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Medical​

at death's door


- very near death
The sales manager was at death's door after his heart attack.

back on one's feet


- physically healthy again
My mother is back on her feet after being sick for two weeks.

black out


- to lose consciousness, to faint, to pass out
The football player blacked out after being hit by the other player.

break out in (something)


- to begin showing a rash or other skin disorder
I broke out in a rash after eating the shrimp at the restaurant.

breathe one's last


- to die
The man breathed his last after a long illness.

bring (someone) around


- to restore someone to health or consciousness, to cure someone
The medical workers were able to bring the man around after the accident.

bring (someone) to


- to restore someone to consciousness after anesthesia/hypnosis/fainting
We tried hard to bring the woman to after the car accident.

catch a cold


- to get a cold
I caught a cold last week and had to miss four days of work.

catch one's death of cold


- to become very ill (with a cold/flu etc.)
The little boy was told to be careful in the rain or he would catch his death of cold.

check-up


- an examination of a patient by a doctor
I plan to have my annual check-up next week.

clean bill of health


- a report or certificate that a person or animal is healthy
My doctor gave me a clean bill of health when I visited him last month.

come down with (something)


- to become sick with something, to catch an illness
My niece came down with a cold and was unable to visit me last week.

couch doctor


- a psychoanalyst or psychiatrist who puts his patients on a couch to talk to them
The man was sent to see a couch doctor because of his many problems.

a dose of one's own medicine


- the same treatment that one gives to others (usually this has a negative meaning)
We gave the boy a dose of his own medicine after he bullied us.

draw blood


- to make someone bleed, to get blood from someone
The doctor decided to draw blood from the patient in order to check his blood sugar level.

fall ill


- to become sick or ill
The man fell ill last winter and has not recovered yet.

feel on top of the world


- to feel very healthy
I have been feeling on top of the world since I quit my job.

flare up


- to begin again suddenly (an illness or a disease)
My mother's skin problem flared up when she started to use the new hand soap.

a flare-up


- a sudden worsening of a health con***ion
There was a flare-up of my father's sickness last week.

go under the knife


- to have an operation in surgery
The woman went under the knife at the hospital last evening.

hang out one's shingle


- to open an office or business - especially in a profession
The doctor decided to hang out his shingle as soon as he finished medical school.

have a physical (examination)


- to get a medical check-up
Our company sent all the employees to have a physical last week.

head shrinker


- a psychiatrist
The man went to see a head shrinker after his recent problems at work.

just what the doctor ordered


- exactly what is needed or wanted
A nice hot bath was just what the doctor ordered after my long day at work.

look the picture of health


- to be in good health, to look very healthy
My uncle looked the picture of health when I saw him last week.

on the mend


- becoming better, becoming well, healing
My grandfather is on the mend after he broke his leg last week.

out cold


- unconscious, to have fainted
The patient was out cold because of the anesthesia when he entered the operating room.

over the worst


- recovering from an illness
The man is over the worst since his skiing accident last month.
pull through


- to recover from a serious illness
The car accident was very bad and I do not think that the driver will pull through.

run a fever/temperature


- to have a higher than normal body temperature
The girl has been running a fever this week.
The little boy is running a temperature and should stay in bed all day.

be run down


- to be in poor con***ion
My father worked very hard last month and now he is run down.

run some tests


- to do some medical tests on a patient
The doctor decided to run some tests on the patient.

splitting headache


- a severe headache
I have been suffering from a splitting headache all morning.

take a sick day


- to be absent from work and still receive pay
I did not feel well yesterday so I decided to take a sick day.

take a turn for the worse


- to become sicker
My aunt took a turn for the worse last week and she is now in the hospital.
take (someone's) temperature


- to measure someone's body temperature
The nurse took my temperature when I went to the hospital yesterday.

a taste of one's own medicine


- the same treatment that one gives to others (usually this has a negative meaning)
Our boss got a taste of his own medicine when people began to treat him badly like he treats others.

throw up


- to vomit
The woman threw up after eating the bad shellfish.

under the weather


- not feeling well
My boss has been under the weather all week and has not come to work during that time.

cat Idioms​

alley cat


- a stray cat
I began to feed the alley cat and now it comes to my house every day.

as conceited as a barber's cat


- very conceited, vain
My friend became as conceited as a barber's cat after she won the award at school.

as weak as a kitten


- weak, sickly
The girl is as weak as a kitten and cannot carry the books.

cat gets one`s tongue


- one cannot speak because of shyness
The cat got the woman's tongue and she could not say anything at all.

a cat nap


- a short sleep taken during the day
I had a cat nap during the afternoon so that I would feel refreshed in the evening.

a cat on a hot tin roof


- full of lively activity
The boy was jumping around like a cat on a hot tin roof and we could not make him be quiet.

a copycat


- someone who copies another person`s work etc.
The boy is a copycat and copies the other students' work.

curiosity killed the cat


- being too nosy may lead a person into trouble
"You should not worry about what your friend is doing. Remember, curiosity killed the cat."

fight like cats and dogs


- to argue and fight with someone (usually used for people who know each other)
The two children were fighting like cats and dogs when we entered the room.

a fraidy-cat


- someone who is easily frightened (usually used by children)
The little boy called his friend a fraidy-cat because his friend would not climb the tree.

let the cat out of the bag


- to tell something that is supposed to be a secret
The teacher let the cat out of the bag when she began talking about the plans to close the school.

look like something the cat dragged in


- to look tired or worn out or dirty
I was very tired and I looked like something the cat dragged in.

look like the cat that swallowed/ate the canary


- to look smug and self-satisfied, to look as if you have just had a great success
"You look like the cat that swallowed the canary. What happened?"

not enough room to swing a cat


- not very much space
There was not enough room to swing a cat in the small apartment.

play cat and mouse with (someone)


- to tease or fool someone, to change between different types of behavior when dealing with someone
The man is playing cat and mouse with his company about his plans to quit or not.

put the cat among the pigeons


- to cause trouble
Sending the unpopular supervisor to talk to the angry workers was like putting the cat among the pigeons.

rain cats and dogs


- to rain very hard
It has been raining cats and dogs all day.

rub (someone) the wrong way


- to irritate someone (just as you would irritate a dog or cat if you rub their fur the wrong way)
The woman who I work with rubs me the wrong way.

