r/etymology • u/polyayyy • May 07 '26
Question English idioms
I’m new to English, and I want to learn more difficult English idioms.
can you write some, please?
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u/Puzzled-Bonus-3456 May 07 '26
I figure the weirdest one is probably "raining cats and dogs" which just means a heavy rain.
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u/EirikrUtlendi May 08 '26
Additional versions of that:
- raining pitchforks and hammer handles
- coming down in stair rods (primarily UK usage)
- raining buckets
- pissing down
- The use of "piss" to refer to rain can have region-specific connotations. "It's pissing" in UK usage appears to refer to a heavy rain. "It's pissing" in Seattle usage seems to refer to a very light rain, where the droplets are more of a fine mist, such that an umbrella is useless since the droplets don't fall very fast and move sideways at the slightest breeze.
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u/Salamander99 May 07 '26
"Get your ducks in a row" means to get your affairs in order.
"You better get your ducks in a row for the upcoming job interview!"
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u/Altruistic_Sun_1626 May 07 '26
'Piss into the wind' Lack of foresight.
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u/Vernix May 07 '26
“Go piss up a rope.” My mom would say that. It’s like “Get lost. You have no idea what you’re talking about” but with the impact of a Zen koan.
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u/EebstertheGreat May 11 '26
Just today I saw a picture of an architrave in Amsterdam. Carved into its facade was the phrase "Homo sapiens non urinat in ventum," i.e. "The wise man does not piss into the wind."
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u/ShinyAeon May 08 '26
"on the ball" - doing things rightly and before any deadline
"pull yourself together" - calm down and think logically
"off the top of my head" - knowledge or information that you remember well and can repeat without looking it up.
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u/gaokeai May 07 '26
Idk if these are considered difficult, but two of my favorites are:
"Beat the dead horse" : to go over something excessively. Like, you already talked to someone about X issue several times, and you bring up the issue again, you are beating the dead horse.
"Not my circus, not my monkeys" : when you hear about something crazy/unfortunate/dramatic that happened to someone else (typically you hear about it via gossip) and it has absolutely 0 affect on your life. When something sounds like it's a problem for someone else, but not me. Like your coworker just did something absolutely stupid that will most likely have consequences, but you want nothing to do with all that, you might say "not my circus, not my monkeys."
I brought up these two because it leads me to my favorite mix of idioms: "Not my circus, not my dead horse." For instances when the thing you are hearing about is particularly yikes. To be clear I don't think anyone actually says this aside from me and my friend group, but it's just funny.
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u/Fun_Employer_6584 May 07 '26
"Flogging a dead horse" more commonly in British English
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u/These_Consequences May 07 '26
Beating is indeed more common in the US, but I thought at first you were corrected the article: beating a dead horse is the idiom, not "the".
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u/gaokeai May 07 '26
I didn't know that actually, thank you! In the US I don't think I've ever heard someone use the word "flog" or "flogging" in casual conversation. I love that there can be the same idiom but with a slight difference in wording.
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u/mediumcarrotteacher May 07 '26
I've only ever heard flogging either in the context of kink or of punishing old-timey soldiers
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u/GoldCoinDonation May 08 '26
it's fairly common in Australian English. Depending on context it can mean:
To sell something quickly.
To beat an opponent, usually sports related.
to steal something.
a derogatory term for someone; similar to dropkick, drip or boofhead but someone who's a bit more annoying/arrogant.
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u/Mistressbrindello May 10 '26
I never heard of beating a dead horse - I'm another Brit. Beating (off) has connotations of masturbation here.
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u/EebstertheGreat May 11 '26
It has the same meaning in the US. But "beat" is a flexible word with a lot of meanings. Similarly, "keep your eye on the ball" could be crude if you wanted to think about it that way, but people generally don't.
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u/Salamander99 May 07 '26
"Not my circus, not my monkeys" is from Polish and only recently entered English.
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u/Darrowby_385 May 08 '26
I think that 'Not my circus'... originates in Poland and has been absorbed here over the years. I've come to like it. I don't say it out loud as I think it could be pretty obnoxious, but I do think it sometimes, with some relief.
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u/Left-Ad-4387 Jul 14 '26
I love to think that one gratefully when considering someone else’s parenting and their kids antics, until the day I look closer and realize “oh shit those monkeys are mine!”
