Idioms and proverbs

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A

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: Better to have a lesser but certain advantage than the possibility of a greater one that may come to nothing.
A blessing in disguise: A misfortune that eventually results in something good.
A dime a dozen: Something very common and not of much value.
A drop in the bucket: A very small part of something big or whole.
A penny for your thoughts: A way of asking what someone is thinking.
A picture is worth a thousand words: A complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image.
A piece of cake: Something that is easy to do.
A rolling stone gathers no moss: A person who doesn't settle in one place is unlikely to accumulate wealth or status.
Actions speak louder than words: What someone actually does is more significant than what they say they will do.
Add insult to injury: To make a bad situation worse.
Against the clock: Rushed and short on time.
All bark and no bite: When someone is threatening and/or noisy but not willing to engage in a fight.
All ears: Fully listening.
All roads lead to Rome: Different paths can take one to the same goal.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away: Eating healthy food keeps you healthy.
An arm and a leg: Very expensive or costly.
An axe to grind: A personal stake in an issue.
As cool as a cucumber: To remain calm under pressure.
As easy as pie: Very easy.
At the drop of a hat: Without any hesitation; instantly.

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B

Back to square one: Having to start all over again.
Back to the drawing board: When an attempt fails and it's time to start all over.
Barking up the wrong tree: To be mistaken or misguided.
Beating around the bush: Avoiding the main topic.
Beggars can't be choosers: When the choices are limited, one must accept what is offered even if it is not ideal.
Better late than never: It’s better to do something late than not do it at all.
Between a rock and a hard place: Stuck between two very bad options.
Bite the bullet: To get something over with because it is inevitable.
Bite the hand that feeds you: To hurt someone who’s helping you.
Break the ice: To initiate a social interaction.
Burn the midnight oil: To work late into the night.
Burst your bubble: To destroy someone's illusion or delusion; to destroy the basis of someone's belief.
Bury the hatchet: To make peace.
Burning bridges: Destroying one's path, connections, reputation, opportunities, etc.
Busy as a bee: Very busy and industrious.
By hook or by crook: By any means necessary - ethical or not.
By the seat of your pants: To do something by instinct without proper planning or measuring.
By the skin of your teeth: Just barely making it.
By the book: Doing things according to the rules or the law.
Bite off more than you can chew: To take on a task that is way too big.

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C

Call it a day: To stop working on something.
Catch someone red-handed: To catch someone in the act of doing something wrong.
Caught between two stools: When someone finds it difficult to choose between two alternatives.
Chip on your shoulder: Being upset for something that happened in the past.
Cold feet: To hesitate because of fear or uncertainty.
Come hell or high water: No matter what happens or how difficult it becomes.
Cost an arm and a leg: Something that is very expensive.
Cross that bridge when you come to it: Deal with a problem if and when it becomes necessary, not before.
Cry over spilt milk: To be upset about something that cannot be undone.
Cry wolf: To give a false alarm; to warn of a danger that is not there.
Curiosity killed the cat: Being inquisitive can lead you into a dangerous situation.
Cut corners: To do something badly or cheaply.
Cut the mustard: To succeed; to come up to expectations.
Cut to the chase: To get to the point without wasting time.
Chew the fat: To chat in a leisurely way; gossip.
Clam up: To become silent; to stop talking.
Clear the air: To remove the tension.
Clip someone's wings: To limit someone's freedom.
Close but no cigar: To almost achieve success, but ultimately fail.
Cold turkey: To abruptly stop a habit or addiction without gradual reduction.

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D

Dead as a doornail: Completely dead or unusable.
Devil's advocate: To present a counter argument.
Don't count your chickens before they hatch: Don't make plans based on future events that might not happen.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket: Don't risk everything on the success of one venture.
Down to the wire: Something that ends at the last minute or last few seconds.
Drag your feet: To delay or avoid doing something.
Draw the line: To set a limit; to define a boundary.
Dressed to the nines: Wearing very fancy or stylish clothes.
Drive someone up the wall: To greatly irritate or annoy someone.
Drop in the ocean: A very small amount compared to the amount needed.
Dry spell: A period of inactivity or drought.
Dutch courage: Confidence gained from consuming alcohol.
Dying to try: Extremely eager to experience something.
Dime a dozen: Common and easy to get.
Double-edged sword: A situation or decision that has both positive and negative consequences.
Dodge a bullet: To narrowly avoid something particularly bad or problematic.
Dog days: The hottest period of the year.
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you: Don’t hurt anyone that helps you.
Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater: Don't get rid of valuable things along with the unnecessary ones.
Don't judge a book by its cover: Not to judge something based on its outward appearance.

