English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms - F, page 11
from: 'fool's paradise'
to: 'forewarned is forearmed'
- fool's paradise
- If someone is living in a fool's paradise, they are in a state of contentment that will not last
because their happiness is based on illusion or false hope.
"Lisa is living in a fool's paradise if she thinks her boss is going to marry her."
- If someone is living in a fool's paradise, they are in a state of contentment that will not last
because their happiness is based on illusion or false hope.
- my foot!
- This expression is used to show that you do not believe something that has just been said.
"He said he had a summer home? My foot! I doubt if he owns a tent!"
- This expression is used to show that you do not believe something that has just been said.
- (a) foot in the door
- To say that someone has a foot in the door means that they
have a small but successful start in something and will possibly do well in the future.
"With today's unemployment, it is difficult to get a foot in the door in any profession."
- To say that someone has a foot in the door means that they
have a small but successful start in something and will possibly do well in the future.
- foot in the grave
- A person who is either very old or very ill and close to death has one foot in the grave.
"It's no use talking to the owner. The poor man has one foot in the grave."
- A person who is either very old or very ill and close to death has one foot in the grave.
- foot in one's mouth
- If you put your foot in your mouth, you do or say
something that offends, upsets or embarrasses someone else.
"She really put her foot in her mouth when she mentioned the housewarming party - Andy hadn't been invited!"
- If you put your foot in your mouth, you do or say
something that offends, upsets or embarrasses someone else.
- put one's foot down
- To put one's foot down means to exert authority to prevent something from happening.
"The child wanted to sleep on the sofa, but his father put his foot down and made him go to bed."
- To put one's foot down means to exert authority to prevent something from happening.
- right/wrong foot
- To get off (or start off) on the right/wrong foot means to start a relationship well or badly.
"I was looking forward to working with Anna but we seem to have started off on the wrong foot."
- To get off (or start off) on the right/wrong foot means to start a relationship well or badly.
- get a foothold
- If you get a foothold somewhere, you secure a
position for yourself in a business, profession or organisation.
"The contract got the firm a foothold in the local administration."
- If you get a foothold somewhere, you secure a
position for yourself in a business, profession or organisation.
- footloose and fancy free
- A person who is footloose and fancy free has few
responsibilities or commitments of any kind and feels free to do as they please.
"John will never get married. He says he prefers to be footloose and fancy free."
- A person who is footloose and fancy free has few
responsibilities or commitments of any kind and feels free to do as they please.
- for the birds
- If you think something is for the birds, you consider it to be uninteresting, useless or not to be taken seriously.
"As far as I'm concerned, his theory is for the birds."
- If you think something is for the birds, you consider it to be uninteresting, useless or not to be taken seriously.
- for the time being
- If you talk about how a situation is for the time being,
you mean that it is temporary and will probably change in the future.
"Laura has left Ben and is living with her parents for the time being."
- If you talk about how a situation is for the time being,
you mean that it is temporary and will probably change in the future.
- force of habit
- When something is done out of force of habit, it has become automatic through frequent repetition.
"Why do I always park here? Out of force of habit I suppose."
- When something is done out of force of habit, it has become automatic through frequent repetition.
- force someone's hand
- If you force someone's hand, you make them do something unwillingly or sooner than planned.
"The interviewer forced Brad's hand and made him reveal his relocation plans."
- If you force someone's hand, you make them do something unwillingly or sooner than planned.
- forewarned is forearmed
- This expression means that if you know something is going to happen, you can be prepared for it.
"The Chairman is going to attend the meeting tomorrow. Your presentation had better be good. Forewarned is forearmed!"
- This expression means that if you know something is going to happen, you can be prepared for it.
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