1) Pedal To The Metal-put in maximum effort to do something-
We hardly have time left for the event. We have to put pedal to the metal and make sure all the arrangements are in place.
2) Off The Hook-escape or released from a tough situation-
He was charged with leaking confidential information, but I got him off the hook by vouching for his integrity.
3) Burn The Midnight Oil-to work very late into the night-
I have an important exam tomorrow so I'll be burning the midnight oil tonight.
4) Jack Of All Trades-somebody who has many skills or who does many different jobs successfully-
My big brother is an engineer by profession but can drive a big lorry, can repair the machines and runs many of his stores, he is really a jack of all trades.
5) Jump The Gun-start something too soon or early, especially without thinking-
The media jumped the gun and gave out their verdict of the scandal even before the investigation was complete.
6) Fish For A Compliment-make an attempt to make someone say something nice to you or about you-
When the student said that he was still not confident of the subject after a score of 95 on 100 in the test, the teacher knew that he was only fishing for a compliment.
7) Everything But The Kitchen Sink-almost everything that one can think of-
When he moved out of the house, he took along everything but the kitchen sink.
8) At Beck And Call-ready to obey someone-
Just imagine what it's like to have a cook and a maid at your beck and call.
9) Drop Like Flies-to faint, sicken, collapse, die or fail in large numbers-
When one of the children in the class got infected, most of the other children started dropping like flies.
10) Curiosity Killed The Cat-too much curiosity can lead to dangerous situations-
When he started asking too many questions of his neighbours about their whereabouts during the weekend, they warned him that curiosity killed the cat.
11) Curiosity Killed The Cat-too much curiosity can lead to dangerous situations-
When he started asking too many questions of his neighbours about their whereabouts during the weekend, they warned him that curiosity killed the cat.
12) On The Rocks-in a state of ruin or likely to fail, bankrupt-
Our accountant says the business is on the rocks.
13) Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch-make plans that depend on something good happening before you know that it has actually happened-
She wanted to buy a dress in case someone asked her to the dance, but I told her not to count her chickens before they hatched.
14) Begin To See The Light-to begin to understand something-
I was totally confused, but I began to see the light after his explanation.
15) Under The Weather-slightly unwell or in low spirits-
She was sufficiently under the weather to have to pull out of the championship.
16) Batten Down The Hatches-to prepare for difficult times-
When you're coming down with a cold, all you can do is batten down the hatches and wait for the body to fight it off.
17) Back To The Salt Mines-back to something that you don't want to do-
Well, it's Monday morning. Back to the salt mines.
18) Shoot For The Moon-to ask/aim for the best or the most you could hope for-
You might as well shoot for the moon and ask for a promotion as well as a raise.
19) House Of Cards-a complicated organization or plan that is very weak and can easily be destroyed or easily go wrong-
His plan went down like a house of cards when the police intervened.
20) Against The Clock-if you do something against the clock, you do it as fast as possible and try to finish it before a certain time-
In a race against the clock, they rushed the accident victim to the hospital.