Showing 1-19 of 19
A watched pot never boils
If you say a watched pot never boils, you mean that something seems to take much longer when you are waiting for it to happen. If you walk away from the pot and make yourself busy with something else, the water feels like it boils much faster.I've been sitting by the window all day waiting for this delivery. A watched pot never boils!
A wolf in sheep's clothing
The idiom a wolf in sheep's clothing describes someone who seems kind or harmless but is actually dangerous or dishonest. It warns people not to trust appearances.This idiom comes from an old story where a wolf dresses up as a sheep to sneak into the flock and eat the sheep.
We thought he was here to help, but he was really a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Like watching paint dry
If something is like watching paint dry it means i is extrtemely boring or slow.The expression comes from the idea of literally watching paint dry on a wall. Since paint dries slowly and nothing much happens while it does, the comparison suggests a very tedious experience.
The lecture was so dull it felt like watching paint dry.
Take the wind out of your sails
The idiom to take the wind out of your sails means to suddenly make someone feel less confident, excited, or proud. It often happens when someone says or does something that weakens your argument or stops your momentum.The phrase originates from sailing. A sailing ship moves forward when wind fills its sails, but if the wind suddenly stops, the sails go slack and the ship slows down.
Him pointing out my error during the meeting really took the wind out of my sails.
The whole kit and caboodle
The whole kit and caboodle means everything or the entire group of things. It is used when talking about all parts of something together, with nothing left out.The phrase likely comes from the word kit, meaning a collection of tools or belongings, and caboodle, a slang word that developed in the 1800s meaning the whole lot or collection of things.
They packed the whole kit and caboodle into the truck and moved to the new house.
Walk on air
To walk on air means to feel extremely happy or excited. It is used when someone feels so joyful that they seem almost weightless.The expression comes from the image of a person being so light with happiness that it feels as if they could float or walk above the ground. It has been used in English since the early 1800s.
After hearing he got the job, he was walking on air.
Waste not, want not
Waste not want not means that if you do not waste things, you will not find yourself without them later. It encourages people to use resources carefully and avoid unnecessary waste.The saying has been used in English since the 1700s and reflects the practical idea that saving and reusing things helps prevent future shortages.
She saved the leftover vegetables for soup the next day, saying waste not want not.
Water under the bridge
The idiom water under the bridge draws from the concept of water flowing under a bridge, and once it has gone past it will never go past again. When you use this phrase, you are talking about events or feelings that are now in the past and cannot be changed, so you shouldn't dwell on them anymore.The two neigbours decided to let their past disagreements be water under the bridge.
Wear your heart on your sleeve
To wear your heart on your sleeve means to show your feelings openly so that other people can easily see how you feel.The expression may come from old traditions where people wore a token or symbol on their sleeve to show loyalty or affection. Over time it came to describe openly displaying one's emotions.
He tends to wear his heart on his sleeve, so everyone knows when he is upset.
Weight lifted from your shoulders
When you have a weight lifted off your shoulders you have a great sense of relief that a stressful situation has ended or a burden has lifted.This idiom is drawn from the literal feeling of relief when you put down a heavy load that you are carrying.
My friend gave me a small loan, and a weight was lifted from my shoulders.