اصطلاحات و ضرب المثل هاIdioms, Slangs and Proverbs

[setare.blue 23086]

You pay your money , and you take your choice

 

منظور از اين مثل اين است كه انسان ها به اندازه تلاش و كوشش خود حق انتخاب دارند

 

هر قدر پول بدهي همانقدر آش ميخوري

يه ضرب المثل قديمي هم داريم كه ميگه :

به قدر دوغت مي زنند پنبه !!

- Money begets money .

- Muck and money go together .

- Money makes Money .

- Money finds money .

- As dust goes one dust , so money goes on money .

منظور از اين مثل بيان اهميت پول و ثروت است كه ثروت خود مولد ثروت است

- پول روي پول مي رود ، آب در گودال

- فتد ميوه در آستين فراخ

- كور ، كور را مي جويد ، آب گودال را

- آب مي داند كه آبادي كجاست

- When money speak , The world is silent

- وقتي پول صحبت مي كند ، دنيا سكوت مي كند !

- پول به زباني صحبت ميكند كه براي تمام مردم دنيا قابل درك است .

-

After night comes dawn , after sorrow comes joy

- اين مثل در بيان دلداري و تسكين درد و آلام ديگري و اميدواري دادن او به اينده است .

- همانگونه كه پس از هر شب تاريك و تاري روز روشني پديدار است ، بعد از هر غم و تاثري نيز شادي و شادماني درپي است .

• "A poor workman blames his tools."

  
  

• ترجمه: «کارگر بی‌مهارت، ابزار کارش را مقصر می‌داند.»
  
  • مترادف فارسی: «عروس نمی توانست برقصد ، می‌گفت زمین کج است.»يا " وقتي زمين سفت است ، گاو از چشم گاو مي بيند ."
    

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

• ترجمه: «دوری باعث علاقمندی می شود.»
  
  • مترادف فارسی: «دوری ودوستی.»
    

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

• ترجمه: «زیبایی در چشم بیننده است»
  
  • مترادف فارسی: «علف به دهن
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"Clothes don't make the man."

• ترجمه: «احترام مرد به لباس نیست.»

  
  

  • مترادف فارسی: «آدم را به جامه نشناسند»

    
    

Cross the stream where it is the shallowest."

• ترجمه: «از کم‌عمق‌ترین محل رودخانه گذر کن!»

  
  

  • مترادف فارسی: «بی‌گدار به آب نزن!»

    
    

chinese food,japanese wife and American life

می گویند : غذا ، غذای چینی ، زن ، زن ژاپنی ، زندگی ، زندگی آمریکایی

به همین مضمون مثلی در زبان فارسی آمده است است : ظرف ، ظرف مسی ، فرش ، فرش قالی ، نان ، نان گندم و بالاخره دین ، دین محمدی

"Cowards die many times, but a brave man only dies once."

• ترجمه: «آدم ترسو چندین بار می‌میرد، اما آدم شجاع فقط یکبار.»
  
  • مترادف فارسی: «ترسو مرد»
    
  • مترادف فارسی: «ترس برادر مرگ است»
    

Blood is thicker than water."

• ترجمه: «خون از آب غلیظ‌تر است»
  
  • مترادف فارسی: «اول خویش، سپس درویش»
    

"Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dine like a pauper."

ترجمه: «صبحانه مانند یک شاه، نهار مثل یک شاهزاده، شام مثل یک فقیر»

• مترادف فارسی: «صبحانه را تنها، ناهار را با دوستان و شام را با دشمنت صرف کن»
  

"All things come to he who waits."

• ترجمه: «هرکه صبر کند به همه چیز می‌رسد»
  
  • مترادف فارسی: «گر صبر کنی ز غوره حلوا سازی
    

"After a storm comes a calm."

• ترجمه: «پس از طوفان، آرامش گسترده می‌گردد.»
  
