Important Idioms and Phrases starting with “C,D,E,F,G,H,I

Important Idioms and Phrases starting with “C”

Idioms and Phrases	Meaning	Sentence
Cannot stomach someone or something	not to be able to tolerate or endure someone	My sister cannot stomach violent movies. ­­­­­
Can of worms	A situation that, once started, is likely to become problematic or have a negative outcome.	Getting involved in the minor border conflict has become a can of worms for the country, with no end to the military engagement in sight
Can't cut the mustard	Someone who isn't adequate to compete or participate	The new servant keeps mixing up orders and just can't cut the mustard.
Can't see the woods for the trees	Cannot see, understand, or focus on a situation in its entirety due to being preoccupied with minor details	The new manager found the situation so complicated that he couldn't see the wood for the trees.
Carried all before one's	to overcome all obstacles; to have uninterrupted success.	Wherever she addressed public meetings she carried all before her.
Carried off his feet	to fill with enthusiasm	He was carried off his feet when he was declared to have won the first prize.
Carrot and Stick	motivational tactic that uses a reward and punishment system to encourage improved performance or behavior	Companies are slowly learning that the carrot and stick approach to management is ineffective, employees are much more motivated to do a better job when they are recognized for their hard work
Carry someone away	Fill with emotion	The fervour of the speech carried away the whole crowd.
Carve out a niche	If you carve a niche or carve out a niche for yourself, you create a role or opportunity for yourself.	In today's competitive market it's better to carve out a niche and try to become the best in that area
Cash Cow	A good way to make money /A business or investment that generates a large or consistent profit	When Bob purchased stock in that software company 10 years ago, he never expected it to become such a cash cow.
Cast Iron Stomach	The ability to eat foods that others may find unusual, unpalatable, or too spicy	The author claims that he has given chapter and verse for every statement made in his book.
Cause a stir	to create an atmosphere of excitement or great interest.	The arrival of the actress caused quite a stir in the village.
Chapter and Verse	In thorough and exact detail/The precise authority backing up a statement or view	The author claims that he has given chapter and verse for every statement made in his book
Chase Rainbows	To constantly pursue things that are unrealistic or unlikely to happen.	She's trying to get into Harvard University but as I know her very closely, I think she's chasing rainbows.
Chew someone out	Verbally Scold Someone	It is not an easy task to Chew Someone Out when that person happens to be elder than you.
Chicken out of something	To refuse to do something due to fear (real or perceived).	He decided to join a karate class but chickened out of it at the last minute!
Chime in	To join in a discussion about something; to offer one's thoughts	As I explained to the bus driver what had happened, the other passengers chimed in and gave their version.
Chop and Change	If you chop and change, you constantly change your opinion, plans or methods and often cause confusion	Don't chop and change all the time - just make up your mind!
Chow Down	To eat, often quickly or enthusiastically	Gita commented 'That's the way to Chow Down' when she beat all the contestants in a burger eating competition
Close but no cigar	an effort to do something which was a good attempt but not quite good enough to succeed/Fall just short of a successful outcome and get nothing for your efforts	The ball touched the goal post - close but no cigar!

.Important Idioms and Phrases starting with “D”

Idioms and Phrases	Meaning	Sentence
Donkey’s year	a very long time	Nowadays one must wait donkey’s years to get justice.
Dog days	hottest days of summer	The dog days of summer are a difficult period for those who must work out in the open.
Dead ringer	A duplicate of the exact things.	The car that is parked in that garage is a dead ringer of the car that my dad used to own a couple of years back.
Dark horse	One who was previously unknown but is now prominent	You never can tell, some dark horse many come along and win a House of Lord's seat.
Dog's life	a miserable, unhappy existence.	I have to work every day from dawn to sunset and come back home to take care of the children. It's really a dog's life.
Down to earth	simple, decent, realistic; practical and straightforward	She is very down to earth person, not at all attracted by the glamour world
Down at heel	Out of luck, shabbily dressed	Since Ashok lost his job, he is always down at heel.
Drive up the wall	to make someone angry or irritated	The loud music played by my neighbors is driving me up the wall
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket	don’t put all your resources into one thing	It would be better if you applied to several companies instead of just one; don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Dip your toe in the water	To start very carefully to do or become involved in something that you are not experienced at	I am doing some volunteer work at the new school to try and dip my toe in the water of working in the education field
Devil of a time	If you have a devil of a time, you have a very difficult time.	Before she divorced, Ann had had a devil of a time with her husband.
Devil's Advocate	To present a counterargument Don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched	He offered to play devil’s advocate and argue against our case so that we could find out any flaws in it.
Don't give up the day job	You are not very good at something. You could not do it professionally.	I watched your performance at the theatre today. My advice is don’t give up your day job.
Down in the dumps	a gloomy, unhappy.	Little Jon is down in the dumps because all her friends are gone away with their parents
Do for	Fulfil the purpose	This book will do for the IAS Examination.
Drop a line	Send a brief letter	If you’ve got a few minutes to spare you could always drop her a line.
Dot the i’s and cross the t’s	To do something very carefully and in a lot of detail	She writes highly accurate reports – she always dots her I’s and crosses her t’s.
Dig own grave	do something stupid that will seriously harm oneself, cause one’s own ruin or downfall.	If she continues to behave like this to her senior officer, she’ll be digging her own grave.
Dead in the water	Little hope of being successful	A 'no' vote would have left the treaty dead in the water.
Dead and buried	Cannot happen or exist in future	In the coming years, the coal industry will be dead and buried.

