go back to the salt mines 1986

go back to the salt mines
Fig. to return to one's work. (Jocular; fig. on the image of menial labor working in salt mines.) It's late. I have to go back to the salt mines. What time do you have to go back to the salt mines Monday morning?

chew the fat (British informal) also chew the rag (American informal)1985

chew the fat (British informal) also chew the rag (American informal)
to have a long friendly conversation with someone We spent the evening watching the TV and chewing the fat.

crack a smile (informal) 1984

crack a smile (informal)
to smile, especially when you do not feel like smiling (usually negative) The man barely cracked a smile at his friend's joke

knock something into a cocked hat 1983

knock something into a cocked hat
Fig. to demolish a plan, a story, etc. I knocked his plans into a cocked hat. This bad weather has knocked everything into a cocked hat.

touch a sore spot and touch a sore point 1982

touch a sore spot and touch a sore point
Fig. to refer to a sensitive matter that will upset someone. (Fig. on the notion of touching an injury and causing pain.) I seem to have touched a sore spot. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. When you talk to him, avoid talking about money. It's best not to touch a sore point if possible.

sorry sight and sad sight 1981

sorry sight and sad sight
a sight that one regrets seeing; someone or something that is unpleasant to look at. Well, aren't you a sorry sight! Go get cleaned up and put on some fresh clothes

an old head on young shoulders also a wise head on young shoulders1980

an old head on young shoulders also a wise head on young shoulders
a child or young person who thinks and talks like an older person who has more experience of life My little nephew said people who dislike other people don't like themselves very much. That's an old head on young shoulders

snail mail (humorous)1979

snail mail (humorous)
the system of sending letters through the post What's your preferred means of communication? Fax, email or snail mail?

on a knife-edge 1978

on a knife-edge
if a person or organization is on a knife-edge, they are in a difficult situation and are worried about what will happen in the future She's been living on a knife-edge since her ex-husband was released from prison last month. The theatre is on a financial knife-edge and must sell 75% of its seats every night to survive.

your sea legs 1977

your sea legs
the ability to keep your balance when walking on a moving ship and not feel ill It took me a while to get my sea legs, but I feel fine now.

live in a fool's paradise 1976

live in a fool's paradise
to be happy because you do not know or will not accept how bad a situation really is James is living in a fool's paradise if he thinks things are always going to be this good

go through fire and water (old-fashioned)1975

go through fire and water (old-fashioned)
to experience many difficulties or dangers in order to achieve something (often + to do sth) They went through fire and water to ensure the prince's safety

off the subject 1974

off the subject
not concerned with the subject being discussed. I got off the subject and forgot what I was supposed to be talking about. The speaker was off the subject, telling about his vacation in Hawaii

snakebite medicine 1973

snakebite medicine
Inf. inferior whiskey; strong whiskey; homemade whiskey. That old-time snakebite medicine is good for what ails you. snakebite medicine is a tremendous protection against snakebites if you can get the snake to drink the stuff before it bites you

chain is no stronger than its weakest link 1972

chain is no stronger than its weakest link
Prov. A successful group or team relies on each member doing well. George is completely out of shape. I don't want him on our ball team; a chain is only as strong as its weakest link

mouth full of South 1971

mouth full of South
Sl. a southern accent. You sure do have a mouth full of South. I just love to hear a man with a mouth full of South.

set tongues (a)wagging 1970

set tongues (a)wagging
Fig. to cause people to start gossiping. The affair between the boss and her accountant set tongues a wagging. If you don't get the lawn mowed soon, you will set tongues wagging in the neighborhood.

go down/fall like ninepins (British old-fashioned)1969

go down/fall like ninepins (British old-fashioned)
to be injured, or to fail in large numbers
Usage notes: Ninepins is a game in which you try to make bottle-shaped objects fall by rolling a ball at them.(usually in continuous tenses) I've never seen so many players injured. They were going down like ninepins

play possum 1968

play possum
Fig. to pretend to be inactive, unobservant, asleep, or dead. (The possum refers to an opossum.) I knew that Bob wasn't asleep. He was just playing possum. I can't tell if this animal is dead or just playing possum

