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British English Idioms

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Across the pond: This idiom means on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, used to refer to the US or the UK depending on the speaker's location.
All mouth and trousers: Someone who's all mouth and trousers talks or boasts a lot but doesn't deliver. 'All mouth and no trousers' is also used, though this is a corruption of the original.
All my eye and Peggy Martin: An idiom that appears to have gone out of use but was prevalent in the English north Midlands of Staffordshire, Cheshire and Derbyshire from at least the turn of the 20th century until the early 1950s or so. The idiom's meaning is literally something said or written that is unbelievable, rumor, over embellished, the result of malicious village gossip etc.
All talk and no trousers: Someone who is all talk and no trousers, talks about doing big, important things, but doesn't take any action.
An Englishman's home is his castle: This means that what happens in a person's home or private life is their business and should not be subject to outside interference.
Argue the toss: If you argue the toss, you refuse to accept a decision and argue about it.
As the actress said to the bishop: This idiom is used to highlight a sexual reference, deliberate or accidental.
At a loose end: If you are at a loose end, you have spare time but don't know what to do with it.
At the end of your tether: If you are at the end of your tether, you are at the limit of your patience or endurance.
Back foot: If you are on your back foot, you are at a disadvantage and forced to be defensive of your position.
Bad mouth: When you are bad mouthing,you are saying negative things about someone or something.('Bad-mouth' and 'badmouth' are also used.)
Banana skin: A banana skin is something that is an embarrassment or causes problems.
Barrack-room lawyer: A barrack-room lawyer is a person who gives opinions on things they are not qualified to speak about.
Be up the spout: If a woman is up the spout, she is pregnant.
Been in the wars: If someone has been in the wars, they have been hurt or look as if they have been in a struggle.
Beer and skittles: People say that life is not all beer and skittles, meaning that it is not about self-indulgence and pleasure.
Before you can say knife: If something happens before you can say knife, it happens very quickly.
Belt and braces: Someone who wears belt and braces is very cautious and takes no risks.
Bent as a nine bob note: A person who is as bent as a nine bob note is dishonest. The reference comes from pre-decimalisation in UK (1971), when a ten shilling (bob) note was valid currency but no such note as nine shillings existed.
Billy Wind: If the wind is so strong it is howling, one might say, "Wow- can you hear Billy Wind out there?" like Jack Frost.
Black as Newgate's knocker: If things are as black as Newgate's knocker, they are very bad. Newgate was an infamous prison in England, so its door knocker meant trouble.
Bob's your uncle: This idiom means that something will be successful: Just tell him that I gave you his name and Bob's your uncle- he'll help you.
Box clever: If you box clever, you use your intelligence to get what you want, even if you have to cheat a bit.
Brass neck: Someone who has the brass neck to do something has no sense of shame about what they do.
Break your duck: If you break your duck, you do something for the first time.
Buggles' turn: If it Buggles' turn, someone gets promotion through length of service rather than ability, especially in the British civil service.
By a long chalk: If you beat somebody by a long chalk, you win easily and comfortably.
Call time: If you call time on something, you decide it is time to end it.
Canary in a coal mine: A canary in a coal mine is an early warning of danger.
Cat's arse and cabbage: The idiom "cat fur and kitty britches" reminded me of this saying that my granny used when asked what was for dinner, and was her way too of saying you get what you're given! This was in Gloucestershire, UK and in the first part of the 20th century.
Champagne tastes, beer wages: A person who likes expensive things but has a low income has champagne taste and beer wages.
Cheap as chips: If something is very inexpensive, it is as cheap as chips.
Chinese whispers: When a story is told from person to person, especially if it is gossip or scandal, it inevitably gets distorted and exaggerated. This process is called Chinese whispers.
Coals to Newcastle: Taking, bringing, or carrying coals to Newcastle is doing something that is completely unnecessary.
Come a cropper: Someone whose actions or lifestyle will inevitably result in trouble is going to come a cropper.
