Cliche List: Definition, Meaning & Examples

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A rose by any other name would smell as sweet
Abandon ship
About face
Above board
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Absolute power corrupts absolutely
Ace in the hole
Ace up his sleeve
Achilles heel
Acid test
Acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree, The
Actions speak louder than words
After my own heart
Ah, to be young and foolish…
Airing dirty laundry
All bent out of shape
All bets are off
All dressed up and nowhere to go
All ears
All for one, and one for all
All hands on deck
All hands to the pump
All heck (hell) breaks loose
All in a day’s work
All in due time
All over the map
All paled in comparison
All talk and no action
All that glitters is not gold
All that jazz
All the bits and pieces
All thumbs
All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy
Alll wet, To be
All’s fair in love and war
All’s well that ends well
Already got one paw on the chicken coop
Altitude is determined by attitude
Always a bridesmaid, never the bride
Always look on the bright side
Am I my brother’s keeper?
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
An arm and a leg
An idle mind is the devil’s playground
An oldie, but a goodie
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Another day another dollar
Another nail in the coffin
Ants in his pants
Any friend of yours is a friend of mine.
Any port in a storm
Anyhoo
Anything goes
Apple of my eye
Are you a man or a mouse?
Are you fair dinkum?
Armed to the teeth
Around the horn
As all get out
As beautiful as the day is long
As dense as a London fog
As far as the eye can see
As good as gold
As honest as the day is long
As horny as a three balled tomcat
As if!!
As luck would have it
As many Chins as a Chinese phone book
As plain as the nose on your face
As snug as a bug in a rug, To be
As tender as a mother’s heart
As the crow flies
As useful as a lead balloon
As useful as tits on a bull
As welcome as a skunk at a lawn party
As ye sow, so shall ye reap
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies
Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country
Asleep at the wheel
Ass backwards
Ass over tea kettle
At the crack of dawn
At the drop of a hat
At the eleventh (11th) hour
At the end of my rope
At the end of the day…
At the end of the pecking order
At the last minute
At wits’ end
Atta (That’s a) boy
Atta girl
Ax to grind, An


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Babe in the woods
Baby blues
Baby boomer
Back against the wall
Back breaker, A
Back from the dead
Back handed comment, A
Back in a sec
Back in the saddle
Back it up, To
Back seat driver, A
Back stabber
Back to square one (1)
Back to the drawing board
Back to the salt mines
Backhanded compliment, A
Bad (Bum) wrap, A
Bad blood
Bad call
Bad hair day, A
Bad seed, A
Bad to the bone
bag and baggage
Bags all packed and ready to go
Bait and switch
Baked
Baker’s dozen, A
Bald faced liar, A
Ball is in your court, The
Ball of wax, The whole
Balls out
Balls to the wall
Banging your head against a brick wall
Bank on it, To
Baptism by fire
Bare bones
Barge right in
Barking up the wrong tree
Barn burner, A
Basket case, A
Bass Ackwards
Bat the idea around
Bats in the belfry
Batten down the hatches, lower the boom, raise the mizenmast: full speed ahead!
Be in the same boat
Be it ever so humble there’s no place like home
Be there or be square
Bear down
Beat a dead horse, To
Beat around the bush
Beat it!
Beat swords into ploughshares
Beat the bushes
Beat the street
Beats me
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Beauty is only skin deep
Bee in her bonnet
Been there, done that
Bee’s knees, The
Before you were the gleam in your father’s eye
Beggars can’t be choosers
Behind the eight (8) ball
Behind the times
Belle of the ball, The
Bells and whistles, To have all the
Bend over
Bend over backwards
Best laid plans of mice and men, The
Best thing since sliced bread, The
Bet it all, To
Bet the farm
Bet your bottom dollar, To
Better half, The
Better late than never
Better light a candle than curse the darkness
Better safe than sorry
Better than a kick in the teeth
Better than ever
Better the Devil you know than the Devil you don’t
Between a rock and a hard place, To be
Beware the ides of March
Big as a house
Big as life
Big brother is watching
Big cheese, The
Big head, A
Big heart, A
Big mouth, A
Big picture, The
Big wig, A
Bigger they are, the harder they fall, The
Biological clock is ticking, Her
Bird in a gilded cage, A
Bird in the hand is worth two (2) in the bush, A
Birds of a feather flock together
Bite me
Bite off more than you can chew, To
Bite the bullet
Bite the dust, To
Bite your lip
Bite your tongue, To
Black as pitch
Black eye, A
Blast from the past
Blaze a new trail
Blew him away
Blew his wad
Blind as a bat
Blind leading the blind, The
Blood is thicker than water
Blood money
Bloom is off the rose, The
Blow a gasket, To
Blow chow, To
Blow chunks, To
Blow it
Blow me down
Blow the whistle on
Blow this joint, Let’s
Blow your brains out
Blowing smoke (up my ass)
Blue Monday
Body is still warm, The
Body slam
Boils down to
Bombed
Bone chilling cold
Bone of contention, A
Bone to pick, A
Bone up on, To
Bored to tears
Born with a silver spoon in his mouth
Both barrels
Both feet (firmly planted) on the ground, To have
Bottom fell out, The
Bottom line
Bottom out
Bought (buy) the farm
Bounce back, To
Bowl someone over, To
Box of birds
Box of fluffy ducks
Box yourself in, To
Boxed in, To be
Boy howdy
Boys will be boys
Bragging rights
Brain drain, A
Brain dump, A
Bread winner
Break a leg, To
Break ranks, To
Break the ice, To
Bright as a button, As
Bright future, To have a
Bring home the bacon, To
Bring it
Bring sand to the beach
Broke the bank
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Brown nose
Brush off, To (The)
Bubble shy of plumb, A
Buck naked
Buck stops here, The
Buck-a-roo
Buckle down
Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door
Built like a brick sh#thouse
Bum steer, A
Bump in the road, A
Bump on a log, A
Bun in the oven
Burn the candle at both ends
Burn the midnight oil
Burn your bridges
Burn your ships
Bury the hatchet
Busier than a one armed paper hanger
Business as usual
Business at hand
Bust your balls, To
Bust your chops
Busted
Busting a gut
Busy as a bee, As
Busy as a one-legged man in an ass (butt) kicking contest
Butterflies in his stomach
Buy in to
Buy it for the price of a skinny chicken, To
Buy something for a song, To
By the book
By the same token


