English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms T, page 10
Idioms T, page 10: from: 'tighten your belt' to: 'toing and froing'
- tighten your belt
- If you need to tighten your belt, you must spend your
money carefully because there is less available.
"Another bill? I'll have to tighten my belt this month!"
- If you need to tighten your belt, you must spend your
money carefully because there is less available.
- walk a tightrope
- If a person is walking a tightrope, they are in a
difficult situation where they must act carefully.
"The management is walking a tightrope in their efforts both to keep the costs down and satisfy the trade unions."
- If a person is walking a tightrope, they are in a
difficult situation where they must act carefully.
- till the cows come home
- To say 'till the cows come home' means for
a long time or forever.
"You can ask till the cows come home but I'm not buying you a scooter!"
- To say 'till the cows come home' means for
a long time or forever.
- time after time
- If you do something time after time, you do it
repeatedly or on many occasions.
"The was surprised when the teacher punished him although he had been warned time after time."
- If you do something time after time, you do it
repeatedly or on many occasions.
- for the time being
- If you talk about how a situation is for the time being,
you mean that it is temporary and will probably change in the future.
"Laura has left John and is living with her parents for the time being."
- If you talk about how a situation is for the time being,
you mean that it is temporary and will probably change in the future.
- have time on your side
- If you say that you have time on your side,
you mean that you can afford to wait before doing something without having to worry.
"Property prices are rising, so we don’t have to rush into selling our house. We’ve got time on our side.”
- If you say that you have time on your side,
you mean that you can afford to wait before doing something without having to worry.
- in one's own sweet time
- When you do something in your own sweet time, you take as
long as you please to do it in spite of the orders or wishes of others.
"Okay, I'll do it - but in my own sweet time!"
- When you do something in your own sweet time, you take as
long as you please to do it in spite of the orders or wishes of others.
- since time immemorial
- If something has existed since time immemorial, it
has been there for such a long time that nobody can recall a time without it.
"I don't know when that bridge was built. It's been there since time immemorial."
- If something has existed since time immemorial, it
has been there for such a long time that nobody can recall a time without it.
- time is ticking away
- The expression 'time is ticking away' can be used when
you see the minutes or seconds going by as the clock ticks, especially when you are
waiting anxiously for something to happen.
"We need to intervene before it's too late. Time's ticking away."
- The expression 'time is ticking away' can be used when
you see the minutes or seconds going by as the clock ticks, especially when you are
waiting anxiously for something to happen.
- time-honoured practice
- A custom that is universally respected, or a traditional way
of doing something, is called a time-honoured practice.
"Guests were greeted according to a time-honored practice."
- A custom that is universally respected, or a traditional way
of doing something, is called a time-honoured practice.
- stuck in a time warp
- Something that has not changed at all from some time in the
past, when everything else has, is caught or stuck in a time warp.
"This place seem to be stuck in a time warp. It's exactly as it was in the 1950's."
- Something that has not changed at all from some time in the
past, when everything else has, is caught or stuck in a time warp.
- times have changed
- If you say 'times have changed', you mean that life
is different now to what it used to be.
"Women are better educated today and most of them work. Times have changed!"
- If you say 'times have changed', you mean that life
is different now to what it used to be.
- tip of the iceberg
- The tip of the iceberg is the part that is known of a
problem or situation which is thought to be much more serious.
"Journalists say that the report on corruption only examines the tip of the iceberg."
- The tip of the iceberg is the part that is known of a
problem or situation which is thought to be much more serious.
- tit for tat
- This expression refers to an injury or insult given in
return for one received.
"He kicked me, so I kicked him - it was tit for tat!" said the boy."
- This expression refers to an injury or insult given in
return for one received.
- toe the line
- If someone toes the line, they obey
the rules and accept the principles laid down by a person, group or organisation.
"If you want to stay in this school, you'll have to learn to toe the line."
- If someone toes the line, they obey
the rules and accept the principles laid down by a person, group or organisation.
- toing and froing
- Someone who is toing and froing is either repeatedly
going from one place to another and coming back, or is constantly changing their mind
about something.
"After months of toing and froing, a compromise was reached between the two parties."
- Someone who is toing and froing is either repeatedly
going from one place to another and coming back, or is constantly changing their mind
about something.
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