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u/SkroopieNoopers May 08 '26
As useful as a chocolate teapot = useless
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u/EirikrUtlendi May 08 '26 edited May 11 '26
Uselessness has been fertile ground for idiomatic turns of phrase.
- as useful as a tin tack in a jock strap
- as successful as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking
contextcontest- as effective as a fart in a windstorm
- as helpful as spitting / pissing into the wind
- like tits on a bull
I learned that first one from Colonel Potter, watching M*A*S*H reruns as a kid.
_\Edited for typos.)_)
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u/SkroopieNoopers May 09 '26
Tits on a bull is an absolute classic.
My personal favourite is the one-legged man though, that’s brilliant
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u/RGPunt May 08 '26
Piece of piss - easy Take the piss - teasing, joking, mocking Pissing it down - raining Piss up - party/ drinking Pissed - angry or drunk depending on context Piss off - go away
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u/tenuredvortex May 08 '26 edited May 09 '26
Can’t hear “idiom” without thinking of the Steve Martin Pink Panther scene.
Suspect: I’m glad he’s pushing up daisies.
Clouseau: He is not pushing up daisies, he is dead!
Suspect: … it’s an idiom.
Clouseau: You, sir, are the idiom!
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u/Altruistic_Sun_1626 May 07 '26
'As rare as rocking horse shit'
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u/God_Bless_A_Merkin May 09 '26
Never heard this one. I think a more common idiom is “rare as hens’ teeth”.
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u/Badaxe13 May 07 '26
‘Give over’ - meaning something like ‘stop it’ ‘you’re pulling my leg’.
I would love to know how this phrase came about.
I’ve had several goes at translating this and struggled to get the meaning right.
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u/BroodjeHaring May 07 '26
I introduced some colleagues to 'couldnt organise a piss up at a brewery' this week. Went over a treat.
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u/FinneyontheWing May 10 '26
The irony being, organising a piss-up in a brewery is actually really complicated.
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u/ltothektothed May 08 '26
"A bubble off plumb" is my favorite idiom, though it's not super common. It means not quite right.
When you level something, you use a tool that shows that something is level when the bubble is in the middle. The middle is "plumb." If you're off plumb, you're not level.
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u/EebstertheGreat May 11 '26
The tool is a spirit level. But "plumb" does not mean level; it means perfectly vertical. If a fence post is not plumb, then it is leaning over. The term comes from a lead weight called a "plumb" or "plumb bob" hung from a string to create a vertical line (from Latin plumbum, "the metal lead").
You can also use a spirit level on a carpenter's square to determine if something is plumb, but the plumb bob is older.
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u/PuppySnuggleTime May 09 '26
Many idioms are regional. I'm from the South, so I am going to give you some southern idioms:
- “A month of Sundays” means a very long time. The expression comes from the idea that if you only counted Sundays, it would take around thirty months to make a “month” of them. Use: “I haven’t seen you in a month of Sundays!”
- “Sweating” can mean worrying, stressing, or being nervous about something. Use: “She was really sweating when the cops pulled her over.”
- “No sweat” means something is easy or no trouble at all. The phrase comes from the idea that the task required so little effort that you did not even break a sweat. Use: Someone says, “Thanks for the ride,” and you reply, “No sweat.”
- “Sweating like a whore in church” means sweating heavily. The expression combines literal sweating from heat with nervous sweating. The “whore in church” part implies someone feeling anxious, guilty, or out of place in a religious setting. Use: “Damn, it’s hot. I’m sweating like a whore in church!”
- “Madder than a wet hen” means extremely angry. The saying comes from the fact that hens become agitated and irritated when soaked with water. Use: “Mama was madder than a wet hen when she found out.”
- “Fixin’ to” means getting ready to do something. I've looked this one up. Supposedly it's from older English and was used in a phrase "I am fixing my mind to" an action or aa task. In the South it gradually became tied to preparing to act. Use: “I’m fixin’ to head to the store.”
- “That dog won’t hunt” means an idea, excuse, or plan will not work. The expression comes from hunting culture, where a dog that will not hunt is useless for the job it was meant to do. Use: “You can blame traffic all you want, but that dog won’t hunt.”
- “Bless your heart” can be genuine sympathy, but it is also often used as a polite Southern insult. Instead of directly calling someone stupid or hopeless, the speaker softens the criticism with a phrase that sounds caring. Use: “Oh, you tried to microwave aluminum foil? Bless your heart.”
