An Idiom a Day » american idiomatic expressions

An Idiom a Day . Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

Dave Jackson — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:52:12 +0000

Generally referring to police officers or firemen or military who lose their lives in the line of duty, their work, this idiom can also refer to you. Listen here.

An Idiom a Day . A Shot in the Arm

Dave Jackson — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:06:11 +0000

This idiom refers to getting encouragement. When someone or a football team gets a shot in the arm it might be a goal or something that gave them renewed hope. That is a wonderful thing.

An Idiom a Day . A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

Dave Jackson — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:20:39 +0000

Someone who is always moving and always into something new is like a stone that moves. There is an old saying that stones that are moved do not get moss on them. So like the stone a person who is always moving is not considered set in their ways.

An Idiom a Day . A Piece of the Action

Dave Jackson — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:58:25 +0000

A piece of the action is used a lot in gangster movies where a guy will say he wants some of the profit of an organization. He wants a piece of the action. Listen to how I use it in a phrase.

An Idiom a Day . A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

Dave Jackson — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 10:50:29 +0000

You may have heard of fair weather friends. They are the kind that you can never reach when you really, really need them. Well, a friend in need is someone who is truly your friend.

An Idiom a Day . A Big Fish in a Small Pond

Dave Jackson — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:16:49 +0000

Also, big frog in a little pond. A person who is important in a limited arena or someone overqualified for a position or in relation to colleagues. For example, Steve has both a Ph.D. and an M.D., yet he is content with his practice at a rural hospital or he prefers to be a big fish in a little pond. The expression big fish has been slang for an important or influential person since the early 1800s. The addition of in a small pond as a metaphor for an unimportant organization is more recent, as is the substitution of frog. Another variant is the proverb Better a big fish in a little puddle than a little fish in a big puddle.

An Idiom a Day . A Babe in the Woods

Dave Jackson — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:54:20 +0000

Know someone who does not have much experience? We might call them a babe in the woods. It is an innocent or very naive person who is apt to be duped or victimized, as in she was a babe in the woods where the stock market was concerned. The term originated in a popular ballad of 1595, “The Children in the Wood,” about two young orphans who are abandoned in a forest and die.

An Idiom a Day . You Scratch My Back, I’ll Scratch Yours

Dave Jackson — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:30:12 +0000

The idiom today is fun. It means if you do something for me, I will do something for you. It can be a favor that you do. Listen now.

An Idiom a Day . You Have to Take the Good with the Bad

Dave Jackson — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:22:57 +0000

This means that wherever you are, in any situation, there will be two sides, good and bad. You just have to accept both. If you want to live in Hawaii, you have to accept hurricanes.

An Idiom a Day . Two Heads Are Better Than One

Dave Jackson — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:06:35 +0000

Most of the time when you are making a decision on something it is good to get the advice of a close friend or partner. Two minds working are better than just one. This expression is used quite a bit to mean that you should get another opinion.