All Roads Lead to Britain is una historia de Inglaterra, pero no es una historia más. Es una historia muy original: novelada, contada con un toque de humor y abundancia de modismos ingleses de uso corriente, destacados en negrita. La receta ideada por Daniel Molina para su libro no puede ser más simple: Tómese una buena base de datos históricos verídicos, cuéntese con un toque de humor que incluya abundantes modismos útiles y añádase por último una pizca de humor, y All Roads Lead to Britain está servida.
Esta serie de Daniel me parece una lectura a la vez provechosa y divertida para las vacaciones de verano, especialmente para los amantes de la historia inglesa. Consta de seis capítulos, precedidos de una Introducción y un Glosario que iré publicando en mi blog en sucesivas entregas.
Para empezar ahí van la Introducción y el Glosario de todos lo modismos usados en la historia por orden alfabético, para facilitar su comprensión, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta que algunos de estos modismos, como es el caso del propio título, están tuneados (el modismo auténtico es naturalmente All Roads Lead to Rome). Agradezco a Daniel la oportunidad que me da de publicar en mi blog el 'estreno mundial' de esta interesante serie, que espero sea de vuestro agrado.
All Roads Lead to Britain, from 5,000 B.C to 1066 A.D.
Daniel Molina García
Introduction: An
unhappy country
Happy
is the country that has no history. This popular saying is a truth universally
acknowledged. Provided that it existed, a country of that kind would be one
which would have avoided all the wars, rebellions, crimes, misfortunes and
injustices that fill up the pages of all its history books. Once the previous
statement is examined thoroughly, we find out that what studying the history of
a country really means is studying a succession of invasions, slaughters,
treacheries and conflicts brought about by the minds of, in most cases, cruel
and ambitious rulers.
This view of history may not be a rosy picture but to a large extent it is unfortunately true.
This general principle applies, of course, in the case of tracing the course of
British History. In this country there have also been a lot of events which
could have been avoided but were not. Those “unavoidable” events, whether we
like it or not, are in fact the ones which have sparked off the creation of Britain
This book (as its title suggests, converting the well-known
proverb all roads lead to Rome into all
roads lead to Britain Britain
However, just as many important historical facts are not
mentioned, so there is not enough room for many of those expressions commonly
used in English. The reader must take into account that our intention has not
been to make either a register of names, battles and wars or a register of set
phrases in English; it has rather been to find a way to connect both things so
that the reading of history can be more pleasant and that the learning of
idioms and proverbs can be easier.
A set of
supplementary exercises is provided at the end of each chapter, with the
corresponding key. The reader can also find below a glossary with a list of all the phrases which have appeared previously in bold type, and
their explanation.
GLOSSARY
about: an about-turn (also, an about-face) a complete change of attitude or opinion
Abraham: Abraham’s bosom (to sleep in Abraham’s bosom)
the eternal rest after death
account: on no account under no circumstances
account: to be called to one’s last account to die
account: to have an account to settle with someone
(also, to settle an account) to take revenge on someone who has harmed you
in the past
account: to square accounts with someone to make someone pay for the harm they have
done to you
account: to take something into account to include it in your consideration because
it is important
accounting: there’s no accounting for taste(s) everyone is free to choose the things they
like and no one can criticize them because of that
Adam: not to know someone from Adam (see know)
adrift: to go adrift to be left at the mercy of wind and tide
advantage: to take advantage of someone to treat them unfairly or deceive them for
your own benefit
advantage: to take advantage of something to make good use of it while you can
affirmative: to reply in the affirmative to answer a question by saying “yes”
again: again and again on many occasions, repeatedly
age: to come of age to become legally an adult
all: all and sundry everyone
alive: alive and kicking still living and very active and lively
alone: to leave someone alone to go away and stop disturbing someone
apple: the apple of discord the cause of disagreement, argument or
unpleasantness between people
apron: to be tied to one’s mother’s apron-strings completely under one’s mother’s control
because one is unable to live by himself (normally applied to young men)
arm: at arm’s length (to hold something at arm’s length; to keep someone at arm’s length) at a distance from your body
arm: within arm’s reach nearer than the farthest distance you can
reach by holding out your arm
armed: to be armed to the teeth to carry a lot of weapons
ash: to rise from the ashes to recover from a period of weakness or
difficulty with renewed vigour
asleep: asleep at the switch unaware of a threatening danger
attention: to catch one’s attention to be drawn into interest by suddenly
noticing something
back: the back of beyond an isolated place far from the crowd
back: to see the back of someone (to be glad to see the back of someone) to want someone to go away and leave you
alone
backfire: to backfire on someone to get for oneself the harmful effect that
one intended to cause someone else
bad: a bad loser one who hates losing and complains when that
happens
baddy: the goodies and the baddies (see under goody)
ball: the ball is in someone’s court it is their turn now, it is their
responsibility to carry out the next task
ball: to keep the ball rolling to keep doing an activity that one has
started
ball: to set/start the ball rolling to start doing an activity
banana: to be bananas to be mad
bang: to bang one’s head against a brick/stone
wall to make fruitless attempts in
order to get something which seems to be impossible
bare: to do something with one’s bare hands to do something without using any weapons or
tools
bark: his/her bark is worse than his/her bite (see below)
barking: barking dogs seldom bite (also his/her
bark is worse than his/her bite)
people who often lose their temper and seem threatening should not be
feared because in most cases they are harmless but behave like that just to
impress you
bat: to have bats in the belfry to be crazy
bay: to keep someone/something at bay to keep them/it at a safe distance so that
they can’t harm you or disturb you
be: be that as it may said when you want to change the subject
without reaching a decision about whether what has just been said is right or
wrong
bear: to bear a man a child to give birth to a baby
bear: like a bear with a sore head ill-tempered, very angry
beat: to beat one’s head against a brick/stone
wall (see to bang one’s head...
under bang)
beat: if you can’t beat them, join them if someone is superior to you and you have no
chance to defeat them, join the group they belong to
beauty: beauty is only skin deep it is one’s inner qualities that matters, not
one’s physical appearance
bed: a bed of roses an easy, pleasant
situation
bee: to have a bee in one’s bonnet to be obsessed by one idea and to keep
thinking about it all the time
bee: to make a beeline for a place to go there as quickly and directly as
possible
beggar: set a beggar on horseback and he’ll ride to
the devil poor people who suddenly
make a fortune behave in an arrogant way
believe: I can’t believe my ears I am really surprised at something I have
heard
best: the best of a bad bunch the person or thing that is not so bad as the
others among a group that, according to you, is of a very poor quality
best: the best thing since sliced bread (also, the
greatest thing...) something we
approve of very strongly, something which is excellent in one’s opinion
best: to do one’s best to try to achieve something as hard as you
can
better: to be better than one’s word to do more than one promised
better: for better or (for) worse whatever may now happen, whatever the
consequences will be
better: to think better of the matter (see think)
betting: what’s the betting...? something is very likely to happen or to be
true
bile: to rouse one’s bile to make one angry or indignant
bird: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush it is better to possess something, though it
may be of no great value, than to expect to get something better and reject
what you already have
bird: the birds and the bees the explanation (to children) of sex and
sexual reproduction
bird: birds of a feather people who have similar characters, beliefs
or interests
bird: birds of a feather flock together people of similar character are often found
together
bird: the early bird catches the worm one who acts promptly will be successful
bird: a little bird told me so/that someone has told me what has happened but I
don’t want to mention who has done it
birth: to give birth to someone to go through the biological process of
producing a baby
birth: to give birth to something if one thing gives birth to another, the first
is the cause of the beginning of the second
birthday: in one’s birthday suit completely naked, as when one is born
bit: bit by bit slowly, in stages
bit: to do one’s bit to contribute to the achievement of something,
although it may be of little help
bite: another bite at the cherry (also a second bite at the cherry) another chance to do something after you have
already failed previously
bite: to bite the hand that feeds you to be ungrateful to the person on whom you
depend
black: to be dressed in black to be in mourning
black: to be in someone’s black books to start to belong to the list of people
someone hates
black: to be not so black as one is painted to be not so unpleasant as one is often said
to be
black: to beat somebody black and blue to hit someone so that they have many bruises
black: a black day
an unhappy day
black: the black sheep of the family a person of whom the family is not proud
black: to have a black eye to have a dark-coloured bruise around your eye
as a result of having been hit
black: to have something in black and white to have something in writing
black: to paint a black picture of a situation to describe the situation in a rather
pessimistic way
bleed: to bleed someone dry to take all their money over a period of time
bless: bless you! something you say when someone has just
sneezed
blessed: blessed be the peacemakers for they shall
be called the children of God ( a sentence from the Bible) peacemakers are to be praised and will go to
heaven as a reward for their work
blessing: a blessing in disguise something that seems to cause problems or
difficulties at first but which is seen later to be an advantage
blind: a blind leader of the blind someone without knowledge or experience but
who, however, tries to guide other people who are as unfitted for that post as
