Howard's
TOP 10 idioms:
1) Better Late Than Never
"Sorry I was late
for the meeting today; I got stuck in traffic." Answer: "That's okay;
better late than never."
2) Break Down
"Did your car
break down again?"
3) Burn Your Bridges
"I wish you
hadn't been rude to that man just now; he is very important in this town and
you shouldn't go around burning bridges."
4) Don't Put All Your Eggs In One Basket
"The best way to
gamble is to only bet small amounts of money and never put all your eggs in one
basket."
5) Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining
"I found a new
job after all and I like this one much better than the last!" Answer:
"You see, every cloud has a silver lining."
6) The Pros And Cons
"I've considered
the pros and cons and I've decided: it is going to be expensive, but I still
want to go to college."
7) The Sky Is The Limit
"After I graduate
from business school, the sky's the limit!"
8) The Straw That Broke The Camel's Back
"You've been rude
to me all day, and I've had it. That's the last straw!"
9) Without A Doubt
"Are you going to
watch the game tomorrow?" Answer: "Without a doubt!"
10) Your Guess Is As Good As Mine
"Excuse me, what
time does the bus arrive?" Answer: "Your guess is as good as mine; I
almost never take the bus."
Here are the most popular
idioms from A to Z:
A Bird In
The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush
"Dan
has asked me to go to a party with him. What if my boyfriend finds out?"
Reply: "Don't go. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
A
Blessing In Disguise
"My
car broke down again, but maybe it was a blessing in disguise; I've been
wasting too much time driving around anyway."
A Chip On
Your Shoulder
"What's
bothering that guy?" Answer: "Nothing; he's just got a chip on the
shoulder."
A Dime A
Dozen
"I
don't need friends like him; they are a dime a dozen."
A Drop In
The Bucket
"I'd
like to do something to change the world but whatever I do seems like a drop in
the bucket."
A Fool
And His Money Are Easily Parted
Example:
"Her husband can't seem to hold onto any amount of money; he either spends
it or loses it. A fool and his money are easily parted."
A Penny
Saved Is A Penny Earned
"I'm
going to give you $20 but I want you to put it in the bank; a penny saved is a
penny earned!"
A Piece
Of Cake
"Do
you think you will win your tennis match today?" Answer: "It will be
a piece of cake."
A Shot In
The Dark
"That
was such a difficult question! How did you get it right?" Reply: "I
just took a shot in the dark."
A Slap On
The Wrist
"He
should be in jail for what he did, but he got off with just a slap on the
wrist."
A Slip Of
The Tongue
"Be
careful talking to the police tomorrow; one slip of the tongue could get us
into big trouble."
A Taste
Of Your Own Medicine
"It
looks like she got a taste of her own medicine."
A Toss-Up
"Do
you think they'll make it one time?" Answer: "I really don't know.
It's a toss-up."
A Wolf In
Sheep's Clothing
"Don't
trust the salespeople at that store; they are all wolves in sheep's
clothing!"
About
Face
"Do
an about face, get back in that bathroom, and brush your teeth!"
Absence
Makes The Heart Grow Fonder
"The
time we spend apart has been good for us; absence makes the heart grow
fonder."
Actions
Speak Louder Than Words
"Don't
tell me how to do this; show me! Actions speak louder than words."
Add Fuel
To The Fire
"I
would like to do something to help, but I don't want to add fuel to the
fire."
Against
The Clock
"We
worked against the clock all day to get this report done by 5PM."
Against
The Grain
"I
jog at this track everyday and there is always that one guy who has to go
against the grain and run in the opposite direction."
All Bark
And No Bite
"The
new manager threatened to fire me but I know he won't do it; he is all bark and
no bite."
All Greek
"Did
you understand what he just said?" Reply: "Nope. It was all Greek to
me."
All In
The Same Boat
"We
can't fight against each other; we need to work together. We're all in the same
boat!"
All That
Glitters Is Not Gold
"Be
careful when shopping for your new car; all that glitters is not gold!"
All
Thumbs
"Hey!
You are pouring my coffee on the table!" Reply: "Oh, I'm so sorry! I
have been all thumbs today."
An Arm
And A Leg
"Be
careful with that watch; it cost me an arm and a leg."
An Axe To
Grind
"I
have an axe to grind with you." Answer: "Oh no; what did I do
wrong?"
