Idiom Collection

An idiom is an accepted phrase having a meaning other than the literal. "Skating on thin ice" and "a blind alley" are two common examples. Idioms are a fun, playful part of language.

Don't break my heart by leaving without adding one to our collection! When you're done here, learn the Idiom of the Day from across the pond. For the new school year, now you can search and add comments to idioms!

• In deep water - Norbaini Md. Yusoff - From Malaysia 2003-03-20
• crack a smile - ashley from byms 2003-03-17
• Slow as Molasses in January - General Peanut from BYMS, California 2003-03-17
• Two is company, three is a crowd - Jennifer W. from Capitol Hill, St. Paul MN 2003-03-16
• It's a dog eat dog world - mathwiz, Mendota Heights MN 2003-03-16
• as mad as a wet hen, to blow one's stack, to blow one's top, to get a rise out of someone, a dog eat dog world, to see red, to see crosshairs, to fly off the handle, to get shirty with someone, to have hard feelings against another, to get on a high horse, to have someone walk all over you, to give someone the cold shoulder, to high hat someone, cool it!, all bent out of shape, bone of contention, to have a bone to pick with someone - Martha Watt, Northridge Middle School, Van Buren, Arkansas. 2003-03-13
• catch a break - Karolyn from Melbourn, CA 2003-03-13
• When pigs fly - Aly (not from here) 2003-03-13
• A fool without a dream is just a fool - Ken Napier, teacher China 2003-03-11 (1)
• As interesting as watching paint dry - Minkee Kim from Deer Run School, Dublin, Ohio 2003-03-08 (1)
• butterflies in your stomach - Michelle Wu from Muirlands Middle School 2003-03-05 (1)
• Pop quiz - Kayla from Capital Christian, Sacramento, California 2003-03-05
• let bygones be bygones - Andrew l. from Ponus Ridge Middle School, Norwalk, Connecticut 2003-03-04
• Don't count your chickens before they hatch - Anna B. Carolina Christian Academy, Lancaster, SC 2003-03-04 (2)
• Don't make me laugh - Adria C. from Riverside, Miami, FL 2003-03-03 (1)
• "Kill two birds with one stone" - Audrey Lejorren of Cardonei 2003-03-02
• As fast as a jack rabbit on a hot summer day with a rattle snake on it's tail. - From Spry Middle School Rochester 2003-02-28 (1)
• In the dog house - Jeremy S.of Alexandria Middle School 2003-02-26 (1)
• Straight from the horse's mouth - B. Sullivan 2003-02-26
• with flying colours - Julek from Poland 2003-02-25
• all in the same boat - Kyle B. from Columbia S.C. 2003-02-24
• crack me up - Terricka Small from Riverside Elementary, Miami, Fl 2003-02-20 (1)
• Went through the roof - Su Lynn from Woodland Eementary,Emporium, PA 2003-02-20
• On pins and needles - Jesse 2003-02-19
• burn the midnight oil - Christine Park from Hunting Ridge School, Chicago, Ilinois 2003-02-19
• hit the road - Jordan P Lusher School Florissant Missour 2003-02-18
• easy as pie - Kayla T. from Lusher School, Florissant, Missouri 2003-02-18 (1)
• One good turn deserves another. - Ed 2003-02-15
• Cool your jets. - Charles M. 2003-02-15
• Travel the straight and narrow - Don Antonow 2003-02-07
• Ace up your sleeve - Michelle Y. from PS173Q, Fresh Meadow, New York 2003-02-06
• Take a powder - Michelle Y. from ps173q, Fresh Meadow, New York 2003-02-06
• True Blue - anon 2003-02-05
• flying off the handle - Ivan 2003-02-03
• If you're gonna wine (whine), go eat cheese. - Tori Scharadin (boy...... really) from bobmiller middle school, henderson nevada 2003-01-30
• a womans work is sun to sun. but mens work is never done. - Tori Scharadin (boy...... really) from bobmiller middle school, henderson nevada 2003-01-30 (2)
• Go fly a kite - Abby F. from Clyde Campbell Elem., Hickory N.C 2003-01-29
• One foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel - Anon 2003-01-27 2003-01-27
• Don't be afraid or you'll never know - Seferino J Jaurigue 2003-01-27 2003-01-27
• He's a work in progress - Daniel Kirpes 2003-01-26
• Albatross around your neck - anon 2003-01-26 (1)
• Diamond in the rough - Michael Kirpes 2003-01-26 (1)
• The leopard doesn't change his spots - Aaron T. from Marlinton Middle School, Marlinton WV 2003-01-20
• You can drag this horse to water, but you can't drown him - Mary Muenster, Health Careers HS, San Antonio Texas 2003-01-19
• That is a self-licking ice cream cone - Mary Monster, Hallettsville HS, Texas 2003-01-19
