Number of Idioms: |
141 |
1 |
Face like thunder |
If someone has a face like thunder, they are clearly very angry or upset about something. |
2 |
Face only a mother could love |
When someone has a face only a mother could love, they are ugly. |
3 |
Face the music |
If you have to face the music, you have to accept the negative consequences of something you have done wrong. |
4 |
Face value |
If you take something at face value, you accept the appearance rather than looking deeper into the matter. |
5 |
Face your demons |
If you face your demons, you confront your fears or something that you have been trying hard to avoid. |
6 |
Facts of life |
When someone is taught the facts of life, they learn about sex and reproduction. |
7 |
Failure is the mother of success |
Failure is often a stepping stone towards success. |
8 |
Faint heart never won fair lady |
This means that you will not get the partner of your dreams if you lack the confidence to let them know how you feel. |
9 |
Fair and square |
If someone wins something fair and square, they follow the rules and win conclusively. |
10 |
Fair crack of the whip |
(UK) If everybody has a fair crack of the whip, they all have equal opportunities to do something. |
11 |
Fair shake of the whip |
(USA) If everybody has a fair shake of the whip, they all have equal opportunities to do something. |
12 |
Fair thee well |
Meaning completely and fully: I am tied up today to a fair-thee-well. |
13 |
Fairweather friend |
A fairweather friend is the type who is always there when times are good but forgets about you when things get difficult or problems crop up. |
14 |
Fall by the wayside |
To fall by the wayside is to give up or fail before completion. |
15 |
Fall from grace |
If a person falls from grace, they lose favor with someone. |
16 |
Fall off the back of a lorry |
(UK) If someone tries to sell you something that has fallen of the back of a lorry, they are trying to sell you stolen goods. |
17 |
Fall off the turnip truck |
(USA) If someone has just fallen off the turnip truck, they are uninformed, naive and gullible. (Often used in the negative) |
18 |
Fall off the wagon |
If someone falls off the wagon, they start drinking after having given up completely for a time. |
19 |
Fall on our feet |
If you fall on your feet, you succeed in doing something where there was a risk of failure. |
20 |
Fall on your sword |
If someone falls on their sword, they resign or accept the consequences of some wrongdoing. |
21 |
Familiarity breeds contempt |
This means that the more you know something or someone, the more you start to find faults and dislike things about it or them. |
22 |
Famous last words |
This expression is used as a way of showing disbelief, rejection or self-deprecation.'They said we had no chance of winning- famous last words!' |
23 |
Fast and furious |
Things that happen fast and furious happen very quickly without stopping or pausing. |
24 |
Fat cat |
A fat cat is a person who makes a lot of money and enjoys a privileged position in society. |
25 |
Fat chance! |
This idiom is a way of telling someone they have no chance. |
26 |
Fat head |
A fat head is a dull, stupid person. |
27 |
Fat hits the fire |
When the fat hits the fire, trouble breaks out. |
28 |
Fat of the land |
Living off the fat of the land means having the best of everything in life. |
29 |
Fate worse than death |
Describing something as a fate worse than death is a fairly common way of implying that it is unpleasant. |
30 |
Feast today, famine tomorrow |
If you indulge yourself with all that you have today, you may have to go without tomorrow. |
31 |
Feather in your cap |
A success or achievement that may help you in the future is a feather in your cap. |
32 |
Feather your own nest |
If someone feathers their own nest, they use their position or job for personal gain. |
33 |
Feathers fly |
When people are fighting or arguing angrily, we can say that feathers are flying. |
34 |
Fed up to the back teeth |
When you are extremely irritated and fed up with something or someone, you are fed up to the back teeth. |
35 |
Feel at home |
If you feel relaxed and comfortable somewhere or with someone, you feel at home. |
36 |
Feel free |
If you ask for permission to do something and are told to feel free, the other person means that there is absolutely no problem |
37 |
Feel like a million |
If you feel like a million, you are feeling very well (healthy) and happy. |
38 |
Feel the pinch |
If someone is short of money or feeling restricted in some other way, they are feeling the pinch. |
39 |
Feeling blue |
If you feel blue, you are feeling unwell, mainly associated with depression or unhappiness. |
40 |
Feet of clay |
If someone has feet of clay, they have flaws that make them seem more human and like normal people. |
41 |
Feet on the ground |
A practical and realistic person has their feet on the ground. |
42 |
Fence sitter |
Someone that try to support both side of an argument without committing to either is a fence sitter. |
43 |
Few and far between |
If things are few and far between, they happen very occasionally. |
44 |
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. |
45 |
Fifth columnist |
