Houses and buildings – English idioms and sayings

 0    37 Datenblatt    enidiomy
mp3 downloaden Drucken spielen überprüfen
 
Frage English Antworten English
A difficult and annoying situation.
Lernen beginnen
a pretty/fine kettle of fish
So, you've crashed your father's car. That's a pretty kettle of fish.
An expression which means that if you want something to happen, paying attention to it will only make the waiting feel longer.
Lernen beginnen
A watched kettle never boils.
Don't check your email every second, remember, a watched kettle never boils.
Affecting somebody personally.
Lernen beginnen
close to home
Her questions have been a little bit too close to home.
A lot of different things (mostly unnecessary).
Lernen beginnen
everything but the kitchen sink
This bag weighs a hundred kilos! You've packed everything but the kitchen sink!
Something that is very fragile, delicate and won't last.
Lernen beginnen
house of cards
The ceasefire between you and your brother is a house of cards.
If food or drink is on the house it means that you don't have to pay for it, it is provided free by the owner.
Lernen beginnen
on the house
I'm sorry you have been waiting for so long. All I can do is say that the meal is on the house.
An expression that means you shouldn't crticize others for bad qualities that you have yourself.
Lernen beginnen
People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
If you are not perfect, you shouldn't criticize others, you know: people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
An expression used to stress that you can't do everything at once.
Lernen beginnen
Rome wasn't built in a day.
My garden is still not perfect, but one day it will be. Well, Rome wasn't built in a day.
Ordinary.
Lernen beginnen
run-of-the-mill
This weekend was very run-of-the-mill, nothing interesting happened.
An embarassing secret.
Lernen beginnen
skeleton in the closet
He shouldn't be so shocked to find out that hid father was not his real father, every family has a skeleton in the closet.
A warning; an expression that means that some misfortune is impending.
Lernen beginnen
the handwriting's on the wall
The football team has lost all its matches, the handwriting's on the wall for the coach.
To depend on something/someone.
Lernen beginnen
to bank on something/someone
I know I can always bank on my family.
A person who accepts being treated badly and doesn't complain.
Lernen beginnen
to be a doormat
I can't stand being anybody's doormat.
A man who spends his time trying to meet rich and fashionable peaople (especially women) at social occasions.
Lernen beginnen
to be a lounge lizard
He's a real lounge lizard, he has a new date every night.
Someone you can depend on.
Lernen beginnen
to be a tower of strength
When my father died my mother was the tower of strength.
To have troubles.
Lernen beginnen
to be in the doghouse
This time, you won't be let off with a warning, you are in the doghouse.
To entertain people successfully, make them laugh or clap loudly.
Lernen beginnen
to bring the house down
This show was so good, it just brought the house down.
To dream about or hope for things that are impossible, unrealistic.
Lernen beginnen
to build castles in the air
She is always building castles in the air and then she is disappointed.
To make decissions that can't be changed in the future.
Lernen beginnen
to burn your bridges
Remember no to burn your bridges unless it's necessary.
To be extremly bored.
Lernen beginnen
to climb the wall
The lecture was so boring that I was climbing the wall.
To annoy somebody.
Lernen beginnen
to drive someone up the wall
I drive my parents up the wall when I play my guitar.
To become involved in something from the beginning or in it's early stages.
Lernen beginnen
to get in on the ground floor
I think this company is going to achieve a lot, you'd better get in on the ground floor and start working for them.
To be in a difficult situation.
Lernen beginnen
to go through the mill
Her father is terminally ill, she is going through the mill right now.
To get mad, very angry.
Lernen beginnen
to go through the roof
I'll go through the roof if this noise doesn't stop!
To go bankrupt.
Lernen beginnen
to go to the wall
I thought it was such a good deal but it just made me go to the wall.
To have some space around oneself.
Lernen beginnen
to have elbow room
I'm the kind of person who needs a lot of elbow room.
To make a huge impression on somebody.
Lernen beginnen
to hit like a ton of bricks
This information hit me like a ton of bricks. I was devastated.
To get very angry.
Lernen beginnen
to hit the ceiling/the roof
That's enough, you've made me hit the roof! You're grounded!
To assume responsibility in another person's absence; to be left in charge of something.
Lernen beginnen
to hold the fort
Honey, I'm going shopping, please hold the fort and look after your sister.
To waste one's time trying to accomplish something that is hopeless.
Lernen beginnen
to knock/bang one's head against a brick wall
When I ask my parents permission to do something, I sometimes feel I'm banging my head against a brick wall.
To take precautions after something bad has already happened.
Lernen beginnen
to lock the barn door after the horse has bolted
Buying a burglar alarm after the house has been robbed is just locking the barn door after the horse has bolted.
To make oneself comfortable.
Lernen beginnen
to make oneself at home
I easily make myself at home wherever I go.
To provide space for someone or something.
Lernen beginnen
to make room for someone or something
Could you please move this plate to make room for the ashtray?
To take care of one's own problems, to solve them.
Lernen beginnen
to put one's own house in order
You'd better put your own house in order before you start giving advice to other people.
To throw somebody out of your house.
Lernen beginnen
to show someone the door
He was drunk and rude so I just showed him the door.
To give up, to quit.
Lernen beginnen
to throw in the towel
I didn't have any more strength to continue so I threw in the towel and came back home.
An expression used to say that you can't make something if you're not capable of doing it (without the right tools).
Lernen beginnen
You can't make bricks without straw.
Don't try to make a table if you are not a carpenter, remember you can't make bricks without straw.

Sie müssen eingeloggt sein, um einen Kommentar zu schreiben.