Popular idioms
What's an idiom? An idiom is a phrase or expression that sounds natural to someone whose mother tongue is that language.
A
Possessing something assured is preferable to gambling for extra, as there's a risk you could end up with nothing.
Something beneficial that initially goes unnoticed or unappreciated.
Feeling distressed about events that have already transpired.
Anything widespread and readily available to obtain.
Someone who demands tangible proof before accepting something as true.
A minimal segment of something much larger or complete.
A silly person readily parts with their money.
All participants must cooperate and work as one unit for success, otherwise it won't function.
Your fundamental nature cannot be altered.
Refraining from spending gradually builds up your savings.
Visual representation communicates far more effectively than words.
An assignment that's simple and straightforward to execute.
When the treatment you receive mirrors the way you handle others.
An outcome that remains uncertain and could develop in different directions.
Concrete action is far more valuable than simply discussing it.
When actions are taken that worsen an already problematic situation.
When someone displays hostile behavior yet avoids actually engaging in conflict.
Nonsensical and incomprehensible, similar to how someone unfamiliar with the Greek language would perceive it.
When all individuals are confronting the same set of obstacles.
Of considerable cost. Requiring a substantial financial outlay.
To be in disagreement or conflict with another person.
A person who is treasured and valued more than anyone else.
Anything positioned at great height above the earth.
At The Drop Of A Hat:
Ready to perform something right away.
B
Observers who offer critical commentary from the margins, like passengers offering uninvited guidance to the driver.
Being forced to commence anew from the beginning.
When an effort proves unsuccessful and recommencing from scratch becomes necessary.
A blunder committed while pursuing your objective.
To persist with a topic that has already concluded.
Circumventing the central point. Neglecting to address the matter directly.
Make any sacrifice to assist. Prepared to go to any lengths.
Trapped in a situation where both alternatives are equally unfavorable.
To accept a task that is far too demanding.
No connection surpasses the strength of the family tie.
A folk superstition for wishing success by expressing the reverse of 'good luck' rather than the phrase itself.
To buy a car that repeatedly malfunctions or breaks down shortly after the purchase.
C
A person who lacks the capability to engage in competition or participation.
A person experiencing no difficulties with consuming any food or beverage whatsoever.
Rigidity or muscle spasm occurring in the leg.
Chip on his Shoulder:
Currently harboring resentment over something that transpired previously.
To approach the completion of a goal very closely but ultimately fail to achieve it.
Any challenge or complication that stands in your way.
To desire that something unfolds in the manner you prefer.
When you voice regret over something you lost in earlier times.
Deliberately set off a false warning or unfounded signal.
Excessive curiosity may steer you toward risky circumstances.
Disregard superfluous information and focus on the essential matter.
D
A person who was once obscure but has risen to prominence.
A person who assumes a stance purely for debating purposes without genuinely endorsing it. Alternatively, it may denote someone presenting an opposing viewpoint to a rival on a position they themselves actually support.
The most intensely warm period occurring during summer months.
Do not place confidence in it until you have confirmed it.
If someone offers you a present, demonstrate gratitude.
Avoid concentrating all your assets into a solitary outcome.
Something that concludes within the final moments or seconds.
When the situation is critical, drastic measures become necessary.
To exasperate and/or bother to a considerable degree.
An epidemic affecting numerous individuals through sickness or loss of life.
E
A particular object is no longer obtainable. This phrase may also refer to discarding something.
The performance has finished. Everything is concluded.
The systematic destruction of an entire ethnic or religious population.
Maintain a hopeful outlook; even the toughest circumstances will eventually bring brighter prospects.
Practically everything imaginable has been covered.
I apologize for my foul language.
F
A violent assault carried out by multiple people against an individual.
A pleasant moment or favorable situation.
To grow accustomed to an activity or situation you're engaged in.
Reluctant to deviate from established habits or methods.
Something that appears promising at first glance yet disappoints by producing no results.
A marketplace where individuals congregate to exchange and purchase low-cost items.
This phrase may denote the biological substance comprising human beings, or alternatively, one's relatives and kinship.
