Idioms and Expressions: List 1

By the road it was thirty-two miles away, but as the crow flies, it was only twenty miles. Where the Red Fern Grows

If Neda was considered the "good girl" in the family, then my cousin Mitra was the rebellious black sheep. Americanized

For most of that time, it was a cash cow, raking in advertising dollars from local businesses, a go-to place for apartment and concert listings. Washington Post (Dec 4, 2017)

As for the bright, handsome eager beavers who excitedly troop off to a war they believe will end in a matter of weeks, they haven’t an inkling of the fate that awaits them. New York Times (Jun 4, 2015)

Mr. Clinton, never one to reject a gift horse, happily acceded. New York Times (May 28, 2011)

If I leave, the whole country will go to the dogs.” New York Times (Feb 9, 2012)

“You fall, you get back up. I needed that reality check. It humbled me. I was on my high horse.” New York Times (Aug 31, 2017)

For a moment they appear to be just a group of pals, horsing around and full of jokes. Los Angeles Times (Feb 19, 2017)

My besties guarded my secret feelings with their lives, but it was my little brother who accidentally let the cat out of the bag. Americanized

Humans spend less time monkeying around as they get older, and according to a study published Thursday, so do monkeys. New York Times (Jun 23, 2016)

Psy-Group, one of the company’s former employees later said, was engaged not in “serious intelligence” but in “monkey business.” The New Yorker (Feb 11, 2019)

"To talk but fail to act risks our nation being seen as little more than a paper tiger," he will add. BBC (Feb 10, 2019)

At first, I considered playing possum — not responding. Los Angeles Times (Jun 19, 2020)

When it is raining hard on Earth, English speakers say it is raining cats and dogs. Salon (Mar 11, 2020)

That was the whole point of the community—to allow us to escape the money-hungry rat race of modern society. Schooled

With red herrings, plot twists and unexpected surprises, there is enough to keep you turning the pages well into the night. The Guardian (Feb 28, 2013)

His tone is gentle, occasionally chiding, and he seems most comfortable in the center lane, allowing the road hogs to pass by while he holds steady at the wheel. New York Times (Apr 18, 2018)

It may result in sacrificing programs that were once considered sacred cows. Seattle Times (Sep 13, 2017)

Consequently, whenever he's backed into a corner, requiring a scapegoat, he blames his fellow citizens — everyone but himself. Salon (Jun 2, 2020)

“It was a lot of pain right away. I couldn’t fight with just one arm, especially being a southpaw.” Seattle Times (Dec 7, 2019)

“I’m a child of the Depression,” Weissenborn would remark decades later, whenever she would squirrel away money or leftovers. Washington Post (May 20, 2020)

Then she decided to take the bull by the horns, and instead of putting their first encounter off any longer, seek it purposely, and get it over. Page, Gertrude

Alt-livia thanks him by getting all bossy and asserting her place as top dog on the Earth 1 mission. Salon (Oct 1, 2010)

“The underdogs, the kids that the industry didn’t bet on and perhaps some still wouldn’t? We’re still here.” Washington Post (Dec 8, 2020)

He wolfed down bread, butter, and a mushroom omelette. Gregor the Overlander