Important Idioms and Phrases starting with “D”

Idioms and Phrases	Meaning	Sentence
Donkey’s year	a very long time	Nowadays one must wait donkey’s years to get justice.
Dog days	hottest days of summer	The dog days of summer are a difficult period for those who must work out in the open.
Dead ringer	A duplicate of the exact things.	The car that is parked in that garage is a dead ringer of the car that my dad used to own a couple of years back.
Dark horse	One who was previously unknown but is now prominent	You never can tell, some dark horse many come along and win a House of Lord's seat.
Dog's life	a miserable, unhappy existence.	I have to work every day from dawn to sunset and come back home to take care of the children. It's really a dog's life.
Down to earth	simple, decent, realistic; practical and straightforward	She is very down to earth person, not at all attracted by the glamour world
Down at heel	Out of luck, shabbily dressed	Since Ashok lost his job, he is always down at heel.
Drive up the wall	to make someone angry or irritated	The loud music played by my neighbors is driving me up the wall
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket	don’t put all your resources into one thing	It would be better if you applied to several companies instead of just one; don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Dip your toe in the water	To start very carefully to do or become involved in something that you are not experienced at	I am doing some volunteer work at the new school to try and dip my toe in the water of working in the education field
Devil of a time	If you have a devil of a time, you have a very difficult time.	Before she divorced, Ann had had a devil of a time with her husband.
Devil's Advocate	To present a counterargument Don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched	He offered to play devil’s advocate and argue against our case so that we could find out any flaws in it.
Don't give up the day job	You are not very good at something. You could not do it professionally.	I watched your performance at the theatre today. My advice is don’t give up your day job.
Down in the dumps	a gloomy, unhappy.	Little Jon is down in the dumps because all her friends are gone away with their parents
Do for	Fulfil the purpose	This book will do for the IAS Examination.
Drop a line	Send a brief letter	If you’ve got a few minutes to spare you could always drop her a line.
Dot the i’s and cross the t’s	To do something very carefully and in a lot of detail	She writes highly accurate reports – she always dots her I’s and crosses her t’s.
Dig own grave	do something stupid that will seriously harm oneself, cause one’s own ruin or downfall.	If she continues to behave like this to her senior officer, she’ll be digging her own grave.
Dead in the water	Little hope of being successful	A 'no' vote would have left the treaty dead in the water.
Dead and buried	Cannot happen or exist in future	In the coming years, the coal industry will be dead and buried.

Important Idioms and Phrases starting with “D”

Idioms and Phrases	Meaning	Sentence
Donkey’s year	a very long time	Nowadays one must wait donkey’s years to get justice.
Dog days	hottest days of summer	The dog days of summer are a difficult period for those who must work out in the open.
Dead ringer	A duplicate of the exact things.	The car that is parked in that garage is a dead ringer of the car that my dad used to own a couple of years back.
Dark horse	One who was previously unknown but is now prominent	You never can tell, some dark horse many come along and win a House of Lord's seat.
Dog's life	a miserable, unhappy existence.	I have to work every day from dawn to sunset and come back home to take care of the children. It's really a dog's life.
Down to earth	simple, decent, realistic; practical and straightforward	She is very down to earth person, not at all attracted by the glamour world
Down at heel	Out of luck, shabbily dressed	Since Ashok lost his job, he is always down at heel.
Drive up the wall	to make someone angry or irritated	The loud music played by my neighbors is driving me up the wall
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket	don’t put all your resources into one thing	It would be better if you applied to several companies instead of just one; don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Dip your toe in the water	To start very carefully to do or become involved in something that you are not experienced at	I am doing some volunteer work at the new school to try and dip my toe in the water of working in the education field
Devil of a time	If you have a devil of a time, you have a very difficult time.	Before she divorced, Ann had had a devil of a time with her husband.
Devil's Advocate	To present a counterargument Don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched	He offered to play devil’s advocate and argue against our case so that we could find out any flaws in it.
Don't give up the day job	You are not very good at something. You could not do it professionally.	I watched your performance at the theatre today. My advice is don’t give up your day job.
Down in the dumps	a gloomy, unhappy.	Little Jon is down in the dumps because all her friends are gone away with their parents
Do for	Fulfil the purpose	This book will do for the IAS Examination.
Drop a line	Send a brief letter	If you’ve got a few minutes to spare you could always drop her a line.
Dot the i’s and cross the t’s	To do something very carefully and in a lot of detail	She writes highly accurate reports – she always dots her I’s and crosses her t’s.
Dig own grave	do something stupid that will seriously harm oneself, cause one’s own ruin or downfall.	If she continues to behave like this to her senior officer, she’ll be digging her own grave.
Dead in the water	Little hope of being successful	A 'no' vote would have left the treaty dead in the water.
Dead and buried	Cannot happen or exist in future	In the coming years, the coal industry will be dead and buried.

