American Idioms

Idiom of the day :- All in a day’s work

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Typical; normal; par for the course. ex. “Talking to famous celebrities is all in a day’s work for some Hollywood reporters.” 

Idiom of the day :- A golden parachute

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Winston has just been given a golden parachute. He’s absolutely thrilled, of course, and I think you’d be thrilled, too, if you were given one because a golden parachuteis a large sum of money given to an employee to encourage him to leave his position before retirement age. ‘Wheeeeee, ‘ Winston whooped.

Idiom of the day :- change of heart / (To have a) change of heart

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

To change your opinion, position about something. ex. “At first, Bill didn’t want to donate any of his money to the animal shetler, but then he had a change of heart and donated $10,000.” 

Idiom of the day :- bark up the wrong tree / (To) bark up the wrong tree

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

To ask the wrong person; to make the wrong choice. ex. “The gangster told the cops they were barking up the wrong tree in thinking he was responsible for the robbery.”

Idiom of the day :- Achilles’ heel

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

A weakness that can make someone vulnerable, despite being strong, smart, etc. ex. “His inability to learn other languages was his Achilles’ heel.” 

Idiom of the day :- Paint with a wide brush

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

A person doesn’t have to be an artist to paint with a wide brush. That’s because this means to think, speak, plan or act in a big way. Instead of restricting oneself to individual items, the person painting with a wide brush looks at a variety of issues. Robert agrees with that. ‘When planning your career, it’s a good idea to think big and paint with a wide brush,’ he said.

Idiom of the day :- Grasp the nettle

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Deal with a problem quickly and directly even though it may require some courage A : I borrowed Harry’s best suit for a job interview. Unfortunately, afterwards I spilt black ink on it and now it’s ruined. B : My advice is to grasp the nettle and tell Harry what’s happened. The longer you don’t tell him about it the more angry he’ll be when he finds out. A : Yes, You’re right — I must do it. But how do I tell him about the interview ? It was for his job ! A nettle is a plant which grows wild and can sting if touched. The only way to avoid being hurt is to take hold of it quickly and grasp it firmly. Obviously this takes some courage !

Idiom of the day :- Paint the town red

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Perhaps someday we will know why, when people go out to have a happy time spending a lot of money, they paint the town red. Until then, all we know about this idiom is that it has been around since the 1800s. ‘I got my promotion ! Let’s go out and paint the town red !’

Idiom of the day :- An Arm And A Leg

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Very expensive. A large amount of money.

Idiom of the day :- Fly-by-night

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Fly-by-night businesses, people or organizations have no established reputations in a community. They begin business only to make a quick profit, often by dishonest means. Having made their money, they often disappear without a trace. ‘The fly-by-night agency that sold me my air ticket promised me a first-class seat to Athens.’