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Idioms and PhrasesMeaning
Hobson's choice - A choice of taking what is available or nothing at all
Left handed compliment - A criticism or insult disguised as a compliment
A red letter day - A day of special significance
A snake in the grass - a deceitful or treacherous person
A fair crack of the whip - A fair chance or opportunity
Tall order - A formidable task
Castles in the air - A hope or desire unlikely to be realized
A Ladies man - A man who shows fondness for the company of women
To be a good samaritan - A person who voluntarily offers help
White elephant - A possession that is useless
Storm in a cup - A small event that has been exaggerated out of proportion
A tall order - A task difficult to accomplish
Gift of the gab - Ability to speak easily and confidently
French leave - Absence without permission
To take a leap in the dark - An act whose consequences cannot be predicted
A fool's errand - An attempt to do something that has no chance of success
Bird's eye view - An overall or cursory look at something
A pipe dream - An unattainable or fanciful hope
To throw cold water on - be discouraging or negative about
Hush money - Bribe paid to someone to prevent them from disclosing discreditable information
By the skin of one's teeth - By the smallest margin
Make both ends meet - Earn just enough money to live on
All and sundry - Everyone without distinction
The pros and cons - For and against a thing
Wild goose chase - Fruitless pursuit of something unattainable
Lock, stock, and barrel - Including all or every part of something
Swan song - Last work or performance of a musician, actor etc before death or retirement
Pin money - Money for incidental expenses
To cry wolf - Raising false alarm
Wolf in sheep's clothing - Someone who is pretending to be something they are not
No love lost - Strong hatred, hostility, or enmity for the other person
To take up the gauntlet - To accept a challenge
To be at loggerheads - To be at strife or enmity
To be at daggers drawn - To be bitter enemy
To keep one's head above water - To be cautious
Eat humble pie - To be forced to apologize humbly
To kick your heels - To be forced to wait for a period of time
Be in the mire - To be in difficulties
In hot water - To be in trouble
To blow hot and cold - To be inconsistent
To get cold feet - To become nervous or anxious
To play fast and loose - To behave in a recklessly irresponsible or deceitful manner
To end in smoke - To come to nothing
To read between the lines - To detect the real meaning
To give up the ghost - To die
To die in harness - To die while actively engaged in work
Blaze a trail - To do early or pioneering work that others will follow up on
To set the thames on fire - To do something remarkable
To pour oil in troubled water - To do something to calm a quarrel
Bite the bullet - To endure a painful or otherwise unpleasant situation that is seen as unavoidable
To make a mountain of a molehill - To exaggerate the importance of something trivial
To wrangle over an ass's shadow - To fight or quarrel over trivial and insignificant matters
To catch a Tartar - To fight with strong enemy
Hit the nail on the head - To guess or arrive at exactly the right answer
To hit below the belt - To harm unfairly
Have an axe to grind - To have a reason for being involved in something
To pay off old scores - To have one's revenge
Let bygones be bygones - To ignore the past
Throw down the gauntlet - To issue a challenge
To grease one's palm - To offer bribe
To cast pearls before a swine - To offer someone a thing who doesn't care about it
To break the ice - To overcome shyness and start a conversation
To push someone to the wall - To put someone in a defensive position
To put the cart before the horse - To put things in the wrong order
To turn a deaf ear - To refuse to listen or hear something
To spill the beans - To reveal confidential information or secrets
Pick holes in - To seek and discover fault
To show the white feather - To show signs of cowardice
Call a spade a spade - To speak frankly about something, even if it is unpleasant
To play on a fiddle - To spend time in aimless or fruitless activity
Smell a rat - To suspect that something is wrong
To smell a rat - To suspect that something is wrong
To take with a grain of salt - To take with some reservation
To keep the wolf from the door - To ward off poverty or hunger
Get the sack - Told to leave the job
To beat the air - Useless efforts
Within an ace of - Very close to doing something
Once in a blue moon - Very rarely
Adams ale - water
Burning the candle at both ends - wearing themselves out or working too hard


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