List of English Idioms

A list of common English idioms, sortable by starting letter

Showing 301-320 of 426

Generated image of a man being served cold dinner

Revenge is a dish best served cold

The idiom revenge is a dish best served cold means that revenge is more satisfying when it is planned carefully and carried out after time has passed, rather than done in anger right away.

The expression compares revenge to food that tastes better after it has gone cold. The idea has been written about in many forms for centuries, and a similar line appeared in a French novel in the 1800s.

He waited years to expose the fraud, saying revenge is a dish best served cold.

Photo of raindrops on leaves

Right as rain

To be right as rain means feeling healthy, well, or completely fine again after being sick or having a problem. It is often used when someone quickly returns to normal.

The expression comes from the idea that rain is natural and dependable. In British English especially, it came to mean that something is exactly as it should be.

After a good night's sleep, she felt right as rain.

Photo of a baseball player

Right off the bat

The idiom right off the bat means immediately, without delay, or at the very beginning of something. It is used when something happens as soon as an activity starts.

The expression comes from baseball. When a ball is hit directly by the bat and flies off right away, it happens instantly, which led to the phrase being used for anything that happens immediately.

Right off the bat, the new teacher impressed everyone in the class.

Photo of an archery target

Right on target

Right on target means that something is exactly correct or very accurate. It is used when a guess, idea, or answer is perfectly right.

The expression comes from shooting or archery, where hitting the center of a target means you aimed perfectly. The idiom uses this image to describe something that is very precise.

Her prediction about the final profit was right on target.

Photo of a man in an alley

Right up your alley

Right up your alley means something that is perfectly suited to a person's interests, skills, or tastes.

The expression comes from bowling. In bowling, the ball rolls down a long narrow lane called an alley, so something that goes right up your alley fits exactly where it should.

If you like puzzles and mysteries, this book will be right up your alley.

Photo of a church bell

Ring a bell

If something rings a bell it means it reminds someone of something they have heard before, but they cannot fully remember it.

The expression comes from the sound of a bell that attracts attention and triggers recognition. Hearing the bell is like the moment when a memory starts to return.

That name rings a bell, but I cannot remember where I heard it before.

Photo of a woman having her hair washed

Rinse and repeat

The phrase to rinse and repeat means to do something repetitive, predictable way. It comes from the instructions on a shampoo bottle.

You look up the code, put it in the right place, and then rinse and repeat for the rest of the papers.

Photo of red carpet

Roll out the red carpet

To roll out the red carpet means to give someone a very warm and special welcome. It is used when people go out of their way to treat a guest with great respect or attention.

The expression comes from the practice of laying a red carpet for important visitors such as royalty or heads of state. The bright carpet marked a special path and showed that the guest was being honored.

The town rolled out the red carpet when the championship team came home.

Photo of two young men boxing

Roll with the punches

To roll with the punches means to handle difficulties calmly and adapt instead of fighting them. A person who rolls with the punches accepts that problems happen and keeps going without getting upset or stuck.

The phrase comes from boxing. A boxer can lessen the impact of a punch by moving with it rather than taking the full force directly.

The travel plans kept changing, but she decided to roll with the punches and enjoy the trip anyway.

Photo of Rome

Rome wasn't built in a day

Rome wasn't built in a day means that large projects take a lot of time, effort, and patience to achieve and you shouldn't expect quick results.
This idiom relates to how the city of Rome gradually developed over centuries.

Don't worry that this is taking so long, Rome wasn't built in a day.