Come up smelling of roses: If someone comes up smelling of roses, they emerge from a situation with their reputation undamaged.
Cupboard love: To show love to gain something from someone
Curate's egg: If something is a bit of a curate's egg, it is only good in parts.
Daft as a brush: Someone who is daft as a brush is rather stupid.
Damp squib: If something is expected to have a great effect or impact but doesn't, it is a damp squib.
Death warmed up: If someone looks like death warmed up, they look very ill indeed. ('death warmed over' is the American form)
Do a Devon Loch: If someone does a Devon Loch, they fail when they were very close to winning. Devon Loch was a horse that collapsed just short of the winning line of the Grand National race.
Do a Lord Lucan: If someone disappears without a trace or runs off, they do a Lord Lucan. (Lord Lucan disappeared after a murder)
Do a runner: If people leave a restaurant without paying, they do a runner.
Do the running: The person who has to do the running has to make sure that things get done. ('Make the running' is also used.)
Do time: When someone is doing time, they are in prison.
Dog in the manger: If someone acts like a dog in the manger, they don't want other people to have or enjoy things that are useless to them.
Don't wash your dirty laundry in public: People, especially couples, who argue in front of others or involve others in their personal problems and crises, are said to be washing their dirty laundry in public; making public things that are best left private. (In American English, 'don't air your dirty laundry in public' is used.)
Double Dutch: If something is double Dutch, it is completely incomprehensible.
Drunk as a lord: Someone who is very drunk is as drunk as a lord.
Dull as ditchwater: If something is as dull as ditchwater, it is incredibly boring. A ditch is a long narrow hole or trench dug to contain water, which is normally a dark, dirty colour and stagnant (when water turns a funny colour and starts to smell bad). (In American English,'things are 'dull as dishwater'.)
Dunkirk spirit: Dunkirk spirit is when people pull together to get through a very difficult time.
Early bath: If someone has or goes for an early bath, they quit or lose their job or position earlier than expected because things have gone wrong.
Easy peasy: If something is easy peasy, it is very easy indeed. ('Easy peasy, lemon squeezy' is also used.)
Economical with the truth: If someone, especially a politician, is economical with the truth, they leave out information in order to create a false picture of a situation, without actually lying.
Enough to cobble dogs with: A large surplus of anything: We've got enough coffee to cobble dogs with. Possible explanations: A cobblestone is a cut stone with a curved surface. These were set together to create road surfaces, in the days before the widespread use of asphalt. The image the phrase contains is that, even after all the roads have been cobbled, there are so many cobblestones left over that things that don’t need cobbling – such as dogs – could still be cobbled. A cobbler repairs shoes, so if you have enough leather to cobble an animal with four feet or that doesn't need shoes, you have a surplus.
Fair crack of the whip: If everybody has a fair crack of the whip, they all have equal opportunities to do something.
Fall off the back of a lorry: If someone tries to sell you something that has fallen of the back of a lorry, they are trying to sell you stolen goods.
Fifth columnist: A fifth columnist is a member of a subversive organisation who tries to help an enemy invade.
Fine and dandy: If thing's are fine and dandy, then everything is going well.
Flogging a dead horse: If someone is trying to convince people to do or feel something without any hope of succeeding, they're flogging a dead horse. This is used when someone is trying to raise interest in an issue that no-one supports anymore; beating a dead horse will not make it do any more work.
Flutter the dovecotes: Something that flutters the dovecots causes alarm or excitement.
Football's a game of two halves: If something's a game of two halves, it means that it's possible for someone's fortunes or luck to change and the person who's winning could end up a loser.
For donkey's years: If people have done something, usually without much if any change, for an awfully long time, they can be said to have done it for donkey's years.
For England: A person who talks for England, talks a lot- if you do something for England, you do it a lot or to the limit.
Full Monty: If something is the Full Monty, it is the real thing, not reduced in any way.
