English idioms relating to feelings-emotions

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English Idioms relating to FEELINGS - EMOTIONS - REACTIONS
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!"
Bare your heart (or soul) to someone	If you bare your heart or soul to someone, you reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings to them. "John couldn't keep things to himself any longer. He decided to bare his soul to his best friend."
Bear the brunt (of something)	A person who bears the brunt of something is the one who suffers the most when something bad or unpleasant happens. "When things go wrong, his assistant always has to bear the brunt of his anger."
Beside yourself (with an emotion)	If you are beside yourself (with an emotion), you lose your self-control because of the intensity of the emotion you are feeling. "He was beside himself with grief when he lost his son."
Carry the torch	If you carry the torch, you have strong feelings for someone with whom you do not or cannot have a relationship.. "He's been carrying the torch for Julie since their college days, before she married Ted."
Wouldn't be caught/seen dead	If someone says that they wouldn't be caught or seen dead in a particular place or doing something, they mean that they would be too ashamed or embarrassed. "My seven-year-old son thinks he's a big boy; he wouldn't be caught dead holding my hand!"
Cause a stir	If something causes a stir, it creates an atmosphere of excitement or great interest. "The arrival of the actress caused quite a stir in the village."
Wouldn't be caught/seen dead	If someone says that they wouldn't be caught or seen dead in a particular place or doing something, they mean that they would be too ashamed or embarrassed. "My seven-year-old son thinks he's a big boy; he wouldn't be caught dead holding my hand!"
Cheesed off	If someone is cheesed off with something, they are annoyed, bored or frustrated. "Julie is absolutely cheesed off with her job.
A chip on your shoulder	If someone has a chip on their shoulder, they feel resentful because they feel they are being treated unfairly, especially because of their background, their sex or their colour.
Close to home	If a remark or comment is close to home, it is so true, or it affects you so directly, that you feel uncomfortable. "Alan looks embarrassed. Bob's comment must have been close to home!"
Come apart at the seams	To say that someone is coming apart at the seams means that they are extremely upset or under severe mental stress. "Bob has had so many problems lately, he's coming apart at the seams."
Cork something up	If you cork something up (feelings, emotions), you fail to show or express them. "It would be better for her if she showed her grief and didn't cork up her feelings."
Cut to the quick	If you cut someone to the quick, you hurt their feelings or offend them deeply. "Alan was cut to the quick when Jack expressed doubts about his sincerity."
Out of your depth.	If you are out of your depth, it means you are in a situation which is too difficult for you, or which you know little about.
On the edge of one's seat	Someone who is on the edge of their seat is very interested in something and finds it both extremely exciting and nerve-wracking. "Look at Bob! He's on the edge of his seat watching that rugby match."
Feel on top of the world	If you feel on top of the world, you feel wonderful or ecstatic about something. "I've been feeling on top of the world since I got the results - I'm qualified!"
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.
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."
A 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."
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 one's heart in the right place	A person who has their heart in the right place has kind feelings and good intentions, even if the results are not too good. "The old lady's cake wasn't wonderful but she's got her heart in the right place."
Get a grip on yourself	If you get a grip on yourself, you make an effort to control your feelings so as to be able to deal with a situation.. "After the initial shock, Lisa got a grip on herself and called an ambulance."
Get something out of your system	This expression means that you get rid of a strong emotion or desire by expressing it openly or trying to fulfil it. "Tell your parents how you feel - it's better to get it out of your system!"
Get worked up (about something)	If you get worked up about something, you become upset, annoyed or excited, often unnecessarily. "It's his first day at school tomorrow and he's all worked up about it!"
Go bananas	If someone becomes very emotional and starts behaving in a crazy way, they go bananas. "If you announce that you're going to drop out of school, your parents will go bananas!
Go off the deep end	If a person goes off the deep end, they become so angry or upset that they cannot control their emotions "Mary will go off the deep end if her kids leave the kitchen in a mess again. "
Go to pieces	If you go to pieces, for example after a terrible shock, you are so upset or distressed that you cannot lead your life normally. "Jack nearly went to pieces when his son died in a plane crash."
Groan inwardly	If you groan inwardly, you feel like expressing despair, disapproval or distress, but you remain silent. "On his return, when Pete saw the pile of files on his desk, he groaned inwardly."
Gut feeling	If you have a gut feeling about something, you have a strong intuition which you cannot explain, but you are sure that you are right. "As I read the story, I had a gut feeling that the postman was lying ... and I was right!"
