Monday, May 24, 2010

English Tongue-Twisters

Rhymes and poems

NEW!
I slit the sheet,
The sheet I slit
and on the slitted sheet I sit.

Sister Suzie's sewing socks for soldiers
Sock for soilders sister Suzie sews,
If sister Suzie's sewing socks for soldiers,
Where're the socks for soldiers sister Suzie sews?

Sarah, Sarah, sits in her Chevrolet.
When she shifts she sips her Schlitz,
and when she sips her Schlitz she shifts.


Betty Botter bought a bit of butter. "But," she said, "this butter's bitter!
If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter!"
So she bought a bit of butter better than her bitter butter,
And she put it in her batter, and her batter was not bitter.
So 'twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.


A canner can can anything that he can,
But a canner can't can a can, can he?


A certain young fellow named Beebee
Wished to marry a lady named Phoebe
"But," he said. "I must see
What the minister's fee be
Before Phoebe be Phoebe Beebee"


To sit in solemn silence on a dull dark dock
In a pestilential prison with a lifelong lock
Awaiting the sensation of a short sharp shock
From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block.


How much wood would a woodchuck chuck
If a woodchuck would chuck wood?
A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck
If a woodchuck would chuck wood.


How much Zen would a Zen master master
if Zen master could master all the Zen?
A Zen master would master all the Zen he could master
if a Zen master should master all the Zen


One smart fellow, he felt smart
Two smart fellows, they felt smart
Three smart fellows, they all felt smart


Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?


A tutor who tooted the flute
Tried to tutor two tooters to toot
Said the two to the tutor
"Is it tougher to toot
Or to tutor two tooters to toot?"


A mother to her son did utter
"Go, my son, and shut the shutter"
"The shutter's shut" the son did utter
"I cannot shut it any shutter!"


Tongue-Twister Limericks!

A flea and fly in a flue,
Were imprisoned so what could they do?
Said the flea let us fly.
Said the fly let us flee.
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
—Contributed by Paul Ogden, Israel

A tutor who tooted a flute,
Tried to tutor two tooters to toot.
Said the two to the tutor,
"Is it harder to toot, or
To tutor two tooters to toot?"
—Submitted by Chris DeSantis



Phrases to be repeated rapidly

  • A cricket critic
  • A black bug's blood
  • Irish wristwatch
  • Legend tripping
  • Liril
  • Red lorry, yellow lorry
  • Variants
    • Red leather, yellow leather
    • Red welly, yellow welly
  • Road-roller
  • Upper roller, lower roller
  • Rubber baby buggy bumpers
  • Toy boat
  • Unique New York
  • Stupid Superstition

Other phrases

  • (NEW!) A Kentukian named Knott could not knit, so Knott invented a knitter called the Knott Knitter, but the Knott Knitter would not knit knots. One day while Knott was not knitting on the Knott Knitter, Knott invented an attachment for the Knott Knitter called the Knott Knitter Knotter. When Knott attached the Knott Knitter Knotter to the Knott Knitter, no man could knit knots like Knott knit on the Knott Knitter.
    —Thank you Vicki Hobbs
  • Ken Dodd's dad's dog's dead.
  • "Are you copper-bottoming 'em my man?" "No, I'm aluminuming 'em ma'am."
  • The black bloke's back brake block broke.
  • A box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and a biscuit mixer
  • He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
  • Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.
  • I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, upon a slitted sheet I sit.
  • The Leith police dismisseth thee. The Leith police dismisseth us.
  • A proper cup of coffee from a copper coffee pot
  • Round and round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran.
  • The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick.
  • "We reweave rips" (A sign in the window of a tailor's shop.)
  • The winkle ship sank and the shrimp ship swam.
  • An old seabear sits on the pier and drinks a pint of beer.
  • Three sweet switched Swiss witches watch three washed Swiss witch Swatch watch switches. Which sweet switched Swiss witch watches which washed Swiss witch Swatch watch switch?
  • One was a racehorse, Two was one too. One won a race, Two won one too.
  • She sells sea shells on the sea shore. The shells she sells are sea shells, I'm sure.

Malay Tongue-Twisters

  • Kakakku kata kuku kaki kiriku kaku; kukikis-kikis kuku kaki kiriku.
    My sister says my left toenail is numb; I scrape my left toenail.

    Rather nonsensical, but the fun lies in trying to pronounce the words without faltering. Even the most proficient native speakers of Malay stumble after only two or three attempts.