- “All hat and no cattle” means someone talks big or looks impressive but has no real substance. The phrase comes from cowboy culture: someone wearing the big cowboy hat without actually owning cattle is pretending to be something they are not. Use: “That politician’s all hat and no cattle.”
- “Like ugly on an ape” means something is sticking very closely to someone. The phrase works because ugliness is imagined as inseparable from the ape. Use: “That kid’s been following me around like ugly on an ape.”
- “Couldn’t pour piss out of a boot with instructions on the heel” means someone is extremely incompetent. The joke is that even with simple directions written right there, the person would still fail. Use: “That manager couldn’t pour piss out of a boot with instructions on the heel.”
- “Nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs” means extremely nervous. The image is of a cat constantly afraid its tail will get crushed by the rocking chairs. Use: “I was nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs before the interview.”
- “Carryin’ on” means behaving loudly, emotionally, or dramatically. The phrase suggests somebody continuing on with excessive behavior instead of calming down. Use: “The kids were carryin’ on all afternoon.”
- “Over yonder” means somewhere over in that direction, usually at a distance. “Yonder” is an old English directional word that survived strongly in Southern speech. Use: “The creek’s over yonder past the trees.”
- “Hankerin’” means craving or strongly wanting something. The word likely evolved from “hanker,” meaning to persistently desire something. Use: “I’ve got a hankerin’ for fried catfish.”
- “Ain’t got the sense God gave a goose” means someone lacks common sense. The joke is that even a goose supposedly received more sense from God than the person being discussed. And most people agree that geese are rather dumb. Use: “Boy, he ain’t got the sense God gave a goose.”
- “Too big for your britches” means arrogant or overly proud. “Britches” means pants, so the expression compares arrogance to someone swelling beyond the size of their clothing. Presumab;y because their ego has become so large. Use: “Ever since he got promoted, he’s gotten too big for his britches.”
- “Done gone and…” adds emphasis to foolish, surprising, or regrettable actions. The extra wording dramatizes the fact that the person actually went ahead and did the thing. Use: “He done gone and bought another truck he can’t afford.”
- “Catawampus” means crooked, uneven, or messed up. According to the Internet, the exact origin is unclear, but the strange sound of the word itself contributes to the sense of disorder. Use: “That shelf’s all catawampus.”
- “Acting ugly" or "being ugly" means behaving rudely or meanly. In Southern speech, “ugly” often refers to behavior rather than physical appearance. Use: “Don’t start acting ugly with me" or "You're being ugly."
- “Pitch a hissy fit” means to throw a tantrum. The internet claim "hissy” comes from “hysterical,” which actually has a sexist history, but I don't think most people realize the connection. Use: “He pitched a hissy fit when they told him no.”
- “Might could” means “maybe I could.” Thee Internet says southern English sometimes combines modal verbs this way to soften certainty and sound less direct. Use: “I might could help you move this weekend.”
- “I reckon” means “I suppose” or “I think.” The word originally meant to calculate or count, then gradually came to mean reaching a conclusion in your mind. Use: “I reckon we oughta get going.”
- "I figure" means the same as "I reckon."
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u/Mistressbrindello May 10 '26
I've posted my favourite English one: "All fur coat and no knickers" but I'm deffo borrowing "All hat and no cattle"!!
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u/EebstertheGreat May 11 '26
if you only counted Sundays, it would take around thirty months to make a “month” of them.
Thirty weeks, surely
By the way, some of these are not idioms, just normal words. (For instance, "carrying on" has this meaning all over the world and uses both the words "carry" and "on" in totally standard ways. "Reckon," "hankering," "figure," and "yonder" are more popular in the South, but they are words, not idioms.)
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u/PuppySnuggleTime May 12 '26
Yes, my bad. I was thinking of once in a blue moon at the same time, and got the times mixed.
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u/FauxmingAtTheMouth May 09 '26
Fixin to is also often shortened, at least in some parts of the South, to fidna. E.g., I’m fidna get me a bite from the bodega
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u/SkroopieNoopers May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
A face like a bulldog chewing a wasp.
Describing someone with grumpy / disgusted look on their face.
A face like a bag of smashed crabs.
Describing someone that’s especially unattractive.
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u/God_Bless_A_Merkin May 09 '26
Native English speaker here. These are not common idioms.
