Part 2

Selected Idioms by Categor y

I
n this part, selected idioms are organized into categories. The idioms
were chosen because they are commonly used and understood by na-
tive English speakers in the United States. These lists are not meant to be
complete; many more idioms could be added to these categories. In addition,
some of the idioms below could be put into more than one category. Teachers
might use these categories for organizing exercises or focusing discussions.
There are sample questions using these categories on pages 105-118.

People About People (Adjectives)

All wet
Descriptions of People (Nouns) Filthy rich
Apple of one’s eye First-rate
Big shot Footloose and fancy free
Big fish in a small pond Green around the gills
Big wheel Keyed up
Bigwig Knee-high to a grasshopper
Blue-blood Too big for one’s britches
Blue-collar worker Up to snuff
Bull in a china shop Upper crust
Chip off the old block Wet behind the ears
Eager beaver
Fish out of water Conversation
Good egg
Head honcho All kidding aside
Heavyweight Beat around the bush
Jack of all trades Bend someone’s ear
Lame duck Butt in
Low man on the totem pole Butter someone up
Old fuddy-duddy Clam up
Salt of the earth Clear the air
Stuffed shirt Clown around
White-collar worker Get a word in edgewise

103
 Gift of gab Pop the question
Give someone a ring Roll out the red carpet
Give someone a song and dance Seventh heaven, in
Heart to heart Sitting pretty
Hit the nail on the head Strike it rich
Hold one’s tongue Sweep someone off his/her feet
Lend someone an ear Through thick and thin
Make a long story short Tickle someone’s fancy
Make a mountain out of a molehill Tickled pink
On the tip of one’s tongue Tie the knot
Pass the buck Top of the line, the
Pick someone’s brain Upper crust
Pull rank With flying colors
Pull strings
Pull the rug out from under someone Anger/Being Upset
Pull the wool over someone’s eyes At the end of one’s rope
Put someone on the spot At loggerheads
Say a mouthful Ax to grind
See eye to eye Blow off steam
Shoot the breeze Boiling point
Spill the beans Chew someone out
Spring something on someone Fly off the handle
Stand one’s ground Get up on the wrong side of the bed
Stick one’s nose in Get someone’s dander/hackles up
Straight from the horse’s mouth Give someone a hard time
Stretch the truth Give someone a piece of one’s mind
String someone along Give someone a taste of his own medicine
Talk a blue streak Go bananas
Talk turkey Hopping mad
Turn a deaf ear Hot under the collar
Wing it Lose one’s cool
On the warpath
Put one’s foot down
Emotions/Feelings Put the squeeze/screws on/to
Speak one’s mind
Success and Happiness
Blue-blood
Ill Health
Blue ribbon
Black and blue
Carry a torch for someone
Blue
Charmed life, lead a
Burned out
Cream of the crop
Down and out
Dressed to kill
Fall off the wagon
Footloose and fancy-free
Go to pot
Go to town
Go to seed
Gravy train
Go to the dogs
Happy-go-lucky
Know if one is coming or going, not
Have/got it made
Look/feel like death warmed over
Head over heels in love
Off one’s rocker
In the chips/money
On one’s last legs
In the pink
Under the weather
Keep up with the Joneses
Lap of luxury, live in the Negative Situations
Life of Riley In a bind
Midas touch In a jam
On cloud nine In a rut
104
 In Dutch Pinch pennies
In hot water Put one’s money where one’s mouth is
In over one’s head Sales pitch
In the doghouse Save (something) for a rainy day
Sell like hotcakes
Time Strike it rich
Take someone to the cleaners
At the drop of a hat Tighten one’s belt
Burn the midnight oil Wait for one’s ship to come in
Days are numbered,
(someone’s/something’s) Job/Work
Down to the wire
Eleventh hour Back to the drawing board
From the word go Burn the candle at both ends
In the long run Get down to business
In the nick of time Keep one’s nose to the grindstone
Jump the gun Old-boy network
Mark time Pencil/paper pusher
On hold, put something Pink slip
On ice, put something Pull rank
Once in a blue moon Rank and file
Shake a leg
Slow/quick off the mark
Spur of the moment, on the
Step on it
Time on one’s hands, have some
Time to kill, have some
Under the wire
Until the cows come home

Money
Black market
Bottom line, the
Bring home the bacon
Buy (something) for a song
Cost (someone) a mint/an arm and a leg
Cut corners
Drop in the bucket
Dutch treat (Go Dutch)
Feather one’s nest
Feel the pinch
Flat broke
Go broke
Hit pay dirt
Hit the jackpot
In the black
In the chips/money
In the red
Make ends meet
Midas touch
Money to burn
Pay through the nose
Penny pincher
105