The Philosophy of Words

(So to Speak)
  • Why isn't phonetics spelled phonetically?
  • Why are there Braille signs at the drive-through windows at the bank?
  • If a deaf kid swears, does his mom wash his hands with soap?
  • What's another word for synonym?
  • Why do we drive on a parkway but park in a driveway?
  • Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice?"
  • Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all?"
  • Is it possible to be "totally partial?"
  • Would a fly that loses its wings be called a "walk?"
  • If a turtle loses its shell is it naked or homeless?
  • If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?
  • If people can have triplets and quadruplets why not singlets and doublets?
  • Is Atheism a non-prophet organization.
  • I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where is the self-help section?" She said that if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
  • Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?
  • Why don't you ever see the headline, "Psychic Wins Lottery"?
  • Why is "abbreviated" such a long word?
  • Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?
  • Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
  • Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?
  • Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
  • If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
  • If flying is so safe, why is the airport called 'terminal'?

Little Songs in Language

Did you ever notice the rather sing-song compounds like, well, sing-song? Words like flip-flop, bigwig, okey-dokey, razzle-dazzle, fiddle-faddle, and teeter-totter? (Click here for more.)
Did you ever wonder where they come from, why we make and use them, or why we don't stick to more "normal" sounding words? Most of these words are slangy, to say the least, but they don't go away and we add to their number daily.


Linguists call these words "rhyming compounds" but, as we will see, "sing-song" compounds might be a better term. Some of these compounds are simple repetitions while others have added syllables. Some do, in fact, rhyme but others are alliterative, which is to say, only the consonants are the same, not the vowels. Let me show you what I mean.
1. Rhyming Compounds. Actual rhyming compounds, unsurprisingly, rhyme in the traditional sense of this word. Fuzzy-wuzzy, handy-dandy, and hanky-panky rhyme. The initial word is repeated identically except for the first letter, which changes unpredictably. If a line of poetry ended on the first component of these words, the second component could complete the next line (assuming the poem rhymes, of course).


2. Alliterative Compounds. Chit-chat, ding-dong, and tick-tock, on the other hand, seem to be rhyming compounds but they do not rhyme in the usual way. They are alliterative in that the consonants in the two components are the same but not the vowels. Unlike real rhyming compounds, the consonants are predictably identical but the vowel is unpredictable.


3. Duplicative Compounds. A third type of sing-song compound is a simple repetition of the initial word, as we see in words like bling-bling,
List of Rhyming Compounds:
(1) In alphabetical order.
(2) By categories.
bon-bon, and go-go. These words are not composed of rhyming constituents but of identical constituents, repeated. This type of compound is particularly popular in France, where it is often used for nicknames: Corinne might be called Coco, Laurence, Lolo, and Michelle, perhaps, Mimi. They are as rhythmical as rhyming as alliterative compounds, so we must classify them similarly.


4. Complex Rhyming Compounds. There is one more type of sing-song compound that does not fit any of the three categories above: they have an additional syllable or two. I'm thinking now of words like likety-split, cock-a-doodle-doo, and razzmatazz (which is often pronounced razzamatazz with an extra A). These are not rhyming compounds but they do share the rhythmical character of rhyming compounds. We will just call them 'complex rhyming compounds' and use this category as a convenient rug under which to sweep rhythmical compounds that do not quite fit in the other categories.


5. A Yiddish Rhyming Compound Rule. English has also inherited an active rhyming compound rule from Yiddish. This rule is used to create a rhyming compound whose job it is to cast doubt on the first consituent in some way. The rule is this: reduplicate the word, changing the first consonant to SHM in the second consituent: fancy-shmancy, money-shmoney, chilly-shmilly. A fancy restaurant is just fancy but a fancy-shmancy restaurant is one that flaunts its fanciness in ways too obvious. If someone has money, he has money but to say, "Money-Shmoney!" is to bring into question the use of the word: either the person in question has no money or he has so much that money is hardly the word to use.


Now, grammar doesn't like repetition. It has a multitude of means of avoiding it. For example, you don't have to say "John went to town and Mary went to town" or the equivalent in any language. All languages provide a means of conjunction that eliminates the repetition: "John and Mary went to town". Pronouns also serve to eliminate repetition. Languages don't even allow expressions like "John visited John's mother". Instead, a pronoun replaces the second occurrence of John: "John visited his mother." Grammar eschews repetition with a passion (except as a means of intensification). So why does it tolerate rhyming compounds?


