100 Most Frequent Idiomsabout to (do something)

- to be on the point of doing something

I was about to leave when the phone rang.

according to (someone or something)

- as said or told by someone, in agreement with something, in the order of something, in proportion to something

According to our teacher, there will be no class next week. We did everything according to the terms of our agreement.

account for (something)

- to provide an explanation or answer for something

The bad weather accounts for the fact that few people came to the meeting.

after all

- considering the fact that something happened, something that is usually assumed

"You don't need to phone him. After all, he never phones you."

all of a sudden

- suddenly, without advance warning

All of a sudden it became cloudy and began to rain.

as a matter of fact

- actually

"As a matter of fact, we have been to the history museum many times."

as far as

- to the extent or degree of something

As far as I know the movie will start in a few minutes.

as for

- with regard to, concerning

"As for me, I think that I will return home now."

as if

- in the same way that something would be, that

The drink tastes as if it were made with orange juice. It seemed as if the whole town came to the concert.

as long as

- provided that, on condition that

"As long as you promise to be careful you can borrow my car."

as soon as

- just after something, when

I phoned my friend as soon as I finished dinner.

as to

- with regard to, according to

"As to your question, I will answer it tomorrow." The players were put into groups as to their ability.

as well

- in addition, also, too

I plan to take a computer course this summer as well.

as well as (someone or something)

- in addition to someone or something

"Please bring your swimming suit as well as your towel."

back and forth

- backwards and forwards, first one way and then the other way

The argument went back and forth before the judge made a decision.

better off

- to be in a better situation than before

My friend would be better off if he sold his old car and bought a new one.

break down (something)

- to divide something into parts, to separate something into simpler substances

We tried to break down the problem for further study. The sugar began to break down soon after it was swallowed.

break up

- to separate, to divide into groups or pieces, to put an end to something

Nobody wanted to break up their groups. We usually break up into small groups during our class.

by the way

- incidentally

"By the way, could you please bring your laptop computer tomorrow."

carry out (something)

- to put something into action, to accomplish something, to do something

The scientist wanted to carry out several experiments before discussing the new medicine.

come on!

- please, hurry, go faster

"Come on, I only have a few minutes before I must go." "Come on, stop doing that."

come up

- to happen unexpectedly

I will not be able to go to the party if something else comes up.

come up with (something)

- to produce or find a thought/idea/answer

I tried to come up with a name for the new magazine.

deal with (something)

- to be concerned with something, to take action about something

We will deal with the boxes tomorrow.

end up (doing something or going somewhere)

- to do something that one had not planned to do, to go somewhere one had not planned to go

We ended up going to a restaurant after the movie last night.

figure out (someone or something)

- to try to understand someone or something, to solve something

I finally figured out how to use the new DVD player.

fill in (something)

- to write words in blank spaces

"Please fill in this form and give it to the receptionist."

find out (something)

- to learn or discover something

My mother is angry at me because she found out that I had quit my French class.

first of all

- the very first thing

First of all we prepared the garden and then we planted the seeds.

for good

- permanently

The city will close the public swimming pool for good next week.

for sure

- without doubt, certainly, surely

"I will go to the movie with you for sure next week."

get back to (something)

- to return to something

I was happy to get back to my work after my holiday.

get into (something)

- to become interested or involved in something

I do not want to get into an argument with my friend. We will get into the details of the plan tomorrow.

get into (somewhere)

- to enter somewhere

My friend wants to get into a good university. I bumped my head as I was getting into the car.

get out of (somewhere)

- to leave somewhere, to escape from somewhere

I want to hurry and get out of my house.

get rid of (something)

- to give or throw something away, to sell or destroy something, to make a cold or fever disappear

I bought a new television set so I want to get rid of the old one.

get through (something)

- to complete something, to finish something

My friend is having trouble getting through her final exams. I have much reading that I must get through before tomorrow.

go ahead

- to begin to do something

"Let`s go ahead and start now. We can`t wait any longer."

go on

- to continue

The game will probably go on for an hour after we leave.

go over (something)

- to examine or review something

The accountant will go over the books tomorrow. We plan to go over that question tomorrow.

go through (something)