Arm In
Arm
"What
a nice afternoon. We walked arm in arm along the beach for hours."
Around
The Block
"You
kids are too young to fall in love: Wait until you have been around the block a
time or two."
As Blind
As A Bat
"Without
his glasses, my father is as blind as a bat."
As High
As A Kite
"The
ball got stuck up there on the roof. It's as high as a kite."
As Light
As A Feather
"Wow,
you lift that box so easily!" Reply: "Oh, come on. It is as light as
a feather."
At The
Drop Of A Hat
"Would
you travel around the world if you had the money?" Answer: "At the
drop of a hat."
At Wit's
End
"We
have been at wit's end trying to figure out how we are going to pay our
taxes."
Back To
The Drawing Board
"It
looks like my plan to kill the weeds in the garden has failed. Back to the
drawing board."
Barking
Up The Wrong Tree
"I
have been trying to solve this math problem for 30 minutes but I think I've
been barking up the wrong tree."
Beat A
Dead Horse
"There's
no use in beating a dead horse."
Beating
Around The Bush
"If
you want to ask me, just ask; don't beat around the bush."
Bend Over
Backwards
"We
bent over backwards to help him, and he never even thanked us!"
Better
Late Than Never
"Sorry
I was late for the meeting today; I got stuck in traffic." Answer:
"That's okay; better late than never."
Between A
Rock And A Hard Place
"I'd
like to help you but I am stuck between a rock and a hard place."
Birds Of
A Feather Flock Together
"Look;
the volleyball players are eating at the same table together, as always." Answer:
"Birds of a feather flock together."
Bite Off
More Than You Can Chew
"I
thought I could finish this report within one month, but it looks like I have
bitten off more than I can chew."
Bite Your
Tongue
"Whenever
that professor says something I don't like, I have to bite my tongue."
Blood Is
Thicker Than Water
"When
my best friend and my brother got in a fight I had to help my brother; blood is
thicker than water."
Break
Down
"Did
your car break down again?"
Break In
"They
broke in to my apartment when I was gone, and they took everything!"
Break The
Tie
"Whoever
wins in
Burn Your
Bridges
"I
wish you hadn't been rude to that man just now; he is very important in this town
and you shouldn't go around burning bridges."
Burning
The Candle At Both Ends
"Ever
since this new project started I have been burning the candle at both ends. I
can't take much more of it."
Burning
The Midnight Oil
"Our
son has been working hard preparing for his final exams!" Answer:
"Yes, he's been up each night burning the midnight oil."
Call It
Off
"Tonight's
game was called off because of the rain."
Can't Cut
The Mustard
"Bob
dropped out of medical school; he couldn't cut the mustard."
Cold Turkey
"I
want to quit drinking right now. As of this moment, I am going cold
turkey."
Come Hell
Or High Water
"Will
you be at the family reunion next year?" Answer: "Yes- we'll be
there, come hell or high water!"
Cross
Your Fingers
"Let's
cross our fingers and hope for the best!"
Cry Over
Spilt Milk
"Let's
not go crying over spilt milk."
Cry Wolf
"That
kid on the other team just fell down; it looks like he might be hurt!"
Answer: "He's not hurt; he's just crying wolf."
Curiosity
Killed The Cat
"Hey,
I wonder what's down that street; it looks awfully dark and creepy."
Answer: "Let's not try to find out. Curiosity killed the cat."
Dead Heat
"It
looks like were going to have to find another way to decide a winner. That one
was a dead heat."
Dog-Eat-Dog
"I
have been in this business for twenty years. It's dog-eat-dog; the competition
is always trying to steal your customers."
Don't
Count Your Chickens Until They're Hatched
"Next
Friday I will be able to pay you back that money I owe you." Answer:
"I won't be counting my chickens..."
Don't
Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth
"Don't
look a gift horse in the mouth! When you buy your own beers you can decide what
brand you want."
Don't Put
All Your Eggs In One Basket
"The
best way to gamble is to only bet small amounts of money and never put all your
eggs in one basket."
Down To
The Wire
"It
looks like this race is going to come right down to the wire!"
Drastic
Times Call For Drastic Measures
"Sales
have been slow and we had to let go three of our employees; drastic times call
for drastic measures."
Dry Spell
"Sam
is a great salesman, though lately he's been having a bit of a dry spell."