His younger sister jumped on him because she knew he was just playing possum.

be on the fiddle (British & Australian informal)1967

be on the fiddle (British & Australian informal)
to get money in a way that is not honest or not legal If he's not on the fiddle, how did he afford that huge car?

sweet-talk someone 1966

sweet-talk someone
Rur. to talk convincingly to someone with much flattery. I didn't want to help her, but she sweet-talked me into it. He sweet-talked her for a while, and she finally agreed to go to the dance with him

common as an old shoe and *common as dirt 1965

common as an old shoe and *common as dirt
low class; uncouth. (*Also: as ~.) That ill-mannered girl is just as common as an old shoe. Despite Mamie's efforts to appear to be upper class, most folks considered her common as dirt

sing before breakfast, you'll cry before night and sing before breakfast, you'll cry before supper 1964

sing before breakfast, you'll cry before night and sing before breakfast, you'll cry before supper
Prov. If you wake up feeling very happy, your mood will change before the end of the day. Jill: I woke up in such a good mood today. I don't even know why, but everything seems good. Jane: Sing before breakfast, you'll cry before night. Alan: Good morning, dear! Isn't it a wonderful day? I feel great. Jane: Sing before breakfast, you'll cry before supper.. Jill: I woke up in such a good mood today. I don't even know why, but everything seems good. Jane: Sing before breakfast, you'll cry before night. Alan: Good morning, dear! Isn't it a wonderful day? I feel great. Jane: Sing before breakfast, you'll cry before supper.
See also: before, cry, night, sing

Sticks and stones may break my bones (but words will never hurt me).1963

Sticks and stones may break my bones (but words will never hurt me).
something that you say which means that people cannot hurt you with bad things they say or write about you Criticism has never bothered me. Sticks and stones may break my bones, and all that.

keep/play your cards close to your chest 1962

keep/play your cards close to your chest
to not tell anyone what you plan to do I never know what Martin's next move will be. He plays his cards close to his chest.

rich man's joke is always funny 1961

rich man's joke is always funny
Prov. Everyone wants to curry favor with rich people and so will always laugh at their jokes. (From a poem by Thomas Edward Brown.) We all thought that Mr. Lisle was a narrow-minded, unpleasant old man, but we were careful to act otherwise, because he was wealthy. A rich man's joke is always funny

be like a child in a sweetshop (British)1960

be like a child in a sweetshop (British)
to be very happy and excited about the things around you, and often to react to them in a way which is silly and not controlled Give him a room full of old books and he's like a child in a sweetshop.

on the carpet (American)1959

on the carpet (American)
to be in trouble with someone in authority He's going to be on the carpet for his rudeness

work some fat off and work some weight off to 1958

work some fat off and work some weight off to
get rid of body fat by doing strenuous work. I was able to work a lot of weight off by jogging. I need to work off some fat.

smoke and mirrors 1957

smoke and mirrors
deception and confusion. (Said of statements or more complicated rhetoric used to mislead people rather than inform. Alludes to the way a magician uses optical illusion to create believability while performing a trick. Fixed order.) Most people know that the politician was just using smoke and mirrors to make things look better than they really were. Her report was little more

hearth and home (literary)1956

hearth and home (literary)
your family and home His first loyalties are to hearth and home

crooked as a barrel of fish hooks and *crooked as a fish hook; *crooked as a dog's hind leg 1955

crooked as a barrel of fish hooks and *crooked as a fish hook; *crooked as a dog's hind leg
very dishonest. (*Also: as ~.) Don't play cards with him. He's as crooked as a barrel of fish hooks. Mary says all politicians are crooked as a dog's hind leg

a train of thought 1954

a train of thought
a series of connected thoughts You interrupted my train of thought - Now I can't remember what I was going to say.

