Owner: English Idioms and Sayings URL:http://idioms-sayings.blogspot.com Join Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:00:29 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Learning English through Idioms, Sayings, Proverbs Site statistics:Click here
Leg and Foot Idioms 2008-06-18 18:49:00 (English Idioms
& Sayings)Leg and Foot Idioms
Achilles' heel (of someone or something)
- the weak part of a person/place/system/argument which can easily be attacked or criticized
The lack of skilled workers was the Achilles' heel of the government's plans to prepare for the Olympics.
at one`s heels
- close behind someone
The large car was at my heels during my drive into town.
back on on
What is an idiom? 2008-06-17 17:53:00 (English Idioms & Sayings) What is an idiom?
An idiom is a combination of words that has a meaning that is different from the meanings of the individual words themselves. It can have a literal meaning in one situation and a different idiomatic meaning in another situation. It is a phrase which does not always follow the normal rules of meaning and grammar.
To sit on the fence can literally me
Q Idioms 2008-06-17 08:26:00 (English Idioms
& Sayings) Q Idioms
quake in one's boots
- to be afraid, to shake from fear
I was quaking in my boots when my boss told me to come to his office.
queer as a three-dollar bill
- to be very strange
The woman is the strangest person that I have ever seen and she is as queer as a three-dollar bill.
quick and dirty
- fast and cheap, fast and careless
The method that the compan
Play Idioms 2008-06-17 08:20:00 (English Idioms
& Sayings) Play Idioms
play a joke/trick on (someone)
- to do a joke/trick that affects someone
The boy played a trick on his teacher.
play along with (someone or something)
- to agree to cooperate with someone's plan
I decided to play along with my friend and his crazy plan to buy a horse.
play around/about with (someone or something)
- to engage in some play with someon
P Idioms 2008-06-17 08:16:00 (English Idioms
& Sayings) Idioms start with P
pack a punch/wallop
- to provide a burst of energy/power/excitement
The storm packed a wallop and did much damage to the coast.
a pack of lies
- a series of lies
Everything that the man said was a pack of lies and nobody believed him.
pack them in
- to attract a lot of people
The new restaurant is able to pack them in with its new and exciti
Idiom Quizzes - O 2008-06-16 09:43:00 (English Idioms & Sayings) Idiom Quizzes
- O
Choose an idiom to replace the expression in the brackets:
We used (various materials) from around the office to make the desk.
(a) on and off (b) odds and ends (c) once in a while (d) out of sorts
Answer(b) odds and ends
The politician told him (unofficially) that he would not be a candidate.
(a) off the record (b) on a shoestring (c) on
O Idioms 2008-06-16 09:32:00 (English Idioms
& Sayings) Idioms start with O
occur to (someone)
- to come into someone's mind (an idea or thought)
It occurred to me that I will not be able to meet my friend on Saturday because I have to go to the airport to meet someone else.
ocean(s) of (something)
- a very large amount of something
There was oceans of food at the party.
odd man out
- an unusual person or thing
I
Idiom Quizzes - N 2008-06-16 09:25:00 (English Idioms & Sayings) Idiom Quizzes
- N
Choose an idiom to replace the expression in the brackets:
Building the highway in the mountains was (very difficult) for the workers.
(a) nobody`s fool (b) a narrow escape (c) nipped in the bud (d) no bed of roses
Answer(d) no bed of roses
He studies very hard so (of course) he always does well.
(a) never mind (b) no wonder (c) no picnic
N Idioms 2008-06-16 09:18:00 (English Idioms
& Sayings) Idioms start with N
nail down (someone or something)
- to make certain/sure of something
I am trying to nail down the exact time that we can meet with our supplier.
a nail in (someone's) coffin
- something that will harm someone
Fighting with his boss was a nail in my friend's coffin. He will not get a promotion now.
naked eye
- the human eye (with no binocular
100 most frequently used idioms - part 4 2008-06-15 09:31:00 (English Idioms & Sayings) 75 -100 of 100 most frequently used idioms
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 (trouble/problems/difficulty/an issue)
- to experience something, to encounter something
The mechanic ran in
100 most frequently used idioms - part 3 2008-06-15 09:27:00 (English Idioms & Sayings)51 -75 of 100 most frequently used idioms
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
100 most frequently used idioms - part 2 2008-06-15 09:17:00 (English Idioms & Sayings) 26-50 of 100 most frequently used idioms
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 we
100 most frequently used idioms - part 1 2008-06-15 08:57:00 (English Idioms & Sayings) 1-25 of 100 most frequently used idioms
about 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
Quizzes - Proverbs/Sayings 2008-06-15 08:47:00 Quizzes - Proverbs
/Sayings
Choose an idiom to replace the expression in the brackets:
The supervisor told the man that (what he does is more important than what he says) and he must not be late for work again.
