American English Idioms

all's well that ends well
- a successful outcome is worth the effort

all thumbs
- clumsy

at the end of one's rope
- at the limit of one's ability to cope

bark worse than one's bite
- not as bad-tempered as one appears

bend over backwards
- try very hard

bite the bullet
- endure in a difficult situation

bite the dust
- go down in defeat

blow it
- fail at something

bury the hatchet
- make peace

cat got your tongue?
- can't talk?

come alive
- brighten up and become active

cough up
- give unwillingly

different strokes for different folks
- everyone has different interests and tastes

dressed to kill
- wear one's finest clothing

dressed to the teeth
- dressed elegantly

drive someone up a wall
- annoy someone greatly

duck soup
- easy, effortless

early bird catches the worm
- arriving early gives one an advantage

eating someone
- bothering or worrying someone

eyes are bigger than one's stomach
- take more food than one can eat

face the music
- accept the consequences

feed someone a line
- deceive someone

feel like a million dollars
- feel wonderful

fishy
- strange and suspicious

for a song
- for very little money

for the birds
- uninteresting and meaningless

fork over
- hand over, give

get away clean
- escape punishment

get in someone's hair
- bother someone

get off someone's back
- bothering someone

get the ax
- be dismissed, fired

get the ball rolling
- initiate action

get the jump on someone
- the advantage over someone

get up on the wrong side of the bed
- wake up in a bad mood

give it one's best shot
- try hard

give someone the slip
- make a getaway

go fly a kite
- go away!

go to bat for someone
- help out and support someone

go to the dogs
- become rundown

hang on
- persevere

have the world by the tail
- successful and happy

hit the ceiling
- become very angry

hit the hay
- go to bed

horse around
- play around

horse of a different color
- quite a different matter

hot under the collar
- extremely angry

if the shoo fits, wear it
- admit the truth

in stitches
- laughing very hard

in the hole
- in debt

jump down someone's throat
- become angry with someone

jump the gun
- to be hasty

keep under one's hat
- keep something a secret

kick the bucket
- die

kick up one's heels
- celebrate

knock someone's socks off
- enthuse and excite

leave someone high and dry
- abandon someone

lemon
- something defective

let sleeping dogs lie
- do not agitate a potential source of trouble

let the cat out of the bag
- inform beforehand

lose one's shirt
- lose a great deal of money

make a splash
- be successful and attract attention

make ends meet
- pay one's bills

mind one's P's and Q's
- take care in speech and action

money talks
- money can influence people

not have a leg to stand on
- to have no good defense for one's opinion or actions

on ice
- set aside for future use

on one's last legs
- sick and failing

on the line
- in danger of being lost

out of the woods
- out of danger

out on a limb
- in a risky position

paint the town red
- carouse and have a good time

pay through the nose
- pay too high a price

people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
- one should not critisize when one is equally at fault

play it by ear
- improvise as one goes along

pull someone's leg
- fool someone

pull strings
- exert influence

put one's money where one's mouth is
- follow through with a stated intention

raise a stink
- protest strongly

scratch someone's back
- return a favor

sell someone short
- underestimate someone

sell someone down the river
- betray someone

shake a leg
- hurry!

shape up or ship out
- behave properly or leave!

shoot the breeze
- chat informally

shoot of one's mouth
- express one's opinions loudly

smell a rat
- feel that something is wrong

spread oneself too thin
- become involved in too many activities

stick to one's guns
- maintain one's position

stick out one's neck
- take a risk

spill the beans
- reveal a secret

sitting pretty
- in a fortunate position

snow job
- insincere talk

string someone along
- lead someone on dishonestly

straight fro the horse's mouth
- from a reliable source

take the bull by the horns
- take a decisive action in a difficult situation

toot one's own horn
- boast

talk through one's hat
- make a foolish statement

tongue-in-cheek
- not serious

turn someone off
- disgust someone

up one's sleeve
- concealed

wet blanket
- dull or boring person who spoils the happiness of others