---A---
-
ace in the hole
-
ace up your sleeve
-
acid test
-
airing dirty laundry
-
all in a day's work
-
all talk, no action
-
all booster, no payload
-
all hat, no cattle
-
all foam, no beer
-
all hammer, no nail
-
all icing, no cake
-
all lime and salt, no tequila.
-
all missile, no warhead
-
all shot, no powder
-
all sizzle, no steak
-
all wax and no wick
-
all that and a bag of chips
-
all thumbs
-
all wet
-
all's fair in love and war
-
almighty dollar
-
always a bridesmaid
-
ambulance chaser
-
another day, another dollar
-
ants in your pants
-
apple-pie order
-
arm and a leg
-
armchair quarterback
-
army brat
-
art imitates life
-
artsy-craftsy
-
artsy-fartsy
-
as luck would have it
-
as
old as time
-
at loggerheads
|
---B---
-
babe in the woods
-
back against the wall
-
back in the saddle
-
back to square one
-
back to the drawing board
-
bad to the bone
-
badge of honor
-
Badonkadonk
-
ballpark figure
-
balls to the wall
-
baptism of fire
-
bare bones
-
bark is worse than the bite
-
bark up the wrong tree
-
bat out of hell
-
bats in the belfry
-
battle royal
-
beat around the bush
-
beat the bushes
-
beats me
-
behind the eight ball
-
bent out of shape
-
best foot forward
-
bet your bottom dollar
-
better half
-
better late than never
-
better mousetrap
-
better safe than sorry
-
better than ever
-
better the Devil you know
-
between a rock and a
hard place
-
beyond the pale
-
bib and tucker
-
big as life
-
big fish in a small
pond
-
big man on campus
-
bigger they are
(the)
|
---B (cont'd)---
http://suspense.net |
|
---C---
-
calm before the storm
-
candle at both ends
-
can't cut the mustard
-
case of mistaken identity
-
cat out of the bag
-
cat got your tongue
-
caught red-handed
-
chapter and verse
-
checkered career
-
chickens come home to
roost
-
chomping at the bit
-
cleanliness is next to
godliness
-
clear as a bell
-
clear as mud
-
cold shoulder
|
---C- (cont'd)--
- communist conspiracy
- conniption fit
- could care less
- couldn't care less
- couldn't get to first base
- count your blessings
- countless hours
- creature comfort
- crime in the street
- curiosity killed the cat
- curry favor
- cut a fine figure
- cut and dried
- cut to the chase
- cut to the quick
- cute as a button
http://suspense.net |
---D---
-
darkest before the dawn
-
dead as a
doornail
-
death and destruction
-
death and taxes
-
death's doorstep
-
devil is in the details
-
dim view
-
dog days
-
dog in the manger
-
don't count your chickens before they're hatched
-
don't do the crime if you can't do the time
-
doubting
Thomas
-
down and dirty
-
down in the dumps
-
down pat
-
down the drain/toilet
-
down the hatch
-
down to earth
-
drive you up a wall
-
dutch uncle
-
dyed in the wool
|
---E---
-
E-ticket
-
ear to the ground
-
early bird catches the worm
-
easier said than done
-
easy as 1-2-3
-
easy as pie
-
eat crow
-
eat humble pie
-
enough already
-
even money
-
every dog has its day
-
every fiber of my being
-
everything but the kitchen sink
-
evil twin
-
existential angst
-
experts agree
-
eye for an eye
|
---F---
- facts of life
- fair-haired one
- fair weather friend
- fall off of a turnip truck
- fat slob
- favor us with a song
- fear and loathing
- feather your nest
- fellow traveler
- few and far between
- field this one
- fifteen minutes of fame
- fish nor fowl
- fly by night
- fly the coop
- for the birds
- fox in the henhouse
- freudian slip
- fun and games
- fun in the sun
|
--G---
- garbage in, garbage out
- get the sack
- get your groove back
- gets my goat
- gift horse in the mouth
- gilding the lily
- give a damn
- give me a break
- gives me the creeps
- go him one better
- goes without saying
- good deed for the day
- good time was had by all
- greek to me
- green thumb
- green-eyed monster
- grist for the mill
- guiding light
|
---H---
- hair of the dog
- hard to believe
- have a nice day
- head honcho
- heart's content
- hell-bent for leather
- hidden agenda
- high and the mighty (the)
- high on the hog
- hold a candle to
- hold your horses
- hold your tongue
- hook or by crook
- horse of a different color
- hot knife through butter
- how goes the battle?
