English idioms - Alphabetical list A

	Idiom	Meaning
A	(to the) best of one's ability	When someone does something to the best of their ability, they do it as well as they possibly can. "I felt nervous all through the interview, but I replied to the best of my ability."
	(of) no fixed abode	A person of no fixed abode has nowhere permanent to live. A 30-year-old man, of no fixed abode, was charged with the burglary.
	about-turn / about-face	This term refers to a complete change of opinion or policy. "The ambassador's recent declarations indicate an about-turn in foreign policy."
	Above and beyond the call of duty	If a person does something which is above and beyond the call of duty, they show a greater degree of courage or effort than is usually required or expected in their job. "The fire-fighter received a medal for his action which went above and beyond the call of duty
	More by accident than (by) design	Something which happens more by accident than (by) design is done without deliberate intention. "I became an interpreter more by accident than design; nobody else could speak the language of the refugees."
	An accomplished fact (also: 'fait accompli')	Something that has been done or completed, before those affected by it can intervene or change it, is called an accomplished fact.
	Have an ace up your sleeve.	If you have an ace up your sleeve, it means that you have something in reserve with which you can gain an advantage.
	Hold all the aces	A person who holds all the aces is in a very strong position because they have more advantages than anyone else. "Given the high unemployment figures in some countries, employers hold all the aces."
	Acid test	To refer to something as the acid test means that it will prove how effective or useful something is. "The training course was very interesting but the acid test will come when I start my new job."
	Act of God	This term refers to a natural event or accident, for which no person is responsible (such as an earthquake, lightning and similar acts of nature). "The insurance company refused to pay for the damage because it was caused by an act of God."
	Get your act together!	If you tell someone to get their act together, you mean that they need to organize their affairs more effectively in order to be more successful.
	Add fuel to the flames	If you add fuel to the flames, you say something that makes a difficult situation worse. "He forgot their wedding anniversary, and his apologies only added fuel to the flames."
	Much ado about nothing.	If people make "much ado about nothing", they make a lot of fuss about something which is not important.
	Afraid of one's own shadow	A person who is afraid of their own shadow is very nervous or easily frightened. "I've never seen anyone so easily scared - she's afraid of her own shadow."
	After the fact	If something is done after the fact, it is too late, after something has actually happened, particularly a crime or an accident. "He said he realized he had put people in danger, but that was of no help after the fact."
	Against the clock	If you do something against the clock, you are rushed and have very little time to do it. "They are working against the clock to have the presentation ready for Monday."
	All ears	To say that you are all ears means that you are listening very attentively. "Of course I want to know - I'm all ears!"
	All hell broke loose	To say that all hell broke loose means that there was a sudden angry, noisy reaction to something. "All hell broke loose when it was announced that the plant was going to close down."
	All (other) things being equal	This expression refers to a probable situation if in all other ways the conditions remain unchanged or equal. "All (other) things being equal, a reduction in the cost of transport should enable us to lower our prices."
	All the rage	When something is all the rage, it has become very popular or trendy. "Twittering text messages is all the rage these days, both among individuals and companies."
	All sizzle and no steak	Someone or something that turns out to be disappointing, after a promotional campaign or marketing operation which led us to expect something better, is called all sizzle and no steak. "Because of all the electoral promises he made, which so far he has failed to keep, many people call the new president "all sizzle and no steak".
	All thumbs/all fingers and thumbs	If you are all fingers and thumbs, you are awkward and clumsy and do things incorrectly. "Would you mind wrapping this for me? I'm all fingers and thumbs!"
	Alter ego	The term alter ego, which in Latin means 'other self', refers to a very close and trusted friend who is very like yourself.
	Ambulance chaser	This terms refers to a lawyer who finds work by persuading people injured in accidents to claim money from the person who caused the accident. "Peterson & Scott are well-known ambulance chasers - that's how they make their money!"
	Answer for	If someone has to answer for something, they have to accept responsibility for their actions. "He will have to answer for his dishonesty."
	Ants in one's pants	People who have ants in their pants are very restless or excited about something "I wish he'd relax. He's got ants in his pants about something today!"
	Any port in a storm	When you have no choice, any port in a storm refers to a solution you accept, which in normal circumstances you would find unacceptable. "The hotel was substandard, but it was a case of any port in a storm; all the others were full."
	The apple of your eye.	If somebody is the apple of your eye, this means that you like them very much : "My grandson is the apple of my eye".
	To upset the applecart	To upset (or to overturn) the applecart means to spoil a satisfactory plan or situation "I hope Julie doesn't attend the meeting; she could upset the applecart!"
	Apron strings	If one person is tied to another's apron strings, they remain dependent at an age when they should be independent. "All his decisions are influenced by his mother. He's still tied to her apron strings."
	Argue the toss	If you argue the toss, you dispute a decision or choice which has already been made. "The final choice was made yesterday, so don't argue the toss now! "
	Arm of the law	This expression refers to the extent to which the authority or power of the law extends. "He fled to South America hoping to escape the arm of the law."
	Give your right arm	If you say "I'd give my right arm for that", you mean that you want it a lot and would do almost anything to obtain it. "I'd give my right arm to have a apartment on Central Park."
	Cost an arm and a leg	If something costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive! "The house cost us an arm and a leg, but we have no regrets."
	To be up in arms	If you are up in arms about something, you are very angry. "The population was up in arms over the demolition of the old theatre."
	Keep someone at arm's length	If you keep someone at arm's length, you do not allow yourself to become too friendly with them. "It's not easy to become friends with Sophie; she tends to keep everyone at arm's length."
	Armchair critic	An armchair critic is someone who gives advice based on theory rather than practice. "That guy is such an armchair critic, no experience but plenty of advice! "
	Asking for trouble	Someone who is asking for trouble is behaving stupidly and is likely to have problems. "Driving fast on these roads is really asking for trouble!"
	At all costs	If you are determined to obtain or achieve something at all costs, you want it regardless of the expense, effort or sacrifice involved. "The journalist was determined at all costs to get a report from the war zone."
	Of no avail	Something which is of no avail is not at all helpful or useful. "The coffee machine wouldn't work and the instruction leaflet was of no avail."
	A rude awakening	If you get a rude awakening, you are forced to accept the unpleasant truth.
	Have an axe to grind	If you have an axe to grind, you have personal reasons for becoming involved in something or adopting a particular attitude. "It was decided that the best candidates would be selected by a recruitment agency who had no axe to grind within the company."