  • مشابه فارسی: «بعد از خشم پشیمانی است»
    

منبع:

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[Architect 3224]

مو رو از ماست کشیدن

:splits hair

 

 

چاقو دستش نمی بره:

dog dosn't eat dog

 

از ان نترس که های و هوی دارد از ان بترس که سر به تو دارد:

borking doos seldom bite

 

گر صبر کنی ز غوره حلوا سازی:

all good things come to one who waits

 

ان را که حساب پاک است از محاسبه چه باک است:

a clear conscience fear no accusers

 

به در میگن دیوار بشنوه:

to beat one to brighten another

 

کوزه گراز کوزه شکسته اب می خوره:

a shoes maker's sons goes bare feet

 

عروس بلد نیست برقصه میگه زمین کجه:

a bad worksman blame his tools

 

هر چه کنی به خود کنی گر همه نیک و بد کنی:

you reap what ou sow

 

کار از محکم کاری عیب نمی کنه:

always have two strings to your bow

 

هیچ بقالی نمی گه ماست من ترشه:

no one cries stink fish

 

پول علف خرس نیست:

money does not grow on trees

 

هر گردی گردو نیست:

all that glitter is not gold

 

شاهنامه اخرش خوشه:

all begins well the who laughs

 

نوش دارو بعد از مرگ سهراب:

after death the doctor

 

میمون هر چه زشت تر، اداش بیشتر:

the worst wheel of a coach creaks the most

 

خلایق هر چه لایق:

you get what you desire

 

تا سه نشه بازی نشه:

third time lucky

 

چیزیکه عیان است چه حاجت به بیان است:

call a spade a spade

 

زیره به کرمان بردن:

carry coal to NewCastle.

 

نمک میخری نمکدون نشکن:

buy hands that feed you

 

شتر در خواب بیند پنبه دانه:

cats dreams of mice

 

چراغی که به خانه رواست به مسجد حرام است:

charity begins at home

 

بار کج به منزل نمی رسه:

cheating play never thrives

 

تن ادمی شریف است به جان ادمیت نهدهمین لباس زیباست نشان ادمیت:

clothes do not make the man

 

در خانه اگر کسی هست یک حرف بس است:

a word to the wise is enough

 

کاچی به از هیچی:

something better than nothing

 

چشم بسته چیزی رو خریدن:

buy a pig in poke

 

بالاتر از سیاهی رنگی نیست:

black tackes no other hue

 

علف باید به دهن بزی شیرین بیاد:

beauty is in the eye of the beholder

 

هر چه بادا باد:

come what may

 

انچه برای خود نمی پسندی برای دیگران هم مپسند:

do as you would be done by

 

دوری و دوستی:

familiarity brings contempt

 

اشی برات بپزم که روش یه وجب روغن باشه:

cook slo's goose

 

بنگر که چه می گوید ننگر که که می گوید:

do as i say not as i do

 

از کاه کوه ساختن

make a mountain out of mole hill

انسان جایزالخطاست:

to erro is hhuman

 

با حلوا حلوا گفتن دهن شیرین نمی شه:

wishes don't wash dishes

 

کم گوی و گزیده گوی چون در:

brevity is the sole of wit

 

سلام گرگ بی طمع نیست:

fear the greeks bearing gifts

[marjan17 4150]

Idioms and slang

 

In this Topic I intend to gather Idioms and slang would be pleased to get helped by any

 

idioms or slang you might bring here and share with us. I wish here to be a nice and warm

 

environment for sharing and using information from each other, having a good idioms and

 

slang archive and expanding our knowledge in respecting cases

 

:4uboxsmiley:

[marjan17 4150]

Falling in love

 

catch someone's eye = to be attractive to someone: "The shy man at the back of the class caught my eye."

 

to fancy someone (British English) = to find someone attractive: "My friend fancies you!"

 

to have a crush on someone = to only be able to think about one person: "When I was at school, I had a crush on a film star."

 

to have a soft spot for someone = to have a weakness for someone: "She has a soft spot for Richard – he can do anything!"

 

to have the hots for someone = to find someone very attractive: "She's got the hots for the new office manager."

 

to go out with someone (British English) = to date someone: "They've been going out together for years!"

