English
idioms -
Idiomy angielskie
|
Idiom |
Meaning of idiom |
|
A basket case |
A crazy person |
|
A bull in a china shop |
someone who is very clumsy |
|
A grey area |
Something unclear |
|
A little birdie told me |
Someone told me a secret
|
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A piece of cake |
Very easy
|
|
A rip off |
Too expensive
|
|
Be in hot water |
Be in trouble |
|
Be in the same boat |
Be in the same situation |
|
Be second to none |
Be the best |
|
(have) bee in bonnet |
Be obsessed with an idea |
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Birdbrain |
Someone who is not very smart |
|
Put a bug in his ear |
Make a suggestion |
|
Call it a day |
Time to quit |
|
Cat got your tongue? |
Why aren't you talking? |
|
Cross your fingers |
For good luck |
|
Cry crocodile tears |
To pretend to be upset |
|
Curiosity killed the cat |
Asking may get you in trouble |
|
Doggy bag |
A bag to take home leftovers from a restaurant |
|
Draw a
blank |
Can't remember |
|
Fish out of water |
Being somewhere you don't belong |
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For the birds |
Something that is not worth anything |
|
Get a kick out |
Enjoy |
|
Get cold feet |
Be nervous |
|
Get off your high horse |
Quit thinking you are better than others |
|
Get your act together |
Behave properly |
|
Give it a shot |
Try |
|
Give someone the cold shoulder |
Ignore someone |
|
Idiom |
Meaning of idiom |
Examples of sentences |
Examples of sentences |
|
A basket case |
A crazy person Someone who is viewed as
emotionally unstable and unable to function in normal situations |
My neighbor is a basket case. After that all-day meeting, I was practically a basket case |
By the end of the course I was My weeks of worry were so intense that I was a real basket case afterwards. |
|
A bull in a china shop |
someone who is very clumsy If someone is like a
bull in a china shop, they are very careless in the way that they move or
behave: |
My cousin is on the party like a
bull in the china shop. I never know what to say at a funeral. I feel like a bull in a china shop, trampling on
feelings without even meaning to. Her living room, with its delicate
furniture and knickknacks, made him feel like a bull in a china shop . |
My son is always like a bull in a china shop, so I'm worried about taking him to the museum. Surrounding him with valuables does not seem like a wise idea! This is a complex problem, and if you attack it like a bull in a china shop, you will alienate a lot of people. |
|
A grey area |
Something unclear a situation that is not
clear or where the rules are not known: |
Automation is a grey area for me. There are many grey
areas in the law affecting stolen animals |
There's a large grey area regarding whether the use of the new surveillance
technology is lawful. In theory, it should be a cinch to diagnose
appendicitis, but in practice it's much more of a grey area. |
|
A little birdie told me |
Someone told me a secret
|
A little birdie told me that
she is cheating on her husband. |
"How did you know he was
leaving?" "Oh, let's just say a
little bird told me." Parent: "A
little bird told me that you have been smoking". A little bird told me you've got a bit on the side in Spain. |
|
A piece of cake |
Very easy
|
This math exercise is a piece of cake for me. I thought I was going to fail the test, but it turned out to be a
piece of cake! |
If it's quite, the job's a piece of cake. Her family have 11 children, so looking after 4 will
be a piece of cake for her. |
|
A rip off |
Too expensive
|
Rolls-Royce is a rip off for me. |
This car is a rip off for me. |
|
Be in hot water |
Be in trouble to be in or get into a
difficult situation in which you are in danger of being criticized or
punished: |
I must pay
20000 zlotys my neighbor's debts. He found himself in hot
water over his comments about immigration. |
I was in
a bit of hot water with Janice last night when she found out I went to
the movies instead of cleaning out the garage. The senator is in hot
water with constituents over his callous remarks. |
|
Be in the same boat |
Be in the same situation to be in the same
unpleasant situation as other people |
Since we
are in the same boat, let us think in the same way! She's always complaining
that she doesn't have enough money, but we're all in the same boat. |
Environmental
problems, in many ways, put us all in the same boat. My sister failed her
driver's test, and I'll be in the same boat if I don't practice
parallel parking. As hard as it
is to live with a disability, remember that you're not alone—a lot of other
people are in the same boat. |
|
Be second to none |
Be the best To be the best; to have no
rival. as good as or better than
all others: |
I think my
colleague is the second to none. Of course my daughter will go to Harvard—it's second to none! The owner is a famous pastry chef, so the desserts here are truly second to none. |
Jabra Motion is
second to none in terms of innovative features and future-proof
technology. The conditions that these
prisoners are kept in are second to none. |
|
(have) bee in bonnet |
Be obsessed with an idea a single idea or a thought
that remains in one's mind; an obsession to keep
talking about something again and again because you think it is very
important: |
She had some bee
in her bonnet. She never stops talking
about dieting - she's got a real bee in her bonnet about it. |
Dad has had
a bee in his bonnet about moving to a warmer climate. I have a bee in my
bonnet over that cool new car I saw, and I can't stop thinking about it. I got a bee
in my bonnet about swimming. I just wanted to go swimming all the time. |
|
Birdbrain |
Someone who is not very smart a stupid-acting person A person who lacks
intelligence or who makes stupid decisions |
I think my
neighbor is a birdbrain. You're such a bird-brain.
