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Needle in a haystack
The idiom like a needle in a haystack means something very hard to find. It is used when you mean an impossible task to find something.This idiom draws from the literal image of a needle hidden in a haystack, which if you think about it is something that is very very hard to find.
Finding the right file felt like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Nip it in the bud
To nip something in the bud means to stop it early before it gets bigger and becomes more of a problem. This is often used to reference stopping an emerging bad habit.This idiom comes from gardening, where you can nip off the buds on plants to direct which way they will grow.
Your puppy is chewing the furniture, you'd better nip that in the bud.
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!
No room to swing a cat
The idiom no room to swing a cat means a place is very small or crowded, with hardly any space to move around. People use this expression when a room or area feels too tight.The saying comes from the idea that swinging something around needs a lot of space, and it jokingly uses a cat as the thing to swing around because cats are small enough to swing.
When I saw my new dorm room, I joked there was no room to swing a cat.
No skin off my nose
The idiom no skin off my nose means that something does not affect or harm someone. People use this phrase when they do not mind what happens because it makes no difference to them.The expression comes from the idea of losing skin from the nose in a fight or injury, which would be painful and noticeable. Saying it is no skin off my nose means there is no personal loss or damage.
If you want to leave early, it is no skin off my nose.
Nose to the grindstone
The phrase nose to the grindstone means to work hard.It originates from the literal hard work of sharpening tools on a grinding wheel, where workers who were sharpening knives had to bend close to the stone to work.
Similar idioms are back to the grindstone or the daily grind and are all variations on this idiom.
Well, lunch is over, better go back and put my nose to the grindstone.
Not rocket science
The phrase it's not rocket science means that something is not very difficult to understand or do. People say this when they think a task or idea should be simple.This idiom became popular in the 20th century, when rocket science was widely seen as one of the most complex and technical kinds of work. By comparison, ordinary tasks seem easy.
Just follow the instructions on the box, it's not rocket science.
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.
Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Not the sharpest tool in the shed or not the sharpest knife in the drawer is a euphemism for saying someone is not very smart.He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he works hard.
Not touching that with a ten foot barge pole
Not touching that with a ten foot barge pole (or sometimes just a ten foot pole) means refusing to get involved with something because it seems unpleasant, risky, or troublesome.The idiom draws from the long poles used to push barges along canals. A barge pole was long enough to push a boat a fair distance, so the phrase suggests staying as far away from a problem as possible.
After hearing how spicy that chili was, I said I was not touching that with a ten foot barge pole.