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Caca me me scheme
Call a spade a spade
Call it a day, To
Call off the dogs
Call someone on the carpet
Call the shots, To
Can it!
Can of corn, A
Can of whoop ass, Open (up) a
Can of worms, Open (up) a
Can’t have your cake and eat it too, You
Can’t hold a candle to
Can’t judge a book by its cover, You
Can’t learn to swim without getting in the water, You
Can’t say enough about him, You
Can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip, You
Can’t teach an old dog new tricks, You
Carry the team, To
Case of the dancer blaming the stage. A
Cash cow, A
Cash in your chips, To
Cash is king
Cash it in, To
Cast a very long shadow
Cat got your tongue?
Cat nap, A
Catch (Get) my drift?
Catch a falling knife
Catch forty (40) winks, To
Catch on, To
Catching some ZZZ’s
Cat’s meow, The
Cat’s whiskers, The
Caught me off guard
Caught with his pants down
Caught with your hand in the cookie jar
Chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link, A
Champagne tastes and a beer budget
Change your tune, To
Changes hands
Chatty Cathy
Cheap date, A
Cheap shot, A
Cheap trick
Chew on, To
Chew out, To
Chew the fat
Chewing nails and spitting tacks
Chief cook and bottle washer
Childs play
Chill out, To
Chip in, To
Chip off the old block
Chip on your shoulder
Chomping at the bit
Clean bill of health
Clean sweep
Clean your clock
Clear as a bell
Clear as mud
Clear the air, To
Climbing the walls
Clock is ticking, The
Close call
Close early and often
Close ranks, To
Clucking and Bucking with the other Hens
Clue me in
Coast to coast
Cock and bull story, A
Coin a phrase
Cold as a witch’s tit
Cold as cucumber
Cold as ice
Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey
Cold feet
Cold shoulder
Colder than a well digger’s ass
Collared
Come across, To
Come again?
Come hell or high water
Come in under the wire, To
Come out of the closet, To
Coming down in buckets
Coming down the pike
Compare apple and oranges
Compare apples to apples
Complete picture, The
Cookie cutter
Cooking with gas (now)
Cool as a cucumber
Cool your heels, To
Cool your jets, To
Cop it sweet
Couldn’t fight his way out of a wet paper sack (bag)
Couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag
Cover my ass
Cowboy up, To
Crack down, to
Crack the code, To
Crack the nut, To
Crack the whip
Cracking up
Crap shoot, A
Crazy as a loon
Crazy like a fox, To be
Cream of the crop
Crime doesn’t pay
Crocodile tears
Cross the line, To
Cry all the way to the bank, To
Cry me a river
Cry over spilled milk, To
Cry uncle, To
Cry wolf, To
Curb your enthusiasm
Curiosity killed the cat
Cut a (the) rug, To
Cut and dry
Cut corners, To
Cut it out
Cut it, To
Cut off your nose to spite your face
Cut the cheese
Cut the mustard
Cut to the chase
Cut your losses
Cut your teeth
Cute as a button, As
Cuts like a knife
Cuts to the core
Cuts to the quick


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Dagger (knife) in the heart, A
Damned if you do and damned if you don’t
Dances (Moves) to the beat of a different drummer
Dangle a carrot in front of him
Dark horse
David versus Goliath
Day late and a dollar short, A
Dead as a doornail
Dead cat bounce
Dead presidents
Dead ringer
Dead to rights
Deal with it, To
Dealt a fatal blow
Death by a thousand cuts
Deep do do (sh#t)
Deep six (6) something, To
Deer in headlights, Like a
Diamond in the rough
Dig for gold, To
Dig yourself into a hole, To
Dip your toe in the water
Dirt cheap
Do a one-eighty (180)
Do as I say and not as I do
Do birds fly?
Do or die
Do the Dutch, To
Do unto others as you would have other do unto you
Do what it takes
Do you feel me?
Does a bear sh#t in the woods?
Does the Pope wear a funny hat?
Doesn’t have both oars in the water
Doesn’t stand (have) a prayer
Doesn’t stand a chance
Dog eat dog
Dog it, To (Doging it)
Dogs bark, but the caravan moves on
Dogs bollocks, The
Dogs have masters, cats have staff
Dog’s life, A
Doing time
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you
Don’t come the raw prawn with me
Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched
Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do
Don’t get your knickers in a knot
Don’t get your knickers in a twist
Don’t get your panties in a wad
Don’t go there
Don’t have two (2) nickels to rub together
Don’t hold your breath
Don’t know him from Adam
Don’t know sh#t from shinola
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
Don’t look back
Don’t make a fuss
Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining!
Don’t rock the boat
Don’t shoot me, I’m just the messenger
Don’t sweat it
Don’t take any wooden nickels
Don’t tempt fate
Dot the I’s and cross the T’s
Double whammy
Down and out
Down in the mouth, To be
Down on your/his luck
Down the hatch
Drain the lizard
Draw a blank, To
Dream on
Dressed to kill
Dressed to the nines
Drink the Kool-Aid
Drive me to drink, To
Drive me/you up a nuts, To
Drive me/you up a wall, To
Drive the porcelain bus, To
Driving me crazy
Driving your ducks to a (mighty) poor pond
Drop a dime
Drop in the bucket, A
Drop me a line
Dropping like flies
Drown your sorrows
Drunk as a skunk
Dry as a bone
Duck!
Duck soup
Dumb as a fox, To be
Dumb as a post
Dumb as a stump
Dumber than a bag of hammers
Dumber than a box of rocks
Dutch, Go (Dutch treat)


