Eng 102 List of Idioms and Phrases 100

id·i·om
IDIOM: ˈɪd i əm Show Spelled[id-ee-uh m] –noun

1.
an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual
meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket or hang one's
head, or from the general grammatical rules of a language, as the table
round for the round table, and that is not a constituent of a larger
expression of like characteristics.
2.
a language, dialect, or style of speaking peculiar to a people.
3.
a construction or expression of one language whose parts correspond
to elements in another language but whose total structure or meaning
is not matched in the same way in the second language.
4.
the peculiar character or genius of a language.
5.
a distinct style or character, in music, art, etc.: the idiom of Bach.
List of Idioms
1. all right (3): unharmed; in satisfactory condition.
A: "You don't look normal. Are you all right?"

B: "Yes, but I have a headache."
IDIOMS AND PHRASES
Definition: The common phrase ‘idioms and phrases’ refers to commonly

used groups of words in English. These idioms and phrases are used in
specific situations and often used in an idiomatic, rather than a figurative
sense. Idioms are often full sentences. Phrases, however, are usually made
up of a few words and are used as a grammatical unit in a sentence. Here are
some examples of common idioms and phrases. It’s raining cats and dogs
(idiom)
at the top of (prepositional phrase)
Chairman of the board (noun phrase)
by the end of the day (adverbial phrase)
Pronunciation: ˈɪdiəm ænd freɪz

2. at the eleventh hour: at the last minute; almost too late.
"Yes, I got the work done in time. I finished it at the eleventh hour, but I wasn't
late.
3. be on the road: be traveling.
"You won't be able to contact me tomorrow because I'll be on the road."
***
4. beat around the bush: evade an issue; avoid giving a direct answer.
"Quit beating around the bush! If you don't want to go with me, just tell me!"
***
5. the bottom line: the most essential information.
"The discussion lasted many hours. The bottom line was that
the XYZ Company isn't for sale."
6. by the skin of one's teeth: barely succeed in doing something.
"I'll have to start earlier the next time. This time I only finished by the skin of my
teeth."
7. call it a day: stop work for the day.
"It's late and you've accomplished a lot. Why don't you call it a day?"
8. catch one's eye: attract one's attention/interest.
"This brochure about Tahiti caught my eye when I was at the travel agency."
9. Don't count your chickens until (before) they hatch (they've hatched).:
Don't assume
that something will happen until it has happened.
A: I'm sure that I'm going to win a lot of money in Las Vegas."
B: "Don't count your chickens until they hatch!"
***
10. drag one's feet: delay; take longer than necessary to do something.
"Joe should have finished his project a week ago. Why is he dragging his feet?"
***
11. elbow grease: hard work; effort.
"Yes, the car is pretty dirty, but it'll look nice again with a little elbow grease."
12. every other _____ : alternately; omitting the second one in each group of
two.
"In your essays, please write on every other line. That will make the
essays much easier to read."
***
13. far-fetched: difficult to accept; difficult to believe.
"That story's pretty far-fetched. Nobody's going to believe it."
14. for ages: for a very long time.
"Where's Marie? I haven't seen her for ages."
***
15. get on one's nerves: irritate someone; make someone upset.
"I know you like that song, but it's getting on my nerves. Can you play
something else?"
16. green: inexperienced.
"I don't think you can depend on Jack to do that job by himself. He's too green."
***
17. hit the books: study.
"I wish I could go to the movies, but I've got to hit the books."
18. How come?: Why? (statement word order).
"How come you weren't at the party?"
***
19. in over one's head: in a situation that is too much / too difficult for one to
manage.
"Do you have time to help me? I thought I could do this myself,
but I'm afraid I'm in over my head. I just can't handle things alone."
20. in the red: unprofitable; showing a financial loss.
"We have to do something to increase profit and decrease losses.

We've been in the red for two months in a row."
21. junk mail: unsolicited mail (usually advertisements for something you're not
interested in).
"I didn't have any letters today--only junk mail."
***
22. jump all over someone: severely criticize / find fault with someone.
A: "What's wrong with Joe?"

B: "He's feeling bad because his boss jumped all over him this morning."
23. a klutz: an awkward, uncoordinated person.
"Don't ask Jeff to dance with you. He's a real klutz and will probably step on your
feet!"
24. know something backwards and forwards: know/understand something

completely and thoroughly.
"If you have a question about html tags, ask Susan. She knows html
backwards and forwards."
25. a low blow: a big disappointment.
A: "Fred seems depressed. Is he OK?"

