BRITISH AND AMERICAN

IDIOMS

RAFA ELMIRA AFIANI (29)

X MIPA 3
 A. BRITISH IDIOMS

Across the pond

This idiom means on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, used to refer to the US
or the UK depending on the speaker's location.

All mouth and trousers

Someone who's all mouth and trousers talks or boasts a lot but doesn't deliver.
'All mouth and no trousers' is also used, though this is a corruption of the
original.

All talk and no trousers

Someone who is all talk and no trousers, talks about doing big, important things,
but doesn't take any action.

An Englishman's home is his castle

This means that what happens in a person's home or  private life is their
business and should not be subject to outside interference.

Argue the toss

If you argue the toss, you refuse to accept a decision and argue about it.

As the actress said to the bishop

This idiom is used to highlight a sexual reference, deliberate or accidental.

At a loose end

If you are at a loose end, you have spare time but don't know what to do with it.

At the end of your tether

If you are at the end of your tether, you are at the limit of your patience or
endurance.
Back foot

If you are on your back foot, you are at a disadvantage and forced to be
defensive of your position

Black as Newgate's knocker

If things are as black as Newgate's knocker, they are very bad. Newgate was an
infamous prison in England, so its door knocker meant trouble.

Bob's your uncle

This idiom means that something will be successful: Just tell him that I gave you
his name and Bob's your uncle- he'll help you.

Box clever

If you box clever, you use your intelligence to get what you want, even if you
have to cheat a bit.

Brass neck

Someone who has the brass neck to do something has no sense of shame about
what they do.

Break your duck

If you break your duck, you do something for the first time.

Buggles' turn

If it Buggles' turn, someone gets promotion through length of service rather than
ability, especially in the British civil service.

By a long chalk

If you beat somebody by a long chalk, you win easily and comfortably.

Call time

If you call time on something, you decide it is time to end it.

Come up smelling of roses

If someone comes up smelling of roses, they emerge from a situation with their
reputationn undamaged.

Cupboard love

To show love to gain something from someone

Curate's egg

If something is a bit of a curate's egg, it is only good in parts.

Daft as a brush

Someone who is daft as a brush is rather stupid.

Damp squib

If something is expected to have a great effect or impact but doesn't, it is a damp

squib.

Death warmed up

If someone looks like death warmed up, they look very ill indeed. ('death warmed
over' is the American form)

Do a Devon Loch

If someone does a Devon Loch, they fail when they were very close to winning.
Devon Loch was a horse that collapsed just short of the winning line of the Grand
National race.

Do a Lord Lucan

If someone disappears without a trace or runs off, they do a Lord Lucan. (Lord
Lucan disappeared after a murder)

Do a runner

If people leave a restaurant without paying, they do a runner.

Do the running

The person who has to do the running has to make sure that things get done.
('Make the running' is also used.)

Do time

When someone is doing time, they are in prison.

Get it in the neck

If you get it in the neck, you are punished or criticised for something.

Get out of your pram

If someone gets out of their pram, they respond aggressively to an argument or

problem that doesn't involve them.

Get the nod

If you get the nod to something, you get approval or permission to do it.

Give it some stick

If you give something some stick, you put a lot of effort into it.

Give someone stick

If someone gives you stick, they criticise you or punish you.

Give the nod

If you give the nod to something, you approve it or give permission to do it.

Go doolally

If someone goes doolally, they are behaving irrationally

Grasp the nettle

If you grasp the nettle, you deal bravely with a problem.

Greasy pole

The greasy pole is the difficult route to the top of politics, business, etc.

Green fingers

Someone with green fingers has a talent for gardening.

Grey pound

In the UK, the grey pound is an idiom for the economic power of elderly people.

Hairy at the heel

Someone who is hairy at the heel is dangerous or untrustworthy.

Hard cheese

Hard cheese means hard luck.

Have a riot

If you have a riot, you enjoy yourself and have a good time.

Have your collar felt

If someone has their collar felt, they are arrested

Make a song and dance

If someone makes a song and dance, they make an unecessary fuss about
something unimportant.

