(Body)

About face
If someone changes their mind completely, this is an about face. It can be used when companies, governments, etc, change their position on an issue.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
This idiom means that when people are apart, their love grows stronger.
All ears
If someone says they’re all ears, they are very interested in hearing about something.
All fingers and thumbs
If you’re all fingers and thumbs, you are too excited or clumsy to do something properly that requires manual dexterity.
All skin and bone
If a person is very underweight, they are all skin and bone, or bones.
Arm and a leg
If something costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive.
Armed to the teeth
If people are armed to the teeth, they have lots of weapons.
Babe in arms
A babe in arms is a very young child, or a person who is very young to be holding a position.
Back foot
If you are on your back foot, you are at a disadvantage and forced to be defencive of your position.
Bad blood
If people feel hate because of things that happened in the past, there is bad blood between them.
Bad taste in your mouth
If something leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth, you feel there is something wrong or bad about it.
Bat an eyelid
If someone doesn’t bat an eyelid, they don’t react or show any emotion when surprised, shocked, etc.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
It means that different people will find different things beautiful and that the differences of opinion don’t matter greatly.
Beauty is only skin deep
This idiom means that appearances can be deceptive and something that seems or looks good may turn out to be bad.
Bedroom eyes
Someone with bedroom eyes has a sexy look in their eyes.
Behind someone’s back
If you do something behind someone’s back, you do it without telling him.
Belly up
If things go belly up, they go badly wrong.
Blink of an eye
If something happens in the blink of an eye, it happens so fast it is almost impossible to notice it.
Blood and thunder
An emotional speech or performance is full of blood and thunder.
Blood is thicker than water
This idiom means that family relationships are stronger than others.
Blood out of a stone
If something is like getting blood out of a stone, it is very difficult indeed.
Blood, sweat and tears
If something will take blood, sweat and tears, it will be very difficult and will require a lot of effort and sacrifice.
Blue blood
Someone with blue blood is royalty.
Blue-eyed boy
Someone’s blue-eyed boy is his favourite person.
Bone of contention
If there is an issue that always causes tension and arguments, it is a bone of contention.
Bone to pick
If you have a bone to pick with someone, you are annoyed about something they have done and want to tell them how you feel.
Born with a silver spoon in your mouth
If you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you are born into a rich family.
Break a leg
This idiom is a way of wishing someone good luck.
Brown nose
When someone tries to make himself popular with somebody, usually in a position of authority, especially by flattering them, he is brown nosing.
Bury your head in the sand
If someone buries their head in the sand, they ignore something that is obviously wrong.
By a hair’s breadth
If a person escapes from some danger by a hair’s breadth, they only just managed to avoid it.
By the skin of your teeth
If you do something by the skin of your teeth, you only just manage to do it and come very near indeed to failing.
By word of mouth
If something becomes known by word of mouth, it gets known by being talked about rather than through publicity or advertising, etc.
Cold feet
If you get cold feet about something, you lose the courage to do it.
Cry your eyes out
If you cry your eyes out, you cry uncontrollably.
Cut off your nose to spite your face
If you cut off your nose to spite your face, you do something rash or silly that ends up making things worse for you, often because you are angry or upset.
Cut your teeth on
The place where you gain your early experience is where you cut your teeth.
Drag your feet
If someone is dragging their feet, they are taking too long to do or finish something, usually because they don’t want to do it.
Drag your heels
If you drag your heels, you either delay doing something or do it as slowly as possible because you don’t want to do it.
Dry as a bone
If your lawn is as dry as a bone, the soil is completely dry.
Elbow grease
If something requires elbow grease, it involves a lot of hard physical work.
Elbow room
If you haven’t got enough elbow room, you haven’t got enough space.
Face value
If you take something at face value, you accept the appearance rather than looking deeper into the matter.
Fat head
A fat head is a dull, stupid person.
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.
Feet on the ground
A practical and realistic person has their feet on the ground.
Fingers and thumbs
If you are all fingers and thumbs, you are being clumsy and not very skilled with your hands.
Fleet of foot
If someone is fleet of foot, they are very quick.
Flesh and blood
Your flesh and blood are your blood relatives, especially your immediate family.
Get your feet wet
If you get your feet wet, you gain your first experience of something.
Get your hands dirty
If you get your hands dirty, you become involved in something where the realities might compromise your principles.
Give your eye teeth
If you really want something and would be prepared to sacrifice a lot to get it, you would give your eye teeth for it.
Grease someone’s palm
If you grease someone’s palm, you bribe him to do something.