B: "He's OK, but not good. It was a low blow for him to be laid off from his job."
26.lousy: terrible; very bad.
"Why did you speak so rudely to your grandmother? That was a lousy thing to
do!"
27.make a mountain out of a molehill: make something seem much more

important than it really is.
"Calm down. There's really nothing to worry about.

You're making a mountain out of a molehill."
28.make up one's mind: decide what to do.
A: Where are you going on your vacation?

B: Maybe Canada, maybe Mexico. I can't make up my mind."
***
29 nosh: snack.
"There's plenty in the refrigerator if you want something to nosh on."
30 now and then: occasionally; from time to time.
A: "Do you see Jennifer often?"

B: "No, not really. I see her now and then, but not regularly."
31. nuke: heat in a microwave.
"If your coffee's cold, just nuke it for about a minute."
32. on the dot: exactly at a given time.
"We're leaving at 9:00 on the dot. If you're late, we'll go without you."
***
33., pooped: very tired; exhausted.
"I went to bed really early last night. I was pooped!"
34. pop quiz: unannounced short test.
"You shouldn't have missed class yesterday. We had a pop quiz."
35. quite a few: several; numerous.
"I don't think I can meet you after work. I have quite a few errands that I have to
do."
36. a quick study: someone who learns new things quickly and easily.
A: "Annie seems to be doing well at her new job."

B: "I'm not surprised. She's a quick study."
***
37. R and R: rest and relaxation (a vacation).
"I think you're working too hard, Dave. You need some R and R."
38. rain or shine: (describing something scheduled) no matter what the weather
is.
"We're leaving tomorrow, rain or shine."
39. shoot the breeze: make relaxed, casual conversation.
"No, we weren't talking about anything important.

We were just shooting the breeze."
40. state of the art: using the latest technology.
"The company is very proud of the equipment in its

computer room. It's state of the art."
41. tell a white lie: say something that isn't true in order not to hurt or offend
someone.
"The cake that Susan made tasted terrible, but I knew that she
made it because she wanted to please me, so when she asked
if I liked it, I told a white lie and said it was good."
42. toss something: throw something away; put something in the trash.
"These shoes are worn out. I guess I'll have to toss them."
43. under the weather: ill; sick; unwell.
"Ted was feeling under the weather yesterday, so he decided not to go to work."
44. wet behind the ears: inexperienced and naive.
"Don't include Fred as part of the bargaining team.He's just started

working here and is still too wet behind the ears."
45. yucky: terrible; distasteful; very unpleasant.
"Don't eat the soup at the cafeteria. It's yucky!"
46. zilch: nothing.
A: "How much money do you have?"

B: "Zilch. I'm broke until payday."
47.Zip your lip!: keep something secret; promise not to tell what has just been
said.
"What I told you is really important, so zip your lip!"
***
49. Step on it!: Hurry up!
"Step on it! The taxi will be here at any time and you're not even dressed!"
***
50. wishy-washy: uncommitted; without an opinion of one's own.
"Don't be so wishy-washy. Tell us how you really feel."
Idioms
English Idiom #1
DON'T GIVE UP THE DAY JOB
Explanation of English Idiom #1
YOU ARE NOT VERY GOOD AT THAT. YOU COULD DEFINITELY NOT DO
IT PROFESSIONALLY.
Example of English Idiom #1
"I REALLY LIKE THE WAY YOU SING BUT DON'T GIVE UP YOUR DAY
JOB."
English Idiom #2
A CASH COW
AN EASY WAY TO EARN MONEY REGULARLY.
"INCOME TAX IS A REAL CASH COW FOR THE GOVERNMENT."
English Idiom #3
BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW
TRYING TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS TOO DIFFICULT OR TIME
CONSUMING TO FINISH.
"I'M GLAD YOU WANT TO PREPARE THE REPORT BY YOURSELF. JUST BE
SURE THAT YOU DON'T BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW."
English Idiom #4
CLEAR THE AIR
DISCUSS SOMETHING THAT WAS CAUSING PEOPLE TO FEEL UPSET.
"THERE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A MISUNDERSTANDING. I'D LIKE TO
EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED, JUST TO CLEAR THE AIR."
English Idiom #5
TURN YOUR BACK ON
GIVE UP ON, OR ABANDON.
"I NEED YOUR HELP BUT YOU JUST TURNED YOUR BACK ON ME."
English Idiom #6
NOT CUT OUT FOR
NOT SUITABLE FOR SOMETHING.
"HE TRIED MOUNTAIN CLIMBING BUT HE SIMPLY WAS NOT CUT OUT
FOR IT."
English Idiom #7
SCRAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL
THE VERY LAST, OR THE VERY WORST.
"THESE ARE THE LAST VOLUNTEERS WE COULD FIND. WE REALLY HAD
TO SCRAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL TO FIND THEM."
English Idiom #8
A CLASS ACT
SOPHISTICATED, ABOVE AVERAGE.
"HE OFFERED TO HELP, EVEN THOUGH HE DOESN'T KNOW ME. HE'S A
REAL CLASS ACT."
English Idiom #9
CLEAN UP YOUR ACT
IMPROVE YOUR BEHAVIOR.
"IF YOU ARE EVER GOING TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH SKILLS, YOU
MUST START GETTING TO CLASS ON TIME AND DOING YOUR
HOMEWORK. WHY DON'T YOU CLEAN UP YOUR ACT?"
English Idiom #10

GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER
GET MORE ORGANIZED.
"YOU HAVE BEEN LATE FOR WORK EVERY DAY THIS WEEK. IF YOU
WANT TO KEEP THIS JOB, YOU MUST GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER."
English Idiom #11

A PIECE OF THE ACTION
PARTICIPATION IN AN ACTIVITY. OFTEN RELATED TO GAMBLING OR
BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS.
"I HEARD THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PARTNERS IN YOUR NEW
INVESTMENT. IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WOULD LIKE TO GET IN ON A PIECE
OF THE ACTION."
English Idiom #12

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS
"PEOPLE'S INTENTIONS CAN BE JUDGED BETTER BY WHAT THEY DO
THAN WHAT THEY SAY."
English Idiom #13

IN THE AIR
BEING DISCUSSED. GENERALLY OBVIOUS.
"THE DAYS ARE GETTING LONGER AND THE FLOWERS ARE BLOOMING.
SPRING IS IN THE AIR."
English Idiom #14

GO APE
GO CRAZY.
"JACK WAS REALLY ANGRY. I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO GO APE."
English Idiom #15

A GREY AREA
SOMETHING THAT IS DIFFICULT TO DEFINE.
I RESEARCHED YOUR CASE BUT THERE ARE NOT ANY BLACK AND
WHITE ANSWERS. YOUR SITUATION SEEMS TO FALL INTO A GREY
AREA."
English Idiom #16

UP IN ARMS
ANGRY.
"THE CROWD WAS AGITATED. EVERYONE WAS UP IN ARMS OVER THE
GOVERNMENT DECISION."
English Idiom #17

BE GLAD TO SEE THE BACK OF
BE HAPPY WHEN A PERSON LEAVES.
THAT GUY BOTHERS ME. I'll BE GLAD TO SEE THE BACK OF HIM."
English Idiom #18

GIVE HIM CREDIT
ACKNOWLEDGE AN ACHIEVEMENT OR CONTRIBUTION OF A PERSON."
"ALTHOUGH HE IS NOT EASY TO WORK FOR, YOU HAVE TO GIVE HIM
CREDIT FOR MANAGING THE COMPANY WELL."
English Idiom #19

GO BEHIND SOMEONE'S BACK
DO SOMETHING WITHOUT TELLING SOMEONE.
"DON'T TRUST JANE. SHE ACTS FRIENDLY BUT SHE IS ALWAYS GOING
BEHIND SOMEONE'S BACK."
English Idiom #20

EACH TO HIS OWN
EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO HIS OWN INDIVIDUAL OPINION.
"I CAN'T SAY THAT I LIKE GEORGE'S NEW FURNITURE. IT SEEMS VERY
PLAIN AND UNCOMFORTABLE. OH WELL, EACH TO HIS OWN."
English Idiom #21

EAGER BEAVER
ENTHUSIASTIC PERSON.
"JOHN DID ALL OF HIS HOMEWORK BEFORE SUPPER. HE SURE IS AN
EAGER BEAVER."
English Idiom #22

EARLY BIRD
A PERSON WHO IS EARLY FOR AN APPOINTMENT.
"SATOKO WAS IN CLASS 30 MINUTES BEFORE ANYONE ELSE. WHAT AN
EARLY BIRD."
English Idiom #23

