| theme | Idiom |
| Anger and Frustration | Boiling mad: Extremely angry. |
| Anger and Frustration | Fly off the handle: To become suddenly very angry. |
| Anger and Frustration | Hit the roof: To become very angry. |
| Anger and Frustration | Lose one’s temper: To become very angry. |
| Anger and Frustration | See red: To become very angry. |
| Animals | A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: It’s better to hold onto what you have than to risk losing it for something uncertain. |
| Animals | A fish out of water: Feeling uncomfortable or out of place in a new situation. |
| Animals | Bull in a china shop: Someone who is clumsy and breaks things. |
| Animals | Butterflies in your stomach: Feeling nervous or excited. |
| Animals | Cat got your tongue? Why aren’t you speaking? |
| Animals | Cold turkey: To suddenly and completely stop an addictive habit. |
| Animals | Dog eat dog: A very competitive environment where people will do anything to succeed, even if it harms others. |
| Animals | Early bird gets the worm: The person who arrives first has the best chance of success. |
| Animals | Go cold turkey: To suddenly and completely stop an addictive habit. |
| Animals | Guinea pig: A person used as a test subject in an experiment. |
| Animals | Hold your horses: Be patient; wait a moment. |
| Animals | Let sleeping dogs lie: Avoid disturbing a potentially troublesome situation. |
| Animals | More than one way to skin a cat: There are many ways to achieve the same goal. |
| Animals | Straight from the horse’s mouth: Directly from the source; reliable information. |
| Animals | When pigs fly: Something that will never happen. |
| Conflict Resolution | Add fuel to the fire |
| Conflict Resolution | Agree to disagree: To acknowledge that one has different opinions but to cease arguing about them. |
| Conflict Resolution | Bridge the gap: To overcome differences and find a way to cooperate. |
| Conflict Resolution | Build Bridges |
| Conflict Resolution | Burn one’s bridge |
| Conflict Resolution | Bury the hatchet: To end a quarrel or disagreement and become reconciled. |
| Conflict Resolution | Clear the air: To resolve a misunderstanding or conflict by honest communication. |
| Conflict Resolution | Cross swords |
| Conflict Resolution | Find common ground: To discover shared interests or beliefs. |
| Conflict Resolution | Kiss and make up: To reconcile after a quarrel. |
| Conflict Resolution | Let bygones be bygones: To forgive and forget past offenses. |
| Conflict Resolution | Lock horns |
| Conflict Resolution | Meet halfway: To compromise; to make concessions to reach an agreement. |
| Conflict Resolution | Mend fences: To repair a damaged relationship; to make amends. |
| Conflict Resolution | On the Warpath |
| Conflict Resolution | Smoke the peace pipe |
| Conflict Resolution | Stir the pot |
| Conflict Resolution | Throw a monkey wrench |
| Conflict Resolution | Turn over a new leaf: To make a fresh start; to begin again with a changed attitude. |
| Conflict Resolution | Wipe the slate clean |
| Fear and Anxiety | Cold feet: To suddenly feel nervous or afraid, especially just before doing something important. |
| Fear and Anxiety | Have butterflies in one’s stomach: To feel nervous or excited. |
| Fear and Anxiety | On edge: Nervous and anxious. |
| Fear and Anxiety | Petrified: Extremely frightened. |
| Fear and Anxiety | Scared stiff: Extremely frightened. |
| Happiness and Joy | In seventh heaven: Experiencing supreme happiness. |
| Happiness and Joy | Jump for joy: To be extremely happy and excited. |
| Happiness and Joy | On cloud nine: Feeling extremely happy and content. |
| Happiness and Joy | Over the moon: Extremely happy and excited. |
| Happiness and Joy | Walking on air: Feeling extremely happy and excited. |
| Love and Affection | Head over heels in love: Deeply and madly in love. |
| Love and Affection | Love at first sight: To fall in love with someone immediately upon meeting them. |
| Love and Affection | Wear your heart on your sleeve: To openly display your emotions. |
| Luck and Fate | A lucky break: An unexpected opportunity or piece of good fortune. |
| Luck and Fate | A roll of the dice: A risky action or decision. |
| Luck and Fate | A stroke of luck: This refers to a sudden, unexpected piece of good fortune. |
| Luck and Fate | Against all odds: This describes something that happens despite facing significant obstacles or having a low probability of success. |