- to discuss something, to look at something, to do something

The teacher decided to go through the exercise before the test.

go with (something)

- to choose one thing rather than another

We decided to go with the small rental car rather than the large one.

hang out (somewhere/with someone)

- to spend one`s time with no great purpose, to spend leisure time with friends

Recently my friend has been hanging out with a group of people who are not a good influence on him.

have (something) to do with (something)

- to be about something, to be on the subject of something, to be related to something

"The book has something to do with cooking but I am not sure if you will like it." That problem has nothing to do with me.

hold on

- to wait a minute, to stop, to wait and not hang up the phone

"Please hold on for a minute while I lock the window."

in a way

- to a certain extent, a little, somewhat

In a way I want to go to the new restaurant but in a way I don`t really care.

in case

- if, if something should happen

I will take my umbrella in case it rains.

in common

- shared together or equally, in use or ownership by all

I had nothing in common with the other members of the class.

in detail

- giving all the details, item by item

The saleswoman explained about the new product in detail.

in effect

- for practical purposes, basically

The man's silence was in effect a way of disagreeing with the other people in the meeting.

in fact

- actually, the truth is

The man has been to China before. In fact he has been there three times.

in favor of (someone or something)

- to approve or support someone or something

Everybody is in favor of the new police chief. My company is not in favor of changing our holiday schedule.

in general

- in most situations or circumstances

In general, most of the people in our apartment are happy with the new manager.

in order to

- for the purpose of

They have decided to close down the school for the summer in order to do some major repairs.

in other words

- in a different (usually more direct) way

"In other words, if you do not finish the assignment by Wednesday you will not pass the course."

in place

- in the proper place or location

Everything in the room was in place when we arrived for the meeting.

in some ways

- in some unspecified way or manner, by some unspecified means

In some ways I know what my friend means but in some ways I do not.

in terms of (something)

- with regard to something

In terms of our agreement with the other company we were not allowed to sell the products online.

in time

- early enough

I did not come home in time to meet my cousin.

keep (someone or something) in mind

- to remember and think about someone or something

I told my co-workers to keep the new starting time for work in mind.

kind of

- somewhat, more or less, moderately

I was kind of tired when I arrived home last night.

look for (something)

- to try to find something, to hunt/search for something

My friend has been looking for her credit card all morning but she can`t find it.

look up (something)

- to search for something in a dictionary or other book

I will look up my friend's name in the telephone book. I looked up the word in the dictionary.

make a difference

- to cause a change in a situation

It does not make a difference whether our boss comes to the meeting or not.

make sense

- to seem reasonable

His new proposal really does make sense.

make sure

- to make certain, to establish something without a doubt

I want to make sure that my friend is going to meet me tomorrow.

more or less

- somewhat, to some extent

I more or less have decided to study business next year.

no matter

- regardless

No matter how hard that I try, my piano teacher is never satisfied.

not at all

- certainly not

I am not at all happy with my new computer.

of course

- certainly, definitely, naturally

"Of course you can use my car if you want to."

on the other hand

- however, in contrast, looking at the opposite side of a matter

He is very intelligent but on the other hand he is very lazy and always gets low marks at school.

on time

- at the scheduled time, exactly at the correct time, punctually

Our train arrived exactly on time.

once again

- again, one more time, once more

I tried once again to phone my boss at his home .

open to (something)

- to be agreeable to learn or hear about new ideas or suggestions

Most members of the class were open to the teacher's ideas.

pick up (something)

- to get or receive something

I will pick up my dry cleaning tomorrow. I picked up a copy of the newspaper at the station.

point out (someone or something)

- to explain or call attention to someone or something

My teacher was very kind when she pointed out the mistakes that I had made.

put out (something)

- to produce or make something (a product/brochure/report/CD/movie/paper)

The company puts out a newsletter every month for the employees.

regardless of (something)

- without considering or thinking about something, without regard to something

Regardless of the weather we are going to go fishing tomorrow morning.

right away

- immediately

"I forgot to bring my book but I will go home and get it right away."

rule out (someone or something)

- to decide against or eliminate someone or something

The police ruled out the man as a possible bank robber. We decided to rule out Monday as the day to have our meeting.

