CJS EFL - 120 IDIOMS

USEFUL IDIOMS

A native-speaker might use any of these!
Using them freely will enrich your language.

REFERENCE
LISTS

ADVANCED

All's well that ends well.

1) I'm afraid he's rather a ??????? water in this environment.

2) He's no good in this role: just a square ????????

He doesn't
fit in.

Be careful: the boss has rather a ???????? fuse.

He loses his
temper easily.

All's well that ends well.

1) I'm afraid he's rather a fish out of water in this environment.

2) He's no good in this role: just a square peg in a round hole.

He doesn't
fit in.

Be careful: the boss has rather a short fuse.

He loses his
temper easily.

A leopard doesn't change his spots.

Trying to get that contract is a waste of time: it's just a wild ????????

pointless

Don't beat ???????? : get to the point.

Tell me
straight out now

A leopard doesn't change his spots.

Trying to get that contract is a waste of time: it's just a wild goose chase.

pointless

Don't beat about the bush: get to the point.

Tell me
straight out now

He who laughs last, laughs longest.

To cut ????????????????????, we're bankrupt.

getting right to the
point without delay

That's the whole story in ?????????????

summarised
in brief

He who laughs last, laughs longest.

To cut a long story short, we're bankrupt.

getting right to the
point without delay

That's the whole story in a nutshell.

summarised
in brief

Many hands make light work.

If one bank collapses the rest then will follow in a ???????????? effect.

like dominoes

Getting into the Swiss market is a hard ?????????????

very difficult

A fool and his money are easily parted.

If one bank collapses the rest will follow in a snowball effect.

like dominoes

Getting into the Swiss market is a hard nut to crack.

very difficult

A fool and his money are easily parted.

We must be cautious. If we ?????????? gun we could lose everything.

act too soon

It's no good sitting ?????????? ; you must decide one way or the other.

procrastinating

A fool and his money are easily parted.

We must be cautious. If we jump the gun we could lose everything.

act too soon

It's no good sitting on the fence; you must decide one way or the other.

procrastinating

Strike while the iron is hot.

I'm getting ?????????? feet about this deal: it's too risky.

seriously hesitant

We must act now or we may miss ????????????.

lose the opportunity

Strike while the iron is hot.

I'm getting cold feet about this deal: it's too risky

seriously hesitant

We must act now or we may miss the boat.

lose the opportunity

Make hay while the sun shines.

Quasimodo? That name ????????????????

reminds me
of something

I take everything he says with a ?????????????? salt.

I am very sceptical
of everything he says.

Make hay while the sun shines.

Quasimodo? That name rings a bell.

reminds me
of something

I take everything he says with a pinch of salt.

I am very sceptical
of everything he says.

The grass is always greener on the other side.

He wouldn't have messed up like this ten years ago.
He must be losing ?????????

He's not as competent
as he was in the past.

It's late and I'm very tired. I think I'll hit ????????????

go to bed

The grass is always greener on the other side.

He wouldn't have messed up like this ten years ago.
He must be losing his touch.

He's not as competent
as he was in the past.

It's late and I'm very tired. I think I'll hit the hay.

go to bed

Too many cooks spoil the broth.

The corruption discovered so far is just the tip ?????????????

There's lots more
below the surface.

You're ????????????? horse trying to convince the boss of that!

wasting your time

Too many cooks spoil the broth.

The corruption discovered so far is just the tip of the iceberg.

There's lots more
below the surface.

You're flogging a dead horse trying to convince the boss of that!

wasting your time

Rome was not built in a day.

Things are tricky at the moment, but we just have to sit it out and weather ?????????????????

be patient till
the crisis is over

This kind of opportunity only comes up once ?????????????

extremely rarely

Rome was not built in a day.

Things are tricky at the moment, but we just have to sit it out and weather the storm.

be patient till
the crisis is over

This kind of opportunity only comes up once in a blue moon.

extremely rarely

'once in a lifetime' also works, but is even longer than 'a blue moon'!

