Idioms and phrases
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| 🇬🇧 | 🇬🇧 |
| A chain is no stronger than its weakest link | Things can become vulnerable because the weakest person or part can always damage or break them |
| A fool and his master are soon parted | People who aren't careful with money, spend it quickly. master is an alternative for money here. |
| A little learning is a dangerous thing | Small amount of knowledge can make people think they are smarter than they really are. |
| A penny for your thoughts | A way to ask someone what they are thinking |
| A penny saved is a penny earned | We shouldn't spend or waste money, but save it |
| A picture is worth a thousand words | A picture can often get a message across much better than the best verbal description |
| A problem shared is a problem halved | Talking about your problems makes you feel better |
| A rising tide lifts all boats | Basically, if an economy is doing well, everyone will benefit from it |
| A rolling stone gathers no moss | People say this to mean that that an ambitious person achieves more than a person not trying to achieve anything |
| A watched pot never boils | Some things work out in their own time, thus being anxious and checking it multiple times will just make it seem longer |
| Abide by a decision | Accepting and complying by a decision, even if you might disagree with it |
| Ace in the hole | Ace in the hole means some thing that other people are not aware if that can be used to your advantage when the time is right |
| Ace up your sleeve | This means that you have something of advantage that other people are not aware about |
| Achilles' heel | A person's weak spot is their Achilles' heel |
| Acid test | Something that proves whether something is good, effective or not |
| Across the board | Something that applies to everybody |
| Act of god | Natural disasters that are out of control for humans |
| Act of war | Action that is intended to start a war or is being interpreted as the cause of the war |
| Add fuel to the fire | Making bad situations worse |
| Add insult to injury | Making bad situation worse |
| Against the clock | Basically if you do this, you are rushed and have very little time to do it |
| Against the grain | Basically you're unwilling to do a task because it contradicts your beliefs, however you have to do it anyways. |
| Age before beauty | It is a way of allowing someone older person to do something first, its often used sarcastically |
| Ahead of the pack | Basically means you have made more progress than your rivals. |
| Air your dirty laundry in public | If you do this, you reveal aspects of your private life that should really remain private. |
| Alike as two peas | In this case, two people are identical |
| All and sundry | Way of emphasizing 'all', like saying 'each and every one' |
| Alive and kicking | If something is active and doing well, it is alive and kicking |
| All bark no bite | Someone who talks a lot but does nothing to back up their words |
| All fingers and thumbs | It means you are too excited or clumsy to do a task that requires manual dexterity |
| All bets are off | Means that agreements that have been made no longer apply |
| All hell broke loose | There is chaos, confusion and trouble |
| All in a day's work | If something is all in a day's work and nothing special |
| All over the shop | Something that is completely disorganised or confused |
| All over the show | It's a complete mess |
| All leads to Rome | That means there are multiple ways of doing something |
| All sixes | If its all sixes, it doesn't matter how its done. it is the same as 'six of one and half a dozen of the other' |
| All skin and bone | If a person is very underwieght |
| All square | This means nobody has an advantage or is ahead of others |
| All the rage | Something that is very popular or 'in fashion' at the moment |
| All the tea in china | If someone doesn't do it for all the tea in china, then they wont do it no matter how much money is offered |
| All eggs in one basket | Risking everything at once, instead of trying to spread the risk |
| Always a bridesmaid, never a bride | For someone who is never able to fulfill their ambition, they do come close to but never manage the recognition that they crave |
| Ambulance chaser | A lawyer who encourages people to sue for compensation if they've gotten sick or been in an accident |
| An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure | Prevention is better than cure |
| And all that jazz | Means that everything related or similar is included |
| Angry as a bear | This means that someone is very angry |
| Angry as a bull | This means that someone is very angry |
| Ants in your pants | Someone is agitated or excited about something that they cant stay still |
| Any port in a storm | Means that in an emergency anything will do, even if it was unacceptable normally |
| Apple of your eye | Something or someone that is very special to you |
| Arm and a leg | If it costs arm and a leg, it is very expensive |
| Armchair critic | Someone who offers advice but never shows that they could actually do any better |
| Armed to the teeth | People who have lots of weapons |
| Around the clock | That means something that is open 24 hours a day |
| Arrow in the quiver | Strategy or option that could be used to achieve your objective |
| As cold as stone | If its a thing, it means its very cold. if its used for a person, it means they are unemotional |
| As cool as cucumber | Someone who doesnt get worried about anything |
| As good as new | Something that has been used but is in extremely good condition |
| As mad as a hatter | Someone is crazy or behaves strangely. |
| As much use as a handbrake on a canoe | Used to describe something worthless or pointless |
| As neat as a new pin | Means tidy and clean |
| As one man | If people do something as a one man, they do it exactly at the same time or in complete agreement. |
| As the crow flies | Used to describe the shortest distance between two places |
| As you sow, so shall you reap | Means if you do bad things to people, bad things will happen to you and vice versa for good things |
| Asleep at the switch | Basically means someone is not doing their job or taking their responsibilities very carefully |
| At arm's length | This means to not let someone close to you or be friendly with you |
| At cross purposes | Used to describe a situation when people misunderstand eachother or have different opposing objectives |
| At daggers drawn | Describes a situation where people are very angry and close to violence |
| At death's door | Is means someone is seriously unwell and might actually be dying |
| At full tilt | If someone is at full tilt, it is going or happening as fast or as hard as possible |
| At loggerheads | Describes a situation when someone is arguing and they cant agree on anything |
| At odds | If you are at odds with someone you cant agree with them and argue |
| At sea | If things are at sea, they are disorganized and chaotic |
| At the bottom of the totem pole | Basically means they are unimportant |
| At the end of your rope | It means you are at the limit of your patience or endurance |
| At the fore | In the leading position |
| At the top of my lungs | You shout as loudly as possible |
| At your wits' end | You have no idea what to do and you are very frustrated |
| Avowed intent | A solemn promise made publicly to attempt to reach a certain goal |
| Axe to grind | You have a grievance or resentment with someone you want to get revenge or sort it out |
| Babe in the woods | A babe in the woods is a naive defenseless person |
| Back foot | Basically means you are at a disadvantage and forced to be defensive of your position |
| Back number | Something that is back number is dated or out of fashion |
| Back the wrong house | Giving support to the losing side in something |
| Back to square one | You have to start from the beginning again |
| Back to the drawing board | You have to g back to the beginning and start again |
| Back to the salt mine | Means returning back to work |
| Back to the wall | You are in a difficult situation and there is very little room for maneuver |
| Bad apple | A person who makes other people bad |
| Bad blood | Holding grudges because of something that happened in the past |
| Bad egg | A person who cannot be trusted |
| Bad taste in your mouth | A feeling that there is something wrong or bad about something |
| Bad mouth | Saying negative things about something or someone |
| Bag of bones | Underweight |
| Bag of nerves | Worried or nervous |
| Baker's dozen | Its 13 rather than 12 |
| Ball is in your court | It is upto you to make the decision or take the next step |
| Ballpark figure | Rough estimate or a guesstimate |
| Banana republic | Used for small countries that are dependent on one resource or crop and are governed by corrupt elites |