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Out of the corner of my eye
This idiom is a way of saying you see someone in your peripheral vision. It means you did not get a good look at something because you were not looking directly at it, but you still saw it.I saw the kids taking cookies, out of the corner of my eye.
Pull your leg
To pull your leg means to joke with someone by telling them something that is not true, usually in a playful or teasing way.The expression has been used in English since the 1800s. One explanation suggests it came from thieves tripping someone by pulling their leg, although today the phrase simply refers to harmless teasing.
Relax, I was only pulling your leg about the surprise test.
Put your feet up
To put your feet up means to sit down and relax, usually after working or being busy.The phrase comes from the simple act of lifting your feet onto a chair or stool while sitting, which is a way people often sit when they want to relax.
After finishing the yard work, she sat on the couch and put her feet up for a while.
Put your finger on it
To put your finger on it means to know the exact cause or meaning of something. This idiom is more used in the negative, I can't put my finger on it which means that you know that something is wrong but you can't work out what it is, the same way you might not be able to put your finger right onto something.Something just doesn't work with the decor of this room, but I can't put my finger on it.
Put your foot down
To put your foot down means to take a firm stand and refuse to accept something.The phrase comes from the image of stamping a foot to show authority.
She put her foot down and said the meeting had to end on time.
Put your foot in your mouth
To put your foot in your mouth means to say something embarrassing, rude, or awkward without meaning to. It is used when someone accidentally says the wrong thing and regrets it afterward.The expression comes from the image of someone speaking so carelessly that they metaphorically shove their own foot into their mouth. The phrase became common in English in the 1900s.
I really put my foot in my mouth when I asked about her job before realizing she had just been laid off.
Rub you up the wrong way
To be rubbed up the wrong way means that someone's behavior annoys you slightly, particularly small habits or remarks.The phrase comes from brushing the fur of an animal against its natural direction. The motion creates resistance and irritation. The image later became a metaphor for social friction.
His sarcastic comments always rub you up the wrong way.
Rub your nose in it
To rub someone's nose in it means to keep reminding someone about a mistake or embarrassing situation in a way that makes them feel worse. Instead of letting the matter go, the person keeps pointing it out again and again.The phrase comes from an old method sometimes used when training animals, where their nose was pushed toward something they had done wrong. Over time it became a metaphor for deliberately making someone dwell on their mistake.
I know I lost the game, but you do not have to rub my nose in it every time we talk about it.
Rule of thumb
The phrase a rule of thumb means a simple guideline based on experience. It originates from when tradesmen used to roughly estimate measurements using the size of their thumb rather than any more accurate means.As a rule of thumb, save some money each month.
Save your breath
The idiom save your breath means that speaking will not change anything.The phrase comes from the simple idea that talking uses breath. If no one will listen, the breath is better saved.
You can save your breath - he's already decided.