him/her
blind: as blind as a bat with very bad eyesight or unable to find or
see something that is obvious
blood: blood is thicker than water family is above any other kind of personal
relationship
blood: to make one’s blood boil to make one very angry
blood: to run in the blood (also, to run in the family) to have a certain feature of character,
behaviour or fault which is common in
all the members of one’s family
blow: to blow one’s own trumpet to boast about one’s own achievements
blow: to blow one’s top to express one’s strong anger about something
blue: to be blue in the face to have made a great effort asking someone for
something and finally not to have
received it
blue: a blue-collar worker (see worker)
blue: a blue film an obscene one, one which mentions sex in a
way that may offend many people
blue: to blue one’s money to spend your money wastefully
blue: a blue pencil a
censor
blue: to feel blue to feel sad and depressed
blue: to have blue blood (in one’s veins) to belong to a royal or noble family
blue: once in a blue moon (see once)
blue: out of the blue unexpectedly
blues: to have the blues (also, to have a fit of the blues) to feel sad or in low spirits
boil: to be boiling with anger to feel very angry (also to be at boiling point)
born: to be born, not made if one has not been born with the required
inner quality, one cannot do a specific job however much one is trained to do
it
born: to be born on the wrong side of the blanket
to be born of parents who were not
legally married at the time
born: to be born under a lucky/unlucky star to have a lot of good luck or bad luck in
one’s life
born: to be born with a silver spoon in one’s
mouth to be born to luck, into a
wealthy family
bottom: to be at the bottom of the heap to be low down on the social scale
bottom: to get to the bottom of it/the matter/this to discover the real truth about a situation
or the real cause of a problem
brain: to rack one’s brains to strain your brain to find out something
bread: bread and butter the source of one’s income
break: to break loose to begin very suddenly and violently
break : to break one’s back to do/get something (also, to
break one’s neck...) to work very hard to do/get it
breath: to be out of breath to breathe very quickly and with difficulty
because of the energy you have spent on doing something
breathe: to breathe one’s last to die
brick: to come down on someone like a ton of
bricks to show somebody that you are
extremely angry with them because of something they have done wrong
bring: to bring the house down to receive great applause from an audience
broaden: to broaden one’s mind to be more willing to accept or tolerate
other people’s beliefs
bug: to be bitten by the bug to become suddenly enthusiastic about an
activity
bull: to make a bull’s eye (also, to hit the bull’s eye) to hit the centre of a target
burst: to burst into laughter to begin to laugh suddenly
bury: to bury one’s head in the sand to avoid facing realities
busy: as busy as a bee said of someone who is working all the time
and is not available to do anything else
Caesar: render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s may everyone be allowed to have what
belongs to them
Cain: to raise Cain (see raise)
cake: you can’t have your cake and eat it you can only choose one of two alternatives,
not both of them so that you can take advantage of one and the other
camp: to break camp to put away one’s tent and leave the place
where you have been staying
cap: to cap it all, used when you are saying a list of calamities
and then you get to the last of them, which is much worse than the previous
ones
care: to take care of someone to look after them
care: take care of yourself a way of saying goodbye informally or at the
end of a letter
carpet: to roll/put out the red carpet to welcome someone in a special way
case: whatever the case may be used when it is not clear which of the
alternatives you have stated is most likely to happen
cast: let him/that/them without sin cast the
first stone a sentence from the New
Testament. We all have our faults and can’t therefore take the lead in
criticizing or finding faults in other people
castle: to build castles in the air to imagine and dream of things that are very
unlikely to happen
cat: a cat may look at a king someone who is inferior to someone else has
the right to treat him/her as an equal
cat all cats are
grey in the dark those features which are
characteristic of someone/something become indistinguishable in the dark or in
other obscuring situations
cat: to lead a cat-and-dog life to live a life full of quarrels; to be
continually arguing violently
cat: to let the cat out of the bag to reveal a secret, to make known something
that was being kept secret
cat: to play cat and mouse with someone to do whatever you like with someone in your
power
cat: to put the cat among the pigeons to stir up trouble
cat: to rain cats and dogs to rain heavily
cat: to think one is the cat’s whiskers
(also, the
cat’s pyjamas and the bee’s knees) to think that one is excellent or superior to
everyone else
cat: when the cat’s away, the mice will play when a person in authority is not present, the
others will take advantage and do things they cannot do when he is there
catch: to catch someone with their pants down
(see pants)
caught: to be caught napping to suffer from disadvantage because one is
not prepared for something which has taken them by surprise
chain: a chain reaction a system of things or events in which one is
affected by the one before it
chance: by chance / by pure chance / by sheer
chance accidentally, without anyone
planning it or doing anything to make it happen
chance: not to stand a chance of doing something to be very unlikely to do something
change: for a change better than what usually happens (but quite
often used ironically when we want to express that there is no change at all)
change: some things never change there are behaviours, attitudes, thoughts, etc
that cannot be altered
chapter: to give chapter and verse to tell the source or authority for what
someone is saying
charge: to be in charge of something/someone to be in control or responsible for them
charge: to charge like a bull at a gate to move quickly towards someone in order to
attack them, head first, like a bull would do
chat: to chat up someone to speak to someone in a flirting way because
you are attracted to them
cheek: to have the cheek to do something not to feel embarrassed to do things that
annoy people
cheek: to turn the other cheek not to treat those who have treated you badly
in the same way
chosen: a/the chosen vessel/instrument someone chosen to carry out an important
mission, especially one with a divine purpose
circulation: to be back in circulation to have returned to one’s normal routine
after a period of absence
claim: to lay claim to something to say that something is yours and expect that
other people will think the same as you
class: to be in a class of one’s own to
be incomparable, unparalleled
clear: as clear as the nose on your face
(also, as plain as...)
very easy to understand, obvious
clear: to make it clear that... to explain something in a way that it is
easy to understand so that there can be no doubt about it
climb: to climb on the bandwagon (also to jump on the bandwagon) to become involved in an activity because it
looks like being successful or because it is fashionable to do so
clock: to turn the clocks back to go back in time
close: as close as an oyster said of someone who does not expose their
ideas or feelings
close: close at hand so near that you could catch it with your
hands
close: to draw to a close to end gradually
coast: the coast is clear there is no danger and one can now move about
safely
cock: a cock-and-bull story an invented story, one which is hard to
believe
cold: as cold as a frog said of someone who shows no emotions or
little feelings
cold: in cold blood deliberately and with forethought
come: come what may whatever happens
comforter: a Job’s comforter someone who tries to sympathize with you in
your sorrow but finally makes you feel even unhappier than you were at the
beginning
company: ...and company after a person’s name, it refers to the
people who are associated with that person
company: two’s company, three’s a crowd two people should be allowed to spend time
together without other people being there
comparison: comparisons are odious it is extremely unpleasant to consider two
people or two things and point out the differences or similarities between
them, since both of them have their own qualities and defects
confusion: to
make confusion worse confounded to make an already state of confusion
even more confusing than it was before
consolation: a consolation prize something which is given to somebody to cheer
them up when they have failed to achieve something better
cook: someting is cooking something is being planned but you are not
sure what it is
corner: just around the corner very nearby
cost: to cost the earth to cost a very large amount of money
cost: to cost too dearly to pay too high a price for something you
want to get
count: to count for nothing not to be regarded
as important; to be of no value or importance
count: to lose count of something not to know how many times something has
happened because it has been done so frequently that you have definitely given
up keeping the record of them
cradle: from the cradle to the grave throughout one’s whole life
crocodile: crocodile tears tears of grief that are not sincere
Croesus: as rich as Croesus (see rich)
cross: cross my heart and hope to die what children say when they want someone to
believe that what they are saying is true or when they are making a promise
which they intend to keep
cross: to cross one’s mind if something crosses your mind, you think of
it suddenly and without making any effort
crow: as the crow flies used after a distance to indicate that this
distance stated is correct if you travel there in a straight line
crowd: to move with the crowd (also, to follow the crowd) to do, think or act the same as everybody
else does, without being critical or thinking about it oneself
crowd: two’s company, three’s a crowd (see company)
cry: to cry out to heaven if something cries out to heaven, it means
that it is so deplorable or unfair that it can only be solved with God’s help
cunning: as cunning as a fox said of someone who has the ability to plan
things cleverly in order to achieve what they want, often by deceiving or tricking
other people
cup: let this cup pass from me a sentence from the New Testament. Used to
express someone’s wish to have their sorrow taken away
curtain: the final curtain the end of an event
cut: to cut/make a long story short used to indicate that you are only going to
describe the final result of an event and not all the details that led up to it
cut: to cut no ice to be of no account, to make no impression
daisy: to push up daisies to
be dead and buried
damn: not to care a damn (also not to give a damn) not to care at all about something
Damocles: the sword of Damocles (see sword)