Gardening leave: If someone is paid for a period when they are not working, either after they have given in their notice or when they are being investigated, they are on gardening leave.
Get it in the neck: If you get it in the neck, you are punished or criticised for something.
Get out of your pram: If someone gets out of their pram, they respond aggressively to an argument or problem that doesn't involve them.
Get the nod: If you get the nod to something, you get approval or permission to do it.
Give it some stick: If you give something some stick, you put a lot of effort into it.
Give someone stick: If someone gives you stick, they criticise you or punish you.
Give the nod: If you give the nod to something, you approve it or give permission to do it.
Go down like a cup of cold sick: An idea or excuse that will not be well accepted will go down like a cup of cold sick.
Go down like a lead balloon: If something goes down like a lead balloon, it fails or is extremely badly received.
Go pear-shaped: If things have gone wrong, they have gone pear-shaped.
Go spare: If you go spare, you lose your temper completely.
Gone for a burton: If something's gone for a burton, it has been spoiled or ruined. If a person has gone for a burton, they are either in serious trouble or have died.
Gone pear-shaped: If things have gone pear-shaped they have either gone wrong or produced an unexpected and unwanted result.
Grasp the nettle: If you grasp the nettle, you deal bravely with a problem.
Greasy pole: The greasy pole is the difficult route to the top of politics, business, etc.
Green fingers: Someone with green fingers has a talent for gardening.
Grey pound: In the UK, the grey pound is an idiom for the economic power of elderly people.
Hairy at the heel: Someone who is hairy at the heel is dangerous or untrustworthy.
Hard cheese: Hard cheese means hard luck.
Have a riot: If you have a riot, you enjoy yourself and have a good time.
Have your collar felt: If someone has their collar felt, they are arrested.
Hear something on the jungle telegraph: If you hear something on the jungle telegraph, you pick up some information or informal gossip from someone who shares some common interest. ('Bush telegraph' is also used.)
Heath Robinson: If a machine or system is described as Heath Robinson, it is very complicated, but not practical or effective, named after a cartoonist who drew very complicated machines that performed simple tasks.
Hold the baby: If someone is responsible for something, they are holding the baby.
Hold your hands up: If you hold your hands up, you accept responsibility for something you have done wrong.
Home, James: 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'.
I should cocoa: This idiom comes from 'I should think so', but is normally used sarcastically to mean the opposite.
If you'll pardon my French: This idiom is used as a way of apologising for swearing.
In a tick: If someone will do something in a tick, they'll do it very soon or very quickly.
In rude health: If someone's in rude health, they are very healthy and look it.
In spades: If you have something in spades, you have a lot of it.
In the clink: If someone is in the clink, they are in prison.
In the club: If a woman's in the club, she's pregnant. 'In the pudding club' is an alternative form.
It's as broad as it is long: Used to express that it is impossible to decide between two options because they're equal.
Jam tomorrow: This idiom is used when people promise good things for the future that will never come.
Jersey justice: Jersey justice is very severe justice.
Keen as mustard: If someone is very enthusiastic, they are as keen as mustard.
Keep your chin up: This expression is used to tell someone to have confidence.
Keep your wig on!: This idiom is used to tell someone to calm down.
Kick your heels: If you have to kick your heels, you are forced to wait for the result or outcome of something.
Kitchen-sink: Kitchen-sink drama deals with ordinary people's lives.
Laugh to see a pudding crawl: Someone who would laugh to see a pudding crawl is easily amused and will laugh at anything.
Like a bear with a sore head: If someone's like a bear with a sore head, they complain a lot and are unhappy about something.
Like giving a donkey strawberries: If something is like giving a donkey strawberries, people fail to appreciate its value.
Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves: If you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves, meaning that if someone takes care not to waste small amounts of money, they will accumulate capital. ('Look after the pence and the pounds will look after themselves' is an alternative form of this idiom.)
Lose your bottle: If someone loses their bottle, they lose the courage to do something.
