Idioms and Expressions - Noblepath

524 Pages·2007·1.58 MB·English

Idioms and Expressions

by

David Holmes

A method for learning and remembering idioms and expressions

I wrote this model as a teaching device during the time I was working in Bangkok, Thai-
land, as a legal editor and language consultant, with one of the Big Four Legal and Tax
companies, KPMG (during my afternoon job) after teaching at the university.

When I had no legal documents to edit and no individual advising to do (which was quite
frequently) I would sit at my desk, (like some old character out of a Charles Dickens’
novel) and prepare language materials to be used for helping professionals who had
learned English as a second language—for even up to fifteen years in school—but who
were still unable to follow a movie in English, understand the World News on TV, or
converse in a colloquial style, because they’d never had a chance to hear and learn com-
mon, everyday expressions such as, “It’s a done deal!” or “Drop whatever you’re doing.”

Because misunderstandings of such idioms and expressions frequently caused miscom-
munication between our management teams and foreign clients, I was asked to try to as-
sist. I am happy to be able to share the materials that follow, such as they are, in the hope
that they may be of some use and benefit to others.

The simple teaching device I used was three-fold:
1. Make a note of an idiom/expression
2. Define and explain it in understandable words (including synonyms.)
3. Give at least three sample sentences to illustrate how the expression is used in context.

For instance,
Idiom: “It’s a done deal.”
Definition: “We agree. Everything has been decided. We’re ready to sign the contract.”
Examples:
1. “The bank has confirmed the loan agreement, so It’s a done deal.”
2. “The court has approved the restructuring plan, so it’s a done deal.”
3. “The Senior Partner has signed my promotion papers, so it’s a done deal.”

If a student came to me with an idiom he wanted explained, like “a rotten egg ” or “a lit-
tle stinker,” we would follow the above formula, and we would work it through together,
discussing and explaining the words and situations as we went along, to the point where
we could finally get the student using the expression in sample sentences referring to life
situations of his own.

If a student was anxious to learn idiomatic expressions, on a broader range, in general, I
would often encourage him just to open the book at any page and put his finger on the
first expression which caught to his eye, and we would talk about that, often getting into a
lively conversation on the topic, sharing related incidents, anecdotes and stories, and dis-
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cussing the main issue or moral point of the day’s lesson—just letting itself roll out, like
a ball of wool down a gentle incline.

A word to the wise, however, is that students should learn only one idiom/expression at a
time, because (as research indicates) if they learn seven in a row in fifteen minutes, they
won’t remember anything at all later on. It is better to do one thing well and hammer it
home until the learner has it clearly in his head and will be able to use it when he needs it.

It is best for the student to use this book together with a native-speaking teacher because
working together is ten times easier than working alone. Some advanced students, how-
ever, may find that they can work with the text to their benefit on their own.

The list of idioms and expressions below is by no means complete, and, indeed, as the
reader will see, if he works far enough into the text, many idioms are merely noted and
only partially defined and explained,* as our website is still under construction. This need
be no problem, however, because the method we are practicing is a process intended as a
device for learning rather than a long list of idioms and definitions and examples to be
memorized in the old-fashioned way.

This technique is a working tool rather than a finished product. Indeed, in discussing
words which describe human situations, the best examples will be those that arise out of
student-teacher interaction, picking up on and developing the ideas that interest them. As
with many things, once you are practicing the technique, you no longer need the book.

Incidentally, the opinions and attitudes herein cited represent no unified point of view,
but are, rather, quoted quite at random, the way different kinds of people talk in the world
different ways—sometimes sensibly and sometimes arbitrarily—sometimes ignorantly
and sometimes wisely. So please feel free to agree or disagree with anything anyone says
or does in any situation depicted in this book. Please, don’t blame the present writer for
the way people talk or the things they say. Language is just a crude cultural convention.
Who is to blame me for the ignorant and abusive things common people customarily say?

