English idioms | EF | Global Site
A little learning is a dangerous thing
People who don’t understand something fully are dangerous
by itself
A snowball effect
Events have momentum and build upon each other
as part of a sentence
A snowball’s chance in hell
No chance at all
as part of a sentence
A stitch in time saves nine
Fix the problem now because it will get worse later
by itself
A storm in a teacup
A big fuss about a small problem
as part of a sentence
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Apples are good for you
by itself
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
You can prevent a problem with little effort. Fixing it later is harder.
by itself
As right as rain
Perfect
as part of a sentence
Bolt from the blue
Something that happened without warning
as part of a sentence
Burn bridges
Destroy relationships
as part of a sentence
Calm before the storm
Something bad is coming, but right now it’s calm
as part of a sentence
Come rain or shine
No matter what
as part of a sentence
Curiosity killed the cat
Stop asking questions
by itself
Cut the mustard
Do a good job
as part of a sentence
Don’t beat a dead horse
Move on, this subject is over
by itself
Every dog has his day
Everyone gets a chance at least once
by itself
Familiarity breeds contempt
The better you know someone the less you like him
by itself
Fit as a fiddle
In good health
as part of a sentence
Fortune favours the bold
Take risks
by itself
Get a second wind
Have more energy after having been tired
as part of a sentence
Get wind of something
Hear news of something secret
as part of a sentence
Go down in flames
Fail spectacularly
as part of a sentence
Haste makes waste
You’ll make mistakes if you rush through something
by itself
Have your head in the clouds
Not be concentrating
as part of a sentence
He who laughs last laughs loudest
I’ll get you back for what you did
by itself
Hear something straight from the horse’s mouth
Hear something from the person involved
as part of a sentence
He’s not playing with a full deck
He’s dumb
by itself
He’s off his rocker
He’s crazy
by itself
He’s sitting on the fence
He can’t make up his mind
by itself
It is a poor workman who blames his tools
If you can’t do the job, don’t blame it on others
by itself
It is always darkest before the dawn
Things are going to get better
by itself
It takes two to tango
One person alone isn’t responsible. Both people are involved.
by itself
Jump on the bandwagon
Follow a trend, do what everyone else is doing
as part of a sentence
Know which way the wind is blowing
Understand the situation (usually negative)
as part of a sentence
Leave no stone unturned
Look everywhere
as part of a sentence
Let sleeping dogs lie
Stop discussing an issue
as part of a sentence
Like riding a bicycle
Something you never forget how to do
as part of a sentence
Like two peas in a pod
They’re always together
as part of a sentence
Make hay while the sun shines
Take advantage of a good situation
as part of a sentence
On cloud nine
Very happy
as part of a sentence
Once bitten, twice shy
You’re more cautious when you’ve been hurt before
by itself
Out of the frying pan and into the fire
Things are going from bad to worse
by itself
Run like the wind
Run fast
as part of a sentence
Shape up or ship out
Work better or leave
by itself
Snowed under
Busy
as part of a sentence
That ship has sailed
It’s too late
by itself
The pot calling the kettle black
Someone criticizing someone else he is just as bad
as part of a sentence
There are clouds on the horizon
Trouble is coming
by itself
Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
People who are morally questionable shouldn’t criticize others
by itself
Through thick and thin
In good times and in bad times
as part of a sentence
Time is money
Work quickly
by itself
Waste not, want not
Don’t waste things and you’ll always have enough
by itself
We see eye to eye
We agree
by itself
Weather the storm
Go through something difficult
as part of a sentence
Well begun is half done
Getting a good start is important
by itself
When it rains it pours
Everything is going wrong at once
by itself
You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar
You’ll get what you want by being nice
by itself
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink
You can’t force someone to make the right decision
by itself
You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs
There’s always a cost to doing something
by itself
