in a nutshell
concise
157. Back out To withdraw from a promise or contract
158. Blow up To explode
159. Back Up To support and sustain
160. Back Upon To be relevant
161. Break Down Failure in something
162. Break off To end or discontinue
163. Break Up To disperse / dissolve
164. Bring up To rear
165. Call forth To provoke
166. Call out To shout
167. Call upon To order
168. Carry on To continue
169. Cast away To throw aside
170. Catch up with To overtake
171. Come off To take place
172. Cry Down To make little of
173. Catch up with To overtake
174. Cry out against To complain loudly against
175. Cut out Designed for
176. Drop in To Visit Casually
177. Drop out To fall
178. Fall back To Recede; To Retreat
179. Fall down From a higher position to a lower one
180. Fall off To Withdraw; To Drop Off
181. Fall under To come under
182. Get along To Prosper; To Progress; To Proceed
183. Get on with To Live Pleasantly Together; To Progress
184. Get into To be involved in
185. Give in To Surrender; To Yield
186. Give over Not to do any longer
187. Go after To Follow; To Pursue
188. Go Down To be accepted
189. Go without To remain without
190. Go by To follow
191. Hang about To Loiter near a place
192. Hang upon To depend upon
To Endure; To Refuse to yield; To continue; To
193. Hold out
offer
194. Hold to Abide By
195. Keep off To ward off
196. Keep up with To keep pace with
197. Knock out To win by hitting another one
Both people involved in a bad situation are
198. It takes two to tango
responsible for it
199. Last straw The final problem in a series of problems
200. Keep something at bay Keep something away
Kill two birds with one To solve two problems at a time with just one
201.
stone action
202. Let sleeping dogs lie Leave something alone if it might cause trouble
Release something that was previously under
203. Open the floodgates
control
204. Out of the blue Happen unexpectedly
205. Out on a limb Do something risky
206. Over the Top Totally excessive and not suitable for the occasion
 Pen is mightier than the Words and communication have a greater effect
207.
sword than war
208. Push one’s luck Trying to obtain more than what one has
209. Reap the harvest Benefit or suffer as a direct result of past actions
210. Roll up sleeves To get yourself prepared
211. See eye to eye To be in agreement with
212. Shot in the dark A complete guess
213. Sink your teeth into Do something with a lot of energy and enthusiasm
Take with a grain/pinch of
214. To doubt theaccuracy of information
salt
215. Skating on thin ice Do or say something risky
216. Tight spot A difficult situation
217. Strike while the iron is hot To act at the right time
Venture into something of one’s interest despite
218. Take the plunge
the risks involved
219. Take a nosedive Rapid drop or decrease in value
220. Think the world of Admire someone very much
221. Stand in a good stead To be useful or be of good service to someone
222. Take a back seat Choose to be less important in a role
223. Wave a dead chicken Do something useless
224. Whale of a time Enjoy a lot
225. Wrap one’s brain around Concentrate on something to understand
226. Zero in on something Focus all attention on one thing
227. Above all Chiefly, Mainly
228. On Account of Due to
229. On no account Not for Any Reason
230. A Fidus Achates A faithful friend or a devoted follower
231. The Heel of Achilles A Weak Point
232. An Adonis A very handsome man
233. To assume airs To affect superiority
234. To stand aloof To keep to oneself and not mix with others
235. To lead to the altar To marry
236. An Ananias A Liar
237. An Apollo A Man with Perfect Physique
238. To Upset the Apple Cart To disturb the peace
239. Apple Pie Order In perfect order
240. Arcadian Life A blissful, happy, rural and simple life
241. To take up arms To fight or go to the war
242. To Grind To have some selfish objective in view
To break the back of
243. To perform the most difficult part
anything
244. To backbite a person To speak disguise about someone
245. He has no backbone He has no will of his own
246. To cause bad blood To Cause Enmity
247. Bag and Baggage With all one's belongings
248. To keep the ball rolling To keep things going
249. Barmecide feast Imaginary Benefits
250. Bee-line The shortest distance between two places
251. Behind one's back Without one's Knowledge
252. Behind the scenes In Private
253. To hit below the belt To act unfairly in a contest
254. To bite the dust To be Defeated in Battle
A person who discourages enjoyment or
255. A Wet Blanket
enthusiasm
