IDIOMS

Food
Idiom

Meaning

Example Sentence

apple of one's eye

a person that is adored by

someone

Baby Jessica is the apple of her father's eye.

(have a) bun in the

oven

be pregnant

I don't think Jan will come to the bar because she

has a bun in the oven.

bad egg

a person who is often in

trouble

I don't want my little brother hanging around with

the bad eggs on the street.

big cheese

very important person

(VIP)

I thought I was just going to interview the secretary,

but they let me talk to the big cheese himself.

bread and butter

necessities, the main thing

Just explain the bread and butter of your report.

You don't have to go into details.

bring home the bacon

earn the income

My husband has had to bring home the bacon ever

since I broke my leg.

butter someone up

be extra nice to someone

(usually for selfish reasons)

We'll have to butter Angie up before we tell her the

news about the broken vase.

(have one's) cake and

eat it too

want more than your fair

share or need

Rick wants to have his cake and eat it too. He

wants to be single but he doesn't want me to date
anyone else.

carrot top

person with red or orange

hair

Simon is the first carrot top I've ever gone out with.

Cheesy

Silly

I love reading cheesy romance novels because I

don't have to think.

cool as a cucumber

very relaxed

I thought I was afraid of flying, but I was cool as a

cucumber all the way to England.

cream of the crop

the best

We hired the cream of the crop to entertain us at

the Christmas party.

(don't) cry over spilled

milk

get upset over something

that has happened and
cannot be changed

The mirror is broken and we can't fix it. There's no

need to cry over spilled milk.

cup of joe

cup of coffee

Let's stop for a cup of joe before we head to work.

(not my) cup of tea

something you enjoy

(usually used negatively)

Opera isn't exactly my cup of tea.

egg someone on

urge someone to do
something

The gang tried to egg us on but we didn't want to

fight.

freeze one's buns off

be very cold

I froze my buns off at the ice rink.

full of beans

have a lot of (silly) energy

The kids were full of beans after the circus.

gravy train

extremely good pay for

minimal work

The unionized grocers have been enjoying the gravy

train for twenty years.

(have something)
handed to someone on
a silver platter

receive without working for

something

The professor's daughter had her college

diploma handed to her on a silver platter.

hard nut to crack

difficult to understand
(often a person)

Angelo is a hard nut to crack when something is

bothering him like this.

hot potato

a controversial or difficult

Choosing a location for our new store is a hot

subject

potato right now.

in a nutshell

simply

In a nutshell, I'm having a bad day.

nuts about something,

someone

like a lot

I'm nuts about classical music these days.

out to lunch

crazy or mad

Harry has been out to lunch ever since he lost his

job.

one smart cookie

a very intelligent person

Your daughter is one smart cookie. She reads

much higher than her grade level.

peach fuzz

small amount of hair

growth

Except for a bit of peach fuzz, the baby came out

bald.

piece of cake

very easy

The exam was a piece of cake.

put all of ones eggs in

one basket

rely on one single thing

Even though I'm majoring in Art, I'm taking a maths

course because my Dad says I shouldn't put all of
my eggs in one basket.

souped up

made more powerful or

stylish

The car was souped up with shiny rims and a loud

stereo.

sell like hot cakes

bought by many people

The new Harry Potter books sold like hot cakes.

spice things up

make something more

exciting

I wanted to spice things up in the office, so I

bought some red and gold paint.

spill the beans

reveal the truth

On Monday, I'm going to spill the beans about my

travel plans.

take something with a

pinch (grain) of salt

don't consider something

100% accurate

Take Mandy's advice with a pinch of salt. She

doesn't always do her research.

use your noodle

use your brain

You're going to have to really use your noodle on

this crossword puzzle. It's an extra difficult one.

Idiom

Meaning

Example Sentence

ants in one's pants

unable to sit still or remain

calm out of nervousness or
excitement

Lisa had ants in her pants the day before her

interview.

(the) birds and the

bees

sex education

I learned about the birds and the bees when my

baby brother was born.

cat nap

a short sleep

I'm going to have a cat nap while you're cooking

dinner.

cat's got one's tongue

said about someone who

doesn't speak (usually due
to shyness)

It looks like the cat's got your tongue, Lucy. Are

you always this quiet?

chicken out

to decide not to do
something out of fear
(usually just before)

I was going to take a ride on Geoff's motorcyle, but

I chickened out when he gave me a helmet to
wear.

clam up

become quiet suddenly

Arthur clammed up when I asked him about his

family.

copy cat

a person who does the same

thing as someone else

My sister is such a copy cat. First she bought the

same car as me, and now she's applying to my
school.

dog days

very hot days

I sleep in the basement during the dog days of

August.

