A night owl is someone who likes to stay awake until late at night, or who works at night. Examples of use: 1. He's always been a night owl: when he was a child he often read until past midnight. 2. There were a few night owls sitting in the café, but most people [...]
35 phrasal verbs, idioms and sayings for Halloween
October 26, 2011 By 10 Comments
It's Halloween on the 31st October, the night when ghosts and witches are said to appear. Here are some suitably ghostly, spooky, evil and mysterious words and phrases… Witches, ghosts and skeletons ♦ witch-hunt – to go on a witch-hunt is to try and find and punish or harrass people with unpopular [...]
Idioms to express anger
October 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Here are some useful expressions for expressing or talking about anger. gets one's goat If something annoys or irritates you, it gets your goat. It's thought this expression might have its origins in horse racing. Nervous racing horses were kept with goats in order to keep them calm. If a horse's goat companion was lost [...]
Idioms for unhappiness
September 1, 2011 By 4 Comments
Here are some useful expressions for expressing or talking about sadness. down in the mouth When you look down in the mouth you look depressed and unhappy. Down in the mouth is the way you look when the corners of your mouth are turned down because you are unhappy. Examples of use: 1. You're looking [...]
Idioms for happiness
August 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Here are some useful idiomatic expressions for expressing happiness. over the moon To be over the moon about something is to be very happy about something: so happy and excited that you imagine you could jump or fly over the moon! Examples of use: 1. I passed all my exams – I'm over the [...]
Idiom: Aladdin’s cave
August 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
An Aladdin's cave is a place full of very many valuable, beautiful, interesting or unusual things. British English. Aladdin is a character from The Arabian Nights stories who finds himself trapped in a cave full of precious jewels. Examples of use: 1. His shop is an Aladdin's cave of beautiful antiques and collectibles. 2. Our [...]
Idiom: can’t see the wood for the trees
August 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment
If you can't see the wood for the trees, you are unable to understand a situation clearly because you are too concerned with small unimportant details, and you can't see the whole picture. Mainly British English. US English – can't see the forest for the trees Exampes of use: 1. News item: Politicians really can't [...]