Important Idioms and Phrases starting with “D”

Idioms and Phrases	Meaning	Sentence
Donkey’s year	a very long time	Nowadays one must wait donkey’s years to get justice.
Dog days	hottest days of summer	The dog days of summer are a difficult period for those who must work out in the open.
Dead ringer	A duplicate of the exact things.	The car that is parked in that garage is a dead ringer of the car that my dad used to own a couple of years back.
Dark horse	One who was previously unknown but is now prominent	You never can tell, some dark horse many come along and win a House of Lord's seat.
Dog's life	a miserable, unhappy existence.	I have to work every day from dawn to sunset and come back home to take care of the children. It's really a dog's life.
Down to earth	simple, decent, realistic; practical and straightforward	She is very down to earth person, not at all attracted by the glamour world
Down at heel	Out of luck, shabbily dressed	Since Ashok lost his job, he is always down at heel.
Drive up the wall	to make someone angry or irritated	The loud music played by my neighbors is driving me up the wall
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket	don’t put all your resources into one thing	It would be better if you applied to several companies instead of just one; don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Dip your toe in the water	To start very carefully to do or become involved in something that you are not experienced at	I am doing some volunteer work at the new school to try and dip my toe in the water of working in the education field
Devil of a time	If you have a devil of a time, you have a very difficult time.	Before she divorced, Ann had had a devil of a time with her husband.
Devil's Advocate	To present a counterargument Don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched	He offered to play devil’s advocate and argue against our case so that we could find out any flaws in it.
Don't give up the day job	You are not very good at something. You could not do it professionally.	I watched your performance at the theatre today. My advice is don’t give up your day job.
Down in the dumps	a gloomy, unhappy.	Little Jon is down in the dumps because all her friends are gone away with their parents
Do for	Fulfil the purpose	This book will do for the IAS Examination.
Drop a line	Send a brief letter	If you’ve got a few minutes to spare you could always drop her a line.
Dot the i’s and cross the t’s	To do something very carefully and in a lot of detail	She writes highly accurate reports – she always dots her I’s and crosses her t’s.
Dig own grave	do something stupid that will seriously harm oneself, cause one’s own ruin or downfall.	If she continues to behave like this to her senior officer, she’ll be digging her own grave.
Dead in the water	Little hope of being successful	A 'no' vote would have left the treaty dead in the water.
Dead and buried	Cannot happen or exist in future	In the coming years, the coal industry will be dead and buried.

Important Idioms and Phrases starting with “D”

Idioms and Phrases	Meaning	Sentence
Donkey’s year	a very long time	Nowadays one must wait donkey’s years to get justice.
Dog days	hottest days of summer	The dog days of summer are a difficult period for those who must work out in the open.
Dead ringer	A duplicate of the exact things.	The car that is parked in that garage is a dead ringer of the car that my dad used to own a couple of years back.
Dark horse	One who was previously unknown but is now prominent	You never can tell, some dark horse many come along and win a House of Lord's seat.
Dog's life	a miserable, unhappy existence.	I have to work every day from dawn to sunset and come back home to take care of the children. It's really a dog's life.
Down to earth	simple, decent, realistic; practical and straightforward	She is very down to earth person, not at all attracted by the glamour world
Down at heel	Out of luck, shabbily dressed	Since Ashok lost his job, he is always down at heel.
Drive up the wall	to make someone angry or irritated	The loud music played by my neighbors is driving me up the wall
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket	don’t put all your resources into one thing	It would be better if you applied to several companies instead of just one; don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Dip your toe in the water	To start very carefully to do or become involved in something that you are not experienced at	I am doing some volunteer work at the new school to try and dip my toe in the water of working in the education field
Devil of a time	If you have a devil of a time, you have a very difficult time.	Before she divorced, Ann had had a devil of a time with her husband.
Devil's Advocate	To present a counterargument Don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched	He offered to play devil’s advocate and argue against our case so that we could find out any flaws in it.
Don't give up the day job	You are not very good at something. You could not do it professionally.	I watched your performance at the theatre today. My advice is don’t give up your day job.
Down in the dumps	a gloomy, unhappy.	Little Jon is down in the dumps because all her friends are gone away with their parents
Do for	Fulfil the purpose	This book will do for the IAS Examination.
Drop a line	Send a brief letter	If you’ve got a few minutes to spare you could always drop her a line.
Dot the i’s and cross the t’s	To do something very carefully and in a lot of detail	She writes highly accurate reports – she always dots her I’s and crosses her t’s.
Dig own grave	do something stupid that will seriously harm oneself, cause one’s own ruin or downfall.	If she continues to behave like this to her senior officer, she’ll be digging her own grave.
Dead in the water	Little hope of being successful	A 'no' vote would have left the treaty dead in the water.
Dead and buried	Cannot happen or exist in future	In the coming years, the coal industry will be dead and buried.