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E ticket ride, An
Early bird catches the worm, The
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man health, wealthy and wise
Easy as 123
Easy as ABC
Easy as pie
Eat crow
Eat lead!
Eat like a horse, To
Eat my hat
Eat your gun, To
Eat your own dog food
Eight hundred pound (800 lb) gorilla, The
Elephant in the room, The
Emotional roller coaster, An
Emphasize the wrong syllable, To
Empty flattery
Enchilada, The whole
End over end
Ends justify the means, The
Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while
Even keel
Even money
Even Stevens
Even the sun shines on a dogs ass some days
Every dark cloud has a silver lining
Every dog has his day
Everyone has their cross to bear
Everything (It all) comes out in the wash
Everything but the kitchen sink
Everything’s coming up roses
Everything’s copasetic
Everything’s hunky dory
Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth
Eyeball someone or something, To


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Face like a bag of spanners, A
Face like a bulldog chewing on a wasp, A
Face like a burst couch, A
Face like a dropped meat pie, A
Face only a mother could love, A
Face that would scare a dog out of a butcher shop, A
Faint heart never a true love knows, A
Fair haired one, The
Fair weather friend
Fall guy, A
Fall head over heels
Fall through the cracks
Falling off a log, As easy as
Family affair, A
Fan the flames
Fancy meeting you here
Far cry, A
Fast buck, A
Fat as a cow
Fat as a pig
Fat chance
Feather in his cap, A
Federal case, A
Fell off my plate
Few bricks shy, A
Few fries short of a happy meal, A
Few sandwiches short of a picnic, A
Fickle finger of fate
Fifty (50), Fifty (50)
Fight like cats and dogs
Figure it out
Filthy rich
Fine and dandy
Fine as wine, As
Fine line
Finer than frog hair
Fingered
Firing on all cylinders
First things first
Fish or cut bait, To
Fish out of water, A
Fit as a fiddle
Fit to be hung
Fit to be tied
Fits like a glove
Fits like a hand in (a) glove
Flash as a rat with a gold tooth
Flash in the pan, A
Flat as a board
Flat as a pancake
Fleet footed
Fling, A
Flip flop
Flip your lid, To
Flog a dead horse
Flown the coop
Fly by night
Fly by the book
Fly by the seat of your pants, To
Fly in the ointment, A
Fly on the wall, A
Follow the leader
Following in his footsteps
Fool and his money are soon parted, A
Fools gold
For crying out loud
For Pete’s sake
Forever and a day
Fork it over
Fork out
Four one one (411), The
Free as a bird
Free reign
Frog in a frying pan, Like a
Frog in my throat, A
From day one
From here to timbuktu
Full Monty
Full of himself
Full of hot air
Full of mischief
Funny business
Fur coat and no knickers
Fur fly, The


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Gadzooks!
Game is on the line, The
Gang bang
Gang bangers
Garlic milkshake
Get (Start) the ball rolling
Get a life
Get a room
Get a word in edgewise
Get all worked up
Get an earful, To
Get back up on the horse
Get cleaned out, To
Get crushed, To
Get down, To
Get it, To
Get lost
Get my message?
Get off, To
Get out of Dodge
Get out of here
Get out of my hair
Get over the hump
Get the hook, To
Get to the bottom of it
Get up off the mat, To
Get with the program
Get your arms around it
Get your ducks in a row
Get your feet wet
Get your foot in the door
Get your head in the game
Getting hitched
Give a hoot, To
Give and take
Give it a rest
Give it a whirl
Give it away
Give me a hand
Give the shirt off your back, To
Give them a finger, and they’ll take the whole hand
Give them a hand
Give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile
Give your right arm, To
Glimmer of hope
Gloss over, To
Glutton for punishment
Go against the grain, To
Go back to the well
Go balistic
Go belly up, To
Go crazy
Go down hill, To
Go figure
Go fly a kite
Go for broke
Go head to head
Go jump in the lake
Go out in a blaze of glory
Go out on a limb
Go over his head
Go overboard
Go postal, To
Go the extra mile, To
Go through the motions
Go through the roof, To
Go together hand in hand
Go too far, To
Go with your gut
God speed
God willing (and the creek don’t rise)
Going bananas
Going gang-busters
Gold digger, A
Golden child, The
Good beginning makes a good ending, A
Good call
Good crack
Good fences make good neighbors
Good man is hard to find, A
Good rule of thumb, A
Good soldier
Good things come to he who waits
Good to go
Good to the last drop
Goofing off
Got a leg up
Got beat like a drum
Got burned
Got him by the short hairs
Got lost in the shuffle
Got off on the wrong foot
Got schooled
Got spanked
Got swept
Got the stuffing beat out of him
Got under my skin
Got whooped
Got your nose all pushed out of shape (joint)
Grasping at straws
Grass is always greener on the other side, The
Grease a palm, To
Green eyed monster
Green horn, A
Green with envy
Greener pastures
Grey hairs
Grin and bear it
Grinning from ear to ear
Ground rules
Groundhog day
Growing like a weed
Gunning for
Guns blazing
Gut check, A