Every cloud has a silver lining.

I have no idea what's in his mind: he's playing ??????????????

He's being secretive.

If he thinks that is going to work then he's in cloud-??????????

He's crazy.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

I have no idea what's in his mind: he's playing his cards close to his chest.

He's being secretive.

If he thinks that is going to work then he's in cloud-cuckoo land.

He's crazy.

One man's meat is another man's poison.

Forget the Thailand contract: we have bigger ????????????

more important
things to deal with

Raising productivity by 5% is easier ??????????????

Saying it is one thing:
doing it is quite another.

One man's meat is another man's poison.

Forget the Thailand contract: we have bigger fish to fry.

more important
things to deal with

Raising productivity by 5% is easier said than done.

Saying it is one thing:
doing it is quite another.

The night is darkest just before the dawn.

Well, it's up to you now: the ball ????????????????

The next act or decision
is up to you now.

That solution won't work: never in ?????????????

never, ever

The night is darkest just before the dawn.

Well, it's up to you now: the ball's in your court.

The next act or decision
is up to you now.

That solution won't work: never in a million years.

never, ever

It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good.

She's normally quite friendly, but this time she gave me the ????????????? completely.

She was unfriendly
and/or ingored me.

Things look better than they did yesterday, but we're not
out ??????????????? yet.

We're not safe yet.

It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good.

She's normally quite friendly, but this time she gave me the cold shoulder completely.

She was unfriendly
and/or ingored me.

Things look better than they did yesterday, but we're not
out of the woods yet.

We're not yet safe.

Fortune favours the brave.

You lost the vote: Get ???????????

Stop whinging.
Accept the result
and move on.

This new contract is hyper important. There's no question of ??????????????????? in production.

taking any short cuts

Fortune favours the brave.

You lost the vote: Get over it.

Stop whinging.
Accept the result
and move on.

This new contract is hyper important. There's no question of
cutting any corners in production.

taking any short cuts

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

The rail strike has thrown a spanner ???????????. It's going to take some real creative thinking to find a solution.

caused a BIG problem

They're threatening to tear up our contract, but I'm going to
call ????????????? and go ahead anyway.

not give in to blackmail

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

The rail strike has thrown a spanner in the works. It's going to take some real creative thinking to find a solution.

caused a BIG problem

They're threatening to tear up our contract, but I'm going to
call their bluff and go ahead anyway.

not give in to blackmail

While the cat's away, the mice will play.

I'm afraid we've burned ??????????? with that company: there's no going back now.

done something
undoable

You're barking ?????????? ; you've completely misunderstood the situation.

complaining/worrying
about the wrong thing

While the cat's away, the mice will play.

I'm afraid we've burned our bridges with that company: there's no going back now.

done something
undoable

You're barking up the wrong tree; you've completely misunderstood the situation.

complaining/worrying
about the wrong thing

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

This is a right mess. The situation has got completely out ???????????

become
uncontrollable

It's late and we're getting nowhere. I suggest we call ???????????? and
sleep ????????????. We'll convene again first thing tomorrow morning

stop for today
and think about
it overnight

A) don't use 'control'

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

This is a right mess. The situation has got completely out of hand.

become
uncontrollable

It's late and we're getting nowhere. I suggest we call it a day
and sleep on it . We'll convene again first thing tomorrow morning

stop for today
and think about
it overnight

A) 'out of control' also works

Once bitten, twice shy.

I'm going to stick ???????????????? and make them a bid. After all, fortune favours the brave!

take a big risk

We really took our eye ????????????? there. How are we going to fix this?

weren't paying attention

Once bitten, twice shy.

I'm going to stick my neck out and make them a bid. After all, fortune favours the brave!

take a big risk

We really took our eye off the ball there. How are we going to fix this?

weren't paying attention

We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Everything's up ?????????? at the moment. We're just going to have to wait and see how this plays out.

uncertain

What will inflation be this time next year? Your guess ????????????????