Animal

dropping like flies

dying/giving up quickly

My roses are dropping like flies in this early frost.

eager beaver

a person who is excited

about doing certain work

Ever since he got his new drill set my husband has

been an eager beaver around the house.

fishy

odd, suspicious

I knew something fishy was going on when I saw all

of my friends' cars in my mom's driveway.

have a cow

get extremely upset (often

over something minor)

My teacher had a cow when she realized nobody

had done the homework.

hold your horses

wait and be patient

Hold your horses! I'll be done in the washroom in

a minute.

holy cow!

Wow, I'm surprised!

Holy cow! I can't believe you ate everything on

your plate.

horse around

play roughly

If you're going to horse around, please go outside.

get the lion's share

get the greatest percentage

My aunt got the lion's share of the inheritance.

in the dog house

in trouble with another

person

I don't think Marsha is coming out tonight. She's

still in the dog house for forgetting Aaron's
birthday.

kill two birds with one

stone

get two things done at once

If you pick the groceries up when you drop George

off for his shift, you will kill two birds with one
stone.

kitty corner

diagonal direction

The gas station is kitty corner to the library.

let the cat out of the

bag

reveal a secret

Who let the cat out of the bag about the surprise
party?

(a) little bird told me

I heard something (usually

secretive or unknown) from
someone (not named)

A little bird told me that you are thinking of

quitting your job.

make a beeline

go straight for something

My grandma made a beeline for the smoking room

as soon as she got off the airplane.

monkey see, monkey

do

silly/unintelligent people
tend to copy each other's
actions

Our one-year-old is saying bad words now. I told my

husband,"Monkey see, monkey do!"

nest egg

money saved for the future

We have a nest egg that we might have to use if

Jim goes on sick leave.

pig out

eat a lot of something

I pigged out on pancakes so I don't have room for

lunch.

raining cats and dogs

raining heavily

I forgot my umbrella, and it was raining cats and

dogs.

rat race

fierce, competitive struggle

for power, position etc

I'm ready to leave this rat race and retire in

Mexico.

smell a rat

begin to suspect trickery etc

I asked my brothers not to tell my parents that I

went out, but I could smell a rat as soon as I
opened the door.

straight from the

horse's mouth

directly from the original

source

I know Jenny is pregnant, because I heard

it straight from the horse's mouth.

take the bull by the

horns

face a challenge or danger

boldly

If you really think you deserve a promotion, you'll

have to take the bull by the horns.

until the cows come

home

for a very long time

I could eat pizza and ice-cream until the cows

come home.

Body
Idiom

Meaning

Example Sentence

all ears

fully listening

Give me a minute to finish my work and then I'll

be all ears to hear about your project.

break a leg

good-luck

Today's the big game, eh? Break a leg!

cold feet

nervous just before a big

event

My sister didn't get cold feet until she put her

wedding gown on.

cost an arm and a leg

be very expensive

These cakes are delicious, but they cost an arm

and a leg.

cry your heart out

cry very hard

I cried my heart out when my best friend moved

away.

face the music

meet, stand up to
unpleasant conseqences, for
example criticism or
punishment

I stayed out all night. When I eventually got home I

had to face the music from my wife.

(my) flesh and blood

relative

I have to hire Mia. She's my own flesh and blood.

get something off

one's chest

tell someone your problems

Thanks for listening to me complain about my boss.

I just needed to get this off my chest.

give a hand, lend a

hand

help (someone) do
something

I can give you a hand when you move if you like.

have one's head in the

clouds

be unaware or unrealistic
about something

Amy has her head in the clouds if she thinks

she's going to pass her exams without studying.

head over heels

deeply in love

My brother is head over heels for his new

girlfriend.

head start

an earlier start

The kids gave Anthony a head start in the bicycle

race because he was the youngest.

in over one's head

taking on a task that you

can't handle

I was in over my head when I agreed to babysit

the triplets and the dogs.

keep an eye on

take care of, watch in order

to protect

I'll keep an eye on the dinner while you're on the

phone.

keep one's chin up

try to be cheerful

Keep your chin up. I'm sure you'll make some

friends soon.

learn by heart, know

by heart

memorize

I learned my multiplication tables by heart in the

fourth grade.

let one's hair down

relax, have fun

Go to the cottage and let your hair down this

weekend.