a scaredy-cat


- someone who is easily frightened (usually used by children)
The children called their friend a scaredy-cat because she would not enter the empty house.

there is more than one way to skin a cat


- there is more than one way to do something
I knew that there was more than one way to skin a cat so I did not worry about the rules and time limit of my project.

when the cat's away, the mice will play


- when you are not watching someone they may get into trouble
When the cat's away, the mice will play and when the teacher left the classroom the students began to play around.

cow Idioms​

as awkward as a cow on roller skates


- very awkward
The little girl was as awkward as a cow on roller skates when she began riding her bicycle.

a bull in a china shop


- a tactless person who upsets others or upsets plans, a very clumsy person
The boy is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if you invite him to your house.

a cash cow


- a product or service that makes much money
Our new business is a cash cow. We are making much money now.

have a cow


- to become very angry and upset about something
Our teacher had a cow when nobody prepared for the class.

hit the bulls-eye


- to reach or focus on the main point of something
Our manager hit the bulls-eye when he talked about the problems in the company.

Holy cow


- used to express strong feelings of astonishment or pleasure or anger
"Holy cow," the man said when he saw the car that hit the street lamp.

a sacred cow


- a person or thing that is never criticized or changed even if it should be (from a cow which is sacred in India)
The school lunch program is a sacred cow which they will never change.

take the bull by the horns


- to take decisive and direct action
My aunt decided to take the bull by the horns and begin preparations for the family reunion.

until the cows come home


- until very late, for a long time
We can talk until the cows come home this evening.

dog Idioms​

as clean as a hound's tooth


- very clean
The classroom was as clean as a hound's tooth when the students finished cleaning it.

as crooked as a dog's hind leg


- dishonest
The politician is as crooked as a dog's hind leg and nobody likes him.

as sick as a dog


- very sick
My friend was as sick as a dog when he left the restaurant last night.

one's bark is worse than one's bite


- one's words are worse than one's actions
You should not worry about the secretary. Her bark is worse than her bite and she is really a very nice person.

bark up the wrong tree


- to choose the wrong course of action, to ask the wrong person (a hunting dog may make a mistake when chasing an animal and bark up the wrong tree)
My boss is barking up the wrong tree. I did not cause the computer problem.

call the dogs off or call off the dogs


- to stop threatening or chasing or hounding someone
The police decided to call the dogs off and stop hunting for the man.

dog and pony show


- something that you disapprove of because you think that it has only been organized to impress you (like a dog and pony show in a circus)
We had serious questions about the project but we only got a dog and pony show when we questioned our business partners.

dog-eat-dog


- ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what one wants
It is a dog-eat-dog world in our company.

dog in the manger


- someone who prevents others from doing what they themselves do not want to do (in Aesop's Fables a dog that cannot eat hay lays in the hayrack and prevents the other animals from eating the hay)
My friend always acts like a dog in the manger and often tries to prevent us from enjoying ourselves.

every dog has his day


- everyone will have his chance or turn, everyone will get what he deserves
"Don`t worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing."

fight like cats and dogs


- to argue and fight with someone (usually used for people who know each other)
The two children were fighting like cats and dogs when we entered the room.

go to the dogs


- to deteriorate, to become bad
Many things in our city have gone to the dogs during the last ten years.

the hair of the dog that bit one


- a drink of alcohol that one takes when recovering from a hangover
The man had the hair of the dog that bit him before he ate breakfast.

to hound (someone)


- to pursue or chase someone, to harass someone
The manager is always hounding the younger members of her staff to make them work hard.

in the doghouse


- in disgrace or disfavor, in trouble
The man is in the doghouse with his wife because he came home late last night.

lead a dog`s life


- to lead a miserable life
The man is leading a dog`s life since he married the woman who everyone told him not to marry.

let sleeping dogs lie


- do not make trouble if you do not have to
You should let sleeping dogs lie and not ask our boss about the dispute.

put on the dog


- to dress or entertain in a luxurious and extravagant manner
We put on the dog for my parents when they came to visit us.

rub (someone/someone's fur) the wrong way


- to irritate someone (just as you would irritate a dog or cat if you rub their fur the wrong way)
The woman who I work with always rubs me the wrong way.

see a man about a dog


- to leave for some unmentioned purpose (often to go to the washroom)
I left our table in the restaurant to go and see a man about a dog.

a shaggy dog story


- a long and often pointless story that is told as a joke and often ends in a very silly or unexpected way
My friend told me a shaggy dog story about how he lost his bicycle.

one's tail between one`s legs


- feeling beaten or humiliated (like a frightened or defeated dog as it walks away)
The manager left the meeting with his tail between his legs after he was criticized by the company president.

the tail wagging the dog


- a situation where a small part of something controls the whole thing
The tail is wagging the dog. The receptionist controls everything in the office.

top dog


- the most important person in an organization
My uncle is the top dog in his company.

turn tail


- to run away from trouble or danger
We decided to turn tail and leave the restaurant before there was an argument.

work like a dog


- to work very hard
The boy worked like a dog on his school project.

you can't teach an old dog new tricks


- it is difficult for older people to learn new things
You can't teach an old dog new tricks and I do not think that my father will ever change his eating habits.

horse Idioms​

as strong as a horse/ox


- very strong
The man was as strong as an ox and easily helped us move the sofa.

as stubborn as a mule


- very stubborn
My friend is as stubborn as a mule and you can never make her change her mind.

back the wrong horse


- *****pport someone or something that cannot or does not win or succeed
We backed the wrong horse when we supported the candidate for mayor.

beat a dead horse


- to continue fighting a battle that has been won, to continue to argue a point that has been settled
I was beating a dead horse when I was arguing with my boss.

bet on the wrong horse


- to misread the future, to not choose the winning person or solution
The man is betting on the wrong horse if he supports the other city in their bid for the Olympic games.

by shank's mare


- by foot
I came to the meeting by shank's mare.

champ/chomp at the bit


- to be ready and anxious to do something (a bit is put into a horse's mouth for control of the horse)
Everyone was chomping at the bit to get started on their holiday.

change horses in midstream


- to make new plans or choose a new leader in an activity that has already begun
They have decided to change lawyers but I told them that they should not change horses in midstream.

a dark horse


- a candidate who is little known to the general public
The candidate for mayor was a dark horse until he gave some good speeches on TV.

