Descriptions
"He's a dime a dozen."
He's common. People like him can be found everywhere.
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket."
Don't bet it all on one thing.
"He's barking up the wrong tree."
He's looking for solutions in the wrong place.
"Rome wasn't built in a day."
It takes time to do important things.
"That's way out in left field." / "That's off base."
That's a wrong and unrelated idea.
"He doesn't beat around the bush."
He gets right to the point.
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch."
Don't count on something good happening until it's happened.
"He's on a wild goose chase."
He's doing something pointless.
"Don't throw stones from glass houses."
Don't criticize someone if you're also guilty.
"That's in the ballpark."
That's close to the right answer.
"He's a chip off the old block.
He's just like his father.
"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
It's better to have something for sure, than the chance of something better.
"He has bigger fish to fry."
He has bigger things to take care of.
"Every cloud has a silver lining."
Good things come after bad things.
"The whole nine yards."
Everything, all the way.
"That's the pot calling the kettle black."
You're criticizing someone else when you're just as bad.
"You can't have your cake and eat it too."
You can't have everything you want.
"It's best to let a sleeping dog lie."
If an argument is over, don't bring it up again.
"It's time to bite the bullet."
It's time to get something over with because it is inevitable.
"That's a curveball."
I wasn't expecting that.
"The fish doesn't hit both sides of the bowl."
That person is an idiot.
"Take it with a grain of salt."
Don't take it too seriously.
"Hair of the dog that bit you."
Using what hurt you to fix the wound. Often used to mean "curing a hangover with alcohol."
"It ain't over 'till the fat lady sings."
It's not over yet, so don't give up.
"Don't be a Monday morning quarterback."
Don't try to call the shots after the action is over.