Note also that every boxed-idiom can be used and expanded into a lesson in itself con-
taining a main idea, with related vocabulary, and issues to define explain and discuss.
The slower you go and the more you converse together on any single matter of interest at
a one time, the better it is.

Teachers should note that just even reading the sentences, phrases or words aloud can be
good pronunciation and rhythm practice. Learning a language also means speaking so the
less the teacher talks and the more he listens and prompts the better the results should be.

At the very least, the text will provide a wide range of ideas to choose from for teaching
vocabulary and related, real-life, conversation-discussion topics. If you see an idiom you
don’t want to teach, or is not appropriate for your audience, don’t bother with it. Do one
you prefer instead.

(*Editorial Note: an asterisk indicates that an idiom/expression has been noted and de-
fined with at least three examples. No asterisk means the entry still needs work.)
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A | B | C | D | E | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

A

Idioms and expressions Definitions followed by examples
A backslider A lazy, irresponsible person who does not support a
combines effort; someone who causes development to
slide backwards rather than forwards; someone who can’t
be trusted to get a job done. “I see you have assigned
Captain Morgan to my project. He’s a no-good back-
slider who will hinder rather than further the success of
the mission.” “Mallory is nothing but a backslider. He’s
never done anything useful in his life that would bring
credit to his name or family.” “If I ever get my hands on
that backslider, Mullins, I will kick him in the backside
for letting down his wife and children by wasting his life
on gambling and drink.” *
A back-stabber Just as a person may sneak up behind you to stick a knife
in your back, so we can call a person a back-stabber who
unexpectedly betrays your trust. “Be careful who you
trust, because even your best friend could turn out to be a
backstabber.” “My first wife was a backbiting, back-
stabbing-bitch.” “I wouldn’t trust Charlie as far as I
could throw him. He’s a liar, a thief and a back-stabber.”
*
A bad omen A bad sign which indicates that, when a bad thing hap-
pens, something even worse is going to happen. A sign
that something bad or evil is going to come. “It’s a bad
omen that our son was born on Friday the thirteenth.”
“They say it is a bad omen when a black cat crosses your
path.” “It’s a bad omen when a voodoo witch smears, the
blood of a chicken on your front door.” *
A baker’s dozen It used to be an old English marketplace tradition to pay
for twelve bread rolls, and get one extra one, thrown in
for good measure, to make a total of thirteen. “In the
London market, a baker’s dozen doesn’t mean twelve. It
means thirteen.” “Before Britain joined the European
common market, people sold things by the dozen in units
of twelve, or perhaps thirteen, if they gave the customer a
baker’s dozen.” “We had thirteen children in our family,
and father was fond of saying he had produced a baker’s
dozen.”*
A ballpark figure A guess as to how many people are in a baseball or foot-
ball stadium; an approximate estimate of how-many or
how-much. “I can’t tell you exactly how many spectators
came to see the game, but if you want a ballpark figure,
my estimate would be about sixty thousand.” “How
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much is this wedding reception going to cost? Can you
give me a ballpark figure?” “I hate it when people say
they will give me a ballpark figure. What I want is an
exact number and not an approximate guess.” *
A barefaced-lie A bold and brazen untruthful statement; a shameless, ob-
vious lie. “Don’t try to tell me you gave the money to
some poor old woman. That’s a brazen and barefaced-
lie!” “When you claim you don’t desire other women, I
can see that you are telling a barefaced-lie.” “Don’t try to
deny you stole the cookies; I know it is a bare-faced lie.”
*
A bee in her bonnet Just as woman with a bee in her hat (or bonnet) might
run around, wildly, waving her hands in a panic, so we
may say that a woman with an angry idea in her head re-
acts in frantic and frightful manner. “My Mom has got a
bee in her bonnet about Father’s forgetting Valentine’s
Day.” “Don’t run around like a woman with a bee in her
bonnet just because someone said you are too tight and
