Collection of Idioms

 

Part 2 (M to Z)

 

 

Make a better fist

If someone makes a better fist of doing something, they do a better job.

Make no bones about it

If somebody make no bones about a scandal in their past, they are open and honest about it and show no shame or embarrassment.

Make your blood boil

If something makes your blood boil, it makes you very angry.

Make your flesh crawl

If something makes your flesh crawl, it really scares or revolts you. ('Make your flesh creep' is an alternative.)

Make your hair stand on end

If something makes your hair stand on end, it terrifies you.

Many a slip twixt cup and lip

There's many a slip twixt cup and lip means that many things can go wrong before something is achieved.

Many hands make light work

This idiom means that when everyone gets involved in something, the work gets done quickly.

Mealy-mouthed

A mealy-mouthed person doesn't say what they mean clearly.

Millstone round your neck

A millstone around your neck is a problem that prevents you from doing what you want to do.

Misery guts

A misery guts is a person who's always unhappy and tries to make others feel negative.

Mud in your eye

This is a way of saying 'cheers' when you are about to drink something, normally alcohol.

My hands are full

If your hands are full, you have so much to do that you cannot take on any more work, responsibilities and so on.

My hands are tied

If your hands are tied, you are unable to act for some reason.

My heart bleeds

If your heart bleeds for someone, you feel genuine sympathy and sadness for them.

My heart goes out to someone

If your heart goes out to someone, you feel genuine sympathy for them.

Neck and neck

If two competitors or candidates, etc, are neck and neck, then they are very close and neither is clearly winning.

Neck of the woods

If someone talks about their neck of the woods, they mean the area where they live.

New blood

If something needs new blood, it has become stale and needs new ideas or people to invigorate it.

Nod's as good as a wink

(UK) 'A nod's as good as a wink' is a way of saying you have understood somethin that someone has said, even though it was not said directly.

Not to be sneezed at

If something is not to be sneezed at, it should be taken seriously.

Off-hand

Off-hand means without preparation. People say that they don't know the answer off-hand, meaning that they don't know it at that time.

On the nod

(UK) If something is accepted by parliament or a committee majority, it is on the nod.

On the nod

(UK) Someone who's on the nod is either alseep or falling aslepp, especially when the shouldn't or are are in a position unusual for sleep, like sitting or standing.

On the right foot

If you start something or set off on the right foot, you get off to a good start.

On the tip of your tongue

If a word is on the tip of your tongue, you know you know the word, but you just can't quite remember it at the moment.

On your last legs

If someone's on their last legs, they're close to dying.

Out of your hair

If you get someone out of your hair, you get them to stop bothering or annoying you. ('Stay/keep/get out of my hair!' can be used as imperatives)

Out on a limb

If somebody's out on a limb, they are in a very exposed position and could get into difficulties.

Over your head

If something is over your head, or goes over your head, it is too complex or difficult for you to understand.

Pain in the neck

If someone is very annoying and always disturbing you, they are a pain in the neck. Pain in the butt, or pain in the ass (USA), and Pain in the arse (UK) are less polite alternative forms.

Pay through the nose

If you pay through the nose for something, you pay a very high price for it.

Plain as the nose on your face

If something is as plain as the nose on your face, it is very clear and obvious.

Plastic smile

When someone is wearing a plastic smile, they are appear to be happier with a situation or events than they actually are. This is actually a description of the forced smile you might see in many photographs.

Play it by ear

If you play it by ear, you don't have a plan of action, but decide what to do as events take shape.

Play out of your skin

If someone plays out of their skin, they give an outstanding performance.

Pound of flesh

If someone wants their pound of flesh, the force someone to pay or give back something owed, even though they don't need it and it will cause the other person a lot of difficulty.

Powder your nose

If somebody goes to powder your nose, it is a euphemism for going to the lavatory (toilet).

Pull someone's leg

If you pull someone's leg, you tease them, but not maliciously.

Pull the wool over someone's eyes

If you pull the wool over someone's eyes, you deceive or cheat them.

Pull your finger out!

If someone tells you to do this, they want you to hurry up.

Put or get someone's back up

If you put or get someone's back up, you annoy them.

Put somebody's nose out of joint

If you put someone's nose out of joint, you irritate them or make them angry with you.

Put your foot down

When someone puts their foot down, they make a firm stand and establish their authority on an issue.

Put your foot in it

If you put your foot in it, you do or say something embarrassing and tactless or get yourself into trouble.

Put your foot in your mouth

If you put your foot in your mouth, you say something stupid or embarrassing.

Put your hand on your heart

If you can out your hand on your heart, then you can say something knowing it to be true.

Put your money where your mouth is

If someone puts their money where their mouth is, they back up their words with action.

Rack your brain

If you rack your brain, you think very hard when trying to remember something. ('Rack your brains' is an alternative.)