To gesture rudely at a person by extending your middle finger.
Pyrite of iron, a valueless mineral that imitates genuine gold in appearance.
A kiss with lips parted where tongues make contact.
To transition from extreme poverty to considerable affluence.
A person with outdated views who lacks common sense.
This expression can signify either "everything in its entirety" or "entirely unclothed".
A psychiatric hospital or medical institution for mental health.
G
To adopt a grave attitude towards a matter.
To get past or overcome something that troubles you.
A person experiencing an exceptionally bad day.
To be met with negative reactions from spectators or listeners.
To risk your entire assets or possessions on an uncertain outcome.
To place yourself in difficult circumstances to aid or defend someone or something.
Exceeding the minimum standards necessary to complete the current assignment.
A person who renders assistance to those facing hardship, without expectation of payment or recognition.
Working hours from about 12:00 am to 8:00 am. The time of the day when most other people are sleeping.
People of similar intellect tend to reason in comparable ways.
A holding area, particularly for individuals preparing to appear on broadcast media.
Gut Feeling:
An instinctive sense you experience, particularly when you sense something could be amiss.
H
Rushing through tasks typically leads to unsatisfactory results.
When one player scores three goals in the same hockey game. This idiom can also mean three scores in any other sport, such as 3 homeruns, 3 touchdowns, 3 soccer goals, etc.
Have an Axe to Grind:
To have a disagreement or conflict with someone.
Feeling intense emotions and being controlled by anger.
Experiencing extreme happiness and enthusiasm, particularly when romantically involved.
Getting progressively worse and moving toward total failure.
Striking hands together above your heads as a way to celebrate.
To prepare through intensive studying, particularly in readiness for a test or exam.
To perform or express something with complete accuracy.
A word commonly used in connection with illusions or deception.
I
Receiving something additional when you're already in a favorable situation.
Trouble becomes more likely when you lack activities to occupy your time.
When problems occur in succession, with each one triggering the next.
To accomplish something without difficulty, particularly in matters of romance.
In The Heat Of The Moment:
Swept up by the intensity of present circumstances.
A forceful and daring direct confrontation.
A conflict between two individuals where each bears some responsibility.
Repeatedly encountering the same individuals in various different locations.
A contest whose result is unclear or hard to foresee.
Ivy League:
Since 1954 the Ivy League has been the following universities: Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Yale, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Harvard.
J
Jaywalk:
Crossing the street (from the middle) outside of the designated pedestrian crossing area.
Joshing Me:
Tricking me.
K
Keep An Eye On Him:
You need to watch him with careful attention.
Keep body and soul together:
To make enough money to sustain your life and existence.
Keep your chin up:
To stay optimistic during difficult and challenging times.
Kick The Bucket:
Die.
Kitty-corner:
Located diagonally across. Also sometimes referred to as Catty-Corner.
Knee Jerk Reaction:
An immediate and involuntary response.
Knock On Wood:
Tapping wood with your knuckles to prevent bad fortune from occurring.
Know the Ropes:
To grasp the specific particulars and nuances.
L
An introductory expression designed to show that the person just mentioned is equally significant as those previously presented.
Lend Me Your Ear:
To respectfully request someone's full and undivided attention.
Let Bygones Be Bygones:
To move past a prior disagreement or dispute.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie:
To refrain from reopening a previous conflict.
Let The Cat Out Of The Bag:
To reveal information that was intended to remain confidential.
Level playing field:
Takmičenje u kojem obe strane imaju jednake mogućnosti bez prednosti.
Like a chicken with its head cut off:
To behave in a chaotic, disorganized, and hectic manner.
liquor someone up:
Napiti nekoga da postane pijan.
Long in the Tooth:
Starije osobe (ili konji).
Loose Cannon:
A person whose behavior is erratic and can lead to harmful consequences if not monitored.
M
Make No Bones About:
To express something plainly and unambiguously so there is no confusion.
Method To My Madness:
Actions that appear irrational or illogical on the surface but ultimately serve a reasonable and purposeful goal.
Mumbo Jumbo:
Besmisleni ili prazni razgovori.