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E

Every cloud has a silver lining: Be optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better days.
Easier said than done: Something that is easy to say but harder to do.
Eat humble pie: To apologize and face humiliation for a serious error.
Elbow grease: Hard physical effort.
Even the score: To retaliate or make things fair after an earlier dispute.
Every dog has its day: Everyone gets a chance to succeed.
Early bird catches the worm: The person who takes the earliest opportunity will gain the advantage.
Elephant in the room: A big issue, problem, or controversy that is obvious or well-known but goes unaddressed.
Excuse my French: An apology for using profane language.
Eye for an eye: A form of retributive justice.
Egg on your face: To look foolish or be embarrassed.
Empty vessels make the most noise: Those with the least talent and knowledge usually speak the most, speak the loudest, and create the most fuss.
Easier to ask forgiveness than permission: A phrase encouraging risky behavior that would likely be disapproved.
Eat one's words: To take back what one has said.
Eating crow: Admitting fault after being proven wrong, often in a humiliating way.
Enter the lion's den: To enter a situation or place that is potentially dangerous or hostile.
Every man for himself: The idea that everyone should look after their own interests, often in a chaotic or crisis situation.
Everything but the kitchen sink: Almost everything and anything has been included.
Every nook and cranny: Every part of a place thoroughly.
Everything's coming up roses: Everything is going well; life is good.

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F

Face the music: To confront the consequences of one's actions.
Fair-weather friend: A person who is only a friend in good times.
Fall on your sword: To accept blame; to sacrifice oneself.
Familiarity breeds contempt: The more you know something or someone, the more likely you are to find faults and grow tired of it.
Feast or famine: An all-or-nothing situation.
Fight tooth and nail: To fight fiercely.
Find your feet: To become comfortable in what you are doing.
Fit as a fiddle: In good physical health.
Flash in the pan: Something that shows potential or looks promising in the beginning but fails to deliver anything in the end.
Flat as a pancake: Completely flat.
Flog a dead horse: To continue to make an issue of something that is over.
Fly off the handle: To suddenly become extremely angry without a good reason.
Fly by the seat of your pants: To do something instinctively or without careful thought.
Foam at the mouth: To be extremely angry.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread: Foolish people are often reckless, attempting things that the wise avoid.
For crying out loud: An expression of frustration or annoyance.
For the birds: Worthless or meaningless.
Forbidden fruit: Something that is forbidden or dangerous, which makes it desirable.
Forewarned is forearmed: Being informed about possible problems gives one a tactical advantage.
Full steam ahead: Proceed with as much speed or energy as possible.

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G

Get a taste of your own medicine: To experience the unpleasantness that you have inflicted on others.
Give someone the cold shoulder: To intentionally ignore someone or treat them unfriendly.
Go back to the drawing board: To start over and go back to the planning stage.
Go down in flames: To fail spectacularly.
Go the extra mile: To do more than what is expected.
Good things come to those who wait: Being patient often results in rewards.
Grasp the nettle: To tackle a difficult problem bravely.
Great minds think alike: Intelligent people think like each other.
Grease someone's palm: To bribe someone.
Green with envy: Very jealous.
Grin and bear it: Accept a difficult situation without complaining.
Grow a backbone: To start standing up for oneself.
Guilty as charged: Fully responsible for doing something bad.
Gut feeling: An instinctive feeling, without any logical rationale.
Go for broke: To risk everything in one big effort.
Go against the grain: To go against the conventional rules or standards.
Go off half-cocked: To act too hastily or without due consideration.
Go out on a limb: To put oneself in a risky situation.
Go the whole nine yards: To do something completely or thoroughly.
Golden handshake: A large payment to someone on their retirement.

