I wonder if there ever exists a 'user-friendly' dictionary of idioms. The dictionaries mentioned above can help only if you know the key word or to explain the meaning of the idiom you don't know. What if you are looking for an idiom to use in some particular situation?
For example, I don't know/can't remember what idiom can be used instead of 'strong control' like in 'What he needs is strong control'. Unless I remember it is somehow connected with 'hand', I'll never find 'a firm hand'.
True, some dictionaries have idiom categories but they actually work the same way as the categories are linked with key words of the idioms but not of the meaning. Lucky I, if I remember/know/have the same idiom in L1 that doing something slowly is typical of a snail - searching the animal category I will eventually find 'at a snail's pace'. If all I want is to say how happy they are, I'll never come up with 'they are on the pig's back'.
Sort of feeling utterly desperate. Just wondering, how others could manage all this..
