Most Popular Idioms List |
Index of Common Phrases |
GoEnglish.com Idioms & Phrases keyword page
"The" Idioms & Phrases with "The"
|
That |
Them |
keyword: The
A Drop In The Bucket »
"I'd like to do something to change the world but whatever I do seems like a drop in the bucket."
A Shot In The Dark »
"That was such a difficult question! How did you get it right?" Reply: "I just took a shot in the dark."
A Slip Of The Tongue »
"Be careful talking to the police tomorrow; one slip of the tongue could get us into big trouble."
Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder »
"The time we spend apart has been good for us; absence makes the heart grow fonder."
Add Fuel To The Fire »
"I would like to do something to help, but I don't want to add fuel to the fire."
Against The Clock »
"We worked against the clock all day to get this report done by 5PM."
Against The Grain »
"I jog at this track everyday and there is always that one guy who has to go against the grain and run in the opposite direction."
All In The Same Boat »
"We can't fight against each other; we need to work together. We're all in the same boat!"
Around The Block »
"You kids are too young to fall in love: Wait until you have been around the block a time or two."
At The Drop Of A Hat »
"Would you travel around the world if you had the money?" Answer: "At the drop of a hat."
Barking Up The Wrong Tree »
"I have been trying to solve this math problem for 30 minutes but I think I've been barking up the wrong tree."
Beating Around The Bush »
"If you want to ask me, just ask; don't beat around the bush."
Break The Tie »
"Whoever wins in Florida will have enough votes to break the tie."
Burning The Candle At Both Ends »
"Ever since this new project started I have been burning the candle at both ends. I can't take much more of it."
Burning The Midnight Oil »
"Our son has been working hard preparing for his final exams!" Answer: "Yes, he's been up each night burning the midnight oil."
Can't Cut The Mustard »
"Bob dropped out of medical school; he couldn't cut the mustard."
Curiosity Killed The Cat »
"Hey, I wonder what's down that street; it looks awfully dark and creepy." Answer: "Let's not try to find out. Curiosity killed the cat."
Don't Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth »
"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth! When you buy your own beers you can decide what brand you want."
Down To The Wire »
"It looks like this race is going to come right down to the wire!"
Everything But The Kitchen Sink »
"Whenever we go camping my wife wants to bring everything but the kitchen sink!"
Flash In The Pan »
"What a great first year he had, but after that... nothing!" Answer: "Just another flash in the pan."
Get Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed »
"Don't start yelling at me just because you got up on the wrong side of the bed."
Give Him The Slip »
"My brother will be at the movie tonight. Afterwards, let's give him the slip and go to a party."
Icing On The Cake »
"I've been accepted by the university, and they've offered me a position on the basketball team!" Answer: "That's wonderful! Icing on the cake."
Idle Hands Are The Devil's Tools »
"It makes me nervous to see those kids outside just standing around; idle hands are the devils tools!"
In The Dark »
"Did you know that today was her birthday?" Answer: "No, I was in the dark."
In The Doghouse »
"You kids will be in the doghouse with your mother after that mess you made in her garden!"
In The Heat Of The Moment »
"Sorry about what I said; I got caught up in the heat of the moment."
Let The Cat Out Of The Bag »
"Bob didn't tell anyone that he was sick, but his wife let the cat out of the bag."
Never Bite The Hand That Feeds You »
"We have been your best customers for years. How could you suddenly treat us so rudely? You should never bite the hand that feeds you."
Off On The Wrong Foot »
"Let's try to start on time tomorrow and get off on the right foot."
Off The Hook »
"You're lucky; it turns out that Dad never heard you come in late last night." Answer: "Great, that means I'm off the hook!"
On The Fence »
"Has he decided whether he will take the job yet?" Answer: "No, he's still on the fence."
On The Same Page »
"Before we make any decisions today, I'd like to make sure that everyone is on the same page."
On Top Of The World »
"What a great time we had that night; we were on top of the world!"
One For The Road »
"Bartender- I'll have one more whiskey for the road."
