100 Useful Idioms and their meaning with the sentences.

                           

                    100 Idioms and their meaning with the sentences.

Idioms are expressions or phrases whose meanings do not relate to the literal meaning of their words. They are special words or phrases that aren’t meant to be taken literally and usually have a cultural meaning behind them. They typically present a figurative meaning attached to the phrase.

      IDIOMS                                                          MEANINGS

1)    A Storm in a teacup:-        Needless anger or worry about an insignificant things

-         Your wife is so upset. It seems to be a storm in a teacup.

2)    At the eleventh hour: -      It befalls when it is almost too late.

-        At the eleventh hour, they asked me to welcome the guest.

3)    All things being equal:-  In the occasion that all aspects of a situation remain the same

-        All things being equal, I attended the wedding.

4)    A bite at the cherry: -       A good time that isn’t available to everyone.

-        He wants a bite at the cherry to rectify his mistakes.

5)    Ace up one’s sleeve: -      A surprise benefit of which others are unaware.

-        A leader’s popularity gives him an ace up his sleeve to win elections.

6)    Acknowledge the corn: - Admit a mistake, especially a small one.

-        He acknowledged the corn that he was drunk then.

7)    A Cat has nine lives: -      Cats seem to get away with perilous (dangerous, high-risk, risky) things.

-        She is missing for few days, but nothing to worry, as a cat has nine lives.

8)    Blow stack: - To lose one’s disposition and explode in anger.

-        Her father was blowing stack over his going to the cinema with friends.

9)    Burn the midnight oil       : - Working late into the night.

-        Students burn midnight oil to pass the exams.

10)                    Bite the bullet: - To do something even though it involves suffering, discomfort, or strain.

-        Her husband insulted her before all, but she had to bite the bullet.

11)                    Bells and whistles: - Attractive but needless features of a product.

-        Their house has all bells and whistles, but nobody is happy in it.

12)                    Bail out: - To save someone from a difficult situation.

-        She bailed me out when my business collapsed.

13)                    Cut your teeth on something: - To learn or to understand basic skills in a field.

-        Students of law must cut their teeth on advocacy and then practice.

14)                    Crunch the numbers: -        To calculate before making a decision or conclusion.

-        When we crunched the numbers, we realised that it was not enough to buy a new house.

15)                    Call a spade a spade: -       To speak freely and directly about a problem or difficulty.

-        That lady is very outspoken. She calls a spade a spade.

16)                    Cut off your nose to spite your face: -     To act in a proud way that eventually harms your own cause.

-        You are just cutting off your nose to spite your face by leading such depressed life due to break-up with your partner.

17)                    Draw a line in the sand: - To give an ultimatum; specify an absolute limit in a conflict.

-        You have no choice, but to draw a line in the sand and go ahead in life.

18)                    Don’t cry over spilled milk: -   Do not worry about minor or insignificant things.

-        It is never of use to cry over spilt milk.

19)                    Dance to someone’s tune: -       Consistently follow someone’s advice or authority.

-        Her husband dances to her tunes all the time.

20)                    Devil’s advocate      : - Someone who insists a point not out of conviction or judgement.

-        A good journalist is a devil’s advocate who encourages healthy discussion.

21)                    Every dog has his (Its) day: -   Everyone has a moment of prominence, power, or supremacy.

-        Don’t weep, the storm will pass, every dog has his day.

22)                    Elevator pitch: - A brief demonstration of an idea, one short enough to be delivered in an elevator.

-        The speaker gave an elevator pitch to students about technology.

23)                    Eat crow: -        To confess one was wrong, and accept dishonour.

-        He had to eat crow after quarrelling with his neighbour.

24)                    Eager beaver: -   A person who is hardworking and passionate, sometimes considered fervent.

-        Don’t worry, you will accomplish this work too as you are an eager beaver.

25)                    Early bird: -       Someone who does something prior to the usual time.

-        We all believe that an early bird is really able to catch the worm.

26)                    Full of the joys of spring: -        Very happy, enthusiastic, cheerful and full of vivacity.

-        She seems full of the joys of spring due to some reason.

27)                    From the bottom of heart: -        To express sincere emotions with deep feelings.

-        I express my gratitude from the bottom of my heart.

28)                    From pillar to post: - From one place to another, in a forced, unintended or random way.