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H

Hit the nail on the head: To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.
Hold your horses: To tell someone to wait or to slow down.
Honesty is the best policy: It's always better to be honest.
Hear it on the grapevine: To learn something informally and unofficially by means of gossip or rumor.
Head over heels: Deeply in love.
High and dry: To leave someone unsupported and unable to maneuver.
Hit the sack: To go to bed.
Haste makes waste: Hurrying can lead to mistakes.
Have your cake and eat it too: To want more than is reasonable or possible.
Have an axe to grind: To have a selfish motive or personal stake in a matter.
Heart in the right place: To have good intentions, even if there are mistakes or imperfections in execution.
Heavy heart: Feeling sadness or grief.
Hell in a handbasket: Deteriorating and headed for complete disaster.
Hit below the belt: To act unfairly.
Hold the fort: To be in charge while someone is away.
Hot potato: A controversial issue or situation which is difficult to handle.
Hold your tongue: To refrain from speaking.
Hitch your wagon to a star: To have ambitious plans or lofty goals.
House of cards: A structure or argument built on a shaky foundation or one that will collapse if a necessary element is removed.
Hung out to dry: Left in a difficult or helpless position without support.

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I

In the nick of time: Just in time; at the last possible moment.
It's raining cats and dogs: It's raining very heavily.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it: If something is working adequately well, there is no need to change or interfere with it.
In hot water: In trouble; facing a difficult situation.
In the same boat: In the same difficult situation as others.
In the limelight: The center of attention.
It takes two to tango: Actions or communications need more than one person.
It's a small world: You frequently see the same people in different places.
In for a penny, in for a pound: Once involved, fully committed to an endeavor.
Iron out the wrinkles: To remove small problems or irregularities.
Ignorance is bliss: Not knowing something is often more comfortable than knowing.
Icing on the cake: An additional benefit or positive aspect of something that is already considered positive or beneficial.
In over your head: Involved in a situation that is too difficult to handle.
In the heat of the moment: Acting under the pressure of the moment without considering the consequences.
In the bag: Assured of a result; virtually guaranteed.
In the blink of an eye: Very quickly; in a short moment.
In the dark: Uninformed or unaware.
In the red: Operating at a loss or owing money.
In the driver's seat: In control of a situation.
In two minds: Unable to decide between two things.

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J

Jump the gun: To start something before it is permissible, appropriate, or advisable.
Just in the nick of time: Just at the critical moment; barely in time.
Just what the doctor ordered: Exactly what is needed or desired.
Join the club: A response when someone has experienced the same thing as you.
Jack of all trades, master of none: Someone who can do many tasks but isn't expert in any.
Jog someone's memory: To cause someone to remember something.
Jump on the bandwagon: To join others in doing something that is becoming popular.
Jump through hoops: To go through many often difficult processes.
Jump at the chance: To quickly and eagerly accept the opportunity to do something.
Judge a book by its cover: To form an opinion based on outward appearances.
Jury is still out: It is not yet clear or decided.
Juggle many hats: To manage or handle many roles or responsibilities.
Just a stone's throw away: Very close; a short distance.
Just the ticket: Exactly what is needed.
Jump the shark: A term used to describe something that was once popular but has reached a point where it will now decline in quality and popularity.
Jockey for position: To maneuver or compete for a favorable position.
Jot it down: To write something quickly on paper.
Jump out of one's skin: To be extremely startled.
Just a hop, skip, and a jump away: Very close by; just a short distance away.
Just drop it: A request to stop discussing a certain topic.

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K

Keep your chin up: Stay positive and don't get discouraged.
Kick the bucket: A euphemism for dying.
Keep your eyes peeled: Stay alert and watch carefully.
Kill two birds with one stone: To accomplish two different tasks in a single action.
Keep the ball rolling: Continue or sustain activity or progress.
Know the ropes: To be familiar with the details of an operation or task.
Keep at bay: To prevent something or someone from coming too close or from attacking.
Knee-jerk reaction: An automatic or reflex reaction.
Knock on wood: A phrase said in order to avoid bad luck, often while literally knocking on something wooden.
Keep your nose clean: To stay out of trouble.
Kick the can down the road: To delay dealing with something in the hope that it will become someone else's problem.
Keep one's cool: To remain calm under stress.
Kiss and make up: To reconcile after a dispute.
Keep up with the Joneses: To strive to match one's neighbors in spending and social standing.
Knock it off: Stop doing something annoying.
Know which side one's bread is buttered on: Be aware of where one's advantage lies.
Kick up a fuss: Make a scene; create a big disturbance.
Keep on truckin'': To keep going, persist.
King's ransom: A very large amount of money.
Kangaroo court: An unofficial court that does not follow the established rules of law.

