Idioms about: Proverbs

Timeless bits of wisdom and warning.

Showing 41-60 of 82

Generated image of a beast asleep on the sofa

Nature of the beast

The nature of the beast means the basic qualities of something that cannot easily be changed. This idiom is used when a problem or difficulty is simply part of how a situation or system works.

The phrase has been used in English for many years. The word beast is used figuratively to describe something powerful or difficult to control, emphasizing that certain behaviors are built into its character.

The work can be stressful at times, but long hours are just the nature of the beast in this industry.

Photo of a woman doing pushups

No pain, no gain

The idiom No pain, no gain means that you must endure hardship or effort (pain) to achieve success or improvement (gain). This phrase arose from gym culture in the 1980s, and can be applied to a number of everyday situations.

He believed that working very hard would pay off. No pain, no gain!

A generated image of the world ending

Not the end of the world

The idiom not the end of the world means a problem is not as bad as it seems. Life will continue and things can improve. It is often used to comfort someone - any problem anyone has is surely less than the entire world ending!

You missed the bus, but it's not the end of the world.

Generated image of a woman pushing all her clutter out of sight

Out of sight, out of mind

The idiom out of sight, out of mind means that people tend to forget about things that they no longer see or think about regularly. When something disappears from view, it often disappears from attention as well.

The saying has been used in English for several centuries and reflects a common human habit of forgetting things that are not easily visible.

Once the old toys were packed away in the attic, they were out of sight, out of mind.

Photo of a paddock under clear skies

Out of the blue

Out of the blue means that something happens suddenly with no clear sign that it was about to happen.

The phrase comes from the image of a sudden bolt of lightning appearing from a clear blue sky. Because lightning usually comes with storm clouds, a strike from a blue sky would be very surprising.

Out of the blue, an old friend called him after many years without contact.

Generated image of a boy going out on a limb

Out on a limb

To go out on a limb means to take a risk by saying or doing something that others might not agree with.

The phrase comes from the image of climbing far out on a tree branch. The farther you go from the trunk, the less support you have, and the greater the chance the branch could break.

I might be out on a limb here, but I think their small startup could become very successful.

Generated image of young people painting the town red

Paint the town red

To paint the town red means to go out and celebrate in a lively or wild way, often by visiting bars, parties, or clubs.

One explanation traces the phrase to a famous night in 1837 when the Marquis of Waterford and his friends reportedly caused chaos in the English town of Melton Mowbray and even painted buildings red.

After finishing their exams, the students decided to paint the town red.

Generated image of a man painted into a corner

Paint yourself into a corner

The idiom paint yourself into a corner means to put yourself in a difficult situation with no easy way out. It often happens because of poor planning or limited choices.
The origin of this phrase simply comes from the idea of painting a floor and trapping yourself in a corner.

By promising too much, he painted himself into a corner.

Generated image of someone in a glass house throwing a stone

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

The idiom people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones means that someone should not criticize others for faults that they also have.

The saying comes from the image of living in a fragile house made of glass. If someone inside throws stones at others, their own house could easily be broken.

He complains about other people being late, but he is often late himself, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Generated image of a child playing with fire

Play with fire

To play with fire means to do something that is risky. It often describes behavior that seems exciting or tempting but could easily lead to something bad happening.

The phrase comes from the obvious danger of handling real fire without care. Since fire can quickly spread and cause harm, the image became a way to describe risky actions.

Ignoring the safety rules at the construction site is like playing with fire.