dog and pony show


- something that you disapprove of because you think that it has only been organized to impress you (like a dog and pony show in a circus)
We had serious questions about the project but we only got a dog and pony show when we questioned our business partners.

donkey's years


- a very long time
I was happy to see my friend because I had not seen her in donkey's years.

eat like a horse


- to eat a lot
My brother eats like a horse.

flog a dead horse


- to continue fighting a battle that has been won, to continue to argue a point that has been settled
My friend was flogging a dead horse when she would not stop arguing about the mistake on her paycheck.

get off one`s high horse


- to begin to be humble and agreeable
I wish that my supervisor would get off her high horse and begin to think about how other people feel about things.

get on one`s high horse


- to behave with arrogance
My friend is always getting on her high horse and telling people what to do.

hold one`s horses


- to wait, to be patient
"Hold your horses for a moment while I make a phone call."

hoof it


- to walk or run (a hoof is the foot of a horse or sheep or cow etc.)
I decided to hoof it when I came downtown this morning.

horse around


- to play around (in a rough way)
The teacher told the children not to horse around while they were getting ready for class.

a horse of a different color


- another matter entirely, something else, something different than the subject that is being discussed
Changing locations is a horse of a different color and was never discussed in any of our meetings.

horse sense


- common sense, practical thinking
The boy does not have any horse sense and often makes the wrong decision.

horse trade


- to bargain in a hard and skillful way
We had to do some horse trading but finally we were able to buy the new house.

lock the barn door after the horse is gone


- to try to deal with something after it is too late
My friend wants to fix his house. However, it is like locking the barn door after the horse is gone. There was a flood and the damage is already done.

look a gift horse in the mouth


- to complain if a gift is not perfect
The girl should not look a gift horse in the mouth. She should be happy that she received a present from her friends.

on horseback


- on the back of a horse
We rode to the river on horseback.

put (someone or something) out to pasture


- to retire someone or something (just as you would put a horse that is too old to work out to pasture)
We finally decided to put our old car out to pasture and buy a new one.

put the cart before the horse


- to do things in the wrong order
Buying a ticket before we make our holiday plans is putting the cart before the horse.

ride herd on (someone)


- to watch closely and strictly supervise someone (as a cowboy would supervise a herd of cattle)
The manager has been riding herd on his employees so that they can finish the job quickly.

straight from the horse`s mouth


- directly from the person who said something, directly from a dependable source
I heard it straight from the horse`s mouth that our supervisor will be leaving the company next week.

wild horses could not drag (someone away)


- there is nothing that will force someone to go somewhere or do something
Wild horses could not drag me away from my favorite TV show last night.

work like a horse


- to work very hard
My grandfather worked like a horse when he was a young man.

you can lead a horse to water (but you can't make it drink)


- you can give someone the opportunity to do something but you cannot force him or her to do it if they do not want to
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink and no matter how hard we try to help my cousin get a job he will not make any effort to find one.

monkey Idioms​

go ape (over someone or something)


- to become highly excited or angry about someone or something
Our teacher will go ape if you do not finish the work that was due today.

make a monkey out of (someone)


- to make someone look foolish
My friend made a monkey out of me when he started arguing with me in front of my boss.

monkey around with (someone or something)


- to play with or waste time with someone or something
The boy spent the morning monkeying around with the old radio.

monkey business


- unethical or illegal activity, mischief
The boy should stop the monkey business and do the job correctly.

a monkey on one's back


- a serious problem that stops someone from being successful at something
Seven games without scoring a goal was a monkey on the back of the famous soccer player.

monkey see, monkey do


- someone copies something that someone else does
It is monkey see, monkey do for the boy. He copies everything that his friend does.

more fun than a barrel of monkeys


- very funny, fun
The children love their teacher because he is more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

mouse Idioms​

as poor as a church mouse


- very poor
My cousin is as poor as a church mouse and never has any money to spend.

as quiet as a mouse


- very quiet, shy
I was as quiet as a mouse when I left my house early this morning.

the best-laid plans of mice and men


- the best thought-out plans that anyone can make
The best-laid plans of mice and men could not prevent our travel problems.

play cat and mouse with (someone)


- to tease or fool someone, to change between different types of behavior when dealing with someone
The man is playing cat and mouse with his company about his plans to quit or not.

when the cat's away, the mice will play


- when you are not watching someone they may get into trouble
When the cat's away, the mice will play and when the teacher left the classroom the students began to play around.

Arm/Hand/Finger​

all hands on deck


- everyone must work together because they have a lot of work to do
The captain called for all hands on deck as the storm became stronger and stronger.

all thumbs


- to be awkward and clumsy, a difficulty in fixing things or working with one's hands
The man is all thumbs and he can never fix something without making it worse.

arm in arm


- linked together by the arms
The couple walked along the beach arm in arm.

armpit of (somewhere)


- a place that is the ugliest or worst place in a particular area
The small city is the armpit of the country and nobody wants to go there to work.

at hand


- easy to reach, nearby
There were no tools at hand so I could not fix the stove.

at one's fingertips


- within one's reach
I usually have my address book at my fingertips.

at the hands of (someone or something)


- because of someone or something else
We were at the hands of nature as we waited for the storm to end.

bite one's nails


- to bite one's fingernails because you are nervous or anxious
The girl was biting her nails as she waited for the speech contest to begin.

bite the hand that feeds (someone)


- to harm someone who does good things for you
The girl will bite the hand that feeds her if she abuses the help that her parents give her.

bound hand and foot


- to have one's hands and feet tied up
The bank manager was bound hand and foot by the three bank robbers.

burn one`s fingers


- *****ffer from a bad experience
My father burned his fingers in the stock market and he does not want to invest money there again.

by the handful


- by the amount that one can measure in one handful
We were able to pick strawberries by the handful in the small field.

cannot see one's hand in front of one's face


- to be unable to see very far (usually because of darkness or fog)
I could not see my hands in front of my face because of the heavy rain.

catch (someone) red-handed


- to catch someone in the act of doing something wrong or bad
The teacher caught the boys red-handed when they wrote on the school wall.

caught with one's hand in the cookie jar


- to be caught doing something wrong or illegal
The woman was caught with her hand in the cookie jar when we saw her stealing office supplies.

change hands


- to be sold or given to someone else
The small corner store has changed hands many times recently.

