O

Odds and ends
Odds and ends are small, remnant articles and things.
Off colour
If someone looks off colour they look ill.
Off the chart
If something goes off the chart, it far exceeds the normal standards, good or bad, for something.
Off the cuff
If you do something off the cuff, you do it without any preparation.
Off the hook
If someone is off the hook, they have avoided punishment or criticism for something they have done.
Off the mark
If something is off the mark, it is inaccurate or incorrect.
Off the rails
If someone has gone off the rails, they have lost track of reality.
Off the scale
If something goes off the scale, it far exceeds the normal standards, good or bad, for something.
Off the wall
Something that is off the wall is unconventional.
Off your rocker
Someone who is off their rocker is crazy.
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.
Old hat
If something’s old hat, it seems rather old fashioned and dated.
Oldest trick in the book
The oldest trick in the book is a well-known way of deceiving someone, though still effective.
Olive branch
If you hold out or offer an olive branch, you make a gesture to indicate that you want peace.
On a fishing expedition
If someone is on a fishing expedition, they are trying to get information, often using incorrect or improper ways to find things out.
On a roll
If you’re on a roll, you’re moving from success to success.
On Carey Street
If someone is on Carey Street, they are heavily in debt or have gone bankrupt.
On hold
If something is on hold, no action is being taken.
On ice
If plans are put on ice, they are delayed and no action will be taken for the foreseeable future.
On tenterhooks
This means that she is waiting impatiently and excitedly for something.
On the ball
If someone’s on the ball, they are well-informed and know what’s going on in their area of responsibility or interest.
On the blink
Is a machine is on the blink, it isn’t working properly or is out of order.
On the blower
If someone is on the blower, they are on the phone.
On the case
If someone is on the case, they are dealing with a problem.
On the dot
If someone says that they’re leaving at five on the dot, don’t be late; they mean at exactly five o’clock.
On the fiddle
Someone who is stealing money from work is on the fiddle, especially if they are doing it by fraud.
On the fly
If you do things on the fly, you do things without preparation, responding to events as they happen.
On the ground
Events on the ground are where things are actually happening, not at a distance.
On the hoof
If you decide something on the hoof, you do it without planning, responding to events as they happen.
On the level
If someone is honest and trustworthy, they are on the level.
On the line
If somebody’s job is on the line, they stand a very good chance of losing it.
On the map
If a place becomes widely known, it is put on the map. A place that remains unknown is off the map.
On the never-never
If you buy something on the never-never, you buy it on long-term credit.
On the nod
Someone who has taken a lot of drugs and is barely conscious is on the nod.
On the right foot
If you start something or set off on the right foot, you get off to a good start.
On the shelf
If something like a project is on the shelf, nothing is being done about it at the moment.
On the sly
If someone does something on the sly, they do it furtively or secretly.
On the stump
When politicians are campaigning for support and votes, they are on the stump.
On the take
Someone who is stealing from work is on the take.
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 the trot
This idiom means ‘consecutively’; I’d saw them four days on the trot, which means that I saw them on four consecutive days.
On the up and up
If you are on the up and up, you are making very good progress in life and doing well.
On the wagon
If someone is on the wagon, they have stopped drinking alcohol.
On top of the world
If you are on top of the world, everything is going well for you.
On your high horse
When someone is on his high horse, they are being inflexible, arrogant and will not make any compromises.
On your last legs
If someone’s on their last legs, they’re close to dying.
Once bitten, twice shy
If somebody is said to be once bitten twice shy, it means that someone who has been hurt or who has had something go wrong will be far more careful the next time.
One bad apple
The full form of this proverb is ‘one bad apple spoils the barrel’, meaning that a bad person, policy, etc, can ruin everything around it.
One fell swoop
If something is done at one fell swoop, it is done in a single period of activity, usually swiftly and ruthlessly.
One man’s meat is another man’s poison
This idiom means that one person can like something very much, but another can hate it.
One over the eight
Someone who is one over the eight is drunk.
One-man band
If one person does all the work or has all the responsibility somewhere, then they are a one-man band.
One-off
A one-off event only happens once and will not be repeated.
Open all hours
If a shop or suchlike is open all hours, it only closes, if at all, terribly late.
Open book
If a person is an open book, it is easy to know what they think or how they feel about things.
Opening a can of worms
If you open a can of worms, you do something that will cause a lot of problems and is, on balance, probably going to cause more trouble than it’s worth.
Opportunity knocks but once
This idiom means that you only get one chance to achieve what you really want to do.
Out and about
If someone is out and about, they have left their home and are getting things done that they need to do.
Out in the sticks
If someone lives out in the sticks, they live out in the country, a long way from any metropolitan area.
Out like a light
If you are out like a light, you fall fast asleep.
Out of pocket
If you are out of pocket on a deal, you have lost money.
Out of sight, out of mind
Out of sight, out of mind is used to suggest that someone will not think or worry about something if it isn’t directly visible or available to them.
Out of sorts
If you are feeling a bit upset and depressed, you are out of sorts.
Out of the blue
If something happens out of the blue, it happens suddenly and unexpectedly.
Out of the frying pan, into the fire
If you get out of one problem, but find yourself in a worse situation, you are out of the frying pan, into the fire.
Out of your own pocket
If someone does something out of their own pocket, they pay all the expenses involved.
Out on a limb
If somebody’s out on a limb, they are in a very exposed position and could get into difficulties.
Out to lunch
If someone’s out to lunch, they are crazy or out of touch.
Over a barrel
If someone has you over a barrel, they have you in a position where you have no choice but to accept what they want.
Over the counter
Medicines and drugs that can be sold without a doctor’s prescription are sold over the counter.
Over the moon
If you are over the moon about something, you are overjoyed.
Over your head
If something is over your head, or goes over your head, it is too complex or difficult for you to understand.