1. A Blessing
in Disguise
Something
awful that somehow leads to something wonderful is said to be a blessing in
disguise.
Example:
Her being
fired from that company was a blessing in disguise. She became self-employed
and now has several sources of income.
2. A Mecca
for Someone/Something
A place is
a Mecca for someone/something if it is often visited by people with common
interests.
Example:
Israel is a
Mecca for history enthusiasts and religious people. The place is filled with
ancient and sacred places.
3. An Act
of God
An event is
an act of God if it is not caused by humans and cannot be stopped by humans.
Example:
That
earthquake was an act of God. It was impossible for us to predict it or be
ready for it.
4. Baptism
by Fire
Baptism by
fire is an idiom that refers to a difficult experience that a person, who is
new to a group, has to go through.
Example:
The new
recruit had a baptism by fire. On his first day at the office, his boss ordered
him to work overtime.
5.
Bear/Carry One’s Cross
To
bear/carry one’s cross is to carry on with life despite going through much
difficulty.
Example:
Mimi’s in a
tough situation but she knows that she has to bear her cross until her troubles
are gone.
6. Crux of
the Matter
A topic is
the crux of the matter if it is the main problem in a broad issue.
Example:
To keep the
meeting short, the chairperson immediately tackled the crux of the matter.
7.
Devil-May-Care Attitude
A
devil-may-care attitude is a way of behaving and thinking that is at ease, sometimes
too at ease.
Example:
She used to
have a devil-may-care attitude until she realized that she only has one life
and would want to make the most of it.
8. An Eye
for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth
An eye for
an eye, a tooth for a tooth is an idiomatic expression that means a person must
be punished by the same bad thing he or she did to another person.
Example:
The
townspeople want an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. They want the accused
to be killed because he is suspected of killing one of their neighbors.
9. Fall
from Grace
A person
who falls from grace goes from being popular to being unpopular because of his
or her wrong actions.
Example:
The
politician had a remarkable fall from grace after his extramarital affairs went
public. From being the most popular presidential candidate a week ago, he is
now the most hated.
10. Gospel
Truth
Something
is gospel truth if it is believed to be absolutely real and right.
Example:
Many people
have now accepted human evolution as gospel truth.
11. Have a
Close Call
To have a
close call means to narrowly dodge a sure and serious danger.
Example:
Firefighters
had a close call when they were able to run out of the burning building seconds
before it fell apart.
12.
Holier-than-Thou
Holier-than-thou
is an idiom that can be used to describe a person who is self-righteous and
thinks that he or she is absolutely moral.
Example:
Mommy has a
holier-than-thou attitude and is convinced that she is right all the time.
13. In
Limbo
A person is
in limbo if he or she is in a situation that is uncertain, making him or her
fearful.
Example:
He has been
in limbo over his health tests. He fears that he might be carrying the virus.
Baptism by
fire? Well, it's another idiom!
Baptism by
fire? Well, it's another idiom!
Source:
FreeDigitalPhotos.net
14. In
One’s Sunday Best
Somebody is
in one’s Sunday best if he or she is remarkably well-dressed or seems to be
wearing clothes that are apt for going to church.
Example:
Sophia was
in her Sunday best when she went to the party.
15. In
Seventh Heaven
The idiom
in seventh heaven means “in a blissful state of mind or ideal situation.”
Example:
Mira was in
seventh heaven when she won the lottery!
16. Let the
Dead Bury the Dead
Let the
dead bury the dead is an idiom that means the same as let bygones be bygones.
Both these idioms mean “to forget about past conflicts and forgive people who
caused us pain.”
Example:
She
counseled her brother to let the dead bury the dead and start reconciling with
his best friend.
17. Money
is the Root of All Evil
People say
that money is the root of all evil because they think that many conflicts are
caused by fights over money.
Example:
Surely,
money is the root of all evil. The two former best friends are now archenemies
after fighting over money.
18. Raise
Hell with Someone
To raise
hell with someone is to behave very badly with another person.
Example:
The
immigrant raised hell with her company when she was suddenly sacked for wearing
her religious headdress at the office.
19. Sacred
Cow
A sacred
cow is a very special person or thing that many people do not want to be
criticized.
Example:
The king is
a sacred cow for these people. Anyone caught saying bad things about the king
or his family is jailed without trial.
20. Salt of
the Earth
Salt of the
earth refers to people who are humble, clean-living, and moral.
Example:
The
villagers are the salt of the earth. They work hard, say their prayers, and
help one another.
21. Scare
the Hell out of Someone
To scare
the hell out of someone is to seriously frighten someone.
Example:
That doll
scared the hell out of me! It suddenly talked!
22.
Separation of Church and State
The
separation of church and state refers to a provision in a constitution that
says that the powers of the church should not overlap with those of the
government.
Example:
There is a
separation of church and state so bishops and cardinals should not interfere
with the passage of laws.
23. Speak
of the Devil
To speak of
the devil is to talk about a person at the same time that the person walks into
a room.
Example:
Speaking of
the devil, Josh is now here.
24. Through
Hell and High Water
Through
hell and high water is an idiom that means to suffer from many kinds of
troubles.
Example:
She has
been through hell and high water in building her now successful business.
25. To Hell
and Gone
To hell and
gone is an idiomatic expression that can mean “completely lost.”
Example:
All his
efforts is to hell and gone. Now he is broke and feels empty.
