Content:

One word Substituion
Idioms with meanings
Idioms with sentences

ONE WORD SUBSTITUTION

Sr Sentence One word
1. A partner in crime: Accomplice
2. Written declaration made on an oath: Affidavit
3. A list of things to be discussed at a meeting: Agenda
4. One who doubts the existence of God: Agnostic/Atheist
5. One who is a habitual drunkard: Alcoholic
6. A legal defence by which an accused person tries to show that he was somewhere else when the crime was committed: Alibi
7. A person who lives in a foreign country: Alien
8. One who takes part in sports and other activities for enjoyment only: Amateur
9. A statement that is open to more than one interpretation: Ambiguous
10. A general pardon of political offender: Amnesty
11. One who is out to destroy the government: Anarchist
12. Absence of government: Anarchy
13. The science of the structure of human body: Anatomy
14. An instrument used for measuring force of the wind: Anemometer
15. Medicine which produces insensitivity: Anaesthetic
16. A book written by an unknown author: Anonymous
17. The study of man: Anthropology
18. A medicine used to counteract poison: Antidote
19. One who studies things of the past: Antiquarian
20. A substance which kills germs: Antiseptic
21. An artificial pond or a tank used for keeping live fish, water plants, etc. Aquarium
22. A study of ancient things: Archaeology
23. One who prepares plans for buildings: Architect
24. A place where government and public records are kept: Archive
25. A government by the nobility: Aristocracy
26. A study of stars and planets and their influence on human affairs: Astrology
27. One who flies a space vehicle: Astronaut
28. The study of stars: Astronomy
29. Animals that live in water: Aquatic
30. Space or room which is immediately below the roof of a house: Attic
31. Something that can be heard: Audible
32. A record of one’s life written by oneself: Autobiography
33. A government by one: Autocracy
34. The right of self-government: Autonomy
35. A place for keeping birds: Aviary
36. An unmarried man: Bachelor
37. One who is unable to pay off one’s debt: Bankrupt
38. A building used for lodging soldiers: Barrack
39. Hastily erected barrier across a street: Barricade
40. One who is engaged to be married: Betrothed
41. A great lover of books: Bibliophile
42. One who can speak two languages: Bilingual
43. An instrument used by both the eyes to see a distant object in an increased shape: Binocular
44. A record of one’s life written by somebody else: Biography
45. A study of plants: Botany
46. A bunch of flowers: Bouquet
47. A collection of flags: Bunting
48. A government by the officials: Bureaucracy
49. A list which contains dates and days: Calendar
50. The art of beautiful writing: Calligraphy
51. One who eats human flesh: Cannibal
52. The dead body of an animal: Carcass
53. One who lives on flesh: Carnivorous
54. A place with gambling tables: Casino
55. Soldiers on horses: Cavalry
56. One who is unmarried: Celibate
57. One who is more than hundred years old: Centenarian
58. Situation in which everything happens in a confused way: Chaotic
59. One who mends shoes: Cobbler
60. People who work together: Colleagues
61. A person belonging to one’s own country: Compatriot
62. One who is completely self-satisfied: Complacent
63. One who sells sweets and pastries: Confectioner
64. Belonging to an individual from birth: Congenital
65. One who believes in keeping things and customs as they are: Conservative
66. A number of stars grouped together: Constellation
67. Smuggled goods: Contraband
68. One who lives at the same time: Contemporary
69. One for whom the world is home: Cosmopolitan
70. One who easily believes what others say: Credulous
71. A number of sailors working on a ship: Crew
72. A war of religion: Crusade
73. One who questions everything: Cynic
74. A person who has been appointed or selected to attend or speak at a conference: Delegate
75. A government by the people: Democracy
76. A language of a region with its own way: Dialect
77. Shy, timid unwilling to face a situation: Diffident
78. A book which contains telephone addresses: Directory
79. A game in which no one wins: Draw
80. Extremely dry weather without rainfall: Drought
81. One who deals in cattle: Drover
82. A person who is slow in learning: Dunce
83. One who has strange habits: Eccentric
84. Something that can be eaten: Edible
85. One who thinks and talks too much about himself/herself: Egoist
86. A poem written to mourn the death of someone: Elegy
87. The most capable part of group, class of society or a country: Elite
88. The art of effective speaking: Elocution
89. One who is given to the pleasures of flesh: Epicure
90. A book containing information on all branches of knowledge: Encyclopaedia
91. A speech made by the dramatist at the end of the play: Epilogue
92. Words inscribed on a tomb about the person buried therein: Epitaph
93. A statement open to more than one interpretations: Equivocal
94. The act of spying: Espionage
95. A study of the origin of words: Etymology
96. To shift people from a place of danger to a safer place: Evacuate
97. A speech made without preparation: Extempore
98. Short stories with an element of moral: Fable
99. One who is not easily pleased: Fastidious
100. A disease which ends in death: Fatal
101. One who believes in fate: Fatalist
102. Animals of a certain region: Fauna
103. One who champions the rights of women: Feminist
104. One who is engaged to marry: Fiancé/Fiancée
105. A person with showy character: Flamboyant
106. A number of battle ships: Fleet
107. A number of sheep: Flock
108. Plants and vegetation of a certain region: Flora
109. Murder of a brother: Fratricide
110. Large band of stars encircling the heavens: Galaxy
111. The study of rocks and soil: Geology
112. One who eats too much: Glutton

