complete idiom collection Essay

IDIOMS COMPLETE COLLECTION English (Precis & Composition) www. thecsspoint. com Note: This material is intended to be correct and to the point relative with the subject,, but not promised or guaranteed to be accurate. We have gathered this information from different internet sources. Contact Us. www. thecsspoint. com Email: info@thecsspoint. com THE CSS POINT Idioms 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 2 THE CSS POINT A Leopard Can’t Change His Spots: You cannot change who you are. A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned:

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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:

WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 3 THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 4 THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 5 THE CSS POINT 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 : WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 6 THE CSS POINT 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: WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 7 THE CSS POINT 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: WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 8 THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 9 THE CSS POINT 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: WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 10 THE CSS POINT 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:

WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 11 THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 12 THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 13 THE CSS POINT 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 0 am to 8 0 am. The time of the day when ost 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 WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 14 THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 15 THE CSS POINT 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 WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 16 THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 17 THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 18

THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 19

THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 20

THE CSS POINT 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: WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 21 THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 22 THE CSS POINT 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 WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 23 THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 24 THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 25 THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 26 THE CSS POINT 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 WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 27

THE CSS POINT 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: WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 28 THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 29 THE CSS POINT 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. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM

Page 30 THE CSS POINT 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: WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 31 THE CSS POINT 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. 100 Important Idioms IDIOMS MEANINGS 1. To add insult to injury; To intensify a person 2. To be born with a silver To be born in a rich family Spoon in one’s mouth; 3. A bolt from the blue; An expected disaster 4. To blow one’s own trumpet; To boast 5. A bone of contention ; Cause of quarrel 6. To burn one’s fingers ; To suffer 7. To beat black & blue ; To beat mercilessly 8. To cast an aspersion ; To bring discredit 9. To cry over spilt milk ; To feel sorry for what has happened

WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 32 THE CSS POINT 10. To cut a sorry figure ; To make a poor impression 11. To die in harness ; To die while doing one’s duty 12. To end in smoke ; To fail 13. To go to the dogs ; To be ruined 14. To hang in the balance ; To remain undecided 15. To hit the nail on the head; To do the right thing at the right time 16. To hold water ; To sound logical 17. To live no stone unturned ; To try one’s level best 18. To live from hand to mouth ; To live with great difficulty 19. To make up one’s mind ; To decide 20. To see eye to eye with ; Agree 21. To play ducks and drakes ; Waste 22.

To put the cart before the hors ; To do a thing in a wrong way 23. To have too many irons in the fire ; To have too many things in hand 24. To read b/w the lines ; To try to understand the hidden meaning 25. To turn over a new leaf ; To change for the better 26. To take the bull by horns; To face difficulties boldly 27. To win laurels ; To distinguish oneself 28. At daggers drawn ; At enmity or fighting 29. Blake and white ; Written 30. By leaps and bounds ; Very fast 31. In cold blood ; deliberately 32. Laid up with ; Confined to bed 33. Ins and outs ; Full details 34. A black sheep ; Scoundrel; a bad person 5. A cock and bull story ; An absurd tale 36. A gala day ; A day of festivity; a holiday with rejoicing 37. A hard nut to crack ; A difficult person or problem to deal with WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 33 THE CSS POINT 38. A turn coat ; One who changes one’s opinion or party 39. A fool’s paradise ; In a state of happiness founded on vain hopes 40. Beat a retreat ; To retire before the enemy 41. To be on the horns of a dilemma; To have a choice b/w two equal evils 42. To beat about the bush ; Approach a subject in a round about method 43. Bury the hatchet ; To make peace 44. By fits and starts ; Irregularly 45.

Capital punishment ; Death sentence 46. By hook or by crook ; By fair or foul means 47. Eat humble pie ; To face humiliation 48. Hit below the belt ; To act unfairly 49. In apple pie order ; In perfect order 50. Leave one in lurch ; To desert in difficulty 51. To make a clean breast of ; To confess fully one’s faults 52. To nip the evil in the bud ; To destroy an evil in early stage 53. Pick holes in another’s coat ; To find fault with another 54. Scot free ; To go unpunished 55. Smell a rat ; To have a reason to suspect 56. Through thick and thin ; Through every difficulty 57. True to one’s salt ; Faithful to one’s master 8. To turn the corner ; To begin to improve 59. With a grain of salt ; To accept a statement with doubt as to its complete true 60. Worship the rising sun ; To respect one rising in power 61. A Herculean task ; An extremely difficult or dangerous task 62. A fish out of water ; In a wrong place 63. A leap in the dark ; An act of which we can’t force consequences 64. A thorn in one’s side ; A constant source of annoyance 65. To be at one’s beck and call ; Under one’s absolute control WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 34 THE CSS POINT 66. Bread and Butter ; Means of subsistence 67. Burn one’s fingers ; To get into trouble 8. Burn the candle at both ends; Use up too much energy 69. To cut the Gordian knot ; To solve the difficulty 70. Cut and dried ; Ready-made 71. Feather one’s own nest ; To make money by unfair means 72. To fish in troubled water ; To do something under very unpromising circumstance 73. To give oneself airs ; Affected manners 74. To give the devil his due ; To allow even a bad man the credit due 75. To hang by thread ; To be in a critical condition 76. A henpecked husband ; A man habitually snubbed by his wife 77. Hush money ; Money given as a bribe to hush or make one keep silent 78.

