... A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush- Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might losing everything. ... A blessing in disguise- Something good that isn’t recognized by first ... Bull in china shop- One who causes damage ... A chip on your shoulder- Being upset for something that happened in the past ... A damp squib- Complete failure ... A dime A dozen- Anything that is common and easy to get ... A doubting Thomas- A skeptic who needs physical or personal evidence in order to believe something ... A drop in the bucket- A very small part of something big or whole ... A fool and his money are easily parted- It’s easy for a foolish person to lose his/ her money ... A gentleman at large- An unreliable person ... A green horn- Inexperienced ... A house divided against itself cannot stand- Everyone involved must unify and function together or it will not work out. ... A leopard can’t change his spots- You cannot change who you are ... A lost cause- A hopeless case, a person or situation having no hope of positive change. ... A man of straw- A weak person ... A mare’s nest- A false invention ... A penny saved is a penny earned- By not spending money, you are saving money (little by little... ... A picture paints a thousand words- A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words ... A piece of cake- A task that can be accomplished very easily ... A slap on the wrist- A very mild punishment ... A stalking horse- Pretence ... A steal- Very inexpensive, a bargain ... A taste of your own medicine- When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others ... A toss-up- A result hat is still unclear and can go either way ... A wolf in sheep’s clothing- A dangerous person pretending harmless ... ABC: Very common knowledge about to- Ready to, just going to ... Above all- Mainly, especially ... Above board- Fair and honest ... According to- In the order of; on the authority of ... Actions speak louder than words- It’s better to actually do something than hust talk about it ... Add fuel to the fire- Whenever something is done to make a bad situation even worse than it is ... Against the clock- Rushed and short on time ... All (day, week, month, year... long- The entire day, week, month, year ... All along- All the time, from the beginning (without change... ... All and Sundry- Without making any distinction ... All bark and no bite- When someone is threatening and/ or aggressive but not willing to engage in a fight ... All greek to me- Meaningless and incomprehensible like someone who cannot read, speak, or ... All in all- Considering everything ... All in the same boat- When everyone is facing the same challenges ... All of a sudden- Suddenly, without warning (All at once... ... All right- Acceptable, fine; yes, okay ... Alpha and omega- First and last letter of Greek alphabet, means beginning and end ... An arm and a leg- Very expensive, A large amount of money ... An axe to grind- To have a dispute with someone ... An eye wash- A pretence ... An iron hand- By force ... Apple to my eye- Someone who is cherished above all others ... As a matter of fact- Really, actually (also: as to... ... As for- Regarding, concerning (also: as to... ... As high as a kite- Anything that is high up in the sky ... As soon as- Just after, when ... As usual- as is the general case, as is typical ... At all- To any degree (also: in the least... ... At heart- Basically, fundamentally ... At last- Finally, after a long time ... At least- A minimum of, no fewer (or less... than ... At odds- In dispute ... At sixes and seven- Persons who are having different opinions ... At the drop of a hat- Willing to do something immediately ... Back and call- At the service ... Back and forth- In a backward and forward motion ... Back seat driver- People who criticize from the sidelines, much like someone giving unwanted advice ... Back to square one- Having to start all over again ... Back to the drawing board- When an attempt fails and it’s time to start all over ... Bag and baggage- with all goods ... Baker’s dozen- Thirteen ... Bank on- Depend on, count on ... Barking up the wrong tree- A mistake made in something you are trying to achieve ... Bated breath- In anxiety, expectancy ... Beat a dead horse- To force an issue that has already ended ... Beating around the bash- Avoiding the main topic, not speaking directly about the issue ... Bend over backwards- Do whatever it takes to help. Willing to do anything ... Between a Rock and a Hard place- Stuck between two very bad options ... Between Scylla and Charybdis- Choice between two unpleasant alternatives ... Between the cup and the lips- On the point of achievement ... Bite off more than you can chew- To take on a task that is a way to big ... Bite your tongue- To avoid talking ... Black and white- In writing ... Blood is thicker than water- The family bond is closer than anything else ... Blow hot and cold- Having no stand, shows favour at one time and unfavour at another ... Blue moon- A rare event or occurrence ... Body and soul- Entirely ... Break a leg- A superstitious way to say ‘Good Luck’ without saying ‘Good Luck’, ... Buy a lemon- To purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems or stops running after you drive it ... By & by- Gradually ... By all means- Certainly, definitely, naturally (also: of course...; using any possible way or method ... By far- By a great margin, clearly ... By fits and starts- Irregularly ... By heart- By memorizing ... By hook or by crook- By any means ... By leaps and bound- speedily ... By oneself- Alone, without