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L

Let the cat out of the bag: To reveal a secret or a surprise by accident.
Look before you leap: Think carefully about what you are about to do before you do it.
Love is blind: When you love someone, you cannot see their faults.
Leave no stone unturned: To do everything possible to achieve a good outcome.
Lose your cool: To become angry or agitated.
Live and let live: Allow others to live their lives as they wish; don't interfere.
Lend me your ear: Listen to me.
Let sleeping dogs lie: To avoid restarting a conflict.
Long in the tooth: Old, often used to describe animals or people.
Like shooting fish in a barrel: Very easy.
Look on the bright side: Be optimistic, even in difficulties.
Loose cannon: Someone who is unpredictable and can cause damage if not kept in check.
Lick your wounds: To recover from a defeat or setback.
Last but not least: An introduction for the last person or item, implying that they are no less important than what was previously mentioned.
Laugh all the way to the bank: To profit handsomely, especially at the expense of others.
Lock, stock, and barrel: Entirely, completely.
Lower the boom: Enforce something strictly or reprimand sharply.
Lead by example: To act in a way that shows others how to act.
Like a bull in a china shop: Behaving in a very clumsy, aggressive way.
Like pulling teeth: Something very difficult and frustrating.

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M

Make hay while the sun shines: Take advantage of favorable conditions; do something while conditions are good.
Miss the boat: To miss an opportunity.
Mum's the word: Keep this a secret; don't tell anybody.
Make no bones about it: To state something clearly and directly.
Many hands make light work: Many people working together make a task easier.
Meet your maker: To die.
Make a mountain out of a molehill: To make a small problem seem much bigger than it actually is.
Money doesn't grow on trees: Money is not easily obtained and should be spent wisely.
More bang for your buck: More value for your money.
Make ends meet: To manage one's finances so as to just barely cover expenses.
Method to the madness: An underlying purpose or reason in what appears to be crazy behavior.
Milk it for all it's worth: To take full advantage of a situation.
Mind your Ps and Qs: To be careful about what you say and how you behave.
Music to my ears: News or information that one is happy to hear.
My way or the highway: An ultimatum where someone must either follow instructions or leave.
Make a beeline for: To go straight toward something or someone.
Mend fences: To improve or repair a relationship that has been damaged.
Monkey see, monkey do: People, especially children, will mimic what they see others doing.
Muddy the waters: To make a situation more confusing or complicated.
Mum's the word: To keep the information confidential.

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N

Nail your colors to the mast: To show one's intentions clearly and openly.
Not playing with a full deck: Not mentally sound; lacking intelligence or understanding.
Not all it's cracked up to be: Not as good as people say.
Needle in a haystack: Something very hard or impossible to find.
Never say die: Never give up.
No news is good news: If you do not hear about a situation, it is likely that nothing bad has happened.
Not my circus, not my monkeys: Not my problem; I am not responsible for this.
Nip it in the bud: To stop something at an early stage.
No pain, no gain: You have to work hard for something you want.
No stone unturned: With no effort spared in searching; very thorough.
No time like the present: The best time to do something is now.
Not the sharpest tool in the shed: Not very intelligent or clever.
Nutty as a fruitcake: Very crazy.
Nose out of joint: To feel upset or annoyed.
No holds barred: Without any restrictions or rules.
Not worth a dime: Of no value.
No ifs, ands, or buts: No excuses or exceptions.
Nest egg: Savings set aside for future use.
Nail to the wall: To catch or expose someone in a wrongdoing.
Not cut out for: Not suited for (a task).

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O

Once in a blue moon: Very rarely.
Out of the blue: Unexpectedly.
On cloud nine: Extremely happy or euphoric.
Over the moon: Delighted, thrilled.
Out of the woods: No longer in danger or difficulty.
On the same page: Agreeing with someone; sharing the same viewpoint or beliefs.
On the ball: Doing a good job, being prompt, or being responsible.
Old hat: Outdated.
Out on a limb: In a risky position or situation.
Open a can of worms: To create a new set of problems.
Out in the cold: Excluded.
On pins and needles: Anxious or nervous, especially in anticipation of something.
Out of sight, out of mind: You do not think about people or things that are not visible or present.
Off the hook: No longer in difficulty or trouble.
Off the beaten path: Not common or frequented by many people.
On the fence: Undecided.
On the ropes: Close to defeat or failure.
Off the record: Not to be made public.
One for the books: An unusual event worth recording.
Out of your depth: In a situation that is too difficult to handle.