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Half a bubble off, A
Half-baked idea, A
Hammered
Hand off
Handle it with kid gloves
Hands on
Handwriting is on the wall, The
Handy as a pocket on a shirt, As
Hang in there
Hang me out to dry
Hang on every word
Hang yourself, To
Happy as a clam
Happy as a lark
Happy as a pig in mud (Happy as a pig in sh#t)
Happy camper
Hard days night, A
Hard headed
Hard stop, A
Hard to swallow
Hare brained idea
Has a leg up
Haste makes waste
Hat in hand
Hate his guts
Have a cow, To
Have a heart
Have a heart attack
Have a nice day
Have a shot, To
Have a stick up your ass
Have the last laugh
Haven’t got a penny to my name
Haven’t got a row to hoe
He couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn
He doesn’t know what time it is
He got mugged
He has egg on his face
He is milk toast
He is toast
He learned his lesson
He never met a doughnut he didn’t like
He who cannot dance, blames the DJ
He who laughs last, laughs best
He who lives by the sword, shall die by the sword
He/She always gives 110 percent
He/She dogged him/her
He/She is automatic
He/She is clutch.
He/She is hot
He/She is money
He/She lost the handle
He/She silenced the critics
He/She’s got game
Head over heels
Heading for the poor house
Heads up
Heard it through the grapevine
Heart breaker, A
Heart of gold
Heart of stone, A
Heaven help us
Heaven’s to Betsy
Hell in a hand basket, To
Hell raiser, A
Hen pecked
Here today, gone tomorrow
Here’s mud in your eye
Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?
He’s got a bug up his ass
He’s got more money than he knows what to do with
He’s got the skills to pay the bills
Hide the salami
High as a kite
High hopes
High maintenance
Highway robbery
Hindsight is twenty/twenty (20/20)
His bark is bigger than his bite
His bark is worse than his bite
His elevator doesn’t go to the top floor
His eyes are bigger than his stomach
His left hand doesn’t know what his right hand is doing
His mouth is writing checks his body can’t cash
His/Her elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top floor
History repeats itself
Hit below the belt, To
Hit every ugly branch falling out of the tree
Hit him right between the numbers
Hit on, To
Hit pay dirt, To
Hit the books
Hit the bricks, To
Hit the deck!
Hit the hay
Hit the nail on the head, To
Hit the road
Hit the sack
Hog heaven, To be in
Hoisted (Hung) by your own petard
Hold the phone
Hold your horses
Holding all the cards
Holy cow
Home is where you hang your hat
Hook me up
Hook, line and sinker
Hop, skip and a jump, A
Hope against hope
Hope springs eternal
Horny as a peach-orchard boar
Horny as a three peckered Billy goat
Horse apiece, A
Horse around, To
Horse of a different color, A
Horseshoe up his ass (butt), To have a
Horsing around
Hot as hell
Hot beef injection
Hot enough for you?
Hot enough to fry an egg
Hot hand, A
Hot water, In
Hotter than a fox in a firestorm
Hotter than Georgia asphalt
House divided against itself cannot stand, A
How’s it hanging
How’s that for a topper?
Hump day
Hunker down, To
Hurl insults


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I beg to differ
I can’t stomach that
I could whip you with one arm tied behind my back
I hate to say this, but…
I have no bones about that
I heard (hear) that!
I need that like I need a hole in my head
I never met a man I didn’t like
I second that
I want my place in the sun
I wasn’t born yesterday
I wouldn’t p#ss on your teeth if they were on fire
I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could spit
Ice water in his/her veins
Icing on the cake, The
I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached
Idle hands are the devil’s workshop
If a frog had wings, he wouldn’t bump his ass hoppin
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times
If the shoe fits, wear it
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen
If you can’t take Mohammed to the mountain, take the mountain to Mohammed
If you chase two rabbits, both will escape
If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all
If you get the sense, then chuck the tense
If you’re going to talk the talk, you better walk the walk
I’ll be a monkey’s uncle
I’ll be damned
I’ll be the judge of that, thank you
I’ll bet a dollar to a doughnut
I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts
I’ll fix you
I’ll leave you with something to chew on
Ill-fated idea, An
I’m not getting any younger
In a coon’s age, Not to have seen someone
In a wink
In cold blood
In fine fettle
In for a penny, in for a pound
In harm’s way
In on the ground floor
In one fell swoop
In the black, To be
In the cards, It’s
In the clear
In the hot seat
In the joint
In the nick of time
In the pink
In the red, To be
In two (2) shakes of a lamb’s tail
In your dreams
In your face
Inched out
Indian giver
Is a frog’s #ss water tight?
Is a pig pork?
Is it soup yet?
Is the Pope Catholic?
Isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
It ain’t over till the fat lady sings
It ain’t rocket science
It is good to be king
It takes two (2) to tango
It will do
It won’t fly
It’s (There’s) no use crying over spilled milk
It’s a game of inches
It’s a lemon
It’s a wash
It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
It’s all over but the crying
It’s better than a sharp stick in the eye
It’s business
It’s in the bag
It’s never too late to learn
It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon
It’s not over till it’s over
It’s not the size of the dog in the fight. It’s the size of the fight in the dog.
It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game
It’s raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock
It’s what’s on the inside that counts
I’ve got it covered
I’ve had it up to here


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Jack of all trades and a master of none, A
Jerk off, A/To
Jiminy Christmas
Jockeying for position
Joined at the hip, To be
Journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, A
Jump down your throat, To
Jump in with both feet, To
Jump on the bandwagon
Jump the gun
Jumped his/her bones
Jury is still out, The
Just a cotton pickin’ minute here
Just a minute
Just a second
Just around the bend
Just fell off the turnip truck
Just the tip of the iceberg
Justice is blind


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Kangaroo loose in the top paddock
Keep a bad dog with you, and the good dogs won’t bite
Keep an (my) eye on you
Keep it down, To
Keep it simple stupid (KISS)
Keep something at bay, To
Keep your chin up
Keep your eyes open
Keep you fringers crossed
Keep your hair on
Keep your nose to the grindstone
Keep your powder dry
Keeping up with the Joneses
Keeps his cards close to his vest
Keeps on ticking
Kick back, To
Kick him/her to the curb, To
Kick it, To
Kick some butt (ass)
Kick the bucket, To
Kick your feet up, To
Kick your heels, To
Kid in a candy store, A
King’s ransom, A
Kiss and tell
Kiss ass
Kiss my ass
Kissing the rose
Kit and kaboodle, The whole
Knee-high to a grasshopper, To be
Knife through hot butter, (Like) A
Knock it out of the park
Knock off, A
Knock on wood
Knock the cover off the ball
Knock your socks off, To
Knocked up
Knockout blow
Knockout, A
Know it like the back of my hand
Know the ropes
Know the score
Know what’s up
Know where you stand
Know which side your bread is buttered on, To
Knows it chapter and verse
Knuckle down
Knuckle sandwich, A
Knuckle under, To
Kodak moment, A