 

to go steady = to go out with someone: "They've been going steady since their first

year at university."

 

to fall for someone = to fall in love: "He always falls for the wrong types!"

 

to fall head over heels for someone = to completely fall in love: "He fell head over heels for her."

 

to be lovey-dovey = for a couple to show everyone how much they are in love: "They're so lovey-dovey, always whispering to each other and looking into each other's eyes."

 

to have eyes only for = to be attracted to one person only: "He's dropped all his old friends, now that he has eyes only for Susie."

 

to be the apple of someone's eye = to be loved by someone, normally an older relative: "She's the apple of her father's eye."

 

to be smitten by someone = to be in love with someone: "I first met him at a party and from that evening on, I was smitten."

 

a love-nest = the place where two lovers live: "They made a love-nest in the old basement flat."

 

to be loved-up (British English) = to exist in a warm feeling of love: "They are one loved-up couple!"

 

to be the love of someone's life = to be loved by a person: "He has always been the love of her life."

 

[marjan17 4150]

Types of love

 

puppy love = love between teenagers: "It's just puppy love – you'll grow out of it!"

cupboard love = love for someone because they give you food: "I think my cat loves me, but it's only cupboard love!"

Getting married

 

to get hitched: "They're getting hitched next Saturday."

to tie the knot: "So when are you two tying the knot?"

If it goes wrong…

 

to go through a bit of a rough patch = when things are not going well: "Since the argument, they've been going through a bit of a rough patch."

to have blazing rows = to have big arguments: "We had a blazing row last night."

can't stand the sight of someone = to not like someone: "She can't stand the sight of him any more!"

 

to call it a day = to agree that the relationship has ended: "We decided to call it a day."

 

to be on the rocks = a relationship that is in difficulty: "Once she moved out, it was clear their marriage was on the rocks."

 

to have a stormy relationship = a relationship with many arguments: "I'm glad we don't have a stormy relationship."

 

a love-rat = a man who betrays his girlfriend / wife: "He's had affairs with three different women – he's a complete love-rat."

Sayings

 

Marry in haste, repent at leisure = if you marry too quickly, you have the rest of your life to regret it!

Love is blind = when you love someone, you can't see their faults

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder = beauty is subjective

 

Let your heart rule your head = allow your emotions to control your rational side

 

Wear your heart on your sleeve = show other people how you are feeling

[marjan17 4150]

To cost a lot of money

 

to break the bank: "I can't afford a skiing holiday this winter – it would break the bank."

 

to cost an arm and a leg: "It costs an arm and a leg to buy all these Christmas presents."

to pay through the nose: "They had to pay through the nose to get their son insured to drive."

 

to splash out on something = to pay a lot for an important event: "They're splashing out on their anniversary this year."

To be rich

 

to be loaded: "He works in the City and he's loaded!"

to be sitting on a small fortune / goldmine: "She will inherit everything. She's sitting on a goldmine!"

 

to have money to burn: "I've just received a bonus and I have money to burn!"

To be poor

 

to not have a bean to rub together: "Those two don't earn enough money. They don't have a bean to rub together."

 

to be as poor as church mice: "His family have always been as poor as church mice."

to be skint = British slang that means having no money: "Can you lend me some money until next Friday? I'm skint!"

 

to be broke: "She's always broke at the end of the month."

to scrimp and save = to make as many economies as you can to save money: "His parents scrimped and saved to send him to university."

[marjan17 4150]

To not want to spend money

 

a scrooge = Scrooge was a Dickens character, famous for being mean: "Why don't you want to buy her a leaving present? You're such a scrooge."

a skinflint = someone who doesn't want to spend money: "She reuses tea bags – she's such a skinflint!"

 

tight-fisted: "One reason he has so much money is that he's so tight-fisted!"

 

Other idioms

 

to have more money than sense = to have a lot of money which you waste rather than spend carefully: "He just bought another camera – he has more money

than sense."

to burn a hole in your pocket = to not be able to stop spending money: "He can't just go out window-shopping. Money burns a hole in his pocket."