| Luck and Fate | Bite the bullet: To face a difficult or unpleasant situation bravely. |
| Luck and Fate | Born under a lucky star: To be naturally fortunate or successful. |
| Luck and Fate | break a leg |
| Luck and Fate | cross one’s fingers |
| Luck and Fate | Cross your fingers: A gesture believed to bring good luck. |
| Luck and Fate | fate is sealed |
| Luck and Fate | Finders keepers, losers weepers: A rule in children’s games that the person who finds something gets to keep it. |
| Luck and Fate | Knock on wood: A superstitious act of touching wood to prevent bad luck after boasting or making a prediction. |
| Luck and Fate | Lady Luck: This personification refers to good fortune or chance. |
| Luck and Fate | Leave it to chance/fate: To allow something to happen without trying to control or influence it. |
| Luck and Fate | on a wing and a prayer |
| Luck and Fate | play the hand you’re dealt |
| Luck and Fate | pot of gold at the end of the rainbow |
| Luck and Fate | Push your luck: To take unnecessary risks, often with the possibility of negative consequences. |
| Luck and Fate | star crossed lovers |
| Luck and Fate | stroke of luck |
| Luck and Fate | swim against the time |
| Luck and Fate | the die is cast |
| Luck and Fate | The luck of the draw: This idiom refers to a situation where something is decided by chance, often randomly. |
| Luck and Fate | throw caution to the wind |
| Luck and Fate | wish upon a star |
| Money and Wealth | a penny saved is a penny earned |
| Money and Wealth | Born with a silver spoon in your mouth: To be born into a wealthy family. |
| Money and Wealth | break the bank |
| Money and Wealth | Cash cow: A steady source of income or profit. |
| Money and Wealth | cash strapped |
| Money and Wealth | Cost a pretty penny: To be expensive. |
| Money and Wealth | Cost an arm and a leg: To be very expensive. |
| Money and Wealth | deep pockets |
| Money and Wealth | filthy rich |
| Money and Wealth | Go Dutch: To split the cost of something equally. |
| Money and Wealth | golden handshake |
| Money and Wealth | golden parachute |
| Money and Wealth | in the bank |
| Money and Wealth | Live from hand to mouth: To have just enough money to survive, with no money to spare. |
| Money and Wealth | live high on the hog |
| Money and Wealth | Live on a shoestring: To live with very little money. |
| Money and Wealth | Make a killing: To earn a large amount of money quickly and easily. |
| Money and Wealth | make ends meet |
| Money and Wealth | money can’t buy happiness |
| Money and Wealth | Money doesn’t grow on trees: Said to emphasize that money is not easily obtained. |
| Money and Wealth | money talks, bullsh*t walks |
| Money and Wealth | money to burn |
| Money and Wealth | nickel and dime |
| Money and Wealth | pinch pennies |
| Money and Wealth | put your money where your mouth is |
| Money and Wealth | Rake in the dough: To earn a lot of money. |
| Money and Wealth | rob peter to pay paul |
| Money and Wealth | rolling in dough |
| Money and Wealth | Save for a rainy day: To save money for future needs or emergencies. |
| Money and Wealth | Tighten your belt: To reduce your spending because you have less money than usual. |
| Nature | A drop in the ocean: Something very small or insignificant compared to the whole. |
| Nature | Barking up the wrong tree: To be pursuing the wrong course of action. |
| Nature | Beat around the bush: To avoid getting to the point. |
| Nature | Bite the bullet: To endure a painful or unpleasant experience bravely. |
| Nature | Break the ice: To make the first move in a social situation. |
| Nature | Can’t see the forest for the trees: To be unable to see the overall situation because of focusing on minor details. |
| Nature | Clear as mud: Not at all clear or understandable. |
| Nature | Close shave: A narrow escape from danger. |
| Nature | Cost an arm and a leg: To be very expensive. |
| Nature | Down to earth: Practical and sensible. |
| Nature | Every cloud has a silver lining: There is something good in every bad situation. |
| Nature | Face the music: To accept the consequences of one’s actions. |
| Nature | Go with the flow: To accept things as they happen and not try to resist them. |
| Nature | Green with envy: To be very jealous. |
| Nature | Hit the hay: To go to bed. |
| Nature | Hold your horses: To wait patiently. |
| Nature | Let sleeping dogs lie: To avoid disturbing a potentially difficult situation. |
