Idioms 20

A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush

Meaning: An opportunity in hand, currently, is better than a prospect in the future, because time never repeats itself.

Example: He decided against selling off his small business for the prospects of starting a bigger one.After all, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Chip off the old block

Meaning: A person is similar in behaviour or actions to his parents.

Example: He is very good at fixing cars, just like his father. He's a real chip off the old block

Don’t cry over spilt milk

Meaning: Don’t cry over what has happened as it can not be fixed.

Example: Walter failed his examination but his dad came and said just one thing, “Son, Don’t cry over spilt milk.”

Every cloud has a silver lining

Meaning: Bad things one day eventually lead to good things. Every difficult or unpleasant situation has some advantage

Example:

-I found a new job after all and I like this one much better than the last!

-You see, every cloud has a silver lining.

Take the bull by the horns

Meaning: to deal with a difficult situation in a very direct or confident way

Example:

She decided to take the bull by the horns and try to solve the problem without any further delay.

Let sleeping dogs lie

Meaning: to ignore a problem because trying to deal with it could cause an even more difficult situation

Example:

Don't ask him about his divorce. It's better to let sleeping dogs lie

A wild goose chase

Meaning: a wild or absurd search for something nonexistent;

any senseless pursuit of an object

Example:

Her scheme of being a movie star is a wild-goose chase.

Kill two birds with one stone

Meaning: olving two tasks at the same time or with one single action.

Example:

I killed two birds with one stone and picked the kids up on the way to the supermarket.

Straight from the horse's mouth

Meaning: directly from the source;

the information from someone who has personal knowledge on the spoken matter.

Example:

I don't believe it that she did it. I'm going to go to ask her and hear it straight from the horse's mouth.”

Be like water off a duck's back

Meaning: warnings to a particular person that have no effect on that person

Example:

I've told him that he's heading for trouble, but he doesn't listen - it's just water off a duck's back.