close at hand


- within reach, handy
There were no restaurants close at hand when we decided to go out for dinner.

closefisted (with money)


- to not want to spend money, to be stingy with money
My uncle is very closefisted with money.

come away empty-handed


- to return without anything
We came away from the department store empty-handed.

control (someone) with an iron fist


- to have strict and complete control over someone or a group of people
The manager controls the staff with an iron fist.

cost an arm and a leg


- to cost much money
My father's new car cost an arm and a leg.

cross one`s fingers


- to cross two fingers of one hand to hope or wish for good luck
I crossed my fingers that I would get the job that I had applied for.

cross (someone's) palm with silver


- to give money to someone for a service
We crossed the hotel clerk's palm with silver to get a good room.

dirty one`s hands


- to hurt one's character or reputation, to do a bad or shameful thing
The politician dirtied his hands when he became involved in the land scandal.

dismiss (something) out of hand


- to decide without thinking about it not to accept an idea or argument or plan
The company dismissed the union's offer out of hand.

do (something) by hand


- to do something with one's hands rather than with a machine
The washing machine is broken so we have to do everything by hand.

eat out of (someone's) hand


- to do what someone else wants
I usually can get my supervisor to eat out of my hand.

elbow (someone) out of (something)


- to force or pressure someone out of something (an office or position)
The new manager got his new position by elbowing many people out of the way.

everything one can lay/get his or her hands on


- to use everything of a particular type that you can find
We used everything that we could lay our hands on to build the small storage building.

fall into the wrong hands


- something secret or dangerous is discovered by someone who may use it in a way that harms people
The government does not want the new weapons to fall into the wrong hands.

(someone's) fingerprints are on (something)


- an action or piece of work is typical of a particular person and they probably were involved in it
Many police officers believe that the criminal's fingerprints are on the recent crime.

a firm hand


- strict control of someone or something
The company uses a firm hand in managing their financial resources.

first hand


- to see or experience or learn about something by direct personal experience
We saw the car accident first hand when we were driving down the highway.

fold one's hands


- to bring one's hands together so that they are palm to palm with the fingers interlocking
The students folded their hands and sat quietly on their chairs.

force (someone's) hand


- to force a person to reveal his or her plans or strategies or secrets
Our lawyer forced the opposing lawyer's hand.

from hand to hand


- from one person to another person
We passed the dictionaries from hand to hand until everybody had one.

gain the upper hand (on someone or something)


- to gain a position that is superior or more advantageous than someone else or something
The firefighters finally gained the upper hand on the forest fire.

get one's hands on (someone or something)


- to find someone or something (someone or something that may be difficult to find)
I want to get my hands on a new gas tank for the camping stove.

get out of hand


- to become difficult or impossible to control
The party got out of hand and the school authorities told everyone to go home.

get the upper hand (on someone)


- to get into a position that is superior or more advantageous than someone else
The union was able to get the upper hand on the company.

give one`s right arm for (something)


- to give something of great value for something
I would give my right arm for a chance to go to Florida with my friend next month.

give (someone) a big hand or give a big hand to/for (someone)


- to clap your hands for a speech or play or performance
The audience gave the musicians a big hand when they finished their performance.

give (someone) a free hand


- to allow someone to do something in the way that they choose
The senior managers give their employees a free hand to make their work schedule.

give (someone) a hand with (something)


- to help someone with something
I gave my friend a hand when he moved into his new apartment.

give (someone or something) the thumbs up


- to be in favor of someone or something
The city gave the music festival organizers the thumbs up for the music festival.

glad hand (someone)


- to give someone a friendly handshake, to give a warm greeting to someone
The politician spent the day glad handing the crowd at the shopping center.

go away empty-handed


- to depart with nothing
The woman went away empty-handed from the job interview.

go hand in hand (with something)


- to be closely related and must be considered together
The change in school hours goes hand in hand with the new policy regarding class sizes.

grease (someone`s) palm


- to pay a person for something done or given, to bribe someone
We had to grease the palm of the customs agent to get our goods into the country.

green thumb


- a talent for gardening, the ability to make things grow
The man has a green thumb and has a very beautiful garden.

hand in glove (with someone)


- very close to someone
The new company policy goes hand in glove with the new manager.

hand in hand


- holding hands
The young couple walked hand in hand along the beach.

hand over fist


- fast and in large amounts
We have been making money hand over fist in our new store.

hand over hand


- moving one hand after the other
We climbed hand over hand up the side of the mountain.

hand-to-hand combat


- fighting with one's hands without weapons
The two soldiers were doing hand-to-hand combat.

(one's) hands are tied


- to be prevented from doing something
My hands are tied at the moment and I cannot help my friend.

hands down


- easily, unopposed
I won the election hands down for the position of class president.
hands off (something)


- to leave something alone, to not interfere with something
I took a hands-off approach while dealing with the new employee.

hang on by one's fingernails


- to continue or manage to do something in a difficult situation
The man has much debt and is only hanging on by his fingernails.

hard on (someone's) heels


- to be following someone very closely
The dog was hard on the young boy's heels.

have a finger in the pie


- to be involved in something, to have a role in something
The waitress has a finger in the pie of the new restaurant.

have a free hand (to do something)


- to be granted complete control to do something
The teacher had a free hand to choose new textbooks for the class.

have a hand in (something)


- to be involved or play a part in (doing something)
The principal has a hand in the new cafeteria rules.

have clean hands


- to be guiltless
The man has clean hands in the affair regarding the stolen goods.

have elbow room


- to have enough space
We have lots of elbow room in our new house.

have one's finger in too many pies


- to be involved in too many things (so you cannot do any of them well)
Our supervisor has her finger in too many pies and she is not able to do her job well.

have one's finger on the pulse


- to be aware of recent changes or developments in a particular situation or activity
Our supervisor has her finger on the pulse and knows what everybody is doing.

have one's hand in the till


- to be stealing money from a company or organization
The sales clerk has had her hand in the till since she first started her job.

have one's hands full with (someone or something)


- to be busy or occupied with someone or something
The woman has her hands full with her three children.

have (someone's) blood on one's hands


- to be responsible for someone's death
The driver has the bicycle rider's blood on his hands.

have (someone) eating out of (the palm of) one's hand


- someone is willing to do whatever you want him or her to do
The woman has her supervisor eating out of the palm of her hand.