|
--I---
- I beg to differ
- if the shoe fits
- I'm okay, you're okay
- in a nutshell
- in a pinch
- in a wink
- in harm's way
- in the tank
- in your dreams
- in your face
- inexorably drawn
- info dump
- influence peddling
- intents and purposes
- it was a dark and stormy night
- it won't fly
|
--J---
- Jack of all trades
- jockey for position
- Johnny-come-lately
- joined at the hip
- jump down your throat
- jump in with both feet
- jump on the bandwagon
- jump the gun
- jump her/his bones
- junk in the trunk
- jury is still out
- justice is blind
http://suspense.net |
|
---K---
- keep an eye on you
- keep it down
- keep it simple, stupid
- keep up with the Joneses
- keep your cards close to vest
- keep your chin up
- keep your fingers crossed
- keep your powder dry
- kick ass
- kickbutt
- kick the bucket
- kick up your heels
- kick you to the curb
- kick your feet up
- kid in a candy store
- kill two birds with one stone
|
---K (cont'd)---
- King's English
- king's ransom
- kiss and tell
- kiss ass
- kiss of death
- kit and kaboodle
- knee-high to a grasshopper
- knock it out of the park
- knock on wood
- knock your socks off
- knocked up
- know him from Adam
- know the ropes
- know the score
- knuckle down
- knuckle sandwich
- knuckle under
|
---L---
- labor of love
- lap of luxury
- last but not least
- last-ditch effort
- last hurrah
- law of the jungle
- law of the land
- lay down the law
- leaps and bounds
- let sleeping dogs lie
- let the cat out of the bag
- let's split
- liberal media
- lie like a rug
- life and limb
- life imitates art
http://suspense.net
|
---L (cont'd)----
- life's a bitch
- lighten up
- lights out
- like a sore thumb
- like butter
- like the plague
- like there's no tomorrow
- lion's share
- litmus test
- little black book
- live and learn
- long and short of it
- long lost love
- look before you leap
- lounge lizard
- loved and lost
- low man on the totem pole
- luck of the draw
- luck of the Irish
|
---M---
- make my day
- male chauvinist
- man's best friend
- many moons
- many-splendored thing
- mark my words
- meaningful relationship
- mellow out
- moment of glory
- moment's respite
- Monday morning quarterback
- monkey suit
- monkey see, monkey do
- motherhood and apple pie
- movers and shakers
- moving experience
- my two cents
|
---N---
-
neat as a pin
-
needless to say
-
nip it in the bud
-
no guts, no glory
-
no love lost
-
no pain, no gain
-
no stone unturned
-
no time like the present
-
nose to the grindstone
-
not in my back yard
-
not on your tintype
-
number one fan
-
numerous to mention
http://suspense.net
|
---O---
-
off the wagon
-
old college try
-
old meets new
-
older and wiser
-
older than dirt
-
older than
Methuselah
-
on the bandwagon
-
on the nose
-
on the wagon
-
on thin ice
-
one born every minute
-
one foot in the grave
-
one in a million
-
only game in town
-
only to be met
-
out of pocket
-
out of the frying pan
-
out on a limb
|
---P-Q---
- p's and q's
- pain and suffering
- panic button
- party pooper
- patter of little feet
- pass the sniff test
- pay through the nose
- peas in a pod
- perfect storm
- pig in a poke
- pillar of society
- pinko
- plenty of fish in the sea
- poison pen
- poor as a churchmouse
- poor excuse for
- pot calling the kettle black
- proud possessor
- put my/your foot down
- quick as a bunny
- quick and the dead
|
---R---
- radical chic
- rags to riches
- raining buckets
- raining cats and dogs
- rank and file
- read my lips
- red herring
- redheaded stepchild
- reign supreme
- remember the alamo
- road to hell is paved with good intentions
- rob Peter to pay Paul
- rock and a hard place
- rocket science/scientist
- rope a dope
- run it up the flagpole
- running dog lackey
http://suspense.net
|
---S---
-
safe than sorry
-
salt of the earth
-
save face
-
scared stiff
-
scared to death
-
school's out
-
screaming meemies
-
senses reel
-
set the record straight
-
shake a stick should of
-
shoulder to the wheel
-
shouldered his way
-
shut your trap
-
sigh of relief
-
significant other
-
silence is golden
|
---S (cont'd)---
-
slept like a log
-
small world
-
snake in the grass
-
snow job
-
snug as a bug
-
some of my best friends
-
something the cat dragged in
-
spade a spade
-
spare the rod
-
spitting image
-
spring to life
|
---S (cont'd)---
-