(my) lips are sealed

promise to keep a secret

Don't worry, I won't tell your mother how much you

spent.My lips are sealed.

makes my blood boil

makes me very angry

It makes my blood boil when people don't tie up

their dogs.

neck of the woods

nearby location or region

I heard that they might be opening a post office in

our neck of the woods soon.

(an) old hand

an experienced person

My uncle's an old hand at car repair. He'll know

what the problem is.

over my dead body

not unless I'm dead and

can't stop you

My daughter wants a tatoo. I told her she'd get

one over my dead body.

pat on the back

recognition or a thank-you

The party organizers deserve a pat on the back for

a job well done.

play something by ear

do something without a plan

We don't know if the weather will be good enough

for camping. We'll have to play it by ear.

pull one's leg

joke or tease someone

I was just pulling your leg. I'm not really a police

officer.

rule of thumb

basic rule (not always

followed)

The rule of thumb is that the students wear black

pants and white shirts.

see eye to eye

agree

The couple doesnt see eye to eye on how to train

their pets.

(by the) skin of one's

teeth

just barely

I passed my exam by the skin of my teeth.

stick your neck out

help someone a lot, with

possible bad consequences
for oneself

I stuck my neck out for Bessie when she was

thrown out of her house.

sweet tooth

a love of sugar or sweet

things

I need three spoonfuls of sugar in my tea. I have

a sweet tooth.

thick in the head

not very intelligent

I'm a bit thick in the head when it comes to

reading a map.

wash one's hands of

something

stop dealing with an issue or

problem

I'm washing my hands of Mary's addiction. She is

going to have to get some professional help.

Clothing
Idiom

Meaning

Example Sentence

at the drop of a
hat

without needing any

advance notice

My Grandma will babysit for anyone at the

drop of a hat.

(have a) bee in
one's bonnet

something that is annoying

someone

Milan has had a bee in his bonnet all day,

but he won't tell me what's wrong.

below the belt

beyond what is fair or

socially acceptable

His comment about Manfred's handicap

was below the belt.

bursting at the
seams

not fitting anymore

I ate too much. I'm bursting at the seams in

these jeans.

caught with one's

pants down

unprepared

My students caught me with my pants

down on Monday. I forgot about the field trip.

(have a) card up
one's sleeve

have a secret or reserve

plan

I think Josh has a card up his sleeve because

he wants me to wear a dress to the fast-food
restaurant.

buckle down

work extra hard

It's almost exam time, so I need to buckle

down this weekend.

burn a hole in
one's pocket

money that one is tempted

to spend

Let's go to the mall after school. There's a

hundred dollar bill burning a hole in my
pocket.

dress to kill, dress

to the nines

dress in nice or sexy clothes

My cousin was dressed to kill on her

birthday.

fit like a glove

fit perfectly (tight to one's

body)

Anita's prom dress fits me like a glove.

fine-tooth comb

in great detail, extremely

The police looked for fingerprints with a fine-

carefully

tooth comb.

fly by the seat of

one's pants

do by instinct, not by plan

I had never taught art to kids before. I had

to fly by the seat of my pants.

handle with kid

gloves

treat delicately

Please handle my grandmother's tea set

with kid gloves.

hand-me-down

used clothing

We buy hand-me-down skates because the

kids' feet grow so quickly.

hat trick

three goals scored by one

person

The fans cheered when the hockey player got

a hat trick.

in one's birthday
suit

in the nude

The swimmers in the lake were in their

birthday suits.

keep one's shirt

on

try to stay calm

I know you're in a hurry, but please keep

your shirt on.

keep something
zipped

keep something a secret

We know we're having a boy, but

we're keeping it zipped from the
grandparents.

off the cuff

said without planning

I didn't have a speech prepared. Everything I

said was off the cuff.

pull up one's socks

try harder

Marco will have to pull up his socks if he

wants to make the football team.

put a sock in it

stop talking

Put a sock in it! I'm trying to tell a story.

