| |
Idiom |
Meaning |
|
F |
Face like thunder |
If someone has a face like thunder,
they look very angry.
"When Dad is really angry, he has a
face like thunder!" |
|
|
Face the music |
If you have to face the music, you have to accept the
unpleasant consequences of your actions. "He was caught
stealing. Now he has to face the music!" |
| |
Have a poker
face. |
If you have a poker face, you show no emotion at
all. "In spite of the repeated details of the events,
the criminal kept a poker
face." |
| |
Keep a straight face |
If you keep a straight face, you look serious
although you really want to
laugh. |
| |
Fair-weather
friend |
Someone who acts as a friend when times are good, and is not there
when you are in trouble, is called a fair-weather friend.
"I thought I could count on Bill, but I've discovered he's just
a
fair-weather friend." |
| |
Fall
at the first hurdle |
If you fall at the first hurdle, you fail to overcome the first
difficulty
encountered.
"Scott fell at the first hurdle. He didn't study enough
and failed his first
exam." |
| |
Fall from
grace |
To say that someone has fallen from grace
means that they have
done something wrong, immoral or unacceptable, and as a
result have lost their good reputation. "The Finance
Minister fell from grace as a result of a sex scandal." |
| |
Fall
into one's lap |
If something good falls into your lap, it happens to you
without any
effort on your part.
"She's not making much effort to find work. Does she think a job
will
fall into her lap?" |
| |
Fall off the back of a lorry |
If you buy goods that have fallen off the back of a
lorry, they are stolen goods. "Judging by the
price of that camera, it must have fallen off the back
of a
lorry!" |
| |
Fall
on one's sword |
If you fall on your sword, you take responsibility for, or accept the
consequences of an unsuccessful action.
"The organizer of the referendum resigned when the poor results
were
announced. It was said that he 'fell on his sword'." |
| |
False
move |
In a dangerous or risky situation, if you make a false move,
you do
something which may have unpleasant consequences.
"He is under close surveillance. If he makes one false move he'll
be
arrested." |
| |
False
pretences |
If you obtain something under false pretences, you deceive others
by lying about your identity, qualifications, financial or social
position,
in order to obtain what you want..
"She obtained the interview under false pretences." |
| |
Fat cat |
To refer to a rich and powerful person as a fat cat means that
you disapprove of the way they use their money or power. |
| |
To
a fault |
To say that somebody has a good quality to a fault means that
they have a lot, or even too much, of that quality.
"My aunt is generous to a fault, ready to help anyone to claims
to be
in need." |
| |
A feather in
one's cap |
To describe someone's achievement as "a feather in
their cap" means that it is something they can be
proud of. "The overwhelming
victory of the team was a "feather in the cap" for the
new
manager." |
| |
Feather your nest |
To say of someone that they
are feathering their nest is to say that they are
taking advantage of their position in order to obtain
money so as to have a comfortable
life. |
| |
Feel
the pinch |
When someone feels the pinch, they begin to suffer from a lack of
money.
"With the drop in tourism, hotels and restaurants are beginning to
feel the pinch." |
| |
Back on your feet |
If you are back on your feet, after an illness
or an accident, you are physically healthy
again. |
| |
Drag one's feet |
If you say that a person is dragging their feet, you
think they are unnecessarily delaying a decision which is
important to you. |
| |
Find your
feet |
To say that someone in a new situation is finding their
feet means that they are learning what to do and
gaining self-confidence. |
| |
Get cold feet |
If you get cold feet about something, you begin
to hesitate about
doing it; you are no longer sure whether you
want to do it or not. |
| |
Have itchy feet |
A person who has itchy feet is someone who wants to
move somewhere new or do something
different. |
| |
Keep one's feet on the
ground |
A person who keeps their feet on the ground
continues to act in a sensible and practical way, even if
they become successful. |
| |
Think on one's
feet |
A person who thinks
on their feet is capable of making good
decisions without
previous thinking or planning. "Good lawyers need to be
able to think on their feet when
pleading a case." |
| |
Rushed off your
feet. |
If your are
rushed off your feet, your are extremely busy. "I'd love
to have lunch with you but we're rushed off our feet at the
moment at the office." |
| |
On
the fence |
When faced with a choice, a person who is on the fence has not
yet reached a decision.
"The candidates have such similar ideas that many electors are still
on the fence." |
| |
Fever
pitch |
If a situation or feeling reaches fever pitch, it becomes very
intense
and exciting.
"Reaction to the affair has reached fever pitch all over the country." |
| |
Few
and far between |
Items, places or events which are few and far between are
rarely
found or do not happen very often.