Every
Cloud Has A Silver Lining
"I
found a new job after all and I like this one much better than the last!"
Answer: "You see, every cloud has a silver lining."
Everything
But The Kitchen Sink
"Whenever
we go camping my wife wants to bring everything but the kitchen sink!"
Fair And
Fair Alike
"Michael
stayed home to take care of your sister last night, so tonight it is your turn.
Fair and fair alike."
Finding
Your Feet
"Don't
worry about it. We will help you while you are finding your feet."
Fixed In
Your Ways
"Sometimes
it is hard to accept that your parents are fixed in their ways."
Flash In
The Pan
"What
a great first year he had, but after that... nothing!" Answer: "Just
another flash in the pan."
From Rags
To Riches
"My
uncle is a real rags to riches story."
Get Over
It
"I
was very sick yesterday, but I got over it quickly."
Get Up On
The Wrong Side Of The Bed
"Don't
start yelling at me just because you got up on the wrong side of the bed."
Give Him
The Slip
"My
brother will be at the movie tonight. Afterwards, let's give him the slip and
go to a party."
Go For
Broke
"The
way to be successful is to decide exactly what you want, then go for broke."
Great
Minds Think Alike
"I
have decided that this summer I am going to learn how to scuba dive."
Answer: "Me too! I have already paid for the course. Great minds think
alike!"
Haste
Makes Waste
"You
should always take your time when doing your taxes and check your numbers very
carefully; haste makes waste."
Have No
Idea
"I
can't find my keys. I have no idea where I put them."
He Lost
His Head
"Okay-
I'll tell you what happened. But don't lose your head."
Head Over
Heels
"I
have been head over heels about my girlfriend since the day I met her."
Icing On
The Cake
"I've
been accepted by the university, and they've offered me a position on the
basketball team!" Answer: "That's wonderful! Icing on the cake."
Idle
Hands Are The Devil's Tools
"It
makes me nervous to see those kids outside just standing around; idle hands are
the devils tools!"
If It's
Not One Thing, It's Another
"First
the car broke down, and now I can't find my keys! If it's not one thing, it's
another!"
In And
Out
"I
know this city in and out."
In Over
Your Head
"Go
ahead and lead the meeting today; I'll help you out if you get in over your
head."
In The
Dark
"Did
you know that today was her birthday?" Answer: "No, I was in the
dark."
In The
Doghouse
"You
kids will be in the doghouse with your mother after that mess you made in her
garden!"
In The
Heat Of The Moment
"Sorry
about what I said; I got caught up in the heat of the moment."
It Takes
Two to Tango
"Her
husband is awful; they fight all the time." Answer: "It takes two to
tango."
It's A
Small World
"Hey,
it's funny seeing you here." Reply: "It's a small world."
Its
Anyone's Call
"Who
do you think will win this election?" Answer: "Its anyone's
call."
Keep An
Eye On Him
"I
have to run to the bathroom. Can you keep an eye on my suitcase while I am
gone?"
Labor Of
Love
"Taking
care of this dog is a labor of love."
Lend Me
Your Ear
"Friends,
Romans, countrymen; lend me your ear."
Let
Bygones Be Bygones
"You
and I have had our disagreements; let's let bygones be bygones."
Let
Sleeping Dogs Lie
"I
wanted to ask her what she thought of her ex-husband, but I figured it was
better to let sleeping dogs lie."
Let The
Cat Out Of The Bag
"Bob
didn't tell anyone that he was sick, but his wife let the cat out of the
bag."
Mad As A
Hatter
"Everybody
in my family knew that our uncle was as mad as a hatter."
Method To
My Madness
"Give
me a moment to explain; there is method to my madness."
Neck And
Neck
"They're
coming around the final corner. They're neck and neck!"
Neither A
Borrower, Nor A Lender Be
"Could
you lend me twenty dollars?" Answer: "Sorry, neither a borrower nor a
lender be."
Never
Bite The Hand That Feeds You
"We
have been your best customers for years. How could you suddenly treat us so
rudely? You should never bite the hand that feeds you."
Nose Out
Of Joint
"We
were only joking; don't get your nose out of joint."
Not A
Chance
"Do
you think you will be able to finish your report by five o'clock today?"
Answer: "Not a chance. I'll be busy in meetings all day."