256. In Cold Blood Deliberately
257. A blue Stocking A learned/educated or intellectual woman
258. At First Blush At first sight
Something completely unexpected that surprises
259. A Bolt from the Blue
you
260. One's bread and butter One's means of livelihood
261. To breadth one's last To Die
To make bricks without To attempt to do something without proper
262.
straw materials
263. To kick the bucket To die
264. Good wine needs no bush There is no need to advertise something good
To burn the candle at both To expend energy in two directions at the same
265.
ends time
If you think the remarks refer to you, then accept
266. If the cap fits, wear it
the criticism
267. Care killed the cat Don’t fret and worry yourself to death
268. To Catch one's eye To attract attention
269. To take the chair To preside a meeting
270. She is no chicken She is older than she says
271. To pick and choose To make a careful selection
272. To square the circle To attempt something impossible
Every cloud has a silver
273. Adverse conditions do not last forever
lining
274. Close fisted Mean
Cut your cloth according to
275. Live within your income
your cloth
276. A cock and bull story A foolishly incredible story
277. To be cock sure To be perfectly sure or certain
To throw cold water upon
278. To discourage efforts
anything
279. Off color Not in the usual form
280. To commit to memory To learn by heart
Too many cooks spoil the
281. Where there are more workers than necessary
broth
282. Crocodile tears Hypocritical Tears
283. By hook or by crook By fair or foul means
284. Cut and dried Readymade
285. Up to date Recent
286. Evil days A period of misfortune
A time when there are peace and happiness in the
287. Halcyon Days
land
To step into dead man's
288. To come into an inheritance
shoes
289. Go to the devil Be off
290. Devil's bones Dice
291. Devil’s Playthings Playing Cards
Give a dog a bad name and
292. Once a person loses his reputation
hang him
Sooner or later, everyone has his share of good
293. Every dog has his day
fortune
294. To throw dust in one's eyes To try to deceive someone or mislead someone
A useless possession which is extremely expensive
295. A white elephant
to keep
296. To set the Thames on fire To do something sensational or remarkable
One who has had a previous unpleasant experience
A burnt child dreads the
297. is always scared of situations where such
fire
experiences are likely to be repeated
298. A fish out of water Anyone in an awkward
299. Foul play Cheating
To jump from a frying pan
300. To come out of one trouble and get into a worse
into fire
301. All that glitters are not gold Things are not always as attractive as they appear
302. To die in harness To continue at one’s occupation until death
 Make hay while the sun
303. Take advantage of all opportunities
shines
304. Lock, stock and barrel The whole of everything
Comes nowhere near it. If someone narrowly
305. A miss is as good as a mile misses the target it still is treated as a missed one
or failure.
306. To move heaven and earth To exert all efforts
One swallow does not It is unreliable to base one's conclusions on only a
307.
make a summer single test or incident
If wishing could make things happen, then even
If wishes were horses,
308. the most destitute people would have everything
beggars might ride
they wanted
An event which relates a sensation for a time but is
309. A nine days' wonder
soon forgotten
Newspapers which publish sensational and
310. Yellow press unscrupulous stories and exaggerates the news to
attract readers.
311. A ball park figure A general financial figure
To make certain that the amount of money spent is
312. To balance the books
not more than the amount of money received.
A product or service that makes a lot of money for
313. A cash cow
a company
314. Devil's Advocate To present a counter argument
You are not very good at something. You could
315. Don't give up the day job
not do it professionally.
316. To cook the books To modify financial statements
317. To get the sack To be dismissed from your job
318. To be snowed under To be very busy
To work your fingers to the
319. To work really hard
boneOrTo sweat blood
320. Hear it on the grapevine To hear rumors
Overwhelmed by what is happening in the
321. In the heat of the moment
moment
322. Not a spark of decency No Manners
This expression is used when the person you have
323. Speak of the devil!
just been talking about arrives
324. Whole nine yards Everything. All of it
Your guess is as good as
325. To have no idea about anything
mine