squeaky wheel gets the grease/oil
-
start from scratch
-
stick in the mud
-
stick in your craw
-
still waters run deep
-
stop and smell the roses
-
store bought
-
stranger than fiction
-
straw that broke the camel's back
-
stubborn as a mule
-
stuff that dreams are made of
-
stuffed shirt
http://suspense.net
|
---T---
-
take one for the
team
-
take the bull by the
horns
-
take the plunge
-
takes one to know one
-
talk turkey
-
ten foot pole
-
the earth moved
-
the final analysis
-
the real McCoy
-
the same old story
-
these things happen
-
thick as thieves
-
think outside of the
box
-
third time's the charm
|
---T (cont'd)---
-
this day and age
-
this point in time
-
three strikes and you're out
-
through the grapevine
-
throw in the towel
-
tiger by the
tail
-
till the fat lady sings
-
time and time again
-
time is of the
essense
-
tip of the
iceberg
-
'tis the season
-
to err is human
-
to the best of my knowledge
|
---T (cont'd)---
-
tongue-in-cheek
-
too hot to
handle
-
touch of blarney
-
tough as nails
-
tough luck
-
tough row to hoe
-
traditional family values
-
trials and tribulations
-
tried and true
-
trip down memory lane
-
true blue
-
turn your smile/frown upside-down
-
twist of fate
-
twists and turns
-
two to tango
|
--U-V---
-
under the gun
-
under the same roof
-
understated elegance
-
unexpected twist
-
until the cows come home
-
up his sleeve
-
up the creek
-
up the wrong tree
-
very real concern
-
view with alarm
http://suspense.net |
---W---
- wakeup call
- was my face red
- watch your tongue
- web of intrigue
- week of sundays
- what a bummer
- what comes around, goes around
- what the cat dragged in
- what the dickens
- what the heck/hell
- what you see is what you get
- what's not to like
- wheeler-dealer
- when in doubt, punt
- when push comes to shove
- when rubber meets the road
- when the cat's away
- when the going gets tough, the tough get going
|
---W (cont'd)---
- who has everything
- whole ball of wax
- whole hog
- whole nine yards
- whole other story
- wild goose chase
- wild oats
- will wonders never cease
- wimp
- win friends and influence
people
- win one for the Gipper
- wnning is everything
- wisdom of the ages
- without benefit of clergy
- wolf at the door
- words fail
- work like a dog
- worst nightmare
- wrong side of the bed
|
---XYZ---
- years young
- yellow journalism
- you are what you eat
- you can run, but you can't hide
- you know what they say
- young and foolish
- young and restless
- yuppie
|
---Numerical---
http://suspense.net
|
|
Got a cliche to add?
Email
us.
Latest contributor
thanks to:
John F.,
Tom G.,
Cyla A., Steve Y., Iziar A.
|
|
|
-EXTRA EXTRA!-
Euphemisms for "Stupid"
- His elevator doesn't go to the top floor
- All foam, no beer.
- His bread ain't done
- His yeast went bad.
- He couldn't pour water out of a boot with
instructions printed on the heel.
- The cheese slid off his cracker.
- He's:
- One taco short of a combination plate
- One brick shy of a load
- One pickle short of a barrel
- One sandwich short of a picnic
- One step short of a flight (of stairs)
- One fry short of a Happy Meal®
|
- The light is on, but nobody is home.
- There's nothing in the attic but cobwebs.
- He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
- He's not the brightest crayon in the box.
- The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead.
- Body by Fisher, brains by Mattel.
- The gates are down, the lights are flashing, but
there is no train.
- He's dumber than a box of rocks.
- He's dumber than a bag of hammers.
- He couldn't think his way out of a paper bag.
- He's a walking advertisement/poster boy for birth
control/planned parenthood.
|
- If you gave him a penny for his thoughts, you'd get
change.
- Somewhere a villiage is missing its idiot
- He donated his brain to science. Science sent it
back.
- He fell out of the Stupid Tree and hit every branch
on his way down.
- The starting gate is open, but he's still asking
directions.
- A few cans short of a six-pack.
- His pilot light isn't lit.
- He's as useful as tits on a wart/boar hog.
- If brains were dynamite, he couldn't blow his nose.
- It takes him an hour to cook Minute Rice.
Also see
these cliches. |
|
Interesting Non-American English
euphemisms for stupid
|
|
Australia:
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