IDIOM OF THE DAY ARCHIVE – PAGE 1
Page 1: Idioms 1 to 100 | Page 2 Idioms 101 to 200 | Page 3 Idioms 201 to 300
get something for peanuts
Explanation: When you get something for peanuts, you buy it for a low price.
How to use it: [someone] gets [something] for peanuts
Example: I got this new computer for peanuts!
get something
Explanation: When you get something, you understand it.
How to use it: [someone] gets something
Example: Don’t ask me about algebra. I don’t get it.
get pulled over
Explanation: When you get pulled over, the police stop your car.
How to use it: [someone] get pulled over by the police
Example: Yesterday, Joe got pulled over for speeding.
get out of hand
Explanation: When something gets out of hand, there is chaos
How to use it: [something] gets out of hand
Example: Everyone was arguing at the meeting so it got out of hand.
get one’s feet wet
Explanation: When you get your feet wet, you have your first experience doing something.
How to use it: [someone] gets their feet wet
Example: I first got my feet wet as a teacher in 1989.
get on one’s nerves
Explanation: When someone or something gets on another’s nerves, it bothers them
How to use it: [someone] gets on another person’s nerves
Example: The noise in this neighborhood gets on my nerves.
get off on the wrong foot
Explanation: When you get off on the wrong foot, your relationship with the other person doesn’t begin smoothly.
How to use it: [two people] get off on the wrong foot
Example: I think we got off on the wrong foot with this project.
get hitched
Explanation: When you get hitched, you get married.
How to use it: [someone] gets hitched or [two people] get hitched
Example: Ed & Chris got hitched in Las Vegas.
get down to the nuts and bolts
Explanation: When you get down to the nuts and bolts, you discuss the most important aspects.
How to use it: [someone] gets down to the nuts and bolts
Example: During the meeting we got down to the nuts and bolts right away.
get down to the nitty-gritty
Explanation: When you get down to the nitty-gritty, you deal with the fundamental or essential aspects.
How to use it: [someone] gets down to the nitty-gritty
Example: Hopefully, during this meeting we can get down to the nitty gritty.
get back to someone
Explanation: When you get back to someone, you reply to them at a later time.
How to use it: [someone] gets back to another person
Example: Let me check and I’ll get back to you tomorrow.
get along with
Explanation: When you get along with someone, you have a good relationship with them.
How to use it: [someone] gets along with another person
Example: Kathy gets along with Ted’s parents.
get a second wind
Explanation: When you get a second wind, you get new energy and feel refreshed
How to use it: [someone] gets a second wind
Example: I got a second wind after taking a nap and a shower.
full of hot air
Explanation: Someone who is full of hot air speaks insincerely
How to use it: [someone] is full of hot air
Example: I think that salesman was full of hot air.
from the get-go
Explanation: When you to something from the get-go, you do it from the beginning?
How to use it: [someone] likes someone from the get-go
Example: Jean is really nice. I liked her from the get-go.
from the bottom of one’s heart
Explanation: When you do something from the bottom of your heart, you do it very sincerely.
How to use it: [someone] does something from the bottom of their heart
Example: I appreciated her help from the bottom of my heart.
foot the bill
Explanation: When you foot the bill, you pay the bill
How to use it: [someone] foots the bill
Example: Jack foot the bill when he took us to the restaurant.
fly by the seat of one’s pants
Explanation: When you fly by the seat of your pants, you do something without prior training
How to use it: [someone] flies by the seat of their pants
Example: When I tried to repair my computer, I was flying by the seat of my pants.
flash in the pan
Explanation: A singer or actor who is a flash in the pan is very very popular for just a short time.
How to use it: [someone] is flash in the pan
Example: A lot of pop singers are just a flash in the pan.
fit to be tied
Explanation: Someone who is fit to be tied is very angry
How to use it: [someone] is fit to be tied
Example: Jane was fit to be tied when her husband came home at 11pm.
fit for a king
Explanation: Something that is fit for a king has superior quality.
How to use it: [something] is fit for a king
Example: The suite at the hotel was fit for a king.
fit as a fiddle
Explanation: Someone who is fit as a fiddle is in good health.
How to use it: [someone] is fit as a fiddle
Example: Grandpa got a medical check and he is as fit as a fiddle.
fish out of water
Explanation: Someone who is a fish out of water is in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation.
How to use it: [someone] feels like a fish out of water
Example: Since I don’t know the rules, I felt like a fish out of water at the stadium.
fish or cut bait
Explanation: When you fish or cut bait, you make a decision.
How to use it: [someone] has to fish or cut bait
Example: Jim took too much time thinking about his problem, so I told him it was time to fish or cut bait.
fight an uphill battle
Explanation: When you fight an uphill battle you are struggling with something.
