A List of idioms. This page contains examples of idioms and an ever growing list of idioms. It is a good practice to avoid use of these idioms in poetry unless used in a completely original way.
See also: Proverbs
Idioms are expressions, sayings, or phrases whose meanings cannot be understood from the meanings of the words that make it up.
Screw the poochMeaning:To screw up; to fail in dramatic and ignominious fashion.
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See the lightMeaning:Understand or believe something that you didn't before If you see the light, you suddenly understand something that you didn't before, something that other people have been trying to persuade you to understand.
Example: The government finally saw the light and started to help the refugees there.
If we could get the committee to see the light, we would be able to pass the bill.
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Shake a legMeaning: Hurry or do something now. If you say "Shake a leg" to someone, you tell him/her to hurry, do something more quickly, or start to do something right now.
Example: Come one, kids, shake a leg! It's already 10 o'clock.
We'd better shake a leg, or we will miss the bus!
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Shoot the breezeMeaning:To chat idly or generally waste time talking.
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Sleep with the fishesMeaning:Euphemism for dying or death.
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So far so goodMeaning: Things have been going well until now. If you say "So far so good," you mean everything has been happening successfully up to now.
This expression is used often when you there might have a problem soon.
Example: How are your final exams?
So far so good, but I have two more tests tomorrow. They are the most difficult ones.
I got up early, dressed warmly, and arrived at the stadium 15 minutes before the game.
So far so good -- then I realized I left the tickets at home.
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Speak of the devilMeaning: You say "Speak of the devil" when someone you have been talking about comes in the room unexpectedly. Example: ( They were talking about someone and he just came in the room.)
Speak of the devil! We were just talking about you! How did you know that?
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Spill the beansMeaning:Reveal someone's secret.
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Split the whistleMeaning:To arrive just on time.
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Stay upMeaning: Not go to bed at a time when most people are in bed or when you would be normally in bed. If you stay up, you go to bed later than usual. Example: The students stayed up late last night to prepare for the final exam.
We stayed up all night telling our stories.
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Stuffed shirt
Meaning: A person who behaves in a very formal way and is often self-important. A very conservative person. If someone is a stuffed shirt , his/her behavior is very formal, and he/she thinks he/she is a very important person. Example: He's such a stuffed shirt. He always instructs us how to use each knife and fork every time we go to dinner with him.
My boss is a true stuffed shirt. She's very formal and rigid all the time and not an interesting person to talk with.
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Surf the Internet/Net/Web
Meaning: Use a computer to find and look at a lot of websites on the Internet. If you surf the Internet/Net/Web, you spend a lot of time looking through the information on the Internet for anything that interests you. Example: Don't waste time surfing the Web all day.
You can easily spend a whole evening surfing the Internet.
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