Each to their ownDifferent people have different preferences.Eager beaverA person who is extremely keen is an eager beaver.Eagle eyesSomeone who has eagle eyes sees everything; no detail is too small.Early bathIf someone has or goes for an early bath, they quit or lose their job or position earlier than expected because things have gone wrong.Early […]
Daft as a brushSomeone who is daft as a brush is rather stupid.Damp squibIf something is expected to have a great effect or impact but doesn’t, it is a damp squib.Dark horseIf someone is a dark horse, they are a bit of a mystery.Daylight robberyIf you are overcharged or underpaid, it is a daylight robbery;
Call a spade a spadeA person who calls a spade a spade is one speaks frankly and makes little or no attempt to conceal their opinions or to spare the feelings of their audience.Call the shotsIf you call the shots, you are in charge and tell people what to do.Can of wormsIf an action can
Babe in armsA babe in arms is a very young child, or a person who is very young to be holding a position.Babe in the woodsA babe in the woods is a naive, defenceless, young person.Baby boomerA baby boomer is someone born during 1945-1965, a period when the population in USA was growing fast.Back burnerIf
A bit muchIf something is excessive or annoying, it is a bit much.A day late and a dollar shortIf something is a day late and a dollar short, it is too little, too late.A fool and his money are soon partedThis idiom means that people who aren’t careful with their money spend it quickly. ‘A
OriginThis is an 18th-century proverb.ExplanationIt is used for saying that it is difficult to change a way of behaving that someone has had for many years. Also, existing habits are hard to change. People find it difficult to change their accustomed behaviour. When you become accustomed to having something or doing something, it becomes routine
OriginThis is a 15th century French proverb whose original form is: Soon acquired, soon spent. This was modified to the present form in 1832.ExplanationThis proverb is in context of money. If money is acquired or obtained very easily, the possessor can’t value it. He would have treasured it if he had acquired it through energy
OriginIt originated in 1796 in English, from French, on ne saurait faire d’omelette sans casser des œufs (1742 and earlier), attributed to François de Charette.ExplanationIn order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed. It is hard to achieve something important without causing unpleasant effects. It is often used in
You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs Read More »
OriginThe proverb comes from the famous song Home, Sweet Home, by John Howard Payne.ExplanationHome is the most satisfying place to be. Your home is a special place. Nothing can replace your own home. Home is the best of all places. For a place that is so familiar, home is peculiarly difficult to define and to
OriginThis famous idea comes to us from Meditation XVII by John Donne (1572-1631): “No man is an island, entire of itself…any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”ExplanationNo one is self-sufficient; everyone relies on others.Any individual human
OriginThis saying is attributed both to Joseph P. Kennedy (1888-1969), father of the USA President John F. Kennedy, and to Norwegian-born American football player and coachKnute Rockne (1888-1931).ExplanationWhen things are difficult, strong people take action and do not despair. (Can be used for encouraging someone to take action). It is said to emphasize that when
OriginThe origin of this proverb is unknown, but its current form is attributed to American humorist Josh Billings who is said to have popularized it in his putative poem “The Kicker” (c. 1870).ExplanationThe person who complains or speaks up most loudly receives the redress or attention which he or she seeks. The loud complainer gets
OriginThis is a 16th-century proverb.ExplanationThis proverb advises to cut and stitch the coat according to the cloth available in hand; it also warns that the size of the coat should not exceed the piece of the cloth in hand. Or else the coat will be unfit to wear or the cloth will become wasted, being
OriginThis proverbial saying, first recorded in English in 1605 (in William Camden’s book of proverbs), is so familiar that it is often shortened to ‘early bird’, a term also used in the sense of “early riser”.ExplanationAn early bird gets the worm. The one who arrives first has the best chance for success. The person who
OriginThis form of the proverb first appeared in 1912.ExplanationA person tends to associate with the people who are like him or her.People are similar in character to their friends. The quote literally means that if someone hangs out with intelligent people, he is also assumed to be intelligent. Likewise, if someone is mostly seen with
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