How to use it: [someone] fights an uphill battle
Example: I want to ask my boss for a few days off, but I think I’ll be fighting an uphill battle.
fender bender
Explanation: When you have a fender bender, you have a minor auto accident.
How to use it: [someone] has fender bender (with their car)
Example: Jack had a fender bender with the company car.
face the music
Explanation: When you face the music you take responsibility for wrongdoing
How to use it: [someone] faces the music
Example: Jim broke his mom’s vase, so he’ll have to face the music when she gets home from work.
everything but the kitchen sink
Explanation: Something that has everything but the kitchen sink has many options.
How to use it: [something] has everything but the kitchen sink
Example: My pizza has everything but the kitchen sink on it.
ducks in a row
Explanation: Someone who has their ducks in a row is organized.
How to use it: [someone] has their ducks in a row
Example: The new salesman got all his ducks in a row in just a week.
drive someone up a wall
Explanation: Someone or something that drives you up a wall annoys you greatly.
How to use it: [something] or [a person] drive someone up a wall
Example: His laziness in the office drives me up a wall.
drink like a fish
Explanation: When you drink like a fish, you drink a large amount of alcoholic drinks.
How to use it: [someone] drinks like a fish
Example: Cathy’s a nice person, but she drinks like a fish (drinks a lot of liquor). Do you know anyone who drinks like a fish?
dressed to kill
Explanation: When you are dressed to kill, you are wearing sexy clothes
How to use it: [someone] is dressed to kill
Example: Jenny was dressed to kill last night at the club.
draw a blank
Explanation: When you draw a blank, you can’t remember something.
How to use it: [someone] draws a blank
Example: I was trying to remember his name but I drew blank (couldn’t remember) Have you drawn a blank recently?
drag one’s feet
Explanation: When you drag your feet, you intentionally do something slowly.
How to use it: [someone] drags their feet
Example: I told Jack to stop dragging his feet and finish his work.
down to the wire
Explanation: When a situation is down to the wire, the deadline is very near or
How to use it: [something] is down to the wire
Example: It was down to the wire, but I finished my report.
down to earth
Explanation: Someone who is down to earth is practical and not pretentious.
How to use it: [someone] is down to earth
Example: Lori’s new boyfriend is down to earth.
done to a turn
Explanation: When something is done to a turn, it is cooked perfectly.
How to use it: [some food] is done to a turn
Example: The chicken was done to a turn.
dog tired
Explanation: When you are dog tired, you are very tired.
How to use it: [someone] is dog tired
Example: I worked until 10 last night and I’m dog tired.
dog eat dog world
Explanation: A dog eat dog world is a very competitive situation.
How to use it: [we say this about life] It is a dog eat dog world
Example: It’s a dog eat dog world on Wall Street.
dog days of summer
Explanation: The dog days of summer are the hottest days in the summer.
How to use it: [we say this about hot summer weather] These are the dog days of summer
Example: I’m getting tired of the dog days of summer.
do away with
Explanation: When you do away with something, you abolish it.
How to use it: [someone] or an organization does away with
Example: The café did away with the free refill policy.
dish the dirt
Explanation: When you dish the dirt, you gossip.
How to use it: [someone] dishs the dirt with another person
Example: Jill and Carol spent the afternoon dishing the dirt about their neighbors.
dirt cheap
Explanation: When something is dirt cheap, it is very cheap.
How to use it: [something] is dirt cheap
Example: I bought some suits in Bangkok for dirt cheap.
dead-end job
Explanation: When you have a dead-end job it is a job with no possibility for promotion or advancement.
How to use it: [someone] has a dead-end job
Example: Tom said he quit because it was a dead-end job.
dead quiet
Explanation: When someone or something is dead quiet, it is very quiet
How to use it: [something] is dead quiet
Example: In the suburbs, it is usually dead quiet at night.
dead in the water
Explanation: When something is dead in the water, it can not progress or move ahead.
How to use it: [some plan or negotiation] is dead in the water
Example: Because of the red tape in the office, our proposal is dead in the water.
dead from the neck up
Explanation: When someone is dead from the neck up, they are not very intelligent.
How to use it: [someone] is dead from the neck up
Example: The new salesman is nice, but dead from the neck up.
crack someone up
Explanation: When you crack someone up, you make them laugh.
How to use it: [something] or [someone] cracks another person someone up
Example: Comedians like Steve Martin really crack me up.
crack open a cold one
Explanation: When you crack open a cold one, you open a cold beer.
How to use it: [someone] cracks open a cold one
Example: At the end of the day I like to crack open a cold beer.
come like clockwork
Explanation: When something comes like clockwork, it comes precisely on time.