Mum's the word:
To remain silent and not reveal any information.
N
Nest Egg:
Novac odložen za budućnost.
Never Bite The Hand That Feeds You:
Do not mistreat or harm those who provide you with help or support.
New kid on the block:
A person who has recently arrived or joined a particular group or community.
New York Minute:
An extremely brief moment that passes almost instantaneously, particularly in a fast-paced atmosphere.
No Dice:
To decline or reject an offer, proposal, or suggestion.
No Room to Swing a Cat:
Veoma mali ili ograničeni prostor.
Not Playing With a Full Deck:
Osoba kojoj nedostaje inteligencija.
O
Loš početak u odnosu ili nekom zadatku.
To be freed or relieved from a challenging situation or predicament.
A private statement that the speaker wishes not to be associated with or credited to them.
On Pins And Needles:
Feeling worried or tense, particularly while waiting for something to occur.
Kada više osoba misli isto o nekoj stvari.
An event that emerges abruptly and without any prior warning.
Out On A Limb:
Kada osoba sama sebe stavlja u rizičnu situaciju.
Zabaviti se izlaženjem napolje.
A firm refusal to permit or tolerate something under any circumstances.
P
Izbegavati odgovornost prebacujući je na drugoga.
Vožnja punom brzinom, posebno automobila.
A person who gains gratification from watching naked or sexually active individuals.
Pick up your ears:
Slušati sa velikom pažnjom.
An agreement entered into without careful investigation or prior review.
To consume large quantities of food at a rapid pace.
Through consistent practice, your abilities will steadily improve.
To halt something. To bring it to completion or end.
To demand silence from a loud person or noisy group.
Q
R
A proposal that is refused now but may be accepted at a later time.
An extremely loud and boisterous rainstorm.
Independent oversight maintained to ensure security, notably of project finances.
The moment to rise and prepare yourself for your daily work or studies.
If you require something to be executed flawlessly, it will require time to accomplish.
Run out of steam:
To have exhausted all one's energy completely.
S
Rescued in the final moment before it becomes too late.
A person who accepts fault for another's actions.
To get away and avoid paying what you owe.
To suffer from serious illness (such as a cold or influenza).
Sitting in the front passenger position of an automobile.
The supernatural ability to make contact with spirits of the deceased.
A neglected section of an urban area where homeless persons and substance abusers congregate.
To identify that someone in the group is disloyal to the rest.
To sense that something is wrong and suspect there could be a cause.
Southpaw:
A person who predominantly uses their left hand.
To restart from the very start and begin once more.
T
The choice belongs to you at this point.
Two alternatives are available and you possess both of them.
Though defeating a larger and mightier opponent is significantly harder, their defeat comes at a far greater cost.
As countless minor hardships pile up into an intolerable load, the final straw symbolizes the last small strain someone can tolerate.
Following two failed attempts, the third effort succeeds and brings fortune.
A phrase someone uses in a lengthy tedious account to maintain their audience's focus. Customarily the account does not get condensed.
To claim achievement for work performed by another individual.
Joking or jest, not meant to be interpreted as genuine.
To deny the existence of something you recognize as authentic and valid.
U
Following a particular course that ultimately results in an unfavorable or negative outcome.
V
Pursuing and engaging in diverse experiences makes life more vibrant and gratifying.
W
Wag the Dog:
Redirecting attention away from something of greater significance or importance.
Matters or events from earlier times that have ceased to hold relevance or importance.
To communicate and display your feelings in an unguarded and sincere manner.
Pošto retko pada kiša, kad padne biće sve ogromna pljusak.
Nešto što se nikada neće desiti.
Kad nekom prirede skupan obrok.
X
An expression used when a person successfully locates something they had been pursuing.
Y
Sustaining good health requires the consumption of nutritious and wholesome food.
Izbore ne treba donositi pre svega prema spoljnom izgledu.
Treasure what you currently have rather than crave what you lack, as material possessions cannot accompany you beyond life.
Z
Niti jedan prekršaj ili kršenje zakona, mali ili veliki, neće ostati primetjen.
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