English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms F, page 10
Idioms F, page 10: from: 'fly by the seat of your pants' to: 'fool's errand'
- fly by the seat of your pants
- If you fly by the seat of your pants, you do
something without any knowledge or experience, using only your instinct and
hoping that you will succeed.
"Without any formal training, he decided to fly by the seat of his pants and try his luck in New York."
- If you fly by the seat of your pants, you do
something without any knowledge or experience, using only your instinct and
hoping that you will succeed.
- fly in the face of (something)
- If an action or statement flies in the face of
something, it is completely opposite to what is usual or expected.
"His style of teaching flies in the face of the school's established methods."
- If an action or statement flies in the face of
something, it is completely opposite to what is usual or expected.
- on the fly
- If you do something on the fly, you do it quickly,
without thinking much about it, while doing something else.
"I'm so busy I usually have lunch on the fly."
- If you do something on the fly, you do it quickly,
without thinking much about it, while doing something else.
- (a) fly in the ointment
- A fly in the ointment refers to something that
prevents a situation from being completely satisfactory.
"Tony's poor English was a fly in the ointment when he applied for the job."
- A fly in the ointment refers to something that
prevents a situation from being completely satisfactory.
- fly off the handle
- A person who flies off the handle becomes suddenly
very angry.
"Dad flew off the handle when I told him I had damaged his new car."
- A person who flies off the handle becomes suddenly
very angry.
- (a) fly on the wall
- A person who watches a situation without being noticed is
called a fly on the wall.
"I'd like to be a fly on the wall when the management discusses my project."
- A person who watches a situation without being noticed is
called a fly on the wall.
- it will never fly
- To say that something will never fly means that
it will not be successful.
"He's got incredible ideas, but the latest one will never fly!"
- To say that something will never fly means that
it will not be successful.
- with flying colours
- To achieve something with flying colours means
to do it very successfully.
"My daughter passed the entrance exam with flying colours. I'm so proud of her."
- To achieve something with flying colours means
to do it very successfully.
- (a) flying start
- If something gets off to a flying start, it is
immediately successful.
"Sales of the book got off to a flying start and exceeded our expectations."
- If something gets off to a flying start, it is
immediately successful.
- foam at the mouth
- Someone who foams at the mouth is extremely
angry about something.
"The director was foaming at the mouth when he saw a picture of his children in the newspaper."
- Someone who foams at the mouth is extremely
angry about something.
- follow your nose
- If you follow your nose, you go straight ahead.
(This expression can also mean to follow your instinct in life.)
"The station is at the end of the road - just follow your nose."
- If you follow your nose, you go straight ahead.
(This expression can also mean to follow your instinct in life.)
- follow in someone's footsteps
- If you follow in someone's footsteps, for example
a parent, you lead a similar life or do the same job.
"Lily followed in her her mother's footsteps and became a teacher."
- If you follow in someone's footsteps, for example
a parent, you lead a similar life or do the same job.
- follow suit
- If you follow suit, you do the same as another person
has just done.
"The first robber held up his hands, then the other two followed suit."
- If you follow suit, you do the same as another person
has just done.
- food for thought
- If something give you food for thought, it makes you
think seriously about a particular subject.
"The documentary on poverty in the world really gave me food for thought."
- If something give you food for thought, it makes you
think seriously about a particular subject.
- (a) fool's errand
- If you go on a fool's errand, you try to do something
which is useless, unnecessary or has no chance of success.
"I could see that it was a fool's errand to look for a bank in such an isolated region."
- If you go on a fool's errand, you try to do something
which is useless, unnecessary or has no chance of success.
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Please note that British English spelling is used on this website.