This dataset consists of common idiomatic expressions, their meanings, and contexts in which they are typically used. It serves as a reference for understanding the nuances of these expressions in everyday language.
Expression | Meaning | Context |
---|---|---|
Break the ice | To initiate conversation in a social setting | Social gatherings |
Bite the bullet | To face a difficult situation with courage | Challenges and difficulties |
Call it a day | To stop working for the day | Work-related situations |
Cut to the chase | To get to the point of something | Business meetings |
Hit the hay | To go to bed | End of the day |
Let the cat out of the bag | To reveal a secret | Conversation about surprises |
Piece of cake | Something that is easy to do | Challenges or tasks |
Spill the beans | To disclose information or secrets | Gossip or conversation |
Under the weather | To feel ill or unwell | Describing feelings |
Burn the midnight oil | To work late into the night | Studying or working |
Barking up the wrong tree | To pursue a mistaken or misguided course | Advice or guidance |
Kick the bucket | To die | Talking about life and death |
Hit the nail on the head | To be exactly right about something | Feedback or observations |
Throw in the towel | To give up | Sports or competitive situations |
Back to the drawing board | To start over after a failure | Project planning |
Burning the candle at both ends | To overwork oneself | Work-life balance discussions |
Elephant in the room | An obvious issue that is being ignored | Difficult conversations |
Hit the ground running | To start something and get immediately working | Project initiation |
Every cloud has a silver lining | There is something good in every bad situation | Optimism |
A blessing in disguise | A misfortune that results in something good | Life events |
Cry over spilled milk | To waste time worrying about things that can't be changed | Advice on handling mistakes |
Don't count your chickens before they hatch | Don't assume success before it happens | Planning and forecasting |
Hit the books | To study hard | Student life |
On cloud nine | To be extremely happy | Personal achievements |
Take it with a grain of salt | To not take something too seriously | Skepticism |
Actions speak louder than words | What one does is more important than what one says | Personal integrity |
Once in a blue moon | Very rarely | Habits and frequency |
Your guess is as good as mine | To have no idea about something | Discussion of uncertainty |
Break a leg | To wish someone good luck | Performances and sports |
Jump on the bandwagon | To join a popular trend or activity | Social behavior |
Let sleeping dogs lie | To avoid stirring up trouble | Conflict resolution |
Wear your heart on your sleeve | To openly show your emotions | Emotional expression |
Add fuel to the fire | To make a situation worse | Conflict or arguments |
Put all your eggs in one basket | To risk everything on one venture | Investment advice |
Take the bull by the horns | To confront a problem directly | Personal challenges |
Raining cats and dogs | To rain heavily | Weather-related conversations |
Sitting on the fence | To remain undecided about an issue | Decision-making |
Beat around the bush | To avoid getting to the point | Communication |
Burn the bridges | To eliminate any chance of retreat or reversal | Making decisive choices |
Face the music | To accept the consequences of your actions | Confrontation |
Hit the road | To start a journey | Travel context |
Keep your chin up | To remain positive in tough situations | Support in difficult times |
Like a fish out of water | To feel uncomfortable or out of place | Social situations |
Out of the blue | Something happening unexpectedly | Surprising news |
Pull someone's leg | To tease or trick someone | Light-hearted conversation |
Put your money where your mouth is | To take action rather than just talking | Accountability |
Speak of the devil | To mention someone who unexpectedly appears | Conversation context |
Take it easy | To relax or not worry too much | Advice on stress |
Strike while the iron is hot | To take advantage of favorable conditions | Timeliness in action |
Through thick and thin | To remain loyal through difficult times | Relationships |
Go the extra mile | To make a special effort | Work ethic |
Know the ropes | To be knowledgeable about a particular situation | Learning context |
Rolling in the deep | To feel a deep level of emotion or sadness | Emotional expression |
Game changer | Something that significantly alters a situation | Business or strategy |
Throw caution to the wind | To take a risk without worrying about the consequences | Risk-taking |
Fell through the cracks | Something that was overlooked or forgotten | Project management |
Jumping the gun | To act prematurely | Decision-making |
Leave no stone unturned | To exhaust all options in search of something | Thoroughness |
Climbing the walls | To feel restless or impatient | Loneliness or boredom |
Not playing with a full deck | To be mentally deficient or not thinking clearly | Assessing understanding |
Know the writing on the wall | To recognize signs of impending disaster | Foreseeing issues |
Shift gears | To change strategies or approaches | Adaptability |
A hot potato | A controversial issue or situation | Current events conversation |
Break the mold | To do something different from the norm | Innovation |
Jump the shark | To reach a point of no return after a decline | Pop culture references |
Bigger fish to fry | To have more important matters to deal with | Prioritization |
Throw in the sponge | To admit defeat | Competition |
Pay the piper | To face the consequences of one's actions | Financial implications |
Curiosity killed the cat | Excessive questioning can lead to trouble | Advice on being cautious |
Scared to death | To be very scared | Expressions of fear |
Cut corners | To do something in a quick and substandard manner | Quality and standards |
Blow off steam | To release pent-up energy or emotion | Stress relief |
Back to square one | To start over from the beginning | Project failures |
Bite off more than you can chew | To take on too much responsibility | Overcommitment |
Hit the jackpot | To achieve great success unexpectedly | Success stories |
On the same page | To have a shared understanding or agreement | Collaboration |
Over the moon | To be extremely happy | Celebrations |
Shooting the breeze | To engage in casual conversation | Social settings |
