English Idiom Flashcards
An axe to grind
Selfish reason
Old head on young shoulder
Child thinks like experienced person
Apple pie order
In good condition
At a loss
Unable to decide
At a pinch
In a trouble
At arms length
Avoid becoming too friendly
At daggers drawn
Bitter enmity
At ones wits end
Puzzled and confused
At sixes and seven
Disorder
Cry for the moon
To desire the unattainable
Cut a sorry figure
To give a poor show
Cut both ways
Argue in favour of both sides
Cut no ice
To fail to make an impression
Dark horse
One who wins unexpectedly
Dead letter
Law no longer enforced
Democles Sword
Constant threat
Die in harness
Die while in service
Dog in manger
Person who prevents others from enjoying what he cannot
Donkeys years
A long time
Duck in thunderstorm
In painful condition
Eagle eyed
With keen eyesight
Eat humble pie
To apologize
Elbow room
Sufficient scope to move
Escape ones lips
Speak unintentionally
Fabian policy
Slow policy or delaying action
Fair sex
Women
Feather ones nest
Enrich oneself by taking advantage of ones position
Fight shy of
Attempt to avoid a thing or person
Fish in troubled waters
To take advantage of the problems of others
Fools paradise
Happy for foolish or unfounded reason
Forty winks
Nap
French leave
Leave without informing
Fringe benefits
Additional benefit from salary
Gala day
Celebration day
Get down to
To attend work seriously
Get on ones nerve
To annoy
Give a piece of mind
Rebuke
Go to dogs
Deteriorate
Grass widow
Divorced
Halcyon days
Peaceful
Hammer and sickle
Communism
Hammer and tongs
Great effort
Hand and glove with
Great cooperation
Haul over the coal
Reprimand
Have finger in pie
To be involved in something
Hen packed husband
Admirer to ones wife
High and dry
In deprived situation alone
Hobsons choice
No alternative
Hole and corner policy
Secret policy
Hue and cry
Loud public outcry
Hush money
Secret keeping money
In black and white
Printed form
In the blues
Depressed
In the nick of time
At last possible moment
In vogue
In the current fashions
Ins and outs
Intricacies or full detail
Itsy bitsy
Very small
Judas kiss
False love
Kangaroo court
Illegal court
Keep the wolf from door
Avert poverty
Left hand compliment
Insult disguised as compliment
Loaves and fishes
Material benefit
Look off colours
Look ill
Mad as March hare
Crazy and Insane
Lump in throat
Uncomfortable feeling due to emotions
Make a clean breast
Confess something illegal
Maiden speech
First speech
Maiden speech
First speech
Make a hash
Mess up
Man of straw
A weak person
Mares nest
False invention
Midas touch
Make business profitable
Midas touch
Make business profitable
Mince matters
Moderate or restrain language
Mind ones P and Q
Take care of behavior properly
Mind ones P and Q
Take care of behavior properly
Mother wit
Common sense
Mother wit
Common sense
Nig nag
Annoy with joke
Nig nag
Annoy with joke
Nine days wonder
Great interest for short time
Nine days wonder
Great interest for short time
Nip in the bud
Put an end to something in initial stage
Nurse a grudge
Resentment for long period
Nurse a grudge
Resentment for long period
Oily tongue
Flattering words
Oily tongue
Flattering words
Part and parcel
Inseparable part
Pay the piper
Bear the cost of something
Pay the piper
Bear the cost of something
Past master
Expert
Pay through his nose
Pay dearly
Penny wise pound foolish
Careful about trifles but wasteful in large ventures
Penny wise pound foolish
Careful about trifles but wasteful in large ventures
Play ducks and drakes
Waste money
Play ducks and drakes
Waste money
Play truant
Absent from duty
Pull the wool over somebody eyes
Mislead
Pull the wool over somebody eyes
Mislead
Put a spoke in wheel
Obstruct
Put a spoke in wheel
Obstruct
Put in cold storage
Keep work pending
Put in cold storage
Keep work pending
Put ones foot down
Act firmly
Put ones foot down
Act firmly
Put ones shoulder to the wheel
Work heavily
Put ones shoulder to the wheel
Work heavily
Rain cats and dogs
Rain heavily
Rain cats and dogs
Rain heavily
Rainy day
Financial need
Red letter day
Important happy occassion
Red tapism
Excessive paper work
Red tapism
Excessive paper work
Rest on ones laurel
Achievement from past
Rest on ones laurel
Achievement from past
Rock the boat
Disturb stable situation
Rock the boat
Disturb stable situation
Rolling stone
Restless person
Run in the same groove
Maintain sweet relationship
Run in the same groove
Maintain sweet relationship
Run of the mill
Common
Run the gauntlet
Go through unpleasant experience
See eye to eye
Agree
See eye to eye
Agree
See pink elephant
Hallucinations
Set at naught
To disregard or no importance
Set ones teeth on edge
Annoy irritate
Set ones teeth on edge
Annoy irritate
Set thames on fire
Achieve something amazing
Show white feather
Cowardice
Small fry
Insignificant person
Shake in the shoes
Tremble with fear
Sow the dragon teeth
Future trouble for others
Sow the dragon teeth
Future trouble for others
Spick and span
Neat and clean
Spick and span
Neat and clean
Steal a march
To obtain advantage by secret means
Steal a march
To obtain advantage by secret means
Stir a finger
Making effort
Stones throw
Very near
Stones throw
Very near
Street arabs
Very poor
Swan song
Farewell
Take away ones breath
Overwhelm with surprise
Take the bull by horns
Most dangerous ways of facing difficulty
Through thick and thin
In good and bad times
Through thick and thin
In good and bad times
Throw cold water upon
To discourage
Throw cold water upon
To discourage
Throw down the gauntlet
Challenge
Throw down the gauntlet
Challenge
Tooth and nail
Violent
Turn over new leaf
Entirely changed
Turn turtle
Overturn
Up ones sleeves
Item kept hidden
Wet blanket
One who spoils enjoyment
Wet blanket
One who spoils enjoyment
Wheels within wheel
Intricate connected events
Wheels within wheel
Intricate connected events
White elephant
Expensive no use
Will o wisp
Unreal
Will o wisp
Unreal
With a grain of salt
Accept with misgiving
Yeoman service
Excellent work
