English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

Alphabetical List - T

(Idioms T, page 4 : take to cleaners → run a taut ship)

take to the cleaners	If someone is taken to the cleaners, they lose a lot of money in an unfair way, usually by being robbed or cheated. When the company Tom had invested in went bankrupt, he realized he had been taken to the cleaners.
take to something like a duck to water	If you take to something like a duck to water, you do it naturally and easily, without fear or hesitation. When Sophie first tried skiing, she took to it like a duck to water.
take the words out of someone's mouth	If you say exactly what someone else was going to say, you take the words out of their mouth. I entirely agree with you. You took the words out of my mouth.
take two to tango	You say this when you think that a difficult situation or argument cannot be the fault of one person alone. Okay, I've heard Fred's side of the story - but it takes two to tango!
take unawares	If something takes you unawares, it surprises you because you were not expecting it. His angry reaction took me unawares.
take under your wing	If you offer guidance and protection to someone younger or less experienced, you take them under your wing. I owe a lot to Tom who took me under his wing when I first arrived.
take wind out of sails	If someone or something takes the wind out of your sails, they make you feel less confident by doing or saying something that you do not expect. The manager's rejection of our marketing strategy really took the wind out of our sails.
talk the hind leg off a donkey	This expression is used to describe a very talkative person. It's difficult to end a conversation with Betty. She could talk the hind leg off a donkey!
talk nineteen to the dozen	If someone talks nineteen to the dozen, they speak very quickly. He was talking nineteen to the dozen so I didn't catch the whole story.
talk shop	If you talk shop, you talk about your work or business in a social situation with someone you work with, and make the conversation boring for the others present. I never go out with my colleagues because we inevitably end up talking shop.
tall story	A tall story is a story which is difficult to believe because it sounds unlikely. What he said about a stolen invention sounds like a tall story to me.
on tap	If something is on tap, it is easily obtained or available for immediate use, like water from a tap. You can find a multitude of useful resources on tap on the internet.
tar baby	This term refers to a sticky situation or problem for which it is virtually impossible to find a solution. He was advised not to get involved in the controversy which was considered a 'tar-baby' issue.
tar with the same brush	When a person is tarred with the same brush, they are regarded as having the same faults or bad qualities as those they associate with. Don't hang around with those guys or you'll be tarred with the same brush.
a taste of one's own medicine	If you give someone a taste of their own medicine, you treat them in the same unpleasant way that they have treated you. People who always arrive late should be given a taste of their own medicine.
in tatters	Something that is badly torn, in very poor condition or damaged beyond repair is in tatters. His reputation is in tatters after the latest scandal.
run a taut ship	When a group or organisation is run in a well-ordered and disciplined manner, the person in charge runs a taut (or tight) ship. The director of the scout camp runs a taut ship.

...back next...

alphabetical lists T ...

T10

T11

T12

T13

T14

T15

more alphabetical lists ...

X-Y-Z