usingenglish.co m http://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/index.php?show=IdiomsEnglish Idioms: I Ho me > Me mb e rs > Id io ms & Slang English Idio ms: 152 ent ries beginning wit h 'I' I he re b y g ive no tice o f my inte ntio n He re b y is use d so me time s in fo rmal, o fficial d e claratio ns and state me nts to g ive g re ate r fo rce to the sp e ake r' o r the write r's affirmatio n. Pe o p le will say it so me time s to e mp hasise the ir since rity and co rre ctne ss. I may b e d aft, b ut I'm no t stup id I mig ht d o o r say silly thing s o ccasio nally, b ut in this instance I kno w what I am d o ing (Usually use d whe n so me o ne q ue stio ns yo ur ap p licatio n o f co mmo n-se nse ). I sho uld co co a (UK) This id io m co me s fro m 'I sho uld think so ', b ut is no rmally use d sarcastically to me an the o p p o site . I'll b e a mo nke y's uncle I'll b e a mo nke y's uncle is use d as an e xp re ssio n o f surp rise . I'll cro ss that ro ad whe n I co me to it I'll think ab o ut so me thing just whe n it hap p e ns, no t in ad vance . I'll e at my hat Yo u can say this whe n yo u are ab so lute ly sure that yo u are rig ht to le t the o the r p e rso n kno w that the re is no chance o f yo ur b e ing wro ng . I've g o t a b o ne to p ick with yo u If so me b o d y says this, the y me an that the y have so me co mp laint to make ag ainst the p e rso n the y are ad d re ssing . I've g o t yo ur numb e r Yo u have mad e a mistake and I am g o ing to call yo u o n it. Yo u are in tro ub le (a thre at). I have a d isag re e me nt with yo u. I und e rstand yo ur true nature . Icing o n the cake This e xp re ssio n is use d to re fe r to so me thing g o o d that hap p e ns o n to p o f an alre ad y g o o d thing o r situatio n. Id le hand s are the d e vil's hand iwo rk Whe n so me o ne is no t b usy, o r b e ing p ro d uctive , tro ub le is b o und to fo llo w. If at first yo u d o n't succe e d try try ag ain Whe n yo u fail, try until yo u g e t it rig ht! If I had a nicke l fo r e ve ry time (USA) Whe n so me o ne use s this e xp re ssio n, the y me an that the sp e cific thing hap p e ns a lo t. It is an ab b re viatio n o f the state me nt 'If I had a nicke l fo r e ve ry time that hap p e ne d , I wo uld b e rich' If it ain't b ro ke , d o n't fix it Any atte mp t to imp ro ve o n a syste m that alre ad y wo rks is p o intle ss and may e ve n hurt it. If Mo hamme d wo n't co me to the mo untain, the mo untain must co me to Mo hamme d If so me thing canno t o r will no t hap p e n the e asy way, the n so me time s it must b e d o ne the hard way. If the cap fits, we ar it This id io m me ans that if the d e scrip tio n is co rre ct, the n it is d e scrib ing the truth, o fte n whe n so me o ne is b e ing criticise d . ('If the sho e fits, we ar it' is an alte rnative ) If the sho e fits, we ar it This is use d to sug g e st that so me thing that has b e e n said mig ht ap p ly to a p e rso n. If wishe s we re ho rse s, b e g g ars wo uld rid e This me ans that wishing fo r so me thing o r wanting it is no t the same as g e tting o r having it. If wo rst co me s to wo rst This isuse d to sho w the wo rst that co uld hap p e n in a situatio n: If wo rst co me s to wo rst and the ho te ls are full, we can sle e p in the car. ('If the wo rst co me s to the wo rst' is also use d .) If yo u are g ive n le mo ns make le mo nad e Always try and make the b e st o ut o f a b ad situatio n. With so me ing e nuity yo u can make a b ad situatio n use ful. If yo u can't run with the b ig d o g s, yo u'd b e tte r stay o n the p o rch If yo u can't ke e p up with what o the rs are d o ing , the n it is b e st no t to atte mp t it. If yo u can't stand the he at, g e t o ut o f the kitche n Orig inally a Harry S. Truman q uo te , this me ans that if yo u can't take the p re ssure , the n yo u sho uld re mo ve yo urse lf fro m the situatio n. If yo u fly with the cro ws, yo u g e t sho t with the cro