Hand to mouth
Someone who’s living from hand to mouth, is very poor and needs the little money they have coming in to cover their expenses.
Handwriting like chicken scratch
If your handwriting is very hard to read, it is like chicken scratch.
Head nor tail
If you can’t make head nor tail of something, you cannot understand it at all or make any sense of it.
Head on the block
If someone’s head is on the block, they are going to be held responsible and suffer the consequences for something that has gone wrong.
Head over heels in love
When someone falls passionately in love and is intoxicated by the feeling has fallen head over heels in love.
Heads will roll
If heads will roll, people will be punished or sacked for something that has gone wrong.
Heart in your boots
If you’re heart is in your boots, you are very unhappy.
I’ve got a bone to pick with you
If somebody says this, they mean that they have some complaint to make against the person they are addressing.
In a heartbeat
If something happens very quickly or immediately, it happens in a heartbeat.
In cold blood
If something is done in cold blood, it is done ruthlessly, without any emotion.
In one ear and out the other
If something goes in one ear and out the other, you forget it as soon as you’ve heard it because it was too complicated, boring etc.
In over your head
If someone is in over their head, they are out of the depth in something they are involved in, and may end up in a mess.
In the twinkling of an eye
If something happens in the twinkling of an eye, it happens very quickly.
In your face
If someone is in your face, they are direct and confrontational.
Iron fist
Someone who rules or controls something with an iron fist is in absolute control and tolerates no dissent.
It cost an arm and a leg
If something costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive indeed.
Keep body and soul together
If you earn enough to cover your basic expenses, but nothing more than that, you earn enough to keep body and soul together.
Keep your chin up
This expression is used to tell someone to have confidence.
Keep your ear to the ground
If you keep your ear to the ground, you try to keep informed about something, especially if there are rumours or uncertainties.
Keep your fingers crossed
If you are keeping your fingers crossed, you are hoping for a positive outcome.
Keep your hair on
Keep your hair on is advice telling someone to keep calm and not to over-react or get angry.
Keep your head above water
If you are just managing to survive financially, you are keeping your head above water.
Keep your nose clean
If someone is trying to keep their nose clean, they are trying to stay out of trouble by not getting involved in any sort of wrong-doing.
Kick in the teeth
Bad news or a sudden disappointment are a kick in the teeth.
Knee-jerk reaction
A knee-kerk reaction is an instant, instinctive response to a situation.
Left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing
If the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, then communication within a company, organisation, group, etc, is so bad that people don’t know what the others are doing.
Lily-livered
Someone who is lily-livered is a coward.
Lip service
When people pay lip service to something, they express their respect, but they don’t act on their words, so the respect is hollow and empty.
Long in the tooth
If someone is long in the tooth, they are a bit too old to do something.
Make a better fist
If someone makes a better fist of doing something, they do a better job.
Make no bones about it
If somebody make no bones about a scandal in their past, they are open and honest about it and show no shame or embarrassment.
Make your blood boil
If something makes your blood boil, it makes you very angry.
Make your hair stand on end
If something makes your hair stand on end, it terrifies you.
Millstone round your neck
A millstone around your neck is a problem that prevents you from doing what you want to do.
Misery guts
A misery guts is a person who’s always unhappy and tries to make others feel negative.
Mud in your eye
This is a way of saying ‘cheers’ when you are about to drink something, normally alcohol.
My hands are full
If your hands are full, you have so much to do that you cannot take on any more work, responsibilities and so on.
My hands are tied
If your hands are tied, you are unable to act for some reason.
Neck and neck
If two competitors or candidates, etc, are neck and neck, then they are very close and neither is clearly winning.
Neck of the woods
If someone talks about their neck of the woods, they mean the area where they live.
New blood
If something needs new blood, it has become stale and needs new ideas or people to invigorate it.
Not to be sneezed at
If something is not to be sneezed at, it should be taken seriously.
Off-hand
Off-hand means without preparation. People say that they don’t know the answer off-hand, meaning that they don’t know it at that time.
On the right foot
If you start something or set off on the right foot, you get off to a good start.
On the tip of your tongue
If a word is on the tip of your tongue, you know the word, but you just can’t quite remember it at the moment.
On your last legs
If someone’s on their last legs, they’re close to dying.
Out on a limb
If somebody’s out on a limb, they are in a very exposed position and could get into difficulties.
Over your head
If something is over your head, it is too complex or difficult for you to understand.
Pain in the neck
If someone is very annoying and always disturbing you, they have a pain in the neck.
Pay through the nose
If you pay through the nose for something, you pay a very high price for it.
