Idioms Translator

How are you getting on?

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Close, but no cigar

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Fall just short of a successful outcome and get nothing for your efforts.

Examples:
"Close, Colonel, but no cigar!"

Origin:
The phrase, and its variant 'nice try, but no cigar', are of US origin and date from the mid-20th century. Fairground stalls gave out cigars as prizes, and this is the most likely source, although there's no definitive evidence to prove that.
It is first recorded in print in Sayre and Twist's publishing of the script of the 1935 film version of Annie Oakley: "Close, Colonel, but no cigar!"
It appears in U.

Win by a nose

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When there is a very slight difference between the winner and the other competitors, victory is won by a nose.
To win narrowly; to have a narrow victory.

Examples:
One second ahead of the others, he won by a nose.

Best-laid plans of mice and men oft(en) go astray

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Best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft a-gley (in scotish dialect) Things often go wrong even though you have carefully planned what you are going to do. (The gang aft a-gley version is Scots dialect, and comes from Robert Burns' poem "To a Mouse.")

Examples:
Jill: I reserved a hotel room for us three weeks ago, but now the clerk says he has no record of our reservation. So much for our fun weekend in the city. Jane: Well, these things happen. The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray. I had all the arrangements made for my party, and then the guest of honor got sick and I had to call the whole thing off. The best-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft a-gley. If a little rain can ruin the best-laid plans of mice and men, think what an earthqu

Better late than never

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When someone does something late, this remark means that it is better to do it late than not do it at all.

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Four horsemen of the apocalypse

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Biblical, four beings in Revelation 6:1-8 that bring about the Apocalypse, each riding a different-colored horse representing a different aspect of the Apocalypse. From that, the idiomatic sense is harbingers of doom; several signs which combine to imply the imminence of literal or figurative destruction.

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Many words will not fill a bushel

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Bad egg

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Someone who is a bad egg is an untrustworthy person often involved in trouble whose company should be avoided. Someone whose behaviour is reprehensible or irresponsible; a rogue.

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I don't want my son to be friends with Bobby Smith.  Bobby's a bad egg.

No man is born wise

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A bit much

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More than is reasonable or more than you can deal with; a bit too much.

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I thought being asked to miss my lunch was a bit much.

Pipe down

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The best thing since sliced bread

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As if

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Refers to something that the speaker deems highly unlikely.

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By the book

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In a manner which adheres strictly to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.

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Make a mountain out of a molehill

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To make a slight difficulty seem like a serious problem.
Referring to over-reactive, histrionic behaviour where a person makes too much of a minor issue.

Examples:
You're making a mountain out of a molehill. You wrote one bad essay - it doesn't mean you're going to fail.

Origin:
It seems to have come into existence in the 16th century. The earliest recorded use of the alliterative phrase making a mountain out of a molehill dates from 1548. The word mole was less than two hundred years old by then. Previous to that it had been known by its Old English name wand, which had slowly changed to want. A molehill was known as a wantitump, a word that continued in dialect use for centuries more. The idiom is found in Nicholas Udall's translation of The first tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the newe testamente (1548) in the statement that "The Sophistes of Grece coulde through their copiousness make an Elephant of a flye, and a mountaine of a mollehill."

Carved in stone

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Unchangeable, definitive

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Until you sign it, the terms of the contract aren't yet carved in stone.

All hell broke / breaks loose

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If you say that all hell broke loose, you mean that there was a sudden angry or noisy reaction to something. A great disaster happened or chaos ensued.

Examples:
All hell broke loose when it was announced that the plant was going to close down.
When the fire alarm went off, all hell broke loose as the crowd made for the exits.

At home

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To feel at ease, comfortable.

Examples:
I feel at home when I'm round my girlfriend's house.

Betwixt and between

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(Adjective) Neither one thing nor the other.
(Adverb) Neither here nor there.

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Birds of a feather flock together

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If two people are birds of a feather, they are very similar in many ways, so they naturally spend time together.

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No wonder they get on well.  They're birds of a feather!

Happy as a clam at high tide

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(Hit) Below the belt

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An action or remark described as "below the belt" is considered to be unfair or cruel.
If you do something like that, you "hit below the belt".

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Politicians sometimes use personal information to hit their rivals below the belt.
Commenting on his bachelorhood in a debate on marital ethics was a bit below the belt, don't you think?

Dog eat dog

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This expression refers to intense competition and rivalry in pursuit of one's own interests, with no concern for morality.
Ruthlessly acquisitive or competitive. Describes a business or other set of circumstances where people try to succeed at the expense of other people.