(UK) A fifth columnist is a member of a subversive organisation who tries to help an enemy invade. |
46 |
Fifth wheel |
(USA) A fifth wheel is something unnecessary or useless. |
47 |
Fight an uphill battle |
When you fight an uphill battle, you have to struggle against very unfavourable circumstances. |
48 |
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.) |
49 |
Fighting chance |
If you have a fighting chance, you have a reasonable possibility of success. |
50 |
Find your feet |
When you are finding your feet, you are in the process of gaining confidence and experience in something. |
51 |
Fine and dandy |
(UK) If thing's are fine and dandy, then everything is going well. |
52 |
Fine tuning |
Small adjustments to improve something or to get it working are called fine tuning. |
53 |
Fine words butter no parsnips |
This idiom means that it's easy to talk, but talk is not action. |
54 |
Finger in the pie |
If you have a finger in the pie, you have an interest in something. |
55 |
Fingers and thumbs |
If you are all fingers and thumbs, you are being clumsy and not very skilled with your hands. |
56 |
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. |
57 |
Fire on all cylinders |
If something is firing on all cylinders, it is going as well as it could. |
58 |
First come, first served |
This means there will be no preferential treatment and a service will be provided to those that arrive first. |
59 |
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. |
60 |
First port of call |
The first place you stop to do something is your first port of call. |
61 |
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. |
62 |
Fish or cut bait |
(USA) This idiom is used when you want to tell someone that it is time to take action. |
63 |
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. |
64 |
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. |
65 |
Fit as a fiddle |
If you are fit as a fiddle, you are in perfect health. |
66 |
Fit for a king |
If something is fit for a king, it is of the very highest quality or standard. |
67 |
Fit like a glove |
If something fits like a glove, it is suitable or the right size. |
68 |
Fit of pique |
If someone reacts badly because their pride is hurt, this is a fit of pique. |
69 |
Fit the bill |
If something fits the bill, it is what is required for the task. |
70 |
Fit to be tied |
If someone is fit to be tied, they are extremely angry. |
71 |
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. |
72 |
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. |
73 |
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. |
74 |
Flat out |
If you work flat out, you work as hard and fast as you possibly can. |
75 |
Fleet of foot |
If someone is fleet of foot, they are very quick. |
76 |
Flesh and blood |
Your flesh and blood are your blood relatives, especially your immediate family. |
77 |
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. |
78 |
Flowery speech |
Flowery speech is full of lovely words, but may well lack substance. |
79 |
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. |
80 |
Fly in the ointment |
A fly in the ointment is something that spoils or prevents complete enjoyment of something. |
81 |
Fly off the handle |
If someone flies off the handle, they get very angry. |
82 |
Fly on the wall |
If you are able to see and hear events as they happen, you are a fly on the wall. |
83 |
Fly the coop |
When children leave home to live away from their parents, they fly the coop. |
84 |
Fly the flag |
If someone flies the flag, they represent or support their country. ('Wave the flag' and 'show the flag' are alternative forms of this idiom) |
85 |
Follow your nose |
When giving directions, telling someone to follow their nose means that they should go straight ahead. |
86 |
Food for thought |
If something is food for thought, it is worth thinking about or considering seriously. |
87 |
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me |
This means that you should learn from your mistakes and not allow people to take advantage of you repeatedly. |
88 |
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread |
This idiom is used where people who are inexperienced or lack knowledge do something that more informed people would avoid. |
89 |
Foot in mouth |
This is used to describe someone who has just said something embarrassing, inappropriate, wrong or stupid. |
90 |
Foot in the door |
If you have or get your foot in the door, you start working in a company or organisation at a low level, hoping that you will be able to progress from there. |
91 |
Foot the bill |
The person who foots the bill pays the bill for everybody. |
92 |
Football's a game of two halves |
(UK) If something's a game of two halves, it means that it's possible for someone's fortunes or luck to change and the person who's winning could end up a loser. |
93 |
For a song |
If you buy or sell something for a song, it is very cheap. |
94 |
For donkey's years |
(UK) If people have done something, usually without much if any change, for an awfully long time, they can be said to have done it for donkey's years. |
95 |
For England |
(UK) A person who talks for England, talks a lot- if you do something for England, you do it a lot or to the limit. |
