Image | Idiom | Explanation |
| \"... apple of ..... eye.\"
For example:
\"She was the apple of his eye.\" | Someone that one likes a lot. |
| \"An apple a day keeps the doctor away.\"
For example:
\"The doctor told her to eat more fresh fruit, after all an apple a day keeps the doctor away.\" | Eating fruit is good/healthy for you. |
| \"Bring home the bacon.\"
For example:
\"He felt it was his responsibility to bring home the bacon.\" | To earn a living for the family. |
| \"Bread and butter.\"
For example:
\"He was talking about bread and butter issues.\" | Basic needs of life (food,shelter,clothing). |
| To be a butterfingers.
For example:-
He had the ball, but he dropped it! What a butterfingers!
| Somebody who often drops things |
| Butter someone up.
For example:
\"He was always buttering up the boss hoping for promotion.\"
| To flatter someone to try to get their favor or friendship. |
| Butter wouldn't melt in his / her mouth.
For example:-
\"No one ever thought she was naughty, she always looked as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.\"
| If butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth, they look as if they would never do anything wrong although you think they would. |
| \"A piece of cake.\"
For example:
\"She knew she had passed the English exam, it was a piece of cake.\" | To find something easy to do. |
| \"To sell like hot cakes.\"
For example:
\"The new Spice Girls' album sold like hot cakes.\" | To sell quickly or rapidly. |
| \"A big cheese\"
For example:
\"Anita Roddick was the big cheese at the Body Shop.\" | An important person, a leader (usually about business). |
| \"Chalk and cheese\"
For example:
\"I'm not surprised they're getting divorced, they were always chalk and cheese.\" | To be the complete opposite of someone. |
| \"Another bite at the cherry.\"
For example:
\"Frank got another bite at the cherry when he resat his exams.\"
| To be given a another chance of doing or getting something.
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| \"As cool as a cucumber.\"
For example:
\"Although he was driving at 110 mph James Bond was as cool as a cucumber.\"
| To remain calm under pressure. |
| \"A bad egg.\"
For example:
\"He was a bad egg.\" | A bad person, to be avoided. |
| \"Egg .... on.\"
For example:
\"He was always in trouble at school, his class mates always egged him on.\" | To urge someone to do something (usually negative). |
| \"Have egg on one's face.\"
For example:
\"He ended up with egg on his face, when she found out he had been lying.\" | To be caught out or embarrassed. |
| \"You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.\"
For example:
\"He worked so hard to make the company a success it made him ill, but you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.\" | To do something to the detriment of something else. |
| To put all your eggs in one basket
For example:
\"You shouldn't invest all your money in Microsoft, it would be like putting all your eggs in one basket.\" | To risk everything on one person or thing. |
| \"To walk on eggshells.\"
For example:-
Everyone in the family had to walk on eggshells when he was in a bad mood.
| To try hard not to upset someone or something. |
| \"A pretty or fine kettle of fish\"
For example:-
\"They're divorced, and someone's sat them next to each other - that's a fine kettle of fish.\"
| A difficult or awkward situation.
Thanks to Otrebs
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| \"A different kettle of fish\"
For example:-
\"Oh! They want to place an order? That's a different kettle of fish. Of course I'll talk to them.\"
| A different matter or issue.
Thanks to Otrebs
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| Something is fishy.
For example:-
\"There was something fishy in the way he paused before answering the question.\"
| Used when something inspires doubt or suspicion. |
| \"Cry over spilt milk.\"
For example:
\"It's no good crying over spilt milk, what's done is done.\" | To cry or complain about something that has already happened. |
| \"As keen as mustard\"
For example:
\"He was as keen as mustard because he really wanted to win the competition.\"
| To be very eager. |
| \"Nutty as a fruitcake.\"
For example:
\"eople say I'm as nutty as a fruitcake to run this website.\" | To be slightly crazy. |
| \"To use a sledgehammer to crack a nut.\"
For example:
\" Fighting tooth decay by annihilating all the mostly harmless bacteria in your mouth is like taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut. \"
| To do something with more force than is necessary to achieve the result you want. |
| \"To know your onions.\"
For example:-
\"When it comes to computers he really knows his onions.\"
| To know a lot about a particular subject. |
| \"As easy as pie.\"
For example:
\"Anyone can do that, it's as easy as pie.\"
| When something is very easy to do.
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| \"Have a finger in every pie.\"
For example:
\"He was a very influential man, he seemed to have a finger in every pie.\" | To be involved in lots of different things. |
| \"A couch potato.\"
For example:
\"She should get out more, she's turning into a real couch potato. \" | Someone who just sits on the couch watching TV. |
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| \"A hot potato.\"
For example:
\"The issue of immigration was a hot potato.\" | A question or argument that is controversial and difficult to settle |
| \"In the soup.\"
For example:
\"He landed her in the soup, when he told the policeman she had been drinking.\" | To be in serious trouble. |
| \"Souped up.\"
For example:
\"He made his car go faster by souping up the engine.\" | To change something to make it faster or more powerful by changing or adding something. |
| "Cup of tea."
For example:
"I really enjoyed the film, it was just my cup of tea." | Something one enjoys or does well. |