IDIOMS AND THEIR MEANINGS

  1. A bed of roses: A comfortable position.

  2. A bed of thorns: An uncomfortable position.

  3. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more.

  4. A bird’s eye view: A brief general view.

  5. A blessing in disguise: Something good that isn’t recognized at first.

  6. A bolt from the blue: Any calamity that overtakes somebody suddenly.

  7. A chicken-hearted fellow: A timid person.

  8. Achilles heel: A point of vulnerability.

  9. A doubting Thomas: A skeptic who needs physical or personal evidence to believe something.

  10. A drop in the bucket: A very small part of something.

  11. A fair weather friend: One who betrays in difficulty.

  12. A fish out of water: A person in uncomfortable surroundings.

  13. A fool and his money are easily parted: It is easy for a foolish person to lose his/her money.

  14. A hen-pecked husband: A person servile to his wife.

  15. A leopard can’t change his spots: You cannot change what you are.

  16. A penny saved is a penny earned: Saving money little by little.

  17. A picture paints a thousand words: A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words.

  18. A piece of cake: A task that can be accomplished very easily.

  19. A red letter day: An important day.

  20. A slap on the wrist: A very mild punishment.

  21. A snake in grass: A deceitful person.

  22. A taste of your own medicine: When you are ill-treated the same way you ill-treat others.

  23. At loggerheads: Engaged in a head-on dispute.

  24. Actions speak louder than words: It’s better to do something in reality than just talk about it.

  25. Add fuel to the fire: To do something to make a bad situation even worse than it is.

  26. Against the clock: To do something fast to finish it before a particular time.

  27. All bark and no bite: Someone is threatening or aggressive but not willing to engage in a fight.

  28. All Greek to me: Meaningless and incomprehensible like someone who cannot read, speak, or understand any of the Greek languages.

  29. All in the same boat: When everyone is facing the same challenges, p

  30. An axe to grind: To have a dispute with someone.

  31. An apple of someone’s eye: Someone who is cherished above all others.

  32. As high as a kite: Anything that is high up in the sky.

  33. At the drop of a hat: Willing to do something immediately.

  34. Back-seat driver: People who criticize from the sidelines, much like someone giving unwant advice from the back seat of a vehicle to the driver.

  35. Back to square one: Having to start all over again.

  36. Beat a dead horse: To force an issue that has already ended.

  37. Beating about the bush: Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.

  38. Between a rock and a hard place: Stuck between two very bad options.

  39. Bite off more than you can chew: To take on a task that is way to big.

  40. Bite your tongue: To avoid talking.

  41. Black sheep: A person who is considered a disgrace to a family.

  42. Blood is thicker than water: The family bond is closer than anything else.

  43. Blow one’s own horn: To praise your own abilities and achievements.

  44. Blue moon: A rare event or occurrence.

  45. Break the ice: To remove the tension, hesitation at the first meeting or at the opening of a party, etc.

  46. Burn the midnight oil: To stay awake late at night to work or to study.

  47. By hook or by crook: By whatever means possible, fair or unfair.

  48. Carry a torch: To be infatuated with.

  49. Chew someone out: To scold someone verbally.

  50. Chip on his shoulder: Angry today about something that occurred in the past.

  51. Chip off the old block: People who closely resemble their parents in some way or the other.

  52. Clean slate: To make a new start by clearing records.

  53. Cock and bull story: An unbelievable tale.

  54. Crocodile tears: Pretending to be sad, in an attempt to manipulate the situation.

  55. Cross your fingers: To hope that something happens the way you want it to.

  56. Cry over spilt milk: When you complain about a loss from the past.

  57. Cry wolf: Intentionally raise a false alarm.

  58. Curiosity killed the cat: Being inquisitive can lead you into a dangerous situation.

  59. Dark horse: One who was previously unknown and is now prominent.

  60. Devil’s advocate: Someone who takes a position for the sake of argument without believingin that particular side of the argument.

