Idiom alphabetic list

English idioms & idiomatic expressions

List of idioms with their meaning and an example of use.

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Alphabetical list of idioms - E

Eager beaver

The term eager beaver refers to a person who is hardworking and enthusiastic,

sometimes considered overzealous.

The new accountant works all the time - first to arrive and last to leave -a real

eager beaver!

Eagle eyes

Someone who has eagle eyes sees or notices things more easily than others.

Tony will help us find it - he's got eagle eyes!

In one ear and out the other

To say that information goes in one ear and out the other means that it is

immediately forgotten or ignored.

I keep telling him about the risks but it goes in one ear and out the other.

He never listens to anyone!

Keep your ear to the ground

If you keep your ear to the ground , you make sure that you are aware of all that

is happening and being said.

I'll keep my ear to the ground and as soon as there are any developments

I'll call you.

Lend an ear

If you lend an ear to someone, you listen carefully and sympathetically.

I'll lend you an ear if you want to talk about it.

Make one's ears burn

If something makes your ears burn, you are embarrassed by what you hear, especially

if the conversation is about you.

The comments I overheard made my ears burn.

Music to your ears

To say that something is music to your ears, means that the information you

receive makes you feel very happy.

The compliments I received were music to my ear.

Turn a deaf ear

A person who turns a deaf ear to something such as a request or a complaint

refuses to pay attention to it.

I tried to explain the situation to the manager but he turned a deaf ear.

Play it by ear

This expression means to improvise or ado something without preparation,

according to the demands of the situation.

Music : to play by remembering the tune, without printed music.

I'm not sure what attitude we should adopt so let's just play it by ear.

Earn while you learn

This expression refers to the possibility of earning a salary while in training.

Become an apprentice and get paid while in training. Earn while you learn!

Easier said than done

To say that something is easier said than done means that what is suggested

sounds easy but it is more difficult to actually do it.

Put the TV aerial on the roof? Easier said than done!

Easy as pie

To say that something is easy as pie means that it is very easy to do.

How did the English test go? - No problem - it was easy as pie!

Eat crow

If you eat crow, you admit that you were wrong about something and apologize.

He had no option but to eat crow and admit that his analysis was wrong.

Eat dirt

If you eat dirt, you are forced to accept another person's bad treatment or insulting

remarks.

As a result of the strike the employees had to eat dirt.

Eat a horse

To say that you could eat a horse means that you are very hungry.

Let's get something to eat. I'm starving. I could eat a horse!

Eat out of somebody's hand

If you eat out of someone's hand, you are eager to please and accept to do

anything that person asks.

She is so persuasive that she has people eating out of her hand in no time.

Eat you out of house and home

This is a humorous way of saying that someone is eating large quantities of your food.

I stock up with food when my teenage sons invite their friends. They'd eat you out

of house and home!

Eat/dip into one's savings

If you eat or dip into your savings, you spend part of the money you have put aside

for future use.

I had to dip into my savings to have the car repaired.

Eat one's words

If you eat your words, you have to admit that what you said before was wrong.

After predicting disastrous results, he had to eat his words with the success of

the new product.

Eat, sleep and breathe something

If you eat, sleep and breathe something, you are so enthusiastic and passionate

about something that you think about it constantly.

He's an enthusiastic golfer; he eats, sleeps and breathes it!

Economical with the truth

To say that a person is economical with the truth means that, without actually

lying, they omit important facts or give incomplete information.

The politician was accused of being economical with the truth.

On edge

A person who is on edge is anxious or nervous.

Susan is waiting for news about about her son so she's on edge all the time.

On the edge of one's seat

Someone who is on the edge of their seat is very interested in something and finds

it extremely exciting.

Look at Bob! He's on the edge of his seat watching that rugby match.

A bad egg

To refer to someone as a bad egg means that they cannot be trusted.

I don't want my son to be friends with Bobby Smith. Bobby's a bad egg.

Egg someone on

If you egg somebody on, you urge or strongly encourage them to do something.

She didn't really want to learn to drive but her children kept egging her on.

Have all your eggs in one basket

If you have all your eggs in one basket, you depend on one plan or one source

of income.

If you invest your savings in one bank, you'll have all your eggs in one basket.

One over the eight

If a person has had one over the eight, they are slightly drunk.

Don't listen to him. You can see he's had one over eight!

Elbow grease

If you use elbow grease, you need energy and strength to do physical work such

as cleaning or polishing.

It took a considerable amount of elbow grease to renovate the house.

Elbow room

If you need some elbow room, you need more space to move.

We shared a small office where neither of us had enough elbow room.

In one's element

When you are in your element, you are doing something that you do well and

you are enjoying yourself.

My brother, who is an estate agent, was in his element house-hunting for our

parents.

Elephant in the room

A problem that no one wants to discuss, but is so obvious that it cannot be ignored,

is called an elephant in the room.

Let's face it - his work is unsatisfactory. That's the elephant in the room that

we need to discuss.

At the eleventh hour

If something happens at the eleventh hour, it happens when it is almost too late,

or at the last possible moment.

Our team won after they scored a goal at the eleventh hour.

Enough said

This expression is used to indicate that you have completely understood what

someone has just told you and you do not need any further explanation.

Your mother-in-law arrived unexpectedly last night? - enough said!

Err on the side of caution

When uncertain about what to do, if you err on the side of caution, you do more

than what is adequate rather than take any risks.

When I'm not sure how much food to prepare, I tend to err on the side of caution

and prepare far too much.

Make ends meet

If you find it difficult to make ends meet, you find it difficult to pay for your

everyday needs because you have very little money.

Anne's salary is so low she finds it hard to make ends meet.

Stay on an even keel

A situation or person who stays on an even keel manages to remain calm, stable

and untroubled in all circumstances.

She managed to keep her life on an even keel in spite of the difficulties encountered.

Even the score

When a person decides to even the score, they try to get their revenge on someone

who has cheated or done them harm.

When Jack discovered that Bob had cheated, he was determined to even the score.

Every nook and cranny

Every nook and cranny refers to every possible part of a place.

She searched every nook and cranny of the old town looking for antiques.

Every Tom, Dick and Harry

This expression means everyone or everybody.

Every Tom, Dick and Harry has a credit card these days!

Exception that proves the rule

If something is different from a general belief or theory, it shows that the belief

or theory is true.

Most teenagers love fast food, but Ben is the exception that proves the rule

- he insists on healthy food.

Excuse my French

This expression is used as an apology for using crude or offensive language.

He's a bloody nuisance, if you'll excuse my French.

Explore all avenues

If you explore all avenues, you try out every possibility in order to obtain a result

or find a solution.

We can't say it's impossible until we've explored all avenues.

Apple of your eye

If somebody is the apple of your eye, this means that you like them very much.

My grandson is the apple of my eye.

Eyes in the back of one's head

To say that someone has eyes in the back of their head means that they are very

observant and notice everything happening around them.

You need eyes in the back of your head to look after young children.

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