English Idioms2

TAKE THAT TO THE BANK: be absolutely sure of it. Often: "You can take that to the bank"—you can be absolutely sure of it. This can be used for either financial or non-financial matters. Market Oracle: <<With the Dow down nearly 1,200 points since January 1, we may be seeing a pause in the action to the down side, but I wouldn't take that to the bank. >> As Andrew Dickinson points out below, this is primarily American English.

PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS: support something financially rather than just talking about it. CNN: <<Viktor Yanukovych conceded to the major demands made by protesters, he announced Friday on his website. He had been holding out against their raging street demonstrations for months.

Yanukovych said he has initiated new presidential elections and a return to the old constitution that would cut presidential power, and also form a national unity Cabinet.

And he may have put his money where his mouth is. Ukraine canceled the sale of $2 billion in government bonds, the Irish Stock Exchange said.

Russia has been buying the bonds as part of an economic deal between the two countries that helped to set off the fervor of his opposition.>>

Two-for-one Thursday! To READ THE RIOT ACT to someone is to reprimand someone strongly. To BLOW YOUR STACK is to explode in anger. Express.co.uk: <<

<<Mike Williamson admits Alan Pardew was right to read the riot act to miserable Magpies

MIKE WILLIAMSON accepts [coach] Alan Pardew was absolutely right to blow his stack over Wednesday’s home rout by Spurs – and says Newcastle fans were equally justified in their mass walk-out.>>

ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES: get ready to work hard. HSBC Global Banking and Markets: <<The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, involving the 10 ASEAN countries plus Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand is due to be concluded by the end of 2015.

But companies cannot rely on policymakers. To counter the erosion of competitiveness, Asia must roll up its sleeves and export higher-value-added products.>>

A PIG IN A POKE: something bought without close examination; a deal for something in which the value (or lack of value) of the thing is concealed. "Poke" is an old word meaning bag. Detroit News: <<Timely resolution of Detroit’s bankruptcy may hinge on whether Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr can convince the suburbs to buy what they suspect is a pig in a poke.

Orr’s plan of adjustment counts on Detroit selling its water and sewage department to a regional authority for $47 million a year for 40 years. The revenue will be used to bolster the city’s general fund.

He had hoped to get sign-off on a memorandum of understanding by the end of last week. It didn’t happen, and may not. Oakland and Macomb counties are skeptical that the system is worth the asking price. In fact, they fear that instead of generating revenue, the new authority will be a huge liability for their residents.>>

HEAD OVER HEELS: [in love]: totally in love. It used to be "head over heels in love" but is now often used by itself. Happy Valentine's Day! <<Vancouver Province:

Depp 'head over heels' for Heard

Johnny Depp has bought Amber Heard a commitment ring.

The 50-year-old actor, who has been dating the blond beauty, 27, for two years, has fuelled speculation that they are set to marry after buying her a bespoke platinum, black pearl and diamond ring which Heard wears on her engagement finger.

"It's a commitment ring and has an inscription on the inside in tiny writing which is a love note from him to her," a source told The Sun newspaper. "No one's seen him this head-over-heels ever; he's like a different guy.>>

A bonus idiom for hump day (Wednesday, since after Wednesday you're over the "hump" of the middle of the week): IN SPADES: to a high degree. I don't see any examples of this idiom from Britain in the news. Spy Ghana: <<Thievy Bifouma took just seconds to score when he came off the bench to make his West Bromwich Albion debut in the 3-1 defeat by Crystal Palace.

The Baggies looked a different team with him in attack, with Thievy stretching the Palace defence and showing the kind of individual ability that has been lacking since the effervescent Stéphane Sessègnon’s groin injury at the beginning of January.

The 21-year-old forward has talent in spades. He also has a suspect temperament, which has held him back at Espanyol despite his impressive loan spell at Las Palmas last season.>>

BLOW OFF STEAM: express anger and thus reduce it, relax after a stressful activity. We also say "vent." Bury Times (UK): << Bury fans took to social media sites to blow off steam after the club's League Two match at Torquay United was called off shortly after midday.

The Devon club, which has now had three consecutive home matches postponed due to waterlogged pitches, invited a local referee to inspect the surface yesterday. >>

MEND FENCES: to repair a relationship, to try to reestablish a friendship or peaceful relationship after a dispute. Korea Herald: <<For [South Korean] President Park [Geun-hye], 2014 is a crucial year to mend fences with the North, analysts said, pointing out that a president’s political clout to push for major policy initiatives peaks in the first half of his or her presidency.>>

DRAW THE LINE: specify a limit on something. If you say "draw the line at" something, you mean you limit it at that point. Telegraph (UK): <<A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers said: “Excluded properties should still get insurance, it’s just [that] the cost won’t be capped. Flood Re is designed to focus on areas where the lack of affordable and available cover is most acute. We have to draw the line somewhere.” Tom Woolgrove of Direct Line said increasing the breadth of Flood Re cover would push costs up for all households. >>

If something MAKES YOUR DAY, it makes you happy for the rest of the day. Times of India: <<TRICHY: TNSTC drivers are used to facing the wrath of passengers for any glitch in their service, but on Monday a 58-year-old driver had a surprise in store for him. A few of his regular passengers honoured him for his long, satisfactory service. A simple function was held at Agatheswarar temple in Mannaparai on his last day at the wheel. ...

