Idioms (イディオム)

The idiom (not my) cup of tea became common during the first half of the 20th century, but has nothing to do with tea. It means…

The idiom “not for all the tea in China” alludes to the presumed huge quantity of tea in China. The idiom is used to say that nothing…

The idiom “why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free” dates back to the 17th century but has little to do with cows or milk. It…

The idiom “the early bird gets the worm” is an old expression. The idiom means that someone will have an advantage if they do something…

The idiom “like turkeys voting for Christmas” is fairly new and very British, since it’s common to eat turkeys on Xmas. It means that a…

The idiom “86’d” or “eighty-sixed” is an American slang phrase that most likely began in the 1920s. The idiom has two meanings, both are …

The idiom “idle hands are the Devil’s workshop” originates from the Bible but It’s most current form emerge in 1971. It means a person…

The idiom to “wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve” is yet other expression that is widely credited to Shakespeare. The phrase means to make …

The idiom an “ace up one’s sleeve” originated in 1800s America, but began life life much earlier in a slightly different form. It means to…

The idiom “to play one’s cards close to one’s chest” originated in 1800s America, most likely from the card game poker. The idiom means to…