stingy.” “Aunt Caroline had a bee in her bonnet because
the Ambassador had left her off the invitation list for La-
dies’ Night.” *
A bird in the hand is Be satisfied with what you’ve got; don’t dream of what
worth two in the bush. you have not. “If you let go of the bird that you have in
your hand in hopes of catching two in the bushes, you
will more than likely end-up empty-handed.” “It’s better
to be thankful for what little you have; than being disap-
pointed by unfulfilled desire for twice as much, a bird in
the hand is worth two in the bush.” “Be content with the
one thing that you have rather than be discontented by
two things you desire but are unlikely to get because a
bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” *
A bit beyond my ken Above my level of understanding; beyond my ability to
grasp; more than I can comprehend; beyond my knowl-
edge. “I could never understand the physics behind pres-
sure points causing geological rifts on the sea-bed at the
point where continental plates meet. It’s a bit beyond my
ken.” “The justification for Heisenberg’s uncertainty
principle is a bit beyond my ken.” “It is beyond my ken
why and how a whole galaxy can be sucked together and
disappear into a black hole.” *
A bit dicey A little risky; chancy; a gamble, as in a throw of the dice;
uncertain; not totally honest. “I wouldn’t invest any
money in such a chancy venture. It seems a bit dicey to
me.” “Don’t take any risks in business. Bet on a sure
thing and avoid anything that looks dicey.” “I wouldn’t
want to trust Charlie as a business consultant: his long-
shot ideas always seem a bit dicey to me.” *
A bit dodgy Dishonest; tricky; dicey; dubious; chancy risky. “A busi-
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ness that dodges the law is a dodgy business.’ “I
wouldn’t invest money any of those pyramid schemes.
They all seem a bit dodgy to me.” “It’s a bit risky to de-
posit money offshore in the hands of total strangers. It
sounds a bit dodgy to me.” *
A bit much Over-exaggerated; over-stated; too flashy; over the top.
“I found the accusations in your speech towards the
Prime Minister a bit much, a bit over the top, I would
say.” “Appearing in court with pink hair and a ring in
your nose before the judge was a bit much. Don’t you
think?” “I think that your leaving your wife at home
alone, while attending a public reception with another
woman, was a bit much!” *
A bit obtuse A little dull and stupid; incapable of understanding; a bit
thick; slow-witted; a little too-dumb to understand. “I
didn’t understand you. I must be a bit obtuse. Can you
explain it to me again?” “Being obtuse is no excuse. If
you are too dull-witted to do this job, we’ll get someone
to replace you.” “You must be a bit obtuse if you can’t
even understand how to follow simple orders and direc-
tions.” *
A bit on the side When one has casual sexual relations outside the primary
sexual partnership, we say that person is getting a bit on
the side. “Tom and Tina seem to be the perfect married
couple, but if Tina knew Tom was getting a bit on the
side, she wouldn’t be so happy.” “My big sister, Kitty,
says she wants to marry a rich, old man but keep a young
boyfriend, at the same time, so she can get a bit on the
side.” “Men are always dreaming about getting a bit on
the side, but they would never dream that wives might be
dreaming about the same thing.” *
A bit out of it Mentally out of contact with the world; not quite all
there; not with it; out of the picture. “Excuse me, if I
don’t seem to be listening. Today I’m a bit out of it be-
cause of the drugs the doctor gave me.” “My girlfriend
has just broken-off with me. I can’t concentrate on my
work; I’m a bit out of it.” “Pay no attention to my idiot
brother. He’s a bit out of it; he’s not all there you know.”
*
A bloodsucker Just as a leech sticks to you and sucks your blood, so an-
other person may be said to stick to you, like a parasite,
in order to obtain personal gain and benefit. “My first
wife drained my bank account, just in the way a leech
sucks blood from the body. She was a real bloodsucker.”
“Harvey’s wife, Lolita, is the kind of person who just
wants to marry for money. She’s nothing but a blood-
sucker.” “Don’t be such a bloodsucker, and stop leeching
off your friends all the time.” *
5
A brainwave An unexpected clever idea or insight; a stroke of genius;
a sudden inspiration. “I had the brainwave of installing a
Bluetooth System in my car radio, connected to the GPS,