  61. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch: Don’t rely on something until you are sure of it.

  62. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: Do not put all your resources in one possibility.

  63. Drastic times call for drastic measures: When you are extremely desperate you need to take extremely desperate actions.

  64. Draw the line: To set a limit, as of accepted behaviour.

  65. Drink like a fish: To drink very heavily.

  66. Drive someone up the wall: To irritate and/or annoy very much.

  67. Dropping like flies: A large number of people either falling ill or dying.

  68. Every cloud has a silver lining: Be optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better days.

  69. Everything but the kitchen sinks: Almost everything and anything has been included.

  70. Eye for eye: Revenge.

  71. Feather in one’s hat: An accomplishment a person can be proud of.

  72. Field day: An enjoyable day or circumstance.

  73. Finding your feet: To become more comfortable in whatever you are doing.

  74. Fixed in your ways: Not willing to change from your normal way of doing something.

  75. Flash in the pan: Something that looks promising in the beginning but fails to deliver anything in the end.

  76. Flesh and blood: Material of which people are made of, or it can refer to someone’s family.

  77. Fools’gold: A worthless rock that resembles real gold.

  78. From pillar to post: From one place or thing to another.

  79. From rags to riches: To go from being very poor to being very wealthy.

  80. Fuddy-duddy: An old-fashioned and foolish type of person.

  81. Get over it: To move beyond something that is bothering you.

  82. Get up on the wrong side of the bed: Someone who has a horrible day.

  83. Give him the slip: To get away from, to escape.

  84. Go down like a lead balloon: To be received badly by an audience.

  85. Go out on a limb: Put yourself in a tough position to support someone/something.

  86. Go the extra mile: Making extra efforts for the task at hand.

  87. Good Samaritan: reward. Someone who helps others when they are in need with no thought of a

  88. Great minds think alike: Intelligent people think like each other.

  89. Green room: The waiting room, especially for those who are about to go on stage. a TV or radio.

  90. Gut feeling: A personal intuition that something may not be right.

  91. Haste makes waste: Quickly doing things results in a poor ending.

  92. Hat trick: Three scores made continuously without break in a sport, such as three wickets in cricket or three soccer goals.