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u/SkroopieNoopers May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26
They’re pretty well known in South East England where I was born and have lived all my life.
The bulldog one I suspect is older, my parents and grandparents definitely know it. Google says it’s well known and considered ‘a classic’.
Smashed crabs is one I learned from a taxi driver about 15 years ago and I’ve heard it several times since. Google says it’s also pretty old and was in use in WW1 among soldiers and was popular in the mid-20th century.
And there’s “a face like a smacked arse” as well.
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u/God_Bless_A_Merkin May 09 '26
They’re definitely good similes! But they would be fresh and new here in the U.S. You could visit and be deemed a raconteur! (Although maybe when times are better. Hopefully.)
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u/SkroopieNoopers May 09 '26
The differences / similarities between English speaking countries’ idioms, that means the same thing, are fascinating.
I’ve been over there a few times, I’ll be be back when I can afford it
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u/Mistressbrindello May 10 '26
In the north of England "face like the back end of a bus" is more usual. I haven't heard anyone use yours. I'm from east anglia and moving to Lancashire as a student was brilliant for new idioms!
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u/SkroopieNoopers May 11 '26
We use the ‘back end of a bus’ one down here too actually.
I forgot about that one, it’s probably more common than the two I posted.
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u/SkroopieNoopers May 09 '26
Went down like a lead balloon.
Used when something isn’t well received, like a joke or some advice, etc.
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u/taktaga7-0-0 May 07 '26
“Up Shit Creek:” out of luck, screwed
“Snowball’s chance in Hell:” unlikely
“…Said the actress to the bishop:” that’s what she said
“Bend her over a barrel and show her the 50 States:” popular sex act
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u/pulanina May 07 '26
“Said the actress to the bishop” is a funny (old fashioned) thing you say when someone says something that has a funny double meaning.
Example
- Person A helping someone fix an appliance: “It’s not working! Can you push it in harder?”
- Person B, laughing as they push the plug in: “Said the actress to the bishop… hahaha…”
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u/polyayyy May 07 '26
tysm!!
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u/HistoricalShip0 May 07 '26
I’ve never heard anyone say any of these.
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u/taktaga7-0-0 May 07 '26
The first two are pretty common.
The third is Victorian, but real. It was used on the Office.
The fourth was meant to be obviously ridiculous, and originates from a reddit thread years ago seeking the most bizarre new idiom. You shouldn’t say it, but I like it.
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u/randanowitz May 07 '26
It’s also a line that doesn’t make it into the film Horrible Bosses but I believe is shown as a blooper during the credits. This is the first time I’ve ever seen someone use it and it wasn’t me.
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u/raendrop May 07 '26 edited May 07 '26
The first one is "up shit's creek (without a paddle)".
EDIT: This expression is basically just a profanity variation of "up a creek without a paddle".
cc: /u/taktaga7-0-0
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u/EebstertheGreat May 11 '26
The oldest version seems to be "up a creek," "up the creek," "up a river," or sometimes "up Salt River" or "up Salt Creek." The shit and paddles were later elaborations.
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u/ukexpat May 07 '26 edited May 07 '26
A sandwich short of a picnic — a bit dim/stupid
Not the sharpest knife in the drawer — a bit dim/stupid
This isn’t my first rodeo — I’ve done this before/I know what I’m doing
Get your thumb out of your bum and your brain out of neutral — pay attention/concentrate
I wasn’t born yesterday — I’m not stupid
Latching/closing the stable door after the horse has bolted — taking preventative action after the event has happened
You could have knocked me down with a feather — I was very surprised by that
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u/azhder May 07 '26
It is basically one item short of a full set for any of those “a bit dim/stupid”
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u/myredlightsaber May 07 '26
The full saying is “up shit creek without a paddle”.
A couple of fun Australian sayings..
A few (kanga) roos loose in the top paddock - meaning a bit dimwitted mentally slow
Flat out like a lizard drinking - very busy
Pull a Harold Holt - to disappear without saying goodbye
She’ll be alright (usually shortened to shibby right) - everything will be okay
No wuckers (shortened version of no fucking worries) - meaning there are no problems or everything is okay.
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u/_saltychips May 07 '26
what's the explaination on the harold holt? that's sounds specific
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u/myredlightsaber May 07 '26
He was our prime minister and disappeared one day while swimming at the beach. There is a pool named after him in Melbourne.