The terms we have been using, terms like rhyme, repetition, and rhythm, are all terms of music, not grammar. No two aspects of human being distinguishes it from that of other earthly species than language and music but we usually think of these forms of expression as discrete. Both have rhythms; both have rising and falling pitch. However, songs are music and songs have words. If we find language in music, shouldn't we find music in language?
Sing-song rhyming compounds follow the rules of music more than the grammar of the language, where new words are created by adding prefixes and suffixes. However, some languages actually integrate repetition into the grammar in a process called "reduplication". Look at the following verbs from the Tagalog language of the Philippines and see if you can tell what the future tense prefix is.

bili 'buy' bi-bili 'will buy'
kuha 'get' ku-kuha 'will get'
punta 'go' pu-punta 'will go'
sulat 'write' su-sulat 'will write'
tawa 'laugh' ta-tawa 'will laugh'


The prefix here is a sing-song repetition of the first consonant and vowel of each word.
Music, as I have mentioned, thrives on repetition. Songs rhyme, themes repeat themselves, verses are repeated. The structure of music is based on repetitions and variation on repetitions. Sing-song rhyming compounds behave much more like music than grammatical creations. The reason for the existence of these formations, then, may very well be the result of an invasion of music into language or a region of word use where the rules of music and those of grammar overlap.

I would suggest that sing-song or rhyming compounds are be bits and pieces of music that we add to our language to make it more interesting. Human beings are distinguished from other species most obviously by their language and music. Music is certainly an important part of our lives and we certainly find language in music. We should not be surprised to find music popping up in language.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

REDUPLICATIVES WITH MEANINGS 3

C. Rhyming Type - Repetitive Compound words: This peculiar word formation is for the sake of rhyming. Consider following examples:

1) airy-fairy - One that is insubstantial or impractical

2) argy-bargy - verbal dispute

3) artsy-fartsy - pretentiously or affectedly artistic (also arty-farty)

4) boo hoo - crying sound

5) boogie-woogie - piano jazz style

6) bow-wow - the sound of a dog

7) easy-peasy - very easy

8) fuddy-duddy - conservative or dull person

9) hanky-panky - suspicious behaviour

10) heebie-jeebies - nervousness

11) helter-skelter - haphazard

12) higgledy-piggledy - muddled

13) hocus-pocus - trickery; a magician's incantation

14) hodge-podge - a confused mixture

15) hoity-toity - haughty

16) itsy-bitsy - tiny

17) jeepers creepers - exclamation of surprise

18) mumbo-jumbo - derogatory reference to a religious or spiritual ritual

19) namby-pamby - feeble, weak

20) nitty gritty - the facts

21) okey-dokey - OK

22) super-duper - very pleasing

23) willy-nilly - whether it's wanted or not

REDUPLICATIVES WITH MEANINGS 2

B. Alliterative Type - Repetitive Compound words

1) chit-chat - informal gossipy talk

2) clip clop - sound of a horse's hooves

3) criss-cross - made of lines which cross each other repeatedly

4) dilly-dally - to loiter

5) ding-dong - the sound of a bell

6) flim-flam - foolishness

7) flip-flop - several meanings, 1. sound of repeated flapping 2. a backward

8) somersaut 3. a sandal with a piece between the toes

9) hip-hop - type of music

10) knick-knack - a small ornament or trinket

11) mish-mash - a confused mixture

12) ping pong - table tennis

13) pitter-patter - a light, tapping sound such as of rain drops

14) riff-raff - rabble; people who are worthless

15) riprap - broken stones on water used to protect riverbanks

16) see-saw - children playing on a piece of wood with a central balance which

allows it to move up and down

17) shilly-shally - unable to come to a decision

18) tick tock - sound of a clock

19) tittle-tattle - idle chat or gossip

20) zigzag - sharp turns in alterating directions

REDUPLICATIVES WITH MEANINGS

A. Duplicative Type - Repetitive Compound words: Rhythmic word formation. Consider following examples for its rhythm:

1) ack-ack - anti aircraft fire

2) aye-aye - yes (found used by seamen)

3) bang-bang - sound of a gun when firing

4) beriberi - disease due to vitamin B deficiency

5) bonbon -a candy or sweet that often has a center of fondant, fruit, or nuts and is coated with chocolate or fondant

6) boo-boo - a stupid mistake or blunder

7) bye-bye - goodbye

8) cha-cha - ballroom dance (Latin)

9) choo-choo - A locomotive train or sound of the train

10) chop chop - right away; quickly (from pidgin English)