I can't believe you got stranded on the highway because you didn't put enough
gas in your car! |
I’m such a birdbrain.
I forgot my driver’s license, officer. |
|
Put a bug in his ear |
Make a suggestion To speak to one in order
to impart some particular information, suggestion, hint, or warning. Give someone a hint about
something |
She put a bug in his ear to buy me an
expensive earring. I've been putting a bug
in his ear for months about what I wanted for my birthday, but he was
totally clueless when the day came. |
I put a bug
in his ear about giving Helen a call. Janet put a bug in her
husband's ear about getting the children a dog for Christmas |
|
Call it a day |
Time to quit to stop what you are doing
because you do not want to do any more or think you have done enough: |
I think it is
now call it a day, not ask me more. I'm getting a bit tired
now - let's call it a day. After 14 years
living and working in this country, she thinks it's time to call it a day. |
I must say that, if one really looks at the
situation, one is almost tempted to call it a day. I'm tired. Let's call
it a day. The boss was
mad because Tom called it a day at noon and went home. |
|
Cat got your tongue? |
Why aren't you talking? A humorous
question directed at one who is not
speaking very much
or at all. |
I talk to you,
cat got your tongue? What’s the matter — cat got your tongue? Are you surprised to see me? What's the matter, has the cat got your tongue? |
"What's
wrong, sonny? Cat got your tongue?" "Oh, he's just shy around new people,
that's all." What’s the matter — cat got your tongue? |
|
Cross your fingers |
For good luck to hope very much that
something will happen: |
Go to the
exam, I cross your fingers. I'm just going to cross my
fingers and hope it works. |
I'm crossing my fingers that I get a
bike for my birthday! OK, I'm going to turn on
the machine for the first time. Here goes—cross
your fingers, everyone! |
|
Cry crocodile tears |
To pretend to be upset To display false,
insincere, or hypocritical sadness or remorse. Derived from an ancient
notion that a crocodile will weep to lure in its victims, or that it weeps as
it eats them |
My friend cried
crocodile tears. He was not sincere. Jessica shed
crocodile tears over the expulsion of her rival, Jacob. |
The child
wasn't really hurt, but she shed crocodile tears anyway. He thought he could get
his way if he cried crocodile tears. |
|
Curiosity killed the cat |
Asking may get you in trouble Inquisitiveness can be
dangerous, especially when it extends to things one does not need to know
about |
Do not ask me
more, because curiosity killed the cat. Bill: Where did you get all that money? Jane: Curiosity killed the cat. |
'All right,
I've been reading it. So what?'—'Curiosity killed the cat, that's
what.' I think you'll offend her
by asking such personal questions—curiosity killed the cat, after all. I know curiosity killed
the cat, but I can't stop the investigation until I know where the
donations are really going. |
|
Doggy bag |
A bag to take home leftovers from a
restaurant a small bag that a
restaurant provides so that you can take home any food you have not finished |
Can I get a doggy
bag? We do not have doggie
bags, but I can give you a styrofoam box. You
must fill it yourself. |
The servings
here are so huge that I always have to ask for a doggy bag at the end
of the night! |
|
Draw a
blank |
Can't remember to fail to get an answer
or a result He asked me for my phone
number and I drew a blank - I just couldn't remember
it. |
I was on a
party yesterday. I draw a blank. I'm sorry, I'm drawing
a blank—what's your name again? It was a very hard test with just one question to answer, and I drew a blank. |
I actually did
know the answer to that question, I just drew a blank when the teacher
called on me, OK? I tried to remember her
telephone number, |
|
Fish out of water |
Being somewhere you don't belong someone who is
uncomfortable in a specific situation: I felt like a fish out of
water at my new school. |
I was at the lonely heart meeting and I felt like
a fish out of water. On a hiking trail, Nell
was a fish out of water. Using a
computer for the first time, Carl felt like a fish out of water |
When Carla transferred to a new school, she felt like a fish out of water because she didn't know anyone there. Marie was like a fish out of water when she assumed a manger position at the company where she had worked as a clerk for so long. |
|
For the birds |
Something that is not worth anything to be stupid or not
important |
I bought a new
electronic gadget but it is for the birds. This conference is for
the birds-let's leave now. I don’t like this kind of life. It’s for the birds. |
Driving is for
the birds when you live in a big city—unless you like sitting in traffic!