96 |
For kicks |
If you do something for kicks, or just for kicks, you do it purely for fun or thrills. |
97 |
For my money |
This idiom means 'in my opinion'. |
98 |
For Pete's sake |
This is used as an exclamation to show exasperation or irritation. |
99 |
For the birds |
If something is worthless or ridiculous, it is for the birds. |
100 |
For the love of Pete |
Usually used in exasperation, as in 'Oh, for the love of Pete!' |
101 |
For the time being |
For the time being indicates that an action or state will continue into the future, but is temporary. I'm sharing an office for the time being. |
102 |
Forbidden fruit |
Something enjoyable that is illegal or immoral is forbidden fruit. |
103 |
Foregone conclusion |
If the result of, say, a football match is a foregone conclusion, then the result is obvious before the game has even begun. |
104 |
Forest for the trees |
(USA) If someone can't see the forest for the trees, they get so caught up in small details that they fail to understand the bigger picture. |
105 |
Fortune knocks once at every man's door |
Everyone gets one good chance in a lifetime. |
106 |
Foul play |
If the police suspect foul play, they think a crime was committed. |
107 |
Four corners of the earth |
If something goes to, or comes from, the four corners of the earth, it goes or comes absolutely everywhere. |
108 |
Four-eyes |
A person who wears glasses |
109 |
Four-square behind |
If someone stands four-square behind someone, they give that person their full support. |
110 |
Fourth estate |
This is an idiomatic way of describing the media, especially the newspapers. |
111 |
Free rein |
If someone has a free rein, they have the authority to make the decisions they want without any restrictions. ('Free reign' is a common mistake.) |
112 |
Free-for-all |
A free-for-all is a fight or contest in which everyone gets involved and rules are not respected. |
113 |
French leave |
To take French leave is to leave a gathering without saying goodbye or without permission. |
114 |
Fresh from the oven |
If something is fresh from the oven, it is very new. |
115 |
Freudian Slip |
If someone makes a Freudian slip, they accidentally use the wrong word, but in doing so reveal what they are really thinking rather than what they think the other person wants to hear. |
116 |
Friendly footing |
When relationships are on a friendly footing, they are going well. |
117 |
From a different angle |
If you look at something from a different angle, you look at it from a different point of view. |
118 |
From Missouri |
(USA) If someone is from Missouri, then they require clear proof before they will believe something. |
119 |
From pillar to post |
If something is going from pillar to post, it is moving around in a meaningless way, from one disaster to another. |
120 |
From rags to riches |
Someone who starts life very poor and makes a fortune goes from rags to riches. |
121 |
From scratch |
This idiom means 'from the beginning'. |
122 |
From soup to nuts |
If you do something from soup to nuts, you do it from the beginning right to the very end. |
123 |
From the bottom of your heart |
If someone does something from the bottom of their heart, then they do it with genuine emotion and feeling. |
124 |
From the get-go |
(USA) If something happens from the get-go, it happens from the very beginning. |
125 |
From the horse's mouth |
If you hear something from the horse's mouth, you hear it directly from the person concerned or responsible. |
126 |
From the sublime to the ridiculous |
If something declines considerably in quality or importance, it is said to have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous. |
127 |
From the word go |
From the word go means from the very beginning of something. |
128 |
Full as a tick |
If you are as full as a tick, you have eaten too much. |
129 |
Full bore |
If something is full bore, it involves the maximum effort or is complete and thorough. |
130 |
Full circle |
When something has come full circle, it has ended up where it started. |
131 |
Full Monty |
(UK) If something is the Full Monty, it is the real thing, not reduced in any way. |
132 |
Full of beans |
If someone's full of beans, they are very energetic. |
133 |
Full of hot air |
Someone who is full of hot air talks a lot of rubbish. |
134 |
Full of oneself |
Someone who acts in a arrogant or egotistical manner is full of himself/herself. |
135 |
Full of piss and vinegar |
Someone who's full of piss and vinegar is full of youthful energy. |
136 |
Full of the joys of spring |
If you are full of the joys of spring, you are very happy and full of energy. |
137 |
Full swing |
If a something is in full swing, it is going or doing well. |
138 |
Full throttle |
If you do something full throttle, you do it with as much speed and energy as you can. |
139 |
Fullness of time |
If something happens in the fullness of time, it will happen when the time is right and appropriate. |
140 |
Fur coat and no knickers |
Someone with airs and graces, but no real class is fur coat and no knickers. |
141 |
Fuzzy thinking |
Thinking or ideas that do not agree with the facts or information availabl. |