English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

Fever pitch

When a situation has reached fever pitch, people are extremely excited or agitated.

Few and far between

If things are few and far between, they happen very occasionally.

Fiddle while Rome burns

If people are fiddling while Rome burns, they are wasting their time on futile things while problems threaten to destroy them.

Fifth columnist

(UK) A fifth columnist is a member of a subversive organisation who tries to help an enemy invade.

Fifth wheel

(USA) A fifth wheel is something unnecessary or useless.

Fight an uphill battle

When you fight an uphill battle, you have to struggle against very unfavourable circumstances.

Fight like Kilkenny cats

When you say that people fought like Kilkenny cats, you mean they fought valiantly to the bitter end, even if they are both destroyed. For instance, ''The two political parties fought like Kilkenny cats over the matter''

Fight tooth and nail

If someone will fight tooth and nail for something, they will not stop at anything to get what they want. ('Fight tooth and claw' is an alternative.)

Fighting chance

If you have a fighting chance, you have a reasonable possibility of success.

Find your feet

When you are finding your feet, you are in the process of gaining confidence and experience in something.

Finders keepers, losers weepers

Whoever finds something can keep it.  This is often shortened to 'finders keepers'.

Fine and dandy

(UK) If thing's are fine and dandy, then everything is going well.

Fine as frog's hair

(USA) If something is as fine as frog's hair, it is very delicate and fine. The phrase is facetious as frogs do not possess hair.

Fine tuning

Small adjustments to improve something or to get it working are called fine tuning.

Fine words butter no parsnips

This idiom means that it's easy to talk, but talk is not action.

Finger in the pie

If you have a finger in the pie, you have an interest in something.

Fingers and thumbs

If you are all fingers and thumbs, you are being clumsy and not very skilled with your hands.

Fire away

If you want to ask someone a question and they tell you to fire away, they mean that you are free to ask what you want.

Fire in the hole!

This is used as a warning when a planned explosion is about to happen.

Fire on all cylinders

If something is firing on all cylinders, it is going as well as it could.

First come, first served

This means there will be no preferential treatment and a service will be provided to those that arrive first.

First out of the gate

When someone is first out of the gate, they are the first to do something that others are trying to do.

First port of call

The first place you stop to do something is your first port of call.

Fish for compliments

Usually said of someone who puts themselves down (similar to false modesty) in the hope that others will contradict them, and in the process, compliment them. Sam: I'm no good at drawing!Judy: Nonsense! You're an excellent artist!Bob: Aw, he was just fishing for compliments.

Fish in troubled waters

Someone who fishes in troubled waters tries to takes advantage of a shaky or unstable situation. The extremists were fishing in troubled waters during the political uncertainty in the country.

Fish or cut bait

(USA) This idiom is used when you want to tell someone that it is time to take action.

Fish out of water

If you are placed in a situation that is completely new to you and confuses you, you are like a fish out of water.

Fishy

If there is something fishy about someone or something, there is something suspicious; a feeling that there is something wrong, though it isn't clear what it is.

Fit as a butcher's dog

Someone who's very healthy, fit or physically attractive is as fit as a butcher's dog.

Fit as a fiddle

If you are fit as a fiddle, you are in perfect health.

Fit for a king

If something is fit for a king, it is of the very highest quality or standard.

Fit like a glove

If something fits like a glove, it is suitable or the right size.

Fit of pique

If someone reacts badly because their pride is hurt, this is a fit of pique.

Fit the bill

If something fits the bill, it is what is required for the task.

Fit to be tied

If someone is fit to be tied, they are extremely angry.

Five o'clock shadow

A five o'clock shadow is the facial hair that a man gets if he doesn't shave for a day or two.

Flash as a rat with a gold tooth

(AU) Someone who's as flash as a rat with a gold tooth tries hard to impress people by their appearance or bahaviour.

Flash in the pan

If something is a flash in the pan, it is very noticeable but doesn't last long, like most singers, who are very successful for a while, then forgotten.

Flat as a pancake

It is so flat that it is like a pancake- there is no head on that beer it is as flat as a pancake.

Flat out

If you work flat out, you work as hard and fast as you possibly can.

Flat out like a lizard drinking

(AU) An Australian idiom meaning extremely busy, which is a word play which humorously mixes two meanings of the term flat out.

Fleet of foot

If someone is fleet of foot, they are very quick.

Flesh and blood

Your flesh and blood are your blood relatives, especially your immediate family.

Flogging a dead horse

(UK) 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.

Flowery speech

Flowery speech is full of lovely words, but may well lack substance.

Flutter the dovecotes

(UK) Something that flutters the dovecots causes alarm or excitement.

Fly by the seat of one's pants

If you fly by the seat of one's pants, you do something difficult even though you don't have the experience or training required.

Fly in the ointment

A fly in the ointment is something that spoils or prevents complete enjoyment of something.

Fly off the handle

If someone flies off the handle, they get very angry.

Fly on the wall

If you are able to see and hear events as they happen, you are a fly on the wall.

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