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Land of milk and honey
Last ditch effort, A
Last hurrah
Last, but not least
Laugh a minute, A
Laugh all the way to the bank, To
Lay down the law, To
Lay my cards (out) on the table
Leave (Make) your mark, To
Leave no stone unturned
Left at the altar
Legend in his own mind, A
Leopard doesn’t change its spots, A
Lesser of two (2) evils, The
Let bygones be bygones
Let sleeping dogs lie
Let the cat out of the bag, To
Let’s roll
Let’s split
Lickety-split
Licking one’s wounds
Lie down with lions, To
Life is a bowl of cherries
Life’s a b#tch
Light as a feather
Light at the end of the tunnel, The
Light in the loafers
Lightning never strikes the same place twice
Lights are on but there’s nobody home, The
Lights out
Like a bull in a china shop
Like a chicken with his head cut off
Like a coiled spring
Like a lost dog in the high weeds
Like butter
Like chalk and cheese
Like father, like son
Like flies on sh#t
Like it’s going out of style
Like oil and water
Like sh#t off a shovel
Like shooting ducks on a pond
Like there is no tomorrow
Like white on rice
Line in the sand, A
Lion’s den, The
Lion’s share, The
Lipstick on a pig
Litmus test
Little bird told me, A
Little of this, a little of that, A
Live and learn
Living high off the hog
Llie like a rug, To
Lock, stock, and barrel
Long and short of it, The
Long arm of the law, The
Long in the tooth
Long row to hoe
Long shot, A
Long time no see
Long ways away, A
Look before you leap
Look into your heart
Look out!
Look over your shoulder, To
Looking at the world through rosy colored glasses
Looking for a needle in a haystack
Looped
Loose cannon, A
Loose your shirt, To
Looser, A
Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise
Lose your lunch, To
Lost a step
Love is blind
Lower than a snake’s belly
Luck of the draw, The


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Madder than a wet hen
Made it by the skin of my teeth
Made of money
Mail it in, To
Main dish, The
Make a break for it
Make a long story short, To
Make a mountain out of a mole hill
Make an ass out of yourself
Make ends meet
Make heads or tails of, To
Make like a tree and leave
Make no bones about it
Make or break, To
Make out like a bandit
Make the grade, To
Make tracks, To
Make up
Make waves, To
Make your move, To
Makes my blood boil
Makin’ bacon
Making money hand over fist
Making whoopee
Man for all season’s, A
Man’s home is his castle, A
Many hands make light work
Marked man, A
Marking time
Marriage of two (2) minds
Matter-of-fact
Meet and greet, A
Melting pot, The
Memory like an elephant
Mercy me
Mexican standoff, A
Mile high club
Milk it (for all it’s worth)
Missed the boat
Mission critical
Monday morning quarterback
Money burns a hole in his pocket
Money can’t buy you happiness
Money doesn’t grow on trees
Money grubbing
Money hungry, To be
Money is the root of all evil
Money makes the world go round
Money out (up) the wazoo
Monkey business
Monkey with, To
Monkey wrench
Monkeying around
Mony a Mickle maks a Muckle
More than meets the eye
More the merrier, The
More things change, the more they stay the same, The
More we learn, the less we know, The
Mouth off, To
Mud slinging
Mug for the camera
Murphy’s law
Must be seeing things, I
My bad
My brain is fried
My hands are tied
My stomach is tied up in knots
My way or the highway


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Nail biter, A
Naked as a jaybird.
Naked as the day you were born, As
Near and dear to my heart
Necessary evil, A
Necessity is the mother of invention
Nerves of steel
Nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof
Nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, As
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today
New lease on life, A
Newbie, A
Nice guys finish last
Night and day, Like
Nip and tuck
Nip it in the bud
No accounting for taste
No brainer, A
No go, A
No holds barred
No if’s, and’s, or but’s about it
No man is an island
No pain, no gain
No sh#t Sherlock
No skin off my nose
No strings attached
No way, José
Nod off
None of your business
Noodle on, To
Nose in the air, To have your
Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin
Not for all the tea in China
Not just whistling Dixie
Not playing with a full deck
Not the brightest bulb (in the box / on the tree / in the chandelier)
Not the brightest crayon in the box
Not the ghost of a chance
Not the sharpest crayon in the box
Not the sharpest knife in the cabinet
Not the sharpest pencil in the box
Nothing personal
Nothing to sneeze at
Nothing to write home about
Nothing up my sleeve
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
Now or never, It’s


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Object of desire
Off and running
Off like a prom dress!
Off the cuff
Off the dime
Off the hook
Off the shelf
Off the top of my head
Off your rocker
Off-kilter, To be (a little)
Oh brother
Oh my God!
Oh my goodness
Old as dirt
Old ball and chain, The
Old school
On a lark
On a roll, To be
On a short leash
On a soap box
On a wing and a prayer
On fire
On par
On pins and needles
On skid row
On tenterhooks
On the back burner
On the ball, To be
On the cutting edge
On the fly
On the front burner
On the level
On the make
On the road again
On the same page
On the same plate
On the take
On the tip of my tongue
On the up and up
On track, To be
On your toes
Once burned, twice shy
Once in a blue moon
One bad apple spoils the (whole) barrel / bushel / lot / bunch
One foot on a banana peel the other in the grave
One good turn deserves another
One in million
One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure
One night stand, A
One taco short of a combination plate
Open book, An
Open the kimono
Opportunity doesn’t knock twice
Out of gas
Out of it, To be
Out of pocket
Out of sight, out of mind
Out of the clear blue
Out of the frying pan and into the fire
Out of the woods
Out of whack
Out sowing your wild oats
Out to lunch
Over a barrel, (Hold you)
Over and over again
Over my head
Over the hill
Over the top


