Skip to main content

meaning and usage of idioms and phrases-76

1) Water Under The Bridge-something that has happened and cannot be changed, hence, not important-

I should have negotiated a higher salary when I was offered the job, but that's water under the bridge now.

2) Skeleton In The Closet-a hidden, shocking or shameful secret -

Even the most innocent looking man has skeletons in his closet.

3) Icing On The Cake-something that makes a good situation even better-

George was happy to have his first book published. All those congratulatory messages and fan mail that came in were the icing on the cake.

4) Have A Soft Spot For Someone-have special feelings for someone-

She had a soft spot for her youngest brother and was always fighting for him, even if it was his fault.

5) Head Over Heels-fall deeply and completely in love, especially suddenly-

Tom and Mary are head over heels in love with each other and are going to get married next month.

6) Flash In The Pan-something that is promising in the beginning but fizzles out later-

His initial good performances were a mere flash in the pan. Nowadays, he delivers only mediocre work.

7) Down To The Wire-a situation where the outcome is not decided until the very end-

With both teams being equally matched, the match was very exiting and went down to the wire.

8) Break The Ice-to initiate social interchanges and conversation, to get something started-

I tried to break the ice by talking to the people next to me about the weather.

9) Born With A Silver Spoon In Mouth-to be born to parents who are rich and have a good social rank, someone who is born into privilege and wealth-

He does not need this job as much as I do, he is born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

10) Bite The Bullet-to endure a painful or otherwise unpleasant situation that is seen as unavoidable-

I hate going to the dentist, but I'll just have to bite the bullet.

11) Let The Cat Out Of The Bag-to allow a secret to be known, usually without intending to-

Joey was trying to keep the party a secret, but Rachel went and let the cat out of the bag.

12) The Final Nail In The Coffin-an event which causes the failure of something that had already started to fail-

This latest evidence could be the final nail in the coffin for Jackson's case.

13) An Eye For An Eye-retributive or vengeful justice, retaliation, punishment in which an offender suffers what the victim has suffered-

Some guy took his wife, so he took the wives of others, it was an eye for an eye.

14) Elephant In The Room-a problem that everyone knows very well but no one talks about because it is taboo, embarrassing, etc-

The fact that his 35 year old brother was still financially dependent on his parents was a big elephant in the room at every family gathering.

15) Cast In The Same Mould-to be very similar-

Both the brothers are equally mean, they seem to be cast in the same mould.

16) Cross A Bridge Before One Comes To It-worry about the future in advance-

He was worried about his life after college, but then decided he will cross that bridge once he comes it.

17) Back To Square One-back to the beginning, return to where one started from-

The opposing parties had been trying to come to a compromise, but when the negotiations broke down, they were back to square one.

18) Back The Wrong Horse-make a wrong or inappropriate choice-

Only after investing all their money in the company did they realized that they had backed the wrong horse.

19) Let The Grass Grow Under Your Feet-to do nothing, delay-

We can't let the grass grow under our feet, we have got to get going with this project.

20) Rock The Boat-say or do something to disturb an existing situation and upset people-

After the recent riots, the government decided not to rock the boat by introducing new policies.

Popular posts from this blog

MEANING OF "Bridge the divide."

Amazon today's offer: Deal of the day "Bridge the divide." (Also: Bridge the gap) This  means, to bring two sides closer together, overcoming  their differences (the "divide" that separates them).  This divide may be political, social, or any other  major difference between groups of persons.  Limited Time Offer:  50% Off on Robot  Vacuum Cleaner Most Popular Course:Data Science of Harvard, MIT, IBM....  John Academy: 97% Off on Popular Online Courses Amazon Best Seller in Appliances Amazon Best Seller in Home and Kitchen Amazon Best Seller in Office Products Amazon Best Seller in Baby Products