This document defines and provides examples for common English idioms and expressions. Some of the idioms explained are "tied to someone's apron strings" meaning dependent on another, "ants in one's pants" meaning very restless or excited, and "any port in a storm" meaning accepting a substandard solution due to lack of better options.

1. IDIOMS
Apron strings
If one person is tied to another's apron strings, they remain
dependent
at an age when they should be independent.
"All his decisions are influenced by his mother. He's still tied to
her
apron strings."
Ants in one's pants
People who have ants in their pants are very restless or
excited about
something
"I wish he'd relax. He's got ants in his pants about something
today!"
Any port in a storm
When you have no choice, any port in a storm refers to a
solution
you accept, which in normal circumstances you would find
unacceptable.
"The hotel was substandard, but it was a case of any port in a
storm;
all the others were full."
Away with the fairies
To say that someone is away with the fairies means that they
are
in such a dreamy state that they are not totally in touch with
reality
and give the impression of being slightly mad.
"It's no use trying to explain the problem to her - she's away
with the
fairies!"
Bag of bones
To say that someone is a bag of bones means that they are
extremely thin.
"When he came home from the war he was a bag of bones."
Jump on the bandwagon
If a person or organization jumps on the bandwagon,
they decide to do something when it is already successful or
fashionable.
"When organic food became popular, certain stores were quick
to jump on the bandwagon and promote it."
Ring a bell.
If something rings a bell, it is vaguely familiar to you,
but you can't remember the exact details .
"John Bentley? The name rings a bell but I don't remember
him."
Half an eye
If you have or keep half an eye on something, you watch
something
without giving it your full attention.
"She kept half en eye on the tv screen while she was preparing
dinner."

2. Hand in glove
Two or more people who are in collusion, or work in close
association,
are said to be hand in glove.
"After the match, it was discovered that he was hand in glove
with the
referee."
Highways and byways
If you travel the highways and byways, you take large and
small
roads to visit every part of a country.
"He travelled the highways and byways looking for traces of his
ancestors."
Make your blood boil
If something makes your blood boil, it makes you really angry.
"His condescending attitude made my blood boil!"
A taste of one's own medicine
If you give someone a taste of their own medicine, you treat
them
in the same unpleasant way that they have treated you.
"People who always arrive late should be given a taste of their
own
medicine."
Move heaven and earth
To say that you will move heaven and earth means that you are
prepared to do everything that is possible in order to obtain or
achieve
something.
"I promise I will move heaven and earth to get a work permit for
you."
Mum's the word
To say "Mum's the word" means that the subject or plan is
a secret and must not be revealed.
"We're organizing a surprise event on New Year's Eve,
so Mum's the word - OK?"
Off the record
If you say something off the record, you do not want anyone to
repeat it publicly.
"My comment was made off the record, and shouldn't have
been
published"
Out of the question
Something which is out of the question is impossible and is
therefore
not worth discussing.
"Buying a new car is out of the question - we can't afford it."
Quaking in one's boots
When someone is extremely scared, it is said that they
are quaking
in their boots.
"When he saw the crocodiles in the water, he started quaking
in his
boots."
From rags to riches
If you go from rags to riches, you start off being very poor and
become very rich and successful
"By renovating old houses in the right places, he went from
rags to
riches."
It never rains but it pours
This expression is used to comment on the fact that when
something
bad happens, other bad things often happen too, and make
the
situation even worse.
"First he forgot his briefcase, then he lost his wallet, and when

3. he
reached the car park, his car had been stolen -
it never rains but it pours!"
Raining cats and dogs
If it's raining cats and dogs, it's raining very heavily.
"We'll have to cancel the picnic I'm afraid. It's raining cats and
dogs."
Raise the roof
When people raise the roof, they make a lot of noise by
cheering,
shouting, whistling or clapping their hands.
"The concert was such a success, the audience raised the
roof."
Red carpet
To roll out the red carpet means to give special treatment to an
important or honoured visitor.
The management is going to roll out the red carpet for the visit
of
the Nobel prize winner.
Rob Peter to pay Paul
If a person robs Peter to pay Paul, they pay one debt with
money
borrowed from somewhere else, thus creating another debt.
"David borrowed money from a friend to cover his overdraft;
a typical case of robbing Peter to pay Paul!"
On somebody's tail
If you are on somebody's tail, you follow them closely.
"The suspect hasn't been arrested yet, but the police are on his
tail."
Take the law into one's own
hands
If, instead of calling the police, you act personally against
someone
who has done something wrong, you take the law into your own
hands.
"Instead of calling the police, he took the law into his own
hands and
confronted the youth who had stolen his son's scooter."