How to use it: [something] or [someone] comes like clockwork
Example: The trains in Tokyo come like clockwork.
come in handy
Explanation: When something comes in handy, it is useful and make life more convenient.
How to use it: [something] comes in handy
Example: A second car in the family would come in handy.
come down with a cold
Explanation: When you come down with a cold, you are ill.
How to use it: [someone] comes down with a cold
Example: Tom came down with a cold from the air conditioner at work.
come clean
Explanation: When you come clean, you admit wrongdoing.
How to use it: [someone] comes clean
Example: Ted came clean about taking the money from the company.
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come a long way
Explanation: When something has come a long way, it has improved greatly.
How to use it: [something] or [someone] comes a long way
Example: Aya’s English has come a long way since last year.
collect dust
Explanation: When something collects dust, it is not being used.
How to use it: [something] collects dust
Example: My old stereo set is just collecting dust.
cold turkey
Explanation: When you quit or go cold turkey, you stop doing something.
How to use it: [someone] goes cold turkey
Example: Jim stopped smoking cold turkey.
chicken out
How to use it: [someone] chickens out
Example: I was going to go sky diving, but I chickened out.
chew the fat
Explanation: When you chew the fat, you have a leisurely chat.
How to use it: [someone] chews the fat with another person
Example: I was chewing the fat with Tommy last night at the bar.
chase rainbows
Explanation: When you chase rainbows, you are trying to do something impossible.
How to use it: [someone] chases rainbows
Example: Tom has been trying to date Lisa for several months now, but she always refuses him. I think he is chasing rainbows.
change of heart
Explanation: When you have a change of heart, you change your decision about something.
How to use it: [someone] has a change of heart
Example: The boss was going to give us a day off tomorrow, but it looks like he’s had a change of heart.
caught red handed
Explanation: When you are caught red handed, you are caught while doing something wrong.
How to use it: [someone] is caught red handed
Example: Bob was caught red-handed sleeping in the office.
catch Z’s
Explanation: When you catch Z’s you sleep.
How to use it: [someone] catches Z’s
Example: I’m going to catch some Z’s before dinner.
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catch some rays
Explanation: When you catch some rays, you are getting a suntan.
How to use it: [someone] catches some rays
Example: It was sunny so I caught some rays today.
the cat got [someone’s] tongue
Explanation: When the cat got your tongue, you are unable to speak.
How to use it: the cat got [someone’s] tongue
Example: Jim was pretty quite at the party, so I asked him if the cat had gotten his tongue.*
calm someone down
Explanation: When you calm someone down, you help them become relaxed. When something calms you down, it helps you to relax.
How to use it: [someone] calms another person down (or) [something] calms a person down
Example: Classical music really calms me down.
call the shots
Explanation: Someone who calls the shots is the authority.
How to use it: [someone] calls the shots
Example: Tom is the boss, but the office manager calls the shots.
button (your) lip
Explanation: When you button your lip you stop speaking.
How to use it: [someone] buttons their lip
Example: The teacher told little Joey to button his lip.
bring home the bacon
Explanation: When you bring home the bacon, you support your family.
How to use it: [someone] brings home the bacon
Example: Jack brings home the bacon.
breeze through
Explanation: When you breeze through something, you have an easy time doing it.
How to use it: [someone] breezes through something
Example: Tom breezed through his TOEFL exam.
break up with
Explanation: When you break up with someone, you end a romantic relationship with them.
How to use it: [someone] breaks up with another person
Example: Ken broke up with Marie last night.
break the news
Explanation: When you break the news to someone, you tell them bad news.
How to use it: [someone] breaks the news to another person
Example: We had to break the news to Jake that his pet fish died.
break the bank
Explanation: When you break the bank, you spend a lot of money.
How to use it: [someone] breaks the bank
Example: Pam broke the bank at the mall yesterday.
break someone’s heart
Explanation:When you break someone’s heart, you disappoint them romantically.
How to use it:[someone] breaks another person’s heart
Example:Ted broke Mary’s heart when he left her.
blow your top
Explanation:When you blow your top, you become angry.
How to use it:[someone] blows their top
Example:Jane blew her top when she saw her boyfriend in a café with another girl.
blow a fuse
Explanation:When you blow a fuse, you become very angry.
How to use it:[someone] blows a fuse
Example:Tom blew a fuse when the truck hit his new car.
bite your tongue
Explanation: When you bite your tongue, you stop yourself from saying something that might make another person angry or upset.
How to use it:[someone] bites their tongue
Example:Even though Jim was angry, he bit his tongue.
bite the bullet
Explanation: When you bite the bullet, you deal with (endure) an unpleasant situation.
