- Break a leg – Good luck.
Example: You’re going on stage? Break a leg! - Cost an arm and a leg – Very expensive.
Example: That designer bag costs an arm and a leg. - Cold feet – Nervousness before an event.
Example: She got cold feet before the wedding. - Give someone a hand – Help someone.
Example: Can you give me a hand with this heavy box? - Lend a hand – Offer help.
Example: He always lends a hand to neighbors in need. - All ears – Fully listening.
Example: I’m all ears; tell me your story. - Tongue-tied – Unable to speak due to nerves.
Example: I was tongue-tied during the interview. - Keep an eye on – Watch carefully.
Example: Keep an eye on the baby while I cook. - Face the music – Accept the consequences.
Example: He had to face the music for breaking the vase. - Cold shoulder – To ignore someone.
Example: She gave him the cold shoulder after the fight. - By heart – Memorize perfectly.
Example: I know the poem by heart. - Play it by ear – Decide as you go.
Example: We’ll play it by ear and see what happens. - Get something off your chest – Confess or express feelings.
Example: I finally got it off my chest and told her the truth. - Break the ice – Start a conversation.
Example: He told a joke to break the ice at the party. - Stick your neck out – Take a risk.
Example: He stuck his neck out to support his friend. - By the skin of your teeth – Barely succeed.
Example: He passed the exam by the skin of his teeth. - Foot in the door – A first step to success.
Example: This internship is my foot in the door at the company. - Give someone the cold shoulder – Ignore deliberately.
Example: She gave me the cold shoulder for no reason. - Head over heels – Completely in love.
Example: He’s head over heels for her. - Stick your tongue out – Mock someone.
Example: The kids stuck their tongues out at the teacher playfully. - Break your neck – Work very hard.
Example: He broke his neck to finish the project on time. - Pull someone’s leg – Joke or tease someone.
Example: Don’t worry, I was just pulling your leg. - Hand in hand – Together, closely linked.
Example: Success and hard work go hand in hand. - Keep your chin up – Stay positive.
Example: Keep your chin up; things will get better. - Cost a leg – Very expensive.
Example: That watch costs a leg. - Lend an ear – Listen carefully.
Example: I’m here to lend an ear whenever you need. - Rule of thumb – General guideline.
Example: A good rule of thumb is to save 10% of your income. - Neck and neck – Equal in a race or competition.
Example: The two runners were neck and neck at the finish. - Pull your weight – Do your fair share.
Example: Everyone in the team must pull their weight. - Keep your fingers crossed – Hope for good luck.
Example: I’m keeping my fingers crossed for your exam results. - See eye to eye – Agree fully.
Example: They don’t always see eye to eye on politics. - Give a hand – Help.
Example: Can you give me a hand with this report? - Cold hands, warm heart – Appear unfriendly but are kind.
Example: Don’t be fooled; he’s cold hands, warm heart. - Eyes in the back of your head – Be very watchful.
Example: Teachers seem to have eyes in the back of their head. - Pulling teeth – Very difficult to do.
Example: Getting him to apologize was like pulling teeth. - Under your nose – Very obvious, yet unnoticed.
Example: The solution was right under your nose! - Keep your head above water – Survive difficulties.
Example: She’s struggling to keep her head above water financially. - Turn a blind eye – Ignore something deliberately.
Example: The principal turned a blind eye to minor rule-breaking. - Bite your tongue – Avoid speaking.
Example: I had to bite my tongue to avoid arguing with him. - Chew someone out – Scold angrily.
Example: The manager chewed him out for being late. - Hand over fist – Quickly, in large amounts.
Example: The company made money hand over fist. - Get cold feet – Lose courage.
Example: He got cold feet before the final match. - Break someone’s heart – Cause emotional pain.
Example: The breakup broke her heart. - Put your foot down – Be firm.
Example: The teacher put her foot down and ended the debate. - Cost a fortune – Very expensive.
Example: That car cost a fortune. - Keep your nose clean – Avoid trouble.
Example: He’s been keeping his nose clean since the accident. - Cry your eyes out – Cry a lot.
Example: She cried her eyes out after the movie. - Head start – An advantage.
Example: Early preparation gives you a head start. - Get something off your back – Resolve an issue.
Example: I finally got that report off my back. - Keep your cool – Stay calm.
Example: Keep your cool even if things go wrong. - By a nose – Win narrowly.
Example: He won the race by a nose. - Hang by a thread – In a precarious situation.