Keep your eyes peeled | To remain alert or watchful | Being careful |
Taking the scenic route | To choose a longer but more enjoyable path | Travel experiences |
Every dog has its day | Everyone will have their moment of success | Affirmation |
Let bygones be bygones | To move past previous disagreements | Conflict resolution |
Jumping on the bandwagon | To adopt a trend or cause | Social conformity |
In the same boat | To be in a similar situation as others | Shared experiences |
Pass the buck | To shift responsibility to someone else | Accountability in teams |
Sweeping it under the rug | To hide or ignore a problem | Problem-solving |
Cut to the quick | To hurt someone emotionally | Emotional hurt |
Go out on a limb | To take a risk on something | Risk-taking |
Walking on eggshells | To be very cautious about what you say | Sensitive situations |
Stab in the back | To betray someone's trust | Friendship dynamics |
Laying all your cards on the table | To be honest and open about your intentions | Transparency |
Finding your feet | To become comfortable in a new situation | Adjustment phases |
Barking up the wrong tree | To make a false assumption or pursue false leads | Error in judgment |
Tighten the belt | To spend less money | Financial advice |
Have your cake and eat it too | To want more than one desired but contradictory outcome | Personal desires |
Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer | To keep an eye on your adversaries | Strategic relationships |
Throw shade | To subtly insult or criticize | Social dynamics |
Cross that bridge when you come to it | To deal with a problem when it arises and not before | Coping |
Under your nose | In plain sight,Observation or awareness" | NaN |
Read between the lines | To understand something that is not immediately obvious | Critical thinking |
Elephant in the room | An obvious problem that no one wants to mention | Awkward situations |
Put the cart before the horse | To reverse the proper order of things | Advice on organization |
Birds of a feather flock together | People with similar interests tend to associate with each other | Social dynamics |
Weather the storm | To endure a difficult situation | Crisis management |
Shining like a diamond | To stand out impressively | Achievement recognition |
Chasing rainbows | Pursuing unrealistic goals | Dreams vs reality |
Feeling blue | To feel sad or depressed | Emotional state |
Let the chips fall where they may | To let things happen as they will | Acceptance |
Turning over a new leaf | To make a fresh start | Change and growth |
Throwing caution to the wind | To act recklessly without concern | Risk-Taking |
Catch-22 | A situation where you're trapped by contradictory rules | Paradoxical situations |
Horse of a different color | A situation that is quite different than what is expected | Unexpected outcomes |
Steal someone's thunder | To take credit for someone else's idea or success | Plagiarism |
Wasted effort | To lose effort on something unproductive | Sunk cost |
Water under the bridge | Past events that are no longer significant | Resolution of conflict |
At the drop of a hat | To do something immediately | Spontaneity |
Hidden agenda | A concealed motive behind actions | Suspicions about intentions |
Jumping through hoops | To go through a lot of trouble to achieve something | Effort vs reward |
Losing steam | To become less energetic or motivated as something progresses | Exhaustion |
Keep the faith | To maintain belief in something good despite difficulties | Positive mindset |
Truth be told | To be honest about something | Disclosure of truth |
Caught between a rock and a hard place | To be faced with two difficult choices | Dilemmas |
Follow your gut | To trust your instincts in decision-making | Intuition |
Pulling your leg | Joking or teasing someone | Light-hearted humor |
Black sheep | A person who is different from the rest of the group | Family dynamics |
Too many cooks spoil the broth | Too many people involved can ruin a plan | Group projects |
Cash cow | A business or product that generates a steady income | Financial success |
Don't burn your bridges | Don't destroy relationships that may be useful later | networking |
More than meets the eye | Things are more complex than they seem | Deeper understanding |
Running on empty | To be out of energy or resources | Descriptive of fatigue |
Best of both worlds | A situation where one can enjoy the advantages of two different things | Balance |
Close but no cigar | To almost succeed but ultimately fail | Near success |
New kid on the block | A new person in a group or community | Introductions |
Letting the cat out of the bag | Revealing a secret by accident | Gossip |
Burning bridges | Damaging relationships or opportunities | Career advice |
Call the shots | To be in charge or make decisions | Leadership |
Don't put all your eggs in one basket | Don't risk everything on a single opportunity | Investment advice |
Breaking news | Newly received information about an event | Media reporting |
Make a long story short | To summarize a story | Storytelling |
Out of sight, out of mind | To forget about something when it is not present | Memory |
Speak your mind | To express your thoughts openly | Communication |
Cut the mustard | To meet expectations | Quality and standards |
On pins and needles | To be in a state of anxiety or nervousness,Anticipation" | NaN |
Time flies when you're having fun | Time feels shorter when you're enjoying yourself | Time perception |
Under the radar | To do something discreetly or without attracting attention | Privacy |
Wind of change | A coming change or trend | Forecasting |
Train of thought | The path your thoughts take | Mental processes |
Breaking the bank | To spend all your money on something | Financial discussion |
Don't cry wolf | Don't raise a false alarm | Warning signals |
Went downhill | To deteriorate in quality or standard | Progress over time |
Thread the needle | To navigate a difficult situation with care | Precision work |
All bark and no bite | Someone who is more talk than action | Character assessments |
Bringing to the table | To provide something of value to a discussion or situation | Teamwork |
Face the music | To confront the consequences of actions | Accountability |
Elephant in the room | An obvious problem not discussed | Social dynamics |
Out of the loop | Not informed about what is happening | Information gaps |
In the driver's seat | To be in control of a situation | Leadership |