1.
To show white feathers- to show fear
2. A feather in the cap- a very good achievement
3. A good Samaritan- A really kind man
4. To rise like a phoenix- to start afresh from a low position
5. To meet ones waterloo- to meet once end
6. To have cold feet- To be reluctant
7. To raise dust- to create confusion
8. To bring home the bacon- to be successful
9. To carry the day- to win after a long effort
10.To stick to one’s gun- to maintain one’s point against all opposition
11.Come cap in hand- very humble
12.Man Of iron- a man of strong will power
13.Man of straw- insignificant
14.Man of letters- scholar
15.To have several irons in the fire- so many engagements at a time
16.At a low key- at reducing
17.At cross roads- be in confusion because of many choices
18.At stake- in danger
19.To die a dog’s death- unheroic death
20.To fire on all cylinders- to exert with all force
21.To break the duck- to begin
22.To play ducks and drakes- to squander money
23.A big shot- important person
24.A boon in disguise- a benefit in loss
25.A cry in the wilderness- an irrelevant effort
26.To beat about the bush- to talk about unimportant things
27.To sound a red alert- to make alert
28.Rise from ashes- to rise high from low
29.To put the cat among the pigeons- to be placed in a wrong situation
30.Cut the Gordian knot- to perform a difficult task
31.To talk shop- to talk nonsense
32.To turn a deaf ear- to disregard
33.To gain ground- to become more general
34.Through thick and thin- under all circumstances
35.To have finger in the pie- to do something in an affair
36.To have one’s heart in the right place- to be kind
37.To give someone a piece of mind- to scold
38.My hands are full- I am busy
39.To kick up a row- to make great noise and fuss
40.To bury the hatchet- to make peaceoor surprising thing
41.To set the thames on fire- to do some markable or surprising thing
42.High and dry- isolated, stranded
43.To be at the end of one’s tether- to have no resources left
44.Odds and ends- various articles
45.A hot line- direct telephone lines between heads of state.
46.To shoot a line one’s success- to exaggerate about
47.To read between the lines- to understand more than the actual words
48.To feather one’s rest- to provide money even dishonestly
49.To black-ball- prevent from doing something
50.To be in the black- to be in the credit
51.A blue book- a government report
52.To paint the town red- to celebrate noisily in public places
53.To make no bones about something- to do or say a thing openly if it is
unpleasant
54.Pull the wool over some body’s eyes- to deceive
55.To have several irons in the fire- to have many tasks or many pieces of
work
56.To keep one’s fingers crossed- to remain anxious wishing good for
somebody
57.To keep the wolf away from the door- to keep off poverty from oneself
58.A red letter day- an important day
59.To work like a dog- to work very hard
60.To foot the bill- to make payment
61.Bone of contention- cause of quarrel
62.To beggar description- beyond description
63.To play a second fiddle- to act as a subordinate to do the secondary role
64.Cut no ice- to make no effect
65.Under a cloud- to be in a bad book
66.Once and for all- forever
67.Oily tongue- one who flatters
68.Hand in glove- close friendship
69.Hole and corner policy- improper policy
70.Far and wide- all around
71.Far and away- certainly
72.Fair weather friends- friends only in good days
73.In deed- really
74.Face value- superficially
75.Fancy price-high price
76.Stick ones neck out- to take risk
77.To put a spoke in one’s wheel- to disturb
78.Brown study- in reverie
79.Moot point- controversial point
80.To plough a lonely furrow- to do without anybody’s help
81.Bring home- to emphasize
82.Make hay while the sun shines- to make best use of the favorable
opportunities
83.Rank and file- common man
84.Talk through one’s hat- talk nonsense
85.To lead one by the nose- to cause to follow blindly
86.To explore every avenue- to try every method
87.At the drop of a hat- for no reason at all
88.To kick one’s heels- to waste time
89.To smell something fishy- to feel that there is something wrong
90.To get away with- to escape
91.All agog- in a state of excitement
92.Adam’s ale- ordinary water
93.One’s cup of tea- what one likes and can do well
94.In a flutter- in a state of nervous excitement
95.A chip of the old block- characteristics of one’s ancestors
96.A close shave- a lucky escape
97.Blow hot and cold- to be inconsistent
98.A bull in the china shop- an awkward, tactless or clumsy person
99.To have the floor- to make a speech
100. A case in point- an illustrative case connected to the subject of
discussion
101. The cock of the walk- the most dominating person in the group