have (someone or something) on one's hands


- to be burdened with someone or something
I do not want to have the responsibility for the party on my hands.

have (something) at one's fingertips


- to have something nearby and ready to use
I usually have a dictionary at my fingertips when I am reading a book.

have (something) in one's hands


- to have control of something or responsibility for something, to possess something
"When I have the documents in my hands I will call you."

have the upper hand (on someone)


- to have a position that is superior or more advantageous than someone else
My friend had the upper hand in our argument.

heavy hand (of something)


- the great power that someone or something has over people
The heavy hand of the law is usually able to find people who commit a crime.

high-handed


- disregarding other's feelings, overbearing
The employer took a high-handed approach to the negotiations and they were not successful.

hold (someone's) hand


- to hold the hand of someone
The man held his son's hand as they watched the scary movie.

hold (someone's) hand


- to help someone in an unfamiliar or frightening situation
The manager had to hold the new employee's hand as the employee learned the new job.

in good hands


- in the safe and able care of someone
The stolen purse was in good hands after the police found it.

in hand


- under control
After several hours the riot police had the problems with the crowd in hand.

in hand


- in one's possession
The man arrived at the airport with much cash in hand.

in safe hands


- under the care of someone or an organization that you can trust and who will help you
The little girl is in safe hands now that she has arrived at her grandmother's house.

in the hands of (someone)


- a person or organization has control over something and decides what will happen
The court decision is now in the hands of the jury.

iron fist in a velvet glove


- kind and gentle on the outside (the velvet glove) but determined and ruthless on the inside (the iron fist)
The government committee used an iron fist in a velvet glove to get the information that they wanted.

itchy/itching palm


- a greedy character, a desire for money or tips
The police officer had an itching palm and received much money from criminals before he was arrested.

join hands


- to hold hands so that one person is holding the hand of another person
The children joined hands as they crossed the road.

keep one's finger's crossed


- to wish for good luck
I will keep my fingers crossed that I get the new job that I applied for.

keep one's finger on the pulse


- to be aware of recent changes or developments in a particular situation or activity
The manager keeps her finger on the pulse of the company and she knows almost everything.

keep one's hand in (something)


- to retain one's control of something, to continue doing something so that you remain involved in it
The animal trainer is trying to keep his hand in his work even though he has retired.

keep one's hands off (someone or something)


- to refrain from touching or handling someone or something
The man was told to keep his hands off his neighbor's dog.

know (someone or something) like the back/palm of one's hand


- to know someone or something very well
The taxi driver knows the city like the back of his hand.

lay a finger on (someone or something)


- to touch or bother someone or something
The teacher told the students not to lay a finger on the new computer.
lay one's hands on (someone or something)


- to find someone or something (that may be difficult to find)
If I can lay my hands on a screwdriver I will fix the broken table.

lay the finger on (someone)


- to accuse someone of doing something, to identify someone as the one who did something
The store owner lay the finger on the boy after he stole something.

leave (someone or something) in (someone's) hands


- to give someone control of someone or something
I plan to leave the party organizing in my friend's hands.

lend (someone) a hand or lend a hand to (someone)


- to help someone with something
I will ask my friend to lend me a hand when I move.
lift a finger


- to help as little as possible (usually used in the negative)
My niece will never lift a finger to help anyone.
live from hand to mouth


- to live on very little money
My friend has been living from hand to mouth since he lost his job.

long arm of the law


- the police and laws that are so powerful that no matter where you are you will be found and punished
The long arm of the law finally was able to capture the criminal.

lose one's grip


- to lose control of a situation
The young teacher seems to be losing her grip on the situation in her classroom.

Many hands make light work


- a lot of help will make a job seem easy
Many hands make light work and having lots of people to help made the job easy.

near at hand


- easy to reach, nearby
If there is a grocery store near at hand I will buy some milk.
off one`s hands


- no longer in one's care or possession
I would like to get my old bicycle off my hands so that I can buy a new one.

old hand at (doing something)


- someone who is experienced and very good at doing something
Our boss is an old hand at fixing computers.

on hand


- nearby, available, in one's possession
We did not have a screwdriver on hand so we could not fix the door.
on hand


- present
Our teacher is always on hand when we need someone to help us.

on the one hand


- from one side of an issue, from one point of view
On the one hand I like my supervisor but on the other hand I dislike her a lot.

on the other hand


- from another point of view, from the other side of an issue
I do not want to study tonight but on the other hand I must study because I have a test tomorrow.

out of hand


- out of control
The party got out of hand so we called the police.

out of hand


- immediately and without consulting anyone, without delay
Our teacher dismissed our excuses out of hand.

palm off (something) or palm (something) off


- to sell or give something away by pretending that it is more valuable than it is
The man palmed off a television set that does not work.

pay an arm and a leg for (something)


- to pay a lot of money for something
We paid an arm and a leg for our new sofa.

pay (someone) a back-handed compliment


- to give someone a false compliment that is actually an insult
The man paid the host of the party a back-handed compliment.

pay (someone) a left-handed compliment


- to give someone a false compliment that is actually an insult
The service at the store was poor so the customer paid the clerk a left-handed compliment.

play into (someone`s) hands


- to do something that another person can use against you or can use to his or her advantage
If you become angry at someone it will only play into his or her hands.

point the finger (of blame) at (someone)


- to blame someone for doing something wrong, to identify someone as being guilty
The waitress pointed the finger of blame at the cook during the police investigation.

put one's finger on (something)


- to locate something precisely, to identify something as very important
I was able to put my finger on the problem and find someone to fix it.

put one's hand to the plow


- to begin to do a big and important task
I put my hand to the plow in order to finish my essay before the weekend.

put one's hands on (something)


- to locate and acquire something
I have not been able to put my hands on a good cookbook yet.

put the finger on (someone)


- to accuse someone of doing something, to identify someone as the one who did something
The police put the finger on the young man as the main suspect for the crime.

putty in (someone's) hands


- very willing to do what someone else thinks or wants
The woman is putty in our hands and we can get everything that we want from her.

raise a hand


- to do something, to do one's share, to help
I am angry at my friend because he did not raise a hand to help me clean up the kitchen.

rap (someone's) knuckles


- to punish someone slightly
The judge decided to rap the young boy's knuckles for his crime.