Money for old rope = an easy source of income: "He sells bunches of flowers he has grown himself. It's money for old rope."

make a fast buck = to make money quickly and sometimes dishonestly: "He made a fast buck selling those shares. I wonder if he had insider knowledge."

Ten a penny = very common: "These scarves are ten a penny in the markets here."

[marjan17 4150]

a face like thunder = to look very angry: "What's up with him today? He has a face like thunder!"

 

a fair-weather friend = a friend who doesn't support you in bad times: "I'm a bit disappointed in John and David. It turned out they were only fair-weather friends."

 

a snowball's chance = very little chance (as much chance as a snowball has in hell): "We don't have a snowball's chance of winning that contract!"

 

a storm in a teacup = a lot of fuss over something small: "Don't worry about those two arguing. it's just a storm in a teacup."

be a breeze = to be easy: "The exam was a breeze."

 

be snowed under = to be very busy: "We're snowed under at work."

 

blow hot and cold = to keep changing your attitude: "They're blowing hot and cold over this issue. It's impossible to know what they want!"

 

brass-monkey weather = very cold weather: "It's brass-monkey weather today. You'd better wrap up warm!"

 

come rain or shine = whatever happens: "He's always working in his garden – come rain or shine."

 

the lull before the storm = a quiet time before a busy or difficult time: "It's going to get very busy on Thursday. Today and tomorrow are just the lull before the storm."

 

save up for a rainy day = put money aside for when you might need it later: "I don't want to spend this extra money. I'll save it up for a rainy day."

 

see which way the wind blows = to analyse a situation before doing something: "I'm going to see which way the wind blows before asking her about a raise."

 

steal someone's thunder = do what someone else was going to do and get all the praise: "You'll steal her thunder if you wear that dress tonight!"

 

take a rain check = postpone something: "I don't really want to go the cinema tonight. Can we take a rain-check on it?"

 

under the weather = not feel very well: "I'm feeling a bit under the weather at the moment."

 

weather the storm = to survive a difficult situation: "This recession is quite serious and it's becoming difficult to weather the storm."

 

[marjan17 4150]

be the apple of someone's eye = be someone's favourite person: "She's the apple of her father's eye."

 

in apple-pie order = in perfect order: "Her house was in apple-pie order, with nothing out of place."

 

be as nice as pie = be extremely nice and charming, so that you can fool people: "She can be as nice as pie, but don't trust her!"

 

eat humble pie = have to take back what you said, because you have been proved wrong: "He'll have to eat humble pie now. Serve him right – he tried to make us all look bad."

 

have your fingers in every pie = be involved in many different things: "You can't do anything without him knowing – he has his fingers in every pie."

a piece of cake = be extremely simple: "This program is a piece of cake to use."

 

sell like hot cakes = sell quickly in large quantities: "His book is selling like hot cakes."

 

full of beans = be full of energy: "You're full of beans today – it's nice to see you so lively!"

 

beef about something = complain about something: "He's always beefing about the pay."

 

beef something up = give something extra appeal: "If we beef up the window display, more people might come into the shop."

 

be your bread and butter = be your main source of income: "Although they run a taxi service, car sales are their bread and butter."

 

be like chalk and cheese = be completely different: "I don't know why they got married – they're like chalk and cheese."

 

be like peas in a pod = be identical to someone: "Those two are like peas in a pod."

 

cheesy = predictable and unimaginative: "I don't want to see that film again – it's really cheesy."

 

sour grapes = say something bad because you didn't get what you wanted: "Don't listen to him complain – it's only sour grapes because you got the job and he didn't."

 

[marjan17 4150]

play gooseberry = go somewhere with a couple who would prefer to be on their own: "I'd rather not come to the cinema with you two – I'd just feel I was playing gooseberry."

 

a couch-potato = someone who never goes out or exercises: "He watches TV all day – what a couch-potato!"

 

like butter wouldn't melt in your mouth = appear innocent: "When I asked her about the missing money, she tried to look like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth."

 

bring home the bacon = earn money for necessary things, like food: "He brings home the bacon in that family."

