List of Proverbs and Idioms

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222 Proverbs, Idioms, and Sayings

Native English speakers use a lot of proverbs, idioms, and sayings that are difficult for non-native speakers to understand because many of the terms do not use words in their literal sense.

What Is a Proverb?

A proverb is a short, popular piece of advice or an observation that is generally held to be true. For example:

Examples of Proverbs That Give Advice:

• Don't count your chickens before they've hatched.
• Never bite the hand that feeds you.

Examples of Proverbs That Are Observations:

• Rome was not built in a day.
• A penny saved is a penny earned.

Often, these popular observations are also intended as advice. For example, "Rome was not built in a day" means "be patient," and "a penny saved is a penny earned" means "save your money."

What Is an Idiom?

An idiom is a popular saying whose meaning is not apparent from its words. In other words, the literal words of an idiom do not help with understanding the meaning. For example:

• "the apple of my eye" (meaning: someone cherished above all others)
• "the bee's knees" (meaning: something excellent)
• "to buy a lemon" (meaning: to buy something worth far less than you paid)

Therefore, proverbs that do not employ literal words are also idioms.

What Is a Saying?

Not every entry on this list is an idiom or a proverb. Some are just "sayings." We have used the term "saying" for a non-idiomatic group of words that are commonly used together (for example "cross your fingers").

A-Z Glossary of Proverbs, Idioms, and Sayings

Here is a list of 222 common proverbs, idioms, and sayings commonly used in English-speaking countries.

A

• a cappella
• actions speak louder than words
• add fuel to the fire
• agog
• all bark and no bite
• all Greek to me
• all in the same boat
• apple of my eye
• arm and a leg
• as bright as a button
• as dead as a dodo
• as mad as a hatter
• at a loose end
• at the drop of a hat
• axe to grind

B

• back seat driver
• back to square one
• back to the drawing board
• baker's dozen
• once the balloon has gone up
• the ball is in your court
• balls against the wall
• barking up the wrong tree
• batten down the hatches
• beat a dead horse
• beat a retreat
• beat about the bush
• the bee's knees
• bend over backwards
• berk
• the best of both worlds
• between a rock and a hard place
• a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
• bite off more than you can chew
• bite the bullet
• bite your tongue
• bitter end
• blood is thicker than water
• blue moon
• bog standard
• booby trap
• break a leg
• buy a lemon
• by and large

C

• can't cut the mustard
• carry coals to Newcastle
• cast iron stomach
• caught red-handed
• chance your arm
• chew someone out
• chip on your shoulder
• close but no cigar
• a cock and bull story
• come hell or high water
• crack someone up
• to weep crocodile tears
• cross your fingers
• cry over spilt milk
• cry wolf
• curiosity killed the cat
• cut and run
• cut to the chase

D

• dark horse
• daylight robbery
• dead in the water
• dead ringer
• devil's advocate
• dog days of summer
• the dog's bollocks
• don't count your chickens before they hatch
• don't look a gift horse in the mouth
• don't put all your eggs in one basket
• down to the wire
• drastic times call for drastic measures
• drink like a fish
• drive someone up the wall
• drop in the bucket/ocean
• dropping like flies
• dry run
• doubting Thomas

E

• Elvis has left the building
• every cloud has a silver lining
• everything but the kitchen sink
• excuse my French

F

• feather in your cap
• finding your feet
• flash in the pan
• flesh and blood
• it's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey
• full monty

G

• get down to brass tacks
• get out of bed on the wrong side
• give him the slip
• go down like a lead balloon
• go for broke
• go out on a limb
• go the extra mile
• go with the flow
• good egg / bad egg
• good Samaritan
• graveyard shift
• groggy

H

• had your chips
• hand over fist
• hanging by a thread
• haste makes waste
• he lost his head
• head over heels
• hit the hay
• hit the nail on the head
• hit the sack
• hoisted by your own petard
• hold your horses
• house divided against itself cannot stand

I

• icing on the cake
• idle hands are the devil's tools
• if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours
• ignorance is bliss
• in the bag
• in the buff
• in the heat of the moment
• in your face
• it takes two to tango
• it's a small world

J

K

• keep your chin up
• kick the bucket
• knee jerk reaction
• knock on wood
• know the ropes

L

• last straw
• last ditch attempt
• left high and dry
• lend me your ears
• leopard can't change his spots
• let sleeping dogs lie
• let the cat out of the bag
• loose cannon

M

• make money from old rope
• make no bones about
• Mickey Finn
• monkey wrench
• mum's the word

N

• nest egg
• never bite the hand that feeds you
• new kid on the block
• nipper
• no dice
• not enough room to swing a cat
• not playing with a full deck

O

• off on the wrong foot
• off the hook
• off the record
• the origin of 'OK' (okay)
• on pins and needles
• on the fence
• on the fiddle
• on the same page
• out of the blue
• out on the town
• over my dead body
• over the barrel
• over the top

P

• pan out nicely
• what a palaver
• pass the buck
• pass with flying colours
• penny saved is a penny earned
• picture paints a thousand words
• piece of cake
• piping hot
• plumb the depths
• pull the plug
• pull your finger out
• pulling your leg
• push the boat out
• put a sock in it

Q

R

• raining cats and dogs
• Rome was not built in one day
• rule of thumb
• run out of steam

S

• salad days
• saved by the bell
• sent to Coventry
• sick as a dog
• sick as a parrot
• sitting shotgun
• skeletons in the cupboard
• slap on the wrist
• sling your hook
• smell a rat
• smell something fishy
• son of a gun
• spick and span
• spill the beans
• spitting image
• splice the mainbrace
• square meal
• start from scratch
• steal someone's thunder
• strike while the iron is hot
• swing the lead

T

• taken aback
• taste of your own medicine
• throw down the gauntlet
• tie the knot
• til the cows come home
• tongue-in-cheek
• toss-up
• turn a blind eye
• two-faced

U

• ugly duckling
• under the weather
• up a blind alley
• use your loaf

V

W

• water under the bridge
• wear your heart on your sleeve
• when pigs fly
• whistle for it
• whole nine yards (full nine yards)
• wolf in sheep's clothing

X

Y

Z