I have no idea.

A) 'up for grabs' also works, but is less elegant

We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Everything's up in the air at the moment. We're just going to have to wait and see how this plays out.

uncertain

What will inflation be this time next year? Your guess is as good as mine.

I have no idea.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

We haven't got enough materials, but we'll just have to ?????????? with what we have got.

manage/do the
best we can

This is a rare opportunity, so we'd better make ??????????????

not waste it
exploit it completely

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

We haven't got enough materials, but we'll just have to make do with what we have got.

manage/do the
best we can

This is a rare opportunity, so we'd better make the most of it.

not waste it
exploit it completely

Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

This is a right mess: we're really up the ???????? without a ????????

in a situation with no means of maneouvre

There's something they're not telling about this. I smell ???????, don't you?

I am very suspicious.

Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

This is a right mess: we're really up the creek without a paddle.

in a situation with no means of maneouvre

There's something they're not telling about this. I smell a rat, don't you?

I am very suspicious.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

There's real trouble brewing here: we must nip it ???????????? before it gets out of hand.

fix it NOW before
it gets much worse

Losing this contract could just be a ???????? in ???????? as it actually solves several other problems.

something good
that appears at
first sight to be bad

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

There's real trouble brewing here: we must nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand.

fix it NOW before
it gets much worse

Losing this contract could just be a blessing in disguise as it actually solves several other problems.

something good
that appears at
first sight to be bad

Prevention is better than cure.

I think we just have to bite ??????????? and cut our losses: suck it up as it were.

accept a bad
outcome and
move on

You want to sell sand to Saudi Arabia? I really think you're chasing ?????????? there!

trying to do the impossible

Prevention is better than cure.

I think we just have to bite the bullet and cut our losses: suck it up as it were.

accept a bad
outcome and
move on

You want to sell sand to Saudi Arabia? I really think you're chasing rainbows there!

trying to do the impossible

There's many a slip 'tween cup and lip.

He's a long-standing and valuable client, so I think we have to
go ????????????? to give him what he wants.

make an
exceptional effort

Moving production to Vietnam gives us the best ??????????????????:
lower costs and closer access to our target markets.

a win-win
situation

There's many a slip 'tween cup and lip.

He's a long-standing and valuable client, so I think we have to
go the extra mile to give him what he wants.

make an
exceptional effort

Moving production to Vietnam gives us the best of both worlds:
lower costs and closer access to our target markets.

a win-win
situation

Better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't.

It's a big challenge, but I'm prepared to give ????????????

try it

Who could have predicted this? What a ???????????????? books!

something very unexpected

A) DON'T USE 'try'!

Better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't.

It's a big challenge, but I'm prepared to give it a go.

try it

Who could have predicted this? What a turn-up for the books!

something very unexpected

Let sleeping dogs lie.

I think we have to sit ??????????? on this and see what happens.

do nothing
and wait

It is unfortunate, but I think we now have to ??????????????? under this and move on.

let it go
finish with it

Let sleeping dogs lie.

I think we have to sit tight on this and see what happens.

do nothing
and wait

It is unfortunate, but I think we now have to draw a line under this and move on.

let it go
finish with it

Birds of a feather flock together.

If we want to finish this on time we'd better get ????????????????

stop time-wasting
hurry up

When I am negotiating I like to tell it ??????????: call a spade ????????
so to speak. I find that's best in the long ??????????

1) be frank
2) in the end

Birds of a feather flock together.

If we want to finish this on time we'd better get a move on.

stop time-wasting
hurry up

When I am negotiating I like to tell it as it is: call a spade a spade so to
speak. I find that's best in the long run.

1) be frank
2) in the end

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

His remark hit the nail ??????????? : it summed up the situation perfectly.

was 100% apt

Don't tell anyone anything: I really don't want to let ?????????????????????
just yet.

tell anyone
what's going on

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

His remark hit the nail on the head: it summed up the situation perfectly.

was 100% apt

Don't tell anyone anything: I really don't want to let the cat out of the bag just yet.

tell anyone
what's going on

There's no use crying over spilt milk.