Lose your lunch: If you lose your lunch, you vomit.
Make a good fist: If you make a good fist of something, you do it well.
Make a song and dance: If someone makes a song and dance, they make an unecessary fuss about something unimportant.
Man on the Clapham omnibus: The man on the Clapham omnibus is the ordinary person in the street.
Money for old rope: If something's money for old rope, it's a very easy way of making money.
More front than Brighton: If you have more front than Brighton, you are very self-confident, possibly excessively so.
New man: A New man is a man who believes in complete equality of the sexes and shares domestic work equally.
Nod's as good as a wink: 'A nod's as good as a wink' is a way of saying you have understood something that someone has said, even though it was not said directly. The full phrase (sometimes used in the UK ) is 'a nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse'.
Noddy work: Unimportant or very simple tasks are noddy work.
Nosy parker: A nosy parker is someone who is excessively interested in other people's lives. ('Nosey parker' is an alternative spelling.)
Not cricket: If something is not cricket, it is unfair.
Not give a monkey's: If you couldn't give a monkey's about something, you don't care at all about it.
Off on one: If someone goes off on one, they get extremely angry indeed.
Off your chump: If someone is off their chump, they are crazy or irrational.
Off your rocker: Someone who is off their rocker is crazy.
On Carey Street: If someone is on Carey Street, they are heavily in debt or have gone bankrupt.
On the blink: Is a machine is on the blink, it isn't working properly or is out of order.
On the blower: If someone is on the blower, they are on the phone.
On the cards: If something is in the cards, it is almost certain to happen.
On the dole: Someone receiving financial assistance when unemployed is on the dole.
On the fiddle: Someone who is stealing money from work is on the fiddle, especially if they are doing it by fraud.
On the game: A person who is on the game works as a prostitute.
On the knock: If you buy something on the knock, you pay for it in instalments.
On the knocker: If someone is on the knocker, they are going from house to house trying to buy or sell things or get support.
On the never-never: If you buy something on the never-never, you buy it on long-term credit.
On the nod: If something is accepted by parliament or a committee majority, it is on the nod.
On the nod: Someone who's on the nod is either asleep or falling asleep, especially when the shouldn't or are are in a position unusual for sleep, like sitting or standing.
On the nod: When a horse runs, its head moves backwards and forwards alternately - in horse racing, if 2 horses cross the line together the one whose head happens to be going forward often wins and is said to win 'on the nod'.
On the take: Someone who is stealing from work is on the take.
On the trot: This idiom means 'consecutively'; I'd saw them three days on the trot, which means that I saw them on three consecutive days.
One over the eight: Someone who is one over the eight is drunk.
One over the eight: Someone who has had one over the eight is very drunk indeed. It refers to the standard eight pints that most people drink and feel is enough.
Out in the sticks: If someone lives out in the sticks, they live out in the country, a long way from any metropolitan area.
Over-egg the pudding: If you over-egg the pudding, you spoil something by trying to improve it excessively. It is also used nowadays with the meaning of making something look bigger or more important than it really is. ('Over-egg' alone is often used in this sense.)
Pin money: If you work for pin money, you work not because you need to but because it gives you money for extra little luxuries and treats.
Pink pound: In the UK, the pink pound is an idiom for the economic power of gay people.
Plain as a pikestaff: If something is as plain as a pikestaff, it is very clear.
Pull your finger out!: If someone tells you to do this, they want you to hurry up. ('Get your finger out' is also used.)
Quart into a pint pot: If you try to put or get a quart into a pint pot, you try to put too much in a small space. (1 quart = 2 pints)
Queer fish: A strange person is a queer fish.
Quids in: If somebody is quids in, they stand to make a lot of money from something.
Rake over old coals: If you go back to old problems and try to bring them back, making trouble for someone, you are raking over old coals.
Rearrange the deckchairs on the Titanic: If people are rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic, they are making small changes that will have no effect as the project, company, etc, is in very serious trouble.
