English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical lists of English idioms with their meaning and an example.
The lists below show the first and last idiom on each page:
- Alphabetical idioms - lists A :
- Alphabetical idioms - lists B :
- list B1 : (leave someone holding the) baby → in bad shape
- list B2 : badger someone → whole new ball game
- list B3 : ballpark figure → battle lines are drawn
- list B4 : battle of wills → beat a dead horse
- list B5 : beat a hasty retreat → before your very eyes
- list B6 : beggar can't be choosers → beside yourself
- list B7 : best bet → beyond any reasonable doubt
- list B8 : beyond one's wildest dreams → bite the bullet
- list B9 : bite the dust → blamestorming
- list B10 : blank cheque → blow away the cobwebs
- list B11 : blow a fuse → above board
- list B12 : in the same boat → bored to tears
- list B13 : born with silver spoon in your mouth → all brawn no brain
- list B14 : know which side your bread is buttered → a breeze
- list B15 : bricks and mortar/bricks and clicks → pass the buck
- list B16 : kick the bucket → burning question
- list B17 : bury your head in the sand → by degrees
- Alphabetical idioms - lists C :
- list C1 : (in) cahoots with → burn the candle at both ends
- list C2 : (paddle one's own) canoe → carrot and stick
- list C3 : carry the can → fat cat
- list C4 : cat nap → catch as catch can
- list C5 : caught in the crossfire → change the face of
- list C6 : change of heart → chicken out
- list C7 : chickens come home to roost → chips are down
- list C8 : (as useful as a) chocolate teapot → clip someone's wings
- list C9 : clock in/out → cold calls
- list C10 : cold turkey → come to grips
- list C11 : come to a head → common ground
- list C12 : common knowledge → couch potato
- list C13 : cough up → cream of the crop
- list C14 : cream rises to the top → at cross purposes
- list C15 : cross the Rubicon → a cut above
- list C16 : cut both ways → cut it fine
- list C17 : cut it out → cutting edge
- Alphabetical idioms - lists D :
- list D1 : dab hand at something → dead in the water
- list D2 : dead loss → (like a) deer caught in the headlights
- list D3 : (by) degrees → dice are loaded
- list D4 : dice with death → disappear into thin air
- list D5 : disaster written all over → dog-eat-dog
- list D6 : dog and pony show → (in the) doghouse
- list D7 : (in the) doldrums → down in the mouth
- list D8 : down payment → dressed to kill
- list D9 : dressed up to the nines → dry (or dummy) run
- list D10 :sitting duck → dying for
- Alphabetical idioms - lists E :
- Alphabetical idioms - lists F :
- list F1 : face like a bulldog → facts speak for themselves
- list F2 : fair and square → fall on deaf ears
- list F3 : fall on sword → fat cat
- list F4 : fat chance → feet of clay
- list F5 : (back on your) feet → (play second) fiddle
- list F6 : fiddling while Rome burns → finger in every pie
- list F7 : put a finger on → in the first place
- list F8 : (of the) first water → fit for purpose
- list F9 : fit to be tied → fly-by-night
- list F10 : fly by seat of one's pants → (on a) fool's errand
- list F11 : fool's paradise → forewarned is forearmed
- list F12 : forty winks → freudian slip)
- list F13 : friends in high places → fur coat
- Alphabetical idioms - lists G :
- list G1 : gab of the gab → get cracking
- list G2 : get down to brass tacks → get off the hook
- list G3 : get on your high horse → get your skates on
- list G4 : get to bottom → give run-around
- list G5 : give the shirt off one's back → go against the tide
- list G6 : go all out → go hand in hand
- list G7 : go haywire → go postal
- list G8 : go to hell in a handcart → gone with the wind
- list G9 : good as gold →green fingers
- list G10 : green light → gutter press
- Alphabetical idioms - lists H :
- list H1 : (old) habits die hard → half a mind
- list H2 : hammer home → hands tied
- list H3 : (wash your) hands of → happy as Larry
- list H4 : happy-go-lucky→ have you gone out of your mind?
