Idioms - International List

English


idiom: kid's stuff
meaning: a very easy task
usage: climbing that hill is kid's stuff
name: farnaz

idiom: grin from ear to ear
meaning: to smile broadly, to look very pleased or happy
usage: The coach of the football team was grinning from ear to ear when they won the cup.
name: Arne

idiom: It takes two to tango
meaning: It takes a person and a person to communicate. Not one to talk by himself.
usage: It's a committed relationship when it takes two to tango.
name: Lindsey Mayo

idiom: Six of one, half dozen of another.
meaning: When referring to the both of two options, it means that they are roughly equal, or that they both have good points and bad points.
usage:
A: Should we start with the square boxes or the rectangular boxes?
B: Six of one, half dozen of another. It makes no difference.
name: Guest

idiom: To Throw Caution to The Wind
meaning: Do Not Care or Think About the Consequences of One's Actions
usage: She threw caution to the wind for she didn't study for the exam

idiom: peaches and cream
meaning: easy going, the good life, very nice
usage: This idiom is often used in a negative sentence, as in, "It's not all peaches and cream," or, "It's not always peaches and cream." name: Dan

idiom: saw logs
meaning: to snore loudly
usage: The old man was sawing logs.

idiom: play it by ear
meaning: To go with the flow, just let things happen, to figure it out when it happens.
usage:
A: So what do you want to do tonight?
B: We'll just play it by ear.
name: Jamie

idiom: won't be caught dead with that/doing that
meaning: never will do that
usage: That girl is so ugly I wouldn't be caught dead with her.
name: Isaiah

idiom: to put something on the back burner
meaning: to forget about a problem for a little while or to make something your second priority
usage: I put the party on the back burner because I had homework.
name: Amanda

idiom: to knock off
meaning: to quit working for the day
usage: I'm going to knock off early today.


idiom: To "Get Around"
meaning: One who practices anti-abstinence with an extreme amount of people.
usage: I suggest you be cautious and use a form of provalactics when you have intercourse with people who get around.


example: Two wrongs don't make a right.
meaning: Doing something to correct a wrong when the act you are doing would normally be considered wrong does not make sense.

idiom: Takes one to know one.
meaning: If you criticize someone, you most likely are the same type of person.
usage:
A: Your a dummy.
B: It takes one to know one!

idiom: To hang loose
meaning: To relax, to wait without anxiety, to take it easy in general.
usage: I got anxious waiting for her to call back, but I decided to just hang loose.

idiom: To get someone's drift.
meaning: To understand what someone is saying.
usage: example 1:
A: Do you understand what I'm saying?
B: Yes. I get your drift.
Example 2:
A: Do you understand what I mean?
B: No, I'm sorry. I don't get your drift.
name: Dan

idiom: To screw up.
meaning: To make a mistake.
usage: I really screwed up.

idiom: To have egg on your face.
meaning: To feel embarrassed about something you have done.
usage: Oh no! I screwed up. I sure have egg on my face.

idiom: To bite the big one
meaning: to make a major mistake
usage: Sally really knows how to bite the big one.

idiom: to space-out, to feel spaced-out
meaning: To forget something, to be absent minded, to daydream
usage: 1) I couldn't sleep last night so I feel spaced out. 2) Sorry, what did you say? I just spaced out. 3) I'm feeling spacey today.

idiom: hell if you do hell if you don't
meaning: Its's wrong if you do - it's wrong if you don't
usage: Hell if you do hell if you don't. Your in trouble.
name: Andrew Alberdi

idiom: To bite one's tongue
meaning: To refrain from saying something that you want to say.
usage: I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling him how goofy his tie looked.

idiom: To have a cow
meaning: To get really angry.
usage: Hey! Don't have a cow! I'm just telling you how I feel.

idiom: to show one's teeth
meaning: to turn negative towards somebody or something, to show resistance or even anger
usage: He shows his teeth only if his property is in danger.
name: Lera

idiom: to be blown away
meaning: to be very impressed or surprised
usage: I was blown away by the concert. OR This CD will blow you away.

idiom: "big boned"
meaning: To be fat or obese
usage: She's not fat, she's just big boned
name: Jenny Damon

idiom: catch a ride
meaning: Get someone to drive you somewhere
usage: Hey man, can I catch a ride to the train station?
name: Shawn

idiom: to clean up
meaning: To make a lot of money in a specific period of time.
usage: I really cleaned up playing black jack last night.

idiom: a knee-jerk reaction
meaning: To react to something in a habitual way without reflection.
usage: Getting angry when someone cuts you off in traffic is a knee-jerk reaction.

idiom: get your ass in gear
meaning: to hurry up; move faster
usage: If you don't want to be late, you'd better 'get your ass in gear'!
name: JCA

idiom: hang out
meaning: To casually pass time at a certain place.
usage: Let's go to the bowling alley and hang out

idiom: to knock off
meaning: To stop working.
usage: I'm going to knock off at 3:00.

idiom: to get around to something
meaning: to find the time to do something
usage: I'll cut the grass when I get around to it.

idiom: to get off on something
meaning: to really get excited or stimulated by or interested in something
usage: I really got off on that movie. // I get off on seeing a falling star.

idiom: to pull "your own weight "
meaning: to prove your self
name: Jenny Damon

idiom: sawing wood
meaning: snoring loudly
usage: He was really sawing wood last night!!!
name: Angela

slang: Up Shit Creek Without a Paddle
meaning: In a great deal of trouble with no hope of avoiding it
usage: If they catch you working without a Green Card, you'll be up shit creek without a paddle!
name: JCA

idiom: under the weather
meaning: not feeling well
usage: Mr. Bill was feeling under the weather.
name: Hao Shang Wen (Shawn)

Danish

idiom: to step on somebody's toes
meaning: to mistreat or harass somebody
usage: I use to fight back every time somebody steps on my toes
language: Danish
name: Lera