  93. Have a finger in every pie: To be involved in a lot of different activities and have influence over them.

  94. He lost his head: Angry and overcome by emotions.

  95. Head over heels: Very excited and/or joyful, especially when in love.

  96. Hell in a hand basket: Deteriorating and headed for complete disaster.

  97. Hit below the belt: An unfair or cruel remark.

  98. Hit the books: To study, especially for a test or exam.

  99. Hit the nail on the head: Do something exactly right or say something exactly right.

  100. Hold your horses: Be patient.

  101. Icing on the cake: Something extra that is added to an already good situation.

  102. Idle hands are the devil’s tools: You are more likely to get into trouble if you have nothing to do.

  103. If it’s not one thing, it’s another: When one thing goes wrong, then another, and another.

  104. In the heat of the moment: Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment.

  105. It takes two to tango: A two-person conflict where both people are at fault.

  106. It’s a small world: You frequently see the same people in different places.

  107. It’s anyone’s call: A competition where the outcome is difficult to judge or predict.

  108. Jack of all trades master of none: Someone good at many things but excellent at nothing.

  109. Keep an eye on somebody: You should watch a person carefully.

  110. Keep body and soul together: To earn a sufficient amount of money to keep yourself alive.

  111. Keep your chin up: To remain joyful in a tough situation.

SENTENCES FOR IDIOMS

Sr. Idiom Sentence 1 Sentence 2
1. A bed of roses Life is not always a bed of roses. He thought the job would be a bed of roses, but it was very challenging.
2. A bed of thorns The new manager’s role felt like a bed of thorns. She found herself in a bed of thorns after the argument.
3. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush I’ll keep the money I have now; after all, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. He didn’t take the risky deal because a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
4. A bird’s eye view From the plane, we had a bird’s eye view of the city. The map gave us a bird’s eye view of the entire island.
5. A blessing in disguise Losing that job was a blessing in disguise; I found a much better one. Missing the flight was a blessing in disguise because the weather was terrible.
6. A bolt from the blue The news of his illness came as a bolt from the blue. The sudden storm was a bolt from the blue and ruined our plans.
7. A chicken-hearted fellow He won’t join the race because he’s a chicken-hearted fellow. The chicken-hearted fellow was too scared to speak up in class.
8. Achilles heel His short temper is his Achilles heel. Her lack of confidence is her Achilles heel when it comes to public speaking.
9. A doubting Thomas She’s such a doubting Thomas; she needs proof for everything. I was a doubting Thomas until I saw the results myself.
10. A drop in the bucket Donating one dollar is just a drop in the bucket for the charity. His efforts were only a drop in the bucket compared to what was needed.
11. A fair weather friend He’s a fair-weather friend; he only comes around when things are going well. In tough times, you can tell who your fair-weather friends are.
12. A fish out of water I felt like a fish out of water on my first day at the new job. He was like a fish out of water at the fancy dinner party.
13. A fool and his money are easily parted He spent all his savings on useless things; truly, a fool and his money are easily parted. She gambled all her money away—just proves that a fool and his money are easily parted.
14. A hen-pecked husband He does everything his wife tells him; he’s a hen-pecked husband. The hen-pecked husband wouldn’t make any decisions without his wife’s approval.
15. A leopard can’t change his spots He promised to be nicer, but a leopard can’t change his spots. Even after all these years, she hasn’t changed—a leopard can’t change its spots.
16. A penny saved is a penny earned My dad always says, “A penny saved is a penny earned,” so I try to save money. By not buying the expensive shoes, I remembered that a penny saved is a penny earned.
17. A picture paints a thousand words Her smile in the photo says it all—a picture paints a thousand words. The painting captured the whole story—truly, a picture paints a thousand words.
18. A piece of cake The exam was a piece of cake; I finished early. Fixing the computer was a piece of cake for him.
19. A red-letter day The day I graduated was a red-letter day in my life. It was a red-letter day when we won the championship.
20. A slap on the wrist He only got a slap on the wrist for breaking the rules. The company received a slap on the wrist for its violations.
21. A snake in the grass We thought he was a friend, but he turned out to be a snake in the grass. Be careful—he’s a snake in the grass and can’t be trusted.
22. A taste of your own medicine She gave him a taste of his own medicine by ignoring him. After being rude to others, he finally got a taste of his own medicine.
23. At loggerheads The two teams were at loggerheads over the decision. They’re always at loggerheads about what movie to watch.
24. Actions speak louder than words He says he’ll help, but actions speak louder than words. Actions speak louder than words, so she decided to prove herself through hard work.
25. Add fuel to the fire Yelling at him will just add fuel to the fire. Her comments added fuel to the fire during the argument.
26. Against the clock We’re working against the clock to finish the project on time. They raced against the clock to meet the deadline.
27. All bark and no bite Don’t worry about him; he’s all bark and no bite. The manager is all bark and no bite when it comes to discipline.
28. All Greek to me The instructions were all Greek to me; I couldn’t understand them. This math problem is all Greek to me; I need help.
29. All in the same boat We’re all in the same boat, so let’s work together. Since the company is facing losses, we’re all in the same boat.