Rule of thumb

Rule of thumb means approximately.

Safe pair of hands

A person who can be trusted to do something without causing any trouble is a safe pair of hands.

Save face

If someone saves face, they manage to protect their reputation.

Save your skin

If someone saves their skin, they manage to avoid getting into serious trouble.

Scales fall from your eyes

When the scales fall from your eyes, you suddenly realise the truth about something.

Scent blood

If you can scent blood, you feel that a rival is having difficulties and you are going to beat them.

See eye to eye

If people see eye to eye, they agree about everything.

Shake a leg

If you shake a leg, you are out of bed and active.

Shoot yourself in the foot

If you shoot yourself in the foot, you do something that damages your ambition, career, etc.

Slap on the wrist

If someone gets a slap on the wrist, they get a very minor punishment when they could have been punished more severely.

Sleight of hand

Sleight of hand is the ability to use your hands in a clever way, like a magician performing tricks you can't see.

Smooth as a baby's bottom

If something is smooth as a baby's bottom, it has a regular, flat surface.

Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

If the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, someone lacks the willpower to change things they do because they derive too much pleasure from them.

Spit blood

If someone is spitting blood, they are absolutely furious.

Split hairs

If people split hairs, they concentrate on tiny and unimportant details to find fault with something.

Stars in your eyes

Someone who dreams of being famous has stars in their eyes.

Stick out like a sore thumb

If something sticks or stands out like a sore thumb, it is clearly and obviously different from the things that are around it.

Stick your neck out

If you stick you neck out, you take a risk because you believe in something.

Stiff upper lip

(UK) If you keep your emotions to yourself and don't let others know how you feel when something bad happens, you keep a stiff upper lip.

Stiff-necked

A stiff-necked person is rather formal and finds it hard to relax in company.

Sweat blood

If you sweat blood, you make an extraordinary effort to achieve something.

Take it on the chin

If you take something on the chin, something bad happens to you and you take it directly without fuss.

Talk out of the back of your head

If someone is talking out of the back of their head, they are talking rubbish.

Taste blood

If someone has tasted blood, they have achieved something and are encouraged to think that victory is within their grasp.

Tear your hair out

If someone is tearing their hair out, they are extremely worried or agitated about something.

Teething problems

The problems that a project has when it's starting are the teething problems.

Thick-skinned

If a person is thick-skinned, they are not affected by critisism.

Thin-skinned

If somebody is thin-skinned, they are very sensitive to any sort of criticism.

Thumb your nose at

If you thumb your nose at something, you reject it or scorn it.

Thumbs down & thumbs up

If something gets the thumbs up, it gets approval, while the thumbs down means disapproval.

Tongue in cheek

If something is tongue in cheek, it isn't serious or meant to be taken seriously.

Turn a blind eye

When people turn a blind eye, they deliberately ignore something, especially if people are doing something wrong.

Turn a deaf ear

If someone turns a deaf ear to you, they don't listen to you.

Turn the other cheek

If you turn the other cheek, you are humble and do not retaliate or get outwardly angry when someone offends or hurts you, in fact, you give them the opportunity to re-offend instead and compound their unpleasantness.

Turn your nose up

If someone turns their nose up at something, they reject it or look odwn on it because they don't think it is good enough for them.

Twinkling of an eye

If something happens in the twinkling of an eye, it happens very quickly.

Twist someone's arm

If you twist someone's arm, you put pressure on them to try to make them do what you want them to do.

Two left feet

A person with two left feet can't dance.

Under your nose

If something happens right in front of you, especially if it is surpsising or audacious, it happens under your nose.

Up to the neck

If someone's in something up to the neck, they are very involved in it, especially when it's something wrong.

Upper hand

If you have the upper hand, you have the advantage.

Warm the cockles of your heart

If something warms the cockles of your heart, it makes you feel happy.

Warts and all

If you like someone warts and all, you like them with all their faults.

Wash your hands of something

If you wash your hands of something, you disassociate yourself and accept no responsibility for what will happen.

Wet behind the ears

Someone who is wet behind the ears is either very young or inexperienced.

Win by a nose

If somebody wins by a nose, they only just beat the others.

Wipe the smile of someone's face

If you wipe the smile of someone's face, you do something to make someone feel less pleased with themselves.

Word of mouth

If something becomes known by word of mouth, it is because people are talking about it, not through publicity, etc.

Work your fingers to the bone

If you work your fingers to the bone, you work extremely hard on something.

World at your feet

If everything is going well and the future looks full of opportunity, you have the world at your feet.

Written all over your face

If someone has done something wrong or secret, but cannot hide it in their expression, it is written all over their face.

Wrong foot

If you start something on the wrong foot, you start badly.

You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

This idiom means that if you do something for me, I'll return the favour.

Young blood

Young people with new ideas and fresh approaches are young blood.