dead: as dead as a dodo absolutely dead, out of fashion, forgotten
dead: dead from the neck up stupid
dead: over my dead body! used when you feel that something that has
just been mentioned should not happen and that you will do everything you can
in order to prevent it
deaf: as deaf as a post completely deaf
deaf: none so deaf as those who won’t hear said of someone who is unwilling to listen to
the problems of other people
deaf: to turn a deaf ear to someone/something to refuse to listen to someone and their
problems
death: to be at death’s door to be about to die, to be gravely ill
death: to meet death to
die
decide: who shall decide when doctors disagree? if the experts are unable to agree on a
solution to a problem, then it must be left undecided
deed: to do one’s good deed for the day to do something to help someone
deep: to be in deep water to be in a difficult or dangerous situation
defence: to come to someone’s defence to help someone by doing something to protect
them
devil: better the devil you know than the devil
you don’t know it is better to deal
with someone you already know, though you don’t like them, than with someone
you don’t know anything about
devil: what/when/where/who/how...the devil...? used to emphasize how angry, annoyed or
surprised you are
die: never say die never give up
difference: to have differences if people have their differences, they are
disagreeing or arguing
different: as different as chalk from/and cheese used of two things/people that are completely
different from each other in appearance or character
dig: to dig one’s own grave to do something foolish or dangerous that
will cause one’s own failure
dirty: to do the dirty work/ to do someone’s dirty
work to do a task (for someone) that
is dishonest or unpleasant (and that they do not want to do themselves)
disappear: to disappear off the face of the earth to disappear without any reason leaving no
signs of where one may be
display: to be on display to be put in a place so that people can see
it
dispute: beyond dispute unquestionably
do: to have to do with something if something has to do with something else,
the two things are connected
dog: to go to the dogs to go to ruin
door: to go from door to door to go along the street calling at each house
in turn; figuratively, to ask different people for help one after the other
door: to leave a/the door open to something to establish the necessary conditions for a
new situation to happen
door: when one door shuts another opens when it seems that a problem has completely
defeated you, you start to see the beginning of its solution
double: double Dutch unintelligible, something written or spoken
which is hard to understand
doubt: without a/the slightest doubt used to emphasize that what you are saying is
definitely true
doubting: a doubting Thomas a sceptic, someone who doubts what other
people believe. The phrase makes reference to one of the Apostles
down: a down-and-out a person who has no job and no home and who
has no hope of getting work or finding somewhere to live
drain: to throw something down the drain to waste it
dream: beyond one’s wildest dreams better than one could have imagined or hoped
for
dress: to dress yourself to the nines (see nine)
driving: to be in the driving seat to be in control of a situation
drop: a drop in the ocean a very small quantity compared to the amount
that you need and which makes little difference
dumb: as dumb as a statue unable to speak, as a statue would be
dumb: to play dumb to behave as if one was stupid and did not
listen to other people’s problems, ideas, suggestions, etc
dump: to be down in the dumps to feel very depressed and miserable
dust: to dust someone’s jacket for them to give them a good beating
dust: to kiss the dust to be completely defeated and humiliated
ear: to be all ears to listen to someone eagerly or curiously
ear: to be up to the ears to be very busy with a work which is taking up
all your time
ear: to be wet behind the ears to be inexperienced or unaware of danger
ear: to go in one ear and out the other to be forgotten as it is heard because of the
little interest shown in and the little attention paid to something
ear: to have a good ear for something to be able to distinguish sounds accurately
ear: to keep one’s ear to the ground to be well informed of what is happening
ear: to listen to something with only half an
ear not to give full attention to
what someone is saying
ear: to play music by ear to play it from memory, without reading
printed music
earth: to come back/down to earth to stop daydreaming and return to
reality
earth: what/who/when/where/how on earth...? in questions on earth is used to suggest that there is no obvious or easy
answers to the question being asked or the problem being mentioned
easier: easier said than done a comment on the difficulty of doing
something, especially when it is someone else who has suggested it but it is
you who has to do it
easy: it is easy to be wise after the event
(see wise)
eat: to eat humble pie (see humble)
end: all good things come to an end no pleasure or happiness lasts for ever
end: to come to an end to stop
end: it’s not the end of the world! it is not so terrible, don’t feel depressed
because of it!
end: to make (both) ends meet to manage to live with the money that one
earns in spite of the difficulties
end: that’s the end of the matter! there is no need to discuss it any
longer, I have already decided, so your opinion does not count
end: to the end of time for ever and ever
Englishman: an Englishman’s home is his castle (see home)
err: to err is human human beings are all liable to make mistakes
estimate: at a rough estimate not exact, but based on one’s approximate
calculation
eternal: the eternal triangle the amorous conflict which involves two men
and a woman or two women and a man
even: to get even with someone to cause someone the same amount of harm or
annoyance as they have caused you
excuse: a bad excuse is better than none any reason you can give in order to explain
why you have or have not done something is better than not saying anything at
all
expect: what can/do/did you expect? there is nothing surprising about something
because it has happened very often and could be predicted
extent: to a large extent used to indicate that something is partly true
but not entirely true. Other expressions with this word are to some extent and to a certain extent
eye: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth a sentence from the Old Testament. Revenge is
justified; if someone does something wrong to you, they deserve to be treated
in the same way as they have treated you
eye: before one’s (very) eyes if something happens before your eyes it
happens where you can see it clearly. It is also used to emphasize that
something is surprising or unpleasant
eye: to have eyes only for someone to feel a special love for someone
eye: to have one’s eyes on something/someone to watch something/someone closely; also to want
or desire it/them
eye: not to be able to take one’s eyes off
someone to be unable to stop
looking at them because you feel attracted to them
face: to disappear from the face of the earth (see disappear)
fair: to play fair to behave in an honest way
fancy: to take a fancy to doing something to start liking something
far: far from it used to emphasize that something is not what
people think or say
far: not far wrong almost correct
fast: as fast as a hare very fast
fat: as fat as a pig extremely fat
fate: a fate worse than death rape (as in to suffer/ endure/ meet with/ face a fate worse than death to be raped)
favour: to give one’s favours to someone to allow someone to have sex with you
feather: to feather one’s nest (see nest)
fed: to be fed up to the (back) teeth with something to be very dissatisfied or bored with
something
fiddle: to fiddle
while Rome
fiddle: to play second fiddle to someone to be in a less important position under
someone else
fierce: as fierce as a tiger very aggressive and strong
fifth: a fifth columnist someone who supports the enemies of the
country, a traitor
fig: not to care/give a fig about something not to care about it at all
fight: to fight a losing battle to try to achieve something although everyone
knows that one cannot be successful
fight: to fight with a rope around one’s neck to fight a battle knowing beforehand that if
you lose it you will die
finger: to get one’s fingers burnt to suffer because you made a mistake
finger: to have a finger in every pie to be involved in many activities at the same
time
finger: to have a finger in the pie to be involved in one activity
finger: to have green fingers (see green)
finger: to keep one’s fingers crossed to hope that everything will happen as you
want it to
finger: to keep one’s fingers crossed for someone to wish them good luck in a difficulty they
have to go through
finger: to put the finger on someone to tell the police that someone has done
something against the law
finger: not to lift a finger to do something not to make any attempt to do something
(especially to help someone)
finger: one’s fingers are all thumbs to be very clumsy when trying to do something
with your hands
finger: to point the finger at someone to blame or accuse them of something
finger: to slip through one’s fingers (see slip)
finger: to twist someone round one’s little finger (see twist)
finishing: to put the finishing touches to something to add the last things that must be added so
that the work can be considered to be completely finished
fire: to fight fire with fire to use the same methods as those being used
by someone who is attacking you or causing you problems
fire: to go through fire and water for someone to do anything for someone, no matter how
difficult it may be
first: first among equals one individual who takes special
responsibility in a group of people but who is not considered superior either
by any member of the group or by himself
first: first come, first served the order of arrival determines the order of
preference to receive something; the one who has arrived first has the best
chance of success
first: the first fruits the earliest profitable results of an activity
first: not to know the first thing about something to know absolutely nothing about the matter
fit: to fit into place if something fits into place after you
have been trying to understand something which was tremendously difficult, you
start to find sense to all the pieces of information you had and everything
seems clearer
fit: not to be fit to hold a candle to someone to be much more inferior to someone else
five: five o’clock shadow a beard which has grown only a little
flag: with flags flying in a triumphant way
flesh: flesh and blood used to refer to the condition of being human
and alive
flight: to put someone to flight to make them run away from you
fly: to come like flies to come in a large number
fly: a fly in the ointment something which spoils a situation and
prevents a state of perfect pleasure
follow: to follow in someone’s footsteps to do the same things as someone did earlier
fool: to be nobody’s fool not to allow others to make a fool of you