While delivering his speech Angoram said he never expected that the passengers [would] come up with such an idea. "I was sad that it was the last day of my 20-year service on the route, but the passengers made my day," said Angoram.>>

He feels like a fish out of water (disoriented)



He was running like a bat out of hell (he was running very fast)



They are as like as two peas in a pod (identical)

To HAVE EGG ON YOUR FACE, to GET EGG ON YOUR FACE: to be embarrassed because you've done something stupid. Irish Times: <<Sinn Féin has been left with egg on its face after it emerged that tens of thousands of leaflets were printed which gave the wrong date for the local elections.

The leaflets, which were prepared to introduce the candidates to the electorate in Meath and have already been distributed to some homes, wrongly state the local elections take place on Thursday, May 22nd.

Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan confirmed last month that polling will take place for the local and European elections on Friday, May 23rd. >>

UNDER WRAPS: kept hidden. Often used for something that will later be unveiled, but not always—you can say that the design for the new iPhone is still under wraps. Bloomberg Businessweek: <<

More Justin Bieber jail video may stay under wraps
By Curt Anderson February 27, 2014

MIAMI (AP) — Justin Bieber's wobbly walk during a jailhouse sobriety test isn't the only thing police video captured after his January arrest on driving under the influence and other charges, but it's not clear if the remaining clips will see the light of day.

Bieber's attorneys raised no objections to the roughly 10 hours of video released Wednesday following public records requests by The Associated Press and other news organizations. They have argued to a judge, however, that police video of the 19-year-old pop singer urinating into a cup for a drug test is an out-of-bounds invasion of his privacy.>>

LAY (or THROW) A WET BLANKET ON SOMETHING: to do something discouraging or depressing. If a person is a WET BLANKET, he or she tends to dampen enthusiasm. I went to the party, but Christine was a real wet blanket—she kept warning everyone that we have to go to work tomorrow. Detroit News: <<Leave it to the guy who wrote the book on Detroit’s implosion to lay a proverbial wet blanket on building enthusiasm for where the city is headed, bankruptcy or not.
But there was Thomas Sugrue, author of “Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Post-war Detroit,” warning that the city’s latest effort at revival “will not be easy.”>>

HIT A WALL: slow to a stop. Often said of growth in something, or of an effort to do something. Toronto Star: <<Has Twitter’s growth hit a wall?

After an initial stock offering in November that valued the social media company at 22 times forecast 2014 sales, Twitter has revealed sputtering growth in its monthly average active user base.

The revelation Wednesday triggered a rash of analyst downgrades on Twitter shares and an exodus of investors. >>

In this day and age, you should be careful  Nowadays you have to be careful
Time and tide wait for no man Time slips by and can't be stopped
Don't cross your bridges before you get to them Everything should be done in its time
I have all the time in the world I have still plenty of time
Time heals all wounds Time is a great healer even when you pain is great

SMOOTH SAILING: a situation without problems. Daily Telegraph (Australia): <<A RED carpet stack, a ripped dress and a few fashion faux pas — it was just another day on the Oscars red carpet.

While the Aussies proved extremely successful on the stage, it wasn’t entirely smooth sailing on the ruby rug. A highly anticipated debut by Margot Robbie fell flat with the actor dividing critics for her goth-inspired Saint Lauren ensemble.

The normally bubbly blonde looked as though she was channelling emo New Zealand singer Lorde in a black Saint Lauren dress which she teamed with dark red lipstick and brunette locks.>>

A RED carpet stack, a ripped dress and a few fashion faux pas — it was just another day on the Oscars red carpet.

While the Aussies proved extremely successful on the stage, it wasn’t entirely smooth sailing on the ruby rug. A highly anticipated debut by Margot Robbie fell flat with the actor dividing critics for her goth-inspired Saint Lauren ensemble.


The normally bubbly blonde looked as though she was channelling emo New Zealand singer Lorde in a black Saint Lauren dress which she teamed with dark red lipstick and brunette locks.

Emo /ˈiːmoʊ/ is a style of rock music characterized by melodic musicianship and expressive, often confessional lyrics. It originated in the mid-1980s hardcore punk movement of Washington, D.C., where it was known as "emotional hardcore" or "emocore" and pioneered by bands such as Rites of Spring and Embrace.