Examples:
The business world is tough today. There's a general dog-eat-dog attitude.
In this company it's dog eat dog. If you don't do better than the rest, you're on the street in next to no time.

To hit the nail on the head

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Bless you

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Said to someone who has just sneezed, as a polite remark.
Short for (may) God bless you: said as a short prayer for the recipient to get better.

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Man/woman of his/her word

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Are you serious? / seriously?

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A question asked in disbelief and with an very sarcastic tone, ment to show someones stupidity.

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Ken: I think that girl is hotter than Angelina Jolie. John: That girl in our math class she's barely average. Ken: She's gorgeous and makes Angelina look ugly. John: Are you serious?

Come upon

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To find something by accident

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- You should not have bothered to search for that book. - O, don't worry, I just came upon it and brought it with me.

Up a tree

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This expression alludes to an animal that climbs a tree for refuge from attackers, which then surround the tree so it cannot come down.

Examples:
This whole business has me up a tree. I'm up a tree, and I need some help.

(To be/get) (A)round the bend

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1. Crazy, insane.
2. Sometimes it means intoxicated from alcohol or drugs.

Examples:
1. I think this job is sending me around the bend.
Tell me frankly: do you think my father's round the bend?
I was sure I locked that door. I must be going round the bend.

2. One more of those, and you'll be around the bend.
From the glassy look in her eyes, I'd say she is completely round the bend now.

Two wrongs don't make a right

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To spin out the time

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Save for a rainy day

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To keep something, especially money, for a time in the future when times are tough and it might be needed.

Examples:
He has a few thousand pounds kept aside which he's saving for a rainy day.

Origin:
There's no clear when this expression originated (some have traced it back to the 16th century), but it's obvious that a “rainy day” is the symbol of gloom. The wise course, therefore, is to sock away funds for when times are tough.

As luck would have it

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As it happened; how it turned out; by good fortune; fortunately or luckily.

Examples:
As luck would have it, it rained the very day of the picnic.
We ran out of petrol on the way home, but as luck would have it, we were very near a gas station.
I didn't plan to stop there, but as luck would have it, they were open when I went by.

Any port in a storm

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When you have no choice, any port in a storm refers to a solution you accept, which in normal circumstances you would find unacceptable.
An unfavourable option which might well be avoided in good times but which nevertheless looks better than the alternatives at the current time.

Examples:
The hotel was substandard, but it was a case of any port in a storm; all the others were full. 

All told

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All told means the final number, when everything has been included, counted, or summed.

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The number of visitors to the exhibition, all told, was 2543.
I think they had over 300 people there, all told.

To be spaced out

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Someone who is spaced out is not completely conscious of what is happening, often because of taking drugs or needing to sleep:

The heart don't listen to the laws

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As it (so) happens

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Used for saying that something is true, although it is surprising or as a connector phrase to bridge parts of a conversation, usually things that are closely related or lead into each other.

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1. I have my guitar with me in the car, as it happens. I'll go and get it. 2. My car just broke down. As it so happens, my husband is a mechanic, so I'm not worrying. 3. As it happens, I’ve got a bike I can lend you.

Back to square one

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To say that someone is back to square one means that they have not succeeded in what they were trying to do, so it was all in vain and they have to start again.

Examples:
When they refused the terms of the contract, it was back to square one for the negotiators.
We discovered that our first idea would never work, so we were back to square one.
After spending six hours on the intake we realized that there was nothing wrong with it, so we went back to square one.

Above the law

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Exempt from the laws that apply to everyone else.

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The emperor is above the law.
You may think you're above the law, but you're not.

Butt-naked

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Stark naked, completely nude.

Examples:
The streaker's wet dream was to be on TV butt-naked on a rainy day.

Bush telegraph

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1. A system used by undeveloped societies in remote regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds, word-of-mouth relay, or smoke signals.
2. A gossip network.

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Good watch prevents misfortune

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Make your skin crawl

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(up) to the hilt

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If you do something up to the hilt, you do it completely and the best way you can.

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Mike's colleagues were prepared to defend him to the hilt. They took the new aircraft and tested it to the hilt. We can't raise any more money - we're mortgaged up to the hilt as it is.

The first blow/stroke is half the battle

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(As) Slippery as an eel

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To say that someone is as slippery as an eel means that they are difficult to catch and they manage to avoid answering questions.
So crafty, or cunning that they cannot be caught by the police, although it is known that they are acting illegally.

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The man was as slippery as an eel. He was arrested for theft several times but was never convicted.

The early bird catches the worm

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True-penny

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All thumbs

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Clumsy; awkward; not dextrous.

