Idiom Category: Body and bodily functions, Page 8

Put a bug in your ear

If you put a bug in someone's ear, you give him or her a reminder or suggestion relating to a future event.

Put on a brave face

If you put on a brave face, or put a brave face on something, you behave confidently or cheerfully even though things are difficult. ('Brave front' is also used.)

Put or get someone's back up

If you put or get someone's back up, you annoy them.

Put somebody's nose out of joint

If you put someone's nose out of joint, you irritate them or make them angry with you.

Put your best foot forward

If you ut your best foot forward, you try your best to do something.

Put your foot down

When someone puts their foot down, they make a firm stand and establish their authority on an issue.

Put your foot in it

If you put your foot in it, you do or say something embarrassing and tactless or get yourself into trouble.

Put your foot in your mouth

If you put your foot in your mouth, you say something stupid or embarrassing.

Put your hand on your heart

If you can out your hand on your heart, then you can say something knowing it to be true.

Put your heads together

If people put their head together, they exchange ideas about something.

Put your money where your mouth is

If someone puts their money where their mouth is, they back up their words with action.

Put your shoulder to the wheel

When you put your shoulder to the wheel, you contribute to an effort.

Put your thumb on the scales

If you put your thumb on the scales, you try to influence the result of something in your favour.

Rack your brain

If you rack your brain, you think very hard when trying to remember something or think hard to solve a problem, findf and answer, etc. ('Rack your brains' is an alternative.)

Raise eyebrows

If something raises eyebrows, it shocks or surprises people.

Rib tickler

A rib tickler is a story or joke that will make you laugh a lot. Alternately, a joke might "tickle your ribs".

Roll your eyes

If you roll your eyes, you show with your eyes that you don't believe someone or aren't interested in what they're saying.

Rub shoulders

If you rub shoulders with people, you meet and spend time with them, especially when they are powerful or famous.

Rule of thumb

Rule of thumb means approximately.

Run off your feet

If you are run off your feet, you are extremely busy and don't have enough time to do everything.

Run your mouth off

If someone runs their mouth off, they talk too much.

Safe pair of hands

A person who can be trusted to do something without causing any trouble is a safe pair of hands.

Save face

If someone saves face, they manage to protect their reputation.

Save your skin

If someone saves their skin, they manage to avoid getting into serious trouble.

Scales fall from your eyes

When the scales fall from your eyes, you suddenly realise the truth about something.

Scent blood

If you can scent blood, you feel that a rival is having difficulties and you are going to beat them.

Sea legs

If you are getting your sea legs, it takes you a while to get used to something new.

See eye to eye

If people see eye to eye, they agree about everything.

Set your teeth on edge

If something, especially sounds, sets your teeth on edge, you react very negatively to it.

Shake a leg

If you shake a leg, you are out of bed and active.  It can be used to tell someone to hurry up.

Shoot yourself in the foot

If you shoot yourself in the foot, you do something that damages your ambition, career, etc.

Shot in the arm

If something gives you a shot in the arm, it encourages you, gives you energy or improves morale.

Sight for sore eyes

Someone or something that is a sight for sore eyes is a pleasure to see.

Skin and bones

If someone is skin and bones, they are very underweight and look bad.

Skin in the game

A person who has skin in the game has invested in the company they are running.

Skin someone alive

If someone skins you alive, they admonish and punish you hard.

Slap on the wrist

If someone gets a slap on the wrist, they get a very minor punishment when they could have been punished more severely.

Sleight of hand

Sleight of hand is the ability to use your hands in a clever way, like a magician performing tricks you can't see.

Slip of the tongue

If you say something accidentally, it is a slip of the tongue.

Slip through one's fingers

If something slips through one’s fingers it escapes or is lost through carelessness.

Smack in the face

If something is a smack in the face, it is a shock, usually one that impedes progress.

Smooth as a baby's bottom

If something is smooth as a baby's bottom, it has a regular, flat surface.

Speak with a forked tongue

To say one thing and mean another, to lie, to be two-faced

Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

If the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, someone lacks the willpower to change things they do because they derive too much pleasure from them.

Spit blood

If someone is spitting blood, they are absolutely furious.

Spit it out

People say this when someone has something to say but is too embarrassed, shy, etc, to say it.

Split hairs

If people split hairs, they concentrate on tiny and unimportant details to find fault with something.

Stand head and shoulders above

It means to stand apart from the rest (in a good way), or to be the best. For example, "With his amazing grasp on the subject, John stood head and shoulders above the rest".

Stars in your eyes

Someone who dreams of being famous has stars in their eyes.

Step on someone's toes

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

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