|
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." |
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