30. An axe to grind He always seems to have an axe to grind with his coworkers. She had an axe to grind after being passed over for promotion.
31. An apple of someone’s eye Her little brother is the apple of her eye. He’s the apple of his mother’s eye; she dotes on him all the time.
32. As high as a kite After the win, the whole team was as high as a kite. He felt as high as a kite when he received the award.
33. At the drop of a hat She’ll help you at the drop of a hat. He’s ready to leave at the drop of a hat if something better comes along.
34. Back-seat driver I hate it when you’re a back-seat driver. My sister is always a back-seat driver when I’m behind the wheel.
35. Back to square one After the error, we had to go back to square one. The deal fell through, so now we’re back to square one.
36. Beat a dead horse There’s no point in beating a dead horse—let’s move on. He kept bringing up the same issue, just beating a dead horse.
37. Beating about the bush Stop beating about the bush and get to the point. Instead of beating about the bush, just tell me the truth.
38. Between a rock and a hard place She was stuck between a rock and a hard place, unable to choose. The manager is between a rock and a hard place with this decision.
39. Bite off more than you can chew Don’t bite off more than you can chew by taking on too many projects. He bit off more than he could chew when he agreed to lead both teams.
40. Bite your tongue I wanted to argue, but I had to bite my tongue. Sometimes it’s best to bite your tongue and avoid conflict.
41. Black sheep He’s the black sheep of the family because of his unconventional choices. Every family has a black sheep who doesn’t follow the same path as the rest.
42. Blood is thicker than water She chose to help her brother because blood is thicker than water. In the end, blood is thicker than water, and family comes first.
43. Blow one’s own horn He loves to blow his own horn about his successes. She’s always blowing her own horn at work, trying to impress everyone.
44. Blue moon He visits his hometown once in a blue moon. Such opportunities come only once in a blue moon.
45. Break the ice He broke the ice with a funny joke at the start of the meeting. She always knows how to break the ice in awkward situations.
46. Burn the midnight oil I had to burn the midnight oil to finish the report. He’s been burning the midnight oil studying for exams.
47. By hook or by crook We’ll finish this project by hook or by crook. She said she’d get the tickets by hook or by crook.
48. Carry a torch He’s been carrying a torch for her since high school. She carried a torch for him, even though he never noticed.
49. Chew someone out The coach chewed them out for being late to practice. My boss chewed me out for missing the deadline.
50. Chip on his shoulder He’s got a chip on his shoulder about being passed over for promotion. She walks around with a chip on her shoulder, always ready for an argument.
51. Chip off the old block He’s a chip off the old block—just like his father. She’s a chip off the old block; they both love the same hobbies.
52. Clean slate After the mistake, he wanted to start with a clean slate. They gave her a clean slate when she moved to a new department.
53. Cock and bull story He gave me some cock and bull story about why he was late. No one believed his cock and bull story about the missing homework.
54. Crocodile tears She shed crocodile tears after being caught in a lie. His crocodile tears didn’t fool anyone.
55. Cross your fingers Cross your fingers that the weather stays good for the picnic. We’re crossing our fingers for good news tomorrow.
56. Cry over spilt milk It’s no use crying over spilt milk; what’s done is done. Don’t cry over spilt milk—you can’t change the past.
57. Cry wolf He cried wolf so many times that no one believed him when it was real. If you cry wolf too often, people will stop trusting you.
58. Curiosity killed the cat Don’t ask too many questions—curiosity killed the cat. She learned the hard way that curiosity killed the cat.
59. Dark horse She’s the dark horse of the competition; no one expected her to win. He was a dark horse in the election, surprising everyone with his success.
60. Devil’s advocate I’ll play devil’s advocate and ask the tough questions. She loves playing devil’s advocate during discussions.
61. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch Don’t count your chickens before they hatch; the deal might still fall through. He started planning the trip before getting the job—counting his chickens before they hatch.
62. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket It’s risky to invest everything in one place—don’t put all your eggs in one basket. She applied to several jobs because she didn’t want to put all her eggs in one basket.
63. Drastic times call for drastic measures We had to lay off some staff; drastic times call for drastic measures. When the business struggled, they took drastic measures to stay afloat.
64. Draw the line I draw the line at working late on weekends. We need to draw the line when it comes to unacceptable behavior.
65. Drink like a fish He drinks like a fish at parties. They warned him not to drink like a fish at the celebration.
66. Drive someone up the wall Her constant complaints are driving me up the wall. The loud music from the neighbors drives him up the wall.
67. Dropping like flies People were dropping like flies during the heatwave. The flu season was so bad that employees were dropping like flies.
68. Every cloud has a silver lining Even after losing the job, remember that every cloud has a silver lining. There’s always hope—every cloud has a silver lining.
69. Everything but the kitchen sink She packed everything but the kitchen sink for the trip. They included everything but the kitchen sink in the renovation.
70. Eye for eye He believes in the old law of eye for an eye when it comes to justice. Seeking revenge with an eye for an eye won’t solve the problem.