which would allow the car to run more-or-less on auto-
pilot. Tests begin tomorrow.” “Who was it who had the
brainwave to inflate big air balloons by burning nitro-
gen?” “Einstein was the genius who had the brainwave
that the speed of a moving particle in a relative relation-
ship to another moving particle could be measured.” *
A breath of fresh air Just as we feel better after going outside a stifling, suffo-
cating, boring environment to get a breath of fresh air, so
it can be refreshing when someone or something new en-
ters into a stuffy atmosphere. “When Tony Blair, was
elected, Prime Minister, he brought a breath of fresh air
into an otherwise conservative and boring, British politi-
cal world.” “When young Jane joined the staff, she was
like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise, stuffy and stag-
nant atmosphere.” “It was a real breath of fresh air when
the Judge called in Cheery Cherry, Mr. Wong’s, ex-
girlfriend, to the witness stand in to tell all she knew.” *
A brush with death A near accidental encounter with death; an incident in
which one comes very close to dying. “While crossing
the street in Bangkok, yesterday, I had a close brush with
death, when a speeding motorcyclist swerved barely in
time to avoid hitting me head-on.” “The captain and crew
of the submarine had a close brush with death, when a
German torpedo, passed within half a meter of the port
side of the hull.” “When I was mountain-climbing, I once
had a brush with death, when I lost my footing and fell
about forty-five meters straight down through the air and
was only saved by my safety harness.” *
A bum-steer Purposely give someone the wrong directions on how to
get somewhere or how to do something; give incorrect or
wrong information to lead someone on a false trail; to
mislead someone by giving bad advice. “Because coun-
try folks, in Tennessee, don’t like city-slickers, they often
give them a bum-steer if they stop their cars to ask for
directions.” “We were afraid the other rally team would
reach the destination before us, so we purposely misled
then with a bum-steer to throw them off-track for a
while.” “My stock broker foolishly gave me a bum-steer
on some risky stocks that declined dramatically in market
value.” *
A bundle of energy A person who is packed-full of power and energy.
“President Kennedy was seen by many as a youthful
bundle of energy who was very enthusiastic and dedi-
cated to the cause of equal rights and employed all his
spiritual and physical strength to fight for the cause of
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democracy.” “My little sister is a bundle of energy who
does everything she can to make sure the get the job gets
done. “My Campaign manager, Mary Hines, has been a
real bundle of energy, the moving force behind our po-
litical success.” *
A bundle of nerves A person who is very stressed and jumpy. “I have been
under so much pressure in the office and at home re-
cently that I am little more than a bundle of nerves.”
“Continued stress can turn you into a bundle of nerves.”
“Before I have to give a presentation or speech, I am al-
ways a bundle of nerves.” *
A case in point An actual example to illustrate; a factual act which illus-
trates the point; an instance used to prove or explain a
point. “There have been many female figures in the po-
litical world that have helped unite divergent factions. A
case in point would be Sonya Gandhi.” “Multi-national
mergers can be beneficial to both sides. A case in point
was the merger of KPMG with Arthur Andersen which
brought benefits to both sides.” “Sometimes a son can
follow in his father’s footsteps right up into the highest
level of political office. A case in point would be George
Bush Jr. holding the same post as George Bush Sr.” *
A case of the dropsy When a person keeps dropping things, letting things slip
and fall from his fingers, we say he has a case of the
dropsy. “I keep dropping dishes on the kitchen floor. I’ve
got a case of the dropsy.” “Oops! I dropped my key
again. I’ve got a case of the dropsy.” “Because Grandfa-
ther has poor blood circulation and limited feeling in the
ends of his fingers, he keeps dropping things; it’s a clas-
sic example of the dropsy.” *
A cipher An insignificant person; someone not even worthy of no-
tice; a nothing and a no body. “You are a person of no
account. No one cares in the least about you, because you
are just a cipher!” “Sometimes, within the structure of