"Restaurants in this part of the country are few and far between." |
| |
Fiddling while
Rome burns |
If you say that somebody is fiddling while Rome
burns, you
mean that they are doing unimportant things
while there are serious
problems to be dealt with "His visit to
the trade fair was 'fiddling while Rome burns' according
to the
strikers." |
| |
Field
day |
A field day refers to a day, period or time of great excitement
and
activity.
"Journalists will have a field day with the latest political
scandal" |
| |
Fight a losing
battle |
If someone is fighting a losing battle, they are
trying to do
something even when there is little chance of
succeeding. "The headmaster is fighting a losing battle trying to
ban mobile
phones at school." |
| |
Fight tooth and nail |
If you fight tooth and nail for something, you
fight with all your
energy. "The Transport Minister fought tooth
and nail to have to have the
proposed road safety law
accepted." |
| |
Fight
shy of something |
If you fight shy of something, such as a task, a problem or a duty,
you want
to avoid doing it or you are unwilling to confront it.
"He had money problems for years but fought shy of asking his
children
for help." |
| |
A
figment of one's imagination |
To
refer to something as a figment of one's imagination means
that an appearance, event or incident is not considered to be real
but
is only imaginary.
"Other people saw the car, so it's not a figment of Tom's imagination!" |
| |
Fine-tooth comb |
To go over something with a fine-tooth comb
means to examine
it closely and thoroughly so as not to miss any details.
"The police are examining the scene of
the accident with a
fine-tooth comb." |
| |
A finger in every pie |
If someone has a finger in every pie, they are
involved in many
activities "For information about the town
development project, you should
talk to John Brown. He has
a finger in every pie." |
| |
Firing
line |
Someone who is in the firing line is in a position to be criticized
because of their responsibilities or the position they hold.
"The managing director of the bank is in the firing line since the
fraud
was discovered." |
| |
Fish
in troubled waters |
If you fish in troubled waters, you try to gain advantages for yourself
from a disturbed state of affairs.
"Between the declaration of independence and the first elections,
some
people were accused of fishing in troubled waters." |
| |
Fish out of water |
If you feel like a fish out of water, you feel uncomfortable
because of an unfamiliar situation or unfamiliar surroundings.
"As a non-golfer, I felt like a fish out of water at the clubhouse." |
| |
Have other fish
to fry |
If you have other fish to fry, you have more
important things to do. "I don't think he'll attend the office
party; he's got other fish to fry." |
| |
Neither fish nor
fowl |
This is said to describe people or
things that are difficult to classify, that are neither one
thing nor another. "Interns are neither fish nor
fowl. They are neither students nor fully qualified
practitioners." |
| |
Fishing
expedition |
If someone is on a fishing expedition, they are trying to obtain
information in any way possible.
"The lunch invitation was clearly a fishing expedition to obtain
information about his private life." |
| |
Fit as a fiddle |
If you are fit as a fiddle, you are active
and healthy. "My grandfather is still fit as a fiddle at the age
of 90." |
| |
Fit like a glove |
If something fits you like a glove, it fits you
perfectly.
"I was lucky! The first skirt I tried on fitted me like a glove!" |
| |
Fit the bill |
If someone or something fits the bill,
they are exactly right for for
a particular situation.
"They wanted a quiet place for the week-end and the country inn just
fitted the bill." |
| |
In
fits and
starts |
If you do something in fits and starts, you do it in an irregular
manner,
often stopping and starting again.
"You'll never make progress in English if you work in fits and
starts." |
| |
Five-finger discount |
If somebody gets a
five-finger discount, they take something without
paying. In other words, they steal. "How could he
afford that watch?" "Who knows - perhaps with a five-finger
discount!" |
| |
Flea
in one's ear |
After an attempt at something, if you are sent away with a flea in
your ear, you are angrily reprimanded or humiliated.
"When he tried to put the blame on Pete, he was sent away
with a flea
in his ear." |
| |
There are no
flies on him! |
To say that there are no flies on someone
means that they understand quickly and cannot be tricked or
deceived easily. "It's better to tell him all the facts.
There are no flies on him." |
| |
Fly by the seat of your pants |
If you fly by the seat of your pants, you
do something without
knowledge or experience, using only your instinct and
hoping that
you will succeed.
"Without any formal training, he
decided to fly by the seat of his pants
and try his luck in New York." |
| |
Fly in the ointment |
The expression a fly in the ointment refers to someone or
something
that prevents a situation from being completely satisfactory.
