Don't Get Lost in those Idiomatic Expressions!

Have you ever experienced hearing a phrase by your favorite TV character and have no idea what it meant? Or did you professor have that said all these idioms and you just stared at him blankly?

Learn this list of idioms and I’m sure you will no longer be lost in the dark.

1. At the head of the class – most skilled or knowledgeable about a certain field
2. Head and shoulders above – someone or something who is a lot better than       others being compared to
3. A head start – an advantage granted or gained at the beginning of something
4. Have a good head on one’s shoulder – to have common sense
5. Off the top of one’s head – in an impromptu way; without much thought
6. Put one’s heads together – (usually by a group ) to think about something in       order to get ideas or to solve a problem
7. Use one’s head – to think; have common sense
8. Make one’s head spin – cause one to be giddy, dazed, or confused
9. Over one’s head – beyond one’s depth
10. Scratch one’s head – express puzzlement or perplexity
11. Head over heels – completely; thoroughly
12. Lose one’s head – lose self-control; panic
13. Out of one’s head – crazy
14. Soft in the head – stupid
15. Heads will roll – people will get into severe trouble
16. Talk someone’s head off – to speak too much
17. Laugh someone’s head off – to laugh too much
18. Hard-headed – tough; not moved by sentiment
19. Thick-headed – stupid
20. Hot-headed – hot-tempered; impetuous or rash
21. Cool-headed – not easily excited; calm
22. Knucklehead – a stupid person
23. Bonehead – a dunce
24. Sleepyhead – one who is in need of or groggy from sleep
25. Pothead – one who habitually smokes marijuana
26. Head off – to go
27. Head on – with or involving direct confrontation
28. Head in – to move into something
29. Turn heads – to be so interesting or attractive that people turn to look
30. Keep one’s head above water – avoid succumbing to difficulties
31. At the eleventh hour – almost too late
32. In the dead of the night – during the middle of the night
33. A nightcap – an alcoholic or hot drink taken at the end of the day or before       going to bed
34. A night-bird – a person who is habitually active or wakeful at night
35. On the spur of the moment – on impulse; without planning in advance
36. One’s Sunday best – your best clothes which you wear on special occasions
37. To do something at the last minute – to do something just before the       deadline
38. It’s all in day’s work – a part of what is expected
39. To have seen better days – have declined from former prosperity or good                   condition
40. To call it a day – to stop a particular activity for the rest of the day
41. To fight tooth and nail – to use a lot of effort to oppose someone or achieve       something
42. To have the time of one’s life – to have a very good time
43. To kill time – pass time aimlessly
44. To learn something by heart – to learn something so well that it can be                   written or recited without thinking; to memorize
45. To have one’s heart in one’s mouth – to feel strongly emotional about       someone or something
46. To pull someone’s leg – play a joke on; tease
47. Not to have a leg to stand on – to have no support for your position
48. To be on its last leg – about to stop working
49. To pay through the nose – pay an excessive amount for something
50. To stick one’s neck out – to take a risk
51. To give someone the cold shoulder – to behave towards someone in a way that is not at all friendly
52. To run shoulders with someone – to meet and spend time with someone
53. To toe the line – to conform to a rule or standard
54. To hold one’s tongue – to avoid speaking
55. To make a slip of the tongue – an error in speaking in which the speaker                   says something unintentionally
56. To let one’s hair down – to relax and enjoy yourself without worrying what                   other people will think
57. To escape by a hair’s breadth – to barely escape
58. To have one’s hands full – to be busy or totally occupied with something
59. To be a handful – to be difficult to deal with
60. To be an old hand – to be skilled at something through long experience
61. To get the upper hand of something – to have power and control over       someone or a situation
