Idiom Category: Clothes, Page 2

Keep your shirt on!

This idiom is used to tell someone to calm down.

Keep your wig on!

(UK) This idiom is used to tell someone to calm down.

Kick up your heels

(USA) If you kick up your heels, you go to parties or celebrate something.

Kick your heels

(UK) If you have to kick your heels, you are forced to wait for the result or outcome of something.

Kid gloves

If someone is handled with kid gloves, they are given special treatment and handled with great care.

Knickers in a twist

When your knickers are in a twist, you are angry and snappish over something trivial. 'Whenever he loses his car keys, he gets his knickers in a twist.'

Knock into a cocked hat

If you knock something or someone into a cocked hat, you are much better.

Knock your socks off

If something knocks your socks off, it amazes and surprises you, usually in a positive way.

Laugh up your sleeve

If you laugh up your sleeve, you laugh at someone secretly.

Lay a glove on

If you lay a glove on someone, you strike a blow against them in an argument, dispute, etc.  (Mostly used in the negative)

Lick someone's boots

If you lick someone's boots, you behave in a very servile manner and try to please someone.

Lose your shirt

If someone loses their shirt, they lose all their money through a bad investment, gambling, etc.

Notch on your belt

A success or achievement that might help you in the future is a notch on your belt.

Off the cuff

If you do something off the cuff, you do it without any preparation.

Old hat

If something's old hat, it seems rather old fashioned and dated.

On pins and needles

If you are on pins and needles, you are very worried about something.

Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches

This means that it's hard to know how much someone else is suffering..

Out of pocket

If you are out of pocket on a deal, you have lost money.

Pass the hat

If you pass the hat, you ask a people  in a group to give money.

Pop your clogs

When someone pops their clogs, they die.

Pull up your socks

If you aren't satisfied with someone and want them to do better, you can tell them to pull up their socks.

Pull yourself up by your bootstraps

If you pull yourself up by your bootstraps, you make the effort to improve things for yourself.

Pull yourself up by your bootstraps

If you pull yourself up by your bootstraps, you improve your problem or situation by your own efforts, without anyone else's help.

Put a sock in it

If someone tells you to put a sock in it, they are telling you to shut up.

Put it on the cuff

If you put something on the cuff, you will take it now and pay for it later.

Put on your thinking cap

If you put on your thinking cap, you think very hard about something.

Put yourself in someone's shoes

If you put yourself in someone's shoes, you imagine what it is like to be in their position.

Roll up your sleeves

If you roll up your sleeves, you get ready to start working hard.

Shoe is on the other foot

If the shoe is on the other foot, someone is experiencing what they used to make others experience, normally negative things.

Shoestring

If you do something on a shoestring, you try to spend the absolute minimum amount of money possible on it.

Show someone a clean pair of heels

If you show someone a clean pair of heels, you run faster than them when they are chasing you.

Smarty pants

A smarty pants is someone who displays the intelligence in an annoying way.

Take to your heels

If you take to your heels, you run away.

Take your hat off

If you say that you take your hat off to someone, you are showing your respect or admiration.

Take your hat off to somebody

If you take your hat off to someone, you acknowledge that they have done something exceptional or otherwise deserve your respect.

Talk out of your hat

If someone is talking out of their hat, they're talking utter rubbish, especially if compounded with total ignorance of the subject on which they are pontificating. ('Talk through your hat' is also used.)

Throw down the gauntlet

Throw down the gauntlet is to issue a challenge to somebody.

Throw your hat in the ring

If someone throws their hat in the ring, they announce that they want to take part in a competition or contest. 'Toss your hat in the ring' is an alternative.

Tighten your belt

If you have to tighten your belt, you have to economise.

Too big for your boots

If someone is too big for their boots, they are conceited and have an exaggerated sense of their own importance.

Too big for your britches

If someone is too big for their britches, they are conceited and have an exaggerated sense of their own importance.

Tough as old boots

Something or someone that is as tough as old boots is strong and resilient.

Trail your coat

If you trail your coat, you act in a provocative way.

Under someone's heel

If you are under someone's heel, they have complete control over you.

Under your belt

If you have something under your belt, you have already achieved or experienced it and it will probably be of benefit to you in the future.

Velvet glove

This idiom is used to describe a person who appears gentle, but is determined and inflexible underneath. ('Iron fist in a velvet glove' is the full form.)

Walk a mile in my shoes

This idiom means that you should try to understand someone before criticising them.

Wear many hats

If someone wears many hats, they have different roles or tasks to perform.

Wear sackcloth and ashes

If someone displays their grief or contrition publicly, they wear sackcloth and ashes.

Wear the trousers

The person who  wears the trousers is the dominant or controlling person in a relationship, especially the woman.

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