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Home / Real Idioms

Archives: Real Idioms

Like herding cats

Categories: a little bit distasteful, about animals and living creatures, about being exasperated
Tags: cat, cats

Put the cart before the horse

Categories: Uncategorized

To set a hare running

Categories: about animals and living creatures, about being out of control, demonstrating risky behaviour
Tags: hare, run, running

Making mincemeat of something

Category: victorious
Tags: make, mince

To make short work / quick work / light work of something

Categories: about being brilliant, about being impressed
Tags: light, quick, short, work

The chickens have come home to roost

Category: about animals and living creatures
Tags: chicken, home, roost

No skin off my nose

Categories: about being care free, about not caring AT ALL
Tags: nose, skin

Jack of all trades

Categories: about being brilliant, showing a degree of skill
Tags: jack, trade

Jack of all trades, master of none.

Category: about animals and living creatures
Tags: jack, trade

It ain’t over until the fat lady sings

Category: final
Tags: fat, over, sing

The writing on the wall

Category: about something inevitable
Tags: wall, writing

Making money hand over fist

Categories: about making money, about money
Tags: fist, hand, money

Put (something) on the back burner

Category: about food or cooking
Tags: back, burner

You don’t have the balls

Categories: about being slack or useless, preparing for the worst
Tag: balls

Pluck up the courage

Category: preparing for the worst
Tags: courage, pluck

Deer in the headlights

Categories: about animals and living creatures, showing indecision
Tags: deer, headlights

Strike while the iron’s hot

Categories: about people taking the initiative, demonstrating keenness
Tags: hot, strike

Keep / have (something) in one’s back pocket

Categories: about being brilliant, about being cunning, showing wisdom
Tags: back, pocket

Have / keep something up one’s sleeve

Categories: about being cunning, about clothing, showing wisdom, sporty
Tags: sleeve, up

Reinvent the wheel

Categories: about being unimpressed, about being unintelligent, about being wrong, negative
Tags: reinvent, wheel

Run down the clock

Categories: demonstrating keenness, sporty
Tags: clock, run

The clouds parted (and the sun shone through)

Categories: about the weather, depicting a lovely atmosphere, encouraging, positive
Tags: cloud, clouds, shine, sun, sunshine

The skies opened up

Categories: about the weather, related to boats, sea travel or water

Pros and Cons

Categories: about being pragmatic, showing wisdom

The Cat’s Pyjamas

Categories: about animals and living creatures, about being brilliant, about being impressed
Tags: cat, cats, pyjamas

The Bee’s Knees

Category: about animals and living creatures

To put a bomb under it

Categories: Uncategorized

Throw (someone) a curve ball

Categories: foreboding, threatening
Tags: ball, baseball, curve

Sink like a stone

Category: related to boats, sea travel or water
Tags: rock, sink, stone

Sink like a rock

Category: related to boats, sea travel or water
Tags: rock, sink, stone

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Real Idioms
  • Like herding cats
  • Put the cart before the horse
  • To set a hare running
  • Making mincemeat of something
  • To make short work / quick work / light work of something
  • The chickens have come home to roost
  • No skin off my nose
  • Jack of all trades
  • Jack of all trades, master of none.
  • It ain’t over until the fat lady sings
Badly-Chosen Company Names
  • Sidewalk Juice
  • The Fishy Muff Takeaway
  • Hand Job Nails and Spa
  • TWA Transport
  • Powergen Italia
  • STD Contractors
  • Amigone Funeral Home
  • The Golden Shower Restaurant
  • Therapist Finder
  • Bunghole Liquors
Music Meets London Places
  • The High Beach Boys
  • The Leyton Stones
  • Wood Green Day
  • Ultravauxhall
  • Tina Turnham Green
  • Theydon Boizone
  • The Edge(ware)
  • Strand by me
  • Steps-ney
  • Snakes Lane in the Membrane
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Context
  • a little bit distasteful (66)
  • about animals and living creatures (152)
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  • said with certainty (48)
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  • Uncategorized (1)
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  • vague (5)
  • very very funny. The Best, perhaps. (9)
  • victorious (4)
Words
air animal back ball balls bird bite boat bridge cake case cat cool cow cows dog ducks ear egg end eye face fire fish foot hand head home horse leopard mouth nail nose people piece resistance run spreading stick stone sun teeth time up worms
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