run into (something - a fact/trouble/problems/difficulty)

- to experience something, to encounter something

The mechanic ran into trouble when he was fixing my car. I ran into some interesting facts when I was researching my essay.

set up (something)

- to establish something, to provide the money for something

The newspaper company provided the money to set up the new travel magazine. The company set up a unique situation to test the new product.

show up

- to appear, to arrive, to be present

"What time did your friend show up for the party?"

so far

- until now

So far no one has entered the speech contest at the television station.

so to speak

- as one might or could say, this is one way to say something

We had a good time at the restaurant, so to speak, although the service was not very good.

sort of (something)

- to be almost something, to be similar to something, to be not quite something

"Did you finish cleaning the kitchen?" "Sort of, but not really."

stick with (something)

- to continue doing something, to not quit something

My brother has been able to stick with his trumpet lessons since he was a child.

take advantage of (someone or something)

- to use someone or something for one's own benefit

We took advantage of the beautiful weather and went to the beach.

take care of (someone or something)

- to look after or give attention to someone or something

You should take care of your health or you will become sick.

take out (something)

- to remove something from somewhere, to extract something

The teacher told us to take out our books. I took out some onions from the refridgerator.

take over (something)

- to take control of something, to take command of something

The large company wants to take over some of the small companies in our area.

take place

- to happen, to occur

The soccer game took place on the coldest day of the year.

to the extent that

- to the degree that, in so far as

I plan to provide information about the new company policy to the extent that I am familiar with it.

turn in (something)

- to give something to someone, to hand something to someone

I arrived at school early so that I could turn in my essay.

turn out

- to be found or known, to prove to be true

It turned out that more people came to the party than we expected.

up to

- until, as far as a certain point, approaching a certain point

Up to last week I had never been inside a bowling alley. There were probably up to thirty people at the meeting.

up to (someone) to decide/do (something)

- to be responsible to choose or decide something

It is up to the company president to decide when the meeting will start.

used to

- accustomed to

My friend is not used to living in such a big city.

with respect to (something)

- referring to something, concerning something

I do not know what the company will do with respect to the old computer system.

work out (for the best)

- to end successfully

I hope that everything will work out for my friend when she moves to London next week.

25 Common English Idioms

To speak English fluently, you need to increase your vocabulary. That includes learning idioms and expressions. The idioms and expressions below are the most common in English. The example sentences will help you understand how to use the expressions. Have fun!

1. as easy as pie means "very easy" (same as "a piece of cake")

Example: He said it is a difficult problem, but I don't agree. It seems as easy as pie to me!

2. be sick and tired of means "I hate" (also "can't stand")

Example: I'm sick and tired of doing nothing but work. Let's go out tonight and have fun.

3. bend over backwards means "try very hard" (maybe too much!)

Example: He bent over backwards to please his new wife, but she never seemed satisfied. Super Students from Jing Shan School in Beijing "Oh, I love this job!"

4. bite off more than one can chew means "take responsibility for more than one can manage"

Example: John is so far behind in his studies. Besides classes, he plays sports and works at a part-time job. It seems he has bitten off more than he can chew.

5. broke means "to have no money"

Example: I have to borrow some money from my Dad. Right now, I'm broke.

6. change one's mind means "decide to do something different from what had been decided earlier"

Example: I was planning to work late tonight, but I changed my mind. I'll do extra work on the weekend instead.

7. Cut it out! means "stop doing something bad"

Example: That noise is really annoying. Cut it out!

8. drop someone a line means "send a letter or email to someone"

Example: It was good to meet you and I hope we can see each other again. Drop me a line when you have time.

9. figure something out means "come to understand a problem"

Example: I don't understand how to do this problem. Take a look at it. Maybe you can figure it out.

10. fill in for someone means "do their work while they are away"

Example: While I was away from the store, my brother filled in for me.

11. in ages means "for a very long time"

Example: Have you seen Joe recently? I haven't seen him in ages.

12. give someone a hand means "help"

Example: I want to move this desk to the next room. Can you give me a hand?

13. hit the hay means "go to bed" (also "hit the sack")

Example: It's after 12 o'clock. I think it's time to hit the hay.

