This document discusses common idioms used to describe personality traits, including "being a pain in the neck" which refers to someone who is bothersome or annoying. Other idioms examined are "having eyes like a hawk" meaning someone who notices everything, "having one's head in the clouds" referring to being absentminded or unaware, and "having nerves of steel" indicating someone who is brave and patient. Further idioms defined are "having a big mouth" meaning being a gossip, "being a couch potato" referring to a lazy television watcher, and "being down to earth" denoting someone who is realistic and practical. The document also looks at being a "social butterfly" to describe a very social and easygoing

1. Idioms to describe personality
Diana L. Portillo
UNAM FES Iztacala
June 2016

2. To be a pain in the neck
 Fig. A bother, an
annoyance.
 Your little brother is
a pain in the neck.
 Image source:
http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/morsapedi
a/images/3/3a/Naranja_Molesta.JPG/revision/
latest?cb=20100422203210&path-prefix=es

3. To have eyes like a hawk
 Fig. Someone who
has eyes like a
hawk notices
everything.
 The supervisor has
eyes like a hawk.
 Image source: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-
7Znjn_xSSq4/Vc21LNmii0I/AAAAAAAAB8k/5
1KwaQZuhbI/s1600/mzl.jbncfeqx.png

4. To have one´s head in the clouds
 Fig. Be
absentminded,
impractical or
unaware of what is
going on.
 He had her head in
the clouds when
she was attending
the meeting.  Image source:
https://img0.etsystatic.com/000/1/5294755/il_
170x135.263914926.jpg

5. To have nerves of steel
 Fig. Someone who
has nerves of steel
is brave and has
great patience and
courage.
 You should have
nerves of steel to
talk in front of a
crowd.
 Image source: http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-
mm-
/7781e9ff3912a3ddbf5450da4b9b7607558de
ae8/r=x393&c=520x390/local/-
/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2013/06/04/1
370368400000-01-cavill-1306111039_4_3.jpg

6. To have a big mouth
 Fig. To be a
gossiper, a person
who tells secrets.
 She has a big
mouth; she spoiled
my sister´s surprise
party.
 Image source:
http://www.idiomexamples.com/img/pics/2013
0911_212530_.jpg

7. To be a couch potato
 Fig. A lazy
individual, addicted
to television
watching.
 Couch potatoes
tend to be fatter
than many people.
 Image source: http://zexchanges.com/wp-
content/uploads/2016/04/Couch-potato-
300x286-150x143.gif

8. To be down to earth
 Fig.Realistic,
sensible, practical.
 He´s the most
down-to-earth
person I´ve ever
met.
 Image source:
http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/ima
ges/mahatma-gandhi-33.jpg

9. To be a social butterfly
 Fig. Someone who
is very social and
easygoing.
 She´s a real social
butterfly! She was
in five parties last
weekend!
 Image source:
http://mediaresources.idiva.com/media//conte
nt/2014/Nov/the_challenging_life_of_a_social
_butterfly.jpg

10.  dnospraka@yahoo.com

11. Sources:
 The free dictionary by Farlex:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/be
+easy+on+the+eye (Retrieved on
June 2nd, 2016).
 Urban dictionary:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.
php?term=social%20butterfly
(Retrieved on June 4th, 2016).