11) froufrou - Fussy or showy dress

12) goody goody - someone virtuous or smug

13) ha-ha - the sound of laughter

14) hush-hush - secret; confidential

15) muumuu - loose, bright Hawaiian dress

16) night-night - goodnight

17) no-no - forbidden

18) papa - father

19) pawpaw - same as papaya

Ablaut Reduplications

bric-a-brac, 
chit-chat,
criss-cross,
dilly-dally,
ding-dong,
fiddle-faddle,
flimflam,
flip-flop,
hippety-hoppety,
kitcat,
kitty-cat,
knick-knack,
mish-mash,
ping-pong,
pitter-patter,
riff-raff,
rickrack, riprap,
see-saw,
shilly-shally,
sing-song,
snicker-snack,
splish-splash,
teeny-tiny,
teeter-totter,
tic-tac-toe,
tick-tock,
ticky-tacky,
tip-top,
tittle-tattle,
wish-wash,
wishy-washy,
zig-zag

Exact Reduplications

(baby-talk-like):
bonbon,
bye-bye,
choo-choo,
chop-chop,
chow-chow,
dum-dum,
fifty-fifty,
gee-gee,
go-go,
goody-goody,
knock-knock,
night-night,
no-no,
pee-pee,
poo-poo,
pooh-pooh,
rah-rah,
so-so,
tsk-tsk,
tuk-tuk,
tut-tut,
wakey wakey,
wee-wee

Rhyming reduplications 1

argy-bargy,
arty-farty,
boogie-woogie,
bow-wow,
chock-a-block,
claptrap,
easy-peasy,
eency-weency,
fuddy-duddy,
fuzzy-wuzzy,
gang-bang,
hanky-panky,
harum-scarum,
heebie-jeebies,
helter-skelter,
herky-jerky,
higgledy-piggledy,
hobnob,
Hobson-Jobson,
hocus-pocus,
hodge-podge,
hoity-toity,
hokey-pokey,
honey-bunny,
hot-pot,
hotch-potch,
hubble-bubble,
hugger-mugger,
hulking-bulking,
Humpty-Dumpty,
hurdy-gurdy,
hurly-burly,
hurry-scurry,
itsy-bitsy,
itty-bitty,
loosey-goosey,
lovey-dovey,
mumbo-jumbo,
namby-pamby,
nimbly-bimbly,
nitty-gritty,
nitwit,
okey-dokey,
pall-mall,
palsy-walsy,
pee-wee,
pell-mell,
picnic,
razzle-dazzle,
righty-tighty,
roly-poly,
rumpy-pumpy,
super-duper,
teenie-weenie,
teeny-weeny,
tidbit,
tighty-whitey,
willy-nilly,
wingding

Assonating Compounds

Akin to rhyming compounds are compounds made up essentially of two words with (1) coincidence of vowels (“vowel-rhyme”) without regard to consonants (home and tone; come and hush); or (2) coincidence of consonants or consonant-sounds but with different vowels (e.g. sack and sock, tax and ticks) – Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary, 1974. The term for such correspondence in words is assonance. For want of a better term, I propose assonating compounds – styled after rhyming compounds – to encompass the relevant word-pairs.

The following are examples of assonating compounds: bric-a-brac, dilly-dally, dribs and drab, flimflam, flip-flop, gewgaw, mish-mash, ping-pong, riff-raff, seesaw, sing-song, whim-wham, whippersnapper, wishy-washy, zigzag.

Variants of rhyming compounds

(1) word-pairs – significantly not hyphenated or conflated – where the second element is a legitimate word and not a coinage for the purpose of rhyming with the first (blame game, brain drain, dream team, eager beaver, gal pal, jet set, legal eagle, toy boy)

(2) compounds or short phrases with two rhyming words linked by a particle, shown underlined (razzmatazz) or connected by the conjunction “and” (gloom and doom, hither and thither, hustle and bustle, wear and tear, wine and dine).

Rhyming compounds

The term rhyming compound, as I have distinguished above, corresponds to the definition of reduplication as given in Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary, 1974: “the combination of two rhyming words (the second sometimes a coinage for the purpose) to form one, as in hurry-skurry, popsy-wopsy”.

Rhyming compounds include some evocative and useful compounds:

creepy-crawly,

dilly-dally,

fuddy-duddy,

hanky-panky,

hocus-pocus, hodge-podge,

hoity-toity,

helter-skelter,

hubbub, itsy-bitsy,

lovey-dovey,

mumbo-jumbo,

nitty-gritty,

pell-mell,

ragtag,

razzle-dazzle,

super-duper,

teenie-weenie,

wheeler-dealer,

willy-nilly.

