English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms P, page 14
Idioms P, page 14: from: 'put your best foot forward' to: 'put on the spot'
- put your best foot forward
- If someone puts their best foot forward, they do something as fast as they can.
"It's a long way to the station, but if I put my best foot forward I should catch the next train"
- If someone puts their best foot forward, they do something as fast as they can.
- put one's feet up
- When you put your feet up, you sit down and relax.
"You must be tired. Come in and put your feet up."
- When you put your feet up, you sit down and relax.
- put a finger on something
- If you are able to identify or understand something such as the cause of a problem
or the solution to it, you put your finger on it.
"The atmosphere at the meeting was strange, but Marie couldn't put a finger on the cause of it."
- If you are able to identify or understand something such as the cause of a problem
or the solution to it, you put your finger on it.
- put one's foot down
- To put one's foot down means to exert authority to
prevent something from happening.
"The child wanted to sleep on the sofa but his father put his foot down and sent him to bed."
- To put one's foot down means to exert authority to
prevent something from happening.
- put your foot in your mouth
- If you put your foot in your mouth, you say something
that offends, upsets or embarrasses someone.
"Lisa really put her foot in her mouth when she mentioned the housewarming party - Andy hadn't been invited."
- If you put your foot in your mouth, you say something
that offends, upsets or embarrasses someone.
- put your head on the block
- If you put yourself in a dangerous situation where you risk losing
your job or your reputation if things go wrong, you put your head on the block.
"Jenny asked me to recommend her son for the job, but I'm not putting my head on the block for someone I hardly know."
- If you put yourself in a dangerous situation where you risk losing
your job or your reputation if things go wrong, you put your head on the block.
- put your heart into (something)
- If you put your heart (and soul) into something, you
are very enthusiastic and invest a lot of energy and hard work in it.
"Paul was determined to make a success of the project. He put his heart and soul into it."
- If you put your heart (and soul) into something, you
are very enthusiastic and invest a lot of energy and hard work in it.
- put your house in order
- If you tell someone to put their house in order, you
are saying that they should organise their own affairs or take care of their own
problems before giving advice to other people.
"You should put your house in order before telling me what to do!"
- If you tell someone to put their house in order, you
are saying that they should organise their own affairs or take care of their own
problems before giving advice to other people.
- put someone in their place
- If someone causes offence or irritation by speaking or
behaving in an inappropriate manner, you put them in their place by letting them
know that they are not as important as they seem to believe.
"The new trainee is not in a position to comment on our methods. He needs to be put in his place!"
- If someone causes offence or irritation by speaking or
behaving in an inappropriate manner, you put them in their place by letting them
know that they are not as important as they seem to believe.
- put in a good word
- If you put in a good word for someone, you say positive
things in support of that person in order to help them.
"If you apply for the job, I'll put in a good word for you."
- If you put in a good word for someone, you say positive
things in support of that person in order to help them.
- put (someone) in the picture
- If you give somebody all the information necessary to
enable them to fully understand a situation, you put them in the picture.
"Some changes were made during your absence. Let me put you in the picture."
- If you give somebody all the information necessary to
enable them to fully understand a situation, you put them in the picture.
- put someone's nose out of joint
- If something puts your nose out of joint, it offends, annoys
or upsets you.
"When he discovered he wasn't on the invitation list, that really put his nose out of joint"
- If something puts your nose out of joint, it offends, annoys
or upsets you.
- put (something) on the long finger
- If you put something on the long finger,you postpone it indefinitely.
"My sister intends to go back to college, but she keeps putting it on the long finger."
- If you put something on the long finger,you postpone it indefinitely.
- put (someone) on the spot
- If you put someone on the spot, you put them in an
uncomfortable position, for example by asking difficult questions which they cannot avoid.
"The reporter was put on the spot when he was asked to reveal his source."
- If you put someone on the spot, you put them in an
uncomfortable position, for example by asking difficult questions which they cannot avoid.
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