ENGLISH IDIOMS & SAYINGS
To wear many hats If someone wears many hats, he/she has different roles or tasks to perform
To straddle the fence To straddle the fence is to be indecisive, often to the point where it becomes painful not to make a decision
As rare as hen's teeth Something that is as rare as hen's teeth is very rare or non-existent
To have a lot on one’s plate If you have got a lot on your plate, you are very busy and have many commitments
To pick someone's brains If you pick someone's brains, you ask him/her for advice, suggestions and information about something they know about
To curdle one’s blood If something is very frightening or disturbing, it curdles your blood
Older than dirt Something or someone that is older than dirt is very old
A tomboy This designates a girl who behaves just like a boy
Pigs might fly If you think something will never happen or succeed, you can say that 'pigs might fly' (or 'pigs can fly' and 'pigs will fly'- the idiom is used in many forms)
Talk is cheap It's easy to talk about something but harder to actually do it
Time flies This idiom means that time moves quickly and often unnoticed
To take something at face value If you take something at face value, you accept the appearance rather than looking deeper into the matter
To face the music If you have to face the music, you have to accept the negative consequences of something you have done wrong
To get cold feet If you get cold feet about something, you lose the courage to do it
To be on cloud nine If you are on cloud nine, you are extremely happy
A cold day in hell There is no chance some event or condition will ever happen 'It will be a cold day in hell before he manages it'
The cold shoulder If you give someone the cold shoulder, you are deliberately unfriendly and uncooperative towards them
To rub someone up the wrong way If you annoy or irritate someone when you didn't mean to, you rub them up the wrong way
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To ring a bell If something rings a bell, it reminds you of something you have heard before, though you may not be able to remember it very well A name may ring a bell, so you know you have heard the name before, but cannot place it
"Old habits die hard." / “You can't teach an old dog new tricks” Existing habits are hard to change
Nothing ventured, nothing gained If one takes no risks, one will not gain any benefits
The early bird catches the worm Whoever arrives first has the best chance of success; some opportunities are only available to the first competitors
"As you make your bed, so you must lie in it People have to live with the consequences of their actions, and they have to take the responsibility for them
People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones People who have a fault should not criticize others for having that same fault
Too many cooks spoil the broth When too many people try to do something, they make a mess of it.
Where there is a will there is a way If someone wants something strongly enough, a way can be found to make it happen
Many hands make light work A large number of people co-operating can perform tasks easily
A friend in need is a friend indeed A true friend is one who helps you when you are in need
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. You can show someone how to do something, but you can't make them do it
When the cat's away, the mice will play! In the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances
A rolling stone can gather no moss. If a person never stays in one place, he or she never "gathers" or gets attached to things or people
Rome wasn't built in a day It takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Don't count your chickens before they are hatched You should wait until you know whether something has produced the results you desire, rather than acting beforehand
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth You should be thankful when you receive a gift, and not wish for something better.
Beggars can’t be chooser When you cannot have exactly what you want, you must accept whatever you can get
Barking dogs seldom bite People who make big threats never usually carry them out
Somebody's bark is worse than his/her bite A person is not as unpleasant as he/she seems, and his/her actions are not as bad as his/her threats
There's no smoke without fire Gossip or accusations are often substantiated by facts
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An apple a day keeps the doctor away Eat an apple each day and you will never get sick
An apple never falls far from the tree People are similar to their parents
To be caught between a rock and a hard place. To have the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; to be in a predicament or quandary.
Don't let any grass grow under your feet Act now without any delay
To make a mountain out of a molehill To exaggerate the importance of something
When in Rome, do as the Romans do A visitor should follow the local customs
Birds of a feather flock together Those of similar taste congregate in groups, i.e. spend time together
It’s the last straw which breaks the camel’s back Something is thought to be the last in a line of unacceptable occurrences.
And many more…
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/ http://www.ilearnenglish.fr/lecon-expressions-idiomatiques.html#straw
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