m Idiome
a babe in arms
a baby, a child who is still wet behind the ears Dar was just a babe in arms when we emigrated to Canada.
a bad taste in my mouth
a feeling that something is false or unfair, a feeling of ill will I left the meeting with a bad taste in my mouth. There was a lot of dishonesty in the room.
a bad time
a lot of teasing, a rough time The class gave him a bad time about his pink shorts.
a bit off/a bit mental
not rational, unbalanced, one brick short Kate talks to the birds. Do you think she's a bit off?
a black mark
a mark beside your name means you are bad If you cause an accident, you get a black mark beside your name.
a bum rap
unfair blame, unjust sentence, take the rap It was a bum rap. Eddie didn't steal those paintings.
a bummer
an unfortunate event, bad luck, too bad """Somebody broke a window in his car and stole his stereo."" ""That's a bummer."""
a bunch of malarkey
an untrue story, a lot of bunk, bull """Do you believe what the psychic said about your future?"" ""No. It's a bunch of malarkey."""
a common thread
an idea or theme that is similar to others There's a common thread in most of Berton's stories.
a crying shame
a sad event, it is too bad It's a crying shame that they didn't have fire insurance.
a dime a dozen
very cheap, low priced, dirt cheap He can remember when eggs were cheap - a dime a dozen.
a false move
a wrong move, a threatening action "A man with a gun said, ""If you make a false move, you're dead."""
a fart in a windstorm
an act that has no effect, an unimportant event A letter to the editor of a paper is like a fart in a windstorm.
a fine-toothed comb
a careful search, a search for a detail She read the file carefully - went over it with a fine-toothed comb.
a firm hand
a person who will discipline people The students in Grade 8 need a teacher with a firm hand.
a fool and his money are soon parted
"a fool will spend all his money quickly; easy come, easy go" After he had spent his fortune, he remembered this saying: A fool and his money are soon parted.
a game one
a willing player, a rough and ready person I can see that Bev's a game one. She plays hard and doesn't quit.
a good arm
the ability to throw a baseball or football Doug is short, but he has a good arm. He's an excellent passer.
a hard time
teasing or bugging, a bad time Ken will give you a hard time about missing that free throw.
a hot number
a couple (or topic) that everyone is talking about Paul and Rita are a hot number now. They're in love.
a household name
"a name everyone knows; name of a famous person" Mario Lemieux, the hockey star, soon became a household name.
a humdinger
a beautiful car etc. a well-designed product Dad, you should see this coupe. It's a humdinger!
a jim dandy
a fine piece of work, a beautiful object Mom, you should just see this saddle. It's a jim dandy!
a kept woman
a woman who is paid to live with a man I'm tired of being a kept woman. I want to be free of him.
a lick and a promise
a hasty plan, a promise made without much thought If you get married on a lick and a a promise, you may need a lot of good luck.
a little bird told me
someone told me, one of your friends told me """How did you know that I play chess?"" ""Oh, a little bird told me."""
a major
a poor credit rating from a major credit card company The bank won't approve your loan if you have a major.
a man of few words
"a man who says little; who uses few words" Chung is a man of few words, but when he speaks, people listen.
a man of the cloth
a minister, a priest, a clergyman Being a man of the cloth, he has studied the Bible.
a marked man
a person known for political beliefs or criminal acts When they discovered I had been a Nazi, I was a marked man.
a mental block
a problem with learning a subject or concept I have a mental block when I try to do algebra. I can't think.
a month of Sundays
a very long time, many days It will take a month of Sundays to phone the students in our school.
a new broom sweeps clean
an employee works hard on the first day or two, make a good impression "After my first day working for Grandfather, he said, ""A new broom sweeps clean."""
a pick-me-up
something that gives me energy or new life On a hot afternoon, a glass of iced tea is a great pick-me-up.
a piece of my mind
my criticism of what you did, a tongue-lashing If my son stayed out all night, I'd give him a piece of my mind.
a rough time
a lot of teasing, a lot of bugging Did your friends give you a rough time about your funny haircut?
a rough time of it
a time of stress or bad luck, a tough time of it After the divorce he had a rough time of it.
a run for your money
strong competition, an opponent I should enter the election and give him a run for his money.
a sack of hammers
a dead weight, a heavy object Don't throw me in the lake! I'll sink like a sack of hammers!
a shadow of his former self
much lighter than he was before, very thin and weak After twenty years in prison, he was a shadow of his former self.
a shot in the arm
energy, encouragement, a lift Billy Graham's sermon was inspiring - a shot in the arm.
a slim chance
very little chance, not likely to happen """Is it going to rain today?"" ""Maybe. There's a slim chance."""
a stitch in time saves nine
a small repair may prevent a large repair I believe in maintenance. A stitch in time saves nine.
a sucker for punishment
one who allows himself to be hurt or blamed If I accept blame for a team loss, I'm a sucker for punishment.
a tempest in a teapot
a lot of excitement about a small problem The argument was over quickly. It was a tempest in a teapot.
a thorn in my side
one who causes pain, one who bugs me He's always been a thorn in my side - always critical of me.
a tough time of it
a time of stress or bad luck, a rough time of it When Bev left home she had a tough time of it. She had no job.
a whale of a game
an exciting game, a cliff-hanger When Canada played Sweden, it was a whale of a game.
a wordsmith
a person who works with words, a writer or author Ask Jan if it's colour or color. She's a wordsmith.
about time
nearly late, high time It's about time you got here. We've been waiting a long time.