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P

Pull someone's leg: To joke or tease someone.
Put your best foot forward: To act or appear at your best; to try to make a good impression.
Put the cart before the horse: To have things in the wrong order; to get ahead of oneself.
Play it by ear: To improvise; to respond to circumstances instead of following a plan.
Penny for your thoughts: A way of asking someone what they are thinking about.
Piece of cake: Something that is easy to do.
Pull yourself together: To regain control of one’s emotions.
Pass the buck: To shift responsibility (and often blame) to another person.
Paint the town red: To go out and enjoy oneself flamboyantly.
Pay through the nose: To pay an excessive price for something.
Plead the fifth: To refuse to answer a question, especially in a legal context, to avoid incriminating oneself.
Push the envelope: To attempt to extend the current limits of performance. To innovate, or go beyond commonly accepted boundaries.
Put all your eggs in one basket: To risk everything on the success of one venture.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it: Accept that fact, even if you don’t like it.
Pull the wool over someone's eyes: To deceive; to hoodwink.
Play second fiddle: To take a subordinate role behind someone more important.
Pull no punches: To be candid; not holding back in criticism or actions.
Paddle your own canoe: To be independent and self-reliant.
Put your nose to the grindstone: To work hard and diligently.
Pie in the sky: Something that is unrealistic or that cannot be achieved.

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Q

Quiet as a mouse: Extremely quiet or silent.
Quick as a flash: Very fast or instant.
Question of time: Something that is inevitable or bound to happen.
Quarrel with bread and butter: To complain about something that is fundamentally beneficial or necessary.
Quality over quantity: The superiority of something good over something more but of less quality.
Quaking in one's boots: Extremely scared.
Queer the pitch: To spoil or disrupt someone's efforts.
Quid pro quo: An exchange of goods or services, where one transfer is contingent upon the other.
Quick on the uptake: Quick to understand or learn something.
Quit while you're ahead: To stop doing something while one is successful or winning.
Quarrel over an empty sack: To argue about something that is worthless or not important.
Quench one's thirst: To satisfy one's thirst with a drink.
Quake in one's shoes: To be very frightened.
Queue up: To line up or wait in line.
Quash the rumors: To stop or suppress rumors.
Quarantine your worries: To isolate or set aside one's worries.
Quilt of memories: A collection or amalgamation of memorable moments.
Quiver with fear: To shake or tremble from fear.
Quote chapter and verse: To cite with precise details.
Quip about trivial things: To make witty remarks about insignificant matters.

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R

Raining cats and dogs: Raining very heavily.
Read between the lines: To understand the hidden meaning or intent.
Rear its ugly head: When something bad appears or makes itself known.
Reinvent the wheel: To waste time creating something that already exists.
Rest on your laurels: To be satisfied with past successes and stop trying hard.
Right as rain: Perfectly fine or functioning well.
Rock the boat: To cause trouble, especially when no trouble is necessary.
Roll with the punches: To adapt to setbacks or difficulties.
Rome wasn't built in a day: Important work takes time.
Rule of thumb: A practical and approximate way of doing or measuring something.
Run-of-the-mill: Ordinary, not special or exceptional.
Run the gauntlet: To endure a series of troubles or difficulties.
Ruffle feathers: To irritate or annoy people.
Rise and shine: Wake up and get out of bed quickly.
Rub salt in the wound: To make someone's unhappiness, embarrassment, or misfortune worse.
Rack your brains: To think very hard or try to remember something.
Rake over the coals: To scold, criticize, or punish someone severely.
Rat race: A way of life in which people are caught up in a fiercely competitive struggle for wealth or power.
Ring a bell: To sound familiar; to cause someone to remember something or someone.
Rise to the occasion: To show that you can deal with a difficult situation successfully.

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S

Save for a rainy day: To save money for a time when it might be needed unexpectedly.
Spill the beans: To reveal a secret.
Speak of the devil: When the person you have just been talking about arrives.
Stick to your guns: To maintain one's position firmly despite opposition.
Strike while the iron is hot: To take action at the right moment.
See eye to eye: To agree fully; to have the same opinion.
Steal someone's thunder: To take the credit for something someone else did.
Straight from the horse's mouth: Information coming from the most reliable source.
Sink or swim: To fail or succeed entirely by one's own efforts.
Six of one, half a dozen of the other: Two alternatives that are equivalent or indifferent.
Sit on the fence: To delay making a decision.
Sleep on it: To think about something overnight before making a decision.
Smell a rat: To suspect foul play.
Start from scratch: To start from the beginning with nothing.
Stick out like a sore thumb: To be conspicuously different.
Sweep under the rug: To conceal or ignore a problem in order to make it temporarily disappear.
Sell like hot cakes: To sell very quickly.
Set the record straight: To correct a false story; to provide accurate information.
Shake a leg: To hurry up.
Shoot the breeze: To chat informally.