Hard as nails	A person who is hard (or 'tough') as nails is unsentimental and shows no sympathy. "Don't expect any sympathy from him. He's as hard as hails."
Have kittens	To say you're going to have kittens is a dramatic way of expressing worry, anxiety or fear. "His mother nearly had kittens when Alex announced that he wanted to be a trapeze artist."
Head over heels in love	When a person falls passionately in love with another, they are said to be head over heels in love. "Tony's only interest at the moment is Maria. He's head over heels in love with her!"
Change of heart	If someone has a change of heart, they change their attitude or feelings, especially towards greater friendliness or cooperation. "He was against charity, but he had a change of heart when he saw the plight of the homeless."
Couldn't give a hoot!	To say that you don't or couldn't give a hoot, means that you don't care at all about something. "She wears eccentric clothes but she's couldn't give a hoot about what others think."
Hope against hope	If you hope against hope, you continue to hope even when the situation looks bad "The whole building was destroyed by fire. John's parents are hoping against hope that he escaped in time."
Hot under the collar	If you get hot under the collar, you feel annoyed, indignant or embarrassed. "If anyone criticizes his proposals, Joe immediately gets hot under the collar."
In the heat of the moment	If you say or do something in the heat of the moment, you say or do it without pausing to think, at a time when you are experiencing unusually strong emotions such as anger, excitement, etc. "I was so angry that in the heat of the moment I said things that I regretted later."
Keep your fingers crossed	If you keep your fingers crossed, you hope that something will be successful. "I'm doing my driving test tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed for me."
Keep (something) in proportion	If you react to a situation in a sensible way, without exaggerating the importance or seriousness of the facts, you keep things in proportion. "Yes, we've got a problem, but let's try to keep things in proportion."
Keep a stiff upper lip	If a person keeps a stiff upper lip, they contain their emotion and do not let other people see their feelings. "When she heard the bad news, she kept a stiff upper lip."
Cut the atmosphere with a knife	To say that you could "cut the atmosphere with a knife" means that the atmosphere is extremely tense or unfriendly.
Know someone/something inside out.	If you know someone or something inside out, you know them very well.
Lick one's wounds	When a person licks their wounds, they try to recover their confidence or spirits after a defeat, failure or disappointment. "Poor Harry is licking his wounds after being dropped off the team."
Look on the bright side	If you look on the bright side, you view a mostly unpleasant situation in a positive and optimistic way and see the favourable aspects. "OK. You know nobody, But there's a bright side - you'll make lots of new friends!"
Love me, love my dog	This expression means that if someone loves you, they must love everything about you, including everyone and everything that you love.
A lump in your throat	If you have a lump in your throat, you have a tight feeling in your throat because of a strong emotion such as sadness or gratitude. "The speech was so touching that I had a lump in my throat."
Make one's flesh crawl	Something that makes your flesh crawl fills you with disgust or makes you feel very nervous. "Just talking about snakes makes my flesh crawl."
Mixed feelings	When you have mixed feelings about something, you react to it with conflicting emotions; you are happy and unhappy at the same time. "I had mixed feelings about leaving the company. I was excited about my new job but sad to be leaving my colleagues."
Nice as pie	If a person is nice as pie, they are surprisingly very kind and friendly "After our argument, she was nice as pie!"
No hard feelings	If you have no hard feelings, you feel no resentment or bitterness about something. When Jack was promoted instead of Steve, he said to Steve : "No hard feelings I hope."
Not give a hang about something	If you do not give a hang about something, you are totally indifferent to it and do not care at all about it. "I'm not interested in football so I don't give a hang about which team wins."
Nose out of joint	If a person's nose is out of joint, they have been upset, embarrassed or offended by somebody or something. "When he discovered that he wasn't on the invitation list, that really put his nose out of joint.'
Open/reopen old wounds	If you open or reopen old wounds, you revive memories of an unpleasant event, situation or dispute that took place in the past. "He carefully avoided the subject so as not to open old wounds."
As pleased (or as proud) as punch	Someone who is as pleased (or as proud) as punch is delighted or feels very satisfied about something. "Danny was as proud as punch when he won the tennis match."
Pour your heart out	If you pour your heart out to someone, you express your feelings and troubles freely. "When she needs to pour her heart out to someone, she goes to visit her grandmother."
Prey on someone's mind	If something preys on your mind, it troubles you so much that you keep thinking about it. "The vision of the house on fire kept preying on her mind."
