usingenglish.co m http://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/index.php?show=IdiomsEnglish Idioms: O
Ho me > Me mb e rs > Id io ms & Slang
English Idio ms: 178 ent ries beginning wit h 'O'
On the b all
If so me o ne 's o n the b all, the y are we ll-info rme d and kno w what's g o ing o n in the ir are a o f re sp o nsib ility o r inte re st.
On the b link
(UK) Is a machine is o n the b link, it isn't wo rking p ro p e rly o r is o ut o f o rd e r.
On the b lo we r
(UK) If so me o ne is o n the b lo we r, the y are o n the p ho ne .
On the card s
(UK) If so me thing is in the card s, it is almo st ce rtain to hap p e n.
On the carp e t
Whe n yo u are calle d to the b o sse s o ffice (since sup p o se d ly, the y are the o nly o ne s who have carp e t) and its d e finite ly no t fo r a
g o o d re aso n, i.e ., yo u are in tro ub le , so me thing has no t g o ne acco rd ing to p lan and e ithe r mayb e yo u are re sp o nsib le and /o r
have so me e xp laining to d o .
On the case
If so me o ne is o n the case , the y are d e aling with a p ro b le m.
On the che ap
If yo u d o so me thing o n the che ap , yo u sp e nd as little as p o ssib le to d o it.
On the cho p p ing b lo ck
A p e rso n who 's o n the cho p p ing b lo ck is in d ang e r o f lo sing the ir jo b o r g e tting into se rio us tro ub le . A p ro je ct that's o n the
cho p p ing b lo ck is like ly to b e te rminate d .
On the d o le
(UK) So me o ne re ce iving financial assistance whe n une mp lo ye d is o n the d o le .
On the d o t
If so me o ne says that the y're le aving at se ve n o n the d o t, d o n't b e late ; the y me an at e xactly se ve n o 'clo ck.
On the d o ub le
If so me o ne te lls yo u to d o so me thing o n the d o ub le , the y want yo u to d o it imme d iate ly and q uickly.
On the face o f it
This id io m is use d whe n d e scrib ing the way a situatio n ap p e ars, while allo wing fo r the p o ssib ility that thing s may b e d iffe re nt: On
the face o f it, the co mp any lo o ks ve ry p ro fitab le . (The co mp any ap p e ars to b e ve ry p ro fitab le , b ut this may no t b e the case .)
On the facto ry flo o r
On the facto ry flo o r me ans the p lace whe re thing s are actually p ro d uce d .
On the fid d le
(UK) So me o ne who is ste aling mo ne y fro m wo rk is o n the fid d le , e sp e cially if the y are d o ing it b y fraud .
On the flip sid e
On the re ve rse o r the o the r sid e
On the fly
If yo u d o thing s o n the fly, yo u d o thing s witho ut p re p aratio n, re sp o nd ing to e ve nts as the y hap p e n.
On the g ame
(UK) A p e rso n who is o n the g ame wo rks as a p ro stitute .
On the g ro und
Eve nts o n the g ro und are whe re thing s are actually hap p e ning , no t at a d istance .
On the ho o f
If yo u d e cid e so me thing o n the ho o f, yo u d o it witho ut p lanning , re sp o nd ing to e ve nts as the y hap p e n.
On the ho o k
If so me o ne is o n the ho o k, the y are re sp o nsib le fo r so me thing .
On the ho use
If yo u g e t so me thing fo r fre e that wo uld no rmally have to b e b o ug ht, e sp e cially in a b ar o r re staurant, it is o n the ho use .
On the kno ck
(UK) If yo u b uy so me thing o n the kno ck, yo u p ay fo r it in instalme nts.
On the kno cke r
(UK) If so me o ne is o n the kno cke r, the y are g o ing fro m ho use to ho use trying to b uy o r se ll thing s o r g e t sup p o rt.
On the kno cke r
(AU) If yo u d o so me thing o n the kno cke r, yo u d o it imme d iate ly o r p ro mp tly.
On the lam
If so me o ne is o n the lam, the y are hid ing fro m the p o lice o r autho ritie s, e sp e cially to avo id arre st o r p riso n.
On the le ve l
If so me o ne is ho ne st and trustwo rthy, the y are o n the le ve l.
On the line
If so me b o d y's jo b is o n the line , the y stand a ve ry g o o d chance o f lo sing it.
On the make
If so me o ne is o n the make , the y are trying to make a lo t o f mo ne y, usually ille g ally.
On the map
If a p lace b e co me s wid e ly kno wn, it is p ut o n the map . A p lace that re mains unkno wn is o ff the map .
On the mo ne y
If yo u are o n the mo ne y, yo u are rig ht ab o ut so me thing .
On the mo und
(USA) If yo u're o n the mo und , yo u're o n the mo und b ack at yo ur g ame , b ack in co ntro l.
On the ne ve r-ne ve r
(UK) If yo u b uy so me thing o n the ne ve r-ne ve r, yo u b uy it o n lo ng -te rm cre d it.
On the no d
(UK) If so me thing is acce p te d b y p arliame nt o r a co mmitte e majo rity, it is o n the no d .
On the no d
(UK) So me o ne who 's o n the no d is e ithe r asle e p o r falling asle e p , e sp e cially whe n the sho uld n't o r are are in a p o sitio n unusual
fo r sle e p , like sitting o r stand ing .
On the no d
(UK) Whe n a ho rse runs, its he ad mo ve s b ackward s and fo rward s alte rnate ly - in ho rse racing , if 2 ho rse s cro ss the line to g e the r
the o ne who se he ad hap p e ns to b e g o ing fo rward o fte n wins and is said to win 'o n the no d '.
On the no se
This me ans rig ht o n time .
On the re b o und
If so me o ne is o n the re b o und , the ir re latio nship has re ce ntly e nd e d and the y are e mo tio nally unstab le .
On the rig ht fo o t
If yo u start so me thing o r se t o ff o n the rig ht fo o t, yo u g e t o ff to a g o o d start.
On the ro cks
If so me thing , like a re latio nship , is o n the ro cks, it is in tro ub le and may co me to an e nd .
On the ro p e s
Whe n so me thing o r so me o ne is o n the ro p e s, it o r the y are d o ing b ad ly and like ly to fail.
On the run
If so me o ne is o n the run, the y are avo id ing arre st and hid ing fro m the p o lice .
On the same p ag e
If p e o p le are o n the same p ag e , the y have the same info rmatio n and are thinking the same way.
On the same wave le ng th
If p e o p le are o n the same wave le ng th, the y have the same id e as and o p inio ns ab o ut so me thing .
On the she lf
If so me thing like a p ro je ct is o n the she lf, no thing is b e ing d o ne ab o ut it at the mo me nt.
On the skid s
Whe n thing s o r p e o p le are o n the skid s, the y are in se rio us d e cline and tro ub le .
On the sly
If so me o ne d o e s so me thing o n the sly, the y d o it furtive ly o r se cre tly.
On the stro ke
If yo u arrive so me whe re o n the stro ke o f 2 o 'clo ck, yo u arrive at e xactly that time . (At the stro ke is also use d .)
On the stump
Whe n p o liticians are camp aig ning fo r sup p o rt and vo te s, the y are o n the stump .
On the tab le
If a p lan o r p ro p o sal is o n the tab le , it is b e ing d iscusse d .
On the take
(UK) So me o ne who is ste aling fro m wo rk is o n the take .
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