In Other Words: Idioms
Idioms are phrases that mean more than their words put together. If you take them word for word, they might not make much sense! Idioms are a little like puzzles: try imagining a picture or a situation that the phrase suggests, and guess at the meaning from there.
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World Almanac for Kids
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Harry S. Truman
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the buck stops here
"taking responsibility for something, instead of blaming someone else."
President Harry S. Truman invented this phrase and had a sign made for his desk with those words. Truman liked to play poker, a popular card game. In poker a marker called a "buck" was placed in front of the player who would be the next to deal the cards. A player who didn't want to deal could pass the buck to the next player.
buying a pig in a poke
"buying something without seeing it."
At country fairs in England years ago, dishonest men would put a cat in a burlap bag and try to sell it as a young pig. If a suspicious buyer wanted to see the pig, the seller would be forced to "let the cat out of the bag" (another idiom, meaning "to expose a secret"). Poke, meaning "bag or sack," is not heard much anymore, but it is the source of the word "pocket."
the fat's in the fire
"the damage is already done."
This phrase probably came from a kitchen centuries ago. Fat was, and still is, often used in cooking. If it spills in the fire, it burns up right away, and there is nothing to be done about it.
a flash in the pan
"something that looks like it will be a big success, but does not work out."
Flintlock muskets had a little pan to be filled with gunpowder. When the trigger was pulled, a spark from the flint would light that powder. It was supposed to burn through a hole in the barrel and light more powder behind the bullet. A "flash in the pan" made light and smoke for a second, but didn't fire the bullet.
footing the bill
"paying."
The person who signs his or her name at the bottom, or "foot," of a bill or check (as at a restaurant) is the one who pays. Signing the foot, or "footing it," has come to mean paying.
hat trick
"scoring three times in a game."
Used in hockey and soccer, this term came from the English game of cricket. In cricket, a bowler (sort of like a pitcher) tries to knock over three wooden stakes, or wickets, that are guarded by a player with a flat bat. Knocking down three wickets on three straight "pitches" was called a "hat trick." A long time ago, players who did it won a hat.
in a pickle
"in an awkward or embarrassing situation."
Meats and vegetables can be preserved by soaking them in barrels of a salty solution called pickle. The Dutch had a phrase meaning "sitting in the pickle," which was borrowed into English about 500 years ago.
the jig is up
"the game or trick is exposed."
In Shakespeare's time, "jig" was a slang for trick. When the "jig is up," the trick has been discovered.
the nick of time
"just before time is up."
Years ago, the scores of some games (like soccer) were kept by cutting notches or "nicks" in each end of a wooden "tally stick." A winning goal that came just before the clock ran out was said to be a "nick in time."
pull the wool over someone's eyes
"trick or deceive."
In the days when gentlemen wore powdered wigs, "wool" was a funny word for hair. Jokesters would knock a man's wig (his wool) down over his eyes so that he couldn't see what was happening.
bite off more than you can chew—"take on more than one can handle." Take a big bite out of a sandwich so that some of it is still sticking out past your lips. Now try chewing. Don't you wish you had bitten off less?
chew someone out—"to severely scold someone." The phrase supposedly came from the U.S. Army. It seems fitting that an angry, screaming general would make people feel as if they had just been chewed up and spit out.
chew the fat—"to have a long, friendly, and informal chat." Fat is tough to chew. The original phrasemakers probably had a fatty cut of meat and a whole lot of time to chew it. You'd probably want to chew the fat with your firends after school, but maybe not with your principal.
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World Almanac for Kids
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raining cats and dogs
"raining very heavily."
Centuries ago, people thought certain animals had magical powers. Sailors believed cats had something to do with rainstorms. Dogs and wolves were symbols of winds in Norse mythology.
skate on thin ice
be in a dangerous or risky situation
go bananas
to act silly or crazy
cap in hand
in a humble or respectful manner
fill someone's shoes
take someone else's place, do another person's job
fit like a glove
fit or suit perfectly
get hot under the collar
become angry
in one's stocking feet
wearing stockings or socks, but not shoes
keep under one's hat
keep secret, keep to oneself
all wet
no good
my cup runneth over
I have everything I could possibly want
shed crocodile tears
cry insincerely
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Some "horsy" idioms
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don't look a gift horse in the mouth
"accept gifts graciously."
By checking how worn down a horse's teeth are you can get an idea of its age. Since the animal was a gift, checking its age is considered impolite. A more modern example might be looking for the label or the price tag on a gift.
closing the barn door after the horse has bolted
"doing something too late."
Once the horse is gone, closing the door won't do any good.
put the cart before the horse
"do something in reverse order."
If you brag to all your friends that you're going to the John Mayer concert before your parents have gotten tickets, you would be putting the cart before the horse.
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cold fish
someone who is unfriendly or does not show feelings
cry wolf
to alarm others or whine about something when there is no real danger
dog-eat-dog
fierce competition
horse around
to have fun; play around
open a can of worms
to open up a lot of new problems
snake in the grass
a liar, cheat, or sneaky person
ballpark figure
a rough estimate
cruisin' into homebase
returning to your house
get the ball rolling
get something started
let's touch base
let's talk to each other about something
out of left field
unexpected, from an unlikely source
off base
to be wrong
on the ball
to be alert or quick to catch on or understand
play games
to fool someone or keep the truth from someone
right off the bat
immediately, first thing
smash hit
a big success
strike someone funny
to seem funny to someone
the game is up
a lie or other secret act has been discovered
all thumbs
clumsy
all ears
paying attention carefully
armed to the teeth
heavily armed
arm in arm
doing something with another person with arms connected; in agreement
flip your wig
to go crazy or get excited without warning
get out of my face
stop bothering me
knee-jerk reaction
an automatic response
off the top of your head
using the first idea that occurs to you
pull one's leg
fool or trick someone
talking head
a TV personality shown mostly from the shoulders up, just talking, not doing anything
green thumb
very good at growing plants, vegetables, flowers
green with envy
to be extremely envious
in the black
making a profit, not in debt
in the red
not having enough money
out of the blue
seemingly from nowhere
see red
to become very angry
wave a white flag
to indicate, in battle, that you wish to surrender
white elephant
something of little or no value
get with the program
follow the rules
joined at the hip
always together
like two peas in a pod
very similar
on the same wavelength
thinking the same thing
in the groove
in top form
face the music
be realistic, face the facts
play by ear
do something without planning ahead
stay tuned
pay attention
blow hot and cold
first show one feeling, then show the opposite
a break in the clouds
a happy turn of events, a change for the better
chill out
relax, take it easy
once in a blue moon
rarely
caught the wave
followed the latest trend
flew the coop
left or departed, often secretly or guiltily
hit the ground running
start a project immediately
I got your back
I'm here for you
made a beeline
went somewhere fast
off da hook
really cool
on the right track
heading for the right conclusion
Lenguaje: En otras palabras: Expresiones idiomáticas (Spanish Version)