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Pack it in, To
Pain in the #ss
Pain in the neck
Paint yourself into a corner, To
Pandora’s box, Open (up)
Paper over, To
Paper tiger, A
Par for the course
Pass away, To
Pass on, To
Pass the buck
Pass the hat, To
Passed with flying colors
Path of least resistance, To take the
Pay as you go, To
Pay lip service, To
Pay the piper, To
Pay through the nose, To
Payback is a b#tch
Pearls before swine
Peas in a pod, Like (two) (2)
Peel (back) the onion
Pencil it / you / me in
Penny for your thoughts, A
Penny pincher
Penny saved is a penny earned, A
Penny wise and pound foolish
People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
Perception becomes reality
Phone it in, To
Pick of the litter, The
Pick the low hanging fruit
Picture’s worth a thousand words, A
Piece of cake, A
Pig dog
Pig headed
Pig out, To
Pin our hopes on, To
Piss on the chips, Don’t
Pissed to the gills
Pissing in the wind
Piss-poor
Plain and simple
Plain as day, As
Plastered
Play ball, To
Play for the name on the front of your jersey, not the name on the back of your jersey
Play it by ear
Play second fiddle to
Play the _____ (race) card
Play the field
Play the hand you’re dealt
Play with the big boys
Plenty of other fish in the sea, To have
Plenty of other fish to fry, To have
Plunk down, To
Poison the well, To
Polluted
Poor as a church mouse
Pop a vein, To
Pot calling the kettle black, The
Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, The
Pound for pound
Pound of flesh, A
Pound the pavement, To
Pound the table, To
Pour oil on trouble waters, To
Pour the Kool-Aid
Powers of darkness
Preach the choir, To
Preach to the converted, To
Press the flesh
Pretty penny
Propped up
Pull a rabbit out of a hat
Pull any stunts, To
Pull the wool over your eyes, To
Pull your leg, To
Pulling your hair
Punch his lights out, To
Punched in the gut
Pure as the driven snow, As
Push the envelope
Push your buttons
Pushing up daisies
Put a cork in it
Put a lid on it, To
Put a sock in it (Stick a sock in it)
Put it through its paces
Put on ice, To be
Put out some feelers, To
Put that in your pipe and smoke it
Put the pedal to the metal, To
Put two (2) and two (2) together, To
Put your best foot forward, To
Put your foot in your mouth, To
Put your heart into it, To
Put your money where your mouth is, To
Putting the cart before the horse, To


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Quick buck, A
Quicker than a New York minute
Quiet as a (church) mouse, As
Quit horsing around!


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Rain on my parade, (Don’t)
Raining cats and dogs
Raining pitchforks
Raise the bar, To
Raking in the money (Raking it in)
Rat hole, To
Rat on (out), To
Rattle your cage, To
Raw end of the deal, The
Read between the lines
Read the fine print
Read you (him/her) the riot act, To
Real gulley washer, A
Real McCoy, The
Real toad strangler, A
Red carpet treatment, The
Red herring, A
Red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning, red sky at night, sailor’s delight
Reinvent the flat tire, Don’t
Reinvent the wheel, Don’t
Reopen an old wound, To
Rest on your laurels, To
Rhyme or reason
Riding on
Rifle for an arm, A
Right on the button
Right on the money
Right on the nose
Right up your alley
Ring a bell, To
Ring your bell, To (Have your bell rung)
Rising tide lifts all boats, The
Road less traveled, The
Road to hell is paved (on all sides) with good intentions, The
Roll of the dice, A
Roll out the red carpet, To
Rolling in the dough, To be
Rolling stone gathers no moss, A
Rollover on, To
Rome wasn’t built in a day
Rotten to the core
Rough around the edges
Rough as a cob
Rough road, A
Rub salt in the wound
Rub your nose (face) in it, To
Rubs me the wrong way
Run circles around, To
Run for your money, A
Run it up the flagpole (and see who salutes it), Let’s


