Idiom Category: Body and bodily functions, Page 1

A fresh pair of eyes

A person who is brought in to examine something carefully is a fresh pair of eyes.

A still tongue keeps a wise head

Wise people don't talk much.

About face

If someone changes their mind completely, this is an about face. It can be used when companies, governments, etc, change their position on an issue.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

This idiom means that when people are apart, their love grows stronger.

After your own heart

A person after your own heart thinks the same way as you.

All ears

If someone says they're all ears, they are very interested in hearing about something.

All eyes on me

If all eyes are on someone, then everyone is paying attention to them.

All fingers and thumbs

If you're all fingers and thumbs, you are too excited or clumsy to do something properly that requires manual dexterity. 'All thumbs' is an alternative form of the idiom.

All heart

Someone who is all heart is very kind and generous.

All in your head

If something is all in your head, you have imagined it and it is not real.

All skin and bone

If a person is very underweight, they are all skin and bone, or bones.

Arm and a leg

If something costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive.

Armed to the teeth

If people are armed to the teeth, they have lots of weapons.

At arm's length

If something is at arm's length, it is a safe distance waway from you.

At each other's throats

If people are at each other's throats, they are fighting, arguing or competing ruthlessly.

At the top of my lungs

If you shout at the top of your lungs, you shout as loudly as you possibly can.

At the top of your lungs

If you shout at the top of your lungs, you shout as loudly as you possibly can.

At the top of your voice

If you talk, shout or sing at the top of your voice, you do it as loudly as you can.

Back foot

(UK) If you are on your back foot, you are at a disadvantage and forced to be defensive of your position.

Bad blood

If people feel hate because of things that happened in the past, there is bad blood between them.

Bad hair day

If you're having a bad hair day, things are not going the way you would like or had planned.

Bad mouth

(UK) When you are bad mouthing,you are saying negative things about someone or something.('Bad-mouth' and 'badmouth' are also used.)

Bad taste in your mouth

If something leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth, you feel there is something wrong or bad about it.

Bag of bones

If someone is a bag of bones, they are very underweight.

Bag of nerves

If someone is a bag of nerves, they are very worried or nervous.

Bare your heart

If you bare your heart to someone, you tell them your personal and private feelings. ('Bare your soul' is an alternative form of the idiom.)

Bat an eyelid

If someone doesn't bat an eyelid, they don't react or show any emotion when surprised, shocked, etc.

Bated breath

If someone says they're waiting with bated breath, they're very excited and find it difficult to be patient.('Baited breath' is a common mistake.)

Be all ears

If you are all ears, you are very eager to hear what someone has to say.

Beat your brains out

If you beat your brains out, you think hard about something but cannot solve, understand or remember it.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder means that different people will find different things beautiful and that the differences of opinion don't matter greatly.

Beauty is only skin deep

This idiom means that appearances can be deceptive and something that seems or looks good may turn out to be bad.

Bedroom eyes

Someone with bedroom eyes has a sexy look in their eyes.

Behind someone's back

If you do something behind someone's back, you do it without telling them.

Belly up

If things go belly up, they go badly wrong.

Better than a kick in the teeth

If something is better than a kick in the teeth, it isn't very good, but it is better than nothing.

Better than a stick in the eye

If something is better than a stick in the eye, it isn't very good, but it is better than nothing.

Big nose

If someone has a big nose, it means they are excessively interested in everyone else's business.

Bit between your teeth

If you take or have the bit between your teeth, you take or have control of a situation. (Bit = piece of metal in a horse's mouth)

Bite someone's head off

If you bite someone's head off, you criticise them angrily.

Bite your lip

If you have to bite your lip, you have to make a conscious effort not to react or to keep quiet about something that displeases you.

Bite your tongue

If you bite your tongue, you refrain from speaking because it is socially or otherwise better not to.

Bleed dry

If you bleed someone dry, you extract all their available money from them.

Bleeding edge

Similar to 'cutting edge' or 'leading edge', this implies a technology or process that is at the forefront or beyond current practices. However, because it is unproven, it is often dangerous to use (hence the 'bleeding').

Bleeding heart

A bleeding heart is a person who is excessively sympathetic towards other people.

Bless your pointy little head

This expression is used as to patronise someone, especially when they don't realise that they're not very clever.

Blind acceptance

If people accept thing blindly, they accept them without questioning them at all.

Blind leading the blind

When the blind are leading the blind, the people in charge of something don't know anything more than the people they are in charge of, when they should have greater knowledge.

Blink of an eye

If something happens in the blink of an eye, it happens so fast it is almost impossible to notice it.

Blood and thunder

An emotional speech or performance is full of blood and thunder.

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