Conflict
A bull and cow
Meaning
Cockney rhyming slang for a row or argument.
Examples
They were shouting and screaming at each other – a real bull and cow.
Where did it originate?
The United Kingdom.
Where is it used?
Mostly in the UK, but occasionally elsewhere too.
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
How the idiom originated
A bunch of fives
Meaning
A fist, as used in a fight.
Examples
Punch me would you? How’d you like a bunch of fives in your eye?
Where did it originate?
The United Kingdom.
Where is it used?
Mostly in the UK, but occasionally elsewhere too.
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
How the idiom originated
A slap on the wrist
Meaning
A mild rebuke, often given when a more severe punishment might be expected.
Examples
Those muggers should get a jail term but these days they’ll probably just get a fine and a slap on the wrist.
Where did it originate?
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Add fuel to the fire (or flames)
Meaning
Make a bad situation even worse than it is.
Examples
Going into that race riot and telling them to get back to Africa was really adding fuel to the fire.
Where did it originate?
The United Kingdom – 17th century.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
An axe to grind
Meaning
A dispute with someone.
Examples
Hey, I’ve an axe to grind with you. Didn’t I hear you calling my sister a slag?
Where did it originate?
USA, 18th century.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
How the idiom originated
Be glad to see the back of
Meaning
Be happy when a person leaves or when an unpleasant situation is ended.
Examples
He came for two days and stayed a month. To be honest I was glad to see the back of him when he finally left.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
Bitch slap
Meaning
An open-handed slap in the face intended to be humiliating.
Examples
He wasn’t worth the respect of a punch. Bitch-slapping was more humiliating.
Where did it originate?
USA, late 20th century.
Where is it used?
Widely used, but mainly amongst the young.
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Canteen culture
Meaning
Boorish behaviour by rank and file police or soldiers.
Examples
The place was full of bikini pin-ups. No wonder that female recruit didn’t feel comfortable in that canteen culture environment.
Where did it originate?
Britain, late 20th century.
Where is it used?
Worldwide, but more commonly in Britain than elsewhere.
Hear the idiom spoken
Chew someone out
Meaning
Verbally scold someone.
Examples
Little Jimmy ran out right in front of that car. His mother really chewed him out for that.
Where did it originate?
USA, mid 20th century.
Where is it used?
Quite widely used but more so in the USA than elsewhere.
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Cop an attitude
Meaning
Adopt an aggressive stance.
Examples
The whole gang stood there defiantly glaring. They really copped an attitude.
Where did it originate?
USA, mid to late 20th century.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Drive someone up the wall
Meaning
Irritate or annoy very much.
Examples
He wouldn’t stop going on about it. He was driving me up the wall.
Where did it originate?
Britain, 1950s. An extension of ‘up the wall’ meaning angry.
Where is it used?
Britain.
Hear the idiom spoken
Ethnic cleansing
Meaning
The singling out and killing of a specific ethnic group.
Examples
The ethnic cleansing of the Croats in the Bosnian War left the country open wide to the Serbs.
Where did it originate?
USA, late 20th century.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
How the idiom originated
Flip the bird
Meaning
To aggressively raise your middle finger at someone as a sign of displeasure.
Examples
I stopped the car a little too close when he crossed the road and he flipped the bird as a response.
Where did it originate?
USA, mid 20th century.
Where is it used?
Mostly USA.
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Food fight
Meaning
Chaotic collective behaviour where items of food are thrown about wildly.
Examples
It was supposed to be a quiet wedding reception but some of the girls got drunk and started a food fight. There were canapes and buns flying everywhere.
Where did it originate?
USA, mid 20th century.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
If it's not one thing, it's another
Meaning
Said after more than one thing goes wrong.
Examples
The boiler broke and now my phone is out of battery so I can’t ring for help. If it’s not one thing it’s another…
Hear the idiom spoken
In your face
Meaning
Aggressive confrontation.
Examples
The police kept interrogating him. They were in his face for hours.
Where did it originate?
USA, 1970s.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
How the idiom originated
Joshing me
Meaning
Tricking me.
Examples
I know you didn’t box with Mike Tyson. Stop joshing me.
Where did it originate?
USA, 19th century.
Where is it used?
Mostly USA.
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Make a scene
Meaning
Cause a disturbance.
Examples
I know your ex-wife is here with her lover but don’t make a scene, that will just make you feel worse.
Where did it originate?
Britain, early 19th century.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
No dice
Meaning
A refusal to accept a proposition.
Examples
You want me to work all weekend for no extra pay? Sorry, no dice.
Where did it originate?
USA, 1920s.
Where is it used?
Worldwide. but more common in the USA than elsewhere.
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
How the idiom originated
On the fence
Meaning
Unwilling to give one’s view about which side you support.
Examples
Increase taxes or reduce spending. Who knows? I’m sitting on the fence on that one.
Where did it originate?
USA, 19th century.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Open warfare
Meaning
Engaged in active fighting or dispute.
Examples
The folks across the street have taken to hurling abuse whenever they see us, and we are giving it back – it’s open warfare.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
Over my dead body
Meaning
Said when you absolutely refuse to allow something to happen.
Examples
He bullied me at school and now you want to promote him. Over my dead body!
Where did it originate?
Britain, circa 1800. From the writings of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Pass the buck
Meaning
Avoid responsibility by giving it to someone else.
Examples
The government has been in power for six years now but every time there’s a crisis they pass the buck and blame the previous administration.
Where did it originate?