Reduplicatives – Double Delight

Reduplicatives never travel alone. In fact, they always come in pairs and sometimes sound rather silly. These are the words formed through reduplication, when you repeat a word to form a new one, or slightly change the vowel or consonant. These are inventive and musical words and there are hundreds of them in English.

Also called ‘echo words’, there are three basic types of reduplicatives. Some repeat the word exactly, some of them use rhyme for formation while the others use vowel or consonant shift to come up with the other half of the pair. Most of them are two syllable words (four, if you count both halves of the pair), though there are some with three syllables.

This type of word formation seems to come naturally to us. Shakespeare was responsible for hurly-burly , which is still in use, as well as other reduplicatives that are rarely seen outside the plays. Recent additions to the genre include the chick-flick, a film geared towards women. Here are some common reduplicatives.

Repeating the same word:

ack-ack
aye-aye
bang-bang
beriberi
bonbon
boo-boo
bye-bye
cha-cha
choo-choo
chop chop
froufrou
goody goody
ha-ha
hush hush
muumuu
night-night
no-no
papa
pawpaw

Rhyming:

airy-fairy
argy-bargy
artsy-fartsy
boo hoo
boogie-woogie
bow-wow
easy-peasy
fuddy-duddy
hanky-panky
heebie-jeebies
helter-skelter
higgledy-piggledy
hocus-pocus
hodge-podge
hoity-toity
itsy-bitsy
jeepers creepers
mumbo-jumbo
namby-pamby
nitty gritty
okey-dokey
super-duper
willy-nilly

Vowel changes:

chit-chat
clip clop
criss-cross
dilly-dally
ding-dong
flim-flam
flip-flop
hip-hop
knick-knack
mish-mash
ping pong
pitter-patter
riff-raff
riprap
see-saw
shilly-shally
tick tock
tittle-tattle
zigzag


IDIOMS GALORE - " Z" IDIOMS

Zero Tolerance:
No crime or law breaking big or small will be overlooked.

IDIOMS GALORE - "Y" IDIOMS

You Are What You Eat:
In order to stay healthy you must eat healthy foods.

You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover:
Decisions shouldn't be made primarily on appearance.

You Can't Take it With You:
Enjoy what you have and not what you don't have, since when you die you cannot take things (such as money) with you.

Your Guess Is As Good As Mine:
I have no idea.

IDIOMS GALORE - "X" IDIOMS

X marks the spot:
A phrase that is said when someone finds something he/she has been looking fo

IDIOMS GALORE - "W" IDIOMS

Wag the Dog:
A diversion away from something of greater importance.

Water Under The Bridge:
Anything from the past that isn't significant or important anymore.

Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve:
To openly and freely express your emotions.

When It Rains, It Pours:
Since it rarely rains, when it does it will be a huge storm.

When Pigs Fly :
Something that will never ever happen.

Wild and Woolly:
Uncultured and without laws.

Wine and Dine:
When somebody is treated to an expensive meal.

Without A Doubt:
For certain.

IDIOMS GALORE - "V" IDIOMS

Van Gogh's ear for music:
Tone deaf.

Variety Is The Spice Of Life:
The more experiences you try the more exciting life can be.

IDIOMS GALORE- " U" IDIOMS

Under the weather:
Feeling ill or sick.

Up a blind alley:
Going down a course of action that leads to a bad outcome.

Use Your Loaf:
Use your head. Think smart.

IDIOMS GALORE - "T" IDIOMS

The Ball Is In Your Court:
It is your decision this time.

The Best Of Both Worlds:
There are two choices and you have them both.

The Bigger They Are The Harder They Fall:
While the bigger and stronger opponent might be alot more difficult to beat, when you do they suffer a much bigger loss.

The Last Straw:
When one small burden after another creates an unbearable situation, the last straw is the last small burden that one can take.

The Whole Nine Yards:
Everything. All of it.

Third times a charm:
After no success the first two times, the third try is a lucky one.

Tie the knot:
To get married.

Til the cows come home:
A long time.

To Make A Long Story Short:
Something someone would say during a long and boring story in order to keep his/her audience from losing attention. Usually the story isn't shortened.

To Steal Someone's Thunder:
To take the credit for something someone else did.

Tongue And Cheek:
humor, not to be taken serious.

Turn A Blind Eye:
Refuse to acknowledge something you know is real or legit.

Twenty three skidoo:
To be turned away.

IDIOMS GALORE - "S" IDIOMS

Saved By The Bell:
Saved at the last possible moment.

Scapegoat:
Someone else who takes the blame.