fool: to make a fool of someone to make them seem silly by telling people
what they have done or said
foot: to be with/ to have one foot in the grave to be about to die, to be gravely ill
foot: to foot the bill to pay the bill; in general, to pay for
something
foot: to put one’s foot in it to do or say something foolish or tactless
without thinking beforehand
foot: to set foot somewhere to arrive there
forbidden: forbidden
fruit is sweetest the things
that are forbidden are those which we find most attractive
force: to do something from force of habit to do it because you are so used to doing it
that you don’t even think carefully if it is right or wrong, if it is
beneficial or dangerous, etc
foul: foul play dishonest behaviour
foundation: to lay the foundations of something to establish the basis of something
four: the four corners of the earth the remotest parts of the earth
four: a four-lettered word a short word which is considered rude,
usually because it refers to sex
fourth: the fourth dimension something beyond the limits of normal
experience. In physics, time
fourth: the fourth estate the Press
fox: to set a fox to keep the geese to entrust one’s money to someone who is
dishonest
free: as free as a bird said of someone who is never controlled or
limited
friend: a friend in need is a friend indeed someone proves to be a friend of yours when
you are in difficulty and they give you some help
froth: to be frothing at the mouth to be very angry
full: to get full marks to get everything right in a test; also, to
be praised for having done something very good
fun: to make fun of someone to laugh at someone, to ridicule someone
fun: to poke fun at someone to laugh at someone, to tease them
furniture: to be part of the furniture to go
unnoticed because one is used to seeing someone/something
gauntlet: to throw down the gauntlet to challenge
gaze: to turn one’s gaze upon someone/something to look steadily at someone/something for a
long time
get: to get on well with someone to have a friendly relationship with someone
get: to get what is coming to one to be punished or suffer an unpleasant
experience because you have behaved badly or done something wrong
ghost: not to have the ghost of a chance of doing
something to have very little chance
of succeeding in doing something
gift: don’t look / never look a gift horse in the
mouth when you are given a present,
never show that you don’t like it or find
defects in it, but be thankful just for the fact of having received it
gift: a gift from the gods a godsend, something which arrives
unexpectedly and which is of great help to one
gift: the gift of the gab the ability to speak easily and fluently in
order to persuade other people to do things one wants or to buy things one is
offering them
give: give-and-take a willingness by the people involved in
something to compromise
give: give or take not completely accurate,
approximately (said after a number)
glory: to the greater glory of someone if something is done to the greater glory of
someone, it is done in order to praise them or to increase their fame
go: to go back on one’s word (see word)
go: to go back to square one (see square)
God: God bless you! a way to express your affection, thanks or
good wishes to someone
God: God helps those who help themselves Heaven assists hard-working people
God: God only knows used to emphasize that you do not know
something or that you find something very surprising
God: God save the Queen/King the national anthem; may God always protect
our sovereign
God: God shapes the back for the burden God may not possibly save you from all your
troubles and worries, but at least he does not worsen the situation and helps
you to endure them
God: God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb God helps those who are weaker
good: to be good at something to be skilful and successful in doing
something
goody: the goodies and the baddies the peole in a film, story... who are
considered the heroes and the villains respectively, those who fight on the
right side and those who do it on the wrong one
goose: to cook someone’s goose to prevent someone’s plans from succeeding
goose: the goose that laid the golden eggs a regular source of valuable supply
gooseberry: to play gooseberry to be an unwanted third when two lovers are
together
gospel: gospel truth (to
take something as gospel truth) something which in your opinion is
undoubtedly true
graceful: as graceful as a swan said of someone who moves beautifully and in
an attractive way to watch
granted: to take something for granted/ to take it
for granted that something is true to believe that something is true
without looking for ways to prove it
grass: the grass is greener on the other side of
the fence other people often seem to
be in a better situation than us, but that may not be really so
grass: a grass widow a woman who is alone because of the temporary
absence of her husband
grass: to let the grass grow under one’s feet to delay in taking steps to deal with a
matter
grave: to come to an early grave to die young
Greek: it’s all Greek to me! it is unintelligible, I can’t understand a
single word
green: to be green to be inexperienced or new to something
green: to be green with envy to be envious indeed
green: the green-eyed monster jealousy (so called by Shakespeare in Othello)
green: to have green fingers to be very good at gardening
grey: a grey day a dull, unpleasant day
grief: to come to grief to meet with disaster, to fail
ground: to get off the ground to start functioning
ground: to prepare the ground to make it easier for future actions to
happen
ground: there are no grounds for... there is no way to prove that...
ground: to the ground (to be destroyed/razed to the ground) completely (destroyed)
guard: to be caught off guard/ to catch someone
off guard/ to take someone off their guard
to surprise someone when they are not expecting you to attack
guard: to lower one’s guard (also, to
let one’s guard down) to relax when
you should be alert because there is a threatening danger
gut: to have someone’s guts for garters to punish someone severely, because you are
extremely angry with them
hair: to a hair to a nicety, with complete accuracy regarding
details
hair: to make someone’s hair stand on end to make someone very frightened
half: half a loaf is better than none/better than
no bread we should be thankful for
what we receive even though we hoped to receive more
half: one’s better half one’s spouse
hand: to change hands to pass from one possessor to another
hand: to fall into the hands of someone to be captured or become controlled by
someone
hand: to get out of hand to become out of control
hand: hand in hand two people who are hand in hand are holding
each other’s hand
hand: to lay one’s hands on someone to manage to find them
hand: to lend someone a (helping) hand to help them
hand: on the one hand..., on the other hand... the expressions used to indicate the two
different points of view in an argument or discussion. On the one hand introduces the first part of it and on the other hand introduces the second
hand: to shake hands with someone/ to shake
someone’s hand/ to shake someone by the hand to hold someone’s hand in your own hand for a
moment when you are meeting them, saying goodbye to them or congratulating them
handy: to come in handy to be useful at the right moment
hang: to get the hang of something to begin to understand or realize how to do
something
hang: to hang all the bells on one horse to leave one’s whole property to only one
person
happy: as happy as a lark very happy
happy: happy is the country that has no history a country with no history is one which has
avoided wars and all sorts of calamities, of which history books are full
hard: to be hard to take to be difficult to accept
hard: hard cash money in the form of coins and notes
hard: hard cheese! rotten luck, tough luck (see tough)
harmless: as harmless as a dove said of someone who is unable to annoy or
harm other people
head: to be/stand head and shoulders above
someone to be superior to someone,
much better than them
head: to be head over heels in love with someone to be deeply in love with someone
head: to be over someone’s head to be too difficult for someone to understand
head: better be the head of an ass than the tail
of a horse (also, better be the head of a mouse than the tail
of a lion) it is preferable to be
the best in a group of normal people than to be unnoticed in a group of
outstanding people
head: to come to a head to reach a crisis or state where you have to
act urgently
head: from head to foot all over one’s body
head: to go off one’s head (see to go off one’s nut under nut)
head: to have a good head for something to be naturally good at something which
requires a good brain
head: to have a good head on one’s shoulders to have common sense, to act wisely
head: to have a swollen head to be very proud of one’s abilities and
achievements, to be conceited
head: to have one’s head in the clouds not to pay attention to someone because one
is always thinking of something different; also, to be a dreamer, not to face
reality or problems
head: to have one’s head screwed on the right way to have common sense, to act wisely
head: heads or tails? what is said when you are going to toss a
coin and you are asking someone to guess which side of it will be facing
upwards
head: to keep one’s head not to lose control, to remain calm
head: to keep one’s head above water to manage to keep out difficulties
head: to lose one’s head to lose control, to panic and act in a
confused way
head: to make neither head nor tail of something not to be able to understand it at all
head: two heads are better than one two people working together will give more
ideas to solve a problem than only one of them
hear: to hear the last of someone (as in You haven’t heard the last of me yet!) used as a warning or threat; the situation
has not ended and further events are likely to occur
heart: to learn something by heart to get to know something from memory, without
having to look at anything written
heart: to set one’s heart on (doing) something
(also, to have one’s heart set on
something) to desire something very
much and to aim at getting it
heart: with one’s heart in one’s mouth very worried or frightened
heat: on a low heat producing only a small amount of heat (in a
stove, in an oven...)
Heaven: Heaven forbid used to emphasize that you hope that
something will not happen
Heaven: Heaven knows why/where/who/how/when... used to emphasize that you do not know
something or that you find it very surprising
heaven: to move heaven and earth to do something to try everything that is possible in order
to achieve something
heel: to take to one’s heels to run away
hell: to hell with...! used to express the fact that someone is
angry with someone else or fed up with something and does not want to see them/it
or know about them/it any more
hell: to make someone’s life hell (also, to give someone hell) to make someone suffer, to make things very
unpleasant for someone
hell: what/how/where/when/who/how the hell...?