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Same bat time, same bat channel
Same song and dance
Save the drama for your mama
Save your breath
Say what you will….
Say your prayers
Scarce as hen’s teeth
Scared of his own shadow
Scraping the bottom of the barrel
Second banana
Second wind
See eye to eye, To
See the glass as half empty, To
See the light, To
See the whole field (board), To
See which way the winds blow, To
See you later alligator
See’s the glass as half full, To
Sell out (sold out), To
Sensory overload
Separate the men from the boys
Separate the wheat from the chaff
Serve up a fat pitch, To
Serve up a lollipop, To
Serve up a softball, To
Set the table, To
Seven (7) year itch, The
Sh#t eating grin
Sh#t or get off the pot
Sh#t out of luck
Shake hands with the wife’s best friend, To
Shape up or ship out
Sharp as a marble
Sharp as a tack
She has a great personality
Shed (some) light on, To
She’ll be right
She’s a peach
She’s been hit with an ugly stick
She’s lost her marbles
Shirty, To be
Shoe in, A
Shoe is on the other foot, The
Shoestring budget, A
Shoot from the hip, To
Shoot straight
Shoot the breeze
Shoot the rock, To
Shoot yourself in the foot
Shooting fish in a barrel, (Like)
Shooting for the moon
Shop talk
Short changed
Short end of the stick, The
Short fuse, A
Short pleasures are often long regretted
Shot across the bow, A
Shot in the dark, A
Shotgun wedding, A
Shove off
Show him the door
Show me the money!
Show some backbone
Show some spunk
Show them how the cow ate the cabbage
Shuffle off this mortal coil, To
Shut out, A
Shut the hole in your head
Shut up
Shut your hole
Shut your mouth, To
Sick as a dog
Sick to death of it
Signed, sealed and delivered
Silence is golden
Silenced the crowd
Sing like a bird
Sink or swim, To
Sink your teeth into, To
Sit tight, To
Sitting in the catbird seat
Six (6) of one (1), half a dozen of another
Skate on thin ice, To
Skeletons in the closet
Slam dunk, A
Slap (pat) on the back
Slicker than snot on a door knob
Slipped through your fingers
Slippery slope
Sloppy as a soup sandwich
Sloshed
Slow and steady wins the race
Slow as a wet week, As
Slow as molasses in January
Sly as a fox, To be
Small potatoes
Small world, isn’t it?
Smashed
Smell (a little) ripe, To
Smoke and mirrors
Smoking gun
Smooth operator, A
Smooth over, To
SNAFU
Snail’s pace, A
Snockered
Snow job, A
Snowball’s chance in hell, A
So close, you can taste it
So ugly, they’d have to sneak up on a glass of water to get a drink
Sod off
Solid as a rock (the rock of Gibraltar)
Someday, you will thank me for this
Sometimes you are the hydrant, and sometimes you are the dog
Sometimes you are the windshield, and sometimes you are the bug
Son of a b#tch
Son of a gun, (I’ll be a)
Sound like a broken record, To
Sounds like a plan
Soup to nuts
South end of a north bound horse, The
Spare the rod and spoil the child
Speak with a forked tongue
Spinning your wheels
Spit in one hand and wish in the other, and see which one you have the most in
Spitting image
Split second
Splitting hairs
Spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down, A
Spread the word (news)
Spruce up
Squeaky wheel gets the grease, The
Squeal on, To
Stack the deck, To
State of the art
Stay tuned
Stem the tide
Step on it, To
Stepping on people’s toes, To
Stick a fork in it (him, me)
Stick in the mud, To be a
Stick it in your ear
Stick it out
Stick it to you
Stick it where the sun don’t shine
Stick to your guns, To
Stick with it
Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me
Sticky subject
Stiff as a board
Stitch in time saves nine, A
Stone faced
Stone the crows!
Stoned
Stone’s throw away, A
Stop and smell the roses
Stop him, Newt, he’s headed for the barn!
Stop on a dime
Stop the presses!
Straight arrow, A
Straighten up and fly right
Stress out
Stretch a dollar, To
String him along
Strong as an ox
Stubborn as a mule
Stuck out like a sore thumb
Stuck-up, To be
Stuffed shirt, A
Suck up
Sucker
Sugar in his pants (shorts)
Sugarcoat something, To
Survival of the fittest
Swallow one’s pride
Sweat equity
Sweat the details, To
Sweep it under the rug
Sweet 16 and never been kissed
Sweet deal, A
Sweeten the pot
Sweetheart deal, A
Swim against the tide
Swim up stream
Swim with the sharks
Swimming in molasses


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Tail between his legs
Take a back seat to, To
Take a bath, To
Take a breather, To
Take a dump
Take a leak
Take a long walk off a short plank (pier)
Take a picture, it will last longer
Take a step back, To
Take care of your knitting, To
Take five (5)
Take it easy
Take it from me
Take it to the limit
Take it with a grain of salt, To
Take one for the team, To
Take stock of, To
Take the bull by the horns
Take the crowd out of the game, To
Take the easy way out
Take the gloves off
Take the plunge, To
Take the wind out of your sail
Take the world by storm, To
Take your life in your own hands
Taken for a ride
Takes its toll on you
Taking the scenic route
Talk (Speak) to the hand
Talk shop
Talk until you are blue in the face
Talking behind his back
Tall tale, A
Tanked
Taste of your own medicine, A
Teach him to fish
Teacher’s pet
Team player, A
Tear you a new #sshole, To
Technicolor Yawn, The
Tell a prokie
Tell it to me straight
Tempest in a teapot, A
Ten (10) to one (1)
Tend the garden, To
Test the waters, To
Testing one’s mettle
Thank goodness
Thank your lucky stars
That and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee
That burns me up
That chaps my hide
That dog won’t hunt
That gets my goad
That hits the spot
That takes the cake
That was cold-blooded
That which does not kill you makes you stronger
That’s a doozy
That’s a joke
That’s a load off my mind
That’s a wrap
That’s bogus
That’s for the birds
That’s how the cow eats the cabbage
That’s just peachy
That’s no joke
That’s the sixty-four thousand ($64,000) question
That’s the ticket
That’s the way lady luck dances
That’s the way the ball bounces
That’s the way the cookie crumbles
That’s water under the bridge
The best things in life are free
The bomb
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself
Their ace
There is a god
There is more than one way to skin a cat
There is no cow on the ice
There is no I in team
There is no time like the present
There now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?
There ought to be a law against that
There, but for the grace of God, go I
There’ll be hell to pay
There’s a sucker born every minute
There’s gold in them thar hills
There’s no place like home
There’s no such thing as a free lunch
There’s no time like the present
There’s something fishy about that
They can’t buy a basket/run/score
They need to take care of the rock
They play good D
Thick as a brick
Thick as a ditch, A
Thick as pea soup
Thick headed
Things aren’t what they used to be
Think like a man, act like a woman
Think outside the box, To
Thinking with the wrong head
Third (3rd) time’s a charm, The
Third wheel, A
Thirty thousand (30,000) foot level
Thorn in my side, A
Those who do not look back from where they come from, will not reach their destination
Three sheets to the wind
Threw a curve ball
Threw it with a little something on it
Through thick and thin
Throw (toss) me a bone
Throw (toss) me some scraps
Throw (Toss) your hat in the ring, To
Throw cold water on
Throw down, To
Throw gas (gasoline) on the fire, To
Throw in the towel, To
Throw the baby out with the bathwater, To
Throw the book at him
Throw to the wolves, To
Throwing aspirin tablets
Thumb your nose at, To
Thumbs up
Tickled pink
Tie the knot, To
Tie the know, To
Tight as a drum, Wound
Tight as the bark on a tree
Tight wad, A
Tighten your belt (Belt tightening)
Tighter than a gnat’s ass
Tilting at windmills
Timber!
Time after time
Time and again
Time flies when you’re having fun
Time heals all wounds
Time is money
Time is running out
Time of your life, The
Time on your hands
Time out
Time’s up
Times, they are a changing, The
To be honest with you
To each his own
To the victor go the spoils
To toy with
Today is the first day of the rest of your life
Toe the line
Tongue in cheek
Tongue lashing, A
Tongue tied, To be
Too many chefs spoil the broth (soup)
Too many chiefs and not enough Indians
Too many cooks spoil the soup (broth)
Too much information (TMI)
Too much sail for a small craft (hull)
Too rich for my blood
Took off like a bat out of hell
Took off like a shot
Took something off that one
Toot his own horn
Tooth and nail
Top banana
Top dog
Tore up from the floor up
Toss your cookies, To
Touch and go
Tow the line
Tread lightly, To
Trial balloon, To send up or float a
Trial by fire
Tried and true
Trip over your tongue
Trojan horse, A
Truth is stranger than fiction
Tugging at heartstrings
Tune out, To
Turn on a dime
Turn over a new leaf
Twiddling your thumbs
Twist my arm
Twist of fate
Two (2) faced
Two (2) heads are better than one
Two (2) left feet
Two (2) ships passing in the night
Two(2) wrongs don’t make a right