our company, I feel like nothing more than an insignifi-
cant statistic on a broad spread-sheet. I feel like such a
cipher.” “Her first husband was a real cipher; he was
about as significant as a fly speck on the wall.” *
A clean break A clear and final breaking-off of relations; finally finish-
ing and leaving for good. “I want to leave the company
and make a clean break with the audit profession because
I find it too stressful for me.” “My wife and I have de-
cided to make a clean break, and go our own separate
ways.” “When I retired as a military man, I decided to
make a clean break with the past and to devote myself to
peace and charity.” *
A clean slate Starting off with a clean record. i.e. after having con-
fessed your wrong-doings and served your punishment.
7
“My teacher says that once I have served my punishment
for cheating, I will have erased my bad record and I can
start off with a clean slate.” “Now that I have served my
prison sentence, I can start off with a clean slate and start
a new and better life.” “Once a murder has done his time
and paid his debt to society, he is released from prison
with a clean slate and allowed to rejoin society.” *
A clip over the ear A slap on the side of the head; a smack on the ear; a box
on the ear. “My son, if you don’t stop that noise I’ll give
you a clip over the ear.” “Father says that if he ever
catches me lying, he’ll give me a clip over the ear.” “I’ll
give you a good clip over the ear if I ever hear you say-
ing anything nasty like that again.” *
A close call A narrow escape; a close shave; a brush with danger,
nearly missing death. “The pilot landed his plane on the
runway, just as it was running out of fuel. It was quite a
close call.” “The bomb squad disarmed the explosive de-
vice just a few seconds before it was about to go off. It
was a very close call.” “The farmer was rescue-lifted by
helicopter from the rooftop of his barn just as the nearby
dam was about to burst. It was a close call.” *
A close shave A close call; brush with danger; a near accident. “My
cousin, Clem, threw a hunting knife at me that whizzed
so close by me under my ear that it nearly cut the whisk-
ers from my cheek. That was a close shave.” “The enemy
shot a missile at the plane which whistled by within
inches of the fuselage, as the pilot was starting to loop to
avoid impact. That was certainly a close shave, if there
ever was one.” “Last night, in the warehouse, I had a
close shave with death, when the crane operator dropped
a container that hit the ground in just in front of me.” *
A crushing blow A hurtful action; a disappointing defeat; a strong setback.
“When my wife packed-up and left me, it was a crushing
blow.” “It was a crushing blow when I lost my job during
the financial crisis.” “It was a crushing blow for the Con-
servative Party when the Liberals won the election.” *
A crying-shame A pity; a disgrace; something unfair that makes us feel
sorry for the victimized. “It’s a crying-shame so many
children are dying of malnutrition throughout the world,
while the rest of us become fat and overweight.” “It’s a
crying shame the way a small minority is getting rich on
corruption, while the majority of the poor don’t have a
the chance to earn a decent living.” “It’s a crying-shame
the way Malone spends all his time and money drinking
in the pub while making no effort to take care of his wife
and children.” *
A cushy job An easy job that is not demanding or difficult; a comfort-
able, enjoyable job that does not take too much effort.
8
“The managing director has given his mistress a nice,
cushy job in his office, and the rest of the staff members
are feeling resentful” “My best friend has got a nice,
cushy job in an air-conditioned office, while I have to
work really hard, out in the heat of the day as a gar-
dener.” “I wish I could get a nice cushy job where I
wouldn’t have too much to do and not very much respon-
sibility” *
A cut above the average Better than most; higher than normal; quite good com-
pared to normal standards. “The new, young, foreign
graduates that we have been hiring are a cut above aver-
age because they have been trained in a more up-to-date
educational system.” “Our work for the client must be a
cut above average if we want to stay competitive in the
market.” “Your son, Stan, is certainly a cut above aver-
age when compared to the rest of the students in class.” *
A drop in the bucket A small part of the whole; very little compared to the to-
