English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Idioms: Thoughts, Ideas and Imagination-2
from: 'a mind of your own'
to: 'a world of your own'
- a mind of your own
- If you have a mind of your own, you are capable of forming an opinion and making decisions without being influenced by others.
"The boy doesn't need any advice; he's got a mind of his own."
- If you have a mind of your own, you are capable of forming an opinion and making decisions without being influenced by others.
- your mind goes blank
- If your mind goes blank, you forget everything momentarily or you are unable to think clearly.
"I was so nervous during the test that my mind went blank!"
- If your mind goes blank, you forget everything momentarily or you are unable to think clearly.
- one-track mind
- Someone who has a one-track mind, has a tendency to think about only one subject.
"The boy has a one-track mind; all he thinks about is football!"
- Someone who has a one-track mind, has a tendency to think about only one subject.
- take your mind off (something)
- If an activity takes your mind off something that is worrying you, it helps you to stop thinking about it for a while.
"Sarah was worrying about the result of the test so Tom took her to the cinema to take her mind off it."
- If an activity takes your mind off something that is worrying you, it helps you to stop thinking about it for a while.
- set great store by (something)
- When you think that something is very important or valuable, you set great store by it.
"The company sets great store by its after-sales service."
- When you think that something is very important or valuable, you set great store by it.
- think again
- If you tell someone to think again, you advise them to reconsider the situation and perhaps change their decision.
"Your apartment is very well located; you should think again before selling it."
- If you tell someone to think again, you advise them to reconsider the situation and perhaps change their decision.
- think better of it
- If you think better of something, you decide not to do something that you intended to do.
"I wanted to go shopping, but when I saw the crowded car park I thought better of it."
- If you think better of something, you decide not to do something that you intended to do.
- think on your feet
- A person who thinks on their feet is capable of adjusting rapidly to new developments and making quick decisions.
"Good lawyers need to be able to think on their feet when pleading a case."
- A person who thinks on their feet is capable of adjusting rapidly to new developments and making quick decisions.
- think outside the box
- People who think outside the box try to find innovative ideas or solutions.
"Our competitors are more creative than us - they really think outside the box!"
- People who think outside the box try to find innovative ideas or solutions.
- think the sun rises and sets on someone
- If you consider someone to be the most wonderful person in the world, you think the sun rises and sets on them.
"Mary adores her husband - she thinks the sun rises and sets on him!"
- If you consider someone to be the most wonderful person in the world, you think the sun rises and sets on them.
- think the world of (someone)
- If you think the world of someone, you like or admire them very much.
"She's a wonderful grandmother - the children think the world of her."
- If you think the world of someone, you like or admire them very much.
- (a) penny for your thoughts
- This expression is used to ask someone what they are thinking about.
"You look pensive. A penny for your thoughts."
- This expression is used to ask someone what they are thinking about.
- perish the thought
- The expression 'perish the thought' is used when the speaker really hopes that something will not happen.
"If I lost my job, perish the thought, I don't know how we'd survive."
- The expression 'perish the thought' is used when the speaker really hopes that something will not happen.
- (a) shot in the dark
- To refer to a question or statement as a shot in the dark means that it is a complete guess, but at the same time
it might be close to the truth.
"He didn't know which players had been selected, so mentioning Carter's name was just a shot in the dark."
- To refer to a question or statement as a shot in the dark means that it is a complete guess, but at the same time
it might be close to the truth.
- (a) train of thought
- A sequence of connected ideas is called a train of thought.
"I was considering the different options when the noise outside broke my train of thought."
- A sequence of connected ideas is called a train of thought.
- out of sight, out of mind
- The expression 'out of sight, out of mind' means to forget someone you don't see frequently.
"As soon as Jimmy retired he was forgotten by his colleagues.Out of sight, out of mind!"
- The expression 'out of sight, out of mind' means to forget someone you don't see frequently.
- (a) voice in the wilderness
- If you are the only person to express a warning or an opinion on a matter which is ignored by most others,
you are a voice in the wilderness.
"For many years she was a voice in the wilderness protesting against child labour."
- If you are the only person to express a warning or an opinion on a matter which is ignored by most others,
you are a voice in the wilderness.
- wool-gathering
- A person who is wool-gathering is daydreaming and not concentrating on what is happening; their thoughts are elsewhere.
"Justin spent the whole afternoon wool-gathering. He must be in love!"
- A person who is wool-gathering is daydreaming and not concentrating on what is happening; their thoughts are elsewhere.
- in a world of your own
- If you are in a world of your own, you are so concentrated on your own concerns that you are unaware of what is happening around you.
"Dad's out there in the garden in a world of how own."
- If you are in a world of your own, you are so concentrated on your own concerns that you are unaware of what is happening around you.
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