- list H5 : have kittens → hear through grapevine
- list H6 : heart's content → heebie jeebies
- list H7 : hell broke loose → hidden agenda
- list H8 : high and dry → hit panic button
- list H9 : hit the road → (not) hold water
- list H10 : holier-than-thou → horns of a dilemma
- list H11 : horse of a different colour → (not give) house room
- list H12 : (on the) house → hustle and bustle
- Alphabetical idioms - lists I :
- Alphabetical idioms - lists J :
- Alphabetical idioms - lists K :
- Alphabetical idioms - lists L :
- list L1 : labour of love → laugh all the way
- list L2 : laugh off → leave high and dry
- list L3 : leave no stone unturned → let bygones be bygones
- list L4 : let me bounce this off you → keep a lid on
- list L5 : lie in → see in new light
- list L6 : (shed) light → lipstick on a pig
- list L7 : live beyond your means → (a) load off your mind
- list L8 : loan shark → look the picture of health)
- list L9 : look a sight → at a loss
- Alphabetical idioms - lists M :
- list M1 : mad as a hatter →make an exhibition of
- list M2 : make flesh crawl → make nothing of
- list M3 : (can't) make an omelette → (find your) match
- list M4 : matter of time → middle of nowhere
- list M5 : (smack dab in the) middle → mind your Ps and Qs
- list M6 : (in one's) mind's eye → money for old rope
- list M7 : money doesn't grow → (once in blue) moon
- list M8 : reach for the moon → move heaven and earth
- list M9 : move in the same circles → my way or the highway
- Alphabetical idioms - lists N :
- Alphabetical idioms - lists O :
- Alphabetical idioms - lists P :
- list P1 : put through paces → paper tiger
- list P2 : paper trail → not a patch on
- list P3 : pay dearly for → penny drops
- list P4 : in for a penny → no picnic)
- list P5 : picture of health → pillar to post
- list P6 : (at a) pinch → play with fire
- list P7 : play footsie → pleased as punch
- list P8 : pluck out of the air→ politically correct
- list P9 : pop one's clogs → pour one's heart out
- list P10 : power behind the throne → (a) proper do
- list P11 : proud as a peacock → push one's luck
- list P12 : if push comes to shove → put one's house in order
- list P13 : put in one's place → Pyrrhic victory
- Alphabetical idioms - lists Q :
- list Q : quaking in one's boots → quiet as a mouse
- Alphabetical idioms - lists R :
- list R1 : race against time → rake in the money
- list R2 : ram down someone's throat → rear its ugly head
- list R3 : recharge one's batteries → refresh someone's memory
- list R4 : regain one's composure → (a) rip-off
- list R5 : ripple effect → (when in) Rome do as the Romans
- list R6 : (go through the) roof → (bend the) rules
- list R7 : run down → (in a) rut
- Alphabetical idioms - lists S :
- list S1 : (get the) sack → (in the) same boat
- list S2 : (by the) same token → scales fall from your eyes
- list S3 : scarce as hen's teeth → sea legs
- list S4 : seal of approval → seen better days
- list S5 : sell down the river → settle a score
- list S6 : shake like a leaf → ship has sailed
- list S7 : ships that pass in the night → short end of the stick
- list S8 : short fuse → shrug something off
- list S9 : shut the stable door when horse ... → simplicity itself
- list S10 : since time immemorial → skeleton staff
- list S11 : skin a cat → slice of the cake
- list S12 : sling mud → (a) smash hit
- list S13 : smoke like a chimney → sneak preview
- list S14 : (not to be) sneezed at → spanner in the works
- list S15 : (go) spare → spin a yarn
- list S16 : spinach cinema → (no) spring chicken
- list S17 : (on the) spur of the moment → starter marriage
- list S18 : state of the art → step on someone's toes
- list S19 : step out of line → sticky fingers
- list S20 : (on a) sticky wicket → (a) storm is brewing
- list S21 : (a) storm in a teacup → stretch the truth
- list S22 : (in) strict confidence → stubborn as a mule
- list S23 : stuck in time warp → sweet nothings
- list S24 : sweet tooth → (all) systems go
- Alphabetical idioms - lists T :
- list T1 : tail wagging the dog → take with a grain of salt
- list T2 : take the law into your own hands → take the rough with the smooth
- list T3 : take shape → take stock
- list T4 : take to the cleaners → (run a) taut ship
- list T5 : (not for all the) tea in China → text-walking
- list T6 : thank one's lucky stars - thick as thieves
- list T7 : through thick and thin → thrilled to bits
- list T8 : (at each other's) throats → (rule of) thumb
- list T9 : (all) thumbs → time after time
- list T10 : (for the) time being → toing and froing
- list T11 : token gesture → toot your own horn
- list T12 : (fight) tooth and nail → toy with an idea
- list T13 : trade secret → tunnel vision
- list T14 : turkeys voting for Christmas → (in the) twinkling of an eye
- list T15 : twist someone's arm → put two and two together
- Alphabetical idioms - lists U :
- Alphabetical idioms - lists V :
- list V1 : vanish into thin air → vote with one's feet
- Alphabetical idioms - lists W :
- list W1 : on the wagon → walk a tightrope
- list W2 : walking on air → wax lyrical
- list W3 : ways and means → wet blanket
- list W4 : whale of a time→ white lie
- list W5 : whiz kid → get wind of)
- list W6 : (know) which way wind blows → wise after the event
- list W7 : wise up to → can't see the wood for the trees
- list W8 : touch wood → work like a charm
- list W9 : work to rule → best of both worlds
- list W10 :worlds apart → written all over your face
- Alphabetical idioms - lists X-Y-Z :
- list X-Y-Z : xerox subsidy → zero tolerance
For more idioms visit this link
http://www.learn-english-today.com/idioms/idioms_alphalistsA-Z.html
- list X-Y-Z : xerox subsidy → zero tolerance
Comments
Amal mneeh ya Elmaz Muhammed. A useful list for those who are studying idioms.