used to suggest that there is no obvious or easy answer to the question being
asked or the problem being mentioned
help: to help a lame dog over a stile to give assistance to someone who needs it
herculean: a herculean task one that requires great strength or effort,
which only a hero like “Hercules” could perform
Herod: to out-herod Herod to be more wicked than the worst of tyrants
hiding: to give someone a good hiding to punish them by hitting them many times
high: (to be) in high places (to be) among those people who are the most
powerful in a government, society or organization; this expression is used in
relation to those people’s influence and, in most cases, dishonesty
high: to be left high and dry to be left helpless in a difficult situation
history: to go down in history to be remembered in the future because of particular events
that have happened or particular actions in which one has taken part
hit: to hit below the belt to fight or argue unfairly
hither: hither and thither in all directions
hoarse: as hoarse as a crow said of someone whose voice sounds rough and
unclear
hold: to take hold of something to put one’s hand tightly round
something; also, to gain control of something, especially by force
hole: to pick holes to find weak points or faults in an argument
or theory
home: an Englishman’s home is his castle the
house of every individual is to him as his castle and consequently he has the
right to do there as he wishes, to accept whom he wants and to be undisturbed
in it
home: to make oneself at home to make oneself comfortable and do in
someone’s house the things one would do in one’s own house
Homer: Even Homer sometimes nods (see nod)
hop: to be hopping mad to be very angry, jumping mad
hope: to build up one’s hopes to gradually become more hopeful of getting
something
hope: while there’s life there’s hope never give up your hope, never surrender,
since there is always a chance for you
horn: to make horns at someone to make a gesture of insult to someone
implying that they are cuckolds
horn: to wear the horns to be the husband of an adulterous wife; to
be the wife of an adulterous husband
hot: to get hot under the collar to get angry and indignant about something
hot: like a hot knife through butter without meeting resistance or difficulty;
very easily
hour: my hour is not yet come the hour of my death has not arrived yet
hour: the hour for the upturning of one’s glass the hour of one’s death, the time to die
house: it is on the house! it is free of charge, you are invited
humble: to eat humble pie to admit that one was wrong; to submit to
humiliation
hurry: to be in a hurry not to have time to do something because you
have to do something else urgently and quickly
husband: the husband/wife is always the last to know in a case of adultery, the deceived spouse is
the last to know about the matter which is going on
idea: not to have the slightest idea to have no idea at all
impossible: to ask for the impossible to want something that is not able to be done
in: the ins and outs (of a situation) all the detailed points about it
inch: give him/her/them an inch and he/she/they
will take a yard/mile when someone
is shown generosity, they will then increase their demands to excess
iron: an iron will a very strong and determined will
Jack: all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy work is important but it is not the only
thing one should concentrate on; one should always allow time for relaxation
too; without leisure time the worker gets bored and the quality of the work
diminishes
Jack: before you can say Jack Robinson immediately, very quickly (the expression has
its origin in a gentleman who paid flying visits to his neighbours) (also, before you can say knife)
Jack: every Jack shall have his Jill every man shall have a wife
Jack: a good Jack makes a good Jill a good husband makes a good wife
Jack: I’m all right, Jack used to denote selfishness, self-interest and
a complete disregard of the troubles of other people; in other words, as long
as I am all right, I don’t care if other people are suffering or enduring hard
trouble
Jack: Jack’s as good as his master all men are equal and must have the same
rights
jack: a jack-at-a-pinch someone who lends a hand to someone else who
needs it
jack: a jack-in-the-box a toy which consists of a box with a doll
which springs out when the box lid is open
jack: a jack-in-the-cellar an unborn child
jack: a jack of all trades a person who does many different kinds of
jobs but who is not really an expert at any of them
jack: a jack of both sides a person who tries to benefit from two things
which are antagonistic
jack: a jack-o’-the-clock the mechanical figure that strikes the hour
on a bell
jazz: ...and all that jazz you can add this phrase after a word to
suggest that there are wider aspects to the topic which you are dealing with
but you do not think it is worth explaining them in detail
Job: a Job’s comforter (see comforter)
Job. as patient as Job (see patient)
join: to join forces (with someone) to work together in order to achieve a common
aim
keen: to be very keen on (doing) something to have much enthusiasm for an activity
keep: to keep one’s nose to the grindstone to work very hard without resting at all
kettle: a pretty kettle of fish a mess, a great state of confusion
kick: to get a kick from/out of (doing) something to enjoy something intensely, to feel great
pleasure doing something
kick: to kick the bucket to die
kidney: men of the same kidney people who are similar in character and
temperament
kill: to kill two birds with one stone to achieve two things with only one effort
kill: thou shalt not kill you shall not kill (the fifth commandment)
king: a king’s ransom a very large amount of money
king: to live like a king to be able to live in a very comfortable or
luxurious way
knock: to knock one’s head against a brick/stone
wall (see to bang one’s head... under bang)
know: to know which side one’s bread is buttered
on to know what is most advantageous
for one so that you can always remain in a good situation
know: not to know someone from Adam not to recognize/know someone at all
labour: a labour of love something you do because you really want to
do it, even though it is hard work and you are not going to be paid for it
land: a land flowing with milk and honey (also, the
land of milk and honey) one in which good things abound
large: as large as life in person
last: last but not least we use this expression to say that the last
person/thing to be mentioned is important and that the fact of mentioning
him/it in the last place does not mean that he/it is not important
late: better late than never it is better to do something, even if it
should have been done earlier, than not to do it at all
laugh: he laughs best who laughs last (also, he who laughs last laughs longest) do not think that you have won a war because
you have won a battle; a game is not won until it is finished
laugh: to laugh up one’s sleeve to laugh secretly because you know that you
have an advantage that other people do not know about
laughter: to split one’s sides with laughter (see split)
laurel: to rest on one’s laurels to be satisfied with one’s success and not to
make any effort in trying to get more
lead: to lead someone by the nose to make someone do anything you wish them to
do
lead: to lead someone up the garden path to deceive someone
lead: to lead the way to go along a road in front of someone in
order to show them where to go; also, to be an example that may guide other
people to do something as you do it
lead: to take the lead to put oneself in a position of authority and
start making decisions and organizing people
leading: to play the leading role to act as the most important person in a
group of people who are working together
lean: to lean over backwards for someone to do everything that one can do to help them
leave: to leave a/the door open to something (see door)
leave: to leave a great deal to be desired not to be as good as it should be
lemon: to be/feel/look a lemon to behave in a way that you appear to be
foolish; also, to be a failure
length: to go to great lengths to get something to spend much time and effort to get
something even if you have to do things that many people would consider
unreasonable
length: throughout the length and breadth of a
place everywhere in that place
leopard: a/the leopard can never change its spots a person’s character never changes
fundamentally
lesson: to learn one’s lesson to learn from past experiences and not to
make the same mistake again
lesson: to teach someone a lesson to punish or scold someone for something they
have done in order to make sure that they do not make the same mistake again
let: to let go of someone/something to stop holding them
let: let sleeping dogs lie do not stir up unnecessary trouble
let: to let the grass grow under one’s feet (see grass)
letter: to the letter literally
liberty: to take (many) liberties with someone to behave as if you think that you know
someone very well and you are not going to annoy them
lie: to lie doggo to remain in hiding, still and quiet, so that
no one can find you; also, to remain inactive for a certain period of time
lie: to lie through one’s teeth to deliberately tell lies
life: to do something for one’s life (as in run for your life!) to do something with
greath strength because you are in a dangerous situation
lift: not to lift a finger to do something
(see finger)
like: as like as two peas in a pod exactly alike
little: little by little gradually
lion: the lion’s share the largest and best part of something which
is divided into many parts
lion: to place one’s head in the lion’s den/mouth to expose oneself to danger needlessly
live: live and let live a way of saying that you should let other
people behave in the way that they want to and
should not criticize them for behaving differently from you
live: to live from hand to mouth to have hardly enough food or money to live
on
live: to live like fighting cocks to live in luxury
load: a load off one’s mind a worry which is taken away because the
solution has come
lock: to lock the stable door after the horse has
bolted/ is stolen to take
precautions after the harm has already been done
loiter: to loiter with intent a legal term referred to the offence of
staying for a long time in one place, which makes you look as if you are
intending to commit a crime
long: the long and the short of it/the matter all that need be said, the basic facts of a
matter
long: long live the Queen/King...! may she/he have a long and happy life!
