A hot
potato
Speak of an
issue (mostly current) which many people are talking about and which is usually
disputed
A
penny for your thoughts
A way of
asking what someone is thinking
Actions
speak louder than words
People's
intentions can be judged better by what they do than what they say.
Add
insult to injury
To further a
loss with mockery or indignity; to worsen an unfavorable situation.
An
arm and a leg
Very
expensive or costly. A large amount of money.
At
the drop of a hat
Meaning:
without any hesitation; instantly.
Back
to the drawing board
When an
attempt fails and it's time to start all over.
Ball
is in your court
It is up to
you to make the next decision or step
Barking
up the wrong tree
Looking in
the wrong place. Accusing the wrong person
Be
glad to see the back of
Be happy when
a person leaves.
Beat
around the bush
Avoiding the
main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.
Best
of both worlds
Meaning: All
the advantages.
Best
thing since sliced bread
A good
invention or innovation. A good idea or plan.
Bite
off more than you can chew
To take on a
task that is way to big.
Blessing
in disguise
Something
good that isn't recognized at first.
Burn
the midnight oil
To work late
into the night, alluding to the time before electric lighting.
Can't
judge a book by its cover
Cannot judge
something primarily on appearance.
Caught
between two stools
When someone
finds it difficult to choose between two alternatives.
Costs
an arm and a leg
This idiom is
used when something is very expensive.
Cross
that bridge when you come to it
Deal with a
problem if and when it becomes necessary, not before.
Cry
over spilt milk
When you
complain about a loss from the past.
Curiosity
killed the cat
Being
Inquisitive can lead you into an unpleasant situation.
Cut
corners
When
something is done badly to save money.
Cut
the mustard [possibly derived from "cut the muster"]
To succeed;
to come up to expectations; adequate enough to compete or participate
Devil's
Advocate
To present a
counter argument
Don't
count your chickens before the eggs have hatched
This idiom is
used to express "Don't make plans for something that might not
happen".
Don't
give up the day job
You are not
very good at something. You could definitely not do it professionally.
Don't
put all your eggs in one basket
Do not put
all your resources in one possibility.
Drastic
times call for drastic measures
When you are
extremely desperate you need to take drastic actions.
Elvis
has left the building
The show has
come to an end. It's all over.
Every
cloud has a silver lining
Be
optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better days.
Far
cry from
Very
different from.
Feel
a bit under the weather
Meaning:
Feeling slightly ill.
Give
the benefit of the doubt
Believe
someone's statement, without proof.
Hear
it on the grapevine
This idiom
means 'to hear rumors' about something or someone.
Hit
the nail on the head
Do or say
something exactly right
Hit
the sack / sheets / hay
To go to bed.
In
the heat of the moment
Overwhelmed
by what is happening in the moment.
It
takes two to tango
Actions or
communications need more than one person
Jump
on the bandwagon
Join a
popular trend or activity.
Keep
something at bay
Keep
something away.
Kill
two birds with one stone
This idiom
means, to accomplish two different things at the same time.
Last
straw
The final
problem in a series of problems.
Let
sleeping dogs lie
Meaning - do
not disturb a situation as it is - since it would result in trouble or
complications.
Let
the cat out of the bag
To share
information that was previously concealed
Make
a long story short
Come to the
point - leave out details
Method
to my madness
An assertion
that, despite one's approach seeming random, there actually is structure to it.
Miss
the boat
This idiom is
used to say that someone missed his or her chance
Not
a spark of decency
Meaning: No
manners
Not
playing with a full deck
Someone who
lacks intelligence.
Off
one's rocker
Crazy,
demented, out of one's mind, in a confused or befuddled state of mind, senile.
On
the ball
When someone
understands the situation well.
Once
in a blue moon
Meaning:
Happens very rarely.
Picture
paints a thousand words
A visual
presentation is far more descriptive than words.
Piece
of cake
A job, task
or other activity that is easy or simple.
Put
wool over other people's eyes
This means to
deceive someone into thinking well of them.
See
eye to eye
This idiom is
used to say that two (or more people) agree on something.
Sit on the fence
This is used
when someone does not want to choose or make a decision.
Speak
of the devil!
This
expression is used when the person you have just been talking about arrives.
Steal
someone's thunder
To take the
credit for something someone else did.
Take
with a grain of salt
This means
not to take what someone says too seriously.
Taste
of your own medicine
Means that
something happens to you, or is done to you, that you have done to someone else
To
hear something straight from the horse's mouth
To hear
something from the authoritative source.
Whole
nine yards
Everything.
All of it.
Wouldn't
be caught dead
Would never
like to do something
Your
guess is as good as mine
To have no
idea, do not know the answer to a question
source: smart-words.org
