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- Achilles' heel
- A person's weak spot is their Achilles' heel.
- Adam's apple
- The Adam's apple is a bulge in the throat, mostly seen in men.
- Any Tom, Dick or Harry
- If something could be done by any Tom, Dick or Harry, it could be done by absolutely anyone.
- Barkus is willing
- This idiom means that someone is willing to get married.
- Before you can say Jack Robinson
- The term Jack Robinson represents 'a short amount of time'. When you do something before you can say Jack Robinson, you do it very quickly.
- Benjamin of the family
- The Benjamin of the family is the youngest child.
- Buggles' turn
- (UK)
If it Buggles' turn, someone gets promotion through length of service rather than ability, especially in the British civil service.
- Davey Jones' locker
- Davey Jones' locker is the bottom of the sea or resting place of drowned sailors.
('Davy Jones' locker' is an alternative spelling.)
- Do a Lord Lucan
- (UK)
If someone disappears without a trace or runs off, they do a Lord Lucan. (Lord Lucan disappeared after a murder)
- Even Stevens
- If everything is equal between people, they are even Stevens.
- Every Tom, Dick and Harry
- If every Tom, Dick and Harry knows about something, then it is common knowledge.
- For Pete's sake
- This is used as an exclamation to show exasperation or irritation.
- For the love of Pete
- Usually used in exasperation, as in 'Oh, for the love of Pete!'
- Freudian Slip
- If someone makes a Freudian slip, they accidentally use the wrong word, but in doing so reveal what they are really thinking rather than what they think the other person wants to hear.
- Great Scott
- An exclamation of surprise.
- Hobson's choice
- A Hobson's choice is something that appears to be a free choice, but is really no choice as there is no genuine alternative.
- Home, James
- (UK) This is a cliched way of telling the driver of a vehicle to start driving. It is supposed to be an order to a chauffeur (a privately employed driver). The full phrase is 'Home, James, and don't spare the horses'.
- In like Flynn
- Refers to Errol Flynn's popularity with women in the 40's. His ability to attract women was well known throughout the world. ('In like flint' is also used.)
- Is Saul also among the prophets?
- It's a biblical idiom used when somebody known for something bad appears all of a sudden to be doing something very good.
- Jack-of-all-trades
- A jack-of-all-trades is someone that can do many different jobs.
- Jane Doe
- Jane Doe is a name given to an unidentified female who may be party to legal proceedings, or to an unidentified person in hospital, or dead.
John Doe is the male equivalent.
- Jekyll and Hyde
- Someone who has a Jekyll and Hyde personality has a pleasant and a very unpleasant side to the character.
- Job's comforter
- Someone who says they want to comfort, but actually discomforts people is a Job's comforter.
(Job's is pronounced 'jobes', not 'jobs')
- John Doe
- John Doe is a name given to an unidentified male who may be party to legal proceedings, or to an unidentified person in hospital, or dead. Jane Doe is the female equivalent.
- John Q Public
- (USA) John Q Public is the typical, average person.
- Johnny on the spot
- A person who is always available; ready, willing, and able to do what needs to be done.
('Johnny-on-the-spot' is also used.)
- Jumping Judas!
-
An expression of surprise or shock.
- Mickey Mouse
- If something is Mickey Mouse, it is intellectually trivial or not of a very high standard.
- Midas touch
- If someone has the Midas touch, they make a lot of money out of any scheme they try.
- Painted Jezebel
- A painted Jezebel is a scheming woman.
- Pandora's box
- If you open a Pandora's box, something you do causes all sorts of trouble that you hadn't anticipated.
- Patience of Job
- If something requires the patience of Job, it requires great patience.
- Peeping Tom
- A peeping Tom is someone who tries to look through other people's windows without being seen in order to spy on people in their homes.
- Raise Cain
- (USA) If someone raises Cain, they make a big fuss publicly, causing a disturbance.
- Real McCoy
- Something that's the real McCoy is the genuine article, not a fake.
- Rich as Croesus
- Someone who is as rich as Croesus is very wealthy indeed.
- Rip van Winkle
- Rip van Winkle is a character in a story who slept for twenty years, so if someone is a Rip van Winkle, they are behind the times and out of touch with what's happening now.
- Smart Alec
- A smart Alec is a conceited person who likes to show off how clever and knowledgeable they are.
- Uncle Sam
- (USA) Uncle Sam is the government of the USA.
- Vicar of Bray
- (UK) A person who changes their beliefs and principles to stay popular with people above them is a Vicar of Bray
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