Out Of The Blue »
"Why did she do that?" Answer: "I have no idea. It was completely out of the blue."
Out Of The Frying Pan And Into The Fire »
"I didn't like that job because I was working too hard. Yet in this new job I work even harder!" Answer: "Out of the frying pan and into the fire."
Out Of The Woods »
"Joe was sick two weeks ago and we were very worried, but now it looks like he is out of the woods."
Out On The Town »
"Do you want to join us tonight? We're going out on the town."
Par For The Course »
"I get sick every time I travel." Answer: "That's just par for the course."
Preaching To The Choir »
"You don't need to tell me this project is important; you're preaching to the choir."
Rock The Boat »
"Everybody wants to go except for you. Why do you have to rock the boat?"
Roll Out The Red Carpet »
"We are all so excited about your coming home that we're going to roll out the red carpet."
Six Of One, A Half-Dozen Of The Other »
Example: "I say she's a stewardess. She says she's a flight attendant. It's six of one, a half-dozen of the other."
Skeletons In The Closet »
"I had only known her for one week. How could I know what skeletons she had in her closet?"
Split Down The Middle »
"The election is split down the middle with no clear winner at the moment."
The Apple Of Your Eye »
"Even when they were young, she was always the apple of his eye."
The Ball Is In Your Court »
"My uncle helped me to get an interview at his company, now the ball is in my court."
The Best Of Both Worlds »
"My wife and I bought one house in Paris and one in New York; it gives us the best of both worlds."
The Bigger They Are The Harder They Fall »
"Are you worried that he might be too strong?" Answer: "No I'm not. He is big, but the bigger they are, the harder they fall."
The Devil Is In The Details »
"I can sketch a basic outline of the plan for you and it may look very simple, but the devil is in the details."
The Early Bird Catches The Worm »
"I always arrive at work 30 minutes early; the early bird catches the worm!"
The Ends Justify The Means »
"I agree with your goal, but the ends do not justify the means."
The Jury Is Out »
"Its hard to say if what we did was the right thing. The jury is still out on it."
The Pot Calling The Kettle Black »
"Here comes the guy who is always late for work." Answer: "Aren't you the pot calling the kettle black?"
The Pros And Cons »
"I've considered the pros and cons and I've decided: it is going to be expensive, but I still want to go to college."
The Sky Is The Limit »
"After I graduate from business school, the sky's the limit!"
The Straw That Broke The Camel's Back »
"You've been rude to me all day, and I've had it. That's the last straw!"
The Writing On The Wall »
"Can't you see the writing on the wall?"
Tie The Knot »
"Did you hear about Dan and Jenny? They finally decided to tie the knot!"
Under The Gun »
"Everyone at the office has been working under the gun since the new manager arrived."
Under The Weather »
"What's wrong?" Answer: "I'm a bit under the weather."
Variety Is The Spice Of Life »
Example: "We were originally planning to go to Mexico on our vacation this year - like we did last year - but we decided to go to Egypt instead. Variety is the spice of life!"
Water Under The Bridge »
"Aren't you still angry about what he said?" Answer: "No, that was a long time ago. It's all water under the bridge."
When In Rome, Do As The Romans Do »
"Are you sure we should eat this with our hands?" Answer: "Why not? All of these people are eating it that way. When in Rome, do as the Romans do!"
With Your Back Up Against The Wall »
"I'm sorry I can't help you; I've got my back up against the wall."
|
That |
Them |
GoEnglish.com teaches the meaning of English idioms and phrases. For native and non-native English speakers of all ages. To start (or stop) receiving the GoEnglish.com Weekly Preview of English Idioms at any time please enter your name in the form above or send an email to Subscribe<at>GoEnglish.com (or Unsubscribe<at>GoEnglish.com). We always respect your privacy by never sharing an email address. All content is copyrighted by GoEnglish.com, illustrations by Rita Tseng, written by Adam Sullivan. Adam is an experienced English teacher with a degree in English from Cornell University. Your questions are welcome. Thanks, Adam<at>GoEnglish.com