-        She was running from pillar to post for her children.

29)                    Fish out of water: -   A person who is in unknown, baffling surroundings.

-        He feels like a fish out of water in her absence.

30)                    Grease the wheels: - Do something to make an operation run smoothly and effortlessly.

-        Good marketing will grease the wheels of selling the products.

31)                    Go out on a limb: -   To put in a risky or precarious situation in order to help someone.

-        He was left out on a limb by his colleagues when the boss was scolding him.

32)                    Grasp (Grab) at straws: -    To take desperate actions with little hope of achievement.

-        She was grasping at straws to come out of depression.

33)                    Give the green light: -       Approve or allow something to proceed.

-        His parents gave him the green light to marry his girlfriend.

34)                    Hit the roof: -   Explode in anger; become extremely angry.

-        When she saw the messy kitchen, she hit the roof.

35)                    Highways and Byways      : - Large and small roads of a particular area.

-        They travelled highways and byways of the city to find him out.

36)                    Hell for leather: -       At full speed: as fast as possible.

-        She is going hell for leather to complete her project.

37)                    Hot potato         : - An argumentative subject or hard project that is best avoided.

-        Election is a hot potato for them.

38)                    Heavy hitter: -   A powerful, influential or important person.

-        This company is one of the heavy hitters in the film industry.

39)                    It’s not rocket science: -   It’s not difficult or crucial to understand.

-        Doing this course is not a rocket science.

40)                    It never rains but it pours: -      hard luck or bad things tend to happen at the same time.

-        It really true that it never rains, but pours. First she lost her husband, then she had to leave her house.

41)                    In the driver’s seat: - In a commanding position; in control.

-        The man was in the driver’s seat, as he could take important decisions in the absence of his boss.

42)                    In a rut: - Confined by routine, bored and pursuing new experiences.

-        We go to that hotel every week, we are in a rut.

43)                    If the shoe fits, wear it: - If the description is accurate, accept or adjust it.

-        Are you calling me a liar? Well, if shoe fits, wear it.

44)                    Jam on the brakes: -   To operate the brakes suddenly and in a hard way.

-        A truck appeared all of a sudden, so I had to jam on the brakes.

45)                    Just in the nick of time: -        Just before the last moment when something can be changed or happened.

-        I had to change the plan just in the nick of time.

46)                    Jaundiced eye: - To look at something with a prejudiced or unfriendly way.

-        Don’t look at the world with jaundiced eyes.

47)                    Jump through hoops: -      Accomplish a series of tasks in order to content someone.

-        They had to jump through hoops to reach the peak of the mountain.

48)                    Jangle someone’s nerves: - To make someone feel very nervous.

-        The pressure of exams jangled her nerves.

 

49)                    Joe Bloggs: -      An average or typical man.

-        He is just Joe Bloggs.

50)                    Keep a civil tongue: - Speak politely.

-        You must always keep a civil tongue while speaking to elders.

51)                    Keep one’s eyes peeled: -   Be alert.

-        Keep your eyes peeled for updates on exams.

52)                    Kick the bucket: -       Die.

-        He kicked the bucket in the prime of his life.

53)                    Knit one’s brow: -      To frown.

-        She knitted her brows while looking at him.

54)                    Know something inside and out: -       Know something very thoroughly.

-        He knows law inside and out.

55)                    Labour of love: -        A task done for pleasure.

-        Building house is a labour of love for me.

56)                    Lame duck        : - An unsuccessful person, thing or organization.

-        Such a lame-duck he is!

57)                    Leave the nest: - Move away from parents’ home.

-        Children have to leave the nest after growing up for their career.

58)                    Let the sleeping dogs lie: - To ignore a problem as dealing with it could cause a more serious problem.

-        He has just calmed down, let the sleeping dogs lie.

59)                    Let the cat out of the bag: - Reveal the secret.

-        She let the cat out of the bag by telling him everything.

60)                    Make a mountain out of a mole-hill: - Overstate something.

-        Don’t make a mountain out of a mole-hill, it’s not much important.

61)                    Make yourself at home: -    Feel comfortable.

-        Please come in and make yourself at home.

62)                    Meat and potatoes: -   Basic and essential aspects.

-        Teaching in the classroom is the meat and potatoes of our profession.

63)                    Memory like sieve: - Very poor memory.