tal amount; a small fraction of the total sum “The amount
the government is investing in environmental research is
a drop in the bucket compared to what it spends on na-
tional defense.” “Government aid of a million dollars for
Tsunami refugees is just a drop in the bucket in contrast
to the huge amount that foreign non-government agen-
cies are presently spending.” “The money I lost on gam-
bling in Los Vegas is just a drop in the bucket compared
to the massive amount of income taxes I have to pay
every year.” *
A drop in the ocean Just a small amount compared to the size of the whole;
only a little bit of the total quantity. “A million dollars is
a drop in the ocean compared to the total amount needed
to combat starvation and hunger in the Sudan.” “The lit-
tle bit he gives to charity is just a drop in the ocean com-
pared to money he wastes on drink and women.” “What
the company spends on staff development is just a drop
in the ocean compared to what it spends on developing
the company image.” *
A dud Just as a bomb that has been dropped may fail to explode
due to a faulty triggering-device, so a plan, or perform-
ance may lack the necessary spark to fire the imagination
of the public. “The fireworks extravaganza was a disas-
trous disappointment, because the ignition devices didn’t
go off in sequence, so the whole show was a dud.” “The
high school opening performance of a Shakespeare’s
play, Macbeth, failed to awaken the imagination of the
student body. It was a real and total dud” “Even the most
expensive film ever made by Hollywood would be a gi-
gantic dud, if it didn’t feature big-name stars and a have
a huge promotion budget.” *
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A fair crack at A chance to try your luck; an opportunity to fix or solve
a problem; an opening or possibility to show how well
you can do. “I know I could be a good movie actress if I
were given a fair crack at it.” “If I were given a fair crack
at solving the traffic problem, I’d have it fixed within
three months.” “If I am given the chance of becoming the
company managing director, I’m sure I’d be a success.
All I need is a fair crack at it.” *
A fat lot of good that will That won’t help much; won’t make matters better; won’t
do. do any good; won’t improve the situation. “You can in-
vest another million in your business, but a fat lot of
good that will do, if your cost of investment continues to
exceed profits from sales.” “You can fill the tank of the
car with gas, but a fat lot of good that will do if you don’t
get the fuel pump fixed as well.” “You may have a good
business plan, but a fat lot of good that will do if you
can’t find the cash for the start-up costs.” *
A fat lot you care! Indicates you know that the other person has no sympa-
thy or understanding for you. “I’m falling apart emotion-
ally because I’m disappointed about our love, but a fat lot
you care!” “Your hate and greed have driven me to de-
struction, but a fat lot you care!” “I’ve never been
through such terrible suffering in my life, but I can see
you have absolutely no pity for me. A fat lot you care!” *
A fate worse than death Suffering that is so bad that dying would be easier or
maybe better. “Being in a state of insufferable pain for
months and months is a fate worse than death itself.”
“Loving someone who is burning with hatred towards
you can be compared with a fate worse than death” “It’s
possible to argue that there is no fate worse than death,
but being married to my wife would surely put you to the
test.” *
A feather in your cap Just as in the old days when hunters wore a fine-looking
feather, stuck into the band of their caps, as a sign of
their hunting skill, so, nowadays, we can say someone
deserves a feather in his cap when he has done something
well or worthy of recognition. “You deserve a feather in
your cap for all the time you have devoted to community
service.” “Collins deserves a feather in his cap for solv-
ing the math problem in half the time it took the others.”
“Winning a Nobel Prize is the highest modern-day-
equivalent of wearing a feather in your cap.” *
A feeding-frenzy Just as man-eating piranha fish will swarm to a chunk of
flesh, which is thrown into the water, and have a feeding
frenzy, so “mass media reporters, for example, can
swarm to the scene a and have a ‘feeding frenzy’ wher-
ever a big star is involved in a public scandal.” “The
press had a feeding frenzy when the big Tsunami hit
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