This document defines and provides examples for 10 common English idioms: 1) A hot potato refers to a difficult problem that causes disagreement. 2) Bite the hands that feed you means to show ingratitude to someone who has helped you. 3) To talk turkey means to discuss something seriously with the intent of solving it. 4) Put wool over other people's eyes means to deceive someone. 5) A penny for your thoughts asks what someone is thinking when they are quiet. 6) Straight from the horse's mouth refers to information from the most authoritative source. 7) Back to the drawing board means to restart planning after initial plans fail. 8) Big cheese refers

1. IDIOMS

2. 1. A hot potato
• a problem, situation, etc. that is difficult to deal
with and causes a lot of disagreement:
• Origin:
The term originated in the mid 1800s and is
derived from the slightly older term “to drop like
a hot potato”, meaning “to abandon something
or someone quickly”. It alludes to the fact that
cooked potatoes retain considerable heat
because they contain a lot of water.

3. • Example
• I never discuss about anyone’s religion, it can
be a hot potato.

4. 2. Bite the hands
that feed you
• to reflect ingratitude towards a someone who
has been helpful
• used for people who do not show respect for
the one who has helped them

5. • Example
• I know you’re upset with your parents,
but don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
They’ve done a lot for you over the years.”

6. 3.To talk turkey
• to talk business; to talk frankly.
• to discuss a problem seriously with the intenti
on of solving it

7. • Origin
• This expression allegedly comesfrom a tale about
an Indian and a white man who hunted together
and divided the game. When the white man said,
"I'lltake the turkey and you the buzzard, or you ta
ke the buzzard and I the turkey," the Indian replie
d, "Talk turkey tome." Whether or not this tale ha
d a true basis, the term was recorded in its prese
nt meaning by about 1840.

8. Example
• Speak plainly, get to the point, as in Don't call
me until you're ready to talk turkey.

9. 4. Put wool over
other people’s eye
• to deceive someone
• Example
• Beware of quacks posing as doctors. They
will pull the wool over your eyes and
disappear with their fees.

10. 5. A penny for your
thoughts
• used for ​wanting to ​know what another ​person
is ​thinking, usually because they have not
spoken for a some time
• example
• “You have been quiet for a while, a penny for
your thoughts.”

11. 6. Straight from the
horse’s mouth
• The best source of information and from the highest
authority.
• Origin
• The origin of this phrase has reference to horse racing.
When you get a tip for a horse race, the tip is better as
nearer it is to the horse e.g. the jockey or the trainer.
When you got it straight from the horse's mouth, you
have it directly from the source,horse itself. It has been
used since the early 1900s.

12. • Example
• I got a few tips for the coming examination
and they came straight from the horse’s
mouth.

13. 7. Back to the
drawing board
• to start planning something again because the first plan
failed.
• Origin
• drawing board, also referred to as a drawing table or
architect's table, is used to write down designs for things. It
can be useful to jot down a blueprint of something before
creating it to give a basic outline of what needs to be done.
For instance, before building a house, an architect may
decide to use a drawing table to plan out its
measurements, the layout of the inside, and how he wants
it to look overall once it is finished.

14. example
• Their plans to open a hotel in Fiji fell through,
so it was back to the drawing board.

15. 8. Big cheese
• an important or powerful person in a group or
organization
• Example
• He has been the big cheese even before the
elections, now he only has a position to his
name.

16. 9. Egg on one’s face
• to be extremely embarrassed
• Example
• A: Happy Birthday!
B: My birthday was last month!
A: Oh. I really have egg on my face, don’t I?

17. 10. cut no ice
• to have no influence or importance; fail to
impress:
• Example
• The teacher heard Adward’s excuses and they cut
no ice with her.