-        He has a memory like sieve, don’t rely on him much.

64)                    Men make houses, women make homes: -   It’s a man who builds up a house for his family, but it’s woman who provides thing to turn it into home.

-        He bought a new house and she decorated it beautifully, men make houses, women make homes.

65)                    Name is mud: - Disgrace or dishonour.

-        Mend your ways, or your name will be mud soon.

66)                    Never say die: - Used to encourage someone not to give up hope.

-        Never say die, every cloud has a silver lining.

67)                    Nine times out of ten: -       often.

-        If you want anything, you get it nine times out of ten.

68)                    No spring chicken: -   Not young.

-        He is no spring chicken, but so fit.

69)                    Never in a million years: - Impossible.

-        This will happen never in a million years.

70)                    Old wives’ tale: -        A widely held traditional belief which is now considered unscientific.

-        Drinking wine is good for flu is old wives’ tale.

71)                    On the horns of dilemma: - Caught between two choices.

-        She was on the horns of dilemma about getting married and choosing career.

72)                    On the same wavelength: - Have the same thought.

-        They could succeed because they were on the same wavelength.

73)                    Once bitten, twice shy: -     A person who has failed doing something is careful about doing it again.

-        Since her daughter fell from the swing, she doesn’t like it anymore, once bitten, twice shy.

74)                    Once in a blue Moon: -       Rarely.

-        My father comes home once in a blue Moon.

75)                    Pain in the neck: -      Nuisance.

-        He irritates me time and again, just a pain in the neck.

76)                    Picture paints a thousand words: -       One single image can convey a story more effectively.

-        Show him the picture of it, as the picture paints a thousand words.

77)                    Pipe dream: -      An unattainable or fanciful scheme.

-        Going abroad is just a pipe dream for a lazy man like you.

78)                    Poetry in motion: -     Someone or something that moves in a way that is very graceful.

-        When she dances, she is a poetry in motion.

79)                    Quick as a wink: -      Very fast.

-        He solved that problem as quick as a wink.

80)                    Quake like a leaf       :-Tremble.

-        Because of cold, everybody was quaking like a leaf.

81)                    Rain cats and dogs: - Rain heavily.

-        It has been raining cats and dogs since yesterday.

82)                    Red-letter-day: - Very important day.

-        It is a red-letter-day in my life.

83)                    Sail against the wind: -       To try to achieve something that is unlikely to succeed because most people would oppose it.

-        Don’t sail against the wind, your father won’t like it.

84)                    Salt of the earth: -       Very honest person.

-        He is salt of the earth.

85)                    Save money for a rainy day: -      To reserve money for a difficult situation.

-        We must save money for a rainy day.

86)                    Take forty winks: - Nap.

-        I am going to take forty winks.

87)                    Take French leave: -   Go without taking permission.

-        She always takes French leave.

88)                    Tall tale: - Fanciful story.

-        He is fond of telling tall tales.

89)                    Under one’s thumb: - Completely under one’s influence.

-        She is under the thumb of her husband.

90)                    Up in the air: -   Uncertain.

-        That plant is now up in the air.

91)                    Vanish into air: -        Disappear.

-        Sorrows will vanish in the air, have patience.

92)                    Variety is the spice of life: -        People like variety.

-        Variety is the spice of life, we love tasting different cuisine every time in a hotel.

93)                    Wag one’s chin: -       To talk idly.

-        Don’t just wag your chin, do something.

94)                    Walk on air: -     Feel very happy.

-        He is walking on the air these days.

95)                    Wear your heart on your sleeve: -        To show one’s emotions very openly.

-        Why do you wear your heart on your sleeve always? It’s not good, people may take advantage of this.

96)                    Whet your appetite: - To sharpen your desire for.

-        Whet your appetite for reading.

97)                    X marks the spot: -     This is the exact spot.

-        Put your table here, X marks the spot.

98)                    You can’t please everyone: -       Whatever you do, some people will not like it.

-        He got angry, leave it, you can’t please everyone.

99)                    Young at heart: -        Behaving or thinking like young person.

-        He is very old, but still young at heart.

100)                Zero hour: -        The time when something important is planned to begin.

-        This is the zero hour to write your article.

Prepared by

Haridas Patil (6353973624)

(Blogger, Educator and Trainer)