Idiom Category: General, Page 22

There goes the neighbourhood

This is an exclamation after a negative change affects someone's neighbourhood, such as someone undesireable moving in.

There's no "I" in "Team"

Individual achievement is not superior to the good/results of the team.

There's no accounting for taste

You cannot explain people's preferences and likes or dislikes.

There's the rub

The meaning of this idiom is 'that's the problem'.

Thick and fast

If things are happening thick and fast, they are happening so fast they seemed to be joined together.

Thin as a rake

A rake is a garden tool with a long, thin, wooden handle, so someone very thin is thin as a rake.

Thin end of the wedge

The thin end of the wedge is something small and seemingly unimportant that will lead to something much bigger and more serious.

Thin line

If there's a thin line between things, it's hard to distinguish them- there's a thin line between love and hate.

Think outside the box

If you think outside the box, you think in an imaginative and creative way.

Think the world of

To hold something or someone in very high esteem. To love or admire immensely.

Third rail

The third rail of something is dangerous to alter or change. Originally, the third rail is the one carrying the electricity for a train.

Thrilled to bits

If you are thrilled to bits, you are extremely pleased or excited about something.

Through thick and thin

If someone supports you through thick and thin, they support you during good times and bad.

Throw a sickie

If you pretend to be ill to take a day off work or school, you throw a sickie.

Throw a spanner in the works

(UK) If you throw a spanner in the works, you cause a problem that stops or slows progress on something that was going well.

Throw someone a line

If someone throws you a line, they give you help when you are in serious difficulties.

Throw someone in at the deep end

If you are thrown in at the deep end, you have to deal with serious issues the moment you start something like a job, instead of having time to acquire experience.

Throw the book at someone

If you throw the book at someone, you punish them as severely as possible.

Throw your toys out of the pram

To make an angry protest against a relatively minor problem, in the process embarrassing the protester. The analogy is with a baby who throws toys out of the pram in order to get their parent to pay attention to them. The implication in the idiom is that the protester is acting like a baby.

Throw your weight around

If someone throws their weight around, they use their authority or force of personality to get what they want in the face of opposition.

Tick all the right boxes

To meet or fit the criteria or expectations. For example, "This product ticked all the right boxes for me", or "That applicant's interview didn't go so well; it didn't tick any of my boxes".

Tickle your fancy

If something tickles your fancy, it appeals to you and you want to try it or have it.

Tie the knot

When people tie the knot, they get married.

Tight rein

If things or people are kept on a tight rein, they are given very little freedom or controlled carefully.

Till the pips squeak

If someone will do something till the pips squeak, they will do it to the limit, even though it will make other people suffer.

Tilt at windmills

A person who tilts at windmills, tries to do things that will never work in practice.

Tipping point

Small changes may have little effect until they build up to critical mass, then the next small change may suddenly change everything. this is the tipping point.

Tit for tat

If someone responds to an insult by being rude back, it's tit for tat- repaying something negative the same way.

To a fault

If something does something to a fault, they do it excessively. So someone who is generous to a fault is too generous.

To a T

If something is done to a T, it is done perfectly.

To all intents and purposes

This means in all the most important ways.

To little avail

If something is to little avail, it means that, despite great efforts, something ended in failure, but taking comfort from the knowledge that nothing else could have been done to avert or avoid the result.

Too many irons in the fire

This means juggling too many projects at once and something's bound to fail; when a smith had too many irons in his fire, he couldn't effectively keep track of all of them.

Top notch

If something is top notch, it's excellent, of the highest quality or standard.

Toss-up

A result that is still unclear and can go either way is a toss-up.

Touch and go

If something is touch and go, the result is uncertain and could be good or bad.

Touch base

If you touch base with someone, you contact them.

Touch-and-go

If something is touch-and-go, it is very uncertain; if someone is ill and may well die, then it is touch-and-go.

Tough luck

Tough luck is bad luck.

Tough row to hoe

(USA) A tough row to hoe is a situation that is difficult to handle. ('A hard row to hoe' is an alternative form.)

Trade barbs

If people trade barbs, they insult or attack each other.

Tread water

If someone is treading water, they are making no progress.

Tried and tested

If a method has been tried and tested, it is known to work or be effective because it has been successfully used long enough to be trusted.

Trump card

A trump card is a resource or strategy that is held back for use at a crucial time when it will beat rivals or opponents.

Truth will out

Truth will out means that, given time, the facts of a case will emerge no matter how people might try to conceal them.

Turn the corner

To get over a bad run. When a loss making venture ceases to make losses, it has "turned the corner".

Turn the crack

(Scot) If you turn the crack, you change the subject of a conversation.

Turn the tables

If circumstances change completely, giving an advantage to those who seemed to be losing, the tables are turned.

Turn-up for the books

A turn-up for the books is an unexpected or surprising event.

Twenty-four seven

Twenty-four seven or 24/7 means all the time, coming from 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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