Dave Sperling Presents the ....

[The ESL Idiom Page]

by Dennis Oliver
a complete list of all idioms
currently in the collection

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A:
ace (verb)
all right (3)
and then some
antsy
as easy as pie
at the eleventh hour

B:
bad-mouth (verb)
be a piece of cake
be all ears
be broke
be fed up with
be in and out
be on the go
be on the road
be over
be up and running
be used to
beat (adj.)
beat around the bush
beat one's brains out
Beats me.
bent out of shape
before long
bite off more than one can chew
blabbermouth
blow one's top
boom box
the bottom line
blow one's top
Break a leg!
break someone's heart
broke
bug (verb)
bull-headed
buck(s)
a bundle
burn the midnight oil
bushed
by one's self
by the skin of one's teeth

C:
call it a day
catch one's eye
catch some Zs
can't make heads or tails of something
change one's mind
chicken
chow
chow down
a cinch
cool (adj.)
cost (someone) an arm and a leg
couch potato
cram
crash course
Cut it out!
Cool it!

D:
dicey
ditch class
Don't count your chickens until (before) they hatch
(they're hatched).
do a bang-up job
down in the dumps
drag one's feet
drop someone a line

E:
an eager beaver
Easy does it!
an egghead
elbow grease
every other _____

F:
far-fetched
feel blue
feel puny
fender-bender
fire someone
for ages

G:
get going
get it
get a kick out of something
get on one's nerves
get one's wires crossed
get out of hand
get up and go
give someone a hand (2)
go with the flow
grab a bite

H:
had ('d) better
have (has) got
hard feelings
hassle
have one's hands full
have something down pat
head honcho
hit the books
hit the hay
hit the sack
How come?

I:
if I had my druthers
in over one's head
inside out
in stock
in the black
in the red
in time

J:
jump all over someone
jump the gun
jump to conclusion
junk mail

K:
keep an eye on
keep an eye out for
keep one's chin up
keep one's fingers crossed
keep one's nose to the grindstone
keep (stay) in touch
kid (2)
kind of
a klutz
a know-it-all
know something backwards and forward
know something inside out

L:
let-down
lend someone a hand
leave well enough alone
Let sleeping dogs lie.
live from hand to mouth
Live and let live.
lose track of
a low blow
lousy

M:
macho
make a mountain out of a mole hill
can't make heads or tails of
make up one's mind

N:
No way!
nosh
Not on your life!
now and then
nuke
nuts

O:
OK (4)
on the cutting edge
on the dot
on time
once in a while
over one's head

P:
pay the piper
plastic
pop quiz
pooped (adj.)
pretty (adv.)
pull an all-nighter
pull someone's leg

Q:
quite a few
a quick study

R:
R and R
rain or shine
rain cats and dogs
read someone's mind
rub someone the wrong way
run-down (2)

S:
savvy
schmooze
sleep on it
sooner or later
shoot the breeze
a snap
so-so
Someone's made his/her bed; now let her/him lie in it.
sort of
state of the art
stay (keep) in touch
Step on it!

T:
take it easy
tell a white lie
There, there.
tight-fisted
a tightwad
tough
toss something
tricky
two-faced

U:
under the weather
until hell freezes over
until you're blue in the face
update
upside down
up-to-date
used to

W:
Was my face red!
wear out one's welcome
wet behind the ears
What for?
What's up?
wishy-washy
with bells on
would just as soon

Y:
a yes-man
You don't say!
You've got to be kidding!
yucky
yummy

Z:
zilch
Zip your lip!





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Copyright © 1997 Dave Sperling and Dennis Oliver. All Rights Reserved.