Idioms Flashcards
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might lose everything.
A blessing in disguise.
Something good that isn’t recognised at first.
A chip on your shoulder.
Being upset for something that happened in the past.
A dime a dozen.
Anything that is common and easy to get.
A doubting Thomas.
A skeptic who needs physical or personal evidence in order to believe something.
A drop in the bucket.
A very small part of something big or whole.
A fool and his money are easily parted.
It’s easy for a foolish person to lose his / her money.
A house divided against itself cannot stand.
Everyone involved must unify and function together or it will not work out.
A leopard can’t change his spots.
You cannot change who you are.
A penny saved is a penny earned.
By not spending money, you are saving money (little by little).
A picture paints a thousand words.
A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words.
A piece of cake.
A task that can be accomplished very easily.
A slap on the wrist.
A very mild punishment.
A taste of your own medicine.
When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others.
A toss-up.
A result that is still unclear and can go either way.
Actions speak louder than words.
It’s better to actually do something than just talk about it.
Add fuel to the fire.
Whenever something is don to make a bad situation even worse than it is.
Against the clock.
Rushed and short on time.
All bark and no bite.
When someone is threatening and / or aggressive but not willing to engage in a fight.
All greek to me.
Meaningless and incomprehensible like someone who cannot read, speak, or understand any of the Greek language would be.
All in the same boat.
When everyone is facing the same challenges.
An arm and a leg.
Very expensive. A large amount of money.
An axe to grind.
To have a dispute with someone.
Apple of my eye.
Someone who is cherished above all others.
As high as a kite.
Anything that is high up in the sky.
At the drop of a hat.
Willing to do something immediately.
Back seat driver.
People who criticise from the sidelines, much like someone giving unwanted advice from the back seat of a vehicle to the driver.
Back to square one.
Having to start all over again.
Back to the drawing board.
When an attempt fails and it’s time to start all over.
Baker’s dozen.
Thirteen.
Barking up the wrong tree.
A mistake made in something you are trying to achieve.
Beat a dead horse.
To force an issue that has already ended.
Beating around the bush.
Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.
Bend over backwards.
Do whatever it takes to help. Willing to do anything.
Between a rock and a hard place.
Stuck between two very bad options.
Bite of more than you can chew.
To take on a task that is way to big.
Bite your tongue.
To avoid talking.
Blood is thicker than water.
The family bond is closer than anything else.
Blue moon.
A rare event or occurence.
Break a leg.
A superstitious way to say “good luck” without saying “good luck”, but rather the opposite.
Buy a lemon.
To purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems or stops running after you drive it away.
Can’t cut the mustard.
Someone who isn’t adequate enough to compete or participate.
Cast iron stomach.
Someone who has no problems, complications or ill effects with eating anything or drinking anything.
Charley Horse.
Stiffness in the leg / A leg cramp.
Chew someone out.
Verbally scold someone.
Chip on his shoulder.
Angry today about something that occurred in the past.
Chow down.
To eat.
Close but no cigar.
To be very near and almost accomplish a goal, but fall short.
Cock and bull story.
An unbelievable tale.
Come hell or high water.
Any difficult situation or obstacle.
Crack someone up.
To make someone laugh.
Cross your fingers.
To hope that something happens the way you want it to.
Cry over spilt milk.
When you complain about a loss from the past.
Cry wolf.
Intentionally raise a false alarm.
Cup of Joe.
A cup of coffee.
Curiosity killed the cat.
Being inquisitive can lead you into a dangerous situation.
Cut to the chase.
Leave out all the unnecessary details and just get to the point.
Dark horse.
One who was previously unknown and is now prominent.
Dead ringer.
100% identical. A duplicate.
Devil’s advocate.
Someone who takes a position for the sake of argument without believing in that particular side of the argument. It can also mean one who presents a counter argument for a position they do believe in, to another debate.
Dog days of summer.
The hottest days of the summer season.
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
Don’t rely on it until your sure of it.
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
When someone gives you a gift, don’t be ungrateful.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Do not put all your resources in one possibility.
Doozy.
Something outstanding.
Down to the wire.
Something that ends at the last minute or last few seconds.
Drastic times call for drastic measures.
When you are extremely desperate you need to take extremely desperate actions.
Drink like a fish.
To drink very heavily.
Drive someone up the wall.
To irritate and / or annoy very much.
Dropping like flies.
A large number of people either falling ill or dying.
Dry run.
Rehearsal.
Eighty six.
A certain item is no longer available. Or this idiom can also mean, to throw away.
Elvis has left the building.
The show has come to an end. It’s all over.
Ethnic cleansing.
Killing of a certain ethnic or religious group on a massive scale.
Every cloud has a silver lining.
Be optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better days.
Everything but the kitchen sink.
Almost everything and anything has been included.
Excuse my French.
Please forgive me for cussing.
Feeding frenzy.
An aggressive attack on someone by a group.
Field day.
An enjoyable day or circumstance.
Finding your feet.
To become more comfortable in whatever you are doing.
Finger lickin’ good.
A very tasty food or meal.
Fixed in your ways.
Not willing or wanting to change from your normal way of doing something.
Flash in the pan.
Something that shows potential or looks promising in the beginning but fails to deliver anything in the end.
Flea market.
A swap meet. A place where people gather to buy and sell inexpensive goods.
Flesh and Blood.
This idiom can mean living material of which people are made of, or it can refer to someone’s family.
Flip the bird.
To raise your middle finger at someone.
Foam at the mouth.
To be enraged and show it.
Fool’s gold.
Iron pyrites, a worthless rock that resembles real gold.
French kiss.
An open mouth kiss where tongues touch.
From rags to riches.
To go from being very poor to being very wealthy.
Fuddy-duddy.
An old-fashioned and foolish type of person.
Full monty.
This idiom can mean either, “the whole thing” or “completely nude”.
Funny farm.
A mental institutional facility.
Get down to brass tacks.
To become serious about something.
Get over it.
To move beyond something that is bothering you.
