English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

On the take

This is used as a term to describe someone in a position of authority who is corrupt, someone who will take money in exchange for doing something for the person paying that may be illegal.

On the tip of your tongue

If a word is on the tip of your tongue, you know you know the word, but you just can't quite remember it at the moment.

On the trot

(UK) This idiom means 'consecutively'; I'd saw them three days on the trot, which means that I saw them on three consecutive days.

On the up and up

If you are on the up and up, you are making very good progress in life and doing well.

On the up and up

To say that something or someone is on the up and up means that the thing or person is legitimate, honest, respectable.

On the uptake

If someone is quick on the uptake, they understand something quickly, but if they're slow on the uptake, it takes them a long time to get it.

On the wagon

If someone is on the wagon, they have stopped drinking alcohol.

On the wallaby track

(AU) In Australian English, if you're on the wallaby track, you are unemployed.

On top of the world

If you are on top of the world, everything is going well for you.

On your high horse

When someone is on their high horse, they are being inflexible, arrogant and will not make any compromises.

On your last legs

If someone's on their last legs, they're close to dying.

On your soapbox

If someone is up on their soapbox about something, they are very overtly and verbally passionate about the topic.

On your tod

If you are on your tod, you are alone.

On your toes

Someone on his or her toes is alert and ready to go.

Once bitten, twice shy

If somebody is said to be once bitten twice shy, it means that someone who has been hurt or who has had something go wrong will be far more careful the next time.

Once in a blue moon

If something happens once in a blue moon, it happens very rarely indeed.

One bad apple

The full form of this proverb is 'one bad apple spoils the barrel', meaning that a bad person, policy, etc, can ruin everything around it.

One fell swoop

If something is done at one fell swoop, it is done in a single period of activity, usually swiftly and ruthlessly.

One for the road

A last drink before leaving a pub or bar is one for the road.

One good turn deserves another

This means that when people do something good, something good will happen to them.

One hand washes the other

This idiom means that we need other people to get on as cooperation benefits us all.

One in the eye

If you achieve something that will irritate someone because they did not think that you were capable it is one in the eye for them.

One man's loss is another man's gain

This means thato ne person's setback benefits someone else.

One man's meat is another man's poison

This idiom means that one person can like something very much, but another can hate it.

One man's trash is another man's treasure

What is useless to one person might be valuable to another.

One nail drives out another

A new pain or problem will stop you worrying or feeling bad about something else.

One over the eight

(UK) Someone who is one over the eight is drunk.

One over the eight

(UK) 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.

One swallow does not make a summer

This means that one good or positive event does not mean that everything is all right.

One-man band

If one person does all the work or has all the responsibility somewhere, then they are a one-man band.

One-off

A one-off event only happens once and will not be repeated.

One-off

A one-off occurence is a unique or exceptional event.

One-trick pony

A one-trick pony is someone who does one thing well, but has limited skills in other areas.

Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches

This means that it's hard to know how much someone else is suffering..

Oops a daisy

An expression used to indicate surprise.

Open all hours

If a shop or suchlike is open all hours, it only closes, if at all, terribly late.

Open book

If a person is an open book, it is easy to know what they think or how they feel about things.

Open old sores

When a sore is almost healed, and if a person rips or tears it open, it is way of preventing the healing process and further aggravating the pain. This phrase, metaphorically suggests, to revive or reopen a quarrel or enmity which was almost forgotten.

Open old wounds

If you open old wounds, you revive a quarrel or problem that caused a lot of trouble in the past.

Open secret

An open secret is something that is supposed to be secret but is common knowledge.

Open the floodgates

If you open the floodgates, you make something possible to happen that had been difficult, illegal or impossible.

Open-and-shut

A question or issue that is open-and-shut is easily proved or settled.

Opening a can of worms

If you open a can of worms, you do something that will cause a lot of problems and is, on balance, probably going to cause more trouble than it's worth.

Opportunity knocks but once

This idiom means that you only get one chance to achieve what you really want to do.

Other fish to fry

If you have other fish to fry, it doesn't matter if one opportunity fails to materialise as you have plenty of others.

Other side of the coin

The other side of the coin is a different, usually opposing, view of a situation. ('Flip side of the coin' is an alternative.)

Out and about

If someone is out and about, they have left their home and are getting things done that they need to do.

Out in the sticks

(UK) If someone lives out in the sticks, they live out in the country, a long way from any metropolitan area.

Out like a light

If you are out like a light, you fall fast asleep.

Out of hand

If something gets out of hand, it gets out of control.

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