We need to talk about the ?????????????? room: no point just sweeping
it under the carpet.

the difficult topic nobody wants
to mention

Allowing them to do this is like the tail ??????????????. WE should be giving the orders, not they.

doing things the
wrong way round

There's no use crying over spilt milk.

We need to talk about the elephant in the room: no point just sweeping it under the carpet.

the difficult topic nobody wants
to mention

Allowing them to do this is like the tail wagging the dog. WE should be giving the orders, not they.

doing things the
wrong way round

120 COMMON IDIOMS

1	to	blow off steam	get rid by speech or act of pent-up energy or strong emotion
2	to	burn one's bridges	do something making it impossible to go back
3	to	bury your head in the sand	refuse to look at the evidence/ignore the truth
4	to	call a spade a spade	avoid euphemisms/be brutally honest and direct
5	to	call it a day	stop work for the day - finish & go home
6	to	call someone's bluff	refuse to fold and instead 'call' as in poker
7	to	chase rainbows	try to do or attain something unrealistic
8	to	cost an arm and a leg	extremely expensive
9	to	cut a long story short	be brief - get to the point
10	to	cut corners	take short cuts (usually negative)
11	to	cut our losses	write off losses and move on
12	to	cut someone some slack	allow someone some leeway in their conduct
13	to	cut to the chase	get to the point
14	to	dig one's heels in	refuse to budge on a decision
15	to	draw the line	set a limit on what one is willing to accept
16	to be	easier said than done	this one is self-explanatory
17	the	elephant in the room	the subject nobody wants/dares to mention
18	to	face the music	be confronted with criticism and/or punishment
19	to	feel under the weather	feel a bit ill, tired
20	to	find your feet	establish yourself satisfactorily in some new role
21	a	finger in every pie	involved in lots of businesses/organisations
22	a	fish out of water	out of place - in the wrong job or role
23	to	flog a dead horse	keep doing something pointless
24	to	get a move on	hurry up - stop wasting time
25	to	get cold feet	hesitate - lose the courage to do something
26	to	get out of hand	get out of control
27	to	get over it	accept it, recover from it and move on
28	to	give it a go	try
29	to	give someone the cold shoulder	pretty much ignore them
30	to	go back to the drawing-board	start over - go back to square one
31	to	go the extra mile	bend over backwards to do sth or help someone
32	to be a	hard nut to crack	a difficult problem to solve
33	to	hit the hay	go to bed
34	to	hit the nail on the head	be very apt - to sum up exactly and succinctly
35		in a nutshell	to cut a long story short
36	to be	in cloud-cuckoo land	crazy - with one's head in the clouds
37	to be	in the nick of time	just in time - at the last moment
38	to	jump the gun	start something prematurely
39	to	keep one's chin up	keep up one's spirits - not lose heart
40	to	let someone off the hook	release someone from a predicament
41	to	let the cat out of the bag	reveal confidential information
42	to be	like water off a duck's back	having no effect, such as personal insults
43	to	lose one's touch	no longer have the skills/abilities needed
44	to	make do	manage with what one has even if not ideal
45	to	make ends meet	survive financially but with difficulty
46	to	make the most of it	exploit/profit from a situation to the maximum
47	to	miss the boat	miss an opportunity - be too late
48		never in a million years	never - incredibly unlikely
49	to	nip it in the bud	stop something from becoming a bigger problem
50		not my cup of tea	I don't like it.
51		off the top of my head	an idea or thought derived spontaneously
52	to be	on the ball	alert - reactive & knowing what to do
53		once in a blue moon	incredibly rarely
54	to be	out of the woods	safe
55	a	piece of cake	easy
56	to	play Devil's advocate	argue against sth even if you are in favour of it
57	to	play one's cards close to one's chest	be very secretive
58	to	play the man not the ball	attack an opponent rather than the topic in debate
59	to	pull oneself together	calm down, focus, think clearly
