| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | a broken reed | an unreliable support |
| 2. | a Daniel come to judgment | wise judge has appeared |
| 3. | a dead letter | something no longer effective |
| 4. | a fool’s paradise | false happiness |
| 5. | a nine days’ wonder | short-lived sensation |
| 6. | a peg too low | undervalued or underestimated |
| 7. | a pretty kettle of fish | a messy situation |
| 8. | a sight for sore eyes | welcome to see |
| 9. | at a loose end | having nothing to do |
| 10. | at sixes and sevens | in confusion or disorder |
| 11. | bear the bell | take first place |
| 12. | between hawk and buzzard | at an uncertain hour |
| 13. | build castles in Spain | indulge impossible dreams |
| 14. | by dint of | through persistent effort |
| 15. | by hook or by crook | by any possible means |
| 16. | by little and little | gradually |
| 17. | by the bye | incidentally |
| 18. | by the same token | for the same reason |
| 19. | by the skin of one’s teeth | narrowly; barely |
| 20. | by word of mouth | spoken, not written |
| 21. | by your leave | with your permission |
| 22. | come a cropper | fall badly; fail |
| 23. | come the old soldier | pretend illness or weakness |
| 24. | come to a pretty pass | reach a bad state |
| 25. | come to grief | end in failure |
| 26. | come up to scratch | meet the required standard |
| 27. | cut a dido | behave wildly or oddly |
| 28. | go by the board | be discarded or ignored |
| 29. | go for a burton | be lost or ruined |
| 30. | go hang | go away angrily |
| 31. | go shares | share equally |
| 32. | go snacks | share equally |
| 33. | go the way of all flesh | die |
| 34. | go to pot | deteriorate badly |
| 35. | go to rack and ruin | fall into decay |
| 36. | go to the dogs | decline badly |
| 37. | go wool-gathering | daydream aimlessly |
| 38. | in a brown study | lost in deep thought |
| 39. | in a manner of speaking | so to speak |
| 40. | in a trice | very quickly |
| 41. | in apple-pie order | neatly arranged |
| 42. | in durance vile | in prison |
| 43. | in fine fettle | in excellent condition |
| 44. | in for a penny, in for a pound | fully committed now |
| 45. | in good sooth | truly; indeed |
| 46. | in the fullness of time | eventually at the right time |
| 47. | in the nick of time | just in time |
| 48. | in the twinkling of an eye | extremely quickly |
| 49. | make a clean breast of it | confess fully |
| 50. | make a mumpsimus | stubbornly keep an error |
| 51. | make a song and dance | fuss noisily |
| 52. | make a virtue of necessity | turn necessity into merit |
| 53. | make bold to | venture to |
| 54. | make both ends meet | manage financially |
| 55. | make bricks without straw | work without needed materials |
| 56. | make ducks and drakes of | waste recklessly |
| 57. | make haste slowly | proceed carefully but steadily |
| 58. | make head against | resist successfully |
| 59. | make merry | celebrate joyfully |
| 60. | make no bones about it | speak plainly without hesitation |
| 61. | make shift | manage with little |
| 62. | make sport of | mock or ridicule |
| 63. | out of hand | immediately; without delay |
| 64. | ride cock-horse | live in luxury |
| 65. | set store by | value highly |
| 66. | the better part of valor | discretion is wiser |
| 67. | the crack of doom | the end of everything |
| 68. | the green-eyed monster | jealousy |
| 69. | the lion’s share | the largest portion |
| 70. | the milk in the cocoanut | the hidden truth |
| 71. | the more by token | all the more so |
| 72. | the old Adam | human sinful nature |
| 73. | the primrose path | easy but ruinous course |
| 74. | the seamy side | the unpleasant reality |
| 75. | the short and the long | the whole matter |
| 76. | the very marrow of | the essential core of |
| 77. | the very pink of | the finest example of |
| 78. | the very pith of | the essential substance |
| 79. | the very spit and image | exact likeness |
| 80. | to all intents and purposes | practically speaking |
| 81. | to boot | in addition |
| 82. | to the manner born | naturally suited |
| 83. | to the top of one’s bent | to full capacity |
| 84. | with a will | energetically |
| 85. | with all due speed | as fast as proper |
| 86. | with all speed | as quickly as possible |
| 87. | with bells on | eagerly and enthusiastically |
| 88. | with child | pregnant |
| 89. | with flying colours | with great success |
| 90. | with might and main | with all one’s strength |
| 91. | with one accord | in complete agreement |
| 92. | with open doors | to a receptive audience |
| 93. | without a by-your-leave | without asking permission |
| 94. | without benefit of clergy | without leniency |
| 95. | without further ado | without more delay |
| 96. | without let or hindrance | without obstruction |
| 97. | without reserve | openly and fully |
| 98. | without rhyme or reason | without logic or sense |
| 99. | without stint | generously; unsparingly |
| 100. | without stop or stay | without pausing |