How to use it:[someone] bites the bullet
Example:Jim has had a toothache for a month. He has to bite the bullet and go to the dentist.
big enough to swing a cat
Explanation: When a place is big enough to swing a cat, it is spacious.
How to use it:[somewhere] is big enough to swing a cat
Example:It’s a bright apartment, but not big enough to swing a cat.
bent out of shape
Explanation: When someone is bent out of shape, they are angry and upset.
How to use it: [someone] is bent out of shape / [someone] gets bent out of shape
Example:Jack was bent out of shape because his flight was cancelled.
bend over backwards
Explanation: When you bend over backwards you do more than what is expected of you.
How to use it: [someone] bends over backwards.
Example:Bob always bends over backwards to help someone.
bed of roses
Explanation: Something that is a bed of roses is very comfortable. *Note that we usually use this idiom in a negative sentence.
How to use it: [something] is /isn’t a bed of roses
Example: Traveling for business seems glamorous, but is it no bed of roses.
bed head
Explanation: Someone who has bed head has strange looking hair because of the position their head contacted the pillow when they were sleeping.
How to use it: [someone] has bed head
Example: I woke up with bed head this morning.
his bark is worse than his bite
Explanation: Someone whose bark is worse than their bite is not actually as mean or angry as they appear to be.
How to use it: [someone]’s bark is worse than their bite
Example: The new boss seems strict, but his bark is worse than his bite.
back to square one
Explanation: When you go back to square one, you start again from the beginning.
How to use it: [something] or [someone] is back to square one
Example: My boss rejected my work, now it’s back to square one.
at the drop of a hat
Explanation: When you do something at the drop of a hat, you do it immediately, without hesitation.
How to use it: [someone] does something at the drop of a hat.
Example: I’d marry her at the drop of a hat.
as quiet as a mouse
Explanation: [something] or [someone] is as quiet as a mouse
How to use it: Something or someone who is as quiet as a mouse is very quiet and/or not talking very much.
Example: Jen’s new boyfriend was as quiet as a mouse at the party. I guess he’s shy.
an arm and a leg
Explanation: Something that costs an arm and a leg is very expensive.
How to use it: [something] costs (or) [someone] pays an arm and a leg
Example: It costs an arm and a leg to buy beer at a baseball stadium.
all thumbs
Explanation: Someone who is all thumbs is very clumsy.
How to use it: [someone] is all thumbs
Example: Ted said he is all thumbs when it comes to repairing something.
all set
Explanation: Something or someone that is all set is ready.
How to use it: [something] or [someone] is all set
Example: We’ve prepared well, so I think we are all set for the meeting.
all over the map
Explanation: Something or someone that is all over the map is very disorganized.
How to use it: [something] or [someone] is all over the map.
Example: The CEO’s speech was all over the map.
all heart
Explanation: Someone who is all heart is a very kind person.
How to use it: [someone] is all heart.
Example: Ted is all heart, so everyone likes him.
add fuel to the fire
Explanation: Someone who adds fuel to the fire makes a bad situation much worse.
How to use it: [something] or [someone] adds fuel to the fire.
Example: Bob added fuel to the fire by yelling at his boss.
absent-minded
Explanation: Someone who is absent-minded easily forgets things.
How to use it: [someone] is absent-minded.
Example: Jack forgot his wife’s birthday. He’s so absent- minded!
a screw up
Explanation: A screw up is a person who often makes careless mistakes, generally because they are not paying attention to what they are doing or because they are incompetent.
How to use it: [someone] is a screw up.
Example: I hear Tom was fired because he is a screw up.
a pipe dream
Explanation: A pipe dream is something unrealistic that you wish for or wish to do.
How to use it: [something] is a pipe dream.
Example: I know sailing a yacht in the South Pacific is a pipe dream, but someday I hope to do it!
a piece of cake
Explanation: Something that is a piece of cake is easy to do.
How to use it: [something] is a piece of cake.
Example: Using computers is a piece of cake for me.
a pain in the neck
Explanation: Something that is a pain in the neck is troublesome and inconvenient.
How to use it: [something] or [someone] is a pain in the neck.
Example: Tom is a pain in the neck. He borrows my tools but never returns them on time.
a dime a dozen
Explanation: A dozen means twelve, and a dime is a ten-cent coin, so a dime a dozen literally means twelve costs ten cents. So if something costs a dime a dozen, it is inexpensive or easy to find.
How to use it: [something] is a dime a dozen.
Example: Hot dog carts are a dime a dozen on the streets of NYC.
a cup of joe
Explanation: Joe is a slang word for coffee and so a cup of joe means a cup of coffee.
How to use it: You can buy, drink, make, etc. a cup of joe.
Example: I like to start my day with a cup of joe.