English idioms relating to relationships

Idiom	Meaning
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."
Have your back to the wall	If you have your back to the wall, you are in serious difficulty. "With his back to the wall, the supplier had to accept the deal."
At someone's beck and call.	If a person is at somebody's beck and call, they are always ready to do things for them or obey orders to please them. "Parents should not be at the beck and call of their children."
Below the belt	An action or remark described as below the belt means that it is considered unfair or cruel. "Politicians sometimes use personal information to hit their rivals below the belt."
Birds of a feather	To say that two people are birds of a feather means that they are very similar in many ways. "Having come from the same background, the two associates were birds of a feather."
Breathe down someone's neck	If somebody is breathing down your neck, they are watching you too closely and making you feel uncomfortable. "The atmosphere at work isn't great; the boss keeps breathing down our necks all the time
Build bridges.	If a person builds bridges between opposing groups, they help them to cooperate and understand each other better. "The mayor spent years trying to build bridges between the different communities."
Have a chinwag	If you have a chinwag with someone, you have an opportunity to chat with each other. "How about having lunch together on Friday? "OK, good idea, we can have a good old chinwag!"
Cross somebody's path	If you meet someone, usually unexpectedly or by chance, you cross their path. "Mrs. Bridgewater was my English teacher but I haven't crossed her path since I left school."
Cut loose	If someone cuts loose or is cut loose, they stop being influenced or controlled by another person or group. "He's thirty years old and still hasn't cut loose from his family."
Dance attendance (on somebody)	If you dance attendance on someone, you are constantly available for that person and attend to their wishes. "She's rich and famous and expects everyone to dance attendance on her."
Let sleeping dogs lie!	If someone tells you to let sleeping dogs lie, they are asking you not to interfere with a situation so that it does not become a problem.
See eye to eye with someone.	To see eye to eye with somebody means that you agree with them. "I'm glad we see eye to eye on the choice of the colour scheme."
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."
Get on like a house on fire	Two people who get on like a house on fire have similar interests and quickly become good friends. "The two boys were in the same class and got on like a house on fire."
Get a raw deal.	If you say that someone has got a raw deal, you think they have been treated unfairly or badly.
Go with the flow	If you go with the flow, you follow the general tendency and go along with whatever happens. "When my colleagues organize an office party, I just go with the flow when it comes to the details. "
Good walls make good neighbours	This expression means that respecting one another's privacy helps create a good relationship between neighbours. "We try not to disturb the people next door. Good walls make good neighbours!"
Play gooseberry	If you play gooseberry, you join or accompany two people who have a romantic relationship and want to be alone.
Help a lame dog over a stile	If you help a lame dog over stile, you help someone who is in difficulty or trouble. "You can trust him - he always helps a lame dog over a stile."
Herding cats	This expression refers to the difficulty of coordinating a situation which involves people who all want to act independently. "Organizing an outing for a group of people from different countries is like herding cats!
The honeymoon is over	To say that the honeymoon is over means that the initial period of friendship and cooperation between people, groups or organizations has ended. "He was elected only six months ago but the honeymoon is already over."
Know someone/something inside out.	If you know someone or something inside out, you know them very well. Sue and Anne have been friends since childhood. They know each other inside out."
It takes two to tango	You say this when you think that a difficult situation or argument cannot be the fault of one person alone "OK, we've heard Jack's side of the story - but it takes two to tango!"
Be an item	To say that two people are an item means that they are involved in a romantic relationship. "So Sally and Harry are an item, are they?"
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."
Kowtow to somebody	If you are very respectful and submissive, giving way to the wishes of a person or organization in authority in order to please them, you kowtow to them. "Mark refused to kowtow to the committee and decided to work as a consultant."
At loggerheads	If you are at loggerheads with a person or organization, you disagree very strongly with them and often engage in a confrontation or dispute. "Life is difficult for Mark and Sophie. Their two families are constantly at loggerheads over one thing or another.
Meet-and-greet	This term refers to a reception (often informal) where a public figure or important person can introduce themselves and talk to the guests. "The new mayor is going to schedule a meet-and-greet reception for the residents."
Move in the same circles	When people move in the same circles, they socialize with others who have a similar background, interests or lifestyle. "I've never met the owner of the castle personally. We don't move in the same circles!"
Nodding terms	If you are on nodding terms with someone, you don't know them very well, just well enough to say 'hello' when you meet them. "We haven't made any friends yet but we're on nodding terms with out neighbours."
To be at odds with somebody	If one person is at odds with another, they disagree with each other. "Caroline and Tom are at odds with their neighbours over the choice of fencing."
Play the game	If you play the game, you accept to do things according to generally- accepted customs or code of behaviour. "Not all website owners play the game. Some download content from others without permission."
Pull strings	If somebody pulls strings, they use influential friends in order to obtain an advantage. "David found a job easily - his Dad just pulled a few strings!"
Rob the cradle	If you rob the cradle, you have a romantic relationship with someone who is much younger than yourself. "My uncle Tom is dating a twenty-year-old girl. That's really robbing the cradle! "
Run with the hare and hunt with the hounds	This expression refers to someone who wants to stay on friendly terms with both sides in a quarrel "Bob always wants to keep everyone happy, but I'm afraid he can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds this time - the issue is too important.
Send someone packing	If you send someone packing, you tell them to leave, in a very forceful and unfriendly way. "When Amanda discovered that Jack had been unfaithful, she sent him packing."
Set the stage (for something)	If you set the stage for an event or a development, you create conditions that allow it to happen. "The agreement set the stage for their future working relationship."
Rub shoulders	If you rub shoulders with someone, you have an opportunity to meet and talk to a person who is wealthy, famous or distinguished. "In her job in public relations, she sometimes rubs shoulders with famous people."
Give someone the cold shoulder.	To give someone the cold shoulder means to deliberately ignore someone. "After giving my opinion, he gave me the cold shoulder."
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.
Speak the same language	If two or more people speak the same language, they have similar tastes and ideas. "We work well together because we speak the same language."
Speed networking	This refers to a relatively new urban trend which consists in making a potential business contact by briefly talking to a series of people at an organised event and exchanging contact details.
Starter marriage	A starter marriage is a short-lived first marriage that ends in divorce with no kids, no property and no regrets.
A stormy relationship	If you have a stormy relationship with someone, you have a lot of arguments and disagreements. "After a very stormy relationship, they decided to separate."
Strange bedfellows	This expression refers to the unusual or unlikely association of two or more people, companies or states. "A car manufacturer and a bakery - strange bedfellows don't you think?"
To be as thick as thieves	To say that two people are "as thick as thieves" means that they are very close friends who are very loyal to each other. "Chris always takes Tom's side. They're as thick as thieves."
Tied to somebody's 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."
Two's company ... (three's a crowd)	This is said of two people, particularly lovers, who would prefer to be alone together than to have someone else with them. "Would you like to come to the cinema with us?" "I'd rather not, thanks. Two's company..."
Two-time somebody	If one person two-times another, they cheat on their partner by having a romantic relationship with another person at the same time. "Sally left Harry when she discovered he was two-timing her."
Walking papers	If you are given your walking papers, your contract or a relationship is ended. "After causing a diplomatic incident, Carter got his walking papers."
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. "I get on very well with Alice. We're always on the same wavelength."