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| id | category | idiom | description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | Profession or work | Teacher's pet | The teachers favorite pupil is the teachers pet, especially if disliked by the other pupils. |
| 1902 | Profession or work | The shoemaker's son always goes barefoot | A skilled or knowledgeable person often fails to use their skills for the benefit of their family and people close to them. |
| 1903 | Profession or work | Top brass | In the army or in other organizations, the top brass are the people in the highest positions |
| 1904 | Profession or work | Tread the boards | When someone treads the boards, they perform on stage in a theatre. |
| 1905 | Profession or work | Work the system | If people work the system, they exploit the state or similar setup to their advantage. |
| 1906 | Profession or work | Yeoman's service | (UK) To do yeomans service is to serve in an exemplary manner. |
| 1907 | Religion | Act of God | An act of God is something like an earthquake or floods that human beings cannot prevent or control. |
| 1908 | Religion | Adam's ale | (dated, humorous) water |
| 1909 | Religion | All hell broke loose | When all hell breaks loose, there is chaos, confusion and trouble. |
| 1910 | Religion | Amen | Some use Amen or Amen to that as a way of agreeing with something that has just been said. |
| 1911 | Religion | At the bottom of the totem pole | (USA) If someone is at the bottom of the totem pole, they are unimportant. Opposite is at the top of the totem pole. |
| 1912 | Religion | Baptism of fire | A baptism of fire was a soldiers first experience of shooting. Any unpleasant experience undergone, usually where it is also a learning experience, is a baptism of fire. |
| 1913 | Religion | Believe in the hereafter | A belief in the hereafter is a belief in the afterlife, or life after death. It is, therefore, associated with religions and the souls journey to heaven or to hell, whichever way being just deserts for the person based on how they led their life. |
| 1914 | Religion | Better the devil you know | This is the shortened form of the full idiom, better the devil you know than the devil you dont, and means that it is often better to deal with someone or something you are familiar with and know, even if they are not ideal, than take a risk with an unknown person or thing. |
| 1915 | Religion | Between the devil and the deep blue sea | If you are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, you are in a dilemma; a difficult choice. |
| 1916 | Religion | Broad church | If an organisation is described as broad church, it is tolerant and accepting of different opinions and ideas. |
| 1917 | Religion | Catch hell | If you catch hell, you get into trouble or get scolded. (Catch heck is also used.) |
| 1918 | Religion | Chapter and verse | When you know something very well, and can quote it, you know it chapter and verse. |
| 1919 | Religion | Cold day in hell | This is used as a prediction there is no chance some event or condition will ever happen.There will be a cold day in hell before he manages it. |
| 1920 | Religion | Come hell or high water | If someone says theyll do something come hell or high water, they mean that nothing will stop them, no matter what happens. |
| 1921 | Religion | Cross to bear | If someone has a cross to bear, they have a heavy burden of responsibility or a problem that they alone must cope with. |
| 1922 | Religion | Devil finds work for idle hands | When people say that the devil finds work for idle hands, they mean that if people dont have anything to do with their time, they are more likely to get involved in trouble and criminality. |
| 1923 | Religion | Devil is in the detail | When people say that the devil in the detail, they mean that small things in plans and schemes that are often overlooked can cause serious problems later on. |
| 1924 | Religion | Devil may care | If you live a devil-may-care life it means you are willing to take more risks than most people. |
| 1925 | Religion | Devil's advocate | If someone plays Devils advocate in an argument, they adopt a position they dont believe in just for the sake of the argument |
| 1926 | Religion | Doubting Thomas | A Doubting Thomas is someone who only believes what they see themselves, not what they are told. |
| 1927 | Religion | Dry as a wooden god | (AU) Very dry area or very thirsty: That desert is as dry as a wooden god. |
| 1928 | Religion | Face your demons | If you face your demons, you confront your fears or something that you have been trying hard to avoid. |
| 1929 | Religion | Fall from grace | If a person falls from grace, they lose favor with someone. |
| 1930 | Religion | Fool's paradise | A fools paradise is a false sense of happiness or success. |
| 1931 | Religion | From your lips to God's ears | When you say this to someone, it means that you hope what they are saying will come true. |
