IDIOMS

COMMON IDIOMS

As the saying goes

This expression is used to introduce a proverb during a conversation.

As the proverb goes, ‘you can believe anything except women and wolves’.

Scare the daylight out of (= terrify someone)

The robber scared the daylight out of me by threatening to kill me if I didn’t give him my ornaments.

Shot in the dark (= something done with no hope)

Although I sent in an application for the job, I always knew that it was a shot in the dark.

Show someone the door (= ask someone to leave)

If you keep behaving rudely, I will have no option but to show you the door.

Shut one’s eyes to (= ignore)

I cannot shut my eyes to your shortcomings just because you are my son.

Sit on the fence (= stay indecisive)

After sitting on the fence for over five years, John has finally decided to get married.

Skeleton in the cupboard (= have a lot of (bad) secrets)

It isn’t uncommon for the rich and the famous to have many skeletons in the cupboard.

Skin someone alive (= beat somebody up, humiliate someone)

I will skin you alive if you question my fidelity.

Pack of lies (= a whole lot of lies)

When I got myself acquainted with her I realized that every nasty thing that I had heard about her was a pack of lies.

Paint the lily (= make unnecessary beautification)

You already look beautiful without any makeup. Why should you paint the lily?

Part ways (separate, say farewell)

He has decided to part ways with his long term girlfriend.

Pass the buck to (= shift the blame, shift the responsibility)

Why do you pass the buck to me for the failure of the plan? The idea was yours, not mine.

Pave the way for (= give opportunity)

In my opinion the old leader should pave the way for the youngsters.

Play one’s trump card (= use the last effective weapon)

I will play my trump card only at the end.

Play havoc with (= destroy, ruin)

The rain played havoc with my travel plans.

Play second fiddle to (= take a less important place than somebody else)

He will play second fiddle to none.

Play to the gallery (= try to win approval by appealing to popular taste)

The government is playing to the gallery by announcing populist schemes.

Play with the fire (= get involved in something dangerous)

You are playing with the fire by getting yourself associated with a terrorist.
Go by the books

To go by the books is to do everything strictly according to rules.

You can’t go by the books all the time.

Go cap in hand

To go cap in hand is to request some help humbly.

Although I desperately needed some money I couldn’t bear the thought of going cap in hand.

Go from bad to worse (= become much worse)

The state of his health has gone from bad to worse after his return from the hills.

Go off the rails (= become abnormal)

Have you gone off the rails? Don’t you know that it is dangerous to play with fire?

Go through (= read)

You must go through this document carefully.

Go without saying (= known to all)

It goes without saying that honesty is the best policy.

Go wrong (= develop a problem)

Something has gone wrong with my stomach. I feel sick.

God knows (= have no idea)

God knows what will happen to him if he continues to drink like this.

Gone with the wind (= disappeared without a trace)

My dreams about becoming a doctor went with the wind the moment I realized that I had failed the medical entrance examination.
Jump the gun

To jump the gun is to do something too soon without thinking carefully about it.

Don’t jump the gun – they have met only once. How did you arrive at the conclusion that they are seeing each other?

Jump to it

When you ask someone to jump to it, you ask him or her to do something quickly.

I told you to do your homework before going to bed – now jump to it.

Jump through hoops

To jump through the hoops is to do a lot of tough things before you can have something you want.

Jump down someone’s throat

To jump down someone’s throat is to speak very angrily to him / her.

Stop jumping down my throat. Or else I will knock your head off.

Jump out of one’s skins (become frightened)

I jumped out of my skins when I heard the gun-shots.

Jump to conclusions (come to sudden conclusions without much thought)

Don’t jump to conclusions – just because he comes late every now and then, you can’t accuse him of having an affair.

Jump on the bandwagon

To jump or get on the bandwagon is to become involved in a successful or popular activity so that you can get the advantage of it yourself.

The success of the tablet computers have led all PC makers to jump on the bandwagon.