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Ugly as a hat full of holes
Ugly as a mud fence
Ugly as sin
Under a microscope
Under her thumb
Under the gun, To be
Under the knife, To bo
Under the table
Unless you are the lead dog, the view never changes
Until the cows come home
Up a creek without a paddle
Up for grabs
Up in arms, To be (all)
Up sh#ts creek
Up the ante
Uphill battle, An
Useless as tits on a boar hog


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Variety is the spice of life
Virgin on prom night, Like a


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Wait for the ink to dry
Waiting for the dust to settle
Waiting for the other shoe to drop
Waiting for your ship to come in, To
Waiting with baited breath, To
Wake-up and smell the coffee
Wake-up call, A
Wake-up on the wrong side of the bed
Walk on the wild side
Walk softly and carry a big stick
Walking on eggshells
Walled garden, A
Walls have ears, The
Walls start closing in, The
Wankered (I was / I am)
Wash your hands of something, To
Washed up, To be
Wasted
Watch your mouth, To
Watched pot never boils, A
Watching the clock
Water water everywhere, and not a drop to drink
Wave the white flag, To
Way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, The
Way to go Einstein!
Way to go Grace
Wear many hats
Wear your heart out on your sleeve
Welcome to my hell
Welcome to the club
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it
We’ll jump that fence when we get to it
Well off
We’re gonna tie one on tonight
Were you born in a barn?
Were you raised by wolves?
Wet behind the ears
Wet blanket, A
Wet dream
Wham, bam, thank you mam
What a blast
What a duck!
What a square
What a tangled web we weave
What a way to go
What am I, chopped liver?
What are you stewing about?
What are you? Chicken?
What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?
What goes around comes around
What goes up, must come down
What in tar nation?
What on earth is wrong with me?
What rock did you crawl out from under?
What you see is what you get
What you see, is what you get
Whatever floats your boat
Whatever tickles your fancy
Whatever turns you on
What’s a little (fill in) among friends
What’s cookin’ good lookin’?
What’s going down?
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander
What’s he been smoking?
What’s that got to do with the price of eggs in Chicago
What’s up with that?
What’s up?!
What’s wrong with this picture?
Wheel is turning but the hamster is dead, The
When all is said and done
When hell freezes over
When in Rome, do as Romans do
When it rains, it pours
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade
When pigs fly
When push comes to shove
When the going gets tough, the tough get going
When you lie with dogs, you catch fleas
Where there’s smoke there’s fire
Where’s the Beef?
Whistling in the dark
White elephant gift, A
White knuckle ride, A
Who died and left you in charge?
Whole nine yards, The
Whole shootin’ match, The
Whoop it up
Who’s the man?
Why buy the cow when the milk is free?
Why close the barn door after the horse is gone?
Why on God’s green Earth?
Wig out, To
Win, hands down, To
Wing it
Winning combination, A
Wipe the slate clean
Wish upon a star
Wishy, washy
Witch hunt, A
With one hand tied behind my back
With tongue firmly planted in cheek
Wolf in sheep’s clothing, A
Work into a lather, To
Work like a dog
Work the crowd
Work the room
Work your fingers to the bone
Worker bee, A
Working my last good nerve
World of hurt, A
World of trouble
World on a string, To have the
Worm has turned, The
Worry wart
Worth its weight in gold
Wound tighter than a spring
Wrong side of the tracks, The


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Yank your chain, To
You ain’t seen nothin’ yet
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink
You can never go home again
You can say that again
You can take that to the bank
You cannot judge someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes / moccasins / boots
You can’t fit a square peg in a round hole
You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear
You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube
You can’t stop him. You can only hope to contain him.
You can’t swing a dead cat
You can’t take knickers off a bare arse
You could have knocked me over with a feather
You don’t have a leg to stand on
You don’t miss the water till the well runs dry
You got it coming to you
You got your just desserts
You have to break a few eggs to make an omelette
You lost me
You make a better door than a window
You make your bed, and then you have to lay (sleep) in it
You must crawl before you can walk
You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours
You snooze, you loose
Young loins
Young, dumb and full of c#m
Your father wasn’t a glass maker
Your goose is cooked
Your place or mine
You’re a good egg
You’re going to get it
You’ve got (the) nerve
You’ve got more front than Myers


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Zigged when he should have zagged
Zip it!
Zip your lip
Zoo, What a

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