Idioms and Expressions: Middle School: Idioms and Expressions, List 1

“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)

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

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

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

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

“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)

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

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

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

“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)

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

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

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)

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)

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