| 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 |