Heart Idioms

• to have a heart of gold – to care about other people
• to have a big heart – to be giving, caring
• to be cold-hearted -lacking in sympathy
• to wear your heart on your sleeve– to let everyone know how you feel about someone
• to cross your heart and hope to die -to promise
• to cry your heart out – to cry a lot and feel really badly about something
• to eat your heart out – to be jealous of someone
• from the bottom of your heart – to really mean something
• to have a change of heart -to change your mind
• to have a heart – to be compassionate, to care about other people
• to have your heart in your mouth– to be scared or nervous
• to have your heart set on something – to really want something
• to set your heart at rest – stop worrying about something
• to be soft hearted – to be sympathetic
• to take something to heart– to have your feelings hurt by something someone else says or does

A – Z idioms

A – Z Idioms

Idiom – Give me a break!

Give me a break!

This is a commonly used expression in English. When you say Give me a break! it means it’s difficult to believe something, you can’t believe that it is true. We take a break (take a rest) when we are working or doing something that makes us tired.

Let’s look at a few examples in conversation:

„Charlie got the promotion? Oh give me a break! I’ve been working here twice as long as he has.“

„I waited in line for 10 minutes and now you tell me you’re out of coffee? Is this a joke? Give me a break! How does a cafe run out of coffee at 8:00 A.M.?“

English Idioms

Body idioms

Idioms

Idiom

Idiom: A rolling stone

A rolling stone is someone who doesn’t like to stay in one place and never settles down.

Example:
‘John has lived in ten different cities so far. He is a real „rolling stone“.’

Idiom: A fair-weather friend

A „fair-weather friend“ is someone who stands by you only when things are going well.

Example:
I asked Adam to help me with my homework, but he refused. I guess he’s just a fair-weather friend.

Idioms with take

Take up the ball and run with it

This is an American idiom. It means take an idea or plan and develop it further.

It seems to be a good idea. I think we should pick up the ball and run with it.
Take your breath away

If something takes your breath away, you feel admiration because it is very beautiful or good.

Her beauty took my breath away.
Take the brunt of something

Suffer the worst part of something unpleasant

It was the innocent commuters who bore the brunt of the terrorist attack on the train.
Take somebody to the cleaner’s

If you take somebody to the cleaner’s you get a lot of money from them, usually by cheating them.

If you play poker with professional gamblers you can rest assured that they will take you to the cleaners. (= You will lose a lot of money.)
Take a crack at something / have a crack at something

Do something even if you are not certain that you will succeed.

He didn’t pass the TOEFL test in his first attempt, but he plans to have another crack at it next year.

Take up the cudgels for somebody or something / Take up the cudgels on behalf of somebody or something (argue strongly in support of someone or something)

Parents of the murdered woman have taken up the cudgels on her behalf.