put one's thinking

cap on

think hard in order to solve

a problem

I can't remember where the Christmas

decorations are. I'll have to put my thinking
cap on.

put oneself in
someone else's
shoes

imagine what it would be

like to be in someone else's
situation

Put yourself in Amber's shoes. She doesn't

even have a car to drive.

ride one's coattails

let someone else do all of

the work

It was a group project, but everyone rode

Andrew's coattails.

roll up one's
sleeves

get down to hard work

The celebrities rolled up their sleeves and

washed cars for charity.

take one's hat off

to someone

recognize or honour
someone for something

I take my hat off to Jim. The doctors said

he'd never walk, and he just ran a marathon.

wear one's heart

on one's sleeve

display emotions openly

My Dad's not afraid to cry. He always wears

his heart on his sleeve.

wear the trousers

be in charge, make the

rules

By the looks of things, the kids wear the

trousers in this household.

Idiom
sport of origin

Meaning

Example Sentence

across the board

cards

equal for everyone

Ten percent raises were givenacross the

board.

at this stage in the

game
any sport

at this time

Nobody knows who is going to win the

election at this stage in the game.

Sports

the ball is in your

court
tennis

it's your decision or

responsibility to do
something now

"Do you think I should accept the job offer?"

"Don't ask me. The ball is in your
court now".

bark up the wrong

tree
hunting

you've got the wrong

person or idea

I think you're barking up the wrong tree by

blaming Matt for the missing money.

blind-sided
any sport

to not see something

coming

George blind-sided Eric with his fist at the

bar.

blow the
competition away
any sport

win easily

If you wear that dress to the beauty pageant

you are going to blow the competition
away.

call the shots

billiards

make the decisions

While our boss is on vacation, Bob will call the

shots.

chip in
gambling

help by donating money or

time

The staff members chipped in 5 dollars each

to buy Jody a birthday gift.

down to the wire

horse racing

right at the end

It's coming down to the wire to get these

done on time.

front runner
track

one of the people who is

expected to win

Angela is a front runner for the new

supervisor position.

get a head start

horse racing

start before all others

They gave the walkers a head startin the run

for cancer.

get into the full

swing
tennis

be comfortable doing
something after some time

It will probably take a month of working at my

new job before I get into the full swing of
things.

get off the hook

fishing

escape, have responsibility

removed

The child got off the hook for stealing

because the security camera was broken.

give something or
someone a fair
shake
gambling

try for a while before giving

up

You should give Nadine a fair shake before

you decide she isn't good enough for the job.

get a second wind

sailing

have a burst of energy after

tiring

I was exhausted after 3 kilometres of running,

but I got a second wind after I passed the
beach.

give it your best

shot
hunting

try your hardest

Give it your best shot and you may just

make it to the finals.

give one a run for

one's money
horseracing

try one's hardest to defeat

another person

I know the other team is expected to win, but

let's give them a run for their
money tonight.

go overboard
sailing

do or say more than you

need to

You can't believe everything Janice says about

Rick. She tends to go overboard when she's
complaining about him.

go to bat for
someone
baseball

defend someone

Andy is asking for a salary increase, and I'm

going to go to bat for him if the boss says no.

have the upper

hand
cards

have a better chance of

winning or succeeding

The Blues have the upper hand in the

tournament, because none of their players is
injured.

hit below the belt

do or say something that is

Amanda was hitting below the belt when she

martial arts

very unfair or cruel

called Adrian an unfit father.

hit a snag
boating

come up against a problem

The renovations were going along great until

we hit a snag with the carpet installation.

hold all the aces

cards

expected to win or succeed

The children hold all the aces when it comes

to the father-son baseball tournament.

the home stretch

baseball

almost the end

I think Alice's pregnancy is in the home

stretch.

hot shot (big shot)

hunting

a person who thinks they

are the best

Even though Luke only placed 20th in the ski

race, he thinks he's a hot shot.

jump the gun

track

start too early

I guess I jumped the gun by buying Pam and

Steve a wedding gift. They called off the
engagement.

keep one's head

above water
swimming

try not to fall behind in

work or other duties

We are so busy during the tourist season I can

barely keep my head above water.

learn the ropes

sailing

understand new things

The first week on the job you will just

be learning the ropes.