14. in the black means "the business is making money, it is profitable"

Example: Our business is really improving. We've been in the black all year.

15. in the red means "the business is losing money, it is unprofitable"

Example: Business is really going poorly these days. We've been in the red for the past three months.

16. in the nick of time means "not too late, but very close!"

Example: I got to the drugstore just in the nick of time. It's a good thing, because I really need this medicine!

17. keep one's chin up means "remain brave and keep on trying"

Example: I know things have been difficult for you recently, but keep your chin up. It will get better soon.

18. know something like the back of your hand means "know something very, very well"

Example: If you get lost, just ask me for directions. I know this part of town like the back of my hand

19. once in a while means "sometimes, not very often"

Example: Have you been to the new movie theater? No, only see movies once in a while. I usually stay home and watch TV.

20. sharp means "exactly at a that time"

Example: I'll meet you at 9 o'clock sharp. If you're late, we'll be in trouble!

21. sleep on it means "think about something before making a decision"

Example: That sounds like a good deal, but I'd like to sleep on it before I give you my final decision.

22. take it easy means "relax"

Example: I don't have any special plans for the summer. I think I'll just take it easy.

23. to get the ball rolling means "start something, especially something big"

Example: We need to get this project started as soon as possible. I'm hoping you will help me get the ball rolling.

24. up to the minute means "the most recent information"

Example: I wish I knew more about what is happening in the capital city. We need more up to the minute news.

25. twenty-four/seven means "every minute of every day, all the time"

Example: You can access our web site 24/7. It's very convenient!

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 lose everything.

A Blessing In Disguise: Something good that isn't recognized at first.

A Chip On Your Shoulder: Being upset for something that happened in the past.

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 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 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 Taste Of Your Own Medicine: When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others.

A Toss-Up: A result that is still unclear and can go either way.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words: It's better to actually do something than just 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 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 understand any of the Greek language would be.

All In The Same Boat: When everyone is facing the same challenges.

An Arm And A Leg: Very expensive. A large amount of money.

An Axe To Grind: To have a dispute with someone.

Apple of My Eye: Someone who is cherished above all others.

As High As A Kite: Anything that is high up in the sky.

At The Drop Of A Hat: Willing to do something immediately.

B

Back Seat Driver: People who criticize from the sidelines, much like someone giving unwanted advice from the back seat of a vehicle to the driver.

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.

Baker's Dozen: Thirteen.

Barking Up The Wrong Tree: A mistake made in something you are trying to achieve.

Beat A Dead Horse: To force an issue that has already ended.

Beating Around The Bush: 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.

Bite Off More Than You Can Chew: To take on a task that is way to big.

Bite Your Tongue: To avoid talking.

Blood Is Thicker Than Water: The family bond is closer than anything else.

Blue Moon: A rare event or occurance.

Break A Leg: A superstitious way to say 'good luck' without saying 'good luck', but rather the opposite.

Buy A Lemon: To purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems or stops running after you drive it away.

C

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 or drinking anything.

Charley Horse: Stiffness in the leg / A leg cramp.

Chew someone out: Verbally scold someone.

Chip on his Shoulder: Angry today about something that occured in the past.

Chow Down: To eat.

Close but no Cigar: To be very near and almost accomplish a goal, but fall short.

Cock and Bull Story: An unbelievable tale.

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 Over Spilt Milk: When you complain about a loss from the past.

Cry Wolf: Intentionally raise a false alarm.

Cup Of Joe: A cup of coffee.

Curiosity Killed The Cat: Being Inquisitive can lead you into a dangerous situation.

Cut to the Chase: Leave out all the unnecessary details and just get to the point.

D

Dark Horse: One who was previously unknown and is now prominent.

Dead Ringer: 100% identical. A duplicate.

Devil's Advocate: Someone who takes a position for the sake of argument without believing in that particular side of the arguement. It can also mean one who presents a counter argument for a position they do believe in, to another debater.

Dog Days of Summer: The hottest days of the summer season.

Don't count your chickens before they hatch: Don't rely on it until your sure of it.

Don't Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth: When someone gives you a gift, don't be ungrateful.

Don't Put All Your Eggs In One Basket: Do not put 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.

