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Translation glossary: Idioms

Creator:
Zulma Vaughan (X)
Zulma Vaughan (X)
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A stitch in time (saves nine).something that you say which means it is better to deal with a problem early before it gets too bad 
English
About time too!, (And) not before time!something that you say when someone tells you about something which has happened, in order to show that you think it should have happened a long time 
English
Absence makes the heart grow fondersomething that you say which means being apart from someone that you love makes you love them even more 
English
be easy on the earif music is easy on the ear, it has a pleasant and relaxing sound 
English
be hanging over you, be hanging over your headif something is hanging over you, it is causing you to worry all the time 
English
bide your timeto wait patiently for a good opportunity to do something 
English
bite/snap sb's head off informalto answer someone angrily 
English
dot the/your i\'s and cross the/your t\'s informalto do something very carefully and in a lot of detail 
English
foot the billto pay for something 
English
give/shoot sb a dirty lookto look at someone in an angry way 
English
have a word in sb's earto talk to someone privately, especially in order to give them advice or a warning 
English
have your head (stuck) up your arse British & Australian, taboo!to spend so much time thinking about yourself that you have no time to think about other more important things 
English
I wouldn't touch sb/sth with a barge poleBritish & Australian, informal, American & Australian, informal I wouldn't touch sb/sth with a ten-foot pole 
English
It's feeding time at the zoo! humoroussomething that you say when a group of people are eating together in a way that is not controlled or organized 
English
keep an/your ear to the groundto watch and listen carefully to what is happening around you so that you know about everything 
English
like a headless chicken , British,American like a chicken with its head cut off 
English
Look before you leap.something that you say in order to advise someone to think about possible problems before doing something 
English
Look sharp!OLD-FASHIONED 
English
look to your laurelsto make an extra effort to succeed because there is more competition 
English
make a pig's ear of sth/doing sth British, informalto do something very badly 
English
play it by earto decide how to deal with a situation as it develops rather than planning how you are going to react 
English
put your foot to the floorAmerican 
English
sb's heart isn't in sthif someone's heart is not in something that they are doing, they are not very interested in it 
English
sb, eat your heart out!humorous 
English
the boot is on the other footBritish & Australian, American the shoe is on the other foot 
English
to a Tperfectly 
English
two-time sbto have a sexual or romantic relationship with two people at the same time 
English
wait on sb hand and footto do everything for someone so that they do not have to do anything for themselves 
English
warm the cockles of your heartold-fashioned 
English
your heart goes out to sbif your heart goes out to someone who is in trouble, you feel sympathy for them 
English

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