Right royal: A right royal night out would be an extremely exciting, memorable and fun one.
See you anon: If somebody says this when leaving, they expect to see you again soon.
Send someone to Coventry: If you send someone to Coventry, you refuse to talk to them or co-operate with them.
Shanks's pony: If you go somewhere by Shanks's pony, you walk there.
Shy bairns get nowt: An idiom primarily used by those from the North East of England, used to emphasize the fact that children who fail to ask for something (usually from an older person) probably won't succeed in obtaining it. (bairn = child, nowt = nothing)
Slip through the cracks: If something slips through the cracks, it isn't noticed or avoids detection.
Sound as a pound: if something is as sound as a pound, it is very good or reliable.
Spanner in the works: If someone puts or throws a spanner in the works, they ruin a plan. In American English, 'wrench' is used instead of 'spanner'.
Spend a penny: This is a euphemistic idiom meaning to go to the toilet.
Spoil the ship for a ha'pworth of tar: If someone spoils the ship for a ha'pworth (halfpenny's worth) of tar, they spoil something completely by trying to make a small economy.
Square Mile: The Square Mile is the City, the financial area of London.
Sticky end: If someone comes to a sticky end, they die in an unpleasant way. ('Meet a sticky end' is also used.)
Sticky wicket: If you are on a sticky wicket, you are in a difficult situation.
Stiff upper lip: If you keep your emotions to yourself and don't let others know how you feel when something bad happens, you keep a stiff upper lip.
Take the biscuit: If something takes the biscuit, it is the absolute limit.
Take the Mickey: If you take the Mickey, you tease someone. ('Take the Mick' is also used.)
Take up the reins: If you take up the reins, you assume control of something- an organisation, company, country, etc.('Take over the reins' is also used.)
Tally ho!: This is an exclamation used for encouragement before doing something difficult or dangerous.
Tears before bedtime: This idiom is used when something seems certain to go wrong or cause trouble.
Teething problems: The problems that a project has when it is starting are the teething problems.
Ten a penny: If something is ten a penny, it is very common. ("Two a penny" is also used.)
Thick as mince: If someone is as thick as mince, they are very stupid indeed.
Thin blue line: The thin blue line is a term for the police, suggesting that they stand between an ordered society and potential chaos. (Police uniforms are blue.)
Three sheets in the wind: Someone who is three sheets in the wind is very drunk. ('Three sheets to the wind' is also used. 'Seven sheets' is an alternative number used.)
Throw a spanner in the works: If you throw a spanner in the works, you cause a problem that stops or slows progress on something that was going well.
Tired and emotional: This idiom is a euphemism used to mean 'drunk', especially when talking about politicians.
Up sticks: If you up sticks, you leave somewhere, usually permanently and without warning- he upped sticks and went to work abroad.
Up the duff: If a woman is up the duff, she's pregnant.
Up the spout: If something has gone up the spout, it has gone wrong or been ruined.
Up the stick: If a woman is up the stick, she's pregnant.
Vicar of Bray: A person who changes their beliefs and principles to stay popular with people above them is a Vicar of Bray
Wallflower: A woman politician given an unimportant government position so that the government can pretend it takes women seriously is a wallflower.
Watering hole: A watering hole is a pub.
Who wears the trousers?: The person who wears the trousers in a relationship is the dominant person who controls things.
Wipe the floor with: If you wipe the floor with someone, you destroy the arguments or defeat them easily.
With child: If a woman's with child, she's pregnant.
Wood for the trees: If someone can't see the wood for the trees, they get so caught up in small details that they fail to understand the bigger picture.
Wouldn't touch it with a bargepole: If you wouldn't touch something with a bargepole, you would not consider being involved under any circumstances. (In American English, people say they wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole)
Yeoman's service: To do yeoman's service is to serve in an exemplary manner.
You do not get a dog and bark yourself: If there is someone in a lower position who can or should do a task, then you shouldn't do it.

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