I miss my usual
shift—night work is for the birds. This journal business is for the birds. |
|
Get a kick out Mieć frajdę |
Enjoy To get a sense of
enjoyment, amusement, or excitement from something If you get a kick out of something, you enjoy it very much Even as an adult, I still
get a kick out of building sandcastles at the beach. |
When I think
about a spring I get a kick out. I get a
kick out of studying English. “How did you like the movie?”
“I really got a kick out of it.” He loves
books. He gets a kick out of reading. Most people get a kick out
of taking a trip. |
I get a
kick out of watching the children play I get no kick from
champagne Mere alcohol doesn't
thrill me at all So tell me why should it
be true That I get a kick out of
you |
|
Get cold feet stchórzyć |
Be nervous to suddenly become too
frightened to do something you had planned to do, especially something
important such as getting married |
Her son get
cold feet. My boyfriend got cold
feet about being in a committed relationship. Leaving
Ireland wasn't easy and I had cold feet about it a couple of times. Do you still want to do
this parachute jump or are you getting cold feet? |
I wasn't nervous until the morning of my wedding, but everyone assured me that I had just gotten cold feet. Good luck getting her out on stage—she always gets cold feet before a performance. If Ted's getting
cold feet, this is not the way to get him back. |
|
Get off your high horse |
Quit thinking you are better than others
to stop talking as if you
were better or more clever than other people: It's time you came down
off your high horse and admitted you were wrong. |
Get off your high horse, take third
place. It's about time that you got
down off your high horse. Would you get off your
high horse and talk to me? |
You're just an
intern, so get off your high horse and do this filing, like I asked
you to. Holly, get off your
high horse, I'm sick of it. So come on,
John, get off your high horse. |
|
Get your act
together pozbieraj się zbierz się w sobie weź się
w garść |
Behave properly To take action to become
well-organized, prepared, or in a better state of life. organize yourself in the
manner required in order to achieve something. |
Remember,
always get your act together. I had no direction after
college and drifted along for several years, until I got my act together
in my thirties with a steady job and good relationship. He seems to be
getting it together at last. |
You need to get
your act together and finish packing so that we can leave for the airport
on time tomorrow morning. If Sally got her act
together she’d be a great musician. He’s been
trying to get his life together.
|
|
Give it a shot Spróbować, probować |
Try To try something (often
for the first time as a means of forming an opinion about it) I fear that it would be
very difficult to establish, but let us give it a shot and see what
happens. |
It is not
difficult, give it a shot. I don't usually like hot
tea, but it's so cold out that I gave it a shot today. |
A: "Do
you want to try driving my car, to see how you like it?" B: "Yeah,
sure, I'll give it a shot." |
|
Give someone the cold shoulder |
Ignore someone to intentionally ignore
someone or treat someone in an unfriendly way: This phrase usually refers
to the act of ignoring someone. If someone gives you the
cold shoulder, they deliberately stop being friendly to you and ignore you. |
This is a bad
man, give him the cold shoulder Nancy found she was
getting the cold shoulder from a lot of people she'd thought were her
friends.. I must have
made him angry with my comment. He’s been giving me the cold shoulder ever
since I said it. |
She thinks you
started that rumor about her—that's why she's been giving you the cold
shoulder all day. I tried to be pleasant to
her but she gave me the cold shoulder. I thought she
really liked me, but the next day she gave me the cold shoulder. |
|
Idiom |
Meaning of idiom |
Przykladowe użycie |
|
Goose is cooked po ptakach (przegrana sprawa) |
Now you're in trouble all hope is gone; there is no
possibility of success; the period of good fortune is over. |
It's over. His goose is cooked! If I get caught, my goose is cooked. |
|
Have a change of heart zmiana nastawienia zmiana decyzji |
Changed your mind to change one's attitude
or decision, usually from a negative to a positive
position |
I had a change of heart at the last minute and gave the beggar some
money. Since I talked to you last, I have had a change of heart. I now approve of
your marrying Sam. What has motivated this change of heart? |
|
Have a shot Mieć szansę |
Have a chance To have a chance to achieve,
attain, or have success in something To criticize
someone or something. |
Do you really think I have a shot at winning this thing? I had a shot at him this morning, so he already knows I'm unhappy with his proposal. |
|
Have mixed feelings Mieć mieszane uczucia |
Unsure how you feel have both positive and negative feelings
(about somebody/something) If you have mixed feelings about something or someone, you feel
uncertain about them because you can see both good and bad points about them. |
I’ve got mixed feelings about leaving college — it’s great to finish my studies, but I’m rather worried about finding a job. They had mixed feelings about their new boss. She seemed very pleasant but not very organized. I have mixed feelings
about the film. |
|
Have second thoughts mieć watpliwości |
Have doubts change your opinion about something; have doubts about something |
We were going to go to
Italy, but we had second thoughts and came here instead. Why are you hesitating? You're not having second thoughts, are you? A: "Where's the bride?" B:
"I don't know; maybe she had second thoughts." |
|
Hold your horses chwileczkę |
Wait a minute used to tell someone to stop and
consider carefully their decision or opinion about something: |
In other words, hold your horses when you're coming to judge people. Hold your horses,
lover boy. Just hold your horses, Bill! Let's think
about this for a moment. |
|
Horse of a different color |
Something that is different Something completely different or separate,
especially in comparison to something else Another matter entirely, something else |
I've always found math to be easy, but
calculus is a horse of a different
color. I thought that was her boyfriend but it turned out
to be her brother-that's a horse of a
different color |
|
Hot dog |
A person doing athletic stunts that are
dangerous To perform daring, showy, often dangerous stunts so
as to impress other people A person who performs such daring stunts. An exclamation of excitement or pleasant surprise.