let her rip

boating

go ahead now

Okay, here are the keys to your new car. Let

her rip!

level playing field

any field sport

everyone has an equal

chance

The spelling bee is a level playing

field because all of the kids are in grade nine.

long shot
hunting

a very difficult thing to

accomplish

Jim thinks we can afford the house, but I think

it's a long shot.

make the cut

any sport

be chosen to be part of a
team or group

I didn't get a second interview, so I'm pretty

sure I won't make the cut.

neck and neck

horse racing

to be in a close tie with

someone

George and Stan are neck and neck in the

hockey pool. Either of them could win the
money.

no sweat
any sport

no problem

I told Lily it was no sweat for us to babysit

next weekend.

not playing with a

full deck of cards
cards

not having full brain

capacity

I think Jerry was still drunk at work on Sunday

because he wasn't playing with a full deck
of cards.

not up to par
golf

not good enough for a job

or position

I'm afraid your resume isn't up to par for the

engineering position.

to be off base
baseball

not making a fair or true

remark

You were way off base when you said Bill

needed to lose weight.

on target
darts

doing the right thing to

succeed

We are on target to meet our budget this

month.

on the ball
baseball

ready and able

The new receptionist is really on the

ball when it comes to answering the phone.

out in left field

baseball

nowhere near being true,

nowhere near doing
something correctly

All of the students laughed when Joe gave an

answer that was out in left field.

out of someone's
league
team sport

not as good as someone

I'd like to date Maria, but I'm afraid I'm out of

her league.

par for the course

golf

an expected circumstance

Waiting in line is par for the course at

Christmas time.

plenty of other
fish in the sea
fishing

there are many other men

and women to date

I know you still love Jack, but remember there

are plenty of other fish in the sea.

race against time

track

there is almost no time left

to accomplish something

It's a race against time to find a kidney

donor for my cousin.

settle a score with

someone
any sport

get even with a person

after a previous battle

My brother wants to settle the score with

that guy who stole my wallet.

shot in the dark

hunting

a guess

I was lucky to win the quiz. All my answers

were shots in the dark.

skate on thin ice

skating

do something risky, take a

chance

You're skating on thin ice by not sending in

your college application before now.

start the ball

rolling
ball sports

begin something

Please can everyone be seated so we can start

the ball rolling?

step up to the
plate
baseball

do the honourable thing,

take responsibility

It's time you stepped up to the plate and

apologized for your mistake.

take a rain check

baseball

accept at a later time

Sorry, I can't go to the movies today, but I'd

love to take a rain check.

take sides
any sport

choose a person or group to

support

I hate to take sides, but I think Jerry is right

about the paint colour.

take the bull by

the horns
bull fighting

accept the challenge and

try your hardest

Even though this new job will mean relocating,

I think you should take the bull by the
horns for once.

take the wind out

of one's sails
sailing

make someone feel deflated

I think I took the wind out of Angela's

sails when I told her she was a terrible singer.

throw in the towel

boxing

give up

If they don't accept our offer this time we are

going to throw in the towel and look at
houses elsewhere.

time out
any sport

break

Let's take some time out and grab a coffee.

three strikes and

you're out
baseball

you only get three chances

The school's no smoking policy is three

strikes and you're out.

two strikes
against
baseball

you only have one chance

remaining

Nancy is going to be fired in no time. She

already has two strikes against her for
coming in late.

under the table

gambling

illegally

I don't have a work visa, so they have to pay

me under the table.

win hands down

gambling

easy victory

The other team was missing half of its players.

We won hands down.

Geography and Weather

Idiom

Meaning

Example Sentence

(on) cloud nine

extremely happy

Andrea was on cloud nine when she bought

her new car.

dig deep

look hard for information

I had to dig deep to find my old report cards.

dirt cheap

very inexpensive

The clothes at the thrift shop are dirt cheap.

down to earth

natural or real (personality)

Lucile is really down to earth for a woman

with so much money.

fair-weather friend

a person who is only a

friend in good times

I can't talk to Nancy about my boyfriend

problems. She's only a fair-weather friend.

a field day

a very enjoyable time

The kids had a field day at the water slide

park.

go downhill

get progressively worse

My grades started going downhill when I got

a part-time job.

go with the flow

continue in the same way

as others

Nobody trained me at work. I just went with

the flow.

hit the hay

go to sleep

I'm exhausted. I think I'll hit the hay early

tonight.

hit the road

leave

It's getting late. We had better hit the road.

keep one's head

above water

have just enough money to

live

It's hard to keep my head above water with

all of these medical bills.

know which way

the wind blows

know how things will turn

out

Who knows which way the wind will blow?