Kick up a row ; Make a great noise 79. To let the cat out of the bag; To reveal a secret 80. Null and void ; Not valid; of no effect 81. On the spur of the moment; At once 82. Pay one back in one’s own coin ; To treat in the same way as one has been treated 83. Put in cold storage; To forget or neglect something 84. Pull wires ; To manage the show by secret Influence 85. Read b/w the lines ; To hit at the real meaning 86. Sit on the fence ; To avoid taking sides; to remain neutral 87. A square deal ; Justice 88. Sword of Damocles ; Treating danger 89. To take up the gauntlet ; To accept the challenge 90.

To eat one’s heart out ; To suffer silently, bitterly 91. B/t the devil and the deep sea ; B/w two dangers equally harmful WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 35 THE CSS POINT 92. A sweet tooth ; A liking for sweetmeat 93. A dark horse ; An unknown person 94. A bottleneck ; Anything that cause delays 95. To put one’s foot down ; To show determination 96. A wet blanket ; A grumbling, depressing person 97. To throw up the sponge ; To acknowledge defeat 98. A feather in one’s cap ; Something to be proud of 99. A red letter day ; An auspicious day 100. Bag and baggage ; With all one’s belongings IDIOMS Animal Idioms Idiom Meaning

Example Sentence ants in unable to sit still or Lisa had ants in her pants the day one’s pants remain calm out of before her interview. nervousness or excitement (the) birds sex education I learned about the birds and the and the bees when my baby brother was bees born. cat nap a short sleep I’m going to have a cat nap while you’re cooking dinner. cat’s got said about someone It looks like the cat’s got your one’s who doesn’t speak tongue, Lucy. Are you always this WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 36 THE CSS POINT tongue (usually due to quiet? shyness) chicken out to decide not to do I was going to take a ride on Geoff’s omething out of fear motorcyle, but I chickened (usually just before) out when he gave me a helmet to wear. clam up become quiet suddenly Arthur clammed up when I asked him about his family. copy cat a person who does the My sister is such a copy cat. First same thing as someone she bought the same car as me, else and now she’s applying to my school. dog days very hot days I sleep in the basement during the dog days of August. dropping dying/giving up quickly like flies My roses are dropping like flies in this early frost. eager a person who is excited Ever since he got his new drill set beaver about doing certain y husband has been an eager work beaver around the house. odd, suspicious I knew something fishy was going fishy on when I saw all of my friends’ cars in my mom’s driveway. have a cow get extremely upset My teacher had a cow when she WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 37 THE CSS POINT (often over something minor) hold your realized nobody had done the homework. wait and be patient Hold your horses! I’ll be done in horses holy cow! the washroom in a minute. Wow, I’m surprised! Holy cow! I can’t believe you ate everything on your plate. horse play roughly If you’re going to horse around, around please go outside. get the et the greatest My aunt got the lion’s share of lion’s share percentage the inheritance. in the dog in trouble with another I don’t think Marsha is coming out house person tonight. She’s still in the dog house for forgetting Aaron’s birthday. kill two get two things done at If you pick the groceries up when birds with once you drop George off for his shift, one stone you will kill two birds with one stone. kitty corner diagonal direction The gas station is kitty corner to the library. let the cat out of the reveal a secret Who let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party? bag WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM

Page 38 THE CSS POINT (a) little I heard something A little bird told me that you are bird told me (usually secretive or thinking of quitting your job. unknown) from someone (not named) make a go straight for My grandma made a beeline for beeline something the smoking room as soon as she got off the airplane. monkey silly/unintelligent Our one-year-old is saying bad see, people tend to copy words now. I told my monkey do each other’s actions husband, “Monkey see, monkey do! ” nest egg money saved for the We have a nest egg that we might future have to use if Jim goes on sick leave. pig out eat a lot of something