SCRATCH THE SURFACE
EXAMINE ONLY A PART OF SOMETHING. UNCOVER ONLY A FEW FACTS
ABOUT SOMETHING.
"CANCER RESEARCH IS A VERY LONG-TERM PROCESS. SO FAR, WE
HAVE JUST BEGUN TO SCRATCH THE SURFACE."
English Idiom #24
GIVE HIM THE SLIP
LEAVE HIM. HIDE FROM HIM.
"I THINK THAT MAN IS FOLLOWING US. LET'S GIVE HIM THE SLIP."
English Idiom #25

COLD SHOULDER
TO TREAT SOMEONE IN AN UNFRIENDLY MANNER.
"I DON'T THINK JIM LIKES ME. I TRIED TO SPEAK WITH HIM EARLIER BUT
HE GAVE ME THE COLD SHOULDER."
English Idiom #26

GET THE BALL ROLLING
START SOMETHING.
"ALL RIGHT EVERYONE, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME PLANNING THIS
PROJECT. NOW, IT'S TIME TO GET THE BALL ROLLING."
English Idiom #27

JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON
JOIN A POPULAR TREND OR ACTIVITY.
"I LIKE THAT NEW PROCEDURE AND I'VE DECIDED TO JUMP ON THE
BANDWAGON."
English Idiom #28

A LOSING BATTLE
SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE ACCOMPLISHED.
English Idiom #29

KEEP SOMETHING AT BAY
KEEP SOMETHING AWAY.
"SARAH FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE SALESPERSON AT BAY."
English Idiom #30

SPILL THE BEANS
TELL A SECRET.
"I WON'T BE THE ONE TO SPILL THE BEANS."
English Idiom #31

BEGGARS CAN'T BE CHOOSERS
PEOPLE CANNOT COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING THEY GET FOR FREE.
"I DON'T LIKE THE COLOR OF THE SWEATER SHE GAVE ME BUT,
BEGGARS CAN'T BE CHOOSERS."
English Idiom #32

FLESH AND BLOOD
A RELATIVE.
"I MUST HELP HIM. AFTER ALL, HE'S MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD."
English Idiom #33

GIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT
BELIEVE SOMEONE'S STATEMENT, WITHOUT PROOF.
"THE TEACHER'S EXPLANATION DID NOT SEEM LOGICAL, BUT I GAVE
HER THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT."
English Idiom #34

A SAFE BET
PROBABLY TRUE. WILL PROBABLY HAPPEN.
"IT'S A SAFE BET THAT YOUR ENGLISH SKILLS WILL IMPROVE QUICKLY
IF YOU STUDY AT VANCOUVER ENGLISH CENTRE."
English Idiom #35

FIT THE BILL
SEEMS CORRECT.
"THAT SEEMS TO FIT THE BILL. I'LL TAKE IT."
English Idiom #36

BLACK AND BLUE
BRUISED.
"HE WAS BEATEN UNTIL HE WAS BLACK AND BLUE."
English Idiom #37

IN COLD BLOOD
WITH COMPASSION OR MERCY. USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH RUTHLESS
MURDER.
"THE ASSASSIN WAS EVIL. HE KILLED HIM IN COLD BLOOD."
English Idiom #38

OUT OF THE BLUE
UNEXPECTED.
"A GREAT IDEA JUST CAME TO ME OUT OF THE BLUE."
English Idiom #39

CALL SOMEONE'S BLUFF
MAKE SOMEONE PROVE WHAT THEY SAY.
"HE IMPLIED THAT HE WOULD TERMINATE MY CONTRACT BUT I CALLED
HIS BLUFF."
English Idiom #40

ROCK THE BOAT
CREATE PROBLEMS FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
"EVERYONE LIKES ANTONIO. HE DOESN'T ROCK THE BOAT."
English Idiom #41

BY THE BOOK
DOING SOMETHING ACCORDING TO THE RULES.
"HE IS A GOOD COP. HE DOES EVERYTHING BY THE BOOK."
English Idiom #42

GIVE SOMEONE THE BOOT
DISMISS OR TERMINATE SOMEONE.
"MR. SMITH IS AN EASY BOSS TO WORK FOR. HE DOESN'T LIKE TO GIVE
SOMEONE THE BOOT."
English Idiom #43

GET TO THE BOTTOM OF
LEARN ABOUT AND UNDERSTAND FULLY.
"WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED BUT WE INTEND TO GET TO THE
BOTTOM OF THIS."
English Idiom #44