look: look what the cat’s brought in! you say this when you are surprised and
pleased to see someone
loose: to be at a loose end to be bored, not to know what to do in your
free time
Lord: the Lord knows how/who/when/where... an expression used to denote one’s own whole
ignorance about something
lose: we lose in hake but gain in herring we lose one way but gain in another
lost: to be lost in one’s thoughts to be utterly absorbed in what one is
thinking
love: to be head over heels in love with someone (see head)
love: to fall in love with someone to begin to feel love for someone
love: love at first sight the love that you feel for someone at the
very first moment you see them
lurch: to leave someone in the lurch to abandon someone at a very difficult or
dangerous moment
lull: the lull before the storm a period of calm before another period of
activity, a sign that something very unpleasant is going to happen soon
magic: as if by magic unexpectedly and without any apparent
explanation
magnet: to be (like) a magnet to have the ability to attract people because
the thing which attracts is interesting, pleasurable or fascinating
make: to make matters worse (see worse)
make: to make neither head nor tail of something (see head)
making: to have the makings of something to have all the qualities needed to undertake
a job
man: one man’s meat is another man’s poison what is beneficial to someone may be harmful
to someone else
man: to a man everyone in a group of people
mark: mark my words! said as a warning to someone so that they
remember what you are telling them and that your menacing words will come true
matter: a matter of time if something is a matter of time, it will
happen sooner or later; we are not sure when, but it will certainly happen
meaning: not to know the meaning of the word “...” not to have experienced the thing that you
have mentioned
meaning: what’s the meaning of this? used when you are asking what the reason is
for an action or for behaviour you do not approve of
measure: beyond measure more than you would normally think possible
medium: to strike a happy medium to find the right balance between doing too
much and too little
meek: as meek as a lamb said of someone who is pacific, quiet and
likely to do what other people say
meet: to go to meet one’s Maker to die
meet: to meet one’s death to die
meet: to meet someone’s eyes to notice that someone is looking at you and
then to start looking at them as well
melting: the melting pot a place or situation in which people of
different cultures gradually get mixed together
merry: as merry as a cricket very happy and cheerful
Methuselah: as old as Methuselah (see old)
mildly: to put it mildly used to indicate that the kind of language
you are going to use for a following remark is not so strong as the one you
could have chosen
mincemeat: to make mincemeat of someone to defeat an enemy completely and quickly
mind: to bear in mind to note, to remember something which is very
important
mind: to change one’s mind to have a change in one’s opinion about
something
mind: to set someone’s mind at rest to remove someone’s fears by telling them
something that will make them stop worrying
miss: to miss the boat (also, to miss the bus) to lose the chance of doing or having
something because you have not acted quickly enough
money: money does not grow on trees money should not be wasted since it is very
hard to earn
money: money for old rope (also, money for jam) money which is earned very easily, without
any effort
money: money is the root of all evil greed for money can only cause wicked and
awful things
monkey: monkey business slightly dishonest behaviour; naughty
behaviour
moon: to promise the moon to promise something which is impossible to
get
moral: to give moral support to someone to express approval and enthusiasm for what
someone is doing but not to give any practical help
more: the more one has, the more one desires human ambition has no limits
more: more or less approximately
most: the (most) unkindest cut of all (see unkindest)
mountain: to make a mountain out of a molehill to make something which is unimportant seem
like a serious matter; to make a difficulty out of a trifle
mute: as mute as a fish said of someone who is silent most of the
time or seldom speaks
mutton: mutton dressed as lamb someone who tries to look younger than they
really are in order to appear attractive to other people
nail: to hit the nail on the head to arrive at the exact conclusion, to state
the exact reason for something
nature: someone’s better nature someone’s feelings of kindness and sympathy
for other people
near: one’s nearest and dearest the people you love or are related to
needle: to look for a needle in a haystack to be very unlikely to find something because
it is a small thing among a group of large things
nest: to feather one’s nest to make a lot of money in a dishonest way so
that one is able to live comfortably
never: never mind it doesn’t matter, don’t worry
never: never say die (see die)
nine: to be on cloud nine to be extremely happy
nine: to dress yourself up to the nines to put on very smart and fashionable clothes
nine: a nine days’ wonder someone/something that is popular for a short
time and then is quickly forgotten
nip: to nip something in the bud to stop something in its early stages, to
destroy it before it has had time to develop
nod: Even Homer sometimes nods everyone is liable to make mistakes
nose: nose to tail if animals or vehicles in a row are nose to
tail, they are standing with the front part of one of them close behind the
back part of another
nose: to poke one’s nose into something (also, to
stick one’s nose...) to involve
oneself in matters that do not concern one
nothing: nothing to write home about something which is not very interesting or
exciting
notice: to take notice of something to pay attention to something, to behave in a
way that shows that you are aware of it
number: to look out for number one to think of oneself and no one else
number: number one functioning as an adjective, it means “more
important than any others”; as a noun it means “oneself”
nut: to go off one’s nut (Also, to go off one’s head/onion/rocker) to go out of one’s mind
nut: a hard nut to crack a difficult problem to solve or a difficult
person to deal with
nutshell: (to put it) in a nutshell briefly, in a word, in a way that summarizes
the main points
odd: the odds are in favour of someone that person has more probabilities to succeed
than anyone else
oil: to pour oil on troubled waters to use tact and gentle words to calm down a
situation
old: as old as Methuselah of an incredibly advanced age
once: once in a blue moon very rarely
once: once in a while occasionally, sometimes but not very often
one: the one and only used in front of someone’s name when they are
being introduced on a show or when we want to express the idea that the person
in question is unique
one: a one-armed bandit a slot machine which pays out money in
casinos (if you win)
one: one in a million (also, one in a thousand) someone who is
remarkable or special in some way
one: a one-man band a street entertainer who plays a lot of
different instruments at the same time
onion: to go off one’s onion (see to go off one’s nut under nut)
open: with open arms (to
accept/receive/welcome someone/something with open arms) with a lot of pleasure, with enthusiasm
open: to open the door to something if something opens the door to something
else, it allows people to do something that they could not do before
order: the order of the day the course of action which is of continual or
frequent occurrence
ovation: a standing ovation a long applause given by an audience standing
up
own: as if someone owned the place in a very arrogant and confident way
own: on one’s own (to do
something on one’s own) without any
help from anyone
pack: to pack one’s bags to leave one’s home and live elsewhere
pain: a pain in the neck someone who is irritating or annoying
paint: to paint the town red to celebrate something noisily in the street
or other public places
pant: to catch someone with their pants down to catch them when they are not prepared to
do something
paper: a paper tiger a person who seems powerful but who in fact
is feeble or ineffective
pardon: I beg your pardon a way of apologizing for accidentally doing
something
part: part and parcel something that is part and parcel of
something else is necessarily involved or included in it
pat: to pat someone on the back to tell them that you approve of what they
have done, to congratulate them
patient: as patient as Job extremely patient
pave: to pave the way for something to create a situation in which something is
more likely to happen
pay: to pay dearly for something to suffer a lot as a result of something
pay: to pay someone back in their own coin to treat someone in the same way as one was
treated by them
peace: to make peace with someone to put an end to your quarrel with them
peace: if you want peace, prepare for war a translation of the Latin proverb si vis pacem, para bellum. The more
prepared for war you are, the less likely you will be attacked
pedestal: to put someone on a pedestal to idolize someone and show this in the way
you behave towards them
peg: to be brought down a peg or two / to take someone down a peg or two to make someone realize that they are not so
important or wonderful as they think they are
peg: a square peg in a round hole someone
who is doing a job for which they are not suited
penny: a pretty penny a considerable amount of money
pick: the pick (of a group) the best things or people in a particular
group
pie: a pie in the sky a promise which is very unlikely to happen
pin: you could have heard a pin drop said of a state of complete silence
pistol: to hold a pistol to someone’s head to oblige someone to do something against
their will
place: all over the place everywhere
place: to place one’s head into the lion’s
den/mouth (see lion)
plague: to avoid someone/something like a/the
plague used to emphasize that you
deliberately avoid them completely
plain: as plain as the nose on your face (see as
clear as the nose on your face under clear)
plain: plain sailing an easy task which causes no difficulty
pluck: to pluck up one’s courage (to do something) to put aside one’s fears and give oneself
courage to do something unpleasant
plump: as plump as a partridge very fat and rounded
plunge: to take the plunge to decide to do something which is risky and
from which there is no turning back
pocket: to line one’s pockets to make a lot of money dishonestly
point: there is no point in doing something it is no use doing something
poke: to poke one’s nose into something (see nose)
poor: as poor as a church-mouse said of someone who has very little money and
few possessions
poor: the poor relation someone who is similar to others but inferior
to them; also. someone with less power or respect than others
port: any port in a storm a person/place you go to for help when there
is urgent need or great difficulty
power: the power behind the throne the person who really controls policy or
rules a country although there is someone else who is the titular head for that
post
practise: to practise what one preaches to do what one encourages or commands other
people to do
praise: to sing someone’s praises to praise someone in an enthusiastic way
prevention: prevention is better than cure it is preferable
to ensure that something bad will not happen rather than to try to remedy the
harm when it has already occurred
price: the price you pay (for something) an unpleasant thing that you have to do or an
unpleasant situation you have to endure in order to get something that you
really want (In Chapter 4 this phrase is used literally)
prize: no prizes for guessing it is extremely obvious and not difficult to
guess
proud: as proud as a peacock said of someone who is too arrogant and feels
superior to other people
pull: to pull a fast one on someone to deceive someone, to play a trick on
someone
pull: to pull someone’s leg to make fun of someone by telling something
that is untrue but which they believe
pull: pull the other one! I don’t believe what you have said, you must
be joking!; I am aware that you are trying to “pull my leg”
pull: to pull the wool over someone’s eyes to deceive someone, to tell them something
that is not true
push: to push up daisies (see daisy)
put: not to put too fine a point on it used to say that the next piece of
information you are about to say might be rude for some people and you are
apologizing for that
pyrrhic: a pyrrhic victory (see victory)
Queen: Queen Anne’s fan a gesture you make by putting your thumb to
your nose and spreading wide the fingers; this gesture means mockery or
disregard for authority
question: beyond question unquestionable
question: in question the man/ the place/ the time... in question
is the man/place/time that you have already referred to and that is important
in what you are talking about
quick: (as) quick as a flash very quickly indeed
quiet: as quiet as a mouse said of someone who is silent (and/or timid)
rack: to rack one’s brains (see brain)
rain: it never rains but it pours misfortunes rarely come alone
rainbow: rainbow chaser one who tries to reach the spot where a
rainbow touches the earth, that is, a day-dreamer who hopes to get impossible
things
raise: to raise Cain to make a noisy disturbance; to cause great
uproar
reason: there is reason in roasting egg even the most trivial thing has a reason for
being done in one way rather than some other
red: to be in the red to owe money to one’s bank
red: to paint the town red (see paint)
red: a red herring an unimportant matter which is introduced
into a discussion in order to distract attention from the important matter
being discussed
red: a red-letter day an important or joyful occasion
red: the red-light district the area of a city where prostitutes work
red: red tape official rules carried to excess
red: to see red to become suddenly very angry
red: to see the red light to recognize danger
red-handed: to catch someone red-handed to catch them when they are in the very act
of doing something wrong
regards: to send someone one’s regards to send them one’s best wishes
rein: to take the reins of something to take control of a country or organization
resort: as a
last resort if you do something as a
last resort, you do it when you have tried other things and they have all failed
rest: rest in peace a formulaic expression used to show respect
for a dead person; it is often written on gravestones in its abbreviated form
R.I.P.