I just hope Jesse gets one of the jobs he's
applied for.

make a mountain
out of a molehill

make a small problem

seem big

The car only got a tiny dent. You're making a

mountain out of a molehill.

out of the woods

clear of danger

The doctor said my heart is doing better, but

I'm not out of the woods yet.

over the hill

past middle age

I knew I was over the hill when I started

needing glasses to read.

rain on someone
else's parade

ruin somebody else's

happiness

Whenever I had a dance recital, my older

brother always rained on my parade.

stick-in-the-mud

a loner or person who

won't join in

They didn't bother inviting Charles to the party

because he's alway a stick-in-the-mud.

(as) quick as
lightning

very fast

Wow! Your shower was as quick as

lightning.

the tip of the

iceberg

a small part of a large

problem

The lost tickets were just the tip of the

iceberg.

take a raincheck

accept at a later date

I'd love to go out for dinner, but can I take

a raincheck?

under the weather

ill

I was feeling under the weather so I went

back to bed.

up the creek

in trouble

If my Dad finds out I had a party I'll be up

the creek.

10

win by a landslide

win by a lot of points

The skiier in the green coat won by a

landslide.

(get) wind of
something

overhear something about

someone or something
(often gossip)

My Dad has a new girlfriend. I got wind of

it over dinner tonight.

Colour
Idiom

Meaning

Example Sentence

beet red

dark red (usually to

describe face)

My sister's face turned beet red when I caught

her singing in front of a mirror.

black and blue

bruised and beaten

We found the poor guy black and blue near

the train tracks.

black and white

straight forward, very

clear

The rules we gave the kids were black and

white. No answering the phone or the door.

black out

faint

I always black out at the sight of blood.

black sheep

the odd or bad member of

the group

My oldest brother was the black sheep in our

family. He dropped out of school at fifteen.

born with a silver

spoon in one's
mouth

born into a rich family

Keiko hasn't worked a day in her life. She

was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

catch red handed

catch someone in the act

of doing something wrong
or illegal

The kids were caught red handed stealing

chocolate bars.

golden opportunity

the perfect chance

The models' conference was a golden

opportunity for me to sell my beauty
products.

grass is always
greener on the
other side

you always want what you

don't have

I always wanted to go to university, but now I

wish I had time to get a job. Grass is always
greener on the other side.

grey area, gray

area

something without a clear

rule or answer

Writing personal email in the office is a grey

area that needs to be discussed at the next
meeting.

the green light

permission

The builders were given the green light to

begin the tower.

green with envy

very jealous

I am green with envy over Julio's new

wardrobe.

(have a) green
thumb

be skillful in the garden

You can tell by her flower garden that Sheila

has a green thumb.

have the blues

be sad or depressed

I always have the the blues during the winter

time.

in the dark

unaware

Antoine left his wife in the dark about their

honeymoon destination until they got to the
airport.

in the red

in debt

When we were in the red we almost had to

sell the house.

once in a blue
moon

very rarely

We only go out for dinner once in a blue

moon.

11

out of the blue

unexpectedly

I got a phone call from a long lost cousin out

of the blue last week.

red tape

official or bureaucratic
tasks

There is still some red tape to deal with in

terms of the inheritance.

red eye

an airplane flight that

takes off after midnight

I caught the red eye so that I would see the

sunrise over the mountains.

roll out the red

carpet

treat someone like royalty

When relatives come to town my

grandmother rolls out the red carpet.

rose coloured
glasses

unrealistic view

Paula imagines Hollywood with rose coloured

glasses.

see red

be very angry

I saw red when that guy grabbed my sister's

purse.

tickled pink

very pleased and

appreciative

My mom was tickled pink when my father

brought roses home for her.

true colours

real self

Suzanne doesn't show her true colours when

we have guests over.

white lie

an innocent lie to protect

another person's feelings

We told Grandma that her cake was delicious,

which was actually a white lie.

with flying colours

with distinction

I passed my road test with flying colours.

12