Scot-free:
To escape and not have to pay.

Sick As A Dog:
To be very sick (with the flu or a cold).

Sitting Shotgun:
Riding in the front passenger seat of a car.

Sixth Sense:
A paranormal sense that allows you to communicate with the dead.

Skid Row:
The rundown area of a city where the homeless and drug users live.

Smell A Rat:
To detect somone in the group is betraying the others.

Smell Something Fishy:
Detecting that something isn't right and there might be a reason for it.

Son of a Gun:
A scamp.

Southpaw:
Someone who is left-handed.

Spitting Image:
The exact likeness or kind.

Start From Scratch:
To do it all over again from the beginning.

IDIOMS GALORE - "R' IDIOMS

Raincheck:
An offer or deal that is declined right now but willing to accept later.

Raining Cats and Dogs:
A very loud and noisy rain storm.

Ring Fencing:
Seperated usual judgement to guarantee protection, especially project funds.

Rise and Shine:
Time to get out of bed and get ready for work/school.

Rome Was Not Built In One Day:
If you want something to be completely properly, then its going to take time.

Rule Of Thumb:
A rough estimate.

Run out of steam:
To be completely out of energy.

IDIOMS GALORE - "Q" IDIOMS

Queer the pitch:
Destroy or ruin a plan.

IDIOMS GALORE - "P" IDIOMS

Pass The Buck:
Avoid responsibility by giving it to someone else.

Pedal to the metal:
To go full speed, especially while driving a vehicle.

Peeping Tom:
Someone who observes people in the nude or sexually active people, mainly for his own gratification.

Pick up your ears:
To listen very carefully.

Pig In A Poke:
A deal that is made without first examining it.

Pig Out :
To eat alot and eat it quickly.

Pipe Down:
To shut-up or be quiet.

Practice Makes Perfect:
By constantly practicing, you will become better.

Pull the plug:
To stop something. To bring something to an end.

Pulling Your Leg:
Tricking someone as a joke.

Put a sock in it:
To tell noisy person or a group to be quiet.

IDIOMS GALORE - "O" IDIOMS

Off On The Wrong Foot:
Getting a bad start on a relationship or task.

Off The Hook:
No longer have to deal with a tough situation.

Off the Record:
Something said in confidence that the one speaking doesn't want attributed to him/her.

On Pins And Needles:
Anxious or nervous, especially in anticipation of something.

On The Fence:
Undecided.

On The Same Page:
When multiple people all agree on the same thing.

Out Of The Blue:
Something that suddenly and unexpectedly occurs.

Out On A Limb:
When someone puts themself in a risky situation.

Out On The Town:
To enjoy yourself by going out.

Over My Dead Body:
When you absolutely will not allow something to happen.

Over the Top:
Very excessive.

IDIOMS GALORE - "N" IDIOMS

Nest Egg:
Savings set aside for future use.

Never Bite The Hand That Feeds You:
Don't hurt anyone that helps you.

New kid on the block:
Someone new to the group or area.

New York Minute:
A minute that seems to go by quickly, especially in a fast paced environment.

No Dice:
To not agree. To not accept a proposition.

No Room to Swing a Cat:
An unsually small or confined space.

Not Playing With a Full Deck:
Someone who lacks intelligence.

IDIOMS GALORE - "M" IDIOMS

Make No Bones About:
To state a fact so there are no doubts or objections.

Method To My Madness:
Strange or crazy actions that appear meaningless but in the end are done for a good reason.

Mumbo Jumbo:
Nonsense or meaningless speech.

Mum's the word:
To keep quiet. To say nothing.

IDIOMS GALORE - 'L " IDIOMS

Last but not least:
An introduction phrase to let the audience know that the last person mentioned is no less important than those introduced before him/her.

Lend Me Your Ear:
To politely ask for someone's full attention.

Let Bygones Be Bygones:
To forget about a disagreement or arguement.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie:
To avoid restarting a conflict.

Let The Cat Out Of The Bag:
To share a secret that wasn't suppose to be shared.

Level playing field:
A fair competition where no side has an advantage.

Like a chicken with its head cut off:
To act in a frenzied manner.

liquor someone up:
To get someone drunk.

Long in the Tooth:
Old people (or horses).

Loose Cannon:
Someone who is unpredictable and can cause damage if not kept in check.

IDIOMS GALORE - "K' IDIOMS

Keep An Eye On Him:
You should carefully watch him.

Keep body and soul together:
To earn a sufficient amount of money in order to keep yourself alive .

