English Idioms About “Furniture”
Idiom: Have too much on one’s plate
Meaning: The idiom have too much on one’s plate means to be too busy. Another variation of this idiom is have a lot on one’s plate.
Example: I have too much on my plate right now. I can’t help you.
English Idioms About “Colors”
Idiom: Green with envy
Meaning: Consumed by envy; envious to the point where it is noticeable to others.
Example: She was green with envy when she saw my new car.
English Idioms About “Animals”
Idiom: Chicken out
Meaning: To refuse to do something because of fear.
Example: He chickened out just at the time they were taking him to operating theatre.
English Idioms About “Furniture”
Idiom: Sweep something under the carpet
Meaning: (Also sweep something under the rug.) to hide or ignore something.
Example: You’ve made a terrible mistake. Don’t try to sweep it under the carpet!
English Idioms About “Food”
Idiom: Carrot and stick
Meaning: An offer involving a reward countered by the threat of punishment.
Example: The president took a carrot and stick approach to the protests against his new laws.
English Idioms About “Science”
Idiom: Spuntnick moment
Meaning: The phrase Sputnik moment refers to a moment of challenge when a society or person realizes they must work harder to surpass their competitors. The phrase was popularized by Barack Obama in his State of the Union address in 2011. The origin of the idiom comes from the Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of the first Earth-orbiting satellite Sputnik 1, which was a great achievement at that moment, while the US were lagging behind in space technology. This caused the space race to start between the two countries. The US ultimately won the race in 1969 with the first human landing on the Moon.
Example: This generation’s “Sputnik moment” has arrived, President Barack Obama declared in his State of the Union address, referring to the United States’ need to invest in research and development to revive the economy and ensure future stability.
English Idioms About “Crime”
Idiom: The weed of crime bears bitter fruit
Meaning: The phrase the weed of crime bears bitter fruit means that nothing good comes from criminal schemes. The idiom comes from The Shadow radio drama broadcasted in the 1930s. The program is well-remembered for those episodes voiced by Orson Welles. The episodes start with: “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of me. The Shadow knows”
Example: Don’t mislead yourself. You will pay for your crimes one day; the weed of crime bears bitter fruit.