Verb collocations
 have do make
have a bath do business make a difference
have a drink do nothing make a mess
have a good time do someone a favour make a mistake
have a haircut do the cooking make a noise
have a holiday do the housework make an effort
have a problem do the shopping make furniture
have a relationship do the washing up make money
have a rest do your best make progress
have lunch do your hair make room
have sympathy do your homework make trouble

take break catch

take a break break a habit catch a ball
take a chance break a leg catch a bus
take a look break a promise catch a chill
take a rest break a record catch a cold
take a seat break a window catch a thief
take a taxi break someone's heart catch fire
take an exam break the ice catch sight of
take notes break the law catch someone's attention
take someone's place break the news to someone catch someone's eye
take someone's temperature break the rules catch the flu
pay save keep
save electricity
pay a fine keep a diary
save energy
pay attention keep a promise
save money
pay by credit card keep a secret
save one's strength
pay cash keep an appointment
save someone a seat
pay interest keep calm
pay someone a compliment save someone's life keep control
save something to a disk
pay someone a visit keep in touch
save space
pay the bill keep quiet
save time
pay the price keep someone's place
save yourself the trouble
pay your respects keep the change
come go get
come close go abroad get a job
come complete with go astray get a shock
come direct go bad get angry
come early go bald get divorced
come first go bankrupt get drunk
come into view go blind get frightened
come last go crazy get home
come late go dark get lost
come on time go deaf get married
come prepared go fishing get nowhere
come right back go mad get permission
come second go missing get pregnant
come to a compromise go on foot get ready
come to a decision go online get started
come to an agreement go out of business get the impression
come to an end go overseas get the message
come to a standstill go quiet get the sack
come to terms with go sailing get upset
come to a total of go to war get wet
come under attack go yellow get worried

Miscellaneous collocations
Time Business English Classifiers
bang on time annual turnover
dead on time bear in mind
early 12th century break off negotiations
free time cease trading
a ball of string
from dawn till dusk chair a meeting
great deal of time close a deal
a bar of chocolate
late 20th century close a meeting
make time for come to the point
a bottle of water
next few days dismiss an offer
past few weeks draw a conclusion
a bunch of carrots
right on time draw your attention to
run out of time launch a new product
a cube of sugar
save time lay off staff
spare time go bankrupt
a pack of cards
spend some time go into partnership
take your time make a loss
a pad of paper
tell someone the time make a profit
time goes by market forces
time passes sales figures
waste time take on staff
Collocations with HAVE & DO & MAKE
Have Do Make

a conversation a job a decision

a look business a mistake

a meal damage a change

a nap research an effort

 Have Do Make

a party sports a difference

a bath homework a cake

fun something a fortune

a good time justice a living

a sense of harm a point

an impact well a difference

Collocations with TAKE & BREAK & CATCH

Take Break Catch

a bath a break a cold

a nap a rest a flight

a walk a vacation a glimpse

a trip a chance a meal

a photo a dance a thief

a shower a breath a ride

a test a lunch a fish

a risk a nap a ball

a sip a leave a game

a stand a pause a fever

Collocations with PAY & SAVE & KEEP
Pay Save Keep

attention money a secret

a bill time a distance

a compliment energy a promise

a fine a life a balance

a visit a seat a record

a visit the peace a job

a price a fortune a low profile

a salary the environment a lookout

respect a distance a secret

a debt water a memory

Collocations with COME & GO & GET

Come Go Get

along ahead along

back away around

down back at

in by away

out down back

over for behind

through in up

up off down

with on over
 Come Go Get

without out rid