wimp out (of something)1953

wimp out (of something)
Sl. to chicken out (of something); to get out of something difficult, inconvenient, or dangerous, leaving others to carry the burden. Come on! Don't wimp out now that there's all this work to be done. Ted wimped out on us

Bread is the staff of life 1952

Bread is the staff of life.
Prov. Food is necessary for people to survive. Miranda likes to give money to charities that feed people. "Other services are important," she reasons, "but bread is the staff of life." Jill: Want to go to lunch with us, Bob? Bob: No. I must work on my novel while inspiration lasts. Jill: Don't forget to eat. Bread is the staff of life, you know.

factory farming 1951

factory farming
a system for producing eggs, meat, and milk quickly and cheaply by keeping animals in small closed areas and giving them food which makes them grow quickly

a grab bag (American & Australian)1950

a grab bag (American & Australian)
a mixture of different types of things (often + of ) Airlines are offering a grab bag of discounts, air miles and car rentals to attract customers.

stink to high heaven and smell to high heaven 1949

stink to high heaven and smell to high heaven
Fig. to smell very bad. What happened? This place stinks to high heaven. This meat smells to high heaven

shopping list 1948

shopping list
1. Lit. a list of things one needs to buy. I made up a shopping list for groceries that we are out of. Don't forget to take the shopping list with you to the store.
2. Fig. a list of things, especially questions or things one wants. I have a shopping list of absolute musts. He showed up for the interview with a shopping list so long that it took two pages

in a mad rush 1947

in a mad rush
Fig. in a hurry. I ran around all day today in a mad rush, looking for a present for Bill. Why are you always in a mad rush?

off-key 1946

off-key
[of music or singing] off pitch; out of tune. She always sings off-key and makes the rest of the choir sound like baying hounds.

man about town 1945

man about town
a fashionable man who leads a sophisticated life. He prefers a nightclub to a quiet night at home—a man about town. Bob's too much of a man about town to go to a football game.

on target 1944

on target
on schedule; exactly as predicted. Your estimate of the cost was right on target. My prediction was not on target.

low-hanging fruit 1943

low-hanging fruit
Fig. the easiest person(s) to sell something to, to convince of something, or to fool. (From the much older easy pickings.) People who always want to be the first to buy something, they're low-hanging fruit for this product. Don't be satisfied with the low-hanging fruit. Go after the hard-sell types

be at the end of your tether (British, American & Australian) also be at the end of your rope (American)1942

be at the end of your tether (British, American & Australian) also be at the end of your rope (American)
to be so tired, worried, or annoyed by something that you feel unable to deal with it any more
Usage notes: An animal which is tied up by a rope cannot reach the grass which is further away than the end of the rope and becomes hungry and unhappy.
After a day with four screaming kids I'm at the end of my tether. He's out of work, hanging around the house all day and at the end of his rope. (British, American & Australian)
See also: end, tether

be as solid as a rock 1941

be as solid as a rock
to be very solid So much furniture these days is so flimsy - this table here was made a hundred years ago and it's solid as a rock.

solomonic decision determination 1940

Exhibiting or requiring the exercise of great wisdom, especially in making difficult decisions: "The court also will have to make the Solomonic determination whether any age limit applies" (Tom Wicker).

He that would have eggs must endure the cackling of hens.1939

He that would have eggs must endure the cackling of hens.
Prov. You must be willing to endure unpleasant, irritating things in order to get what you want. Sue: I'm tired of working after school. All the customers at the store are so rude. Mother: But you wanted money to buy a car. He that would have eggs must endure the cackling of hens, dear

gold mine of information 1938

gold mine of information
Fig. someone or something that is full of information. Grandfather is a gold mine of information about World War I. The new encyclopedia is a positive gold mine of useful information

half a bubble off plumb 1937

half a bubble off plumb
Fig. giddy; crazy. She is acting about half a bubble off plumb. What is wrong with her? Tom is just half a bubble off plumb, but he is all heart.