| 1932 | Religion | Heaven knows | If you ask someone a question and they say this, they have no idea. |
| 1933 | Religion | Heaven knows | Used when someone does not feel recognized or appreciated. For example; heaven knows how hard I work to feed my family. |
| 1934 | Religion | Heaven only knows | The answer to a question is not or cannot be known. For example, heaven only knows when the war will end. |
| 1935 | Religion | Heavenly bodies | The heavenly bodies are the stars. |
| 1936 | Religion | Hell for leather | If you do something hell for leather, especially running, you do it as fast as you can. |
| 1937 | Religion | Hell in a handcart | If something is going to hell in a handcart, it is getting worse and worse, with no hope of stopping the decline. |
| 1938 | Religion | Holier-than-thou | Someone who is holier-than-thou believes that they are morally superior to other people. |
| 1939 | Religion | Holy smoke! | This is a way of expressing surprise: "Holy smoke! Look at all of those geese!" |
| 1940 | Religion | Hope in hell | If something hasnt got a hope in hell, it stands absolutely no chance of succeeding. |
| 1941 | Religion | Hot as Hades | If somethings as hot as Hades, its extremely hot. |
| 1942 | Religion | Idle hands are the devil's handiwork | When someone is not busy, or being productive, trouble is bound to follow. |
| 1943 | Religion | If Mohammed won't come to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed | If something cannot or will not happen the easy way, then sometimes it must be done the hard way. |
| 1944 | Religion | If you lie down with the Devil, you will wake up in hell | This means that if you become involved with bad company, there will be negative consequences. |
| 1945 | Religion | Lap of the gods | If something is in the lap of the gods, it is beyond our control and fate will decide the outcome. |
| 1946 | Religion | Let the devil take the hindmost | This idiom means that you should think of yourself and not be concerned about other people; look after yourself and let the devil take the hindmost. |
| 1947 | Religion | Lord willing and the creek don't rise | Pertains to the ability to accomplish a task or meet an obligation, barring unforseen complications. Example: "I will be at work tomorrow, Lord willing and the creek dont rise." |
| 1948 | Religion | Man Of God | A man of God is a clergyman. |
| 1949 | Religion | Man of the cloth | A man of the cloth is a priest. |
| 1950 | Religion | Man proposes, God disposes | Your fate lies in the hands of God. |
| 1951 | Religion | Move heaven and earth | This expression indicates a persons determined intention of getting a work done in spite of all odds he may face. He will use all and every means to accomplish the target. Example: He moved heaven and earth to get his literary work recognised by the committee of experts. |
| 1952 | Religion | Ninth circle of hell | In Dantes Inferno, the ninth circle of hell is the centre where the worst punishments are found, so it is used idiomatically for something that couldnt get worse. |
| 1953 | Religion | Not a snowball's chance in hell | There is absolutely no possibility of something hapening if theres not a snowballs chance in hell. |
| 1954 | Religion | Pastoral care | This is used in education to describe the aspect of care offered to pupils that cover things besides learning. |
| 1955 | Religion | Poisoned chalice | If someone is given a poisoned chalice, they are given a job or task which appears attractive but is actually doomed to failure or beset with problems that will damage their reputation or harm them. |
| 1956 | Religion | Poor as a church mouse | If soemone is as poor as a church mouse, they are very poor indeed. |
| 1957 | Religion | Practise what you preach | If you practise what you preach, you do what you say other people should do.(In American English, the verb is practice) |
| 1958 | Religion | Preaching to the choir | If someone preaches to the choir, they talking about a subject or issue with which their audience already agrees. (Preaching to the converted is an alternative form.) |
| 1959 | Religion | Prodigal son | A prodigal son is a young man who wastes a lot on money on a lavish lifestyle. If the prodigal son returns, they return to a better way of living. |
| 1960 | Religion | Right church, wrong pew | Right church, wrong pew means that someone is very nearly right, but someting is wrong. |
| 1961 | Religion | Saving grace | If someone has some character defects, but has a characteristic that compensate for their failings and shortcomings, this is their saving grace. |
| 1962 | Religion | Sell your soul | If someone sells their soul, their betray the most precious beliefs. |
| 1963 | Religion | Seventh heaven | If you are in seventh heaven, you are extremely happy. |
| 1964 | Religion | Sing from the same hymn sheet | If people are singing from the same hymn sheet, they are expressing the same opinions in public. |
| 1965 | Religion | Slough of despond | If someone is very depressed or in despair, theyre in a slough of despond. |
