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- Any port in a storm
- This means that in an emergency any solution will do, even one that would normally be unacceptable.
- Bolt from the blue
- If something happens unexpectedly and suddenly, it is a bolt from the blue.
- Brighten up the day
- If something brightens up your day, something happens that makes you feel positive and happy all day long.
- Calm before the storm
- A calm time immediately before period of violent activity or argument is the calm before the storm.
- Chase rainbows
- If someone chases rainbows, they try to do something that they will never achieve.
- Cloud nine
- If you are on cloud nine, you are extremely happy.
('cloud seven' is a less common alternative)
- Cloud of suspicion
- If a cloud of suspicion hangs over an individual, it means that they are not believed or are distrusted.
- Cloud on the horizon
- If you can see a problem ahead, you can call it a cloud on the horizon.
- Cold light of day
- If you see things in the cold light of day, you see them as they really are, not as you might want them to be.
- Colder than a witches tit
- If it is colder than a witches tit, it is extremely cold outside.
- Come rain or shine
- If I say I'll be at a place come rain or shine, I mean that I can be relied on to turn up; nothing, not even the vagaries of British weather, will deter me or stop me from being there.
- Doldrums
- If a person is in the doldrums, they are depressed.
If a project or something similar is in the doldrums, it isn't making any progress.
- Down in the doldrums
- If somebody's down in the doldrums, they are depressed and lacking energy.
- Dry spell
- If something or someone is having a dry spell, they aren't being as successful as they normally are.
- Every cloud has a silver lining
- People sometimes say that every cloud has a silver lining to comfort somebody who's having problems. They mean that it is always possible to get something positive out of a situation, no matter how unpleasant, difficult or even painful it might seem.
- Face like thunder
- If someone has a face like thunder, they are clearly very angry or upset about something.
- Fairweather friend
- A fairweather friend is the type who is always there when times are good but forgets about you when things get difficult or problems crop up.
- Get wind of
- If you get wind of something, you hear or learn about it, especially if it was meant to be secret.
- Greased lightning
- If something or someone moves like greased lightning, they move very fast indeed.
- Head is in the clouds
- If a person has their head in the clouds, they have unrealistic, impractical ideas.
- Hit rough weather
- If you hit rough weather, you experience difficulties or problems.
- In a fog
-
If you're in a fog, you are confused, dazed or unaware.
- Into each life some rain must fall
- This means that bad or unfortunate things will happen to everyone at some time.
- It never rains but it pours
- 'It never rains but it pours' means that when things go wrong, they go very wrong.
- Jack Frost
- If everything has frozen in winter, then Jack Frost has visited.
- Know which way the wind blows
-
This means that you should know how things are developing and be prepared for the future.
- Made in the shade
- One has an easy time in life or in a given situation. Finding things working to one's benefit.
- Quiet before the Storm
- When you know that something is about to go horribly wrong, but hasn't just yet, then you are in the quiet before the storm.
- Rain on your parade
-
If someone rains on your parade, they ruin your pleasure or your plans.
- Rainy day
- If you save something, especially money, for a rainy day, you save it for some possible problem or trouble in the future.
- Right as rain
- If things are right as rain, then everything is going well in your life.
- Sail close to the wind
- If you sail close to the wind, you take risks to do something, going close to the limit of what is allowed or acceptable.
- Seven sheets to the wind
- If someone is seven sheets to the wind, they are very drunk.
- Shoot the breeze
- When you shoot the breeze, you chat in a relaxed way.
- Silly season
- The silly season is midsummer when Parliament is closed and nothing much is happening that is newsworthy, which reduces the press to reporting trivial and stupid stories.
- Snow job
- (USA) A snow job is an attempt to persuade or deceive someone, especially when flattery is used.
- Steal someone's thunder
- If someone steals your thunder, they take the credit and praise for something you did.
- Stem the tide
- If people try to stem the tide, they are trying to stop something unpleasant from getting worse, usually when they don't succeed.
- Storm in a teacup
- If someone exaggerates a problem or makes a small problem seem far greater than it really is, then they are making a storm in a teacup.
- Take a raincheck
- If you take a rain check, you decline an offer now, suggesting you will accept it later.
('Raincheck' is also used.)
- Tempest in a teapot
- If people exaggerate the seriousness of a situation or problem, they are making a tempest in a teapot.
- Throw caution to the wind
- When people throw caution to the wind, they take a great risk.
- Twisting in the wind
- If you are twisting in the wind, you are without help or support - you are on your own.
- Under a cloud
- If someone is suspected of having done something wrong, they are under a cloud.
- Under the weather
- If you are feeling a bit ill, sad or lack energy, you are under the weather.
- Weather a storm
- If you weather a storm, you get through a crisis or hard times.
- When it rains, it pours
- This idiom means that when things go wrong, a lot of things go wrong at the same time.
- White as snow
- If something or someone is as white as snow, they are perfect or completely uncorrupted and honest.
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