71. Feather in one’s hat Winning the award was a real feather in his hat. Getting promoted was another feather in her hat.
72. Field day The children had a field day at the park. The media had a field day reporting on the scandal.
73. Finding your feet She’s still finding her feet in the new job. It took him a few weeks to find his feet after moving to the city.
74. Fixed in your ways He’s so fixed in his ways that he refuses to try anything new. She’s very fixed in her ways when it comes to her daily routine.
75. Flash in the pan His first hit song was just a flash in the pan. The new restaurant was a flash in the pan and quickly went out of business.
76. Flesh and blood He’s my flesh and blood, so I’ll always stand by him. It’s hard to deny the bond between flesh and blood.
77. Fools’ gold The promising investment turned out to be fools’ gold. They thought they found something valuable, but it was just fools’ gold.
78. From pillar to post We’ve been running from pillar to post trying to get the paperwork done. The refugees were moved from pillar to post without finding a stable home.
79. From rags to riches His story of going from rags to riches is truly inspiring. She went from rags to riches after starting her own business.
80. Fuddy-duddy Don’t be such a fuddy-duddy; try something new! My grandfather is a bit of a fuddy-duddy when it comes to technology.
81. Get over it It’s time to get over it and move on. He needs to get over it and stop dwelling on the past.
82. Get up on the wrong side of the bed She must’ve gotten up on the wrong side of the bed today—she’s been grumpy all morning. He snapped at everyone, clearly getting up on the wrong side of the bed.
83. Give him the slip The thief gave the police the slip in the crowded market. She gave her followers the slip by taking a different route.
84. Go down like a lead balloon His joke went down like a lead balloon at the party. The new policy went down like a lead balloon with the employees.
85. Go out on a limb She went out on a limb to support her friend’s risky idea. I went out on a limb to defend him when no one else would.
86. Go the extra mile He always goes the extra mile to make sure his clients are happy. The teacher went the extra mile to help her students understand the subject.
87. Good Samaritan A Good Samaritan stopped to help me when my car broke down. The stranger who returned her lost wallet was a real Good Samaritan.
88. Great minds think alike We both ordered the same dish—great minds think alike! We came up with the same idea because great minds think alike.
89. Green room The actors waited in the green room before going on stage. She was nervous while sitting in the green room before her TV interview.
90. Gut feeling I had a gut feeling that something was wrong. Her gut feeling told her not to trust him.
91. Haste makes waste He rushed through the project, and now there are mistakes—haste makes waste. Slow down; remember that haste makes waste.
92. Hat trick The player scored a hat trick in the final game. The bowler took three wickets in a row, completing a hat trick.
93. Have a finger in every pie She has a finger in every pie at the company, managing several departments. He’s always busy because he has a finger in every pie around town.
94. He lost his head He lost his head during the argument and said things he didn’t mean. She completely lost her head when the car broke down.
95. Head over heels He fell head over heels in love with her. They were head over heels with excitement after winning the competition.
96. Hell in a handbasket Everything went to hell in a handbasket after the manager left. The company is going to hell in a handbasket with these poor decisions.
97. Hit below the belt His comment about her personal life was hitting below the belt. Criticizing his appearance was hitting below the belt.
98. Hit the books I need to hit the books tonight to prepare for the exam. She hit the books all weekend to catch up on her studies.
99. Hit the nail on the head His suggestion really hit the nail on the head. You’ve hit the nail on the head with that solution.
100. Hold your horses Hold your horses, we’re not ready to leave yet. Hold your horses! Let’s wait for everyone to arrive first.
101. Icing on the cake Winning the trophy was the icing on the cake after such a great season. Getting a bonus was the icing on the cake after finishing the project early.
102. Idle hands are the devil’s tools Keep yourself busy; idle hands are the devil’s tools. My grandmother always said, “Idle hands are the devil’s tools,” so I stayed productive.
103. If it’s not one thing, it’s another First the car broke down, and now the computer isn’t working—if it’s not one thing, it’s another. He spilled his coffee and lost his keys—it’s not one thing, it’s another.
104. In the heat of the moment He said some things he regretted in the heat of the moment. She made a bad decision in the heat of the moment.
105. It takes two to tango Don’t just blame her for the argument; it takes two to tango. Both sides are responsible for the conflict—it takes two to tango.
106. It’s a small world I ran into my old friend while traveling—it’s a small world! We bumped into each other at the airport; it really is a small world.
107. It’s anyone’s call With both teams playing so well, it’s anyone’s call who will win. This election is so close that it’s anyone’s call.
108. Jack of all trades, master of none He’s a jack of all trades, master of none—good at many things but not an expert in any. I consider myself a jack of all trades, master of none because I dabble in various skills.
109. Keep an eye on somebody Can you keep an eye on the kids while I run errands? The security guard was asked to keep an eye on the suspicious customer.
110. Keep body and soul together He worked two jobs just to keep body and soul together. She’s struggling to keep body and soul together with all the bills piling up.
111. Keep your chin up Keep your chin up—it’ll get better soon. Even in tough times, she manages to keep her chin up.