read the handwriting on the wall


- to guess or anticipate what will happen by observing small hints and clues
I read the handwriting on the wall and believe that soon I will have no job.

receive (someone) with open arms


- to greet someone eagerly
The employees received their new boss with open arms.

reject (something) out of hand


- to decide without thinking about it not to accept an idea or argument or plan
The company rejected the union's demands out of hand.

the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing


- there is not good communication in an organization so one part of the organization does not know what the other part is doing
The assistant manager knows nothing about what the manager is doing in the company. The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.

rub elbows (with someone)


- to work closely with someone, to associate with someone
I have been rubbing elbows with some very interesting people at work recently.

rub shoulders with (someone)


- to work closely with someone, to associate with someone
The sales manager rubs shoulders with some of the top business people in the city.

rule of thumb


- a basic or accepted pattern or rule
It is a rule of thumb in our company that senior managers get bigger offices.

rule (someone) with an iron fist


- to have strict and complete control over a person or a group of people
The leader of the small country rules the citizens with an iron fist.

shake hands on (something)


- to shake someone's hand as a sign of agreement about something
The politicians shook hands on the agreement to build a new hospital.

shake hands with (someone)


- to greet someone by taking his or her hand and shaking it
The two men shook hands when they met for the first time.

a shot in the arm


- something inspiring, something that gives someone energy
The latest opinion polls are a shot in the arm for the mayor's re-election campaign.

a show of hands


- a vote for something which is done by people raising their hands
The students voted by a show of hands to go to the park after school.

show one's hand


- to reveal one's intentions to someone
I tried hard not to show my hand during the meeting about my new job.

sit on one's hands


- to do nothing, to fail to help
Our supervisor sat on his hands and refused to help us with our problem.

sit on their hands


- an audience refuses to applaud
The members of the audience sat on their hands after the performance by the singer.

a slap on the wrist


- a light punishment for doing something wrong
The young man received a slap on the wrist for his crime.

slip through (someone's) fingers


- to get away from someone, to lose track of someone or something
The job opportunity slipped through my fingers which was very disappointing.
The sales receipts slipped through my fingers and I could not find them.

stick out like a sore thumb


- to be obvious and visible
The man sticks out like a sore thumb when he wears his orange hat.

sticky fingers


- the habit of stealing things
The new woman at work has sticky fingers and many things have been stolen recently.

take a hand in (something)


- to help plan or do something
I will take a hand in designing the new cafeteria.

take (someone or something) in hand


- to take control of a situation and improve it or deal with it
Our teacher took the situation in hand when the class became too noisy.

take (someone or something) off (someone's) hands


- to remove or look after someone or something so that the other person does not have to deal with it
My friend decided to take the old sofa off my hands.
The girl took the child off the mother's hands for the afternoon.

take the law into one's own hands


- to act as a judge and jury for someone who has done something wrong
The soldiers took the law into their own hands when they entered the town.

throw one's hands up in horror


- to be shocked, to raise one's hands in fright
The girl threw her hands up in horror when she saw the injured dog.

thumb a lift/ride


- to get a ride from a passing motorist, to ask for a ride from a passing motorist by putting your thumb in the air
We thumbed a ride when our car had a flat tire.

thumb through (something)


- to look quickly through a book or magazine or newspaper
I thumbed through the garden catalogue at the store.

thumbnail sketch


- a short or small picture or description
The police made a thumbnail sketch of the bank robber.

thumbs up on (someone or something)


- to be in favor of someone or something
I waited to hear if it would be thumbs up on our new policy at work.

tie (someone's) hands


- to prevent someone from doing something
The principal tied our hands and we were not able to start the project.

tightfisted (with money)


- to be stingy with money
My friend is very tightfisted with money and he never likes to buy anything.

throw up one`s hands (in despair/frustration)


- to stop trying, to admit that one cannot succeed
I threw up my hands in frustration when I was unable to complete the telephone call.
try one`s hand at (something)


- to make an inexperienced attempt at something, to try something
I tried my hand at golf last summer but I did not like it.

turn one's hand to (something)


- to start to do something that is different from what you usually do
After we finished cleaning the kitchen we turned our hand to the other rooms.

turn thumbs down on (something)


- to disapprove or reject something, to say no to something
The building committee turned thumbs down on our plans to change the office.

twiddle one`s thumbs


- to do nothing, to be idle
The girl twiddled her thumbs all week and is now unable to pass her exam.

twist (someone`s) arm


- to force someone to do something, to threaten someone to make him or her do something
I had to twist my friend's arm so that he would let me use his car.

under one`s thumb


- to be obedient to someone, to be controlled by someone
The woman has her husband under her thumb. He has no freedom at all.

up in arms


- very angry and wanting to fight, equipped with guns or weapons and ready to fight
The students were up in arms over the school's plan to make them wear uniforms.

use some elbow grease


- to use some effort
The kitchen could use some elbow grease to make it clean again.

walk arm-in-arm (with someone)


- to walk with one's arms linked with someone else
The two girls walked arm-in-arm down the street.

walk hand-in-hand (with someone)


- to walk while holding hands with someone
The couple walked hand-to-hand down the street.

wash one`s hands of (someone or something)


- to refuse to be responsible for something, to withdraw from something, to stop one's association with someone
I want to wash my hands of the problems with the new secretary.

welcome (someone) with open arms


- to greet someone eagerly or warmly
We welcomed the new teacher with open arms.

win (something) hands down


- win something easily, win something without a doubt
The new mayor won the election hands down.

with both hands tied behind one's back


- easily, even under a severe handicap
I did my science project with both hands tied behind my back.

with hat in hand


- with humility
The boy went to his father with hat in hand to ask for some money.

with one hand tied behind one's back


- easily, even under a severe handicap
The project was hard to manage because I had to operate with one hand tied behind my back.

with open arms


- warmly, eagerly, happily
The author was welcomed with open arms when he came to visit the city.

work hand in hand (with someone)


- to work closely together with someone
The school is working hand in hand with the police department in order to solve the road problems.

work one`s fingers to the bone


- to work very hard
The woman worked her fingers to the bone in order to make enough money to feed her children.

wrap (someone) around one`s little finger


- to have complete control over someone, to manipulate someone
The woman has her boss wrapped around her little finger and she can do anything that she wants.

wring one's hands


- to worry and be upset about something and not be able to do anything about it
The woman stayed up most of the night wringing her hands while she waited for her son to come home.

wring (someone's) hand


- to hold someone's hand tightly when you greet or say good-bye to him or her
The man stood wringing my hand when I met him.

you've got to hand it to (someone)


- someone has done something well (although you may not approve of the things that he or she has done)
"You've got to hand it to our friend. He is always able to raise enough money for his projects."