 

the way the cookie crumbles = the way things are: "I'm sorry I didn't get the promotion, but that's the way the cookie crumbles."

 

have someone eat out of your hand = have control over someone: "He has her eating out of his hand – it's sad."

 

eat someone out of house and home = eat a lot of food: "Her children eat her out of house and home."

 

eat into your savings = spend some of your savings: "We can't afford a new car, unless we eat into our savings."

 

eating for two = be pregnant and so eating more: "Good news, darling. The doctor says I'm eating for two now."

 

eat your heart out! = telling someone they should be jealous of you: "I'm going on holiday to Jamaica – eat your heart out!"

 

not your cup of tea = something that you don't like much: "Football isn't my cup of tea."

a square meal = a filling meal: "You need a square meal after all that exercise."

 

it smells fishy = something that is suspicious: "He wants to do all the housework for you? That smells fishy to me!"

 

small fry / small beer = something or someone unimportant: "Sales last year are small fry compared to now – we're doing really well."

 

roll out the barrel = prepare to have a good time: "Roll out the barrel – we're celebrating our exam results."

 

rhubarb, rhubarb = saying something completely unimportant: "There's that politician again on televison – rhubarb, rhubarb."

 

[marjan17 4150]

cat's whiskers = to think you are the best: "He thinks he's the cat's whiskers!"

 

like the cat that's got the cream = look very pleased with yourself: "He looks like the cat that's got the cream!"

 

cat got your tongue? = a question we ask when we think someone is guilty of something: "Why don't you say something? Cat got your tongue?"

 

let the cat out of the bag = tell a secret: "He shouldn't have told her about the party – he's let the cat out of the bag now."

 

put the cat among the pigeons = cause trouble: "Don't tell her about your promotion – that will really put the cat among the pigeons."

have kittens = panic: "The way he was driving, I was having kittens."

 

the bee's knees = think you're the best: "He thinks he's the bee's knees."

 

have a bee in your bonnet = be obsessed by something: "He's got a real bee in his bonnet about buying a new car. "

 

from the horse's mouth = get information from the original source: "I know they're getting married – I got it from the horse's mouth."

 

a white elephant = something that is expensive, but has no use: "People say the stadium is a white elephant and a waste of money."

 

a memory like an elephant = have an excellent memory: "She won't forget, you know. She has a memory like an elephant."

[marjan17 4150]

play piggy in the middle = be caught between two sides of an argument:

"Because they aren't talking, I've been playing piggy in the middle."

make a pig's ear of something = make a complete mess of something: "You've made a right pig's ear of this. Let me do it!"

in hog heaven = be very happy: "We gave him flying lessons for his birthday – he was in hog heaven!"

pigs might fly! = something is as unlikely as pigs being able to fly: "Do you think the government will cut taxes?" "Pigs might fly!"

have butterflies in your stomach = be very nervous about something: "She's got butterflies in her stomach – it's her driving test today."

til the cows come home = do something for ever: "I can tell him til the cows come home not to be late, but he never listens."

take the bull by the horns = face a problem and take action: "I'm going to take the bull by the horns and tell him I've changed my mind."

get someone's goat = annoy someone: "It really gets my goat when she criticises him – it's not as if she's perfect herself."

a loan-shark = someone who lends money at high interest rates: "Don't borrow money from him – he's a complete loan-shark ."

[marjan17 4150]

have a whale of a time = really enjoy yourself: "They went out and had a whale of a time."

 

like a fish out of water = feel very uncomfortable in a particular situation: "He feels like a fish out of water in a suit – he much prefers wearing jeans."

 

with your tail between your legs = feel guilty or ashamed: "He told us all that he was leaving, then he came back ten minutes later with his tail between his legs."

 

in the dog-house = when you know that someone is angry with you: "I'm in the dog-house – I forgot to do the shopping."

the lion's share = most of something: "She did the lion's share of the housework."

in the lion's den = in a dangerous place: "The interview was like going into the lion's den – they asked some very difficult questions."

a snake in the grass = someone who can't be trusted: "Don't tell him any secrets – he's a snake in the grass."

