British Idioms Flashcards
Across the pond
This idiom means on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, used to refer to the US or the UK depending on the speaker’s location.
All mouth and trousers
Someone who’s all mouth and trousers talks or boasts a lot but doesn’t deliver. ‘All mouth and no trousers’ is also used, though this is a corruption of the original.
All my eye and Peggy Martin
An idiom that appears to have gone out of use but was prevalent in the English north Midlands of Staffordshire, Cheshire and Derbyshire from at least the turn of the 20th century until the early 1950s or so. The idiom’s meaning is literally something said or written that is unbelievable, rumor, over embellished, the result of malicious village gossip etc.
All talk and no trousers
Someone who is all talk and no trousers, talks about doing big, important things, but doesn’t take any action.
An Englishman’s home is his castle
This means that what happens in a person’s home or private life is their business and should not be subject to outside interference.
Argue the toss
If you argue the toss, you refuse to accept a decision and argue about it.
As the actress said to the bishop .
This idiom is used to highlight a sexual reference, deliberate or accidental
At a loose end
If you are at a loose end, you have spare time but don’t know what to do with it.
At the end of your tether
If you are at the end of your tether, you are at the limit of your patience or endurance.
Back foot
If you are on your back foot, you are at a disadvantage and forced to be defensive of your position.
Bad mouth
When you are bad mouthing,you are saying negative things about someone or something. (‘Bad-mouth’ and ‘badmouth’ are also used.)
Banana skin
A banana skin is something that is an embarrassment or causes problems.
Barrack-room lawyer
A barrack-room lawyer is a person who gives opinions on things they are not qualified to speak about.
Be up the spout
If a woman is up the spout, she is pregnant.
Been in the wars
If someone has been in the wars, they have been hurt or look as if they have been in a struggle.
Beer and skittles
People say that life is not all beer and skittles, meaning that it is not about self-indulgence and pleasure.
Before you can say knife
If something happens before you can say knife, it happens very quickly.
Belt and braces
Someone who wears belt and braces is very cautious and takes no risks.
Bent as a nine bob note
A person who is as bent as a nine bob note is dishonest. The reference comes from pre-decimalisation in UK (1971), when a ten shilling (bob) note was valid currency but no such note as nine shillings existed.
Billy Wind
If the wind is so strong it is howling, one might say, “Wow- can you hear Billy Wind out there?” like Jack Frost.
Black as Newgate’s knocker
If things are as black as Newgate’s knocker, they are very bad. Newgate was an infamous prison in England, so its door knocker meant trouble.
Bob’s your uncle
This idiom means that something will be successful: Just tell him that I gave you his name and Bob’s your uncle- he’ll help you.
Box clever
If you box clever, you use your intelligence to get what you want, even if you have to cheat a bit.
Brass neck
Someone who has the brass neck to do something has no sense of shame about what they do.
Break your duck
If you break your duck, you do something for the first time.
Buggles’ turn
If it Buggles’ turn, someone gets promotion through length of service rather than ability, especially in the British civil service.
By a long chalk
If you beat somebody by a long chalk, you win easily and comfortably.
Call time
If you call time on something, you decide it is time to end it.
Canary in a coal mine
A canary in a coal mine is an early warning of danger.
Cat’s arse and cabbage
The idiom “cat fur and kitty britches” reminded me of this saying that my granny used when asked what was for dinner, and was her way too of saying you get what you’re given! This was in Gloucestershire, UK and in the first part of the 20th century.
Champagne socialist
A wealthy person who has left-wing views is a champagne socialist, especially if their political beliefs are seen as shallow or hypocritical.
Champagne tastes, beer wages
A person who likes expensive things but has a low income has champagne taste and beer wages.
Cheap as chips
If something is very inexpensive, it is as cheap as chips.
Chinese whispers
When a story is told from person to person, especially if it is gossip or scandal, it inevitably gets distorted and exaggerated. This process is called Chinese whispers.
Coals to Newcastle
Taking, bringing, or carrying coals to Newcastle is doing something that is completely unnecessary.
Come a cropper
Someone whose actions or lifestyle will inevitably result in trouble is going to come a cropper.
Come up smelling of roses
If someone comes up smelling of roses, they emerge from a situation with their reputation undamaged.
Cupboard love
To show love to gain something from someone
Curate’s egg
If something is a bit of a curate’s egg, it is only good in parts.
Daft as a brush
Someone who is daft as a brush is rather stupid.
Damp squib
If something is expected to have a great effect or impact but doesn’t, it is a damp squib.
