T

Take a leaf out of someone’s book
If you take a leaf out of someone’s book, you copy something they do because it will help you.
Take a straw poll
If you take a straw poll, you sound a number of people out to see their opinions on an issue or topic.
Take it on the chin
If you take something on the chin, something bad happens to you and you take it directly without fuss.
Take someone down a peg
If someone is taken down a peg, they lose status in the eyes of others because of something they have done wrong or badly.
Take someone for a ride
If you are taken for a ride, you are deceived by someone.
Take someone to the woodshed
If someone is taken to the woodshed, they are punished for something they have done.
Take the biscuit
If something takes the biscuit, it is the absolute limit.
Take the bull by its horns
Taking a bull by its horns would be the most direct but also the most dangerous way to try to compete with such an animal. When we use the phrase in everyday talk, we mean that the person we are talking about tackles their problems directly and is not worried about any risks involved.
Take the rough with the smooth
People say that you have to take the rough with the smooth, meaning that you have to be prepared to accept the disadvantages as well of the advantages of something.
Taken as read
If something can be taken as read, it is so definite that it’s not necessary to talk about it.
Talk of the town
When everybody is talking about particular people and events, they are the talk of the town.
Talk out of the back of your head
If someone is talking out of the back of their head, they are talking rubbish.
Talk out of your hat
If someone is talking out of their hat, they’re talking utter rubbish, especially if compounded with total ignorance of the subject on which they are pontifcating.
Talk shop
If you talk shop, you talk about work matters, especially if you do this outside work.
Talk the hind legs off a donkey
A person who is excessively or extremely talkative can talk the hind legs off a donkey.
Tall order
Something that is likely to be hard to achieve or fulfill is a tall order.
Tall story
A tall story is one that is untrue and unbelievable.
Tally ho!
This is an exclamation used for encouragement before doing something difficult or dangerous.
Taste blood
If someone has tasted blood, they have achieved something and are encouraged to think that victory is within their grasp.
Teething problems
The problems that a project has when it’s starting are the teething problems.
Test the waters
If you test the waters then you experiment to see how successful or acceptable something is before implementing it.
That is the way the cookie crumbles
It means that things don’t always turn out the way we want.
The ball’s in your court
If somebody says this to you, they mean that it’s up to you to decide or take the next step.
The be all and end all
This phrase means that something is final, or ultimate outcome or result of a situation or event.
The common weal
If something is done for the common weal, it is done in the interests and for the benefit of the majority or the general public.
The grass is always greener
This idiom means that what other people have or do looks preferable to our life. The complete phrase is ‘The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence’.
The more the merrier
The more the merrier means that the greater the quantity or the bigger the number of something, the happier the speaker will be.
The penny dropped
When the penny drops, someone belatedly understands something that everyone else has long since understood.
The sands of time
The sands of time is an idiom meaning that time runs out either through something reaching an end or through a person’s death.
The short straw
If you take the short straw, you lose a selection process, which means that you have to do something unpleasant.
The world and his wife
If the world and his wife were somewhere, then huge numbers of people were present.
Their bark is worse than their bite
If someone’s bark is worse than his bite, he get angry and shout and make threats, but don’t actually do anything.
There are many ways to skin a cat
This is an expression meaning there are many different ways of doing the same thing.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch
This idiom means that you don’t get things for free, so if something appears to be free, there’s a catch and you’ll have to pay in some way.
There’s the rub
The meaning of this idiom is ‘that’s the problem’.
Thick and fast
If things are happening thick and fast, they are happening so fast they seemed to be joined together.
Thick as thieves
If people are thick as thieves, they are very close friends who have no secrets from each other.
Thick-skinned
If a person is thick-skinned, they are not affected by critisism.
Thin as a rake
A rake is a garden tool with a long, thin, wooden handle, so someone very thin is thin as a rake.
Thin end of the wedge
The thin end of the wedge is something small and seemingly unimportant that will lead to something much bigger and more serious.
Thin line
If there’s a thin line between things, it’s hard to distinguish them—there’s a thin line between love and hate.
Thin-skinned
If somebody is thin-skinned, they are very sensitive to any sort of criticism.
Think the world of
To hold something or someone in very high esteem. To love or admire immensely.
Third rail
The third rail of something is dangerous to alter or change.
Those who live by the sword die by the sword
This means that violent people will be treated violently themselves.
Three sheets to the wind
If someone is three sheets to the wind, he is drunk.
