Idiom Page

Here are some common English idioms.

To be caught red-handed --to be caught in the middle of committing a crime or while doing something not permitted Brian was supposed to be on a diet, but Susan caught him red-handed when he was sneaking cookies out of the jar.

Head in the sand --Ignoring an unpleasant or dangerous situation John needs to find a new job and pay his overdue bills, but he has his head in the sand.  He just plays video games all day.

Bite the bullet --Face an unpleasant or painful situation bravely Ruth was afraid to go to the dentist, but she knew if she didn't bite the bullet and get it done, she would regret it.

Bite one's head off --To answer in an angry manner I'm sorry you're in a bad mood, but you don't have to bite my head off when I ask you how your day was.

At loose ends --unsure of what to do with one's time Because of winter vacation, Tae Jung was at loose ends for a few days until he decided to go to San Diego with his roommate.

Keep a low profile --Keep away from unwanted attention You'd better keep a low profile until John's not so angry about your scratching his new car.

Don't rock the boat --Don't cause problems The other employees, worried about the economy, urged Sally not to rock the boat by complaining about the cancellation of the office Christmas party.

Mind one's p's and q's --Be on your best behavior If you want to get a raise and a promotion, you'd better mind your p's and q's.

Make a splash --do something that attracts a lot of positive attention The band's great new video really made a splash, vaulting them to number 1 on the charts.

Be stuffed --be very full After eating a huge Thanksgiving feast, all the guests were happily stuffed.

Get/be/fall behind (in/on something) --To be delayed; not on time Because Tom had the flu, he got behind on all of his work.

See X in a whole new light --change one's opinion about something based on new evidence I used to think that Joe was very shallow, but once I learned he donates a lot of his time to charities, I started to see him in a whole new light.

In one's right mind --behaving logically --sane Bob can't be in his right mind!  What was he thinking, buying a new car when he just lost his job!

(Open a) can of worms --an unforeseen source of a lot of problems I know Arlene causes a lot of problems in the office, but firing her would open a can of worms.

No Ifs, Ands, or Buts --No excuses You have to get this essay done by tomorrow, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Bone up (on) --study/review; refresh one's memory about the facts We'd better bone up on Tudor history for the next exam.  The professor said over half the test is on the Tudors.

Go to the dogs --Go to ruin; become run down or degenerate That nightclub used to be great, but it's really gone to the dogs.

Let the cat out of the bag --tell a secret When John told Naoko about the surprise party, he let the cat out of the bag.

Out of the blue --unexpectedly; without warning My best friend from high school, whom I hadn't seen or heard from in years, called me out of the blue.

On one's toes --be ready for action; alert My four-year-old son really keeps me on my toes.  I have to be ready for anything all the time.

Down in the dumps --feeling depressed or sad Example:  Elaine was feeling down in the dumps, so she didn't want to do anything.

Ducks in a row --everything in order/organized Example:  I can't take on any new projects until I have all my ducks in a row.

Piece of cake --very easy Example: Because Margot studied so hard, the exam was a piece of cake.

Under the weather --unwell; a little bit sick Example:  Naoko was feeling under the weather, so she didn't go to work.

Rain cats and dogs --rain a lot Example:  All of a sudden, it started raining cats and dogs.

Drive someone up the wall --to make someone crazy or frustrated Example:  John's constant off-key whistling drives Anna up the wall.

See the light --realize the truth about a person or situation Example:  Ellie used to think that Peter was wonderful, but when she caught him stealing money from her purse, she saw the light.

Burn the candle at both ends --work too hard; take on too much Example:  Taking four graduate-level courses while holding down a full-time job, Harumi was really burning the candle at both ends.

Throw in the towel --give up Example:  After trying to beat Alan in chess for three hours, Ed threw in the towel and went to watch t.v.

Keep a straight face --to avoid showing amusement Example:  Susan could hardly keep a straight face when the kitten jumped on Hiro's head.

Change one's tune --to change what one says/feels about something Example:  Jorge used to love big trucks and SUVs, but now that gas prices are so high, he has really changed his tune.

Blow X out of proportion --to act like something that happened is more important than it really is Example:  When John said that his car problems were ruining his life, he was blowing things out of proportion.

Get the ball rolling --to start something with the intention of making progress Example:  To get the ball rolling, Anna stood up and introduced herself to the class.

Be short on/of X --to have too little of X Example:  John was short on time, so he couldn't finish his paper.

Add fuel to the fire --to make a bad situation even worse Example:  When Hiro said that Kira looked fat after telling her that he hated her new haircut, he added fuel to the fire.

At a snail's pace --very slowly Because of the construction, traffic was moving at a snail's pace.