60	to	pull someone's leg	make fun of them
61	to be	right from the horse's mouth	from the source - on good authority
62	to	rock the boat	irritatingly cause problems by irresponsible action
63	to	shoot from the hip	act spontaneously without thinking too much
64	a	short fuse	gets angry fast
65	to	sing from the same hymnsheet	share the same opinion
66	to	sit on the fence	refuse to choose between 2 options
67	to	sit tight	stay calm and wait
68	to	sleep on it	leave it for now and see what tomorrow brings
69	to	smell a rat	be suspicious
70	a	snowball effect	like an avalance or dominoes falling
71	to	spill the beans	reveal a secret
72	to	splash out	spend (a lot of) money freely
73	a	square peg in a round hole	someone in a role or place they are not suited to
74	to	steal someone's thunder	take credit which is due to them
75	to	step up to the plate	accept responsibility and take action in a demanding situation
76	to	stick my neck out	take a risk
77	to	stick to one's guns	refuse to change an opinion or decision
78	the	tail (is) wagging the dog	getting things the wrong way round
79	to	take it with a pinch of salt	be very sceptical
80	to	take one's eye off the ball	lose concentration and focus on a situation
81		through thick and thin	(being supportive) through whatever difficulties life throws up
82	to	throw a spanner in the works	to really mess things up
83	the	tip of the iceberg	there's much more hidden under the surface
84	a	turn-up for the books	a huge surprise
85	to	twist someone's arm	put pressure on someone to change a decision
86	to be	up in the air	unresoved - undecided
87	to	weather the storm	keep the head down till a crisis is over
88	a	wild goose chase	a pointless endeavour
89	to	wrap one's head around something	to understand something complex, astonishing or shocking
90	to	add insult to injury	act in a way making a bad situation worse
91	to	bark up the wrong tree	complain or worry about the wrong thing
92	to	be on the same page	have the same opinion about a subject
93	to	beat about the bush	prevaricate - not come to the point
94	the	benefit of the doubt	accept someone as innocent even if there is doubt
95	the	best of both worlds	a win-win situation
96	to have	bigger fish to fry	to have more important things to do
97	to	bite off more than one can chew	try to do something beyond one's capability
98	to	bite the bullet	accept sth and move on - 'suck it up'
99	a	blessing in disguise	something resulting in an unexpected positive outcome
100		Don't rock the boat.	Don't do anything to annoy anyone or upset the situation.
101		Get your ducks in a row.	Sort yourself out. Get organised.
102		Horses for courses.	Choose the right person for the right role.
103		It's a piece of cake.	it's easy
104		No pain, no gain.	Nothing valuable is achieved without some pain or effort.
105		That rings a bell.	That reminds me of something
106		That's the last straw.	I've reached the limit of what I am prepared to tolerate.
107		The ball's in your court.	It's your turn to act or decide. I'm waiting .....
108		We don't see eye to eye on this.	We don't agree on this,
109		What goes around, comes around.	Your own nastiness or bad actions will eventually come round to hit you.
110		When the going gets tough, the tough get going.	encouragement to someone in a difficult situation
111		Bob's your uncle	And there you go - everything's OK.
112		Don't give up your day job.	You're not funny enough to earn a living as a stand-up comic.
113		Don't throw your toys out of the pram.	Don't get cross like some spoils and immature kid.
114		I don't want to rain on your parade.	It's your party/show; I don't want to spoil it.
115		I think I'll take a raincheck.	not this time - next time
116		It takes two to tango.	It's not all my fault; someone else is also involved here.
117		It's not rocket science.	It's bleedin' obvious. An idiot could understand it.
118		Your guess is as good as mine.	I haven't got a clue.
119		to be one leg short of a table	feeble-minded - moronic: one pawn short of a chess set etc
120		to be up the creek (without a paddle)	be in a situation where you can't manoeuvre