 

bug someone = irritate someone: "He's really bugging me about the holiday! I wish he'd just go away and leave me alone."

 

worm your way in = be nice to people so that gradually you get yourself into a good position with them: "He wormed his way into the finance department to get a job."

monkey about = play and not work: "Stop monkeying about, will you? We've got loads of work to do!"

make a mountain out of a molehill = make a big issue out of something small: "Don't worry about it – it's not important at all. You're making a mountain out of a molehill."

[marjan17 4150]

House

 

safe as houses = very safe: "This plan is as safe as houses. It can't fail!"

 

get on like a house on fire = get on very well with someone: "Those two get on like a house on fire."

 

give house room to = give space in your house to something: "I wouldn't give house room to that lamp. It's horrible!"

 

eat someone out of house and home = eat a lot of food: "When they stayed with me, they ate me out of house and home!"

 

get a foot on the housing ladder = manage to buy your first house so that you can buy a bigger second one later: "It's becoming more difficult for young people to get a foot on the housing ladder."

 

get your own house in order = tidy up your own affairs before criticising other people's: "You should get your own house in order before telling me what to do!"

 

be on the house = be free (in a restaurant): "Can I get you a drink on the house?"

 

have a roof over your head = have somewhere to live: "Unless we find another flat to rent, we won't have a roof over our heads in two months' time!"

[marjan17 4150]

House

 

build castles in the air = have impossible dreams or plans: "She has this unrealistic idea of sailing around the world. She's building castles in the air again."

 

lead someone up the garden path = deceive someone: "He really led her up the garden path with his promises of promotion and career advancement."

 

everything but the kitchen sink = take a lot of things when you go somewhere: "They took everything but the kitchen sink when they went on holiday."

 

throw money down the drain = waste money: "If you ask me, by giving your son all that money, you're really throwing money down the drain."

 

have a skeleton in the cupboard / in the closet = have an unpleasant secret: "There are a lot of skeletons in their cupboard."

Other expressions with house

 

housework = chores you do in the house: "She does all the housework."

 

house wine = the restaurant's own unlabelled wine: "Would you like the house red or the house white?"

house music = a type of dance music: "They played house all night at the club."

 

house speciality = a speciality of the restaurant: "Garlic oysters are one of their house specialities."

full house = a full theatre: "It's full house tonight."

[marjan17 4150]

Home

 

home in on = become closer to your target: "Police are homing in on the suspects."

 

there's no place like home = an expression to mean that your home is a special place: "What a great holiday! Still, there's no place like home."

 

home from home = a place that is as comfortable as your home: "The hotel was home from home."

 

be home and dry = succeed at something and not expect any further problems: "I'm glad we've got that new client. We're home and dry now."

 

make yourself at home = make yourself comfortable: "Make yourself at home! Can I get you a drink?"

 

ram something home = make a point forcefully: "They rammed home the idea that she had to get a good job."

 

Other expressions with home

 

home truth = an uncomfortable fact: "She's going to have to sit down and hear some home truths."

 

home comforts = the things that make you feel comfortable: "Our hotel room has all the home comforts, such as a coffee maker, reading lamp, nice soaps in the bathroom…"

 

homework = school exercises that you do at home: "Our teachers give us a ton of homework!"

 

homesick = when you miss your home: "He went away for two weeks, but was terribly homesick."

[marjan17 4150]

Positive

 

get on like a house on fire = to get on really well with someone: "They get on like a house on fire."

 

have a soft spot for someone = to be very fond of someone: "She has a soft spot for her youngest child."

 

go back a long way = to know someone well for a long time: "Those two go back a long way. They were at primary school together."

 

be in with = to have favoured status with someone: "She's in with the management."

Negative

 

get off on the wrong foot with someone = to start off badly with someone: "She really got off on the wrong foot with her new boss."

 

keep someone at arm's length = to keep someone at a distance: "I'm keeping her at arm's length for the time being."

