Idiom Category: Plants & Flowers, Page 1

A rolling stone gathers no moss

People say this to mean that an ambitious person is more successful than a person not trying to achieve anything. Originally it meant the opposite and was critical of people trying to get ahead.

Barking up the wrong tree

If you are barking up the wrong tree, it means that you have completely misunderstood something or are totally wrong.

Beat about the bush

If someone doesn't say clearly what they mean and try to make it hard to understand, they are beating about (around) the bush.

Bouquet of orchids

Id someone deserves a bouquet of orchids, they have done something worthy of praise.

Broken reed

If something or someone fails to give you the support you were hoping for, they are a broken reed.

Can't see the forest for its trees

If someone can't see the forest for its trees, they are too focused on specific details to see the picture as a whole.

Clutch at straws

If someone is in serious trouble and tries anything to help them, even though their chances of success are probably nil, they are clutching at straws.

Come up roses

If things come up roses, they produce a positive result, especially when things seemed to be going badly at first.

Come up smelling of roses

(UK) If someone comes up smelling of roses, they emerge from a situation with their reputation undamaged.

Cut down the tall poppies

(AU) If people cut down the tall poppies, they criticise people who stand out from the crowd.

Demon weed

Tobacco is the demon weed.

Draw the shortest straw

If someone draws the shortest straw, they lose or are chosen to do something unpleasant.

Easy as falling off a log

Something very easy or simple to do is as easy as falling off a log.

Flowery speech

Flowery speech is full of lovely words, but may well lack substance.

Forest for the trees

(USA) If someone can't see the forest for the trees, they get so caught up in small details that they fail to understand the bigger picture.

Gild the lily

If you gild the lily, you decorate something that is already ornate.

Go to seed

If someone has gone to seed, they have declined in quality or appearance.

Grasp the nettle

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

Grass roots

This idioms is often used in politics, where it refers to the ordinary people or voters. It can be used to mean people at the bottom of a hierarchy.

Hit the hay

When you hit the hay, you go to bed.

In the tall cotton

A phrase that expresses good times or times of plenty and wealth as tall cotton means a good crop.

Jungle out there

If someone says that it is a jungle out there, they mean that the situation is dangerous and there are no rules.

Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined

Things, especially education, that affect and influence us in our childhood shape the kind of adult we turn out to be.  (There are various versions of this, like 'As the twig is bent, the tree's inclined' and 'As the twig is bent, so the tree inclines', 'As the twig is  bent so is the tree inclined')    

Kick something into the long grass

If an issue or problem is kicked into the long grass, it is pushed aside and hidden in the hope that it will be forgotten or ignored.

Knock on wood

This idiom is used to wish for good luck. ('Touch wood' is also used.)

Last straw

The last straw is the final problem that makes someone lose their temper or the problem that finally brought about the collapse of something. It comes from an Arabic story, where a camel was loaded with straw until a single straw placed on the rest of the load broke its back.

Late bloomer

When someone does not obtain success with their interests, talents, or personality until later in their lives, we say they are a late bloomer.

Lead someone up the garden path

If someone leads you up the garden path, they deceive you, or give you false information that causes you to waste your time. 'Lead someone down the garden path' is also used.

Let the grass grow round your feet

If you let the grass grow round your feet, you delay doing things instead of taking action.

Little strokes fell great oaks

Meaning: even though something may seem impossible, if you break it up into small parts and take one step at a time, you will succeed.

Lose your gourd

If someone has lost the gourd, they are out of the mind or have gone crazy- "gourd" is a melon-like plant that symbolizes a person's head. ("Out of your gourd" and "Off your gourd" are also used.)

Make hay

If you make hay, or may hay while the sun shines, you take advantage of an opportunity as soon as it arises and do not waste time.

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow

Big or great things start very small.

Muck or nettles

'Muck or nettles' means 'all or nothing'.

Needle in a haystack

If trying to find something is like looking for a needle in a haystack, it means that it is very difficult, if not impossible to find among everything around it.

Never a rose without the prick

This means that good things always have something bad as well; like the thorns on the stem of a rose.

Nip it in the bud

If you nip something in the bud, you deal with a problem when it is still small, before it can grow into something serious.

No bed of roses

If something isn't a bed of roses, it is difficult.

Old chestnut

An old chestnut is something that has been repeated so many times that it has lost its impact.

Olive branch

If you hold out or offer an olive branch, you make a gesture to indicate that you want peace.

Oops a daisy

An expression used to indicate surprise.

Out of the woods

If you are out of the woods, you have emerged safely from a dangerous situation, though the idiom is often used in the negative.

Primrose path

The primrose path is an easy and pleasurable lifestyle, but one that ends in unpleasantness and problems.

Pushing up the daisies

If someone is said to be pushing up the daisies, they are dead.

Put someone out to pasture

If someone is put out to pasture, they are forced to resign or give up some responsibilities.

Rough end of the stick

To get the rough end of the stick is to be treated unfairly or to come off worse than the other party in a transaction, situation or relationship.

Run around the bush

(USA) If you run around the bush, it means that you're taking a long time to get to the point.

Seed money

Seed money is money that is used to start a small business.

Short end of the stick

If someone gets the short end of the stick, they are unfairly treated or don't get what they deserve.

Shrinking violet

A shrinking violet is a shy person who doesn't express their views and opinions.

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