USA, early 20th century. Later popularised by president Harry Truman.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
How the idiom originated
Pommy bashing
Meaning
Australian slang term for physical or verbal attacks on the English.
Examples
As Londoners, we never felt comfortable on our trip to Sydney. Every day we were subject to pommie bashing.
Where did it originate?
Britain, late 20th century.
Where is it used?
Mostly Britain and Australia.
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Pull your horns in
Meaning
Become less ambitious; curb your enthusiasm.
Examples
The team came bottom of the league last year and now has no money. They’ll have to pull their horns in when making bids for new players.
Where did it originate?
Britain – 19th century.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
How the idiom originated
Put a sock in it
Meaning
An instruction to a noisy person or a group to be quiet.
Examples
Hey, you kids, put a sock in it – I can’t hear myself think in here.
Where did it originate?
Britain, early 20th century.
Where is it used?
Worldwide, but considered rather old-fashioned.
Hear the idiom spoken
How the idiom originated
Queer bashing
Meaning
Making an unprovoked physical or verbal attack on homosexuals.
Examples
Since the skinheads have moved out of the area and it’s become more cosmopolitan there has been a marked reduction in the instances of queer-bashing.
Where did it originate?
Britain – 1970s.
Where is it used?
Worldwide, but more common in Britain than elsewhere.
Hear the idiom spoken
Queer the pitch
Meaning
Ruin a plan or undertaking.
Examples
That scrapyard opening next to Julies bridal shop has really queered her pitch.
Where did it originate?
Britain, 19th century.
Where is it used?
Widely used, but mostly among the older generation.
Hear the idiom spoken
How the idiom originated
Revenge porn
Meaning
The malicious posting of sexual images online to harm the reputation of an ex partner.
Examples
After she ended it he posted some really nasty pictures of her from when they were together. No other words for it than revenge porn.
Where did it originate?
USA, late 20th century.
Where is it used?
Worldwide, but not amongst the older generations.
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Shoot down in flames
Meaning
Destroy an argument or theory.
Examples
They sent their perpetual motion ideas to the Royal Society. Of course, it was all nonsense and they were shot down in flames.
Where did it originate?
Britain, 1940s. An allusion to fighter planes being shot down.
Where is it used?
Worldwide, although rather old-fashioned.
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Spoiler alert
Meaning
Said, or printed, as a warning that the following will give away the ending or important plot development of a drama.
Examples
I’ve just been to see Shakespeare’s Othello. Spoiler alert – Othello dies.
Where did it originate?
USA, 1980s.
Where is it used?
Worldwide, mostly by the young.
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Stab someone in the back
Meaning
Hurt someone who was close to us by betraying them secretly and breaking their trust.
Examples
All my friends promised to vote for me but when the election came and I got no votes I knew I’d been stabbed in the back.
Where did it originate?
First seen in James Joyce’s Ulysees, 1922.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Suck it up
Meaning
Accept a bad situation.
Examples
Listen Jedd, it’s over, Janine will never be coming back. Suck it up and move on.
Where did it originate?
USA, 20th century.
Where is it used?
More common in the USA than elsewhere, but spreading Worldwide.
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Throw the towel in
Meaning
Give up, especially to avoid further punishment when facing certain defeat.
Examples
AltaVista tried to hang on and compete with Google, but eventually they just couldn’t compete and were forced to throw the towel in.
Where did it originate?
USA, 1910s. The allusion is to a boxing match where throwing the towel in indicates a concession
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
How the idiom originated
Trouble and strife
Meaning
Cockney rhyming slang for wife.
Examples
Twenty years we’ve been married now, the trouble and strife and myself.
Where did it originate?
Where is it used?
Mostly Britain.
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
How the idiom originated
Us versus them
Meaning
Denoting the enmity between two opposing groups.
Examples
There’s no way we will be negotiating over this deal. Its us versus them and let the best will.
Where is it used?
Hear the idiom spoken
Wind someone up
Meaning
Deliberately draw attention to something with the intention of causing trouble.
Examples
There was no need to point out that the girl who dumped him was in the next room. That was only going to wind him up.
Where did it originate?
Britain, 20th century.
Where is it used?
Mostly Britain.
Hear the idiom spoken
Yarn bombing
Meaning
The adorning of public buildings with knitted or crocheted material – either for fun or to make a political point.
Examples
We wanted to draw attention to the trees that the council planned to cut down so we got the local guerrilla knitters to yarn bomb them for us.
Where did it originate?
Britain, early 21st century.
Where is it used?
Initially mostly Britain but quickly spreading to others countries.
Hear the idiom spoken
More idioms about
Browse more Idioms
About the Author
Idioms
A-Z
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T UV W XYZ
Categories
AdageAgreementAmericaAnimalsAphorismAustralian originBiblicalBlueBodyBrass tacksBuildingBusinessChildhoodChildrenClicheClockClothesCockney rhyming slangColourComedyConflictCountryCrimeDanceDateDeathDisgustDrinkEducationEffortEmotionEuphemismExcellenceExcessFailureFamilyFirst worldFoodFrenchFruitGreek originHabitHairHappinessHonestyHousehold itemsHyperboleLanguageLatinLegalLocationLuckMadnessMedicalMilitaryMisfortuneMoneyMusicNameNatureNauticalNonsenseNumberPatiencePlaceProverbProverbialReduplicationRelaxationReligionRiskScienceSecretsSexShakespeareSlangSportStupiditySuccessSurpriseTechnologyThe human bodyTheatreTimeToolTravelTrickeryVehicleWaterWeatherWork
Suggest a new idiom