102. A cuckoo in the nest- A child whose parentage is doubtful and may
therefore not belong by blood to the family
103. Feet of clay- to be weak or cowardly
104. A flash in the pan- something which lasts only for a short time; an
effort or partial success which soon turns into failure
105. A mare’s nest- a discovery which looks valuable or promising but
which turns out to be worthless
106. A pig in a poke-an article which was brought without previous
inspection and which turns out to be worth much less than what one
paid for it
107. A skeleton in the cupboard- a past event which is kept secret by a
family /something embarrassing or shameful
108. A fair crack of the whip- a period of importance
109. To hold something in leash- to restrain
110. To wrangle over an ass’s shadow- to quarrel over trifles
111. To snap one’s fingers- to become contemptuous of
112. To stand to one’s guns- to preserve when hardships press
113. To take people by storm- to captivate them unexpectedly
114. To throw up the sponge- to surrender or give up a contest
115. To catch somebody on the hop- to catch somebody off guard
116. To spill the beans- to reveal secret information
117. To bring one’s egg to a bad market- to fail in one’s plan because
one goes to the wrong people for help
118. To give/get the bird- to send away
119. To throw up one’ nose at a thing- to treat it with contemptuous
dislike or disgust
120. To split hair- to indulge in over-refined arguments
121. A lady’s man- a lover of women’s company
122. To draw a bead upon- to take aim at
123. Foam in the mouth- to be in extreme hatred
124. To rip up old soars- to revive a quarrel which was almost forgotten
125. A baker’s dozen- thirteen
126. To oil the knocker- to tip the office boy
127. To cool one’s heels- to be kept waiting for some time
128. To play to the gallery- trying to get appreciation from least
intelligent people
129. To clinch the issue- decide
130. To turn the comer- pass the crisis
131. To rock the boat- upset the balance
132. Shop lifter- a thief in the guise of a customer
133. To scream blue murder- make a great deal of noise and object
vehemently
134. To run in the same groove- advance in harmony
135. To chew the cuds- to muse on
136. To wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve- expose one’s inner most
feelings to others
137. A duck in a thunderstorm- distressed
138. To lead others up the garden- to deceive others
139. To keep, the pot boiling- keep the controversy alive
140. To heap coals of fire on one’s head- put one to shame
141. To cut both ends- to argue in support of both sides of the issue
142. Midas touch- ability to succeed in all projects
143. Lynch law- law of mobs
144. To come down in the world- to lose one’s social and financial
position
145. A man of the world- an experienced man, often with a
cosmopolitan background
146. All the same- nevertheless, but, yet
147. Cut and dried- settled, decided
148. Fair and square- in a fair way
149. Free and easy- casual, unworried, unconcerned
150. Meek and mild- gentle and quiet
151. Null and void- invalid, without legal effect
152. Rough and ready- not exact, only approximate
153. Short and sweet- brisk, without delay
154. Cloak and dagger- like a spy
155. Hammer and sickle- the emblem of socialism
156. Hammer and tongs- with all one’s strength
157. Hole and corner- secret
158. Run-of-the mill- an average, ordinary, unexciting
159. An armchair job- a regular job which is considered easy and well
paid
160. Backstairs gossip- gossip among servants
161. A close fisted man- a mean or stingy man
162. A curtain lecture- the scolding of a husband by his wife in private
163. Elbow room- room on opportunity to move and act freely
164. Forty winks- short sleep
165. French leave- absence without permission
166. The golden handshake- a large sum of money given to a man of
high position when he retires from his employment
167. A henpecked husband- one who is dominated by his wife
168. A hot potato- an issue that is akward or embarrassing to deal with
169. An ivory towel- a place or state of life that is out of touch with
people and reality
170. A latchkey child- a child who returns from school etc. to an empty
house because both parents are working
171. A sleeping partner- a business partner who provides a share of the
capital and therefore owns shares in the business but who does not take
an active part in managing it
172. A soft spot- a liking or fondness for something or someone
173. Soft soap- flattery
174. The bill of fare- the menu
175. A drug on the market- goods on the market for which there is no
hope
176. A storm in the tea-cup – a lot of excitement and discussion about a
trivial matter
177.
