Idioms

Idioms

For common expressions in the language.

Industry: Language

Add a new term

Contributors in Idioms

Become a Contributors

Idioms

pound of flesh

Language; Idioms

If someone wants their pound of flesh, the force someone to pay or give back something owed, even though they don’t need it and it will cause the other person a lot of difficulty.

what can you expect from a hog but a grunt

Language; Idioms

This means that you can’t expect people to behave in a way that is not in their character- a ‘hog’ is a ‘pig’, so an unrefined person can’t be expected to behave in a refined way.

squeaky clean

Language; Idioms

If something is squeaky clean, it is very clean indeed- spotless. If a person is squeaky clean, they have no criminal record and are not suspected of illegal or immoral activities.

set the Thames on fire

Language; Idioms

If you do something remarkable, you set the Thames on fire, though this expression is used in the negative; someone who is dull or undistiguished will never set the Thames on fire.

root hog or die poor

Language; Idioms

It’s a expression used in the Southern USA that means that you must look out for yourself as no one’s going to do it for you. (It can be shortened to ‘root hog’. A hog is a pig.)

easier said than done

Language; Idioms

If something is easier said than done, it is much more difficult than it sounds. It is often used when someone advises you to do something difficult and tries to make it sound easy.

up to the eyes

Language; Idioms

You you are up to your eyes in something, you are deeply involved or to have too much of something like work. (‘Up the neck’, ‘up to the eyeballs’ and ‘up to the ears’ are also used.)