English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms - E,
from: 'eager beaver'
to: 'eat crow'
- 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. He's a real eager beaver!"
- The term eager beaver refers to a person who is hardworking and enthusiastic, sometimes considered overzealous.
- eagle eyes
- Someone who has eagle eyes see or notices things more easily than others.
"Tony will help us find it - he's got eagle eyes!"
- Someone who has eagle eyes see or notices things more easily than others.
- (be) all ears
- To say that you are all ears means that you are listening very attentively.
"Of course I want to know - I'm all ears!"
- To say that you are all ears means that you are listening very attentively.
- in one ear and out the other
- To say that information goes in one ear and comes out the other means that it is immediately forgotten or ignored.
"I keep telling him about the risks but it goes in one ear and out the other. He never listens!"
- To say that information goes in one ear and comes out the other means that it is immediately forgotten or ignored.
- lend an ear
- If you lend an ear to someone, you listen carefully and sympathetically.
"I know something is troubling you. I'll lend you an ear if you want to talk about it."
- If you lend an ear to someone, you listen carefully and sympathetically.
- make your ears burn
- If something makes your ears burn, you are embarrassed by what you hear, especially
if the conversation is about you.
"The comments I overheard made my ears burn."
- If something makes your ears burn, you are embarrassed by what you hear, especially
if the conversation is about you.
- music to your ears
- To say that something is music to your ears means that the information you receive makes you feel very happy.
"The compliments I received were music to my ears."
- To say that something is music to your ears means that the information you receive makes you feel very happy.
- play it by ear
- This expression means to improvise or do something without preparation, according to the demands of the situation.
(music : to play by remembering the tune, without printed music.)
"I'm not sure what attitude we should adopt so just let's play it by ear."
- This expression means to improvise or do something without preparation, according to the demands of the situation.
- turn a deaf ear
- A person who turns a deaf ear to something such as a request or a complaint refuses to pay attention to it.
"I tried to explain the situation to the manager but he turned a deaf ear."
- A person who turns a deaf ear to something such as a request or a complaint refuses to pay attention to it.
- earmark something
- If you earmark something, you assign it to a particular person or reserve it for a specific use.
"A certain number of those chairs have been earmarked for the conference room."
- If you earmark something, you assign it to a particular person or reserve it for a specific use.
- earn while you learn
- This expression refers to the possibility of earning a salary while in training.
"Become an apprentice and get paid while in training. Earn while you learn!"
- This expression refers to the possibility of earning a salary while in training.
- easier said than done
- To say that something is easier said than done means that what is suggested sounds easy
but it is more difficult to actually do it.
"Put the TV aerial on the roof? Easier said than done!"
- To say that something is easier said than done means that what is suggested sounds easy
but it is more difficult to actually do it.
- easy on the eyes
- Someone who is easy on the eyes is attractive, good-looking,
beautiful or handsome.
"All Jack had to say about the new recruit was that she was easy on the eyes!”
- Someone who is easy on the eyes is attractive, good-looking,
beautiful or handsome.
- easy does it!
- You can say 'easy does it!' when you want something to be done slowly and carefully.
"Easy does it" said my husband as the sofa was carried through the hall door."
- You can say 'easy does it!' when you want something to be done slowly and carefully.
- easy as pie
- Something that is (as) easy as pie is very easy to do.
"How did the English test go?" "No problem, it was (as) easy as pie!"
- Something that is (as) easy as pie is very easy to do.
- eat crow
- If you eat crow, you admit that you were wrong about something and apologize.
"Jack had no option but to eat crow and admit that his analysis was wrong."
- If you eat crow, you admit that you were wrong about something and apologize.
More Idioms:
alphabetical lists E ...
more alphabetical lists...