Idiom Category: Body and bodily functions, Page 9

Take by the scruff of the neck

If you take something by the scruff on the neck, you take complete control of it.

Take guts

If something takes guts, it requires courage in the face of danger or great risk. It takes guts for firemen to enter a burning building to save someone.

Take it on the chin

If you take something on the chin, something bad happens to you and you take it directly without fuss.

Take someone under your wing

If you take someone under your wing, you look after them while they are learning something.  

Talk a glass eye to sleep

Someone who could talk a glass eye to sleep is very boring and repetitive.

Talk out of the back of your head

If someone is talking out of the back of their head, they are talking rubbish.

Taste blood

If someone has tasted blood, they have achieved something and are encouraged to think that victory is within their grasp.

Tear your hair out

If someone is tearing their hair out, they are extremely worried or agitated about something.

Tears before bedtime

(UK) This idiom is used when something seems certain to go wrong or cause trouble.

Teething problems

(UK) The problems that a project has when it is starting are the teething problems.

Thick-skinned

If a person is thick-skinned, they are not affected by criticism.

Thin-skinned

If somebody is thin-skinned, they are very sensitive to any sort of criticism.

Through gritted teeth

If you do something through gritted teeth, you accept or agree with it against your will and it is obvious to others how you really feel.

Throw someone a bone

If you throw someone a bone, you give them a small reward or some kind words to make them feel good even if they've not really contributed much.

Thumb your nose at

If you thumb your nose at something, you reject it or scorn it.

Thumbs down & thumbs up

If something gets the thumbs up, it gets approval, while the thumbs down means disapproval.

Tongue in cheek

If something is tongue in cheek, it isn't serious or meant to be taken seriously.

Tongue-lashing

If you give someone a tongue-lashing, you scold them.

Tongue-tied

If someone is tongue-tied, they are speechless or cannot  say what they want, often through shyness or embarrassment.

Tread on someone's toes

If you tread on someone's toes, you upset them, especially if you do something that they should be in charge of.

Tug at the heartstrings

f something tugs at the heartstrings, it makes you feel sad or sympathetic towards it.

Turn a blind eye

When people turn a blind eye, they deliberately ignore something, especially if people are doing something wrong.

Turn a deaf ear

If someone turns a deaf ear to you, they don't listen to you.

Turn something on its head

If you turn something on its head, you turn it upside down or reverse it.

Turn the other cheek

If you turn the other cheek, you are humble and do not retaliate or get outwardly angry when someone offends or hurts you, in fact, you give them the opportunity to re-offend instead and compound their unpleasantness.

Turn your nose up

If someone turns their nose up at something, they reject it or look odwn on it because they don't think it is good enough for them.

Twinkling of an eye

If something happens in the twinkling of an eye, it happens very quickly.

Twist someone's arm

If you twist someone's arm, you put pressure on them to try to make them do what you want them to do.

Two left feet

A person with two left feet can't dance.

Under your nose

If something happens right in front of you, especially if it is surprising or audacious, it happens under your nose.

Under your skin

If someone gets under your skin, they really annoy you.

Under your thumb

Someone who is manipulated or controlled by another person is under his or her thumb.

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown

This means that people with serious responsibilities have a heavy burden.

Up to the eyes

You you are up to your eyes in something, you are deeply involved or to have too much of something like work. ('Up the neck', 'up to the eyeballs' and 'up to the ears' are also used.)

Up to the neck

If someone's in something up to the neck, they are very involved in it, especially when it's something wrong.

Up to your eyes

When you've got too much work to do, you're up to your eyes in it.

Up to your neck

If someone is very involved in something, they are up to their neck in it, especially if it is something bad or immoral.

Upper hand

If you have the upper hand, you have the advantage.

Vent your spleen

If someone vents their spleen, they release all their anger about something.

Vinegar tits

A mean spirited women lacking in love or compassion.

Voice in the wilderness

Someone who expresses an opinion that no one believes or listens to is a voice in the wilderness, especially if proved right later.

Volte-face

If you do a volte-face on something, you make a sudden and complete change in your stance or position over an issue.

Warm the cockles of your heart

If something warms the cockles of your heart, it makes you feel happy.

Warts and all

If you like someone warts and all, you like them with all their faults.

Wash your hands of something

If you wash your hands of something, you disassociate yourself and accept no responsibility for what will happen.

Waste of skin

If a person is referred to as a 'waste of skin', it means he is not worth very much.

Watch your back

If someone is after your job, or wants to harm you in any way, you need to "watch your back" to metaphorically see what is going on behind you

Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink

This is from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and is used to suggest that despite being surrounded by something, you cannot benefit from it.

Weak at the knees

If people go weak at the knees, they have a powerful emotional reaction to something and feel that they might fall over.

Wear your heart on your sleeve

Someone who wears their heart on their sleeve shows their emotions and feelings publicly.

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