 

they're like cat and dog = to often argue with someone: "Those two are like cat and dog.":w13:

 

rub someone up the wrong way = to irritate someone: "She really rubs her sister up the wrong way."

 

be at loggerheads = to disagree strongly: "Charles and Henry are at loggerheads over the new policy."

 

sworn enemies = to hate someone: "Those two are sworn enemies."

 

[marjan17 4150]

Equality and inequality

 

bend over backwards for someone = do everything possible to help someone: "She bent over backwards for them when they first arrived in the town."

 

be at someone's beck and call = to always be ready to do what someone wants: "As the office junior, she was at his beck and call all day."

 

pull your weight = to do the right amount of work: "The kids always pull their weight around the house."

do your fair share = to do your share of the work: "He never does his fair share!"

take someone under your wing = to look after someone until they

settle in: "He took her under his wing for her first month at work."

 

keep tabs on someone = to watch someone carefully to check what they are

doing: "He's keeping tabs on the sales team at the moment

:scared9:

 

wear the trousers = to be in control: "She wears the trousers in their relationship."

be under the thumb = to be controlled by someone else: "He really keeps her under the thumb."

How you communicate

 

get your wires crossed =to misunderstand someone because you think they are talking about something else: "I think I've got my wires crossed. Were you talking about car or personal insurance?"

 

get the wrong end of the stick = to misunderstand someone and understand the opposite of what they are saying: "You've got the wrong end of the stick. The fault was with the other driver, not with me."

 

be left in the dark = to be left without enough information: "We've been left in the dark over this project. We haven't been told how to do it."

 

talk at cross purposes = when two people don't understand each other because they are talking about two different things (but don't realise it): "We're talking at cross purposes here."

 

go round in circles = to say the same things over and again, so never resolving a problem: "We always end up going round in circles in these meetings."

 

leave things up in the air = to leave something undecided: "I hate leaving things up in the air."

[marjan17 4150]

Talk

 

talk nineteen to the dozen = talk fast: "She was so excited that she was talking nineteen to the dozen."

 

talk the hind legs off a donkey = talk without stopping: "She can talk the hind legs off a donkey!"

 

talk something through / over = to discuss something: "Before we decide anything, I think we ought to talk it through."

 

talk something up = to make something appear more important: "She really talked the idea up, but I don't think that everyone was convinced."

 

talk someone into doing = to persuade someone: "He talked her into buying a new car."

 

talk someone through something = give step-by-step instructions: "She talked him through the procedure."

 

talk down to = talk in a condescending way: "Don't talk down to me! I understand you perfectly well."

 

talk back = respond to someone in authority in a rude way: "Don't talk back to your

mother!"

This is similar to back chat: "I don't want any back chat from you!"

 

talk under your breath = talk quietly so that nobody can hear you: "They talked under their breath in the meeting."

 

[marjan17 4150]

talk rubbish = not to speak logically: "He talks complete rubbish sometimes!"

Also talk through your arse (British slang and quite rude): "You're talking through your arse again. You know nothing about it!"

 

talk at cross purposes = when two people don't understand each other because they are talking about two different things (but don't realise it): "We're talking at cross purposes here."

 

talk / speak with a plum in your mouth = talk with a posh (=upper class) accent: "She talks with a plum in her mouth!"

 

talk around the subject = not get to the point: "He didn't want to say they were in danger of losing their jobs, so he talked around the subject for half an hour."

 

talk highly of someone = praise someone: "He talks very highly of you!"

to give someone a talking-to = when you talk to someone because you are angry with them: "His boss gave him a real talking-to yesterday!"

 

talk to yourself = to speak to yourself, maybe because you are concentrating on something: "Are you talking to yourself again?"

 

to be like talking to a brick wall = to not have any effect on someone: "Sometimes talking to him is like talking to a brick wall!"

 

talk your way out of something = get out of a difficult situation by giving a clever explanation: "Whew! I think I managed to talk our way out of that one!"

straight talking = honest words: "I want some straight talking around here!"

 

talk shop = talk about work in a social situation: "Whenever I go out with my colleagues, we always end up talking shop."