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I am all thumbs when it comes to shuffling cards.

A done deal

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This expression is used to refer to an agreement or decision which has been reached on a certain matter

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We're still considering several proposals, so it's not a done deal yet.

Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey

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When it is cold enough to Freeze The Balls Off A Brass Monkey, we really had better wrap up warm. But who ever heard of such a thing? Old nautical records provide the answer. The guns on 18th-century men-of-war ships needed gunpowder to fire them, and this was stored in a different part of the ship for safety reasons. Young boys, usually orphans, who were small enough to slip through tight spaces, carried this powder along tiny passages and galleys. Because of their agility the lads became known as ‘powder monkeys’ and by association the brass trays used to hold the cannonballs became known as the brass monkeys. These trays had 16 cannonball-sized indentations that would form the base of a cannonball pyramid. Brass was used because the balls would not stick to or rust on brass as they did with iron, but the drawback was that brass contracts much faster in cold weather than iron. This meant that on severely cold days the indentations holding the lower level of cannonballs would contract, spilling the pyramid over the deck, hence ‘cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey’.
(from "Red herrings and white elephants" by Albert Jack)

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Frosty sun

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He who wakes up early goes a long way

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Eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth

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Compensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person.

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Health is better than wealth

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It is more beneficial to be healthy than to be rich.

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Money has never been that important to me. I know that health is better than wealth.

Collect one's thoughts

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If you collect your thoughts, you try to think calmly and clearly in order to prepare yourself mentally for something.
\r\nTo become mentally composed, especially after being distressed, surprised, or disoriented; to become calm or organized in one\'s emotional state or thinking, as in preparation for a conversation, speech, decision, etc.

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Anne stopped to collect her thoughts before calling back the customer.

Out of sight, out of mind

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(As) blind as a bat

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Someone whose vision is very poor, or who is unable to see anything, is (as) blind as a bat. Nearly totally blind, having a very poor sense of vision.

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Without his glasses, the old man is as blind as a bat.

One swallow does not make spring

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A must / it's a must

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Expresses an essential or absolutely necessary thing.

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I'm thinking about visiting Scotland. What do you think? O, it's a must! You'll love it.

Much ado about nothing

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If people make much ado about nothing, they make a lot of fuss about something which is not important.

Examples:
A discussion took place about the colour of the receptionist's shoes - much ado about nothing!

Origin:
"Much Ado About Nothing" is a comedic play by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599, as Shakespeare was approaching the middle of his career.

To get wrapped around one's finger

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To have someone so enamored that he or she does whatever the other person wants. It can be used in a positive way, as the way a father feels about his little girls or the way someone feels about their boyfriend/girlfriend. It can also be used negatively, referring to the way a person may follow someone who treats them badly.

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Ever since she hooked up with Carlo she doesn't make a move without him. He has her wrapped around his little finger.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

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That will do

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Never look a gift horse in the mouth

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Out of the frying pan and into the fire

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A fault confessed is half redressed

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A cold day in july

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The time of occurrence of an event that will never happen.

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It'll be a cold day in July when that happens.

Dixie Chicks - Cold Day In July

Don't cry over spilled milk

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To catch (someone) red-handed

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To discover someone while they are doing something bad or illegal

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He was caught red-handed taking money from the till.

??? to put one's foot in one's mouth

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put one’s foot in one’s mouth
1. (idiomatic) To misspeak; to say something embarrassing or wrong.
? I really put my foot in my mouth during the interview.

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Half-heartedly

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By oneself

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1. Alone; without assistance or help from others.
2. Alone, without another's company.

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1. I have always wondered why shoe salesmen think can't I tie my shoes by myself.
You ate the whole thing by yourself?
2. He sat by himself in the corner, waiting quietly.

(By a) Hair's breadth

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If you avoid or miss something by a hair's breadth, you only just manage to escape from a danger.
A very small distance or amount.

Examples:
1. A slate fell off the roof and missed the child by a hair's breadth.
2. He missed me by a hair's breadth when he ran past me yesterday.
3. They came within a hair's breadth of contacting electrified water.

That’s the way the cookie crumbles

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Butt-ugly

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Extremely ugly.

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The scalded cat / dog fears even cold water

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In the long run

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in the long run
1. (idiomatic) After a very long time; eventually; over a long period of time; more generally.


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By-the-book

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Adhering strictly to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.

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To be all ears

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Fiddling while rome burns

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To say that someone is fiddling while Rome burns means that they are doing unimportant things while there are serious problems to be dealt with.