Off Limits
"Guns
are off limits within
Off On
The Wrong Foot
"Let's
try to start on time tomorrow and get off on the right foot."
Off The
Hook
"You're
lucky; it turns out that Dad never heard you come in late last night."
Answer: "Great, that means I'm off the hook!"
On Pins
And Needles
"Jean
was on pins and needles the whole time her father was in the hospital."
On The
Fence
"Has
he decided whether he will take the job yet?" Answer: "No, he's still
on the fence."
On The
Same Page
"Before
we make any decisions today, I'd like to make sure that everyone is on the same
page."
On Top Of
The World
"What
a great time we had that night; we were on top of the world!"
On Your
Last Leg
"I
would be glad to sell you my car, but I must tell you that it is on its last
leg."
On Your
Mind
"You
have been on my mind all day."
One For
The Road
"Bartender-
I'll have one more whiskey for the road."
Out And
About
"Where
have you been all day?" Answer: "Oh, out and about."
Out Of
Sight, Out Of Mind
"I
meant to read that book, but as soon as I put it down, I forgot about it."
Answer: "Out of sight, out of mind."
Out Of
The Blue
"Why
did she do that?" Answer: "I have no idea. It was completely out of
the blue."
Out Of
The Frying Pan And Into The Fire
"I
didn't like that job because I was working too hard. Yet in this new job I work
even harder!" Answer: "Out of the frying pan and into the fire."
Out Of
The Woods
"Joe
was sick two weeks ago and we were very worried, but now it looks like he is
out of the woods."
Out Of
Your Element
"He
is a great tennis player on the hard courts, but he is out of his element on
grass."
Out On A
Limb
"I
want this project to succeed just as much as you do, but I am not willing to go
out on a limb."
Out On
The Town
"Do
you want to join us tonight? We're going out on the town."
Over My
Dead Body
"All
of my friends are going out to the lake tonight and I'm going too!"
Answer: "Over my dead body you are!"
Par For
The Course
"I
get sick every time I travel." Answer: "That's just par for the
course."
Penny-Wise,
Pound-Foolish
"We've
worked so hard to save money that if we took a vacation now it would be
penny-wise, pound-foolish."
People
Who Live In Glass Houses Should Not Throw Stones
"Look
at what time it is... you are late again!" Answer: "Hey, how often
are you not on time? People who live in glass houses should not throw
stones."
Practice
Makes Perfect
"You
see how quickly you are getting better at the piano! Practice makes
perfect!"
Practice
What You Preach
"Good
managers always lead by example and practice what they preach."
Preaching
To The Choir
"You
don't need to tell me this project is important; you're preaching to the
choir."
Protest
Too Much
"Do
you think he is telling the truth?" Answer: "I think he protests too
much."
Pulling
Your Leg
"I
want to ask you a question and I would like an honest answer; no pulling my
leg."
Put Your
Best Foot Forward
"I
want you to get out on that field and put your best foot forward!"
Put Your
Foot In Your Mouth
"Let's
all be very careful what we say at the meeting tomorrow. I don't want anyone
putting their foot in their mouth."
Raise
Cain
"Have
you two boys been out raising cain again?"
Rock The
Boat
"Everybody
wants to go except for you. Why do you have to rock the boat?"
Roll Out
The Red Carpet
"We
are all so excited about your coming home that we're going to roll out the red
carpet."
"It
is taking me a long time to write this computer program." Answer: "
Round
About
"Well,
I know how to get there in a round about way, but maybe we should check the
map."
Rub Salt
In An Old Wound
"Oh
please, let's not rub salt in old wounds!"
Second
Nature
"It
has always been second nature for me to draw with both hands."
Shake A
Leg
"They
are waiting outside in the car; let's shake a leg!"
Sick As A
Dog
"I
heard you were uncomfortable yesterday." Answer: "Uncomfortable? I
was as sick as a dog!"
Sink Or
Swim
"When
we interview new teachers, we just put them in with the students and see how
they do. It's sink or swim."
Six Of
One, A Half-Dozen Of The Other
Example:
"I say she's a stewardess. She says she's a flight attendant. It's six of
one, a half-dozen of the other."
Skeletons
In The Closet
"I
had only known her for one week. How could I know what skeletons she had in her
closet?"