| 1966 | Religion | Speak of the devil! | If you are talking about someone and they happen to walk in, you can use this idiom as a way of letting them know you were talking about them. |
| 1967 | Religion | Tempt providence | If you tempt providence, you take a risk that may well have unpleasant consequences. (Tempt fate is also used.) |
| 1968 | Religion | To err is human, to forgive divine | This idiom is used when someone has done something wrong, suggesting that they should be forgiven. |
| 1969 | Religion | Vale of tears | This vale of tears is the world and the suffering that life brings. |
| 1970 | Religion | When hell freezes over | An impossible or very unlikely situation or event |
| 1971 | Religion | Wing and a prayer | If you do something on a wing and a prayer, you try to do something and hope youll succeed even though you have very little chance of success. |
| 1972 | Religion | Your sins will find you out | This idiom means that things you do wrong will become known. |
| 1973 | Sex and sexuality | An old flame | An old flame is a person that somebody has had an emotional, usually passionate, relationship with, who is still looked on fondly and with affection. |
| 1974 | Sex and sexuality | As the actress said to the bishop | (UK) This idiom is used to highlight a sexual reference, deliberate or accidental. |
| 1975 | Sex and sexuality | Facts of life | When someone is taught the facts of life, they learn about sex and reproduction. |
| 1976 | Sex and sexuality | In the club | (UK) If a womans in the club, shes pregnant. In the pudding club is an alternative form. |
| 1977 | Sex and sexuality | In the family way | If a woman is in the family way, she is pregnant. |
| 1978 | Sex and sexuality | Marriage of convenience | A marriage of convenience is a marriage or commitment made for financial, social or other benefit rather than love, affection, etc. |
| 1979 | Sex and sexuality | On the game | (UK) A person who is on the game works as a prostitute. |
| 1980 | Sex and sexuality | On the rebound | If someone is on the rebound, their relationship has recently ended and they are emotionally unstable. |
| 1981 | Sex and sexuality | Play the field | Someone who plays the field has sexual relationships with many people. |
| 1982 | Sex and sexuality | Shotgun marriage | A shotgun marriage, or shotgun wedding, is one that is forced because of pregnancy. It is also used idiomatically for a compromise, agreement or arrangement that is forced upon groups or people by necessity. |
| 1983 | Sex and sexuality | Up the duff | (UK) If a woman is up the duff, shes pregnant. |
| 1984 | Sex and sexuality | Up the stick | (UK) If a woman is up the stick, shes pregnant. |
| 1985 | Sex and sexuality | Virgin territory | If something is virgin territory, it hasnt been explored before. |
| 1986 | Sex and sexuality | X-rated | If something is x-rated, it is not suitable for children. |
| 1987 | Sport | A lost ball in the high weeds | A lost ball in the high weeds is someone who does not know what they are doing, where they are or how to do something. |
| 1988 | Sport | Ahead of the pack | If you are ahead of the pack, you have made more progress than your rivals. |
| 1989 | Sport | Argue the toss | (UK) If you argue the toss, you refuse to accept a decision and argue about it. |
| 1990 | Sport | Armchair quarterback | (USA) An armchair quarterback is someone who offers advice, especially about football, but never shows that they could actually do any better. |
| 1991 | Sport | Ball is in your court | If the ball is in your court, it is up to you to make the next decision or step. |
| 1992 | Sport | Batting a thousand | (USA) (from baseball) It means to do something perfectly. |
| 1993 | Sport | Be out in left field | (USA) To be out in left field is not to know whats going on. Taken from baseball, when youngsters assign less capable players to the outfield where the ball is less likely to be hit by a young player. In business, one might say, Dont ask the new manager; hes out in left field and doesnt know any answers yet. |
| 1994 | Sport | Beat to the punch | If you beat someone to the punch, you act before them and gain an advantage. |
| 1995 | Sport | Below par | If something isnt up to standard, or someone isnt feeling or doing very well, they are below par. |
| 1996 | Sport | Below the belt | If someone says something that is cruel or unfair, it is below the belt, like the illegal punches in boxing. |
| 1997 | Sport | Big hitter | A big hitter is someone who commands a lot of respect and is very important in their field. |
| 1998 | Sport | Blind-sided | If you are blind-sided, an event with a negative impact takes you completely by surprise. |
| 1999 | Sport | Blow by blow | A blow-by-blow description gives every detail in sequence. |
| 2000 | Sport | Box clever | (UK) If you box clever, you use your intelligence to get what you want, even if you have to cheat a bit. |
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