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His visit to the trade fair was 'fiddling while Rome burns' according to the strikers.
The lobbyists are spending their time in vacations rather than doing anything to stop this tax bill. They're fiddling while Rome burns.

Origin:
Roman legend has it that in AD 64 Emperor Nero wanted to see what Troy had looked like as it burned to the ground, so he set light to Rome. It was said that he watched the blaze for six days and seven nights while he played his fiddle and enjoyed himself. Nero strongly denied the claims and blamed the disaster on the Christians, who were then ruthlessly persecuted. Historians have confirmed Nero was nowhere near Rome when the fire started, supporting his defence.

Black sheep

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The black sheep is one who behaves very differently or badly, and is considered disreputable by the other members of the family or group of people. A disliked person; one who is disfavored.
A nonconformist; an unusual or unconventional person.

Examples:
Joe was the black sheep of the family, always getting into trouble.
He always was the black sheep in the family, as an artist among doctors and lawyers.

To take the bull by the horns

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take the bull by the horns
1. (idiomatic) To deal with a matter in a direct manner, especially to confront a difficulty rather than avoid it.


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(A) cut above

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Something which is a cut above everything else is better or of higher quality. Superior to the norm.

Not touch something with a barge / ten foot pole

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1. To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something in any way; signifies a strong aversion.
2. To be unable (perhaps figuratively) to approach something or someone.

Examples:
If I were you, I wouldn't touch that property with a barge pole.

Origin:
May have been derived by the 10-foot poles that river boatmen used to pole their boats with, along in shallow water, or from the barge poles that bargemen used to fend off wharfs and other boats.
Many believe this expression originates from a burial practice in New Orleans. The Spanish developed burial system of present day proceeds by first placing the casket of the patron in an above ground tomb. Exactly 1 year and 1 day after burial, the tomb is opened and the casket removed. The body is next wrapped in a sheet and shoved to the bottom of the tomb using a ten foot pole. The weather of the area caused the remains to decompose quickly and tombs are subsequently reused for many burial. The expression, "I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole," is thought to have originated from this burial process.

??? a curve ball (to pitch a curve ball)

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(to catch someone) red-handed

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Woe to the mule that sees not her master

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Let bygones be bygones

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let bygones be bygones
1. (idiomatic) To ignore or disregard a past offense (when dealing with another individual).


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Neat as a new pin

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To be tidy and clean, very prim (can be used for a room or other setting, for a person etc.)

Examples:
The bike I bought from him is as neat as a new pin.

Origin:
E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.

Six of one, half a dozen of the other

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The two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent; it doesn't matter which one we choose.
Equally involved; equally responsible.

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I didn't know who to vote for.  It was six of one and half a dozen of the other!

Much cry and little wool

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"Cry" here has the sense "shouting"; mediaeval traders "cried their wares" in the streets. The expression means that a lot of noise and fanfare is being made about something that actually has little substance or importance.

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On my back foot

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If you are on your back foot, you are at a disadvantage and forced to be defensive of your position.

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Activist investors generally prefer to be on the attack. So it’s odd to see them on the back foot, fighting to preserve an important arrow in their quiver.

You can't teach an old dog new tricks

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Caught with one's hand in the cookie jar

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Observed or apprehended while committing a theft, especially while embezzling money.

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First impressions are most lasting

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Close shave

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This term describes a situation where an accident or a disaster nearly happened.
A near accident or mishap; a dangerous or risky encounter or incident.

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1. I almost hit the child who ran out in front of my car. It was a close shave.
2. I had a close shave with somebody who pulled out in front of me on the road, but I swerved and managed not to hit him.

Down and outs

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(A) Chip off the old block

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A person who is a chip off the old block resembles one of their parents in appearance, character or behaviour.
Someone who takes after one of his or her parents.

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1. James is a chip off the old block - he reacts the same way as his father.
2. He’s a chip off the old block for following in his father’s footsteps.

Scald not your lips in another man’s pottage

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As you make your bed, so you must lie upon it

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A man's praise in his own mouth stinks

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To stand up to

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Have it made

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To have accomplished all there is to do; to have no further work or difficulty; to have achieved a lifestyle characterized by good fortune and comfort.

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1. It's a great idea, and if it catches on and sells well, we'll have it made.
2. As the CEO's daughter, you have it made - they'll give you any job you want in the company!
3. He's really got it made since he won the lottery.

Blot one's copy book

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Someone who blots their copy-book does something to spoil their good record or reputation through bad behavior.

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He blotted his copy-book when he was arrested for speeding.

East or west, home is best

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Blow a fuse

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If you blow a fuse, you suddenly lose your temper and become very angry.