"Tony's poor English was a fly in the
ointment when he applied for
the job." |
| |
Fly on the wall |
This expression is used to
describe a person who watches a situation
without being
noticed. "I'd like to be a fly on the wall when the
management discusses
my project." |
| |
Fly off the handle |
A person who flies off the handle becomes suddenly very
angry. "Dad flew off the handle when I told him I had damaged his
new car." |
| |
It will
never fly |
To say that something will never fly means that it will not be
successful.
"He's got incredible ideas, but none that will ever fly!" |
| |
With flying
colours |
To achieve something
with flying colours means to do it very
successfully. "My daughter passed the entrance exam with flying colours.
I'm so proud
of her!" |
| |
Foam
at the mouth |
Someone who foams at the mouth is extremely angry about
something.
"The director was foaming at the mouth when he saw a picture of his
children in the newspaper." |
| |
Follow one's nose |
If you follow
your nose, you go straight ahead.
(Also: follow your instinct in
life). "The station is at the end of the road - just follow
your nose." |
| |
Follow in
someone's footsteps |
If you
follow in someone's footsteps ( for example a parent),
you lead a similar life or do the same
job. "Lily followed in her mother's footsteps and became a
teacher." |
| |
Follow suit |
If you follow suit,
you do the same as somebody else has just done. The first robber
held up his hands. The other two followed suit. |
| |
Food for thought |
If
something gives you food for thought, it makes you think
very hard about something. "The documentary on poverty in the
world really gave me food for
thought." |
| |
A foot in the door |
If you say that someone has a foot in the door, you
mean that they
have a small but successful start in something and
will possibly
do well in the future. "With today's unemployment,
it's difficult to get a foot in the door in any profession." |
| |
Put one's foot down |
To put one's foot down means to exert authority to
prevent something from
happening. |
| |
Footloose and fancy-free |
A person who is footloose and fancy-free has few responsibilities or commitments of any kind and feels free to do as they
please. "John will never get married. He says he prefers to
be footloose
and fancy-free." |
| |
Force
of habit |
When something is done out of force of habit, it has become
automatic through frequent repetition.
"Why do I always park here? It's force of habit I suppose." |
| |
Force
someone's hand |
If you force someone's hand, you make them do something
unwillingly or sooner than planned.
"The interviewer forced his hand and made him reveal his relocation
plans."
|
| |
Forewarned is forearmed |
This expression means that
if you know something is going to happen, you can be prepared for
it. "The Chairman is going to attend the meeting tomorrow.
Your presentation had better be good. Forewarned is
forearmed.!" |
| |
Free
as a bird
|
If someone is free as a bird, they are completely free to do as
they
please.
"My dad's very happy - he's free as a bird since he retired." |
| |
A free-for-all |
This term refers to an uncontrolled situation such as a discussion,
argument or fight where everyone present can do or say what they like.
"It started as a serious debate but
turned into a free-for-all." |
| |
Of
your own free will |
If you do something of your own free will, you do it
voluntarily,
without any pressure from others.
"He decided to tell the truth, and he did it of his own free
will." |
| |
Freudian
slip |
This refers to a mistake made by a speaker which is considered to
reveal
their true thoughts or feelings.
"So you got the job - I'm so sad - sorry, I mean glad!" |
| |
Have a frog in one's throat |
A person who has a frog in their throat is unable to
speak clearly because their throat is sore, or because they
want to cough. |
| |
From
the word go |
The expression 'from the word go' means from the very beginning
of an activity.
"Right from the word go he was rejected by the rest of the group." |
| |
Front
runner |
In a contest, race or election, the front runner is the person
who
seems most likely to succeed or win.
"Who are the front runners in the coming elections?" |
| |
Out of the frying
pan and
into the fire. |
This expression means to go from one difficult situation to
another,
usually even worse. "The flight was delayed because of
snow. When the plane eventually
took off, it had to turn
back because of engine trouble -
out of the frying pan into the
fire!" |
| |
Full
of the joys of spring |
If you are full of the joys of spring, you are happy,
enthusiastic
and full of energy.
"Barbara is full of the joys of spring at the moment! Has she got a
new
boyfriend?" |
| |
In full swing
|
When something, such as
an event, gets into full swing, it is at
its busiest or
liveliest time. "When we got back to the office, the Christmas
party was in full swing." |
| |
Fur
coat and no knickers |
A person who tries to appear distinguished but has no real class
is referred to as "fur coat and no knickers".
"Don't let her impress you. She's what we call 'fur coat and no
knickers'! |