What does “To be like a bull in a China shop” mean? To be like a bull in a china shop is used to describe a person that cannot be trusted to behave or to be polite in social or delicate situations because they speak or comment without self-control and without the due care and […]
Author: Ian George Bolton
To lay all your cards on the table
What does “To lay all your cards on the table” mean? To lay all your cards on the table is used to say that the time has finally come for someone to be completely honest about their position and intentions or it is time to reveal the truth or to explain the truth about an […]
Paint yourself into a corner
What does “paint yourself into a corner” mean? “paint yourself into a corner” means you have put yourself into a very difficult or frustrating situation which has left you with no good alternatives, means of escape or room to manoeuvre. To have nowhere to go, to be stuck in one place, to be forced to […]
To be caught with your hand in the cookie jar
“To be caught with your hand in the cookie jar” means; someone is seen or caught while committing a theft or while doing something illegal or dishonest.
To bang your head against a wall
“To bang your head against a wall” emphasises a sense of frustration resulting from numerous failed attempts to make progress with something.
Don’t judge a book by its cover
“don’t judge a book by its cover” means: you shouldn’t prematurely form an opinion or prejudge (an issue or person) based purely on its initial appearance. You cannot judge the quality or character of someone or something simply by looking at that person or thing’s appearance because after taking a deeper look, the person or […]
Too many cooks spoil the broth
This saying is used when too many people are involved in the same task or when too many people work together on the same project, implying that the final result will not be good. This expression alludes at a possible lack of communication between the cooks, each adding, perhaps, salt or another ingredient to a […]
To be like a bear with a sore head
This is a simile which is a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind.
There’s a black sheep in every flock
“There’s a black sheep in every flock” implies that there is a scoundrel in every family. Someone whose behaviour is considered by the family to be bad, a disgrace or embarrassing.
It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack
“It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack” means that someone is engaged in a hopeless search or is looking for something that is extremely difficult (or impossible) to find, especially because of the quanity of similar things around it or the area to be searched is too large. Be the first to get […]