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1. Charlie blew a fuse yesterday when he discovered that his ipod had been stolen.
2. When he learned that his daughter had eloped, he blew a fuse.

To kill two birds with one stone

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kill two birds with one stone (third-person singular simple present kills two birds with one stone, present participle killing two birds with one stone, simple past and past participle killed two birds with one stone)
1. (idiomatic) To solve two problems with one single action.
? Biking to work kills two birds with one stone. It saves money travelling and will help to

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To wear one's heart upon one's sleeve

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(Have your) Back to the wall

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If you have your back to the wall, you are in serious difficulty, with no beneficial options available for action.

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With his back to the wall, the supplier had to accept the deal.

Beat around the bush

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This expression is used to tell someone to say what they have to say, clearly and directly, even if it is unpleasant. To treat a topic, but omit its main points, often intentionally.

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Stop beating around the bush. Just tell me what has been decided! 

Serve someone right

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An unpleasant event that happens to someone who is thought to deserve it.

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1. Serves you right, you shouldn't waste your money.
2. It serves you right for nearly running me over.
3. Video example:

An arrow shot upright falls on the shooter's head

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The pitcher goes often to the well but is broken at last

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A fool's tongue is long enough to cut his own throat

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In full detail

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Fall on deaf ears

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If something such as a suggestion or a request falls on deaf ears, it is ignored. Of a request, complaint, etc, to be ignored.

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1. I told him not to take any risks, but my advice fell on deaf ears. 2. Every time I ask him to do something for me, it falls on deaf ears.

All eyes and ears

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To be very attentive. Giving one's full attention to something.

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The journalists were all eyes and ears at the press conference.

To strike a deal

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What are you driving at?

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What are you implying?; What do you mean?

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1. What are you driving at? What are you trying to say? 
2. Why are you asking me all these questions? What are you driving at?

He laughs best who laughs last

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Come in handy

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To say that something may come in handy means that it may be useful some time or other.
To be useful or helpful, especially at some time in the future.

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1. Don't throw away those old shelves; they may come in handy one day.
2. Even though he doesn't really know how to use them, he keeps the tools around, figuring they might come in handy someday.

To tar with the same brush/stick

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Boiling mad

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Extremely angry

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Bored out of one's mind/brains

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Extremely bored.

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To get goose bumps/pimples

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Aa prickly feeling related to having bumps on one's skin due to fear, excitement, or cold. (Typically: get ~ have ~ give someone ?)

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When I hear that old song, I get goose bumps. I never have goose pimples, but my teeth chatter when it's cold.

Bored to death

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Very bored

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I have nothing to do. I'm bored to death.

To laugh your head off

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Hand in hand

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If two or more things go hand in hand, they are associated or often happen at the same time.

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In big cities, poverty and violence often go hand in hand.

All his geese are swans

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This expression refers to someone who constantly exaggerates the importance or the qualities of somebody or something.

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Don't let him impress you. He always exaggerates. All his geese are swans.

Take/taken aback

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take aback (third-person singular simple present takes aback, present participle taking aback, simple past took aback, past participle taken aback)
1. (idiomatic, transitive) To surprise or shock; to discomfit.
To be Taken Aback suggests someone has been taken truly by surprise and stopped in their tracks.

All eyes

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1. Watching alertly or attentively. Paying very close attention.
2. Gazing at someone devotedly.

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2. He was all eyes for her

By rights

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Properly, in justice.

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The post of vice-president should, by rights, have been given to John.

(to shout/proclaim) from the housetops

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(Don't) carry coal(s) to Newcastle

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It's an idiom of British origin describing a pointless or superfluous action. 
To do something that is unneeded or redundant.

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1. Mr. Smith is so rich he doesn't need any more money. To give him a gift certificate is like carrying coals to Newcastle. 
2. I thought a bottle of wine would be a nice gift, but when I saw their liquor cabinet I could tell that I had carried coals to Newcastle.

Origin:
It refers to the fact that historically, the economy of Newcastle upon Tyne in north-eastern England was heavily dependent on the distribution and sale of coal and therefore any attempt to sell coal to Newcastle would be foolhardy as supply would be greater there than anywhere else in Britain. Historically, the phrase "To carry Coals to Newcastle" is first documented in North America in 1679 in William Fitzhugh's letters ("But relating farther to you would be carrying Coals to Newcastle") and first appears in a printed title in Labour in vain: or Coals to Newcastle: A sermon to the people of Queen-Hith, 1709. Timothy Dexter, an American entrepreneur, succeeded in defying the idiom in the eighteenth century by actually shipping coal to Newcastle. 
Renowned for his eccentricity and widely regarded as a buffoon, he was persuaded to sail a shipment of coal to Newcastle by rival merchants plotting to ruin him. However, he instead got a large profit after his cargo arrived during a miners' strike which had crippled local production.

