IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS WITH MEANINGS

BPL-ESLMay 9, 2014

•A picture is worth a thousand words •means a picture tells a story just as well as a large amount of descriptive text.

•It is raining cats and dogs •means it is raining very heavily.

•He’s like a fish out of water •means he appears to be completely out of place; very awkward.

•She was caught red-handed •means she was seen doing something illegal.

•My lips are sealed •means you will not talk about something.

•She has a sweet tooth •means she has a desire to eat many sweet foods – especially candy and pastries.

•The long arm of the law •means the police or law officials.

•A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush •means it is better to keep what you have than to risk it by trying to get something better.

•She has butterflies in her stomach •means she feels very nervous.

•A little bird told me…. •is a way of indicating that you do not want to reveal who told you something.

•He drinks like a fish •means he drinks alcohol excessively.

•She is like a fish to water •means something you can do well. You are natural at doing something, just like water is a natural habitat for a fish.