| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | a blessing in disguise | a good thing that seemed bad |
| 2. | a dime a dozen | very common and not special |
| 3. | a drop in the bucket | a very small amount |
| 4. | a fish out of water | someone out of place |
| 5. | a leopard can’t change spots | people don’t change easily |
| 6. | a little goes a long way | small amount is enough |
| 7. | a piece of cake | very easy to do |
| 8. | a slap in the face | a rude insult or setback |
| 9. | a tough nut to crack | a difficult problem or person |
| 10. | add fuel to the fire | make a bad situation worse |
| 11. | all bark and no bite | threatening but not dangerous |
| 12. | all ears | listening closely |
| 13. | all in the same boat | sharing the same problem |
| 14. | all talk and no action | promises without doing anything |
| 15. | all thumbs | clumsy with hands |
| 16. | back in the day | in the past |
| 17. | back to square one | return to the beginning |
| 18. | back to the drawing board | start over with a new plan |
| 19. | bark up the wrong tree | blame the wrong person |
| 20. | beat a dead horse | waste effort on the pointless |
| 21. | beat around the bush | avoid saying it directly |
| 22. | behind the eight ball | in a difficult position |
| 23. | bend over backwards | try very hard to help |
| 24. | best of both worlds | two good things at once |
| 25. | better late than never | doing it late is better |
| 26. | call it a day | stop working for now |
| 27. | call the shots | be in control |
| 28. | cat got your tongue | why aren’t you speaking |
| 29. | catch-22 | no-win situation |
| 30. | caught red-handed | caught in the act |
| 31. | chew the fat | chat casually |
| 32. | chicken out | lose courage |
| 33. | chip on your shoulder | a resentful attitude |
| 34. | close but no cigar | almost, but not enough |
| 35. | cold feet | sudden fear about doing something |
| 36. | devil’s advocate | arguing the opposite side |
| 37. | dig your own grave | cause your own downfall |
| 38. | do a double take | look again in surprise |
| 39. | don’t hold your breath | it probably won’t happen |
| 40. | down to the wire | at the last moment |
| 41. | drag your feet | delay on purpose |
| 42. | draw the line | set a limit |
| 43. | drop the ball | make a mistake or fail |
| 44. | easy does it | go slowly and carefully |
| 45. | eat humble pie | admit you were wrong |
| 46. | eat your words | take back what you said |
| 47. | elephant in the room | obvious issue ignored |
| 48. | every cloud has a silver lining | good can come from bad |
| 49. | face the music | accept consequences |
| 50. | fair and square | honestly and directly |
| 51. | fall through the cracks | be overlooked or missed |
| 52. | fed up | completely annoyed |
| 53. | feel under the weather | feel slightly ill |
| 54. | fingers crossed | hoping for good luck |
| 55. | fit as a fiddle | very healthy |
| 56. | fly off the handle | suddenly get angry |
| 57. | for the birds | worthless or silly |
| 58. | from the get-go | from the beginning |
| 59. | get a taste of your own medicine | receive the same bad treatment |
| 60. | get off my back | stop bothering me |
| 61. | get out of hand | become uncontrollable |
| 62. | get the ball rolling | start something |
| 63. | get the hang of it | learn how to do it |
| 64. | get the short end | receive unfair treatment |
| 65. | get your act together | be more organized and responsible |
| 66. | give it a shot | try it |
| 67. | give someone the cold shoulder | ignore someone deliberately |
| 68. | go down in flames | fail spectacularly |
| 69. | hang in there | keep going despite difficulty |
| 70. | hang on by a thread | be close to failing |
| 71. | hard pill to swallow | unpleasant truth to accept |
| 72. | have a blast | have a great time |
| 73. | have a gut feeling | have an instinct |
| 74. | have your hands full | be very busy |
| 75. | head over heels | deeply in love |
| 76. | hit the nail on the head | be exactly right |
| 77. | in a nutshell | briefly summarized |
| 78. | in hot water | in trouble |
| 79. | it takes two to tango | both share responsibility |
| 80. | jump on the bandwagon | join a popular trend |
| 81. | jump the gun | act too soon |
| 82. | keep your chin up | stay positive |
| 83. | keep your eyes peeled | watch carefully |
| 84. | kick the bucket | die |
| 85. | kill two birds | achieve two things at once |
| 86. | knock on wood | avoid tempting bad luck |
| 87. | know the ropes | understand how things work |
| 88. | last straw | final irritation that ends patience |
| 89. | leave no stone unturned | search everywhere |
| 90. | let the cat out of the bag | reveal a secret |
| 91. | like a deer in headlights | frozen with fear |
| 92. | like clockwork | happening regularly |
| 93. | like pulling teeth | very hard to get done |
| 94. | lion’s share | the largest portion |
| 95. | live and learn | learn from experience |
| 96. | look before you leap | think before acting |
| 97. | make a long story short | summarize briefly |
| 98. | make ends meet | manage financially |
| 99. | miss the boat | miss an opportunity |
| 100. | under the gun | under pressure; rushed |