One good turn deserves another

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Cause a stir

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If something causes a stir, it creates an atmosphere of excitement or great interest. To cause controversy, or raise a disturbance

Examples:
1. The arrival of the actress caused quite a stir in the village.
2. The news story caused a stir
3. A few years ago, that would've caused a stir

At the end of the day

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You say this before you say what you believe to be the most important fact of a situation, when everything else has been taken into consideration.
In summary; ultimately.

Examples:
At the end of the day you will have to decide where you want to live.

(a day) after the fair

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Too late

Examples:
But no matter what he undertakes he is always a day after the fair.

Hum and haw / humming and hawing

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A bad workman blames his tools

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Black as coal

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Completely black

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Make hay while the sun shines

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If you make hay while the sun shines, it means that you take advantage of the chance to do something while conditions are good. In other words, you make good use of your time or make the most of an opportunity while you have the chance. The saying has been around for hundreds of years. It first appeared in 1546 in John Heywood’s A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue. Experts believe the phrase came from medieval English farmers.

Examples:
1. We've got a few days off work so lets make hay while the sun shines and do some landscaping around the back of the house. 2. Jim works too much, but he reckons he's just making hay while the sun shines. He says he'll slow down once he's made his fortune. 3. Successful athletes are advised to make hay while the sun shines.

A friend in need is a friend indeed

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Cleanliness is next to godliness

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Be that as it may

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This expression means that what the speaker says may be true but it will not change the situation.
Even if that is the case; whether that is true or not; nevertheless.

Examples:
OK. Fewer people may come because of the bad weather, but be that as it may, it's too late to cancel the show. 
Be that as it may, the implications remain the same as three years ago.
Be that as it may, you can all be certain that our country is not bankrupt, we are not collapsing.
Be that as it may, it has been great to work with you.

You can't make a silk purse out of a pig's ear

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Good riddance!

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To stand to reason; as a matter of course

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Provided that

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Great haste makes great waste

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Wrap one's head around

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Wrap (one's) head around
1. (figuratively) To come to a good understanding of.
2. (more literally uncommon) To crash into (something, especially a pole) messily and fatally while travelling in a

Examples:
"I can't wrap my head around this new law."

To make headway/progress/strides in...

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make headway1. (idiomatic) To progress; to move forward.

Examples:
I worked on them all day, but barely made headway at all.

Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea

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Having a choice between two alternatives, both undesirable.

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As dumb as a stump

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Call a spade a spade

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A person who calls a spade a spade speaks openly and truthfully about something, especially difficult matters.
To speak the truth; to say things as they really are.

Examples:
1. What I like about the new manager is that he calls a spade a spade - it makes things so much easier for everyone.
2. Maybe God just calls a spade a spade, when the president talks to God. - Bright Eyes, When the President Talks to God - 2005

As thin as a rake

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To be incredibly thin, at an unhealthy-looking level of thinness.

Examples:
He eats like a horse and yet he's as thin as a rake.

Origin:
Earliest recorded in late Middle English in Chaucer. Is usually assumed to show a metaphorical application of the tool name "rake".

Fair sex

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Women collectively.

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No good deed goes unpunished

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Beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility. If they are appreciated, they often lead to additional requests.

Examples:
I helped him in his hardest life situations and now he gossips about me with his friends behind my back .

Origin:
It was Clare Boothe Luce, american author and later US ambassador to Italy, who coined the phrase that "No good deed goes unpunished".

All mouth and (no) trousers

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This is said of someone who talks a lot about doing something but never actually does it.
Someone superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.

Examples:
He keeps saying he's going to resign and travel around the world, but he's all mouth and no trousers.

(to be) like two peas in a pod

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Expression used to describe two people or things which are extremely similar or alike.

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Betty and Jennifer are as alike as two peas in a pod, so it's no wonder people sometimes mistake them for sisters.

Rain on someone's parade

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1. (idiomatic) To disappoint or discourage someone by ruining or criticising their plans or aspirations.

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I hate to rain on your parade, but lots of people have tried that strategy and it hasn't worked yet.

Stretch your legs according to your coverlet

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Far from it!

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Away with the fairies

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Someone who is away with the fairies is in such a dreamy state that they are not totally in touch with reality and give the impression of being slightly crazy.

