Someone who is not nice and shows no emotion.
"She was as cold as ice! I couldn't have asked her out."
100
Like a fish out of water
A person who is out of his/her usual place; someone who doesn't fit in or is helpless in a situation
"I want to help the new girl from Mongolia. She must feel like a fish out of water."
100
All ears
Someone who is eager to listen; sharply attentive; curious
"You said you had something important to tell me. I'm all ears!"
100
Red tape
Excessive formality; time-consuming; rigid adherence to rules and regulations; excessive paperwork
"We have to go through a lot of red tape to get a permit for our fair."
100
Couch potato
Someone who watches a lot of TV
200
Average Joe
An ordinary person; with nothing exceptional about them
200
Ants in their pants
Someone who is anxious, or excited and just can't keep still.
"Jeez! Do you have ants in your pants?! Calm down!"
200
Break a leg
Good luck; do a great job in the show (used for performers)
200
(the) red-carpet treatment
Great respect and hospitality given to someone important; special treatment
"When I flew first class I felt like I was getting the red-carpet treatment!"
200
Piece of cake
An especially easy and pleasant task
"That test was a piece of cake!" :)
300
(Their) bark is worse than their bite
Some who gets angry and shouts and yells, but doesn't take any actual action.
"My teacher threatens me with detention, but I think her bark is worse than her bite."
300
(to be) beating a dead horse
to pursue a useless goal; to continue fighting a battle that has been lost; to keep arguing a point that has already been decided.
"He tried to convince his sister, but he was beating a dead horse."
300
(to have) cold feet
A fear of doing something; a loss of confidence; second thoughts
"The night before his wedding, Jon got cold feet."
300
Show your true colors
to reveal what you are really like
"We thought Carl was a great guy until he showed his true colors by kicking his dog."
300
Food for thought
An interesting idea worth thinking about carefully
"Here's some food for thought: try reading the instructions before you try to put that shelf together."
400
fair-weather friend
A person who is a faithful friend only when everything is going well, but they desert you in times of difficulty
"You can't count on Liz to help you when you're in trouble. She's just a fair-weather friend."
400
Hold your horses
Slow down; wait a minute; be patient
"Hold your horses. Why are you walking so fast?!"
400
keep your head above water
to earn enough to stay out of debt and avoid financial ruin; to do just enough to keep up with all of one's responsibilities
"I have so much homework! I'm barely keeping my head above water."
400
(to have a) green thumb
Someone who has a special talent for making flowers and plants grow
"My uncle has a green thumb. He has so many vegetables in his garden he can't eat them all!"
400
Take with a grain of salt
Not to believe completely; to be doubtful
"Susan tends to exaggerate. Take what she says with a grain of salt."
500
Chip on your shoulder
Someone who is argumentative, aggressive or rude; ready to fight
"Man, avoid Calvin today. He has a real chip on his shoulder."
500
Cat got your tongue?
Is there a reason you aren't speaking?
"Why won't you say something? Cat got your tongue?"
500
to keep a stiff upper lip
to be brave and not show emotion in a time of trouble
"Even when the boss yelled at Brenda for dropping the papers, she kept a stiff upper lip."
500
Catch someone red-handed
to catch someone in the act of doing something wrong
"Her brother was caught red-handed at the scene of the crime."