OUT OF BOUNDS
NOT PERMITTED.
"HANS WANTED TO ASK MARY OUT ON A DATE BUT I EXPLAINED THAT
SHE IS OUT OF BOUNDS. MARY IS ENGAGED TO JACK."
English Idiom #45

BREAD AND BUTTER
REGULAR INCOME.
"WE ARE VERY DEPENDENT ON OUR ADVERTISING REVENUE. IT'S OUR
BREAD AND BUTTER."
English Idiom #46

THE BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD
A GOOD INVENTION OR INNOVATION.
"I LOVE THIS PAPER FOLDING MACHINE. IT'S THE BEST THING SINCE
SLICED BREAD."
English Idiom #47

GIVE ME A BREAK
DON'T EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE OR AGREE WITH THAT.
"YOU THINK THE TEACHER IS JOKING? GIVE ME A BREAK."
English Idiom #48

DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH
DON'T WAIT TOO LONG BECAUSE IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN.
"YES, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THEY WILL LOWER TAXES BUT DON'T HOLD
YOUR BREATH."
English Idiom #49

CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN YOU COME TO IT
DEAL WITH A PROBLEM IF AND WHEN IT BECOMES NECESSARY.
"I'M NOT TOO WORRIED ABOUT A POSSIBLE DOWNTURN IN THE
ECONOMY. ANYWAY, LET'S CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN WE COME TO
IT."
English Idiom #50

THE BUBBLE HAS BURST
A PREVIOUSLY POSITIVE SITUATION HAS ENCOUNTERED A SERIOUS
PROBLEM.
"LAST YEAR, THE STOCK MARKET WAS DOING VERY WELL.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT SEEMS THAT THE BUBBLE HAS BURST."

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id·i·om

IDIOM: ˈɪd i əm Show Spelled[id-ee-uh m] –noun

1. all right (3): unharmed; in satisfactory condition.

A: "You don't look normal. Are you all right?"

IDIOMS AND PHRASES

Definition: The common phrase ‘idioms and phrases’ refers to commonly

at the top of (prepositional phrase)

Chairman of the board (noun phrase)

by the end of the day (adverbial phrase)

Pronunciation: ˈɪdiəm ænd freɪz

3. be on the road: be traveling.

"You won't be able to contact me tomorrow because I'll be on the road."

5. the bottom line: the most essential information.

6. by the skin of one's teeth: barely succeed in doing something.

7. call it a day: stop work for the day.

8. catch one's eye: attract one's attention/interest.

11. elbow grease: hard work; effort.

13. far-fetched: difficult to accept; difficult to believe.

"That story's pretty far-fetched. Nobody's going to believe it."

14. for ages: for a very long time.

"Where's Marie? I haven't seen her for ages."

15. get on one's nerves: irritate someone; make someone upset.

17. hit the books: study.

18. How come?: Why? (statement word order).

"How come you weren't at the party?"

20. in the red: unprofitable; showing a financial loss.

"We have to do something to increase profit and decrease losses.

"I didn't have any letters today--only junk mail."

A: "What's wrong with Joe?"

24. know something backwards and forwards: know/understand something

25. a low blow: a big disappointment.

A: "Fred seems depressed. Is he OK?"

26.lousy: terrible; very bad.

27.make a mountain out of a molehill: make something seem much more

"Calm down. There's really nothing to worry about.

28.make up one's mind: decide what to do.

A: Where are you going on your vacation?

30 now and then: occasionally; from time to time.

A: "Do you see Jennifer often?"

31. nuke: heat in a microwave.

"If your coffee's cold, just nuke it for about a minute."

32. on the dot: exactly at a given time.

33., pooped: very tired; exhausted.

"I went to bed really early last night. I was pooped!"

34. pop quiz: unannounced short test.

"You shouldn't have missed class yesterday. We had a pop quiz."

35. quite a few: several; numerous.

A: "Annie seems to be doing well at her new job."

37. R and R: rest and relaxation (a vacation).

"We're leaving tomorrow, rain or shine."

39. shoot the breeze: make relaxed, casual conversation.

"No, we weren't talking about anything important.

40. state of the art: using the latest technology.

"The company is very proud of the equipment in its

43. under the weather: ill; sick; unwell.

"Don't include Fred as part of the bargaining team.He's just started

45. yucky: terrible; distasteful; very unpleasant.

"Don't eat the soup at the cafeteria. It's yucky!"

46. zilch: nothing.

A: "How much money do you have?"

"What I told you is really important, so zip your lip!"

49. Step on it!: Hurry up!