assistance ... By the way- Incidentally ... Call a spade a spade- Straight talks ... Can’t cut the mustard- Someone who isn’t adequate enough to compete or participate ... Cast iron stomach- Someone who has no problems, complications or ill effects with eating anything ... Cats and bull story- Untrue story ... Cats and dogs- Heavy rain ... Charley horse- stiffness in the leg/ A leg cramp ... Chew someone out- Verbally scold someone ... Chip on his shoulder- Angry today about something that occurred in the past ... Chow down- To eat ... Clear- cut- Clearly stated, definite, apparent ... Close but no cigar- To be near and almost accomplish a goal, but fall short ... Close call- A situation involving a narrow escape from danger ... Cock and bull story- An unbelievable tale, untrue story ... Come hell or high water- Any difficult situation or obstacle ... Crack someone up- To make someone laugh ... Cross your fingers- To hope that something happens the way you want it to ... Cry wolf- Intentionally raise a false alarm ... Cup of joe- A cup of coffee ... Curtain lecture- A reproof by wife to her husband ... Cut and dried- Ready made form ... Cut to the chase- Leave out all the unnecessary details and just get to the point ... Dark horse- One who was previously unknown and is now prominent ... Day in and day out- Continuously, constantly ... Dead Ringer- % identical, a duplicate ... Devil’s advocate- Someone who takes a position for the sake of argument without believing in that ... Dog days of summer- The hottest day of the summer season ... Don’t count your chickens before they hatch- Don’t rely on it until you sure of it ... Don’t look a gift horse in the month- When someone gives you a gift, don’t be ungrateful ... Don’t pull all your eggs in one basket- Do not pull all your resources in one possibility ... Doozy- Something outstanding ... Down to the wire- Something that ends at the last minute or last few seconds ... Drastic times call for drastic measures- When you are extremely desperate you need to take extremely desperate actions ... Drink like a fish- To drink very heavily, drinking anything ... Dry run- Rehearsal ... Egg on- To urge somebody ... Eighty six- A certain item is no longer available. Or this idiom can also mean, to throw away ... Elvis has left the building- The show has come to an end. It’s all over ... Ethnic cleansing- Killing of a certain ethnic or religious group on a massive scale ... Ever and anon- Now and then ... Every cloud has a silver lining- Be optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better days ... Every other (one...- Every second (one..., alternate (ones... ... Everything but the kitchen sink- Almost everything and anything has been included ... Excuse my French- Please forgive me for cussing ... Fabian policy- Policy of delaying decisions ... Face-to-face- Direct, personal; directly, personally (written without hyphens... ... Fair and wide- Equal opportunity to all ... Far and wide- Every where ... Few and far between- Not frequent, unusual, rare ... Field day- An enjoyable day or circumstance ... Fifty- fifty- Divided into two equal parts ... Finding your feet- To become more comfortable in whatever you are doing ... Finger licking good- To become more comfortable in whatever you are doing ... Fire and brimstone- A very tasty food or meal ... Fire and fury- Fearful penalties ... First and foremost- Extreme enthusiasm ... Fishy: doubtful- Highest priority ... Fixed in your ways- Not willing or wanting to change from your normal way of doing something ... Flash in the pan- Something that shows potential or looks promising in the beginning but fails to deliver ... Flea market- A swap meet. A place where people gather to buy and sell inexpensive goods ... Flesh and blood- This idiom can mean living material of which people are made of, or it can refer to human nature ... Flip the bird- To raise your middle finger at someone ... Foam at the mouth- To be enraged and show it ... Fools’ Gold- Iron pyrites, a worthless rock that resembles real gold ... Foot the bill- Bear expenses ... For good- Permanently, forever ... For once- This one time, for only one time ... For sure- Without doubt (also: for certain... ... For the time being- Temporarily (also: for now... ... Free and easy- Natural and simple ... French kiss- An open mouth kiss where tongues touch ... From now on- From this time into the future ... From rags to riches- To go from very poor to being very wealthy ... Fuddy- duddy- An old-fashioned and foolish type of person ... Full monty- This idiom can mean either, “The whole thing” or “Completely nude” ... Funny farm- A mental institutional facility ... Gall and wormwood- Source of irritation ... Get down to brass tacks- To become serious about something ... Get over it- To move beyond something that is bothering you ... Get up on the wrong side of the bed- Someone who is having a horrible day ... Get your walking papers- Get fired from the job ... Gird up the loin- To be ready ... Give and take- Compromise, cooperation between people ... Give him the slip- To get away from, to escape ... Give in- Surrender ... Go down like a lead balloon- To be received badly by an audience ... Go for broke- To gamble everything you have ... Go out on a limb- Put yourself in a tough position in order to support someone/ something ... Go the extra mile- Going above and beyond whatever is required for the task at hand ... Good Samaritan- Someone who helps others when they are in need, with no discussion for ... Graveyard shift- Working hours from about : am to . ... Great