Split
Down The Middle
"The
election is split down the middle with no clear winner at the moment."
Start
From Scratch
"How
are you going to build your business?" Answer: "Just like everyone
else does: starting from scratch."
The Apple
Of Your Eye
"Even
when they were young, she was always the apple of his eye."
The Ball
Is In Your Court
"My
uncle helped me to get an interview at his company, now the ball is in my
court."
The Best
Of Both Worlds
"My
wife and I bought one house in
The
Bigger They Are The Harder They Fall
"Are
you worried that he might be too strong?" Answer: "No I'm not. He is
big, but the bigger they are, the harder they fall."
The Devil
Is In The Details
"I
can sketch a basic outline of the plan for you and it may look very simple, but
the devil is in the details."
The Early
Bird Catches The Worm
"I
always arrive at work 30 minutes early; the early bird catches the worm!"
The Ends
Justify The Means
"I
agree with your goal, but the ends do not justify the means."
The Jury
Is Out
"Its
hard to say if what we did was the right thing. The jury is still out on
it."
The Pot
Calling The Kettle Black
"Here
comes the guy who is always late for work." Answer: "Aren't you the
pot calling the kettle black?"
The Pros
And Cons
"I've
considered the pros and cons and I've decided: it is going to be expensive, but
I still want to go to college."
The Sky
Is The Limit
"After
I graduate from business school, the sky's the limit!"
The Straw
That Broke The Camel's Back
"You've
been rude to me all day, and I've had it. That's the last straw!"
The
Writing On The Wall
"Can't
you see the writing on the wall?"
Third
Wheel
"You
two go on ahead without me. I don't want to be the third wheel."
Tie The
Knot
"Did
you hear about Dan and Jenny? They finally decided to tie the knot!"
To Err Is
Human, To Forgive Divine
"I
will never forgive my mother for what she has done!" Answer: "Don't
be angry at her. To err is human, to forgive divine."
Tooth And
Nail
"That
was a tough match; they fought us tooth and nail!"
Truer
Words Were Never Spoken
"The
earlier I get up, the better the day I have." Answer:" Truer words
were never spoken."
Turn Over
A New Leaf
"I'm
turning over a new leaf; I've decided to quit smoking."
Two
Wrongs Don't Make A Right
"That
boy pushed me yesterday and I am going to get him back today!" Answer:
"No you are not! Two wrongs do not make a right."
Two's
Company; Three's a Crowd
"Why
did you have to bring your sister? Two's company; three's a crowd!"
Under The
Gun
"Everyone
at the office has been working under the gun since the new manager
arrived."
Under The
Weather
"What's
wrong?" Answer: "I'm a bit under the weather."
Up Against
"We
have been up against stronger opponents in the past."
Up For
Grabs
"Quick-
that table is up for grabs; let's get it before someone else does."
Variety
Is The Spice Of Life
Example:
"We were originally planning to go to
Water
Under The Bridge
"Aren't
you still angry about what he said?" Answer: "No, that was a long
time ago. It's all water under the bridge."
Wear Your
Heart On Your Sleeve
"My
brother always lets you know how he feels; he wears his heart on his
sleeve."
What They
Don't Know Won't Hurt Them
"Don't
tell your father what happened; what he doesn't know won't hurt him."
When In
"Are
you sure we should eat this with our hands?" Answer: "Why not? All of
these people are eating it that way. When in
When It
Rains, It Pours
"Sometimes
we have no customers for two or three hours then suddenly we get 20 people all
at once; when it rains, it pours!"
When Pigs
Fly
"Would
you ever take her on a date?" Answer: "Sure- when pigs fly!"
Wine And
Dine
"That
man is really is really crazy about my sister. He has been wining and dining
her all month."
With Your
Back Up Against The Wall
"I'm
sorry I can't help you; I've got my back up against the wall."
Without A
Doubt
"Are
you going to watch the game tomorrow?" Answer: "Without a
doubt!"
Word Of
Mouth
"Where
did you hear about that?" Answer: "Just word of mouth."
You Can't
Judge A Book By Its Cover
"He
dresses in plain clothing and drives an ordinary car. Who would know he is the
richest man in town? You can't judge a book by its cover!"
Your
Guess Is As Good As Mine
"Excuse
me, what time does the bus arrive?" Answer: "Your guess is as good as
mine; I almost never take the bus."