Thrilled to bits
If you are thrilled to bits, you are extremely pleased or excited about something.
Through thick and thin
If someone supports you through thick and thin, they support you during good times and bad.
Throw a sickie
If you pretend to be ill to take a day off work or school, you throw a sickie.
Throw down the gauntlet
Throw down the gauntlet is to issue a challenge to somebody.
Throw in the towel
If you throw in the towel, you admit that you are defeated or cannot do something.
Throw someone to the wolves
If someone is thrown to the wolves, they are abandoned and have to face trouble without any support.
Throw the baby out with the bath-water
If you get rid of useful things when discarding inessential things, you throw the baby out with the bath-water.
Throw the book at someone
If you throw the book at someone, you punish him as severely as possible.
Throw your hat in the ring
If someone throws their hat in the ring, they announce that they want to take part in a competition or contest.
Thumb your nose at
If you thumb your nose at something, you reject it or scorn it.
Thumbs down & thumbs up
If something gets the thumbs up, it gets approval, while the thumbs down means disapproval.
Tie the knot
When people tie the knot, they get married.
Tight ship
If you run a tight ship, you control something strictly and don’t allow people much freedom of action.
Tighten your belt
If you have to tighten your belt, you have to economise.
Till you’re blue in the face
If you do something till you’re blue in the face, you do it repeatedly without achieving the desired result until you’re incredibly frustrated.
Tilt at windmills
A person who tilts at windmills, tries to do things that will never work in practice.
Time of your life
If you’re having the time of your life, you are enjoying yourself very much indeed.
Time-honoured practice
A time-honoured practice is a traditional way of doing something that has become almost universally accepted as the most appropriate or suitable way.
Tip of the iceberg
The tip of the iceberg is the part of a problem that can be seen, with far more serious problems lying underneath.
Tipping point
Small changes may have little effect until they build up to critical mass, then the next small change may suddenly change everything. This is the tipping point.
Tit for tat
If someone responds to an insult by being rude back, it’s tit for tat—repaying something negative the same way.
To a fault
If something does something to a fault, they do it excessively. So someone who is generous to a fault is too generous.
To a man
If a group of people does believes, thinks, etc, something to a man, then they all do it.
To a T
If something is done to a T, it is done perfectly.
To err is human, to forgive divine
This idiom is used when someone has done something wrong, suggesting that they should be forgiven.
To little avail
If something is to little avail, it means that, despite great efforts, something ended in failure, but taking comfort from the knowledge that nothing else could have been done to avert or avoid the result.
To the end of time
To the end of time is an extravagant way of saying ‘forever’.
To the ends of the earth
If someone will go to the ends of the earth for something, no distance is too great for them they are so determined to get it.
Toe the line
If someone toes the line, they follow and respect the rules and regulations.
Tomorrow’s another day
This means that things might turn out better or that there might be another opportunity in the future.
Toot you own horn
If someone toot their own horn, they like to boast about their achievements.
Top dog
The most important or influential person is the top dog.
Top notch
If something is top notch, it’s excellent, of the highest quality or standard.
Touch wood
If someone says ‘Touch wood’ before they do something, they are wishing for good luck.
Touch-and-go
If something is touch-and-go, it is very uncertain; if someone is ill and may well die, then it is touch-and-go.
Tough cookie
A tough cookie is a person who will do everything necessary to achieve what they want.
Tough nut to crack
If something is a tough nut to crack, it is difficult to find the answer or solution. When used about a person, it means that it is difficult to get them to do or allow what you want. ‘Hard nut to crack’ is an alternative.
Tread the boards
When someone treads the boards, they perform on stage in a theatre.
Tread water
If someone is treading water, they are making no progress.
Tried and tested
If a method has been tried and tested, it is known to work or be effective because it has been successfully used long enough to be trusted.
True blue
A person who is true blue is loyal and dependable, someone who can be relied on in all circumstances.
Trump card
A trump card is a resource or strategy that is held back for use at a crucial time when it will beat rivals or opponents.
Truth will out
It means that, given time, the facts of a case will emerge no matter how people might try to conceal them.
Turf war
If people or organisations are fighting for control of something, it is a turf war.
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 the tables
If circumstances change completely, giving an advantage to those who seemed to be losing, the tables are turned.
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.
Twenty-four seven
Twenty-four seven or 24/7 means all the time, coming from 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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.
Two-faced
Someone who is two-faced will say one thing to your face and another when you’re not there.