| A day late and a dollar short | a way of describing something that is inadequate for solving a given problem |
| A dime a dozen | a way to describe something plentiful |
| A hangdog expression | used to describe someone who looks sad or depressed |
| A nine-to-five job | a job worked during the week, during business hours |
| A wild-goose chase | a pointless or hopeless endeavor |
| Bent out of shape | a way of describing an angry person |
| Blood from a turnip | working on a task with no hope of success |
| By the skin of your teeth | just barely |
| Cover your bases | A metaphor based on baseball |
| Cut me some slack! | Be more forgiving of my errors and faults (A boating reference |
| Go back to the drawing board | to start something back at the very beginning |
| He marches to his own drummer | he has his own way of doing things |
| He wears his heart on his sleeve | he shows his feelings readily |
| Heart of gold | a way of describing someone who is very kind and generous |
| Herding cats | a way of describing a situation that is difficult or frustrating |
| Hit the books | To study very intensively |
| Hit the nail on the head | to get something exactly right |
| I could eat a horse | I am very hungry |
| I was a million miles away | my mind was wandering (another metaphor!) |
| It all went pear shaped | to go wrong |
| It’s no skin off my nose | it doesn’t affect me negatively (but it might affect others) |
| It’s showtime | it’s time to start (something important) |
| Mama bear | an overly protective mother |
| Mark my words | what someone says before making a prediction they are certain will come true |
| More than you can shake a stick at | More than you can easily handle |
| My dogs are barking | my feet hurt |
| Nitpicking | bringing attention to tiny faults |
| Parade-maker | a person who drives too slowly in the passing lane, forming a parade of sorts behind them |
| Salad days | times of plenty and happiness |
| She is an open book | she has nothing to hide |
| Speak of the devil | what someone says when a person who was the subject of conversation joins the conversation circle |
| Splitting hairs | Paying too much attention to insignificant details |
| Step up to the plate | another baseball metaphor |
| The elephant in the room | a topic that everybody is thinking about but nobody is talking about |
| The whole enchilada | the whole, huge thing |
| These are the dog days of summer | it’s too hot but do anything but be lazy and stay cool |
| This place is a zoo | to describe a chaotic place, implying that the people inside are behaving like animals |
| To be on the ball | another baseball metaphor |
| To bite the bullet | to do something unpleasant quickly and with force, so as to have it be over quickly |
| To carry a torch for someone | to have unrequited romantic feelings toward someone |
| To cut corners | to do something poorly so as to save time or money |
| To feel under the weather | to feel sick |
| To get caught red-handed | to get caught in the middle of doing something illegal or forbidden |
| To get out of hand | to become out of control |
| To have kittens | to worry excessively or unnecessarily about something |
| To hit the sack | to go to bed |
| To miss the boat | to come too late for something; to let an opportunity go because of inattention or lack of time |
| To pull someone’s leg | to lie to someone as a way to teasing them |
| To wrap your head around something | to take time to understand a difficult or hard-to-believe concept |
| You’re building castles in the air | you’re making unrealistic plans |
| A fish out of water | Feeling uncomfortable in a new or unfamiliar situation. |
| A heart of gold | Having a kind and generous personality. |
| A leopard can’t change its spots | People can’t change who they are fundamentally. |
| A lightbulb moment | A sudden realization or idea, or understanding of something. |
| A needle in a haystack | Something that is very difficult to find among many other things. |
| A penny for your thoughts | Asking someone what they’re thinking. |
| A picture is worth a thousand words | A picture can convey more meaning than words. |
| A snake in the grass | Someone who is untrustworthy and deceptive. |
| A square peg in a round hole | Someone or something that doesn’t fit in with the rest. |
| A wolf in sheep’s clothing | Someone who appears harmless but is actually dangerous. |
| Actions speak louder than words | What someone does is more important than what they say. |
| All bark and no bite | Threatening but not actually following through with action. |
| All that glitters is not gold | Something may look attractive or valuable, but it may not be so in reality. |
| All thumbs | Being clumsy or awkward. |
| An arm and a leg | Something that is very expensive. |
| Back to square one | Starting over from the beginning. |
| Back to the drawing board | Starting over from scratch. |
| Barking up the wrong tree | Accusing the wrong person or pursuing the wrong course of action. |
| Beat a dead horse | Continuing to pursue something that is no longer possible or productive. |
| Beauty is in the eye of the beholder | Perceptions of beauty are subjective. |
| Between a rock and a hard place | Being in a difficult or unpleasant situation with no good options. |
| Bite off more than you can chew | Taking on more than you can handle. |
| Break a leg | A wish of good luck before a performance. |
| Burn the midnight oil | Working late into the night. |
