How many Idioms do you know?

by Rod P 23 Replies latest jw friends

  • Terry
    Terry
    You can't have your cake and eat it too. (You can't take advantage of a situation without experiencing the bad effects that go with it also.)

    Actually, this is best understood in reverse order:

    You can't eat your cake and HAVE IT too. This means you can't have things both ways; you have to choose; one OR the other.

  • Rod P
    Rod P

    Terry,

    Interesting observation. Thanks for sharing.

    fill (someone's) shoes (to do the job that someone else used to do)

    if the shoe fits (wear it) (used to tell someone you think a criticism of them is true or fair.)

    put yourself in that person's shoes (to say how you would feel or what you would do if you were in someone else's situation)

    the shoe is on the other foot (to say that someone who caused problems for the other person in the past is now in a similar situation to the person(s) they caused problems for)

    wait for the other shoe to drop (to wait for the next part of an unpleasant process to happen)

    living on a shoestring (budget) (if you live, manage a business, etc. you do it with very little money)

    be a shoo-in (used to say that someone is very likely to win an election or competition or be chosen for a job)

    the flip side (to introduce a different way of considering a situation or argument)

    get on the wrong side of (someone) (to annoy someone or make them angry, especially someone who can cause serious problems for you)

    have (something) on your side (to say that something is an advantage to you and will help you to achieve what you want)

    keep/stay on the right side of (someone) (to be careful not to annoy someone because you want them to help you and not to cause problems for you)

    look on the bright side (see the good points of a situation that is bad in other ways)

    be on the side of the angels (to say that someone is good or morally right)

    be on the wrong side of 40, 50, etc. (used to say that someone is older than a particular age)

    the other side of the coin (used to introduce a different or opposite part of a situation, problem, idea, etc.)

    split your sides (to laugh a lot and very loudly)

    be/stay on the safe side (to make the safest choice in order to avoid any possible problems or difficulties)

    sunny side up (to cook eggs in hot oil without them being turned over so the yolk in the middle is soft)

    two sides of the same coin (used to say that the two problems or situations are so closely related that they are really just two parts of the same thing)

    Rod P.

  • GermanXJW
    GermanXJW

    I really appreciate these kind of threads.







  • Rod P
    Rod P

    be all thumbs (you are unable to do things neatly and carefully with your hands)

    give (someone/something) the thumbs up (to approve of something or like it or someone's actions)

    have a green thumb (to be good at taking care of plants so they grow well)

    stick/stand out like a sore thumb (to say that someone or something is very easy to notice, or looks wrong or strange because they are so different from everything or everyone around them)

    twiddle your thumbs (to do nothing, either because you have nothing to do, or because you're waiting for something to happen)

    under (someone's) thumb (used to say that someone is completely controlled by a person or organization)

    ahead of (his/her/its) time (used to say that someone or something uses very modern ideas or methods, which aren't used by most other people until later)

    all in good time (to tell someone to be patient because what they want will happen or be dealt with later)

    at the best of times (to say that something that is usually bad, wrong, difficult, etc.is even worse now)

    bide your time (to wait patiently for the right moment to do something, or until something happens)

    big time (to emphasize that something happens in an extreme way, or that something is serious)

    the big time (when someone has reached the highest level of their job and becomes famous, especially in the entertainment business, sports or politics)

    do (something) in your own good time (used to say that you will do something when you are ready to do it, and not when other people want you to do it.)

    do (something) in/on your own time (to work or study outside the hours you are paid to work, or outside the time that you spend in school) (also, to do something without hurrying, taking all the time you need)

    do time (to spend time in prison)

    be/fall behind the times (to not use modern ideas or methods which are already being used by others)

    fall on hard times (used to say that a person or company is no longer as rich and successful as they used to be)

    for old times' sake (to say that someone is doing something because it reminds them of happy times in the past)

    for the time being (for a short time from the present, but not permanently)

    from time to time (sometimes, but not regularly or very often)

    from/since time immemorial (since a very long time ago)

    give (someone) a hard time (to criticize someone a lot, or cause problems for them)

    not give (someone) the time of day (to say that you refuse to talk to someone because you do not like or respect them)

    have all the time in the world (to have as much time as you want or need to do something)

    have no time for (to say that you dislike someone or something and do not think they are good, useful, or helpful)

    have the time of your life (to enjoy yourself a lot)

    have time on your hands (to be bored because you have a lot of time and do not know what to do in it)

    in no time (at all) (to say something happens very quickly or soon, especially when this is surprising)

    it's about time ((to say that you think something should happen soon or should already have happened) ) (also, to say when something happens that you think should have happened earlier)

    it's high time (that) (used to say that something must be done that should have been done already)

    kill time (to do something that is not very useful or interesting so that you do not feel bored while you are waiting for something to happen)

    Rod P.

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