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English idioms relating to |
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| 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". |
| A bad egg | To refer to someone as a bad egg means that they cannot be trusted. "I don't want my son to be friends with Bobby Smith. Bobby's a bad egg." |
| Have something on the brain | If you
have something on the brain,
you think or talk about it constantly. "Stop talking about golf. You've got golf on the brain!" |
| Butter wouldn't melt in your mouth. | If you say that somebody
looks as if butter wouldn't melt in their mouth, you are saying that they look completely innocent, but that they are capable of doing unpleasant things. |
| Call a spade a spade | A person who calls a spade a spade speaks
openly and truthfully about something, especially difficult matters. "What I like about the new manager is that he calls a spade a spade - it makes things so much easier for everyone." |
| A 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. |
| Like chalk and cheese. | Two people who are like
chalk and cheese are completely different from each other. |
| A chip off the old block | If you refer to a person as a chip off the old block,
you mean that they resemble one of their parents in appearance, character or behaviour. "James is a chip off the old block - he reacts exactly the same way as his father." |
| As cool as a cucumber. | A person who is as
cool as a cucumber is a person who is not anxious, but relaxed and non-emotional. |
| A couch potato | If you refer to someone as a couch potato, you criticize them for
spending a lot of time sitting and watching television. "Don't be such a couch potato. There are better ways of spending your time than in front of the TV." |
| Not cut out for something | If you are not cut out for something, you are not the sort of
person to succeed or be happy in a particular activity. "I started studying medicine but I quickly realized I wasn't cut out for it." |
| Dead wood | The term dead wood refers to people or things which are no
longer considered useful or necessary. "The new manager wants to reduce costs by cutting out the dead wood." |
| A dog in the manger |
A person referred to as a dog in the
manger is someone who stops others enjoying something he cannot use or doesn't want. |
| Doubting Thomas | A 'doubting Thomas' is as person who will not believe
something
without proof, or without seeing it for themselves. |
| Eager beaver |
The term eager beaver refers to a person who is hardworking and
enthusiastic, sometimes considered overzealous. "The new accountant works all the time - first to arrive and last to leave - a real eager beaver!" |
| 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." |
| 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'! |
| Sour grapes. | To say that someone's
attitude is "sour grapes" means that they are making complaints or accusations because they are jealous. |
| Hard as nails |
A person who is as hard as nails is
someone very unsympathetic who does not seem to care about others. |
| Have the makings of something | A person who has the makings of something has qualities and potential that could be developed. "The teacher says Sarah has the makings of an excellent journalist." |
| Head and shoulders above | To say that a person or thing is head and shoulders above the others means that they are much better that the rest of their kind. "The award-winner was head and shoulders above the others." |
| Holier-than-thou | This expression is used to describe the attitude of people who
consider themselves to be more virtuous or morally superior to others. "I can't stand the holier-then-thou attitude of some candidates." |
| A dark horse. | If you refer to a person as a "dark horse", you mean that they are secretive, or that little is known about them. |
| Jack of all trades. |
A "jack of all trades" is a person who can do many different things but is not very good at any one of them. |
| Keep up appearances | A person who keeps up appearances maintains an outward show of prosperity or well-being in order to hide their difficulties from others. "He continued to keep up appearances even when business was bad." |
| Life and soul of the party |
The life and soul of the party is the most lively and amusing person present at an event. "I'm so glad we invited Caroline. She was the life and soul of the party!" |
| Long in the tooth | A person who is long in the tooth is a bit too old to
do something. "She's a bit long in the tooth for a cabaret dancer isn't she?" |
| Mouse potato | This term refers to a person who spends a lot of time in front of the computer. "My son and his friends are all mouse potatoes - constantly glued to the computer!" |
| All mouth and no trousers | This is said of someone who talks a lot about doing something
but never actually does it. "He keeps saying he's going to resign and travel around the world, but he's all mouth and no trousers!" |
| Movers and shakers |
The term movers and shakers refers to people in power who take an active part in making things happen. "Movers and shakers are assembling in Brussels for the summit." |
| Your name is mud | To say that a person's name is mud means that they have
acquired a bad reputation because of something they have done or said. "His name is mud now after the revelations in the newspaper." |
| A square peg in a round hole. | To say that a person is
a "square peg in a round hole", means that they are not suitable for the job they are doing or the situation they are in. |
| A pen pusher. | To refer to someone as a
"pen pusher" means you think that person does work which requires little action, just office work, and they they lack operating experience. |
| Proud as a peacock | A person who is as proud as a peacock is extremely proud. "When his son won first prize, Bill was as proud as a peacock." |
| Have a quick temper | If you have a quick temper, you get angry very easily. "He makes me nervous - he's got such a quick temper." |
| Rotten apple | This term refers to a person who is considered to be dishonest or immoral and has a bad influence on others in a group. "It is said that in any profession there's always a rotten apple." |
| Rough diamond | This expression refers to a person who is good-natured but who lacks polished manners and/or education. "He's a great guy, but a bit of a rough diamond!" |
| It runs in the family | This refers to a physical or moral characteristic that is
common to many members of a family "Black hair and blue eyes - the combination runs in the family." |
| Saving grace |
A person who has a saving grace has a quality which prevents them from being totally bad. "She's a horrible person but she has one saving grace, her kindness to animals." |
| Set in one's ways | A person who is set in their ways is someone who is unable or
unwilling to change their ideas, habits or methods, often because they are old "My grandmother has the same routine every day. She's very set in her ways." |
| Shrinking violet | A person referred to as a shrinking violet is a timid or
shy person. "The witness was no shrinking violet. She had no difficulty expressing herself!" |
| Significant other | The term significant other refers to a
person, such as a spouse, partner or lover, with whom you have a long-term relationship. |
| Slippery as an eel | To say that someone is as slippery as an eel means that they
are difficult to catch and they manage to avoid answering questions. "That man is as slippery as an eel. He was arrested for theft several times but was never convicted." |
| A social butterfly |
This term refers to a person who has a lot of friends and acquaintances and likes to flit from one social event to another. "Julie is constantly out and about; she's a real social butterfly." |
| Spitting image | If one person is the spitting image of another, they look exactly
like each other. "Sarah is the spitting image of her mother." |
| Straight as a ramrod | Someone who is straight as a ramrod is a person
who keeps a straight back and looks very serious. "When my grandfather invited us for dinner, he used to sit straight as a ramrod at the head of the table." |
| As stubborn as a mule |
If someone is as stubborn as a mule, they are very obstinate and
unwilling to listen to reason or change their mind. "His friends advised him to accept the offer, but you know Jack - he's as stubborn as a mule!" |
| Talk the hind leg(s) off a donkey | This expression is used to describe a very
talkative person. "It's difficult to end a conversation with Betty. She could talk the hind leg off a donkey!" |
| Top dog | To say that a person, group or country is top dog means that
they are better or more powerful than others. "She's top dog in cosmetics today." |
| A tough cookie | A person who is a tough cookie is one who is
self-confident and ambitious and will do what is necessary to achieve what they want. "I'm not worried about Jason's future. He's a tough cookie!" |
| A wet blanket | A person who is a wet blanket is so boring or
unenthusiastic that they prevent other people from enjoying themselves. "Come on! Don't be such a wet blanket!" |
| Whiz-kid | A
whiz kid is someone, usually young, who is very talented and successful at doing something. "Apparently the new engineer knows what he's doing - a real whiz-kid from what I've heard." |
| Worlds apart | When
two people are very different, they are said to be worlds apart. "As regards our political opinions, we're worlds apart." |
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