Birds​

an albatross (around someone's neck)


- a problem that prevents someone from succeeding or making progress
The man's lack of a university degree is an albatross around his neck and it prevents him from being promoted.

as a duck takes to water


- easily and naturally
When the boy learned to swim it was just as a duck takes to water. It was very easy.

as bald as a coot


- completely bald
The man in the gas station is as bald as a coot.

as crazy as a loon


- crazy
Our neighbor is as crazy as a loon.

as dead as a dodo


- dead, no longer in existence
The dog was as dead as a dodo after the accident.

as easy as duck soup


- very easy, requiring no effort
Convincing the man to buy the car was as easy as duck soup.

as free as a bird


- completely free, carefree
I was as free as a bird when I finished my final school exam.

as graceful as a swan


- very graceful
The figure skater is as graceful as a swan.

as happy as a lark


- very happy and cheerful
The boy was as happy as a lark when he received his birthday present.

as hoarse as a crow


- very hoarse
The professor was as hoarse as a crow during the lecture.

as mad as a wet hen


- angry
The nurse was as mad as a wet hen when the patient tried to bite her.

as naked as a jaybird


- naked
The little boy was as naked as a jaybird when he finished his bath.

as proud as a pea****


- very proud, haughty
The man is as proud as a pea**** of his young son.

as scarce as hen's teeth


- very scarce or nonexistent
Cheap hotels in this city are as scarce as hen's teeth.

as silly as a goose


- very foolish, very silly
My aunt acted as silly as a goose last evening.

as soft as down


- very soft to the touch (down is the soft and fine feathers from a goose or duck)
The fur on the little dog is as soft as down.

as the crow flies


- by the most direct way, along a straight line between two places
As the crow flies, it is about six kilometers between my house and downtown.

as wise as an owl


- very wise
My grandfather is as wise as an owl and he seems to know everything.

a bat out of hell


- very fast (bats are not birds but are mammals that can fly)
The man left here like a bat out of hell. I do not know why he was in such a hurry.

bats in the belfry


- crazy, eccentric (bats are not birds but are mammals that can fly)
I think that my boss has bats in the belfry. His ideas are absolutely crazy.

bird brain


- someone who you think is stupid
The man is a bird brain and he always makes mistakes at work.

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush


- something that is certain is better than something that is not certain
"You should keep the prize money and not try to win more. Remember that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

birds and the bees


- the facts about *** and birth and life, the facts of life
The boy learned about the birds and the bees in his health education class at school.

birds-eye view


- a general view from above
"Let`s go up to the roof and get a birds-eye view of the surrounding area."

birds of a feather flock together


- people who are similar become friends or join together
"Do not complain about your friends. Remember, birds of a feather flock together. Your friends are just like you."

chicken and egg situation


- a situation where two things happen together and it is difficult to see which one of them caused the other, related to two factors - each of which causes or leads to the other
I do not know if I should buy a new computer so I can make some money with it or make some money first and then buy a new computer. It is a chicken and egg situation.

chicken feed


- a small sum of money
The amount of money that I spent last night was chicken feed and I am not worried about it at all.

chicken-livered


- cowardly, easily scared
The boy called his friend chicken-livered which made the friend very angry.

chicken out of (doing something)


- to stop doing something because of fear
My friend was planning to come with us but he chickened out at the last moment.

chickens come home to roost


- someone`s words or actions come back to cause trouble for him or her
The man is always unkind to other people. However, his chickens have come home to roost and people are now very unkind to him.

clip (someone`s) wings


- to limit someone, to bring someone under control
We plan to clip the supervisor's wings because he is becoming too aggressive when dealing with other people.

****-and-bull story


- a silly story that is not true
The student told her teacher a ****-and-bull story about why she was absent.

**** of the walk


- someone who thinks that he or she is more important than others in a group
The supervisor thinks that he is **** of the walk. He thinks that he can do anything that he wants.

cold turkey


- immediate and complete withdrawal from something on which one has become dependent (used when someone stops taking addictive drugs or tries to stop a bad habit)
The government program helped the drug addicts stop using heroin cold turkey.
The man plans to quit smoking cold turkey.

cook (someone`s) goose


- to damage someone's plans, to damage or ruin someone
The woman cooked her goose when she fought against her company and lost.

count one`s chickens before they`re hatched


- to depend or think that you will get something before you actually have it
"Don`t count your chickens before they`re hatched. Remember, you may not get the new job so you should not spend too much money."

dead duck


- someone in a hopeless situation or con***ion
The man is a dead duck. When the police catch him he will have to go to jail.

duck soup


- a task that does not require much effort
The exam was duck soup. I am sure that I did very well.

eagle eye


- an intently watchful eye
The boy has an eagle eye and he never misses anything.

early bird


- someone who arrives someplace early or starts something early
I am an early bird and I like to arrive early at work every morning.

the early bird catches the worm


- a person who gets up early in the morning has the best chance of success
"Let`s leave at six o`clock in the morning. Remember, the early bird catches the worm."

eat crow


- to admit that you are mistaken or defeated
Our boss was forced to eat crow when he discovered that he was totally wrong.

eat like a bird


- to eat very little
The boy must be sick. He has been eating like a bird recently.

feather in one`s cap


- something to be proud of, an honor
Winning the speech contest was a feather in the boy's cap.

feather one`s nest


- use one's position for one`s own financial benefits - especially while holding public office
The politician was feathering his nest for many years until he lost the election.

fly the coop


- to escape, to leave (like a chicken escaping from a chicken coop)
The two boys wanted to fly the coop when the school bell rang.

for the birds


- not interesting, something that you do not like, worthless
The movie was for the birds so we left early and went to a restaurant.

foul one's own nest


- to harm one's own interests, to bring discre*** to one's family
I do not want to foul my own nest so I try to be very honest in all of my dealings with others.