I pigged out on pancakes so I don’t have room for lunch. raining cats raining heavily I forgot my umbrella, and it and dogs rat race was raining cats and dogs. fierce, competitive I’m ready to leave this rat race and struggle for power, retire in Mexico. position etc smell a rat begin to suspect I asked my brothers not to tell my trickery etc parents that I went out, but I could smell a rat as soon as I WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 39 THE CSS POINT opened the door. straight directly from the I know Jenny is pregnant, because I from the original source heard itstraight from the horse’s horse’s mouth. mouth ake the face a challenge or If you really think you deserve a bull by the danger boldly promotion, you’ll have to take the horns until the bull by the horns. for a very long time I could eat pizza and ice- cows come cream until the cows come home home. Body Idioms Idiom Meaning Example Sentence all ears fully listening Give me a minute to finish my work and then I’ll be all ears to hear about your project. break a leg good-luck Today’s the big game, eh? Break a leg! WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 40 THE CSS POINT cold feet nervous just before a big My sister didn’t get cold event feet until she put her wedding own on. cost an arm be very expensive and a leg cry your heart they cost an arm and a leg. cry very hard out face the music These cakes are delicious, but I cried my heart out when my best friend moved away. I stayed out all night. When I unpleasant conseqences, eventually got home I had for example criticism or to face the music from my punishment (my) flesh and meet, stand up to wife. relative I have to hire Mia. She’s my blood own flesh and blood. get something tell someone your Thanks for listening to me off one’s chest problems complain about my boss. I just needed to get this off my chest. give a hand, elp (someone) do I can give you a hand when lend a hand something you move if you like. have one’s be unaware or unrealistic Amy has her head in the head in the about something clouds if she thinks she’s clouds going to pass her exams without studying. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 41 THE CSS POINT head over deeply in love heels head start My brother is head over heels for his new girlfriend. an earlier start The kids gave Anthony a head start in the bicycle race because he was the youngest. in over one’s taking on a task that you I was in over my head when head can’t handle I agreed to babysit the triplets nd the dogs. keep an eye take care of, watch in I’ll keep an eye on the on order to protect dinner while you’re on the phone. keep one’s try to be cheerful chin up Keep your chin up. I’m sure you’ll make some friends soon. learn by heart, memorize I learned my multiplication know by heart tables by heart in the fourth grade. let one’s hair relax, have fun down Go to the cottage and let your hair downthis weekend. (my) lips are sealed promise to keep a secret Don’t worry, I won’t tell your mother how much you spent. My lips are sealed. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 42 THE CSS POINT makes my makes me very angry lood boil It makes my blood boil when people don’t tie up their dogs. neck of the nearby location or region woods I heard that they might be opening a post office in our neck of the woods soon. (an) old hand an experienced person My uncle’s an old hand at car repair. He’ll know what the problem is. over my dead not unless I’m dead and My daughter wants a tatoo. I body can’t stop you told her she’d get one over my dead body. pat on the recognition or a thank-you back The party organizers deserve a pat on the back for a job well done. play do something without a We don’t know if the weather something by plan ill be good enough for ear camping. We’ll have to play it by ear. pull one’s leg joke or tease someone I was just pulling your leg. I’m not really a police officer. rule of thumb basic rule (not always The rule of thumb is that the followed) students wear black pants and white shirts. WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 43 THE CSS POINT see eye to eye agree The couple don’t see eye to eye on how to train their pets. (by the) skin just barely I passed my exam by the of one’s teeth skin of my teeth. stick your help someone a lot, with I stuck my neck out for neck out possible bad consequences Bessie when she was thrown or oneself out of her house. a love of sugar or sweet I need three spoonfuls of things sugar in my tea. I have sweet tooth a sweet tooth. thick in the not very intelligent head I’m a bit thick in the head when it comes to reading a map. wash one’s stop dealing with an issue I’m washing my hands hands of or problem of Mary’s addiction. She is something going to have to get some professional help. Color Idioms WWW. THECSSPOINT. COM Page 44 THE CSS POINT Idiom Meaning Example Sentence beet red dark red (usually to My sister’s face turned beet describe face) red when I caught her singing in front of a mirror. lack and blue bruised and beaten We found the poor guy black and blue near the train tracks. black and white straight forward, The rules we gave the kids very clear were black and white. No answering the phone or the door. black out faint I always black out at the sight of blood. black sheep the odd or bad My oldest brother was the black member of the sheep in our family. He dropped group out of school at fifteen. born with a born into a rich Keiko hasn’t worked a day in her silver spoon in family life. She was born with a silver one’s mouth spoon in her mouth. catch red catch someone in The kids were caught red handed

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