Prolong the agony	If someone prolongs the agony, they make an unpleasant or tense situation last longer than necessary. "Please don't prolong the agony. Just tell me whether I've been accepted or not."
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."
Put one's foot in one's mouth	If you put your foot in your mouth, you do or say something that offends, upsets or embarrasses someone else. "She really put her foot in her mouth when she mentioned the housewarming party - Andy hadn't been invited!"
Send a shiver down one's spine	If something sends a shiver down your spine, it makes you feel anxious, nervous or excited. "That song always sends a shiver down my spine."
Have a soft spot	If you have a soft spot for someone or something, you particularly like them. "My grandfather has always had a soft spot for fast cars."
Speak volumes	If something speaks volumes, it expresses a reaction or opinion very clearly, with no need for words. "The happy smile on the child's face when he opened the box spoke volumes about my choice of gift."
On the spot	If you put somebody on the spot, you put them in a difficult situation, for example by asking embarrassing or difficult questions which they cannot avoid. "When the reporter was asked to reveal his source, he was really put on the spot."
Let off steam.	To let off steam means to say or do something to relieve your feelings about something.
Steamed up	If someone is or gets steamed up about something, they become very angry, excited or enthusiastic about it. "Calm down - there's no need to get all steamed up about it! "
Strike (or hit) a raw nerve	If something you say strikes a raw nerve, it upsets someone because they are very sensitive about the subject. "Julie has just lost her job. You struck a raw nerve when you mentioned unemployment."
Sweet nothings	Pleasant but unimportant words that lovers say to each other are called sweet nothings. "He whispered sweet nothings in her ear as they danced."
Take a fancy	If you take a fancy to someone or something, you develop a fondness or begin to like them. "I think John has taken a fancy to the new intern!"
Take a load/weight off somebody's mind	If something takes a load or weight off somebody's mind, it brings great relief because a problem has been solved. "When the company closed down, finding a new job took a load off Tom's mind."
To be on tenterhooks	A person who is on tenterhooks is in a state of anxious suspense or excitement.
Thank one's lucky stars	When someone says they can thank their lucky stars, they are expressing heartfelt gratitude or feeling particularly fortunate. "I can thank my lucky stars I wasn't on the train that crashed."
That's the last straw!	To say 'that's the last straw' expresses exasperation at the last in a series of unpleasant events which makes the situation intolerable. "After a harassing day of negotiating, the traffic jam was the last straw!"
Think the sun rises and sets on someone	If you consider someone to be the most wonderful person in the world, it is said that you think the sun rises and sets on that person. "She adores her husband. She thinks the sun rises and sets on him."
Think the world of someone	If you think the world of someone, you like or admire them very much. "She's a wonderful grandmother - the children think the world of her."
Thinly veiled	If something such as a feeling or reaction is thinly veiled, it is barely hidden. "His disappointment was thinly veiled when he saw what he had won."
A thorn in your side	If you say someone is a thorn in your side, you mean that they continually irritate or annoy you.
Tongue-tied	If you are tongue-tied, you have difficulty in expressing yourself because you are nervous or embarrassed. "At the start of the interview I was completely tongue-tied, but little by little I relaxed."
Tug at the heartstrings	To say that something or someone tugs at the heartstrings means that they cause others to feel a great deal of pity or sadness. "The hospital's plea for donors tugged at the heartstrings of millions of viewers."
not turn a hair	If someone does not turn a hair, they show no emotion in circumstances when a reaction is expected. "When the police came to arrest him, he didn't turn a hair."
Over the moon	If you are over the moon, you are absolutely delighted. "We were all over the moon when we heard the good news."
On the same wavelength	To say that two people are on the same wavelength means that they understand each other well because they share the same interests and opinions.<
Weak at the knees	If a person is weak at the knees, they are temporarily barely able to stand because of emotion, fear or illness. "The shock of the announcement made me go weak at the knees."
Wear your heart on your sleeve	If you wear your heart on your sleeve, you allow others to see your emotions or feelings. "You could see she was hurt - she wears her heart on her sleeve."
Written all over (someone's) face	When someone's feelings or thoughts are very clear, you can say that they are written all over their face. "Her affection for her grandson was written all over the old lady's face."
At one's wits' end	If you are at your wits' end, you are very worried or anxious about something, and you don't know what to do. "When her son dropped out of school for the second time, Susan was at her wits' end."

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