get one's ducks in a row


- to put one's affairs in order
When I get my ducks in a row I will be able to make a decision about a new career.

go to bed with the chickens


- to go to bed as the sun is setting, to go to bed very early
My grandfather always goes to bed with the chickens because he works on a farm.

a gone goose


- someone or something that has departed or run away
The boy is a gone goose. He will not be returning today.

goose bumps


- a prickly or bumpy feeling on one's skin because of cold or fear or excitement (like the skin of a goose or a chicken)
I got goose bumps as I watched the horror movie.

one's goose is cooked


- one has been discovered to have done something wrong and he or she is now in trouble, one is finished, one's chances for something are ruined
My goose is cooked. Soon my friend will discover that I lost her bicycle.

in fine feather


- in good humor
My friend is in fine feather today. He has been laughing all morning.

kill the goose that lays the golden egg


- to spoil or destroy something that is beneficial or makes a lot of money
My friends sold part of their business but it is the most profitable part. I think that they have killed the goose that lays the golden egg.

kill two birds with one stone


- *****cceed in doing two things with only one action
"Let`s have the meeting when we come to town to go shopping so that we can kill two birds with one stone."

lame duck


- a politician who has only a little time left in office and therefore has little power
The politician is a lame-duck leader and he is not effective at all.

lay an egg


- to give a bad performance
The performer laid an egg at the concert last night.

like water off a duck`s back


- without any effect, easily
Criticism falls away from my father like water off a duck`s back and he never worries about anything.

a little bird told me


- something is learned from a mysterious and secret source who you do not want to name
A little bird told me that my friend will have a surprise birthday party for me next week.

look like the cat that swallowed the canary


- to look very self-satisfied, to look as if you have just had a great success
The boy looked like the cat that swallowed the canary after he won the relay race.

lovely weather for ducks


- rainy weather
I commented to the wet letter carrier that it was lovely weather for ducks today.

neither fish nor fowl


- something that does not belong to a definite group
The manager's idea was neither fish nor fowl. Nobody knew what to do about it.

night owl


- someone who likes to stay up very late at night
My friend is a night owl and he loves to stay up late at night.

no spring chicken


- not young anymore
I do not know how old my aunt is but she is no spring chicken.

pecking order


- the way that people are ranked in relation to each other
I have not worked at my company very long so I do not understand the pecking order yet.

play chicken


- to do something dangerous in order to see who becomes frightened first and stops
The two boys were playing chicken in the schoolyard.

rare bird


- someone who is unusual
The woman is a rare bird and has done many interesting things in her life.

ruffle its feathers


- a bird points its feathers outward
The bird sat in the tree and ruffled its feathers.

ruffle (someone's) feathers


- to upset or annoy someone
I am usually very careful not to ruffle my supervisor's feathers.

rule the roost


- to be the boss or manager somewhere - often at home (a roost is a place where birds can perch or sit)
My grandfather ruled the roost in his family.

run around like a chicken with its head cut off


- to run around frantically and with no aim or purpose
I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off all morning as I prepared for my trip.

scarcer than hen's teeth


- very scarce or nonexistent
People who know about computers are scarcer than hen's teeth in our company.

sitting duck


- an unsuspecting person who is easily fooled - as if waiting to be attacked
The soldier at the window was like a sitting duck for the enemy.

spread one's wings


- to begin to be independent and try new things
My uncle's friend is beginning to spread his wings and try many new things.

swan song


- the last work or performance by an artist before death or retirement
The actor's swan song was his magnificent performance in his recent movie.

take (someone) under one's wings


- to begin to look after and care for someone
The teacher took the young boy under her wings when he came to the school.

talk turkey


- to talk frankly, to talk business
I went to see my friend because I knew that it was time to talk turkey with him.

try out one's wings


- to try to do something that you have recently learned or become qualified to do
I plan to try out my wings at golfing now that my lessons have finished.

ugly duckling


- an ugly or plain child (who grows up to be pretty)
The girl was an ugly duckling when she was a child but now she is very beautiful.

under the wings of (someone)


- to be under the care or control or protection of someone
The new teacher is now under the wings of the principal of the school.

watch (someone or something) like a hawk


- to watch someone or something very carefully
The mother watched her young child like a hawk.

what's good/sauce for the goose is good/sauce for the gander


- what is good for one person should be good for another person as well
What's good for the goose is good for the gander and if the food is good enough for me, then it is good enough for the other members of our team.

wild goose chase


- a chase that is futile or worthless
The motorcycle riders led the police on a wild goose chase.

wing it


- to do the best in a situation that one is not prepared for
I forgot to study so I had to wing it on the test.

Chicken Idioms​

as mad as a wet hen


- angry
The nurse was as mad as a wet hen when the patient tried to bite her.

as scarce as hen's teeth


- very scarce or nonexistent
Cheap hotels in this city are as scarce as hen's teeth.

chicken and egg situation


- a situation where two things happen together and it is difficult to see which one of them caused the other, related to two factors - each of which causes or leads to the other
I do not know if I should buy a new computer so I can make some money with it or make some money first and then buy a new computer. It is a chicken and egg situation.

chicken feed


- a small sum of money
The amount of money that I spent last night was chicken feed and I am not worried about it at all.

chicken-livered


- cowardly, easily scared
The boy called his friend chicken-livered which made the friend very angry.

chicken out of (doing something)


- to stop doing something because of fear
My friend was planning to come with us but he chickened out at the last moment.

chickens come home to roost


- someone`s words or actions come back to cause trouble for him or her
The man is always unkind to other people. However, his chickens have come home to roost and people are now very unkind to him.

count one`s chickens before they`re hatched


- to depend or think that you will get something before you actually have it
"Don`t count your chickens before they`re hatched. Remember, you may not get the new job so you should not spend too much money."

go to bed with the chickens


- to go to bed as the sun is setting, to go to bed very early
My grandfather always goes to bed with the chickens because he works on a farm.

no spring chicken


- not young anymore
I do not know how old my aunt is but she is no spring chicken.

play chicken


- to do something dangerous in order to see who becomes frightened first and stops
The two boys were playing chicken in the schoolyard.

run around like a chicken with its head cut off


- to run around frantically and with no aim or purpose
I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off all morning as I prepared for my trip.

scarcer than hen's teeth


- very scarce or nonexistent
People who know about computers are scarcer than hen's teeth in our company.