Idiom Category: Body and bodily functions, Page 2

Blood from a turnip

It is impossible to get something from someone if they don't have it, just as you cannot get blood from a turnip.

Blood is thicker than water

This idiom means that family relationships are stronger than others.

Blood is worth bottling

(AU) If an Australian says to you "Your blood is worth bottling", he/she is complimenting or praising you for doing something or being someone very special.

Blood out of a stone

If something is like getting blood out of a stone, it is very difficult indeed.

Blood, sweat and tears

If something will take blood, sweat and tears, it will be very difficult and will require a lot of effort and sacrifice.

Blow your mind

Something that will blow your mind is something extraordinary that will amaze you beyond explanation.

Blue blood

Someone with blue blood is royalty.

Bone of contention

If there is an issue that always causes tension and arguments, it is a bone of contention.

Bone to pick

If you have a bone to pick with someone, you are annoyed about something they have done and want to tell them how you feel.

Born with a silver spoon in your mouth

If you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you are born into a rich family.

Brain drain

When organisations or countries can pay higher salaries to attract talented people from poorer countries, there's a brain drain, a loss of talent.

Brain surgery

If something is not brain surgery, it isn't very complicated or difficult to understand or master.

Brass neck

(UK) Someone who has the brass neck to do something has no sense of shame about what they do.

Break a leg

This idiom is a way of wishing someone good luck.

Break your heart

If someone upsets you greatly, they break your heart, especially if they end a relationship.

Breathe down your neck

If someone follows you or examines what you're doing very closely, they are breathing down your neck.

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

If someone's bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, they are full of energy and enthusiasm.

Bring someone to heel

If you bring someone to heel, you make them obey you.('Call someone to heel' is also used.) 

Brown nose

When someone tries to make themselves popular with somebody, usually in a position of authority, especially by flattering them, they are brown nosing.

Bums on seats

The people who have paid to watch a performance are bums on seats.

Bundle of nerves

Someone who is a bundle of nerves is very worried or nervous.

Burn your fingers

If you burn your fingers, you suffer a loss or something unpleasant as the result of something you did, making you less likely to do it again.

Bury your head in the sand

If someone buries their head in the sand, they ignore something that is obviously wrong.

Bust my chops

When someone says that they're not going to bust their chops, it means they are not going to work that hard or make much effort.

Butt naked

If someone is butt naked, they have no clothes on at all, often when they can be seen.

Butterfingers

Someone who has butterfingers is clumsy and drops things.

Button your lip

If you button your lip, you keep quiet and don't speak. It is also used as a way of telling someone to shut up.

By a hair's breadth

If a person escapes from some danger by a hair's breadth, they only just managed to avoid it. The breadth is the thickness of a hair, so they probably feel somewhat lucky because the margin between success and what could easily have been failure was so close.

By heart

If you learn something by heart, you learn it word for word.

By the skin of your teeth

If you do something by the skin of your teeth, you only just manage to do it and come very near indeed to failing.

By word of mouth

If something becomes known by word of mouth, it gets known by being talked about rather than through publicity or advertising, etc.

Cast iron stomach

A person with a cast iron stomach can eat or drink anything without any ill effects.

Change of heart

If you change the way you think or feel about something, you have a change of heart.

Chaps my ass

When something/someone really annoys you, it chaps your ass.

Chase your tail

If you are chasing your tail, you are very busy but not being very productive.

Cheek by jowl

If things or people are cheek by jowl, they are very close together.

Chew on a bone

If someone is chewing on a bone, he or she is thinking about something intently.

Chip on your shoulder

If someone has a chip on their shoulder, they are resentful about something and feel that they have been treated badly.

Chomping at the bit

If you are chomping at the bit, you are eager to start on a task immediately.

Clean hands

Someone with clean hands, or who keeps their hands clean, is not involved in illegal or immoral activities.

Close at hand

If something is close at hand, it is nearby or conveniently located.

Close lipped

A person who is reluctant to talk about a specific subject is close lipped.

Close shave

If you have a close shave, you very nearly have a serious accident or get into trouble.

Close to your heart

If something is close to your heart, you care a lot about it. ('Dear to your heart' is an alternative.)

Cloth ears

If you don't listen to people, they may suggest you have cloth ears.

Cold feet

If you get cold feet about something, you lose the courage to do it.

Cold shoulder

If you give or show someone the cold shoulder, you are deliberately unfriendly and unco-operative towards them.

Cold sweat

If something brings you out in a cold sweat, it frightens you a lot.

Come on the heels of

If something comes on the heels of something, it follows very soon after it.

Come to heel

If someone comes to heel, they stop behaving in a way that is annoying to someone in authority and start being obedient.

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