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T

The ball is in your court: It is up to you to make the next decision or step.
Take the bull by the horns: To approach, confront, or deal with a problem directly.
Throw in the towel: To give up; to admit defeat.
Turn over a new leaf: To start anew; to change one's behavior for the better.
Tip of the iceberg: A small, visible part of a much larger, hidden situation.
Taste of your own medicine: To experience the unpleasantness that you have inflicted on others.
Time flies when you're having fun: You don't notice how long something lasts when it's enjoyable.
Take it with a grain of salt: To view something with skepticism or not take it literally.
Talk the hind legs off a donkey: To talk excessively.
Throw caution to the wind: To take a risk.
The pot calling the kettle black: Accusing someone of faults one also has.
The more the merrier: The more people or participants, the better the occasion will be.
The last straw: The final problem in a series of problems.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree: Children usually turn out like their parents.
Twist someone's arm: To coerce someone into doing something.
Take the cake: To be the most outrageous or egregious of its kind.
Tighten your belt: To reduce your spending.
To each his own: People have different preferences or tastes.
Through thick and thin: In all circumstances, no matter how difficult.
Throw someone under the bus: To betray someone for personal gain.

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U

Under the weather: Feeling ill or sick.
Up in arms: Very angry; protesting vehemently.
Up the creek without a paddle: In a difficult situation without any good options or means of escape.
Under the radar: Not detected or noticed.
Use your loaf: To use your head or brain to think something through.
Up for grabs: Available for anyone; not yet claimed.
Under your nose: Right in front of you; obvious.
Until the cows come home: For a very long time; indefinitely.
Upset the apple cart: To spoil a plan or disturb the status quo.
Up and running: Fully operational.
Under the gun: Under great pressure.
Up the ante: To increase what is at stake or the level of something, especially the risks.
Uncharted waters: Situations or areas no one has experienced or explored before.
Under one's thumb: Under someone's control or influence.
Up to speed: Fully informed or up to date.
Up to the mark: Satisfactory; good enough.
Unravel at the seams: To come apart; to fail.
Uphill battle: A difficult struggle.
Under the table: Illegally or secretly, especially in terms of payments.
Until the bitter end: Continuing until the end, despite difficulties.

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V

Vent your spleen: To express anger or frustration.
Vice versa: With the order reversed; the other way around.
Vicious circle: A complex, self-perpetuating cycle of events that worsens with each iteration.
Voice of reason: Someone who speaks sensibly during a time of confusion.
Vote with your feet: To express one's dissatisfaction with something by leaving or not participating.
Vanish into thin air: To disappear suddenly and completely.
Vying for attention: Competing to be noticed.
Veil of secrecy: A situation where information is kept secret.
Vested interests: Personal interests in an existing system, arrangement, or institution for particular personal reasons.
View through rose-colored glasses: To see something in an overly favorable way.
Vale of tears: The world considered as a scene of sadness or hardship.
Value for money: Something well worth the money paid.
Vouch for someone: To guarantee someone's integrity or reliability.
Venture a guess: To make a guess, usually educated based on the available information.
Violate the sanctity: To desecrate or treat with disrespect something considered sacred.
Variety is the spice of life: Doing a lot of different things makes life more interesting.
Vital part: An essential or very important part of something.
Vanquish your fears: To overcome your fears.
Vault over obstacles: To overcome obstacles or challenges easily.
Veer off course: To suddenly change direction or path.

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

W

Wear your heart on your sleeve: To openly and freely express your emotions.
When pigs fly: Something that will never happen.
Wet behind the ears: Inexperienced and naive.
Wild goose chase: A foolish and hopeless pursuit of something unattainable.
Wipe the slate clean: To forget all past mistakes or offenses, as if starting anew.
Wolf in sheep's clothing: A person who pretends to be nice but is not.
Work like a dog: To work very hard.
Worth its weight in gold: Extremely valuable.
Wash your hands of something: To refuse to have anything more to do with it.
Walk on eggshells: To be extremely cautious about one's words or actions.
Walk the talk: To do what one said one could do, or would do, not just making empty promises.
Water under the bridge: Things from the past that are not considered important or worth arguing about anymore.
Weather the storm: To survive a crisis.
Whistle in the dark: To try to keep up one's courage in a scary situation.
White elephant: A possession that is useless or troublesome, especially one that is expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of.
Whole nine yards: Everything possible or available.
With bells on: To arrive happily and eagerly.
With flying colors: With great or total success.
Without a shadow of a doubt: Absolutely certain.
Word of mouth: Information passed by verbal communication in an informal way.

