Idioms and proverbs

This section holds a growing dictionary of idioms and proverbs used in English.

It's simple to search, just use the box below at the bottom of this page. And if you can't find an idiom... then add it yourself by clicking here! Title Summary
a bee in your bonnet you're fixated on something
a cash cow making money hand over fist
a good seeing to a sound beating
a leopard can't change his spots you cannot change yourself
a little bird told me i can't tell you who told me
a slip of the tongue saying something by accident
all good things come to those who wait. proverb
all thumbs not coordinated, having difficulty
ants in your pants you are fidgety
as the crow flies the shortest distance
away with the faeries daydreaming
barking (mad) being crazy
be foaming at the mouth be very angry
behind someone's back keeping secretive
bend over backwards do the impossible to please
bent as a nine-bob note corrupt
bite your tongue restrain from speaking
bull in a china shop clumsy!
cough up pay reluctantly
dog's dinner mess, chaotic
don't look a gift horse in the mouth don't be ungrateful
feel like a million dollars feel great!
get by have just enough money to live
get out of hand it's going crazy!
go pear-shaped go wrong
hang on wait
have an axe to grind there's a secret motive somewhere
horse around misbehave
i wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole. proverb
it's raining cats and dogs it's raining heavily
jump down someone's throat get very angry
kick the bucket nothing to do with buckets... but to die!
kick the bucket to die
knock someone's socks off to win decisively
know something inside out know something very well indeed
leave someone high and dry leave in a difficult situation
let sleeping dogs lie don't disturb anything!
lovely jubbly great!
no ifs, ands, or buts no arguments
not have a leg to stand on without proof
on pins and needles very worried
on the line at risk
on the tip of your tongue about to remember something
out of the woods finally out of danger
powder my nose expecially for ladies, to use bathroom very urgently
practice makes perfect proverb
put the cart before the horse put all in the wrong order
scratch someone's back do a favour
smell a rat detect a lie
straight from the horse's mouth from someone who has the facts
strapped for cash not have any money
string someone along deceive for a long time
swings and roundabouts equal gains and losses
the ball is in your court. proverb
tongue in cheek half jokingly
wet blanket party pooper

Idiom

This section holds a growing dictionary of idioms and proverbs used in English.

It's simple to search, just use the box below at the bottom of this page. And if you can't find an idiom... then add it yourself by clicking here! Title Summary
a bee in your bonnet you're fixated on something
a cash cow making money hand over fist
a good seeing to a sound beating
a leopard can't change his spots you cannot change yourself
a little bird told me i can't tell you who told me
a slip of the tongue saying something by accident
all good things come to those who wait. proverb
all thumbs not coordinated, having difficulty
ants in your pants you are fidgety
as the crow flies the shortest distance
away with the faeries daydreaming
barking (mad) being crazy
be foaming at the mouth be very angry
behind someone's back keeping secretive
bend over backwards do the impossible to please
bent as a nine-bob note corrupt
bite your tongue restrain from speaking
bull in a china shop clumsy!
cough up pay reluctantly
dog's dinner mess, chaotic
don't look a gift horse in the mouth don't be ungrateful
feel like a million dollars feel great!
get by have just enough money to live
get out of hand it's going crazy!
go pear-shaped go wrong
hang on wait
have an axe to grind there's a secret motive somewhere
horse around misbehave
i wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole. proverb
it's raining cats and dogs it's raining heavily
jump down someone's throat get very angry
kick the bucket nothing to do with buckets... but to die!
kick the bucket to die
knock someone's socks off to win decisively
know something inside out know something very well indeed
leave someone high and dry leave in a difficult situation
let sleeping dogs lie don't disturb anything!
lovely jubbly great!
no ifs, ands, or buts no arguments
not have a leg to stand on without proof
on pins and needles very worried
on the line at risk
on the tip of your tongue about to remember something
out of the woods finally out of danger
powder my nose expecially for ladies, to use bathroom very urgently
practice makes perfect proverb
put the cart before the horse put all in the wrong order
scratch someone's back do a favour
smell a rat detect a lie
straight from the horse's mouth from someone who has the facts
strapped for cash not have any money
string someone along deceive for a long time
swings and roundabouts equal gains and losses
the ball is in your court. proverb
tongue in cheek half jokingly
wet blanket party pooper

Must dan Have To

Must & Have To

‘Must’dan ‘Have to’ artinya ‘harus’ dalam bahasa Indonesia. Dari sisi pemakaian, kedua kata ini memiliki sedikit perbedaan.

‘Must’ digunakan untuk mengungkapkan suatu keharusan yang biasanya bersifat internal. Artinya, keharusan itu berasal atau datang dari dalam diri sendiri. Sementara itu, ‘have to’ digunakan untuk mengungkapkan suatu keharusan yang bersifat eksternal. Artinya, keharusan itu tidak datang dari diri sendiri, melainkan karena adanya faktor-faktor atau aturan-aturan dari luar diri yang mengharuskan kita melakukan sesuatu.
Contoh:
Sorry, I can’t come to your house. I must wash my father’s car.
Sorry, I can’t come to your house. I have to wash my father’s car.

Pada kalimat pertama, saya mencuci mobil ayah saya karena saya merasa itu kewajiban saya sendiri untuk membantu ayah saya. Pada kalimat kedua, terkandung makna bahwa saya mencuci mobil ayah saya bukan karena keharusan dari diri saya sendiri, tetapi karena ayah saya menyuruh saya melakukannya.

Jika subjek kalimat bukan ’I’, itu berarti bahwa si pembicara mengharapkan atau memerintahkan seseorang melakukan sesuatu.
Contoh:
You must study hard.
You must do your homework and submit it on time