Example: The company’s finances are hanging by a thread. - Lend a shoulder – Offer support.
Example: I’m here to lend a shoulder if you need to cry. - Twist someone’s arm – Persuade someone forcefully.
Example: He twisted my arm into joining the team. - Cold comfort – Small consolation.
Example: The apology was cold comfort after the damage. - Bite off more than you can chew – Take on too much.
Example: Don’t bite off more than you can chew at work. - Hand to mouth – Living with only enough to survive.
Example: The family was living hand to mouth after the flood. - Turn your back on – Reject or abandon.
Example: He turned his back on his friends after moving. - Keep your head down – Avoid attention or trouble.
Example: During the investigation, he kept his head down. - Head in the clouds – Daydreaming.
Example: Stop daydreaming; your head is in the clouds. - Catch someone off guard – Surprise someone.
Example: The sudden question caught me off guard. - Go belly up – Fail completely.
Example: The business went belly up after six months. - Break out in a cold sweat – Become very nervous.
Example: I broke out in a cold sweat before the speech. - Give someone a pat on the back – Praise.
Example: She gave him a pat on the back for his hard work. - Heart-to-heart – Honest, personal conversation.
Example: We had a heart-to-heart about our problems. - By leaps and bounds – Rapidly.
Example: His skills improved by leaps and bounds. - Bite your head off – Respond angrily.
Example: Don’t bite my head off; I didn’t mean to upset you. - Pull yourself together – Calm down.
Example: Pull yourself together; everything will be fine. - Have a sweet tooth – Love sugary food.
Example: She has a sweet tooth and eats chocolate daily. - Pay through the nose – Pay too much.
Example: I paid through the nose for that concert ticket. - Put your back into it – Work hard.
Example: If you put your back into it, we can finish quickly. - Stick to your guns – Maintain your position.
Example: She stuck to her guns despite criticism. - At death’s door – Very ill.
Example: He was at death’s door after the accident. - Give someone a head start – Give an advantage.
Example: The teacher gave the new student a head start. - Get off your chest – Confess something.
Example: I needed to get it off my chest, so I told him the truth. - Keep someone at arm’s length – Avoid closeness.
Example: She keeps everyone at arm’s length. - Under your skin – Annoying or affecting deeply.
Example: That comment got under my skin. - Bite the bullet – Face a painful situation bravely.
Example: I had to bite the bullet and tell her the truth. - By the book – Follow the rules strictly.
Example: He does everything by the book. - Shake a leg – Hurry up.
Example: Come on, shake a leg, or we’ll miss the bus! - Pull the plug – Stop something.
Example: They pulled the plug on the failing project. - In over your head – In a situation you cannot handle.
Example: I’m in over my head with this assignment. - Have a frog in your throat – Difficulty speaking.
Example: I had a frog in my throat during the presentation. - Head for the hills – Run away from danger.
Example: When the fire started, we headed for the hills. - Catch someone red-handed – Catch in the act.
Example: The student was caught red-handed cheating. - Neck of the woods – Your area or region.
Example: Are there any good restaurants in your neck of the woods? - Take it on the chin – Accept misfortune bravely.
Example: He took it on the chin when the plan failed. - Get a kick out of – Enjoy something.
Example: She gets a kick out of playing practical jokes. - Finger in every pie – Involved in many activities.
Example: He has a finger in every pie in the company. - Break out – Start suddenly.
Example: A rash broke out on his arm. - Give someone a run for their money – Challenge strongly.
Example: The newcomer gave the champion a run for his money. - Cold turkey – Stop suddenly.
Example: He went cold turkey to quit smoking. - Have a head for – Be good at.
Example: She has a head for numbers. - Keep a stiff upper lip – Stay brave in difficulty.
Example: He kept a stiff upper lip during the crisis. - Stick your neck out – Take a risk.
Example: I stuck my neck out by investing in that startup. - Under your thumb – Controlled by someone.
Example: He has his employees under his thumb. - On pins and needles – Feeling very anxious or in eager suspense.
Example: I was on pins and needles waiting for the doctor’s test results.
- Elbow room – Enough space to move or act freely.
Example: The new office gives everyone plenty of elbow room. - Put your finger on – Identify exactly.
Example: I can’t put my finger on what’s wrong with this plan. - Shoulder the burden – Take responsibility for something difficult.
Example: She had to shoulder the burden of managing the whole project alone.