Idioms
let sleeping dogs lie
avoid mentioning unhappy past
sick as a dog
feeling very ill, vomiting a lot
go to the dogs ,
In the absolute pits
a bad state
dog's life
unhappy life
a dog's breakfast / dinner
a badly done deed
(a case of) dog eat dog
a situation in business or politics where there is a lot of competition and people are willing to harm each other for success
dog and pony show
an event for publicity alone
shaggy dog story
long joke with disappointing end
in dog house
be in trouble
at a snail's pace
move very slowly
put all your eggs in one basket
stick on a single course of action for success
have egg on your face
look very stupid
a fat cat
an important person, often a rich person
a needle in a haystack
a thing that is almost impossible to find
beat round the bush
not describing accurately or exactly
hit the nail on the head
describe or say something exactly or accurately
straddling the fence
struggling to take decision
the grass is (always) greener on the other side (of the fence)
about people who are not satisfied with what they have and always think that others have a better situation.
monkey around
waste time by doing something unproductive
run against a clock
a tight deadline (time is very short to complete a task or assignment)
(around / round) the clock
all day and night without stop
as sharp as a tack
Extremely smart
a babe in the woods
a naive, innocent and inexperienced person
as quiet as a mouse
be very calm and quiet
pile on the (agony/gloom)
make an unpleasant situation worse
make (a/your) pile
make lot of money
don't count your chicken(before they are hatched)
to be overconfident
count your blessings
to be grateful for the things in your life
hot under the collar
angry or embarrassed
Eg: He got very hot under the collar when I asked him where he had been all day.
have ants in your pants
excited or impatient
use a sledgehammer to crack a nut
use more force than what is necessary
a hard nut
a person difficult to deal with or to influence
a hard nut to crack
a difficult problem or situation to deal with
chew the cud
think slowly and carefully about something. Thinking and contemplating
Eg: Stop chewing the cud and make a decision
go cap in hand ( to somebody)
ask somebody for something, especially money, in a very polite way that makes you seem
less important Eg: There is no other way. He will go cap in hand to his brother
a cat and dog life
a life of disputes
bury (or hide) your head in the sand
refuse to admit that a problem exists or refuse to deal with it
bury the hatchet
bury your differences
stop being unfriendly and become friends again
apple of discord
bone of contention
matter of dispute
blow your own trumpet
blow (or toot) your own horn
praise your own abilities and achievements
bite your lip
stop yourself from saying something or from showing an emotion
between the devil and the deep sea
be in a dilemma
set (put) a cat among the pigeons
say or do something likely to cause trouble
Like a cat that has got the cream
very happy
Let the cat out of the bag
reveal a secret by mistake
be the cat's whiskers
be the best person, thing or idea
Eg: He thinks he is the cat's whiskers
On pins and needles
be anxious
Like a cat on a hot tin roof
be nervous
Pull your socks up
improve performance
Pull a rabbit out of the hat
bring a sudden solution .
Pull the wool over somebody's eyes
Hide real intentions and to fool somebody .
Stick to your guns
to refuse to change your mind about something even when other people are
trying to persuade you that you are wrong.
dyed in the wool
Strong opinion or belief that never changes
make castles in the air
wool gathering, to day dream
sail close to the wind
play with fire
do something dangerous , rather illegal
trim one's sail
to reduce your costs
fit as a fiddle
in very good physical condition or health
a thorn in somebody's flesh
a person or thing that repeatedly annoys somebody
be under fire or come under fire
to be criticized severely
The minister for external affairs has come under fire from all sides.
like a cat on hot bricks
very nervous
Cool as a cucumber
very calm and composed especially in a difficult situation
avoid mentioning unhappy past
sick as a dog
feeling very ill, vomiting a lot
go to the dogs ,
In the absolute pits
a bad state
dog's life
unhappy life
a dog's breakfast / dinner
a badly done deed
(a case of) dog eat dog
a situation in business or politics where there is a lot of competition and people are willing to harm each other for success
dog and pony show
an event for publicity alone
shaggy dog story
long joke with disappointing end
in dog house
be in trouble
at a snail's pace
move very slowly
put all your eggs in one basket
stick on a single course of action for success
have egg on your face
look very stupid
a fat cat
an important person, often a rich person
a needle in a haystack
a thing that is almost impossible to find
beat round the bush
not describing accurately or exactly
hit the nail on the head
describe or say something exactly or accurately
straddling the fence
struggling to take decision
the grass is (always) greener on the other side (of the fence)
about people who are not satisfied with what they have and always think that others have a better situation.
monkey around
waste time by doing something unproductive
run against a clock
a tight deadline (time is very short to complete a task or assignment)
(around / round) the clock
all day and night without stop
as sharp as a tack
Extremely smart
a babe in the woods
a naive, innocent and inexperienced person
as quiet as a mouse
be very calm and quiet
pile on the (agony/gloom)
make an unpleasant situation worse
make (a/your) pile
make lot of money
don't count your chicken(before they are hatched)
to be overconfident
count your blessings
to be grateful for the things in your life
hot under the collar
angry or embarrassed
Eg: He got very hot under the collar when I asked him where he had been all day.
have ants in your pants
excited or impatient
use a sledgehammer to crack a nut
use more force than what is necessary
a hard nut
a person difficult to deal with or to influence
a hard nut to crack
a difficult problem or situation to deal with
chew the cud
think slowly and carefully about something. Thinking and contemplating
Eg: Stop chewing the cud and make a decision
go cap in hand ( to somebody)
ask somebody for something, especially money, in a very polite way that makes you seem
less important Eg: There is no other way. He will go cap in hand to his brother
a cat and dog life
a life of disputes
bury (or hide) your head in the sand
refuse to admit that a problem exists or refuse to deal with it
bury the hatchet
bury your differences
stop being unfriendly and become friends again
apple of discord
bone of contention
matter of dispute
blow your own trumpet
blow (or toot) your own horn
praise your own abilities and achievements
bite your lip
stop yourself from saying something or from showing an emotion
between the devil and the deep sea
be in a dilemma
have several irons in the fire
involve in many activities at the same timeset (put) a cat among the pigeons
say or do something likely to cause trouble
Like a cat that has got the cream
very happy
Let the cat out of the bag
reveal a secret by mistake
be the cat's whiskers
be the best person, thing or idea
Eg: He thinks he is the cat's whiskers
On pins and needles
be anxious
Like a cat on a hot tin roof
be nervous
Pull your socks up
improve performance
Pull a rabbit out of the hat
bring a sudden solution .
Pull the wool over somebody's eyes
Hide real intentions and to fool somebody .
Stick to your guns
to refuse to change your mind about something even when other people are
trying to persuade you that you are wrong.
dyed in the wool
Strong opinion or belief that never changes
make castles in the air
wool gathering, to day dream
sail close to the wind
play with fire
do something dangerous , rather illegal
trim one's sail
to reduce your costs
fit as a fiddle
in very good physical condition or health
a thorn in somebody's flesh
a person or thing that repeatedly annoys somebody
be under fire or come under fire
to be criticized severely
The minister for external affairs has come under fire from all sides.
like a cat on hot bricks
very nervous
Cool as a cucumber
very calm and composed especially in a difficult situation