• A couple of sandwiches short of a picnic - Jackie R., East Haven, CT 2003-01-17
• Caught with your pants down - Andy Sporner, Germany 2003-01-17
• Flirting with disaster - Andy, (germany) 2003-01-17 (1)
• Flat as a pancake - Andy (germany) 2003-01-17
• look like the cat that swallowed the canary - Claude Homer Flores Fong from Lourdes School of Quezon City 2003-01-16
• tit for tat - Kitty 2003-01-15
• Like A Bear With A Sore Head - Sheryl 2003-01-15
• Out of the frying pan and into the fire - Sonia D. from Monte Vista Middle School, Camarillo, California 2003-01-14 (1)
• Not the sharpest knife in the drawer - Nina 2003-01-13
• Written all over your face - Kyle A. from St.Patrick School, Brooklyn, NY 2003-01-13
• The bread always falls with the buttered side down - Gloria Jean Cabral from FSU 2003-01-10
• Get up and smell the coffee - "Silvia Z. from Concord High School, Concord, California 2003-01-10
• head-hunting - BPM from St. Jude School, New Jersey 2003-01-09
• Spring chicken - BPM from St. Jude School, New Jersey 2003-01-09
• Full of beans - BPM from St. Jude School, New Jersey 2003-01-09 (1)
• Cooking with gas - Vincent Hochstrasser 2003-01-08 (2)
• Hat in hand - Gret T. from Mns High,Littleton, Maine 2003-01-08
• Stuck holding the bag - Chelsea H. From St. Paul's Episcopal School, Mobile, Alabama 2003-01-08
• Cleanliness is next to godliness - Lauren H from St. Pauls's Mobile, AL 2003-01-08 (1)
• Out of the woods - anon 2003-01-07
• tuning in mars = having dishevelled hair - from buick48@mindspring.com 2003-01-04
• Add salt to the wound - Frances C. from Bishop Basker Secondary School,Hong Kong 2002-12-29
• Pigs might fly. - Frances C. from Bishop Basker Secondary School,Hong Kong 2002-12-28
• If that isn't the man, I will eat my hat. - Yaodong Chen from Guangxi College of Technology,China 2002-12-26
• He'd sell his own grandma/grandmother. - Bob C 2002-12-24
• Don't put all your eggs in one basket. - Web Traveler 2002-12-15
• To take with a grain of salt - Sally A. from Royal School, Darien, Connecticut (with a grain of salt) 2002-12-12
• can of corn - Judy Hoover Middle School 2002-12-12
• Bouncing off the walls - Judy from Hoover Middle School 2002-12-12
• HEART OF GOLD - Judy from Hoover Middle School 2002-12-12
• BUSY AS A BEE - Judy from Hoover Middle School 2002-12-12 (1)
• let's paint the town red - tony redd hoover middle school 2002-12-11
• In hot water - Anon. 2002-12-11
• You have a green thumb!! - Tasiyah M. from Hoover Middle School 2002-12-11
• You are driving me up the wall! - Judy Hoover Middle School 2002-12-11
• The cock won't crow till the timing's right - Kevin Davies, Hugh Baird College FE in the UK 2002-12-05
• Old wives tales don't hang round - Kevin Davies from Hugh Baird College FE in the UK 2002-12-05
• Make a silk purse from a sow's ear. - Melinda R. from Zamorano Elemetry,San Diego,California 2002-12-04 (1)
• lend me your ear - Anon. 2002-12-03 (1)
• "Having Castles in the Air " - Britny Harper 2002-12-02
• Pigs might fly! - THOMAS EI CHAI HENG 2002-11-22
• the blind leading the blind - Stone Yu, from Hong Kong CityU, Bilingual Communication Studies 2002-11-20
• Rome wasn't built in a day. - Bob Blanchard, Central Elementary, Ocala, Florida 2002-11-19
• Boy, I'll tell you! - Bob Blanchard, Ocala, Florida 2002-11-19
• That dog won't hunt! - Bob Blanchard, Central Elementary, Ocala, Florida 2002-11-19
• If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen. - MC 2002-11-16
• You can put lipstick on a pig, but it remains a pig. - MC 2002-11-16
• Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well - jess 2002-11-13
• You give me fever! - Katie 2002-11-13
• as sick as a dog - Robert C. Shoreline, WA 2002-11-11
• ...madder than a pea on a hot griddle! - Martha Walli from thevirtualschool.ca Lively, Ontario 2002-11-08
• Cat got your tongue? - Amy B. C. from Kiser Elem. in Stanty N.C. 2002-11-08
• Hit the road - Danika H. from Chatelech Secondary, B.C. Canada 2002-11-07 (1)
• to have a green thumb - Leslie A. Katy High School, Katy Texas 2002-11-07
• pop your clogs - christina olsson 2002-11-06

Special thanks to early supporters Woodbury Heights Elementary and Yahooligans, and, from Pine Crest School, teacher Mrs. Carol Sasadu and librarian supreme Mrs. Arlene McDace.