FAIR AND SQUARE The idiom “fair and square” has its origins in the rule of law. Prior...
American English Idioms
ETERNAL TRIANGLE The phrase “eternal triangle” generally means a love triangle that is unending and unfixable. For...
EAT OUT OF (SOMEONE’S) HAND The idiom is used using the phrase “to eat out of someone’s...
EAT CROW/HUMBLE PIE In social settings, this idiom is often used when someone is humbled by an...
DUTCH TREAT {GO DUTCH} The term “go dutch” is an idiomatic phrase meaning to divide the cost...
DRESSED TO KILL One might say that a person is dressed to kill when they are wearing...
DOWN TO THE WIRE Down to the wire is a term that describes the last few seconds...
DOWN IN THE DUMPS Some people are down in the dumps because they are experiencing a kind...
DO (SOMEONE) A GOOD TURN Doing someone a good turn is the act of helping someone out...
DOG DAYS (OF SUMMER) The dog days of summer are an idiom meaning the hottest time of...
DIVIDE THE SPOILS The phrase divide the spoils is an idiom that has its roots in France....
DEAD TO THE WORLD If someone is “dead to the world” they are asleep or unconscious. However,...
DARK HORSE Originally, the phrase “dark horse” was used to describe a candidate in an election who...
CUT (SOMEONE) TO THE QUICK When someone is cut to the quick, it means they have been...
CUT AND DRIED Cut-and-dried means to be settled, certain, or definite. An example of this is if...
CRY OVER SPILLED MILK The idiom, “cry over spilled milk,” is an English proverb that means to...
CREAM OF THE CROP This idiom is used to describe the best of a group or category....
CORNERED A situation in which one is backed into a corner with no possible retreat is called...
COOK (SOMEONE’S) GOOSE Cook someone’s goose is used to mean ruining someone’s plans, putting an end to...
COME OFF IT! In this idiom, the phrase “come off it” is a colloquialism that indicates a...
COLD TURKEY An idiom typically is a phrase that has a figurative meaning different from the literal...
CLOWN AROUND To “clown around” is to have fun in an informal, playful way. When people “clown...
CLIMB/JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON The idiom “jump on the bandwagon” advises people to get in on a...
CLEAN (SOMEONE) OUT The term “clean someone out” refers to a person being robbed of all their...
CHIP ON (ONE’S) SHOULDER A chip on one’s shoulder is an expression for perceived or imaginary insult,...
CHICKEN The phrase “chicken” is likely to be used as a term for cowardice. It may also...
CHECKERED PAST Checkered past is a term used to describe someones life history of having been engaged...
CHANGE HORSES IN MIDSTREAM A common translation of this phrase is “changing one’s mind in the midst...
CATCH (SOMEONE) RED-HANDED [GET CAUGHT-RED HANDED] Catching someone red handed is when you are caught in the...
CARRY A TORCH (FOR SOMEONE) To “carry a torch” for someone means to have romantic feelings for...
CALL A SPADE A SPADE This idiom is used when one wants to be straightforward about someone...
BY WORD OF MOUTH This means that information is transmitted through speech and orally, as opposed to...
BY THE BOOK, GO A person who “goes by the book” might be someone who does things...
BUTTER (SOMEONE) UP A buttering up is a tactic that an individual can use to get on...
BURNING QUESTION A question that is often asked is about how to have a better understanding of...
BURN THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS Burning the candle at both ends is a colloquial phrase that...
BUM STEER, GIVE SOMEONE A A bum steer is when someone intentionally misdirects someone else to prevent...
BRUSH-OFF, GET/GIVE (SOMEONE) THE Failing to give a person a sincere conversation is called the brush-off. The...
BREAK THE ICE Breaking the ice is a form of discourse that seeks to initiate social contact....
BOXED IN/BOX (SOMEONE) IN Boxing someone in is the process of restricting the movement of a person....