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It's no use trying to explain the problem to her - she's away with the fairies! 

Blow hot and cold

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If you blow hot and cold about something, you constantly change your opinion about it. To behave inconsistently; to vacillate or to waver, as between extremes of opinion or emotion.

Examples:
The boss keeps blowing hot and cold about the marketing campaign - one day he finds it excellent, the next day he wants to make changes.

To kick the bucket

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Informal, or slang term meaning "to die".

Examples:
1. The old horse finally kicked the bucket. 
2. I think my sewing machine has kicked the bucket.

Origin:
A common theory is that the idiom refers to hanging, either as a method of execution or suicide. However, there is no evidence to support this. Its earliest appearance is in the Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1785), where it is defined as "to die". In John Badcock's slang dictionary of 1823, the explanation is given that "One Bolsover having hung himself from a beam while standing on a pail, or bucket, kicked this vessel away in order to pry into futurity and it was all UP with him from that moment: Finis".The theory favoured by the OED relates to the alternative definition of a bucket as a beam or yoke that can be used to hang or carry things on. The "bucket" may refer to the beam on which slaughtered pigs are suspended. The animals may struggle on the bucket, hence the expression. The word "bucket" still can be used today to refer to such a beam in the Norfolk dialect. It is thought that this definition came from the French word trébuchet or buque, meaning "balance". William Shakespeare used the word in this sense in his play Henry IV Part II where Falstaff says:   Swifter than he that gibbets on the Brewers Bucket.
   - William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part II

To fly/go to the winds; to end in smoke

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If something ends in smoke, it produces no concrete or positive result. Figuratively, to come to nothing.

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Make sense

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(third-person singular simple present `makes sense`, present participle `making sense`, simple past and past participle `made sense`)
(intransitive, idiomatic) To be coherent or reasonable.

Examples:
1. The thing doesn’t make sense to me.
2. Somehow the combination didn’t make sense, but Cranston took it at face value, whatever that was worth.

Piece of cake

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(As) Clean as a whistle

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Something as clean as a whistle is extremely clean. This can also mean that a person's criminal record is clean.
Completely innocent; beyond moral reproach.

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1. Bob spent the afternoon washing and shining his car until it was as clean as a whistle.
2. The only suspect I got has the file as clean as a whistle.

Pommy bastard

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British person (used as a term of abuse, often affectionately). It is vastly and mostly used by Australians.

Examples:
Those Pommy bastards wanted to take my Test tickets off me

Origin:
Australians have been using the word freely since its probable emergence in the late 19th century as a nickname for English immigrants, a short form of pomegranate, referring to their ruddy complexions.

To grow cheeky

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Get a grip/hold of yourself!

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It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends

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It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends

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Can't make an omelette without breaking eggs

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This expression means that it is impossible to make important changes without causing some unpleasant effects.

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Some people will lose their jobs after the merger, but you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.

Avoid like the plague

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To shun, or evade if at all possible.

Examples:
Cliché should be avoided like the plague.
I'm one of those people who avoids confrontations like the plague.

Too many cooks spoil the broth

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At all costs

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If you are determined to obtain or achieve something at all costs, you want it regardless of the expense, effort or sacrifice involved.

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The journalist was determined at all costs to get a report from the war zone.

It's the last straw (that broke the camel's back)

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Change of heart

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If someone has a change of heart, they change their attitude or feelings, especially towards greater friendliness or coperation.
A change of one's opinion, belief or decision.

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1. He was against charity, but he had a change of heart when he saw the plight of the homeless.
2. He quit Friday, but on Monday he had a change of heart and decided to come back, anyway.

Black market

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The black market refers to the illegal buying and selling of goods or currencies.

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Be careful of what you buy on the black market - it's not always good quality.

As the wind blows

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According to circumstance

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To keep pace

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Can't get enough (of)

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To greatly enjoy; to like a lot

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We'll need to bake more of those new chicken and mushroom pies. The customers can't get enough of them.

Practice makes perfect

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All ears

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1. To say that you are all ears means that you are listening very attentively.
2. Awaiting an explanation.

Examples:
1. The students were all ears when they found out the topic of the film was "reproduction." They were disappointed to discover that it was also about fish.
2. I am all ears to find out how my car, which used to have a perfectly functional engine, will no longer start.

The trick doesn't work (anymore)

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When an action that worked very well in the past, doesn't function or has the same ideal results when it's tried this time.

Examples:
1. That old trick doesn't work so well anymore, does it?
2. The trick did not work a second time on 25 January, and Wyndham's landing party in Fife encountered an ambush of 600 men.