Drive someone up the wall: To irritate and/or annoy very much.

Dropping Like Flies: A large number of people either falling ill or dying.

Dry Run: Rehearsal.

E

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.

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining: Be optomistic, even difficult times will lead to better days.

Everything But The Kitchen Sink: Almost everything and anything has been included.

Excuse my French: Please forgive me for cussing.

Cock and Bull Story: An unbelievable tale.

Cock and Bull Story: An unbelievable tale.

F

Feeding Frenzy: An aggressive attack on someone by a group.

Field Day: An enjoyable day or circumstance.

Finding Your Feet: To become more comfortable in whatever you are doing.

Finger lickin' good: A very tasty food or meal.

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 anything in the end.

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 someone's family.

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.

French Kiss: An open mouth kiss where tongues touch.

From Rags To Riches: To go from being 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.

G

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 a job.

Give Him The Slip: To get away from. To escape.

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 compensation, and no thought of a reward.

Graveyard Shift: Working hours from about 12:00 am to 8:00 am. The time of the day when most other people are sleeping.

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.

H

Haste Makes Waste: Quickly doing things results in a poor ending.

Hat Trick: When one player scores three goals in the same hockey game. This idiom can also mean three scores in any other sport, such as 3 homeruns, 3 touchdowns, 3 soccer goals, etc.

Have an Axe to Grind: To have a dispute with someone.

He Lost His Head: Angry and overcome by emotions.

Head Over Heels: Very excited and/or joyful, especially when in love.

Hell in a Handbasket: Deteriorating and headed for complete disaster.

High Five: Slapping palms above each others heads as celebration gesture.

High on the Hog: Living in Luxury.

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.

Hocus Pocus: In general, a term used in magic or trickery.

Hold Your Horses: Be patient.

I

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...

In Like Flynn: To be easily successful, especially when sexual or romantic.

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 Your Face: An aggressive and bold confrontation.

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.

Its Anyone's Call: A competition where the outcome is difficult to judge or predict.

Ivy League: Since 1954 the Ivy League has been the following universities: Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Yale, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Harvard.

J

Jaywalk: Crossing the street (from the middle) without using the crosswalk.

Joshing Me: Tricking me.

K

Keep An Eye On Him: You should carefully watch him.

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.

Kitty-corner: Diagonally across. Sometimes called Catty-Corner as well.

Knee Jerk Reaction: A quick and automatic response.

Knock On Wood: Knuckle tapping on wood in order to avoid some bad luck.

Know the Ropes: To understand the details.

L

Last but not least: An introduction phrase to let the audience know that the last person mentioned is no less important than those introduced before him/her.

Lend Me Your Ear: To politely ask for someone's full attention.

Let Bygones Be Bygones: To forget about a disagreement or arguement.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie: To avoid restarting a conflict.

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.

Like a chicken with its head cut off: To act in a frenzied manner.

liquor someone up: To get someone drunk.

Long in the Tooth: Old people (or horses).

Loose Cannon: Someone who is unpredictable and can cause damage if not kept in check.

M

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.

Mumbo Jumbo: Nonsense or meaningless speech.

Mum's the word: To keep quiet. To say nothing.

N

Nest Egg: Savings set aside for future use.

Never Bite The Hand That Feeds You: Don't hurt anyone that helps you.

New kid on the block: Someone new to the group or area.

New York Minute: A minute that seems to go by quickly, especially in a fast paced environment.

No Dice: To not agree. To not accept a proposition.

No Room to Swing a Cat: An unsually small or confined space.

Not Playing With a Full Deck: Someone who lacks intelligence.

O

Off On The Wrong Foot: Getting a bad start on a relationship or task.

Off The Hook: No longer have to deal with a tough situation.

Off the Record: Something said in confidence that the one speaking doesn't want attributed to him/her.

On Pins And Needles: Anxious or nervous, especially in anticipation of something.

On The Fence: Undecided.

On The Same Page: When multiple people all agree on the same thing.

Out Of The Blue: Something that suddenly and unexpectedly occurs.

Out On A Limb: When someone puts themself in a risky situation.

Out On The Town: To enjoy yourself by going out.