62. To say something off-hand – to say something without preparation
63. To have a finger in the pie – to have a role in something
64. To keep one’s fingers crossed – to wish for luck for someone
65. To see eye to eye – to agree on something or view something the same way
66. To keep a straight face – to not show one’s feelings
67. Elbow room – space which allows you to move around
68. To get something off one’s chest – to confess, or speak about something that             has been bothering you, especially when it this comes as a relief
69. To play music by ear – to reproduce a piece of music one heard
70. To be within earshot – to be close enough to something to hear it
71. To pick someone’s brains- to seek information to someone knowledgeable
72. A bone of contention- the subject or point of an argument
73. To have one’s back against the wall-to have very serious problems
74. To be up in arms- in armed rebellion; very angry
75. To break the back of something- to end the domination of something
76. To see red- someone to be angry
77. To see the red light-to stop what one is doing
78. To catch someone red-handed-apprehend someone in the course of wrong doing
79. To have green fingers- to be good at keeping plants healthy
80. To turn grey-extreme anxiety or grief can turn someone’s hair grey
81. To see pink elephants- euphemism for drunken hallucination, caused by alcoholic allusions or delirium tremens
82. To feel blue- to be depressed
83. To be dressed in black- to mourn or be sad for an unfortunate event
84. To beat someone black and blue- hit someone until they are bruised
85. A feather in one’s cap- a symbol of honor or achievement
86. A wolf in sheep’s clothing- a dangerous person pretending to be harmless
87. To clip someone’s wings- to reduce someone’s privileges as a punishment
88. To take the bull by the horns- confront a problem head on
89. To have butterflies in one’s stomach- to get nervous or tense
90. To rain cats and dogs- to raining in great amounts
91. To count one’s chickens before they hatch- make plans based on events that       may or may not happen
92. To have other fish to fry-to have other things to do
93. To go to the dogs- go to pot; go to hell
94. To wait till the cows come home- for a long but indefinite time
95. To err on the safe side- to err on the side of caution
96. To set the ball rolling- maintain a level of activity in and enthusiasm for a project
97. To talk down to someone- to speak to someone in a patronizing manner
98. To clear the air- to get rid of doubts or hard feelings
99. To throw someone’s weight around- put on weight
100. A saving grace- A redeeming quality, especially one that compensates for one’s shortcomings
101. To affect ignorance (of something)- to enlighten; share knowledge
102. To be asking for trouble- to do something that would cause trouble
103. To be barking up the wrong tree- a mistaken emphasis in a certain context
104. To beat the air-to strike violently repeatedly
105. To blow one’s own trumpet- blow out of proportion
106. It all boils down to- to emphasize the importance of something
107. To buck one’s ideas up- to summon one’s courage
108. To buckle down to something- to settle down
109. To burn one’s bridges- to cut off the way back where you came from
110. To burn a hole in one’s pocket- to cause someone to be tempted on money
111. To burn the candle at both ends- getting up early in the morning
112. To burn one’s fingers- to get one’s self in an unexpected trouble
113. To burn the midnight’s oil- to work late into the night
114. To butter someone up- to flatter someone
115. To buy a pig in a poke-something that is bought without the buyer knowing its true value
116. To call the tune- a musical setting of a hymn, poem, psalm etc.
117. To catch someone napping- catch someone who is unprepared
118. To catch someone red-handed- to catch someone doing an wrong act
119. To chop and change- to keep changing what you do or plan to do
120. To cross the Rubicon- to do something that inevitably commits one to following a       certain course of action
121. To curry favor with someone- to try to make someone like you or support you by       doing or saying things to
122. To cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth- to plan one’s aims and activities in line       with one’s resources and circumstances.