ws If yo u wish to b e asso ciate d with a p articular hig h risk and /o r hig h p ro file situatio n and b e ne fit fro m the re ward s o f that asso ciatio n, yo u have to acce p t the co nse q ue nce s if thing s g o wro ng - yo u canno t d isso ciate yo urse lf. If yo u lie d o wn with d o g s, yo u will g e t up with fle as This me ans that if yo u b e co me invo lve d with b ad co mp any, the re will b e ne g ative co nse q ue nce s. If yo u lie d o wn with the De vil, yo u will wake up in he ll This me ans that if yo u b e co me invo lve d with b ad co mp any, the re will b e ne g ative co nse q ue nce s. If yo u will 'If yo u will' is use d as a way o f making a co nce ssio n in a se nte nce : He wasn't a ve ry ho ne st p e rso n, a liar if yo u will. He re , it is use d a way o f acce p ting that the re ad e r o r liste ne r mig ht think o f the p e rso n as a liar, b ut witho ut co mmit the write r o r sp e ake r to that p o sitio n fully. If yo u'll p ard o n my Fre nch (UK) This id io m is use d as a way o f ap o lo g ising fo r swe aring . Ill at e ase If so me o ne is ill at e ase , the y are wo rrie d o r unco mfo rtab le . Ill-g o tte n g ains Ill-g o tte n g ains are p ro fits o r b e ne fits that are mad e e ithe r ille g ally o r unfairly. In a cle ft stick If yo u are in a cle ft stick, yo u are in a d ifficult situatio n, caug ht b e twe e n cho ice s. In a co o n's ag e A lo ng time . Examp le : I have n't se e n he r in a co o n's ag e . In a d o g 's ag e I yo u have n't d o ne so me thing in a d o g 's ag e , yo u have n't d o ne it fo r a ve ry lo ng time . In a fix If yo u are in a fix, yo u are in tro ub le . In a flash If so me thing hap p e ns in a flash, it hap p e ns ve ry q uickly ind e e d . In a fo g If yo u're in a fo g , yo u are co nfuse d , d aze d o r unaware . In a he artb e at If so me thing hap p e ns ve ry q uickly o r imme d iate ly, it hap p e ns in a he artb e at. In a jam If yo u are in a jam, yo u are in so me tro ub le . If yo u g e t o ut o f a jam, yo u avo id tro ub le . In a jiffy If so me thing hap p e ns in a jiffy, it hap p e ns ve ry q uickly. In a nutshe ll This id io m is use d to intro d uce a co ncise summary. In a p ickle If yo u are in a p ickle , yo u are in so me tro ub le o r a me ss. In a rut In a se ttle d o r e stab lishe d p atte rn, hab it o r co urse o f actio n, e sp e cially a b o ring o ne . In a tick (UK) If so me o ne will d o so me thing in a tick, the y'll d o it ve ry so o n o r ve ry q uickly. In a tig ht sp o t If yo u're in a tig ht sp o t, yo u're in a d ifficult situatio n. In all ho ne sty If yo u say so me thing in all ho ne sty, yo u are te lling the co mp le te truth. It can b e use d as a way o f intro d ucing a ne g ative o p inio n whilst trying to b e p o lite ; in all ho ne sty, I have to say that I wasn't ve ry imp re sse d . In an instant If so me thing hap p e ns in an instant, it hap p e ns ve ry rap id ly. In ano the r's sho e s It is d ifficult to kno w what ano the r p e rso n's life is re ally like , so we d o n't kno w what it is like to b e in so me o ne 's sho e s. In ap p le -p ie o rd e r If so me thing is in ap p le -p ie o rd e r, it is ve ry ne at and o rg anise d . In b ro ad d aylig ht If a crime o r p ro b le m hap p e ns in b ro ad d aylig ht, it hap p e ns d uring the d ay and sho uld have b e e n se e n and sto p p e d . In caho o ts If p e o p le are in caho o ts, the y are co nsp iring to g e the r. In co ld b lo o d If so me thing is d o ne in co ld b lo o d , it is d o ne ruthle ssly, witho ut any e mo tio n. In d ire straits If yo u're in d ire straits, yo u're in se rio us tro ub le o r d ifficultie s. Sugge st an Idiom Search Ple ase No te Ple ase no te that the se d atab ase s co ve r co llo q uial lang uag e and co ntain so me te rms that d e al with vulg ar and tab o o sub je cts. Yo u can o p t to filte r-o ut e xp licit co nte nt o n yo ur p re fe re nce s p ag e . Ge ne rate d in 0.012 se co nd s