| Image | Idiom | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
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"... apple of ..... eye." For example: "She was the apple of his eye." |
Someone that one likes a lot. |
| "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." For example: "The doctor told her to eat more fresh fruit, after all an apple a day keeps the doctor away." |
Eating fruit is good/healthy for you. | |
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"Bring home the bacon." For example: "He felt it was his responsibility to bring home the bacon." |
To earn a living for the family. |
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"Bread and butter." For example: "He was talking about bread and butter issues." |
Basic needs of life (food,shelter,clothing). |
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To be a butterfingers. For example:- He had the ball, but he dropped it! What a butterfingers! |
Somebody who often drops things |
Butter someone up. For example: |
To flatter someone to try to get their favor or friendship. | |
Butter wouldn't melt in his / her mouth. For example:- "No one ever thought she was naughty, she always looked as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth." |
If butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth, they look as if they would never do anything wrong although you think they would. | |
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"A piece of cake." For example: "She knew she had passed the English exam, it was a piece of cake." |
To find something easy to do. |
| "The icing on the cake." For example: "I was happy to pass the exam, the high mark was just the icing on the cake." |
Something nice that is added to something else that is already good. | |
| "To sell like hot cakes." For example: "The new Spice Girls' album sold like hot cakes." |
To sell quickly or rapidly. | |
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"A big cheese" For example: "Anita Roddick was the big cheese at the Body Shop." |
An important person, a leader (usually about business). |
| "Chalk and cheese" For example: "I'm not surprised they're getting divorced, they were always chalk and cheese." |
To be the complete opposite of someone. | |
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"Another bite at the cherry." For example: "Frank got another bite at the cherry when he resat his exams." |
To be given a another chance of doing or getting something. |
"To cherry-pick." For example:- Grammar schools often get accused of cherry-picking the best pupils. |
To choose only the best people or things in a way that is not fair. | |
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What's cooking? For example: A: Hey guys! What's cooking? |
What's happening? |
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"As cool as a cucumber." For example: "Although he was driving at 110 mph James Bond was as cool as a cucumber." |
To remain calm under pressure. |
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"A cowardy custard." For example: Me: "I'm scared of spiders." |
A way of saying someone is a coward. Maybe because custard is yellow. |
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"A bad egg." For example: "He never phoned his mother. He was a bad egg." |
A bad person, to be avoided. |
| "Egg .... on." For example: "He was always in trouble at school, his class mates always egged him on." |
To urge someone to do something (usually negative). | |
| "Have egg on one's face." For example: "He ended up with egg on his face, when she found out he had been lying." |
To be caught out or embarrassed. | |
| "You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs." For example: "He worked so hard to make the company a success it made him ill, but you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs." |
To do something to the detriment of something else. | |
| To put all your eggs in one basket For example: "You shouldn't invest all your money in Microsoft, it would be like putting all your eggs in one basket." |
To risk everything on one person or thing. | |
"To walk on eggshells." For example:- Everyone in the family had to walk on eggshells when he was in a bad mood. |
To try hard not to upset someone or something. | |
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"A pretty or fine kettle of fish" For example:- "They're divorced, and someone's sat them next to each other - that's a fine kettle of fish." |
A difficult or awkward situation. Thanks to Otrebs |
"A different kettle of fish" For example:- "Oh! They want to
place
an order? That's a different kettle of fish. Of course I'll talk to them." |
A different matter or issue. Thanks to Otrebs |
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To have bigger fish to fry. For example:- He couldn't stay long, with this merger he has bigger fish to fry. |
To have more important things to do. | |
Like a fish out of water. For example:- When she started talking about her personal problems, he looked like a fish out of water. |
To be uncomfortable in a particular situation | |
Something is fishy. For example:- "There was something fishy in the way he paused before answering the question." |
Used when something is suspicious. | |
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To have bigger fish to fry. For example:- He couldn't stay long, with this merger he has bigger fish to fry. |
To have more important things to do. |
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Sour grapes. For example:- He was really sarcastic about my new job, but I think it's just sour grapes, because he hasn't got one. |
Used when someone is disparaging about something just because they can't have it. |
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To buy a lemon. For example:- "All those people who bought a new Toyota have bought a lemon." |
To buy something useless or defective. |
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"Cry over spilt milk." For example: "It's no good crying over spilt milk, what's done is done." |
To cry or complain about something that has already happened. |
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Mutton dressed (up) as lamb. For example:- "She's over fifty and should really stop wearing mini skirts if she doesn't want to look like mutton dressed as lamb." |
Used to describe a woman who is dressed in a style that is more suitable for a much younger woman. |
"As keen as mustard" For example: "He was as keen as mustard because he really wanted to win the competition." |
To be very eager. | |
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"Nutty as a fruitcake." For example: "People say I'm as nutty as a fruitcake to run this website." |
To be slightly crazy. |
"To use a sledgehammer to crack a nut." For example:
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To do something with more force than is necessary to achieve the result you want. | |
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"To know your onions." For example:- "When it comes to computers he really knows his onions." |
To know a lot about a particular subject. |
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"As easy as pie." For example: "Anyone can do that, it's as easy as pie." |
When something is very easy to do. |
| "Have a finger in every pie." For example: "He was a very influential man, he seemed to have a finger in every pie." |
To be involved in lots of different things. | |
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"A couch potato." For example: "She should get out more, she's turning into a real couch potato. " |
Someone who just sits on the couch watching TV. |
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| "A hot potato." For example: "The issue of immigration was a hot potato." |
A question or argument that is controversial and difficult to settle | |
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"In the soup." For example: "He landed her in the soup, when he told the policeman she had been drinking." |
To be in serious trouble. |
| "Souped up." For example: "He made his car go faster by souping up the engine." |
To change something to make it faster or more powerful by changing or adding something. | |
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"Cup of tea." For example: "I really enjoyed the film, it was just my cup of tea." |
Something one enjoys or does well. |
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Like a fish out of water. For example:- When she started talking about her personal problems, he looked like a fish out of water. |
To be uncomfortable in a particular situation |
| More idioms and sayings | ||