Over My Dead Body: When you absolutely will not allow something to happen.

Over the Top: Very excessive.

P

Pass The Buck: Avoid responsibility by giving it to someone else.

Pedal to the metal: To go full speed, especially while driving a vehicle.

Peeping Tom: Someone who observes people in the nude or sexually active people, mainly for his own gratification.

Pick up your ears: To listen very carefully.

Pig In A Poke: A deal that is made without first examining it.

Pig Out : To eat alot and eat it quickly.

Pipe Down: To shut-up or be quiet.

Practice Makes Perfect: By constantly practicing, you will become better.

Pull the plug: To stop something. To bring something to an end.

Pulling Your Leg: Tricking someone as a joke.

Put a sock in it: To tell noisy person or a group to be quiet.

Q

Queer the pitch:

Destroy or ruin a plan.

R

Raincheck: An offer or deal that is declined right now but willing to accept later.

Raining Cats and Dogs: A very loud and noisy rain storm.

Ring Fencing: Seperated usual judgement to guarantee protection, especially project funds.

Rise and Shine: Time to get out of bed and get ready for work/school.

Rome Was Not Built In One Day: If you want something to be completely properly, then its going to take time.

Rule Of Thumb: A rough estimate.

Run out of steam: To be completely out of energy.

S

Saved By The Bell: Saved at the last possible moment.

Scapegoat: Someone else who takes the blame.

Scot-free: To escape and not have to pay.

Sick As A Dog: To be very sick (with the flu or a cold).

Sitting Shotgun: Riding in the front passenger seat of a car.

Sixth Sense: A paranormal sense that allows you to communicate with the dead.

Skid Row: The rundown area of a city where the homeless and drug users live.

Smell A Rat: To detect somone in the group is betraying the others.

Smell Something Fishy: Detecting that something isn't right and there might be a reason for it.

Son of a Gun: A scamp.

Southpaw: Someone who is left-handed.

Spitting Image: The exact likeness or kind.

Start From Scratch: To do it all over again from the beginning.

T

The Ball Is In Your Court: It is your decision this time.

The Best Of Both Worlds: There are two choices and you have them both.

The Bigger They Are The Harder They Fall: While the bigger and stronger opponent might be alot more difficult to beat, when you do they suffer a much bigger loss.

The Last Straw: When one small burden after another creates an unbearable situation, the last straw is the last small burden that one can take.

The Whole Nine Yards: Everything. All of it.

Third times a charm:

After no success the first two times, the third try is a lucky one.

Tie the knot: To get married.

Til the cows come home: A long time.

To Make A Long Story Short: Something someone would say during a long and boring story in order to keep his/her audience from losing attention. Usually the story isn't shortened.

To Steal Someone's Thunder: To take the credit for something someone else did.

Tongue And Cheek: humor, not to be taken serious.

Turn A Blind Eye: Refuse to acknowledge something you know is real or legit.

Twenty three skidoo: To be turned away.

U

Under the weather: Feeling ill or sick.

Up a blind alley: Going down a course of action that leads to a bad outcome.

Use Your Loaf: Use your head. Think smart.

V

Van Gogh's ear for music: Tone deaf.

Variety Is The Spice Of Life: The more experiences you try the more exciting life can be.

W

Wag the Dog: A diversion away from something of greater importance.

Water Under The Bridge: Anything from the past that isn't significant or important anymore.

Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve: To openly and freely express your emotions.

When It Rains, It Pours: Since it rarely rains, when it does it will be a huge storm.

When Pigs Fly : Something that will never ever happen.

Wild and Woolly: Uncultured and without laws.

Wine and Dine: When somebody is treated to an expensive meal.

Without A Doubt: For certain.

X

X marks the spot: A phrase that is said when someone finds something he/she has been looking for.

Y

You Are What You Eat: In order to stay healthy you must eat healthy foods.

You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover: Decisions shouldn't be made primarily on appearance.

You Can't Take it With You:

Enjoy what you have and not what you don't have, since when you die you cannot take things (such as money) with you.

Your Guess Is As Good As Mine: I have no idea.

Z

Zero Tolerance: No crime or law breaking big or small will be overlooked.