minds think alike- Intelligent people think like each other ... Green room- The waiting room, especially for those who are about to go on a TV or radio show ... Gut feeling- A personal intuition you get, especially when feel something may not be right ... Had better- Should, ought to, be advisable to ... Hand a gloves- Very intimate friends ... Hard and fast- Certain ... Hard of hearing- Partially deaf, not able to hear well ... Haste makes waste- Quickly doing things results in a poor ending ... Hat Trick- When one player scores three goals in the same hockey game. ... Haughty and naughty- Arrogant and naughty ... Have an axe to grind- To have a dispute with someone ... Have got- To have, to possess ... Have got to- Must (also: have to... ... He lost his head- Angry and overcome by emotions ... Head and shoulder- Superior ... Head over heels- Very excited and/ or joyful, especially when in love ... Heart and soul- With full devotion ... Hell in a hand basket- Deteriorating and headed for complete disaster ... Helter Shelter-Here and there ... Herculean task- A tedious job ... High five- Slapping palms above each others heads as celebration gesture ... High on the Hog- Living in luxury ... Hit below the belt- Contrary the principles of fairness ... Hit the books- To study, especially for a test or exam ... Hit the hay- Go to bed or go to sleep ... Hit the nail on the head- Do something exactly right or say something exactly right ... Hit the sack- Go to bed or go to sleep ... Hither and thither- Here and there ... Hocus Pocus- In general, a term used in magic or trickery ... Hold your horses- Be patient ... Hole and corner policy- A secret policy for an evil purpose ... Hornet’s nest- Raise controversy ... Hue and cry- Great noise ... Hush money- A bribe ... Icing on the cake- When you already have it good and get something on top of what you already have ... Idle hands are the devil’s tools- You are more likely to get in trouble if you have nothing to do ... If it’s not one thing, it’s another- When one thing goes wrong, then another, and another… ... Ill at ease- Uncomfortable or worried in a situation ... In a hurry- Hurried, rushed (also: in a rush... ... In case- In order to be prepared if the meaning is in order to be prepared if something happens ... In hand- Under firm control, well managed ... In like Flynn- To be easily successful, especially when sexual or romantic ... In no time- Very quickly, rapidly ... In the bag- To have something secured ... In the buff- Nude ... In the heat of the moment- Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment ... In the long run- Eventually, after a long period of time ... In the worst way- Very much, greatly ... In time to- Before the time necessary to do something ... In touch- Having contact ... In vain- Useless, without the desired result ... In your face- An aggressive and bold confrontation ... Ins and outs- Full detail ... Inside out- With the inside facing the outside ... Intents and purposes- Practically ... It figures- It seems likely, reasonable, or typical ... It takes two to tango- A two person conflict where both people are at fault ... It’s a small world- You frequently see the same people in different places ... It anyone’s call- A competition where the outcome is difficult to judge or predict ... Ivory tower- Imaginary world ... Ivy league- Since the Ivy league has been the following universities: Columbia, Brown, Cornell ... Jaywalk- Crossing the street (from the middle... without using the crosswalk ... Joshing me- Tricking me ... Keep an eye on him- You should carefully watch him. Keep an eye on ... Keep body and soul together- To earn a sufficient amount of money in order to keep yourself alive ... Keep your chin up- To remain joyful in a tough situation ... Kick the bucket- Die ... Kith and kin- Blood relatives ... Kitty-corner- Diagonally across. Sometimes called Catty- Corner as well ... Knock on Wood- Knuckle tapping on wood in order to avoid some bad luck ... Know the ropes- To understand the details ... Last but not least- An introduction phrase to let the audience know that the last person mentioned is also very important ... Last straw- The final event in a series of unacceptable actions ... Latin and Greek- Unable to understand ... Leave no stone unturned- Make all possible efforts ... Lend me your ear- To politely ask for someone’s full attention ... Length and breadth- All over ... Let along- and certainly not (also: not to mention, to say nothing of... ... Let the cat out of the bag- To share a secret that wasn’t suppose to be shared ... Level playing field- A fair competition where no side has an advantage ... Life and soul- Main support ... Like a chicken and its head cut off- To act in a frenzied manner ... Liquor someone up- To get someone drunk ... Little by little- Gradually, slowly (also: step by step... ... Live-wire- Energetic ... Loaves and fish- Material interests ... Lock and key- In safe place ... Long in the tooth- Old people (or horses... ... Loose cannon- Someone who is unpredictable and can cause damage if not kept in check ... Make no bones about- To state a fact so there are no doubts or objections ... Method to my madness- Strange or crazy actions that appear meaningless but in the end are done for a good reason ... Might and main- With all enthusiasm ... Milk and water- Weak ... More or less- Approximately, almost, somewhat, to a certain degree ... Mumbo Jumbo- Nonsense or meaningless speech ... Mum’s the word- To keep quiet, To say nothing ... Narrow-minded- Not willing to accept the ideas of others