return: in return for (to do
something in return for another thing; to get something in return) in exchange
for something which is of similar value or importance
rich: as rich as Croesus very wealthy
rid: to get rid of something/someone to make someone/something go away, far from
you
ride: to take someone for a ride to deceive or cheat someone
right: one’s right-hand man an invaluable or confidential assistant
right: to start off with the right foot (see start)
rise: to give rise to something to cause
road: all roads lead to Rome
road: to hit the road to set out on a journey
rocker: to go off one’s rocker (see to go off one’s nut under nut)
roll: to roll one’s sleeves up to prepare oneself to start working
rolling: a rolling stone gathers no moss one who is always on the move will not enjoy
a settled life but will also avoid responsibilities in return
Roman: do as the Romans do (When in Rome
room: there is not enough room to swing a cat the place you are talking about is very small
and crowded
root: to take root to become permanently or firmly established
rosy: to paint too rosy a picture to describe a situation as likely to be
successful or enjoyable although it is not certain that it will be like that
round: in round numbers approximately, disregarding fractions,
units..., in tens, hundreds...
rule: a rule of three the mathematical method of finding the fourth
term of a proportion when three of them are already given
rush: to have a rush of blood to the head to lose control of yourself and do something
daring or foolish
sack: to get the sack to be dismissed from one’s job
sail: to sail under false colours to try to achieve something by pretending to
be someone you are not
sail: to set sail to start a voyage
salt: the salt of the earth the best of mankind
same: all the same nevertheless, even so
same: it’s all the same to me! I don’t care which of several things happens
same: the same old story the usual chain of events; something
(especially something bad) that has often happened in the same way in the past
(and very possibly will keep on happening in the future)
save: to save face to avoid damaging your reputation and losing
people’s respect
save: to save one’s skin to escape danger or injury so that you can be
still alive
scales: to tip the scales in favour of
someone/something if something tips
the scales in favour of someone, it makes them have a slight advantage over
others
scene: to appear on the scene to appear
suddenly, often with the intention to take part in the matter which is going on
scene: a change of scene a change to another place which is not the
one you are used to being in
scene: to disappear from the scene to disappear from the existing situation
scratch: to scratch one’s head to be very puzzled
scratch: you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours if one person helps you, then you will help
that person in return
sea: to put to sea to start on a sea voyage
second: to be second to none to be the best, to do one’s job better than
anyone else having that job
second: to come off second best to lose a competition
second: to get a second wind to get renewed vigour to continue doing an
exhausting activity after you have been out of breath
second: to learn something at second hand to know something not because you have learnt
it directly but because someone has told you
second: one’s second nature something which seems part of your character
because you have been doing it for a long time and it has become a habit
second: one’s second self one whose tastes and opinions are practically
the same as yours
see: to see the back of someone (see back)
seek: seek and ye/you shall find perseverance will make you find whatever you
may be looking for
seriously: to take something seriously to believe that something is important and
needs to be considered carefully
seventh: to be in the seventh heaven to be overjoyed
shade: to put someone in the shade to be so impressive than someone/something
can make someone/something else seem unimportant by comparison
shake: in two shakes of a lamb’s tail very soon
sheep: to separate the sheep from the goats to select from a group of people those who
are better than the others
short: to make short work of something (see work)
shot: a big shot an important and powerful person in an
organization
shot: like a shot very quickly
shoulder: to be shoulder to shoulder to be side by side
shoulder: to come straight from the shoulder to be direct and frank
shoulder: to give someone the cold shoulder to ignore someone
shoulder: to rub shoulders with someone to come into social contact with someone
belonging to a social class which is higher than yours
shoulder: a shoulder to cry on a person who will listen sympathetically to
your troubles and will try to comfort you
shoulder: to work shoulder to shoulder to work together with other people in order
to reach a common aim
show: to run the show to be the one who takes charge of an action
show: to steal the show to be the one who unexpectedly gets more admiration
than the others in the group
sight: at first sight the way something appears when you first see
it
sight: to catch sight of someone/something to see them for a short moment
sight: to set one’s sights on something to decide that you want something and to try
very hard to get it
sight: a sight for sore eyes something that is very pleasurable to see
sight: within sight nearer than the farthest distance you can see
silly: as silly as a goose extremely stupid
sing: to sing a different tune (see tune)
sink: one’s heart sinks in one’s boots one loses all hope and becomes depressed
sitting: a sitting duck an easy prey, someone/something that is very
easy to attack
six: to be at sixes and sevens to be confused
six: six of one and half a dozen of the other there is nothing to choose between the two
alternatives, because there is really no difference
sixth: to have a sixth sense to know something without using the five
senses
skin: to do something by the skin of one’s teeth to manage to do something but nearly fail
skin: to make one’s skin crawl to make you feel horrified
sleep: the long last sleep death
slip: to slip through one’s fingers if something you wish slips through your
fingers, you fail to get it when it has been next to you
slippery: as slippery as an eel said of someone who is clever at deceiving
people
slow: as slow as a tortoise said of someone who is too slow at doing
things which could be done quickly
slowly: slowly but surely gradually but in a way that is significant
smell: to smell a rat to become suspicious that there is something
wrong with a situation
smile: to play a smile on one’s lips to smile only a little or to look as if you
are going to smile
smoke: to go up in smoke (also, to
end up in smoke) if something goes up
in smoke, it comes to no practical result
smoke: there is no smoke without fire rumours are not always false; if someone
spreads a rumour it is because there must be some foundation to do it
snake: a snake in the grass a person who pretends to be a friend but who
wants to cause you some harm or trouble
so: so be it! may it happen like that!
so: so long! goodbye
soap: a soap opera a serial about the daily lives of the same
group of people
soon: sooner or later at some time in the future, although we cannot
know exactly when
soon: the sooner the better something will be more beneficial if it is
done earlier
sort: it takes all sorts to make a world the world is made up of many sorts of people,
good and bad, better and worse, and they are all necessary and have a right to
live
sour: sour grapes something you strongly desire secretly but
which, as it cannot be obtained, is despised
spell: to cast one’s spell on someone to become fascinated or charmed by one
person/thing/place
spend: to spend one’s money like water to spend money in large amounts
spirit: to lift someone’s spirits if something lifts your spirits, you start
feeling more cheerful
spitting: within spitting distance very close
split: to split one’s sides with laughter to laught unrestrainedly
split: a split second a very short period of time, shorter than the
time spent on blinking one’s eyes
spread: to spread like wildfire to become known by a lot of people very
quickly
spring: to spring to mind if something springs to mind, you think of it
suddenly
square: to go back to square one to start to consider a situation or to deal
with a problem from the beginning
square: to square accounts with someone (see account)
square: a square peg in a round circle (see peg)
square: to square the circle to attempt an impossibility; also, to try to
give a solution to an insoluble problem
stab: to stab someone in the back to betray someone when they thought you could
be trusted
stand: to stand on one’s own two feet to face
a problem without help from other people
start: to start off with the right foot to make a successful start; to begin properly
state: the state of affairs the general situation
stick: to stick one’s neck out to do or say something that makes you open to
the risk of being criticized or that leaves you in a dangerous situation
stomach: to turn one’s stomach (also, to make one’s stomach turn) to feel as if you were going to get sick
because of something horrible you have experienced
stone: to leave no stone unturned to do everything you can think of in order to
accomplish your aim
stone: within a stone’s throw not very far
stop: to come to a full stop not to be able to proceed any further with
something you are trying to achieve
storm: a storm in a teacup a lot of discussion about a trifle; a lot of
fuss about something that is of very little importance
storm: to take someone by storm to attack someone fiercely
storm: to take a place by storm to capture it by force; also, to become
suddenly famous or popular in that place
story: but that’s another story! used when you have mentioned a subject that
you are not going to talk about or explain in detail
story: so the story goes that is what other people say, though I am
not pretty sure whether it is true or not
straw: a man of straw a weak man who can be manipulated
straw: a straw in the wind something that gives an indication of what
might happen in the future
stretch: to stretch one’s legs to go for a walk after you have been sitting
down for a long time
string: to have someone on a string to make someone do what you want them to do
stroke: at a single stroke by one single, sudden action
stroke: a stroke of luck something lucky that happens to you suddenly
strong: as strong as an ox very strong
sudden: all of a sudden so quickly and unexpectedly that you are
surprised
suffice: suffice it to say used at the beginning of a statement to
indicate that what you are saying is enough to explain what you mean, although
you could give more details which you don’t find essential at all
sure: to know something for sure to know that something is definitely true or
that it will happen
sure: that’s for sure! it is definitely true
surprise: to take someone by surprise if something takes you by surprise, it
happens to you suddenly and unexpectedly
swallow: to swallow a tale, hook, line and sinker to be completely deceived
swallow: to swallow the bait to be deceived by someone who has caught you
in their trap
sweet: to have a sweet tooth to enjoy eating sweet things
sword: the sword of Damocles an imminent evil or danger
sworn: a sworn foe/enemy someone who you dislike very much and who you
do not wish to make peace with
table: to turn the tables to change the
