Idioms
English fixed expressions — phrases whose meaning isn't obvious from the individual words. Each entry shows the meaning, an example sentence, and its register.
50 idioms
800-pound gorilla
Informal · CEFR C1
the biggest, most powerful player in a market, which dominates everything around it
Bob's your uncle
Informal · CEFR C1
used after simple instructions to signal that the task is finished or the result achieved
a penny for your thoughts
Informal · CEFR C1
A friendly way of asking what someone is quietly thinking about.
at sixes and sevens
Informal · CEFR C1
in a confused, disorganized state
beat/get the hell out of something
Informal · CEFR C1
to leave a place very quickly (get); or to defeat or hit something severely (beat)
bikeshedding
Informal · CEFR C1
spending a disproportionate amount of time on trivial details while ignoring the important parts of a problem
bleeding edge
Informal · CEFR C1
the very newest and most experimental technology, so new it may be unstable or unreliable
bog standard
Informal · CEFR C1
completely ordinary, with no special features (British, informal)
by the seat of your pants
Informal · CEFR C1
to do something by instinct and improvisation rather than by plan
call the cavalry
Informal · CEFR C1
to ask for extra help or reinforcements in a difficult situation
cock a snook
Informal · CEFR C1
to make a mocking gesture that expresses disrespect or defiance
cold turkey
Informal · CEFR C1
to stop a habit or addiction completely and suddenly
cut your teeth on
Informal · CEFR C1
to gain your first experience of something, usually early in your career
do someone's head in
Informal · CEFR C1
to cause intense mental strain, frustration, or irritation
dogfooding
Informal · CEFR C1
using your own product internally, before customers do, to test and improve it
dot the i's and cross the t's
Informal · CEFR C1
to be extremely careful about every detail, especially paperwork
dry powder
Informal · CEFR C1
cash reserves kept ready to invest when opportunities appear
get down to the nitty gritty
Informal · CEFR C1
to deal with the most important or practical details of something
get your ducks in a row
Informal · CEFR C1
to organize things carefully before acting
go belly up
Informal · CEFR C1
to fail completely, especially of a business
go down in flames
Informal · CEFR C1
To fail suddenly and completely.
go pear-shaped
Informal · CEFR C1
to go wrong, to fail in an awkward way
gold-plating
Informal · CEFR C1
adding unnecessary features, polish, or complexity to a product beyond what was asked for
golden handcuffs
Informal · CEFR C1
financial incentives designed to keep a valuable employee from leaving
growth hacking
Informal · CEFR C1
using creative, low-cost, data-driven experiments to grow a user base rapidly
have a chip on your shoulder
Informal · CEFR C1
to carry lasting resentment and be easily offended because you feel you were treated unfairly
herding cats
Informal · CEFR C1
trying to coordinate or control a group of highly independent people
in the trenches
Informal · CEFR C1
doing the difficult, unglamorous, hands-on work at the front line of a problem or project
joe public
Informal · CEFR C1
the ordinary, average member of the public
jump the shark
Informal · CEFR C1
to reach the point of absurd decline, past which a product or franchise loses credibility
keep your nose to the grindstone
Informal · CEFR C1
to work hard and steadily without distraction
let the cat among the pigeons
Informal · CEFR C1
To say or do something that causes sudden trouble or excitement.
move fast and break things
Informal · CEFR C1
a philosophy of shipping quickly and accepting breakage in order to learn faster
not cricket
Informal · CEFR C1
unfair, dishonorable, or contrary to accepted standards of behavior
pull out all the stops
Informal · CEFR C1
to make the maximum possible effort, holding nothing back
put the boot in
Informal · CEFR C1
to attack harshly, especially when the target is already vulnerable or beaten
rob Peter to pay Paul
Informal · CEFR C1
to pay one debt by creating another
rubber duck debugging
Informal · CEFR C1
to debug or solve a problem by explaining it line by line, out loud, to an inanimate object such as a rubber duck
smoke and mirrors
Informal · CEFR C1
a deceptive or illusory presentation that hides what is really going on
streets ahead
Informal · CEFR C1
much further advanced or clearly superior to the competition
swimming naked
Informal · CEFR C1
being exposed as unprepared or over-leveraged once market conditions turn
swings and roundabouts
Informal · CEFR C1
a situation where advantages and disadvantages balance out (British)
tail end Charlie
Informal · CEFR C1
the last person or thing in a group or sequence (British, informal)
the buck stops here
Informal · CEFR C1
responsibility rests with the speaker, not to be passed on
the whole nine yards
Informal · CEFR C1
Everything possible; the full extent.
throw a wobbly
Informal · CEFR C1
to have a sudden angry or distressed outburst and lose self-control
touchy-feely
Informal · CEFR C1
showing emotions or physical affection openly, sometimes in a way that seems excessive
wet behind the ears
Informal · CEFR C1
young and inexperienced
when it rains it pours
Informal · CEFR C1
when problems come, they come all at once
yak shaving
Informal · CEFR C1
a seemingly pointless chain of tasks that must each be completed before the original task can be done