Essential english idioms (part 4 – S to Z)
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A complete list of the most common English idioms and expressions:
| ENGLISH IDIOMS (S to Z) | MEANINGS |
| Saving for a rainy day | Saving for bad days |
| See eye to eye (with someone) | to agree with someone |
| Sell somebody out | Telling on someone or revealing their secret |
| Shame on You | Shame on you |
| Shape up or ship out | Work better or leave |
| I’ll meet you at 8 o’clock sharp. | exactly at a that time |
| Shoot from the hip | Speak directly |
| Sick and tired | being disturbed or annoyed by something |
| Sit on the fence | Remain neutral and do not take sides |
| Skeleton crew | The minimum number of people required to operate a service or office. |
| Sleep on it | Think about something for a while before making a decision. |
| Sleep Tight | Sleeping in cramped conditions |
| Slow and steady wins the race | Reliability is more important than speed |
| Snowed under | Busy |
| Snug as a bug in a rug | Warm and cozy; happy. |
| So far so good | an expression of satisfaction with progress made |
| So glad you could make it. | I’m glad you could come. |
| Sooner or later | at some future time; eventually. |
| Sort Of | In a way |
| Speak of the devil | when the person you just mentioned arrives. |
| Spill the beans | To reveal secret information unintentionally or indiscreetly. |
| Stay out of trouble. | Don’t get in trouble. Don’t do anything wrong. |
| Steal someone’s thunder | To take credit for something someone else did. |
| Step up your game | start to perform better, improve |
| Stick your nose into something | interfere into other people’s business. |
| Stop being so hard on yourself. | Don’t feel guilty about everything |
| Straight from the horse’s mouth | Directly from the person concerned. |
| Sure Thing | Certainly |
| Take a rain check | Let’s do this another time. |
| take it easy | Relax! |
| Take it with a grain / a pinch of salt | Don’t take it too seriously. |
| Taste of your own medicine | means that something happens to you, or is done to you, that you have done to someone else. |
| Thank Goodness | Thank God for that. |
| That ship has sailed | It’s too late for that. |
| That’s easier said than done | something seems like a good idea but it would be difficult to do. |
| That’s the last straw | the latest in a series of unpleasant or undesirable events, and makes you feel that you cannot tolerate a situation any longer. |
| The apple does not fall far from the tree | Children grow up to become like their parents |
| The ball is in your court | It’s your decision. |
| The best of both worlds | An ideal situation, to take advantage of two different possibilities at the same time. |
| The devil is in the details | when you look more closely, there are problems… |
| The early bird gets the worm | The first people who arrive will receive the best things. |
| The new Iphone Blew Me Away. | I was surprised in a good way by the new Iphone |
| The pot calling the kettle black | Someone criticizing someone else as being just as bad |
| The whole nine yards | Everything, to the end. |
| There are clouds on the horizon | Trouble is coming |
| There are other fish in the sea | Other opportunities will arise. |
| There’s a method to his madness | He looks crazy, but he’s actually smart. |
| There’s no such thing as a free lunch | Nothing is entirely free |
| Think fast! | Catch! (when throwing something at someone) |
| Think outside the box | use your imagination |
| Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones | Morally questionable people should not criticize others. |
| Through thick and thin | In good times and bad |
| Throw caution to the wind | Taking a risk |
| Throw in the towel | To give up |
| time flies | time passes quickly |
| Time is money | time is a valuable resource |
| time on your hands | have some free time |
| Tip of the iceberg | The visible part of the iceberg |
| Tit for tat | an action done to take revenge on someone who has hurt you |
| To add insult to injury | to make the situation worse. |
| To cut corners | do something wrong or cheap. |
| To feel under the weather | not feeling well. |
| To hear something straight from the horse’s mouth | hear something from the authoritative source. |
| To hit the nail on the head | describe exactly what causes a situation or problem. |
| To kill two birds with one stone | Killing two birds with one stone |
| To make matters worse | Make a problem worse |
| To not see the wood for the trees | be so involved in the details that you don’t get the most important facts. |
| Turn a blind eye | Ignore |
| Turned a deaf ear | Ignore |
| Twenty-four seven | 24h/24: all the hours of the day |
| Uncharted waters | Being in unfamiliar territory, in a situation you don’t know, without experience and we don’t know what could happen. |
| We All Have To Pitch In. | We all have to get involved, participate |
| We Got Off On The Wrong Foot. | to begin a relationship or project badly |
| We’re short on time. | We are running out of time. |
| Well begun is half done | It is important to get off to a good start |
| What a Small World! | When you meet someone in unexpected circumstances. |
| What gives? | What’s going on? |
| What’s Eating You? | What’s bothering you? |
| What’s up? | What’s the matter? |
| Whatever… | It doesn’t matter… |
| When pigs fly | Never |
| Who cares? | used to say that something is not important |
| Who do you think you are? | Rhetorical question asked of or when discussing a person who is acting in an annoying, stereotypical manner or is a poser. |
| Who knows? | Rhetorical question to say: I don’t know, and I don’t know anybody who does know. |
| Whole nine yards | Everything that is available. |
| Wrap your head around something | Understand something complicated |
| You Bet! | you may be sure; certainly. |
| You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar | You’ll get what you want by being nice. |
| You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink | You can’t force someone to make the right decision |
| You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs | it is hard to achieve something important without causing unpleasant effects |
| You can’t teach an old dog new tricks | It is difficult to change the way someone does something when they have been doing it the same way for a long time. |
| You can’t be serious. | I don’t believe what you just said |
| You get what you pay for | Something very cheap is usually not of very good quality. |
| You have your head in the clouds. | You’re dreaming, you’re not focused |
| You know better than that | used to express disappointment when someone makes a mistake which they probably shouldn’t have / to show disapproval of someone’s actions |
| You look like a deer in headlights. | to be stunned, frightened or surprised that you cannot move or think |
| You made it! | You succeeded at something. |
| You pulled a fast one on me. | you have cheated or tricked me. |
| You rock! | You’re awesome! |
| You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours | if you do something for me, I’ll do the same for you. |
| You went too far. | You did more than is acceptable |
| You win some, you lose some. | You cannot always succeed. |
| You’re dressed to kill | You’re wearing very smart or fashionable clothes |
| You’re toast | You’re in big trouble. |
| You’ve got to be kidding | Is this a joke? |
| You’re all over the place. | something is happening in many different places, or spread over a very large area, usually disorganized |
| You’re killing the mood. | You’re ruining the moment. |
| You’re playing both sides. | To manipulate two opposing sides against one another for your own benefit |
| You’re pushing your luck. | You are taking a bigger risk than is sensible, and may get into trouble. |
| Your call! | It’s your decision. |
| Your guess is as good as mine | I have no idea. |
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