Plain as the nose on your face
If something is as plain as the nose on your face, it is very clear and obvious.
Play it by ear
If you play it by ear, you don’t have a plan of action, but decide what to do as events take shape.
Play out of your skin
If someone plays out of their skin, they give an outstanding performance.
Powder your nose
If somebody goes to powder your nose, it is a euphemism for going to the toilet.
Pull the wool over someone’s eyes
If you pull the wool over someone’s eyes, you deceive or cheat them.
Pull your finger out!
If someone tells you to do this, they want you to hurry up.
Put or get someone’s back up
If you put or get someone’s back up, you annoy him.
Put somebody’s nose out of joint
If you put someone’s nose out of joint, you irritate them or make them angry with you.
Put your foot down
When someone puts their foot down, they make a firm stand and establish their authority on an issue.
Put your foot in it
If you put your foot in it, you do or say something embarrassing and tactless or get yourself into trouble.
Rule of thumb
Rule of thumb means approximately.
Safe pair of hands
A person who can be trusted to do something without causing any trouble is a safe pair of hands.
Save face
If someone saves face, they manage to protect their reputation.
Save your skin
If someone saves their skin, they manage to avoid getting into serious trouble.
Scales fall from your eyes
When the scales fall from your eyes, you suddenly realise the truth about something.
Scent blood
If you can scent blood, you feel that a rival is having difficulties and you are going to beat them.
Shake a leg
If you shake a leg, you are out of bed and active.
Slap on the wrist
If someone gets a slap on the wrist, they get a very minor punishment when they could have been punished more severely.
Sleight of hand
Sleight of hand is the ability to use your hands in a clever way, like a magician performing tricks you can’t see.
Smooth as a baby’s bottom
If something is smooth as a baby’s bottom, it has a regular, flat surface.
Spit blood
If someone is spitting blood, they are absolutely furious.
Split hairs
If people split hairs, they concentrate on tiny and unimportant details to find fault with something.
Stars in your eyes
Someone who dreams of being famous has stars in their eyes.
Stick out like a sore thumb
If something sticks or stands out like a sore thumb, it is clearly and obviously different from the things that are around it.
Stick your neck out
If you stick you neck out, you take a risk because you believe in something.
Stiff upper lip
If you keep your emotions to yourself and don’t let others know how you feel when something bad happens, you keep a stiff upper lip.
Stiff-necked
A stiff-necked person is rather formal and finds it hard to relax in company.
Sweat blood
If you sweat blood, you make an extraordinary effort to achieve something.
Take it on the chin
If you take something on the chin, something bad happens to you and you take it directly without fuss.
Talk out of the back of your head
If someone is talking out of the back of their head, they are talking rubbish.
Taste blood
If someone has tasted blood, they have achieved something and are encouraged to think that victory is within their grasp.
Thick-skinned
If a person is thick-skinned, they are not affected by criticism.
Thin-skinned
If somebody is thin-skinned, they are very sensitive to any sort of criticism.
Thumb your nose at
If you thumb your nose at something, you reject it or scorn it.
Turn the other cheek
If you turn the other cheek, you are humble and do not retaliate or get outwardly angry when someone offends or hurts you, in fact, you give them the opportunity to re-offend instead and compound their unpleasantness.
Turn your nose up
If someone turns their nose up at something, they reject it or look down on it because they don’t think it is good enough for them.
Twinkling of an eye
If something happens in the twinkling of an eye, it happens very quickly.
Twist someone’s arm
If you twist someone’s arm, you put pressure on him to try to make him do what you want them to do.
Two left feet
A person with two left feet can’t dance.
Under your nose
If something happens right in front of you, especially if it is surprising or audacious, it happens under your nose.
Up to the neck
If someone’s in something up to the neck, they are very involved in it, especially when it’s something wrong.
Warts and all
If you like someone warts and all, you like them with all their faults.
Wash your hands of something
If you wash your hands of something, you disassociate yourself and accept no responsibility for what will happen.
Word of mouth
If something becomes known by word of mouth, it is because people are talking about it, not through publicity, etc.
Work your fingers to the bone
If you work your fingers to the bone, you work extremely hard on something.
World at your feet
If everything is going well and the future looks full of opportunity, you have the world at your feet.
Written all over your face
If someone has done something wrong or secret, but cannot hide it in his expression, it is written all over their face.
Wrong foot
If you start something on the wrong foot, you start badly.
You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours
This idiom means that if you do something for me, I’ll return the favour.
Young blood
Young people with new ideas and fresh approaches are young blood.