8 English idioms with END

1. a dead end

When it comes to transportation, a dead end is a street that has no exit. This expression is also used for
something that leads to no progress / no success. If the police are investigating a crime and they come to a
dead end, it means they do not succeed in solving the crime.

2. at the end of my rope / at wits’ end

If you say “I’m at the end of my rope” or “I’m at wits’ end,” it means “I’m completely annoyed,
exhausted, or desperate, and I have no more patience or energy.” If your baby has been crying for hours
and you can’t figure out what’s wrong or how to calm him down, you would probably be at your wits’
end!

3. To tie up some loose ends

This idiom means to handle or finish some small issues that were previously left unresolved. For
example, let’s say you’re moving to a new apartment, and you’ve already taken care of the
major/essential things like signing the contract, moving your stuff, and paying rent. After that, you might
tie up some loose ends like decorating the apartment or informing friends/family of your new address.

4. odds and ends

“Odds and ends” refers to various, miscellaneous things. For example, if you use your garage as storage
space, it probably contains tools, boxes, and other odds and ends (random items).

5. hours/days/weeks/months on end

If something lasts or takes hours, days, weeks, or months on end, it means it takes many such units of
time – using this idiom often implies that it’s an especially long time. For example, my boyfriend loves
video games so much, he plays them for hours on end (= many hours).
6. will never hear the end of it

Saying someone “will never hear the end of it” means that person will be reminded about something
(usually a mistake they made, or something bad or embarrassing they did) by other people for a long
time in the future. For example, let’s say you accidentally call your girlfriend by your ex-girlfriend’s
name. You might say, “I can’t believe I did that – now I’ll never hear the end of it!” – meaning your
girlfriend will often remind you of this incident in the future.

7. keep your end of the bargain

This idiom means to do what you promised to do as part of an agreement. Let’s say you offered to fix
your neighbor’s computer in exchange for him helping you with repairs in your house. After you fix the
computer, then your neighbor needs to keep his end of the bargain and help with the repairs, as he said he
would.

8. the (something) to end all (somethings)

This expression means that something is the greatest and most impressive example of its kind. For
example, if you say a rock concert was “the show to end all shows,” you are emphasizing how big,
exciting, and/or important it was, implying it was superior to all other rock concerts.