At the end of your tether

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The devil makes work for idle hands

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It means people who have nothing to do are more likely to get into trouble or commit a crime.

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Protestants believe children should be busy because the devil makes work for idle hands.

To run its course

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The idiom "To run its course" means to allow something to progress naturally until it reaches its conclusion. This can refer to a process, situation, or condition that is expected to unfold over time without intervention. It often implies patience and acceptance of the outcome, whether it is positive or negative.

Examples:
1. The project took longer than expected, but we decided to let it run its course.
2. The doctor advised me to let the cold run its course instead of taking antibiotics.
3. Sometimes, it's best to let emotions run their course rather than trying to suppress them.
4. The economic recession had to run its course before the market could recover.
5. They decided to let the legal process run its course without interference.

Origin:
The origin of the idiom "To run its course" dates back to the use of the term "course" referring to the path or direction taken by something, especially water or a disease. In the context of diseases, it originally meant allowing the illness to progress until it ends naturally. Over time, it broadened to include various processes and situations.

All good things come to those who wait

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Penny drops

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When a person has difficulty understanding or realizing something, and then the penny drops, they finally understand.

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The teasing continued for some time until the penny dropped and the boy realized it was a joke!

Fools have fortune / fortune favors fools

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Away game

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An athletic contest played in the opposing team's geographic area.

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Against the clock

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If you do something against the clock, you are rushed and have very little time to do it.

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They are working against the clock to have the presentation ready for Monday.

Agony aunt

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Give someone a big head

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To flatter someone excessively; to overpraise someone, usually resulting in them becoming proud, arrogant or conceited.

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Please stop telling him how smart he is - you'll give him a big head.

A good bestill is worth a groat

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People who live in glass houses should not throw stones

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Ignorance is bliss

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It normally means that a person who does not know about a problem (or chooses not to care) does not worry about it.

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He never follows the news or cares about the chaos in the world because he believes that ignorance is bliss.

All along

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If something has existed or been somewhere all along, it has been there all the time, from the beginning.

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I had been looking for my keys for some time before I realized they had been in my pocket all along.
He thought he had me fooled, but I knew the truth all along.

Have bigger/other fish to fry

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1. A much more pressing issue to attend to.
2. A higher valued result or target to reach.

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I couldn't spend a lot of time on the problem – I had bigger fish to fry.
I don't think he'll attend the office party. He's got other fish to fry.

A cold day in hell

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The time of occurrence of an event that will never happen.

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It'll be a cold day in hell when that happens.

(As) ugly as sin

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This expression is used to refer to people or things that are considered to be very unattractive.

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Have you seen the new neighbour's dog? It's as ugly as sin!

Like father, like son

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All’s well that ends well

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To rain cats and dogs

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Chuffed (to bits) / well chuffed / dead chuffed

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To be really pleased about something, to be thrilled by something.

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1. "I'm chuffed to bits by your ba donka donk" - Hugh Laurie (n. Dr. House movie series). 2. I'm well chuffed about this Idioms Translator project. :)

Better bend than break

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Scottish proverb. At times, we need to take a stand. But there will be more times when we’ll need to bend. Bending means listening to other opinions. 
Often, we just react instead of listening. Bending means remembering what’s really important. Often, we get stubborn just to prove a point. Bending means knowing that, most often, the relationship is more important than the point we want to prove.

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I don't understand why you want to end your relationship over this - it's really not that big a deal. Better bend than break, you know?

All nations

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A composition of all the different spirits sold in a dram-shop, collected in a vessel into which the drainings of the bottles and quartern pots are emptied.

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I'm sick and tired of...

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(To) Bury the hatchet

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When people who have had a disagreement decide to forget their quarrel and become friends again, they bury the hatchet.
To stop fighting or arguing; to reach an agreement, or at least a truce.

Examples:
1. I didn't agree with my colleague's decision, but for the sake of peace I decided to bury the hatchet.
2. They need to calm down and bury the hatchet before someone gets hurt.

All that glitters is not gold

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Means that not everything that looks precious or true turns out to be so. This can apply to people, places, or things that promise to be more than they really are.

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The popular form of the expression is a derivative of a line in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, which employs the word "glisters," a 17th-century synonym for "glitters." The line comes from a secondary plot of the play, the puzzle of Portia's boxes (Act II - Scene VII - Prince of Morocco):

All that glisters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgement old
Your answer had not been inscroll'd
Fare you well, your suit is cold.

Origin:
The expression, in various forms, originated in or before the 12th century and may date back to Aesop, the famous ancient greek fabulist and story teller.