A Piece of Cake
"Bob said the test was difficult, but I thought it was a piece of cake."
very easy
100
Beat Around the Bush
"Quit beating around the bush! If you don't want to go with me, just tell me."
avoid giving a direct answer
100
Drag One's Feet
"Joe should have finished this project a week ago. I wish he would quit dragging his feet."
to delay; to take a long time doing something
100
Hit the Hay
"It's been such a long day. Now, I think it's time to hit the hay."
to go to bed; to go to sleep
100
Elbow Grease
"Yes, this house needs some things fixed, but it will look nice with a little elbow grease."
hardwork and effort
200
By the Skin of One's Teeth
"I'll have to start earlier the next time. This time I only finished by the skin of my teeth."
barely succeed in doing something
200
Can't Make Heads or Tails of Something.
"I can't make heads or tails out of your email. Do you think if I called you, you could explain it."
can't understand something; to find something confusing
200
Do a Bang-up Job
"Did you see the amazing cake Jenny made. She really did a band-up job."
to do a very good job; to do very well
200
Get One's Wires Crossed
"Bill said there was a meeting today, but isn't the meeting tomorrow. Bill must have got his wires crossed."
to make a mistake; to be mistaken
200
Jump All Over Someone
"What's wong with Joe?"
"Oh, he's just feeling bad because his boss jumped all over him for the mistake he made yesterday."
to criticize or find fault with someone
300
Keep One's Nose to the Grindstone
"If I keep my nose to the grindstone, I should be finished with this project by the end of the day."
to steadily work hard without breaks
300
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
"I know what Julie said made you angry, but it's best to let sleeping dogs lie. So don't say anything that might make this worse."
don't cause problems by doing something that isn't needed
300
Live Hand to Mouth
" Chuck and Ann have really been living hand to mouth ever since Chuck lost his job."
surviving on very little; only having enough to cover basic needs
300
Make a Mountain out of a Molehill
"Calm down! There's really nothing to worry about. Don't go making a moutain out of a molehill."
make something seem more important than it actually is
300
On the Cutting Edge
" The university's computer lab is on the cutting edge. They are always updating their equipment."
using the most recent technology
400
Pay the Piper
"I stayed up too late tonight. Tomorrow I'll have to pay the piper."
face the consequences for something you've done
400
Shoot the Breeze
"We weren't talking about anyting important. We were just shooting the breeze."
to make relaxed casual conversation
400
Tight-Fisted
"Do you think Mike will donate money to the activity fund."
"No way. He's too tight-fisted."
unwilling to spend money unnecessarily
400
Until You're Blue in the Face
"You could argue with me until you're blue in the face, but I still won't change my mind."
to do something forever
400
Wet Behind the Ears
"I wouldn't ask Fred for help. He just started working here. He's still wet behind the ears."
inexperienced
500
Zip Your Lip
"The birthday party is a surprise, so when you see Dave zip your lip."
keep something secret
500
Back to the Drawing Board
"Our plan failed. So, I guess, it's back to the drawing board."
to start all over again
500
Chip on His Shoulder
"Don't talk to Tim. He's still got a chip on his shoulder becaue his team lost last night."
angry today about something that happened in the past
500
Elvis Has Left the Building
"The team was already up 5 points, so after they scored another point with only a minute left in the game, it was clear that Elvis has left the building."
it's all over; it's the end
500
Get Down to Brass Tacks
"After making small talk at the start of the meeting, the boss was ready to get down to brass tacks."