situation completely, to reverse the conditions
tail: the tail is wagging the dog a small part of something, a part which you
considered insignificant, is controlling the whole thing
tail: to turn tail to turn one’s back and run away
tail: to wear tails to be dressed in formal cothes for special
occasions
tail: with one’s tail between one’s legs defeated and humiliated
take: to be taken aback to be so surprised that you have to pause for
a moment and cannot think or do anything
take: it takes all sorts to make a world (see sort)
take: to take a lot out of one to make one feel tired because one has used a
lot of energy doing something
take: to take part to participate
take: to take place to happen
take: to take someone for a ride (see ride)
take: to take someone out of themselves to make someone feel better so that they can
forget all their worries
take: to take something for granted (see granted)
take: to take something lying down to accept a decision or treatment from
someone without complaining or resisting
tale: an old wives’ tale a common belief that is based on traditional
beliefs rather than on attested facts and that is considered to be foolish or
superstitious
talk: the talk of the town a person or event which excites much
attention
talk: talking of... used to introduce the thing that you mention
as a new topic that you want to talk about, after it has already been mentioned
in another context
tall: a tall story an incredible tale, a story which is
difficult to believe
tarred: tarred with the same brush having the same faults
teach: you cannot teach an old dog new tricks some people, especially old people, are
reluctant to accept changes and innovations
tear: to tear someone limb from limb to give someone a severe beating; to behave
in a violent way against someone because of one’s being angry with them
tell: I tell you what a phrase used to introduce a suggestion or
offer
ten: it is ten to one that... if you say that it is ten to one that
something will happen, you mean that it is very likely to do so
tether: to be at the end of one’s tether to be at the end of one’s resources, to reach
the end of one’s powers
thank: thanks to (it is
thanks to him that this happened)
used to indicate that it is the person you are taking about that has
made something possible
thick: as thick as thieves said of two people who are very good friends
think: to think better of the matter to give something further consideration
think: to think twice of the matter to consider something carefully before you do
it
third: to be given the third degree to be interrogated thoroughly, sometimes even
tortured; (fig) to go through some sort of agony, either physical or mental
third: third time lucky! you may not have luck the first and the
second times you try to achieve something, but quite often you get it when you
try once more
Thomas: a doubting Thomas (see doubting)
thought: on second thoughts you say this when suddenly you change your
mind about something that you are saying or that you have decided to do
thread: to lose the thread (of something) to fail to follow the main line of thought
within an argument, a story, etc
throw: to throw good money after bad to lose more money trying to recover the
money you have already lost
thumb: to keep someone under one’s thumb to
keep someone under one’s control
tie: to be tied to one’s mother’s apron-strings (see apron)
tighten: to tighten one’s belt to spend less money by not buying unnecessary
things in a time of economic crisis
time: from Time Immemorial since ancient times, beyond memory
time: from time to time occasionally
time: (and) about time (too)! (also, it
is about time someone did something/ something was done) an emphatic way to indicate that something
should have been done some time before
time: to keep time (to a sound) if you keep time to a beat when a piece of
music is being played, you follow the beat with your fingers knocking on the
table or with your feet on the floor
time: time out of mind longer than anyone can remember
timid: as timid as a rabbit very shy
tin: a tin god someone who is held in great respect but who
should not be considered like that at all
today: today a man, tomorrow a mouse fortune is changeable and one day you may be
high at the top and the next day you may be low at the bottom
tooth: to get one’s teeth into something to become very involved in doing something,
using much energy and concentration
tooth: to show one’s teeth to adopt a menacing attitude
tooth: tooth and nail (to defend something tooth and nail / to fight for something tooth and
nail) to fight fiercely, with one’s
utmost power
top: to be at the top of the heap to be high up in the social scale
top: from top to toe (see from
head to foot under head)
top: on top of the world (to
feel on top of the world) extremely
happy
touch: to have the Midas touch to have the ability to make a financial
success of all one’s projects
tough: to have a tough time to go through hard times, to endure hardships
tough: that’s your tough luck! if you say this to someone, you are showing
that you do not have any sympathy for their problems and will not do anything
to help them
towel: to throw in the towel (also, to
throw up the sponge) to give in, to
confess oneself beaten
travel: travel broadens your mind the experience of travelling and getting to
know other people and cultures makes you more willing to accept other people’s
beliefs and ways of doing things
trick: to play a dirty trick on someone to act in such a way that you will injure
someone or put them at a disadvantage
Triton: a Triton among the minnows a great person among a group of people who
are very inferior to him
true: someone never said/spoke a truer word someone was absolutely right when they said
that thing
truth: to tell the truth, used at the beginning of a sentence normally
in order to emphasize the fact that you are telling someone something in an
open and honest way, without trying to hide anything
tune: to sing a different tune to say or do something completely different
from what one previously said or did
turn: to take it in turns to do something
(also, to take turns to do something) to do something one person after the other
turn: to turn in one’s grave if you say that someone would turn in their
grave, you mean that, if they were alive,
they would strongly object to
something which is happening now
turn: to turn one’s gaze upon something (see gaze)
turn: to turn the clocks back (see clock)
turncoat: to be a turncoat to desert your principles and join a group of
people who have different ideas
twinkling: in the twinkling of an eye very quickly
twist: to twist someone round one’s little finger to get them to do anything one wants them to
do
two: a two-faced person one who is not sincere or honest in the way
he behaves towards other people
ugly: as ugly as a scarecrow very ugly indeed
union: union is strength by joining forces you can achieve your aim
more easily
unkindest: the (most) unkindest cut of all treachery from a friend (from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar)
up: the ups and downs (of something) the happy and the sad times, a mixture of
good and bad things
vanish: to vanish into thin air to disappear and leave no trace behind
variety: variety is the spice of life having a wide choice makes life more exciting
and interesting
vicious: a vicious circle a chain of circumstances in which the solving
of a problem creates a new problem which leads us to the original one again
victory: a pyrrhic victory the fact of getting something at too high a
price
villain: the villain of the piece someone who is seen as being the cause of all
the trouble in a situation
waste: to lay waste to something / a place to annihilate it, to destroy it completely
water: to get into hot water to get into trouble
water: to pour could water on an idea/ a
suggestion... to show that you have
a low opinion of someone’s idea or suggestion, thus discouraging them
water: still waters run deep a person may say little but he may think a
lot and thus have unrecognized abilities
water: water under the bridge an event that has happened and cannot now be
changed
way: to be well on one’s way to (doing)
something to have made much progress
and be almost certain to achieve something
way: by the way used when you want to add something to what
you are saying, especially something which has just come to your mind
way: to go the way of all flesh to die
way: to have it all one’s own way if you have it all your own way, everything
happens exactly as you want it to
way: to make one’s way somewhere to walk or travel there
way: on the way out no longer needed
way: the other way round the opposite of what someone has just said
weak: the weaker sex women
wear: who wears the trousers? who makes the decisions?
weep: enough to make one weep! said of a situation that is so disgusting
that it would sadden anyone
weight: to carry (a lot of/much) weight to be respected, important and influential
weight: to carry little weight not to be considered important, not to be
influential
wet: as wet as a drowned rat said of someone whose clothes have got very
wet
wet: to wet one’s whistles to have a drink
whale: to have a whale of a time to enjoy oneself very much
while: while there’s life, there’s hope (see hope)
while: while you’re about it used to suggest that someone could do a
particular job while they are doing something else
white: as white as a sheet very frightened or shocked
white: a white-collar worker (see worker)
why: every why has a wherefore (derived from the whys and wherefores)
there is a reason behind everything, though it may be hard to see
wild: a wild-goose chase a search for something which has no chance of
being successful
will: where there’s a will there’s a way if someone really wants something, they will
find a way of getting it
win: to win the day to win a battle
wink: not to get a wink of sleep (also, not
to sleep a wink) to stay awake and
not to sleep at all
wipe: to wipe the floor with someone to
defeat someone completely and utterly
wise: as wise as an owl very wise
wise: it is easy to be wise after the event it is easy to say what should have been done
to prevent something from happening after it has happened
wish: the wish is father to the thought people believe things because they want them
to be true
wolf: a wolf in sheep’s clothing an enemy posing as a friend
word: by word of mouth orally, not in writing
word: to go back on one’s word not to do what one has promised
word: in other words used when you introduce a simpler explanation
of something
word: to take one’s word to ask someone to believe what one is saying
Word: the Word of God the message contained in the Bible
work: to make short work of something to finish something very quickly
work: to work one’s fingers to the bone to work very very hard indeed
worker: a blue-collar worker one who does manual work
worker: a white-collar worker one who works in an office
worse: to make matters worse to make a difficult situation even more
difficult
worth: to be (well) worth one’s while to do
something to be beneficial to
someone if they undertake to do a specific thing
worth: to be worth one’s weight in gold to be of great value or use. The phrase is
applied both literally and metaphorically to people or things
wrangle: to wrangle for an ass’s shadow to contend about trifles
yellow: to be yellow to be cowardly
yoke: to throw off the yoke to get rid of someone to whom you are
subjected
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