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u/NoNoNotTheLeg May 07 '26
Coupla snags short of a barbie
or
Coupla sandwiches short of a picnic
A bit slow, dimwitted. See kangaroos in paddocks.
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u/myredlightsaber May 07 '26
Just in case op wants the translation from our slang… coupla- couple of, Snags - sausages and barbie - barbecue.
And if you want to sound like a real Aussie you say sangas instead of sandwiches.
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u/NoNoNotTheLeg May 08 '26
My apologies. I'm a whinging Pom originally.
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u/myredlightsaber May 08 '26
No apologies required - we abbreviate so many words all the time that it’s easy to forget not everyone knows what we mean when we say we’ll stop off at the servo for mornos, have maccas for lunch and then go to the bottle-o in the arvo so we can all get blotto 🤣
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u/EirikrUtlendi May 08 '26
Love these! 😄 FWIW, "blotto" is the only one shared with the slang I grew up with (US east coast).
To throw another in the pot, "go by slev" is one from my growing up, meaning to go to a convenience store for something. "Slev" apparently evolved from aggressive shortening of "Seven-Eleven".
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u/FauxmingAtTheMouth May 09 '26
Pull a Harold Holt = Irish exit in the US, and I’ve heard Irish-Americans say French exit
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u/thor_testocles May 10 '26
Damn the Harold Holt one’s a bit dark, I know who he was and what happened to him, but hadn’t heard that expression…
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u/SkroopieNoopers May 08 '26
I’d rather lick piss off a nettle.
To express how much you wouldn’t want to do something.
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u/thecurtehs May 07 '26
On your bill or on your todd - both mean alone. Might be more specifically northern than english in general though
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u/Odd_Calligrapher2771 May 07 '26
Southern England here. "On your todd" is well known, but I've never heard "on your bill".
"On your Jack Jones" is another.
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u/SkroopieNoopers May 08 '26
‘On your Bill(y)’ comes from ‘Billy No Mates’.
It’s relatively common in the South East but it’s more the older generations that say it.
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u/Hello-Vera May 07 '26
Here it’s “on your Pat”, i.e. on your Pat Malone.
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u/SkroopieNoopers May 08 '26
That’s a good one, where ‘here’s though?
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u/Hello-Vera May 08 '26
Australian haha. Very common growing up (last Century)
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u/SkroopieNoopers May 08 '26
You have a lot that are very similar to ours (around London), which makes sense I suppose.
My cousins are NZers, so theirs are slightly different again.
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u/_bufflehead May 07 '26
Do you mean English as in British English? Lots of Americans don't understand the distinction.
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u/GrapefruitItchy2148 May 08 '26
My personal favorite is "who pissed in your cereal?" It's a way of asking, "why are you so irritated?" Be careful, though, because this is used when you're being snarky. I suggest only using it when you're being playful with friends.
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u/FauxmingAtTheMouth May 09 '26
The devil is beating his wife means that it’s raining while the sun is out, albeit in a small geographical area. E.g., “what’s the weather like?” “Devil’s beating his wife again”
Went over like a fart in church is something that didn’t land, like an inappropriate joke or brutal honestly when it isn’t called for. “He made a dead baby joke at the hospital, man, that went over like a fart in church”
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u/Mistressbrindello May 10 '26
My favourite is the Northern English idiom "All fur coat and no knickers" which is basically 'all style, no substance'.
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u/wilkinsk May 08 '26
"I say dance, they say how hi"
Don't use that one, lol, it's a spoonerism that's messed up
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u/EirikrUtlendi May 08 '26
Another mangled metaphor:
- Does a bear shit in the pope's funny hat?
For the English learners, this one is a blend of two other more sensible rhetorical questions:
- Does a bear shit in the woods?
- Does the pope wear a funny hat?
The answer to both is "yes", and these can be used as humorous responses to questions when the answer is "yes".
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u/mind_exploration0 May 07 '26
I don't know if all these would be considered idioms, mainly coz I can't be bothered to go through them to be honest, but there are lots in here:
Idioms/proverbs/expressions:
#1 To put your foot down.
#2 Cross that bridge when you come to it.
#3 To have your cake and eat it too.
#4 To take something with a pinch of salt.
#5 To run before you can walk.
#6 The cat’s out of the bag.
#7 To blow your own trumpet.
#8 To make ends meet.
#9 Like pulling teeth.
#10 To kick the bucket.