123. To draw a blank-to get no response
124. To err on the safe side- doing the thing that is safe rather than risking
125. To feather one’s nest- to decorate one’s home in style and comfort
126. To fish in troubled waters- to involve self in a difficult situation
127. To flog a dead horse- to insist in talking about something that no one is       interested in
128. To fly in the face of someone- to challenge someone
129. To fly off the handle- losing one’s temper
130. To follow the crowd- go along with the majority
131. To follow in someone’s footsteps- to do the same things in your life as someone       else
132. To gild the lily- to over embellish
133. To hand out bouquets- to give out or confess one’s love
134. To handle someone with kid gloves-to deal with someone very gently
135. To harp on the same string- to play the same note over and over
136. To hear something over the grape-vine- to hear news from someone who heard the news from someone else
137. To hold the olive branch-to offer to make peace with an enemy or rival
138. To hit below the belt- an unfair blow
139. To iron out differences- resolve differences; settle disputes
140. To join forces-to work together in a common enterprise
141. To jump on the bandwagon – to support something because of its popularity
142. To kill two birds with one stone – achieving 2 things with only one activity
143. To know where the shoe pinches – the true cause of the trouble
144. To know which side one’s bread is buttered – to know who to be nice to and what       to do in order to get an advantage for yourself
145. To lead a charmed life – a life in which one is always lucky and safe
146. To lead someone a dance – lead someone around in your point of view
147. To lead someone a dog’s life – very unhappy or unpleasant life
148. To lead someone up the garden path – deceive someone
149. To leave much to be desired – be imperfect or unsatisfactory
150. Let by-gones be by-gones – leave whatever happened in the past
151. To let sleeping dogs lie – not talk about a bad situation that most people forgot
152. To let something drop – casually reveal a piece of information
153. To let the cat out of the bag – reveal facts previously hidden
154. To let the grass grow under one’s feet – to not waste time by delaying
155. To meet one’s Waterloo – to encounter a big obstacle and be defeated by it
156. To meet someone half-way – to agree in a condition
157. To mend one’s ways – to change someone
158. To mince one’s words – traitor
159. To mind one’s p’s and q’s – practice good manners
160. To move heaven and earth – do everything you can to achieve something
161. To nip something in the bud – put an end to something before it becomes larger
162. To pat someone on the back – to congratulate
163. To pocket one’s pride – to hide your pride in certain situations
164. To pour oil on troubled waters – to calm two talking person who are fighting
165. To rain cats and dogs – hravy rains
166. To rest on one’s laurels – to stop trying because of satisfied achievements
167. To ring a bell – to remember something
168. To rise to the occasion – to stand up to what you believe
169. To rob Peter to pay Paul – to take something from someone for the benefit of       another person
170. To roll one’s sleeves up – to be serious in a situation
171. To throw in the towel – to stop something
172. To tighten one’s belt – spend less than before
173. To wash one’s dirty linen in public – discuss something that should be private
174. To weather the storm – to be able to continue doing something despite problems
175. To whistle for the wind – to take purposelessly
176. To make one’s feet wet – get a little first time in something
177. To stick one’s neck out – take a risk
178. To stretch a point – do something unacceptable
179. To smell a rat – to suspect that something is wrong
180. To speak volume – giving out opinion
181. To steal someone’s thunder – lessen someones force or authority
182. To spill the beans – give away private information
183. To split hairs – to argue about a trivial aspect of an issue
184. To stick around – to stay a little longer
185. To run in the blood – a unique characteristic in your family
186. To be six feet under – to be dead
187. To die by one’s own hand – suicide
188. To come to an untimely death – death at an early age
189. To be on piece-work – paid a fixed rate regardless of time
190. To cook someone’s goose – to ruin someone
191. Straight from the horse’s mouth – comes from an original source
192. To hold one’s horses – to calm down
193. To look a gift-horse in the mouth – not to refuse something good that is being       offered
194. The lion’s share – the owners share
195. The leopard can’t change its spots – one cant change essential nature
196. To put the cat among the pigeons – a disturbance caused by an undesirable       person
197. To have a bee in one’s bonnet – obsession
198. To take the bull by the horns – to deal with a difficult situation
199. To have other fish to fry – to have other important things to do
200. To keep the wolf from the door – to maintain oneself at a minimal level