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

X

X marks the spot: Indicating an exact spot or location.
Xenophobia: Fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers.
X-factor: A variable in a given situation that could have the most significant impact on the outcome.
X-ray vision: The ability to see through solid objects, often used metaphorically to suggest clear insight into complex situations.
Xenial: Hospitable, especially to visiting strangers or foreigners.
Xerox: To copy, often used generically despite being a brand name.
X out: To cancel, eliminate, or make ineffective.
Xenogenesis: The supposed generation of offspring completely and radically different from the parent(s).
X-axis: Horizontal axis in a graph.
Xenodochial: Friendly to strangers.
Xylophone: A musical instrument played by striking a row of wooden bars of graduated length with one or more small wooden or plastic beaters.
Xenophile: An individual who is attracted to foreign peoples, cultures, or customs.
Xyst: A garden walk planted with trees.
X-linked: A gene carried on the X chromosome.
Xenotransplantation: The transplantation of living cells, tissues, or organs from one species to another.
Xenon: A chemical element with symbol Xe and atomic number 54.
Xerosis: Abnormal dryness of the skin or mucous membranes.
Xenocryst: A crystal in an igneous rock which is not derived from the original magma.
Xerophyte: A plant adapted to an extremely dry environment.
Xanthoma: A skin condition in which certain fats build up under the surface of the skin.

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Y

You can't judge a book by its cover: You cannot determine the quality or content of something just by looking at its exterior.
You can't teach an old dog new tricks: It's hard to change someone's established behavior, especially later in life.
You reap what you sow: You eventually have to face up to the consequences of your actions.
Your guess is as good as mine: I don't know.
You've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette: It's necessary to destroy or harm something to accomplish something else.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink: You can give someone an opportunity, but you can't force them to take it.
You're barking up the wrong tree: You're mistaken or looking in the wrong place.
Yellow-bellied: Cowardly.
Yoke around your neck: A burden or responsibility that is oppressive.
Yield the floor: To give up one's turn to speak to another speaker.
Yearn for the old days: To desire the way things used to be.
Yoke together: To join or link together.
Yank someone's chain: To tease someone.
Yin and yang: Opposite or contrary forces that are actually complementary.
Yell bloody murder: To shout loudly from pain or fright.
Yours truly: A way of referring to oneself in a letter or email.
Yonder: At some distance in the direction indicated; over there.
Yuppie: A young city or suburban resident with a well-paid professional job and an affluent lifestyle.
Yellow journalism: Journalism that is based upon sensationalism and crude exaggeration.
Young at heart: To be lively and youthful in spirit, regardless of age.

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Z

Zero in on: To focus closely on something.
Zip your lip: To stop talking.
Zig when you should zag: To make an error in judgment or take the wrong action.
Zest for life: A joyful and enthusiastic appreciation of life.
Zone out: To lose concentration or become inattentive.
Zebra crossing: A type of pedestrian crossing marked with broad white stripes where pedestrians have right of way.
Zany: Amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic.
Zip along: To move quickly.
Zenith: The time at which something is most powerful or successful.
Zeitgeist: The defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.
Zero tolerance: A policy of applying the strictest enforcement of rules and penalties to all kinds of wrongdoing, without allowing flexibility by discretion.
Zephyr: A gentle, mild breeze.
Zero-sum game: A situation in which whatever is gained by one side is lost by the other.
Zigzag: A line or course having sharp alternating turns.
Zillion: A very large, indefinite number.
Zodiac: A diagram used in astrology that represents the circle of the zodiacal constellations in twelve equal parts.
Zombie: A fictional undead being created through the reanimation of a human corpse.
Zone defense: A defensive tactic used in team sports where each player is responsible for defending an area rather than marking a specific opponent.
Zoom in: To focus closer on something, especially a camera.
Zipline: A cable suspended above an incline to which a pulley and harness are attached for a rider.