Hello folks, I am continuing with my post last week to give you 13 more idioms. Enjoy the idioms!N - Nothing is certain but death and taxes
My definition - Well, this is fairly self explanatory, you will die, and you will have to pay taxes!
Example sentence: I thought my marriage would work out, but nothing is ever certain but death and taxes.

O - One for the road
My definition: One last drink before leaving for the evening.
Example sentence: John already had seven beers, but before he left the bar, he said, “hey, let’s have one for the road!”

P - Play it by ear
My definition: To do something in an impromptu manner with no prior planning. It comes from playing an instrument with no sheet music.
Example sentence: I have not planned for this meeting, but I will play it by ear.

Q - Quality time
My definition: The time spent with family and loved ones is quality time.
Example sentence: Her husband decided to take the week off to spend quality time with their children.

R - Rain cats and dogs
My definition: To rain heavily.
Example sentence: I had a little trouble driving from Charleston to Atlanta last month because it was raining cats and dogs west of Columbia.

S - Skin of your teeth
My definition: To barely escape from a dangerous or bad situation.
Example sentence: The family escaped from the erupting volcano by the skin of their teeth.

T - Tie the knot
My definition: To get married.
Example sentence: After ten years of dating, the couple finally tied the knot.

U - Uncle Sam
My definition: The US government.
Example sentence: I served Uncle Sam for four years in the Air Force.

V - Van Gogh’s ear for music
My definition: Tone deaf. It comes from the fact that Van Gogh’s ear was cut off.
Example sentence: The singer at the recital has Van Gogh’s ear for music.

W - Who let the cat out of the bag?
My definition: Who divulged the secret?
Example sentence: The company Chief Financial Officer let the cat out of the bag too early when he said that the company was in some dire financial straits. Immediately the company’s investors sold their stocks.

X - X marks the spot
My definition: this is where you find it.
Example sentence: On this map, x marks the spot where the treasure can be found.

Y - Yankee
My definition: Someone from the northern United States, especially New England.
Example sentence: Those Yankees from Boston talk funny.

Z - Zero Tolerance
My definition: This means that a crime or infraction is not tolerated even once and is punished for first time offenders.
Example sentence: Singapore has zero tolerance for littering.

See idiomsite for a full list of idioms and their probable etymologies.

Hi folks, today I’m going to introduce you our new collaborator. Adam participates in a lot of activities: he works in a law firm, is one of the administrators for Wikipedia and teaches English as a second language. So, now it’s your turn Adam. Welcome to English Experts.Hello, I would like to write today about idioms. Idioms, according to the American Heritage Dictionary are speech forms that are in peculiar to themselves within the usage of a given language, or in layman’s terms, untranslatable phrases. I would like to give you today 13 idiomatic expressions that I have selected. (one for each letter of the alphabet A-M). In my next installment, you will be able to read 13 more idioms to complete the alphabet.

A - apple of my eye
My definition: The apple of your eye is someone that you adore.
Example sentence: You are the apple of my eye.

B - back seat driver
My definition: A back seat driver is someone who gives unwanted criticism to the driver of a vehicle about the way they drive. I suppose that the back seat driver could be in the front as a passenger, but traditionally, the person is behind the driver.
Example sentence: Whenever my mother rides in my car, she becomes a back seat driver.

C - catch-22
My definition: A contradictory statement or situation; a paradox.
Example sentence: I would like to work in Information Technology, but there is a catch-22. I can’t work in IT if I don’t have any experience, and I can’t get any experience if I don’t work in the field.

D - dropping like flies
My definition: Suddenly falling dead or ill in large numbers.
Example sentence: The football players were dropping like flies on that hot summer day.

E - excuse my French
My definition: Something you can say to ask for an apology after swearing.
Example sentence: Excuse my brother’s French, he didn’t realize the company that he was in.

F - face the music
My definition: To receive the consequences of one’s actions.
Example sentence: The criminal was a fugitive for nearly ten years. He was caught yesterday, and now it’s time for him to face the music.

G - go the extra mile
My definition: To go above and beyond what is expected of you.
Example sentence: Barbara’s going the extra mile finally paid off this year when she received a nice raise.

H - hell in a handbasket
My definition: This is what happens when everything goes wrong.
Example sentence: In the plant supervisors’ absence, the plant went to hell in a handbasket. Production decreased by 50%.

I - I wash my hands of it
My definition: To be done with something, to be blameless.
Example sentence: There were many executives of the Enron Corporation that tried to wash their hands of their role in the company’s demise, but it was too late.

J - jaywalking
My definition: To cross the street away from crosswalks.
Example sentence: Jaywalking can get you a fine on the West Coast of the US, but the police “turn a blind eye” to it on the East Coast.

K - kick the bucket
My definition: To die.
Example sentence: My neighbor finally kicked the bucket when he was 105 years old.

L - last but not least
My definition: When a series of names is read, one can say, “last but not least.” This means that the final name read is no less important than the ones read before it.
Example sentence: And, last but not least, I present to you Emily who is a national Rhodes Scholar.

M - murphy’s Law
My definition: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
Example sentence: It’s Murphy’s Law that a buttered piece of toast always lands butter side down.

See idiomsite for a full list of idioms and etymologies.

Until next time,

Adam

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