Primarily heard in US |
He spent the afternoon hot dogging on his jet ski in front
of the ladies on the beach. There are always a few hot dogs at this park showing off on their skateboards. Hot dog! I can't wait to try out my new
motorbike! Our application was
approved? Well, hot dog! |
|
I'm all ears I'm listening zamieniam się w słuch |
You have my undivided attention You have my attention, so you should talk |
Bob: Look, old pal. I want to talk to you about
something. Tom: I'm listening. Bill: I guess I owe you an apology. Jane: I'm all ears. |
|
It cost an arm and a leg kosztować majątek kosztować krocie |
It was expensive To cost lot of money be extremely
expensive |
Well, we know that it is going to cost us an arm and a leg When I first started out in my business, I
advertised small too and it didn’t
cost me an arm and a leg. |
|
It's in the bag masz to jak w banku |
It's a certainty |
|
|
A different kettle of fish inna para kaloszy |
Something is completely different to be completely different from something or someone
else that has been talked about: |
Having knowledge is one thing but being
able to communicate it to others is another
kettle of fish. |
|
Let the cat out of the bag wygadać się puścić farbę puścić parę z ust |
Tell a secret to allow a secret to be known, usually without
intending to: |
I was trying to keep the party a secret,
but Mel went and let the cat out of
the bag. |
|
Make a mountain out of a molehill Robić z igły widły |
Make something that is not important
into a big deal to make a slight difficulty seem like a serious
problem: |
You're making a mountain out of a molehill. You wrote one bad essay - it
doesn't mean you're going to fail. |
|
Out of the blue Nagle, znienacka, |
With no warning If something happens out of the blue, it is
completely unexpected |
One day, out of the blue, she announced that she was leaving. The EHEC situation has thrust local vegetable growers
into an existential crisis completely out
of the blue and through no fault of their own. |
|
Pig out Obżerać się |
To eat a lot to eat a lot or too much: |
We pigged
out on all the delicious cakes and pastries. |
|
Play it by ear wymyślić coś na poczekaniu |
Improvise to decide how to deal with a situation as it
develops, rather than acting according to plans made earlier: |
We can't make a decision yet. Let's just
play it by ear. |
|
Raining cats and dogs Leje jak z cebra |
It is raining very hard something that you say when it is raining heavily |
A minute ago it was gorgeous and now it's raining cats and dogs. |
|
Read between the lines czytać między wierszami |
Find the hidden meaning to try to understand someone's real feelings or
intentions from what they say or write: |
Reading between the lines, I'd say he isn't happy with the
situation. |
|
See eye to eye zgadzać się z kimś, |
Agree If two people see eye to eye, they agree with each
other: |
My sisters don't see eye to eye with me about the arrangements. |
|
Slipped my mind wypadło mi to z głowy |
I forgot |
I'm sorry, it slipped my mind. I would've told you, but it slipped my mind. |
|
Speak your mind |
Say what you really feel to say what you think about something very directly: |
He's certainly not afraid to speak his mind. |
|
The icing on the cake wisienka na torcie, bonus |
Something additional that turns good
into great something that makes a good situation even better: |
I was just content to see my daughter in
such a stable relationship but a grandchild, that really was the icing on the cake. |
|
Wolf in sheep's clothing wilk w owczej skórze |
A person who pretends to be nice but is
not a person with a pleasant and friendly appearance
that hides the fact that they are evil someone or something that seems to be good but is
actually not good at all: |
My grandfather was a wolf in sheep’s clothing – he looked
like a sweet old man, but he was really mean. |
|
You can't teach an old dog new tricks nie przesadza się starych drzew |
It's harder for older people to learn
new things |
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. |