Death warmed up
If someone looks like death warmed up, they look very ill indeed. (‘death warmed over’ is the American form)
Do a Devon Loch
If someone does a Devon Loch, they fail when they were very close to winning. Devon Loch was a horse that collapsed just short of the winning line of the Grand National race.
Do a Lord Lucan
If someone disappears without a trace or runs off, they do a Lord Lucan. (Lord Lucan disappeared after a murder)
Do a runner
If people leave a restaurant without paying, they do a runner.
Do the running
The person who has to do the running has to make sure that things get done. (‘Make the running’ is also used.)
Do time
When someone is doing time, they are in prison.
Dog in the manger
If someone acts like a dog in the manger, they don’t want other people to have or enjoy things that are useless to them.
Don’t wash your dirty laundry in public
People, especially couples, who argue in front of others or involve others in their personal problems and crises, are said to be washing their dirty laundry in public; making public things that are best left private. (In American English, ‘don’t air your dirty laundry in public’ is used.)
Double Dutch
If something is double Dutch, it is completely incomprehensible.
Drunk as a lord
Someone who is very drunk is as drunk as a lord.
Dull as ditchwater
If something is as dull as ditchwater, it is incredibly boring. A ditch is a long narrow hole or trench dug to contain water, which is normally a dark, dirty colour and stagnant (when water turns a funny colour and starts to smell bad). (In American English,’things are ‘dull as dishwater’.)
Dunkirk spirit
Dunkirk spirit is when people pull together to get through a very difficult time.
Early bath
If someone has or goes for an early bath, they quit or lose their job or position earlier than expected because things have gone wrong.
Easy peasy
If something is easy peasy, it is very easy indeed. (‘Easy peasy, lemon squeezy’ is also used.)
Economical with the truth
If someone, especially a politician, is economical with the truth, they leave out information in order to create a false picture of a situation, without actually lying.
Enough to cobble dogs with
A large surplus of anything: We’ve got enough coffee to cobble dogs with. Possible explanations: A cobblestone is a cut stone with a curved surface. These were set together to create road surfaces, in the days before the widespread use of asphalt. The image the phrase contains is that, even after all the roads have been cobbled, there are so many cobblestones left over that things that don’t need cobbling, such as dogs, could still be cobbled. A cobbler repairs shoes, so if you have enough leather to cobble an animal with four feet or that doesn’t need shoes, you have a surplus.
Fair crack of the whip
If everybody has a fair crack of the whip, they all have equal opportunities to do something.
Fall off the back of a lorry
If someone tries to sell you something that has fallen of the back of a lorry, they are trying to sell you stolen goods.
Fifth columnist
A fifth columnist is a member of a subversive organisation who tries to help an enemy invade.
Fine and dandy
If thing’s are fine and dandy, then everything is going well.
Flogging a dead horse
If someone is trying to convince people to do or feel something without any hope of succeeding, they’re flogging a dead horse. This is used when someone is trying to raise interest in an issue that no-one supports anymore; beating a dead horse will not make it do any more work.
Flutter the dovecotes
Something that flutters the dovecots causes alarm or excitement.
Football’s a game of two halves
If something’s a game of two halves, it means that it’s possible for someone’s fortunes or luck to change and the person who’s winning could end up a loser.
For donkey’s years
If people have done something, usually without much if any change, for an awfully long time, they can be said to have done it for donkey’s years.
For England
A person who talks for England, talks a lot- if you do something for England, you do it a lot or to the limit.
Full Monty
If something is the Full Monty, it is the real thing, not reduced in any way.
Gardening leave
If someone is paid for a period when they are not working, either after they have given in their notice or when they are being investigated, they are on gardening leave.
Get it in the neck
If you get it in the neck, you are punished or criticised for something.
Get out of your pram
If someone gets out of their pram, they respond aggressively to an argument or problem that doesn’t involve them.
Get the nod
If you get the nod to something, you get approval or permission to do it.
Give it some stick
If you give something some stick, you put a lot of effort into it.
Give someone stick
If someone gives you stick, they criticise you or punish you.
Give the nod
If you give the nod to something, you approve it or give permission to do it.
Go doolally
If someone goes doolally, they are behaving irrationally.
Go down like a cup of cold sick
An idea or excuse that will not be well accepted will go down like a cup of cold sick.
Go down like a lead balloon
If something goes down like a lead balloon, it fails or is extremely badly received.
Go pear-shaped
If things have gone wrong, they have gone pear-shaped.
Go spare
If you go spare, you lose your temper completely.
Gone for a burton
If something’s gone for a burton, it has been spoiled or ruined. If a person has gone for a burton, they are either in serious trouble or have died.