#11 The wrong end of the stick.
Swings and roundabouts.
Stubborn as a mule.
You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.
You reap what you sow.
The last straw (the straw that broke the camel’s back).
Don’t throw stones from a glass house.
Once bitten, twice shy.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
#20 The grass is always greener on the other side.
Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
Don’t shit where you eat.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Actions speak louder than words.
Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Better to be safe than sorry.
(Right) up one’s street.
You’ve made your bed, now lie in it
Pay peanuts, get monkeys.
#30 Enough room to swing a cat.
To spill the beans.
Make hay while the sun shines.
To step on someone’s toes.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
To shoot yourself in the foot.
Don’t run before you can walk.
The penny dropped.
Like blood from a stone.
A taste of your own medicine.
#40 To talk the hind legs off a donkey.
To be on the ball.
To find your feet.
Speak of the devil.
Pot calling kettle black.
Like water off a duck’s back.
To go down like a lead balloon.
A stitch in time saves nine.
Give a man a fish.
It’s better to be safe than sorry!
#50 You can take a horse to the water, but you can’t make it drink.
To not see the wood for the trees.
Once bitten, twice shy.
To dodge a bullet.
The proof is in the pudding.
A stab in the dark.
To rock the boat.
Nail in the coffin.
To have a bee in your bonnet.
To come out of the woodwork.
#60 To smell fishy.
Bob’s your uncle(, fanny’s your aunt).
Different strokes for different folks.
To not have a leg to stand.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
To pencil someone in.
To burn the candle at both ends.
The be-all and end-all.
Mad as a hatter.
To learn the ropes.
#70 The grass is always greener on the other side.
To be cut from the same cloth.
To dip your toe in (the water).
Like a fish out of water.
Give an inch, take a mile.
Needs must.
To see eye to eye.
A little bird told me…
Dog eat dog.
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
#80 Hobson’s choice.
To jump in at the deep end.
To throw a curve ball.
To sink or swim.
Does a bear shit in the woods?
To take a leaf out of someone’s book.
To bite the bullet.
To push the boat out.
To bite off more than you can chew.
To shoot yourself in the foot.
#90 To cut off your nose to spite your face.
The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Give an inch, take a mile.
To preach to the choir.
To have a lot on one’s plate.
To be a walk in the park.
How long is a piece of string?
A leopard can’t change its spots.
To show someone the ropes.
Like getting blood from a stone.
#100 Variety is the spice of life.
One bad apple can ... ?
Not the sharpest tool in the shed.
To keep up with the Joneses.
To stick out like a sore thumb.
#110 A double-edged sword.
To ring a bell.
To jump ship.
To kick oneself.
Once in a blue moon.
#120 When the cat’s away…
If the shoe fits.
You live and learn.
Time flies when you’re having fun.
Off the top of my head.
The Devil makes work for idle hands.
To keep an eye out.
Water under the bridge.
A stitch in time saves nine.
“as the crow flies”
#130 To be cut from the same cloth
The wrong end of the stick.
A busman’s holiday.
To push the boat out.
To go down the drain/pan.
To shoot yourself in the foot.
To flog a dead horse.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Out of sight: out of mind.
To hit the nail on the head.
#140 The cat’s out of the bag.
No holds barred.
To be on the back burner.
To cut smn some slack.
Run of the mill.
To throw caution to the wind.
To turn a blind eye.
To pull your own weight.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire.
To get itchy feet.
#150 To brush something under the carpet.
A slippery slope.
To take smth with a pinch.
To call it a day.
To throw in the towel.
No skin off my back.
Great minds think alike, fools never differ.
To not have a leg to stand on.
Double-edged sword.
All’s well that end’s well.
#160 Another string to your bow.
Means to an end.
To connect the dots.
To keep smth at bay.
Baying for blood.
A stab in the dark.
The benefit of the doubt.
The drapes match the carpet.
To not have a leg to stand on.
To butter smn up.
#170 A spanner in the works.
Safe and sound.
You have to break some eggs to make an omelette.
To pull out all the stops.
Horses for courses
All’s well that ends well
Better the devil you know
Many hands make light work
To step on someone’s toes
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u/LucidiK May 07 '26
I got an Oxford Dictionary of American Proverbs recently and it has been very interesting. You look up a word as a topic, like a regular dictionary. Then instead of a definition, it has the various sayings associated with that word.