| Nature | Make a mountain out of a molehill: To exaggerate the importance of something. |
| Nature | Once in a blue moon: Very rarely. |
| Nature | Out of the woods: No longer in danger. |
| Nature | Raining cats and dogs: Raining very heavily. |
| Nature | See eye to eye: To agree with someone. |
| Nature | Take the bull by the horns: To deal with a difficult situation directly and decisively. |
| Nature | Under the weather: Feeling unwell. |
| Nature | Weather the storm: To survive a difficult period. |
| Nature | Wild goose chase: A fruitless search. |
| Sadness and Grief | Down in the dumps: Feeling sad and depressed. |
| Sadness and Grief | Downcast: Sad and depressed. |
| Sadness and Grief | Feel blue: To feel sad or depressed. |
| Sadness and Grief | Heartbroken: Deeply saddened, especially by the loss of a loved one. |
| Sadness and Grief | Out of sorts: Feeling unwell or unhappy. |
| Travel and Movement | Back on track: To return to the correct path or course of action. |
| Travel and Movement | backseat driver |
| Travel and Movement | by the skin of one’s teeth |
| Travel and Movement | down to the wire |
| Travel and Movement | fly by the seat of one’s pants |
| Travel and Movement | Get away from it all: To go somewhere, usually on holiday, where you can completely relax and forget your responsibilities or problems. 1 |
| Travel and Movement | Go off the rails: To start behaving in a strange or uncontrolled way. |
| Travel and Movement | go the extra mile |
| Travel and Movement | Go the extra mile: To make a special effort to do something, especially for someone else. |
| Travel and Movement | Hit the road: To begin a journey, especially by car. |
| Travel and Movement | hitch your wagon |
| Travel and Movement | in the same boat |
| Travel and Movement | jump on the bandwagon |
| Travel and Movement | keep your nose to the grindstone |
| Travel and Movement | miles away |
| Travel and Movement | Off the beaten path: Away from the usual tourist routes; unusual and interesting. |
| Travel and Movement | on the right track |
| Travel and Movement | On the road to recovery: Making progress towards improvement after an illness or injury. |
| Travel and Movement | paddle your own canoe |
| Travel and Movement | put the cart before the horse |
| Travel and Movement | road less traveled |
| Travel and Movement | Sidetracked: Distracted from the original plan or objective. |
| Travel and Movement | Straight and narrow: Following a moral or correct course of action. |
| Travel and Movement | take a rain check |
| Travel and Movement | the whole nine yards |
| Travel and Movement | Travel light: To bring very few things with you when you go somewhere. |
| Work and Business | A dime a dozen |
| Work and Business | Back to the drawing board: To start again from the beginning. |
| Work and Business | Bend over backwards: To try very hard to help or please someone. |
| Work and Business | Break even |
| Work and Business | Bring to the table: To offer or contribute something valuable. |
| Work and Business | Burn the midnight oil: To work late into the night. |
| Work and Business | Business as usual |
| Work and Business | Climb the corporate ladder: To advance in a company through promotions. |
| Work and Business | Cut corners |
| Work and Business | Cut to the chase: To get to the point quickly. |
| Work and Business | From the ground up |
| Work and Business | Get the ball rolling |
| Work and Business | Get your foot in the door: To get a first opportunity, especially in employment. |
| Work and Business | Go down the drain |
| Work and Business | Go the extra mile: To make an extra effort; to do more than is required. |
| Work and Business | Hit the ground running: To start a job or task immediately and enthusiastically. |
| Work and Business | In the black |
| Work and Business | In the red |
| Work and Business | Jump through hoops |
| Work and Business | Learn the ropes: To learn the basic skills of a job or activity. |
| Work and Business | On the back burner |
| Work and Business | Pull one’s weight |
| Work and Business | Rise to the occassion |
| Work and Business | Seal the deal |
| Work and Business | Think outside the box: To think creatively and unconventionally. |
| Work and Business | Throw in the towel |
| Work and Business | Touch base |
| Work and Business | Up in the air |
December 13, 2024
Idioms
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