Keep your chin up:
To remain joyful in a tough situation.

Kick The Bucket:
Die.

Kitty-corner:
Diagonally across. Sometimes called Catty-Corner as well.

Knee Jerk Reaction:
A quick and automatic response.

Knock On Wood:
Knuckle tapping on wood in order to avoid some bad luck.

Know the Ropes:
To understand the details.

IDIOMS GALORE - "J" IDIOMS

Jaywalk:
Crossing the street (from the middle) without using the crosswalk.

Joshing Me:
Tricking me.

IDIOMS GALORE - "I" IDIOMS

Icing On The Cake:
When you already have it good and get something on top of what you already have.

Idle Hands Are The Devil's Tools:
You are more likely to get in trouble if you have nothing to do.

If It's Not One Thing, It's Another:
When one thing goes wrong, then another, and another...

In Like Flynn:
To be easily successful, especially when sexual or romantic.

In The Bag:
To have something secured.

In The Buff:
Nude.

In The Heat Of The Moment:
Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment.

In Your Face:
An aggressive and bold confrontation.

It Takes Two To Tango:
A two person conflict where both people are at fault.

It's A Small World:
You frequently see the same people in different places.

Its Anyone's Call:
A competition where the outcome is difficult to judge or predict.

Ivy League:
Since 1954 the Ivy League has been the following universities: Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Yale, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Harvard.


IDIOMS GALORE - "H" IDIOMS

Haste Makes Waste:
Quickly doing things results in a poor ending.

Hat Trick:
When one player scores three goals in the same hockey game. This idiom can also mean three scores in any other sport, such as 3 homeruns, 3 touchdowns, 3 soccer goals, etc.

Have an Axe to Grind:
To have a dispute with someone.

He Lost His Head:
Angry and overcome by emotions.

Head Over Heels:
Very excited and/or joyful, especially when in love.

Hell in a Handbasket:
Deteriorating and headed for complete disaster.

High Five:
Slapping palms above each others heads as celebration gesture.

High on the Hog:
Living in Luxury.

Hit The Books:
To study, especially for a test or exam.

Hit The Hay:
Go to bed or go to sleep.

Hit The Nail on the Head:
Do something exactly right or say something exactly right.

Hit The Sack:
Go to bed or go to sleep.

Hocus Pocus:
In general, a term used in magic or trickery.

Hold Your Horses:
Be patient.


IDIOMS GALORE - "G" IDIOMS

Get Down to Brass Tacks:
To become serious about something.

Get Over It:
To move beyond something that is bothering you.

Get Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed:
Someone who is having a horrible day.

Get Your Walking Papers:
Get fired from a job.

Give Him The Slip:
To get away from. To escape.

Go Down Like A Lead Balloon:
To be received badly by an audience.

Go For Broke:
To gamble everything you have.

Go Out On A Limb:
Put yourself in a tough position in order to support someone/something.

Go The Extra Mile:
Going above and beyond whatever is required for the task at hand.

Good Samaritan:
Someone who helps others when they are in need, with no discussion for compensation, and no thought of a reward.

Graveyard Shift:
Working hours from about 12:00 am to 8:00 am. The time of the day when most other people are sleeping.

Great Minds Think Alike:
Intelligent people think like each other.

Green Room:
The waiting room, especially for those who are about to go on a tv or radio show.

Gut Feeling:
A personal intuition you get, especially when feel something may not be right.

IDIOMS GALORE - "F" IDIOMS

Feeding Frenzy:
An aggressive attack on someone by a group.

Field Day:
An enjoyable day or circumstance.

Finding Your Feet:
To become more comfortable in whatever you are doing.

Finger lickin' good:
A very tasty food or meal.

Fixed In Your Ways:
Not willing or wanting to change from your normal way of doing something.

Flash In The Pan:
Something that shows potential or looks promising in the beginning but fails to deliver anything in the end.

Flea Market:
A swap meet. A place where people gather to buy and sell inexpensive goods.

Flesh and Blood:
This idiom can mean living material of which people are made of, or it can refer to someone's family.

Flip The Bird:
To raise your middle finger at someone.

Foam at the Mouth:
To be enraged and show it.

Fools' Gold:
Iron pyrites, a worthless rock that resembles real gold.

French Kiss:
An open mouth kiss where tongues touch.

From Rags To Riches:
To go from being very poor to being very wealthy.

Fuddy-duddy:
An old-fashioned and foolish type of person.

Full Monty:
This idiom can mean either, "the whole thing" or "completely nude".

Funny Farm:
A mental institutional facility.