| Burning the candle at both ends | Overworking oneself or not getting enough rest. |
| By the book | Following the rules or procedures exactly. |
| By the seat of your pants | Making decisions based on intuition or guesswork. |
| By the skin of your teeth | Just barely succeeding. |
| Caught between two stools | Being unable to decide between two things. |
| Chew the fat | Engage in a casual conversation. |
| Clam up | Refusing to talk or share information. |
| Close but no cigar | Almost succeeding but falling short. |
| Cold shoulder | Ignoring or being unfriendly to someone. |
| Come rain or shine | No matter what happens. |
| Cost an arm and a leg | Something that is very expensive. |
| Cross that bridge when you come to it | Dealing with a problem only when it arises. |
| Cry over spilled milk | Being upset over something that can’t be changed. |
| Curiosity killed the cat | Being too curious can lead to trouble. |
| Cut corners | Doing something in a way that saves time or money but isn’t entirely ethical. |
| Cut the mustard | Meeting expectations or succeeding at something. |
| Devil’s advocate | Arguing against someone’s position for the sake of debate. |
| Diamond in the rough | A person or thing that has potential but needs work or polishing. |
| Don’t count your chickens before they hatch | Don’t assume something will happen before it actually does. |
| Don’t cry over spilled milk | Don’t be upset over something that can’t be changed. |
| Don’t put all your eggs in one basket | Don’t risk everything on one thing. |
| Down in the dumps | Feeling sad or depressed. |
| Draw a blank | Being unable to think of anything or remember something. |
| Driving someone up the wall | Annoying or irritating someone to the point of frustration. |
| Drop in the bucket | Something that is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. |
| Drowning in money | Having an excessive amount of wealth or money. |
| Every cloud has a silver lining | Every bad situation has some good aspect to it. |
| Face the music | Accepting responsibility for something, usually negative. |
| Fall head over heels | Falling deeply in love. |
| Fighting tooth and nail | Fighting with great determination and effort. |
| Fish or cut bait | Make a decision and take action or stop wasting time. |
| Flash in the pan | Something that is initially successful but quickly fades away. |
| Flogging a dead horse | Continuing to pursue something that is no longer possible or productive. |
| Fly off the handle | Becoming angry suddenly and uncontrollably. |
| Foot in the door | Gaining a small initial opportunity that can lead to greater success. |
| Get a leg up | Obtaining an advantage over someone or something. |
| Get a second wind | Re-gaining energy or enthusiasm after feeling tired or discouraged. |
| Get off on the wrong foot | Starting off on a bad or unpleasant note. |
| Get the ball rolling | Starting or initiating something. |
| Get your feet wet | Trying something new or unfamiliar. |
| Give the benefit of the doubt | Believing someone’s story or excuse without proof. |
| Go against the grain | Doing something that is contrary to popular opinion or tradition. |
| Go out on a limb | Taking a risk or making a bold statement. |
| Good as gold | Being well-behaved or trustworthy. |
| Hammer it out | Negotiating or working through a problem until a solution is found. |
| Hard pill to swallow | Something that is difficult to accept or come to terms with. |
| Head over heels | Falling deeply in love. |
| Hit the nail on the head | Identifying something accurately or solving a problem perfectly. |
| In hot water | Being in trouble or facing consequences. |
| In the dark | Being unaware of something or uninformed. |
| In the same boat | Being in the same difficult situation as someone else. |
| Jack of all trades | Being skilled in many different areas. |
| Jump the gun | Starting something too early or without proper preparation. |
| Keep your chin up | Maintaining a positive attitude during tough times. |
| Kick the bucket | To die. |
| Kill two birds with one stone | Accomplishing two things at once. |
| Know the ropes | Being knowledgeable and experienced in a particular field. |
| Leave no stone unturned | Searching thoroughly and exhaustively. |
| Let the cat out of the bag | Revealing a secret. |
| Lost in the sauce | Being confused or disoriented. |
| Make a mountain out of a molehill | Overreacting to a minor issue. |
| Miss the boat | Missing an opportunity or chance. |
| Nip it in the bud | Stopping something before it becomes a bigger problem. |
| No pain, no gain | Progress or success requires hard work and sacrifice. |
| Off the hook | Avoiding responsibility or consequences. |
| On thin ice | In a precarious or risky situation. |
| Paint the town red | Going out and having a wild and exciting time. |
| Penny for your thoughts | Asking someone what they’re thinking or feeling. |
| Play devil’s advocate | Arguing against someone’s position for the sake of debate. |
| Pull someone’s leg | Teasing or joking with someone in a playful way. |
| Put all your cards on the table | Being honest and upfront about your intentions or motives. |
| Put your foot down | Taking a firm stance on something and not backing down. |
| Raining cats and dogs | Raining heavily. |
| Read the riot act | Scolding or reprimanding someone for bad behavior. |
| Red herring | A misleading or irrelevant clue or piece of information |
