Can you give some English idioms and their meanings?

Question

I need it for my English homework and I can't think of any. Thanks!

Answer 1

1. Full swing : at its high point

- The party really got into full swing around midnight.

2. Hit it off : get along well

- My roommate and I hit it off from the very first day we moved in.

3. eat someone out of house and home: they're eating  all of my food

- My teenagers have huge appetites and are eating me out of house and home.

4. Fell head over heels in love : fell deeply in love

- They immediately fell head over heels in love.

5. Get on like a house on fire : get on very well

They hadn't met before the holiday but they got on like a house on fire.

6. He's mine of information : a rich source of information.

7. Be strapped for cash: have no money available

8. On the tip of one's tongue : to be at the point of remembering something

- It's on the tip of my tongue but I can't remember it

9. Slow on the uptake: you have to explain things to him several times

- He is a bit slow on the uptake.

10. Smart aleck: someone who shows off their cleverness in an irritating way

- I can't stand him - he's such a smart aleck.

11. Can't make head or tail : can't understand

- I can't make head or tail of what you're trying to say.

I thing that'll be enough.

Answer 2

List of Animal Idioms in English

Animal Idioms--Business Idioms--Colour Idioms-- Food Idioms--Money Idioms  

Choose the idiom and click on it to go directly to the explanation and example.

A

act like an ape

B

bark up the wrong tree, her bark is worse than her bite, bet on the wrong horse, bull in a china shop

C

cash cow, cat get one’s tongue, cat nap, change horses in midstream, copycat, cry wolf, curiosity killed the cat

D

dark horse, dog-eat-dog, donkey's years, dumb bunny

E

eager beaver, eat like a horse, every dog has his day

F

fraidy-cat

G

get on one’s high horse, get off one’s high horse, go ape, go whole hog

H

hit the bulls-eye, hold one’s horses, holy cow, horse around, horse of a different colour, horse trade

I

in the doghouse

K

kangaroo court

L

lead a dog’s life, let sleeping dogs lie, let the cat out of the bag, live high on the hog, lock the barn door after the horse is gone, look like the cat that swallowed the canary

M

make a mountain out of a molehill, monkey business

P

piggyback, piggy bank, play cat and mouse with someone, put the cart before the horse

R

rain cats and dogs, rat out on, rat race, road hog

S

sacred cow, scaredy-cat, smell a rat, straight from the horse’s mouth, straw that breaks the camel’s back

T

tail between one’s legs, take the bull by the horns, talk until the cows come home, throw someone to the wolves, turn tail

W

wildcat strike, wolf in sheep’s clothing

act like an ape

MEANING: behave badly, wildly, foolishly

EXAMPLE:

He has been acting like an ape ever since his girlfriend left him.

bark up the wrong tree

MEANING: choose the wrong course of action

EXAMPLE:

He is barking up the wrong tree. He accuses me of causing the computer problem but I was away at the time.

Her bark is worse than her bite

MEANING: someone’s words are worse than their action

EXAMPLE:

You shouldn’t worry about her. Her bark is worse than her bite and she is really a very nice person.



bet on the wrong horse

MEANING: misread the future

EXAMPLE:

He is betting on the wrong horse if he keeps supporting the other city in their bid for the games.

bull in a china shop

MEANING: a person with no tact who upsets others or upsets plans

EXAMPLE:

He is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if you invite him to your house for the weekend.

cash cow

MEANING: a good way to make money

EXAMPLE:

The new business is a great cash cow. We are making a lot of money now.

cat get one’s tongue

MEANING: can’t speak because of shyness

EXAMPLE:

The cat must have got her tongue. She did not saying anything at all.

cat nap

MEANING: a short sleep taken during the day

EXAMPLE:

I had a cat nap during the afternoon so I would feel refreshed in the evening.



change horses in midstream

MEANING: make new plans or choose a new leader in the middle of an important activity

EXAMPLE:

They have decided to change lawyers but I told them that they shouldn’t change horses in midstream.

copycat

MEANING: someone who copies another person’s work etc.

EXAMPLE:

He is a copycat according to the other students in the class.

cry wolf

MEANING: give a false alarm; warn of a danger that is not there.

EXAMPLE:

He is crying wolf. There is no real danger or worry about the electrical system causing a fire.

curiosity killed the cat

MEANING: being too nosy may lead a person into trouble

EXAMPLE:

You shouldn’t worry about what he is doing. Remember curiosity killed the cat.

dark horse

MEANING: a candidate little known to the general public

EXAMPLE:

He was a dark horse in the race to be President until he gave some good speeches on TV.

dog-eat-dog

MEANING: ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what one wants

EXAMPLE:

It is a dog-eat-dog world outside the father said to his young son.

donkey's years

MEANING: a very long time

EXAMPLE:

I talked to my friend for a long time because I hadn't seen her in donkey's years.



dumb bunny

MEANING: stupid or gullible person

EXAMPLE:

He really is a dumb bunny. I can’t believe that he can do such stupid things.

eager beaver

MEANING: a person who is always eager to work or do something extra

EXAMPLE:

She is a real eager beaver and I am sure she will do very well in this company.

eat like a horse

MEANING: eat a lot

EXAMPLE:

Her brother who is 18 years old eats like a horse.

every dog has his day

MEANING: everyone will have his chance or turn; everyone will get what he deserves

EXAMPLE:

Don’t worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing.

fraidy-cat

MEANING: someone who is easily frightened (used by children)

EXAMPLE:

The little boy called his friend a fraidy-cat because he wouldn’t climb the tree.



get on one’s high  

Answer 3

try going to this site.. it has idioms and meanings ^_^

http://www.learn-english-today.com/idiom...

Answer 4

Check this site out http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/id...

Answer 5

Idioms.

A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush:

Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might lose everything.

A Blessing In Disguise:

Something good that isn't recognized at first.

A Chip On Your Shoulder:

Being upset for something that happened in the past.

A Dime A Dozen:

Anything that is common and easy to get.

A Doubting Thomas:

A skeptic who needs physical or personal evidence in order to believe something.

A Drop in the Bucket:

A very small part of something big or whole.

A Fool And His Money Are Easily Parted:

It's easy for a foolish person to lose his/her money.

A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand:

Everyone involved must unify and function together or it will not work out.

A Leopard Can't Change His Spots:

You cannot change who you are.

A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned:

By not spending money, you are saving money (little by little).

http://www.idiomsite.com/

http://a4esl.org/q/h/idioms.html

http://www.idiomconnection.com/

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/

http://www.angelfire.com/wi3/englishcorn...

Dictionary of English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/id...