(a) all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy (b) a bad workman blames his tools (c) actions speak louder than words (d) there's no accounting for taste
Answer(c) actions speak louder Read more:Quizzes
V, W, Y Sayings 2008-06-15 08:43:00 (English Idioms & Sayings
) Sayings starts with V, W, Y
variety is the spice of life
- life is made more interesting by doing new or different things
The three women believe that variety is the spice of life and they are always traveling to new places and trying new things.
walls have ears
- be careful what you say because someone may be listening
We were told that walls have ears when our
T sayings 2008-06-15 08:40:00 (English Idioms & Sayings) SAYINGS START WITH T
tall oaks from little acorns grow
- everything has a small beginning before becoming big
The large chain of supermarkets began with one small country store but tall oaks from little acorns grow and it was now the largest supermarket chain in the world.
tell the truth and shame the devil
- it is better to tell the truth even though there may b
R, S Sayings 2008-06-15 08:33:00 (English Idioms & Sayings
) SAYINGS START WITH R, S
the road to hell is paved with good intentions
- you may have good intentions but if you do not put them into practice you will achieve bad results
The man wanted to be successful at his new job but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. He was always late and he was fired from the job.
a rolling stone gathers no moss
- someone wh
O, P Sayings 2008-06-15 08:30:00 (English Idioms & Sayings
) Sayings start with O, P
old habits die hard
- it is hard to stop doing something that has become a habit even if you want to stop it
Old habits die hard and it is very difficult for my grandfather to change some of his habits.
once bitten, twice shy
- if something goes wrong one time then you will be careful about doing the same thing again
Once bitten, twice shy
M, N Sayings 2008-06-15 08:25:00 (English Idioms & Sayings
) Sayings Start with M, N
make hay while the sun shines
- to take advantage of opportunities and good conditions while you can
We wanted to make hay while the sun shines so we tried to finish the outside work while the weather was good.
many hands make light work
- a job is done easily if a lot of people share in the work
Many hands make light work and when the thr
J, L Sayings 2008-06-15 05:17:00 (English Idioms & Sayings
) Sayings start with J, L
jump out of the frying pan and into the fire
- to leave one dangerous or bad situation for a situation that is worse
My friend jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. He changed jobs and had more problems in his new job than in his old one.
just what the doctor ordered
- something that is good for someone to have or to do
The holid
H, I Sayings 2008-06-15 05:14:00 (English Idioms & Sayings
) Sayings start with H, I
half a loaf is better than none
- having part of something is better than having nothing
Half a loaf is better than none and you should be happy to get part of the refund back rather than nothing at all.
haste makes waste
- time gained in doing something rapidly will be lost if you must do it again to correct your mistakes
Haste makes wast
F, G Sayings 2008-06-15 05:10:00 (English Idioms & Sayings
) Sayings starts with F, G
a faint heart never won a lady
- a shy or timid person must be bold to attract the woman that he likes
The man must be more aggressive if he wants to find a girlfriend. He should remember that a faint heart never won a lady.
familiarity breeds contempt
- knowing a person closely for a long time sometimes leads to bad feelings
Familiarity
Sayings start with D, E 2008-06-15 05:06:00 (English Idioms & Sayings
) Sayings start with D, E
devil take the hindmost
- everybody must look after their own interests or safety
The man's attitude was the devil take the hindmost and he never helped his friends when they needed help.
die is cast
- a decision has already been made and you cannot change it
We have decided to move to Paris. Now the die is cast and we cannot change our pla
C sayings 2008-06-15 05:00:00 (English Idioms & Sayings) Sayings Starts with C cat has nine lives
- cats are very strong and can survive many accidents or problems
The president of the small country survived crisis after crisis just like a cat with nine lives.
charity begins at home
- one should help one's family or close friends before helping other people
The man was always doing volunteer work. He did not understand
B sayings 2008-06-15 04:55:00 (English Idioms & Sayings) Sayings start with B
bad news travels fast
- people are quicker to pass on bad news than good news
Bad news travels fast and the man heard about the job layoffs a week before the official announcement.
a bad workman blames his tools
- someone blames his tools or the material that he is working with for his own bad work
The carpenter was angry that his saw did not
Mouth and Teeth Idioms 2008-06-26 17:54:00 (English Idioms
& Sayings)
Mouth and Teeth Idioms
give (someone) a tongue-lashing
- to give someone a severe scolding
The mother gave her daughter a tongue-lashing when she got home from school.
give voice to (something)
- to speak out about something
The small organization gives voice to many of the poor people in the city.
gnash one's teeth
- to grind one's teeth
I often gnash my teet
Mouth and Teeth Idioms 2008-06-26 17:43:00 (English Idioms
& Sayings)
Mouth and Teeth Idioms acquire a taste for (something)
- to develop a liking for a particular food/drink/or something
Recently my friend has acquired a taste for expensive neckties.
armed to the teeth
- to be fully armed, to have many weapons
The robbers were armed to the teeth when they robbed the bank.
as scarce as hen's teeth
- very scarce or nonexistent
Ch
Idiom Quizzes - Sports 2008-06-22 01:39:00 (English Idioms & Sayings) Idiom Quizzes
- Sports
Choose an idiom to replace the expression in the brackets:We were unable to (make any advances) in our meeting to hire the
replacement coach.
(a) beat the gun (b) carry the ball (c) get to first base (d) get off to a
flying start
Answer(c) get to first base
The coach already had (several things against him) when it was decided
that he shou
Sports Idioms 2008-06-22 01:23:00 (English Idioms
& Sayings) Sports
Idioms
across the board
- applying to all (in horse racing a bet where an equal amount of money is placed on a horse to finish in any top winning position)
The workers received an across the board wage increase and most of them were happy.
arrow in one's quiver
- have a number of resources or strategies that one can follow
His ability with languages was
black Idioms 2008-06-22 00:31:00 (idioms-sayings.blogspot.com - English Idioms
& Sayings)
Idiom Quizzes - Colors
Choose an idiom to replace the expression in the brackets:
The girl was (very pleased) that she was chosen to represent her class at the competition.
(a) blacked out (b) tickled pink (c) green with envy (d) out of the blue
Answer(b) tickled pink
My boss is not very flexible and he always sees things (as eit
Recommend Site To A Friend
