English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Idioms: Sleep and Tiredness-1
from: 'asleep at the wheel'
to: 'sleeping partner'
- asleep at the wheel
- If you say that someone is asleep at the wheel, you mean that they are not sufficiently attentive, especially at a critical moment
when vigilance is required.
"When the firemen arrived too late at the scene, the night watchman was accused of being asleep at the wheel."
- If you say that someone is asleep at the wheel, you mean that they are not sufficiently attentive, especially at a critical moment
when vigilance is required.
- cat nap
- If you have a short sleep during the day, you have a cat nap.
"My dad often has a cat nap on a Sunday afternoon."
- If you have a short sleep during the day, you have a cat nap.
- forty winks
- If you have forty winks, you have a short sleep or rest, generally during the day.
"Dad likes to have forty winks after a game of golf."
- If you have forty winks, you have a short sleep or rest, generally during the day.
- hit the hay / hit the sack
- When you hit the hay (or hit the sack), you go to bed.
"The boys were so exhausted that they hit the hay as soon as they reached the campsite."
- When you hit the hay (or hit the sack), you go to bed.
- lie in
- If you lie in, you stay in bed after the normal time for getting up.
"Great! Tomorrow I'm not on duty so I can lie in!"
- If you lie in, you stay in bed after the normal time for getting up.
- out like a light
- If a person is out like a light, they are so tired that they fall asleep very quickly.
"As soon as his head touched the pillow, he was out like a light."
- If a person is out like a light, they are so tired that they fall asleep very quickly.
- ready to drop
- Someone who is ready to drop is extremely tired and nearly too exhausted to stay standing.
"I've been shopping all day with Judy. I'm ready to drop!"
- Someone who is ready to drop is extremely tired and nearly too exhausted to stay standing.
- sleep like a log
- If you sleep like a log, you sleep deeply or soundly.
"After a day at the beach, I usually sleep like a log."
- If you sleep like a log, you sleep deeply or soundly.
- sleep on it
- If you take time (until the next day) to think something over before making a decision, you sleep on it.
"I suggest you sleep on it. You can give me your decision tomorrow."
- If you take time (until the next day) to think something over before making a decision, you sleep on it.
- not get a wink of sleep
- If someone doesn't get a wink of sleep, they don't sleep at all.
"It was so noisy in the hotel, I didn't get a wink of sleep."
- If someone doesn't get a wink of sleep, they don't sleep at all.
- not lose (any) sleep
- When something happens that in your opinion is not a cause for worry, you can say that you will not lose (any) sleep over it.
"I've mislaid the book but I'm not going to lose any sleepover it."
- When something happens that in your opinion is not a cause for worry, you can say that you will not lose (any) sleep over it.
- let sleeping dogs lie
- If you tell someone to let sleeping dogs lie, you are asking them not to interfere with a situation because they could cause problems.
"Look, they've settled their differences. It's time to let sleeping dogs lie"
- If you tell someone to let sleeping dogs lie, you are asking them not to interfere with a situation because they could cause problems.
- sleeping partner
- The term 'sleeping partner' refers to a person who invests in a business without taking an active part in its management, and whose association with
the enterprise is not public knowledge.
"He works alone but his business is partly financed by a sleeping partner."
- The term 'sleeping partner' refers to a person who invests in a business without taking an active part in its management, and whose association with
the enterprise is not public knowledge.
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