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Cleanliness is next to Godliness
The saying that cleanliness is next to Godliness means that keeping yourself and your surroundings clean is seen as a sign of good character. The idiom links physical cleanliness with moral behavior.The idea appeared in English writing several centuries ago and later became a well known proverb. Religious teachers often repeated it when encouraging orderly habits.
My grandmother always said cleanliness is next to Godliness while making us tidy our rooms.
Close to home
The phrase close to home or hits close to home means something affects you personally. You may relate to it so closely that it makes you feel emotional or uncomfortable.Her words hit close to home.
Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater
The idiom don't throw the baby out with the bathwater means don't get rid of something good while trying to remove something bad. It warns against overreacting and losing what matters.The original saying comes from the days a family would all share the same bath water and wash one at a time, starting with the man of the house and ending with the baby. By the end, the water was so dirty you might not notice the baby was still in it, and throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Fix the rules, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Done and dusted
The idiom done and dusted means finished completely, with nothing left to do. It is often said with relief after a task is completed.The "dusted" part suggests you've finished a job, put everything away, and cleaned up any mess you made in the process.
The exam is done and dusted now.
Down the drain
The phrase down the drain means wasted or lost completely. Time, money, or effort disappears and cannot be recovered. This idiom draws a parallel to water going down the drain of a sink and vanishing.All that planning went down the drain when it rained.
Going through it with a fine tooth comb
To go through something with a fine tooth comb means examining it very carefully and looking for small details or mistakes.The phrase comes from grooming combs with very narrow teeth. These combs are used to remove tiny things like dirt or lice from hair. This suggests a slow and thorough search.
The editor went through the report with a fine tooth comb before it was published.
Hit the sack
The idiom hit the sack, or sometimes hit the hay, means to go to bed in order to sleep. People use the phrase when they are tired and ready to end the day.The expression comes from the time that beds that were filled with sacks of hay, straw or other soft material. Lying down on the sack to sleep eventually became a casual way of saying someone was going to bed.
I am exhausted after the long drive, so I am going to hit the sack.
House of cards
A house of cards describes something that is very precarious and likely to collapse if even a small problem occurs.The phrase comes from the activity of stacking playing cards to build a delicate structure. Because the cards are only lightly balanced, the whole structure can easily fall apart.
The company's finances turned out to be a house of cards once the debts were uncovered.
Keep the home fires burning
To keep the home fires burning means to continue taking care of things at home while someone else is away. It often refers to maintaining daily life and support until the person returns.The phrase became popular during World War I from a song encouraging families to remain hopeful and keep life going while soldiers were overseas.
While her partner was working abroad, she stayed behind to keep the home fires burning.
Make yourself at home
To make yourself at home means to behave in a relaxed and comfortable way in someone else's place, as if it were your own.The phrase has been used for a long time as a friendly way for hosts to welcome guests. By telling someone to make themselves at home, the host shows that the visitor is welcome and should feel comfortable there.
The neighbour's cat wandered in through the dog door, jumped onto the couch, and immediately made itself at home.