Man on the Clapham omnibus

The man on the Clapham omnibus is the ordinary person in the street.

Money for old rope

If something's money for old rope, it's a very easy way of making money.
More front than Brighton

If you have more front than Brighton, you are very self-confident, possibly
excessively so.

New man

A New man is a man who believes in complete equality of the sexes and shares
domestic work equally.

Nod's as good as a wink

'A nod's as good as a wink' is a way of saying you have understood something
that someone has said, even though it was not said directly. The full phrase
(sometimes used in the UK ) is 'a nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse'.

Noddy work

Unimportant or very simple tasks are noddy work.

Nosy parker

A nosy parker is someone who is excessively interested in other people's lives.

('Nosey parker' is an alternative spelling.)

Not cricket

If something is not cricket, it is unfair.

Not give a monkey's

If you couldn't give a monkey's about something, you don't care at all about it.

Off on one

If someone goes off on one, they get extremely angry indeed.

Off your chump

If someone is off their chump, they are crazy or irrational.

Off your rocker

Someone who is off their rocker is crazy.

On Carey Street

If someone is on Carey Street, they are heavily in debt or have gone bankrupt.

On the blink

Is a machine is on the blink, it isn't working properly or is out of order.

On the blower

If someone is on the blower, they are on the phone.

On the cards

If something is in the cards, it is almost certain to happen.

On the dole

Someone receiving financial assistance when unemployed is on the dole.

On the fiddle

Someone who is stealing money from work is on the fiddle, especially if they are
doing it by fraud.

On the game

A person who is on the game works as a prostitute.

On the knock

If you buy something on the knock, you pay for it in instalments.

On the knocker

If someone is on the knocker, they are going from house to house trying to buy
or sell things or get support
 B. AMERICAN IDIOMS
All over the map.
a conversation that does not stick to the main topic and goes off
on tangents. "The meeting today was all over the map and I don't feel
like we accomplished what we needed to."
Before you know it.
almost immediately. "I will be there before you know it."
Blow off steam.
express anger or frustration. "I was so happy I was able to go to
the gym tonight. After a stressful work day it was great to blow off
some steam and work out."
Break a leg.
good luck, often heard in the theater world. "Break a leg at your
performance tonight!"
Call it a day.
declare the end of working on a task. "Ok, we have done as
much as we can for now, let's call it a day"
Cat nap.
short nap. "It has been a productive morning, I am going to take
a cat nap after lunch."
Disco nap.
short nap usually taken before one goes out to a long evening
engagement. It's 4pm I think I'll take a disco nap before we go out
dancing tonight.
Get the hang of it.
To have the ability to complete a task and do it well; to go from
beginner to intermediate. "It was tough at first but now I am really
getting the hang of it!"
Give props to.
show appreciation for. "We would like to give props to those who
helped us tonight."
Head over heels.
to be very much in love. "Kim and Erica are adorable, they are
head over heels for each other!"
Here and there.
On occasion. We get calls from that client here and there but not
very often."
Hit me up.
communicate or let one know by calling, texting, emailing
etc… "Hit me up when you have finished the presentation."
Keep me in the loop/Keep me posted.
stay in touch, keep one informed of your whereabouts. "keep me
in the loop about your weekend plans."
Not for nothing.
to call attention to the next words out of the speaker's mouth,
usually followed by the word but… "Not for nothing but did you notice
the look on her face when you mentioned Patagonia?"
Ruffle feathers.
To irritate or annoy someone. "I like him but sometimes he can
really ruffle my feathers."
Sea legs.
The ability to keep your balance when walking on a moving ship
and not feel ill. This phrase is often used when describing mastering a
task or a job without feeling overwhelmed or uneasy. "It took me a
while to get my sea legs, but now I feel confident in my work."
Take the wind out of your sails.
to be disappointed. "It really took the wind out of my sails when I
found out I didn't get the promotion."
Two peas in a pod.
Very similar. "Tony and Angela are like two peas in a pod; I
always see them together."