IDIOMS GALORE - "E" IDIOMS

Eighty Six:
A certain item is no longer available. Or this idiom can also mean, to throw away.

Elvis has left the building:
The show has come to an end. It's all over.

Ethnic Cleansing:
Killing of a certain ethnic or religious group on a massive scale.

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining:
Be optomistic, even difficult times will lead to better days.

Everything But The Kitchen Sink:
Almost everything and anything has been included.

Excuse my French:
Please forgive me for cussing.

Cock and Bull Story:
An unbelievable tale.

Cock and Bull Story:
An unbelievable tale.

IDIOMS GALORE - "D" IDIOMS

Dark Horse:
One who was previously unknown and is now prominent.

Dead Ringer:
100% identical. A duplicate.

Devil's Advocate:
Someone who takes a position for the sake of argument without believing in that particular side of the arguement. It can also mean one who presents a counter argument for a position they do believe in, to another debater.

Dog Days of Summer:
The hottest days of the summer season.

Don't count your chickens before they hatch:
Don't rely on it until your sure of it.

Don't Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth:
When someone gives you a gift, don't be ungrateful.

Don't Put All Your Eggs In One Basket:
Do not put all your resources in one possibility.

Doozy:
Something outstanding.

Down To The Wire:
Something that ends at the last minute or last few seconds.

Drastic Times Call For Drastic Measures:
When you are extremely desperate you need to take extremely desperate actions.

Drink like a fish:
To drink very heavily.

Drive someone up the wall:
To irritate and/or annoy very much.

Dropping Like Flies:
A large number of people either falling ill or dying.

Dry Run:
Rehearsal.

IDIOMS GALORE - "C" IDIOMS

Can't Cut The Mustard :
Someone who isn't adequate enough to compete or participate.

Cast Iron Stomach:
Someone who has no problems, complications or ill effects with eating anything or drinking anything.

Charley Horse:
Stiffness in the leg / A leg cramp.

Chew someone out:
Verbally scold someone.

Chip on his Shoulder:
Angry today about something that occured in the past.

Chow Down:
To eat.

Close but no Cigar:
To be very near and almost accomplish a goal, but fall short.

Cock and Bull Story:
An unbelievable tale.

Come Hell Or High Water:
Any difficult situation or obstacle.

Crack Someone Up:
To make someone laugh.

Cross Your Fingers:
To hope that something happens the way you want it to.

Cry Over Spilt Milk:
When you complain about a loss from the past.

Cry Wolf:
Intentionally raise a false alarm.

Cup Of Joe:
A cup of coffee.

Curiosity Killed The Cat:
Being Inquisitive can lead you into a dangerous situation.

Cut to the Chase:
Leave out all the unnecessary details and just get to the point.

IDIOMS GALORE - "B" IDIOMS

Back Seat Driver:
People who criticize from the sidelines, much like someone giving unwanted advice from the back seat of a vehicle to the driver.

Back To Square One:
Having to start all over again.

Back To The Drawing Board:
When an attempt fails and it's time to start all over.

Baker's Dozen:
Thirteen.

Barking Up The Wrong Tree:
A mistake made in something you are trying to achieve.

Beat A Dead Horse:
To force an issue that has already ended.

Beating Around The Bush:
Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.

Bend Over Backwards:
Do whatever it takes to help. Willing to do anything.

Between A Rock And A Hard Place:
Stuck between two very bad options.

Bite Off More Than You Can Chew:
To take on a task that is way to big.

Bite Your Tongue:
To avoid talking.

Blood Is Thicker Than Water:
The family bond is closer than anything else.

Blue Moon:
A rare event or occurance.

Break A Leg:
A superstitious way to say 'good luck' without saying 'good luck', but rather the opposite.

Buy A Lemon:
To purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems or stops running after you drive it away.



IDIOMS GALORE - A IDIOMS

A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush:
Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might lose everything.

A Blessing In Disguise:
Something good that isn't recognized at first.

A Chip On Your Shoulder:
Being upset for something that happened in the past.

A Dime A Dozen:
Anything that is common and easy to get.

A Doubting Thomas:
A skeptic who needs physical or personal evidence in order to believe something.

A Drop in the Bucket:
A very small part of something big or whole.

A Fool And His Money Are Easily Parted:
It's easy for a foolish person to lose his/her money.

A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand:
Everyone involved must unify and function together or it will not work out.

A Leopard Can't Change His Spots:
You cannot change who you are.

A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned:
By not spending money, you are saving money (little by little).

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words:
A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words.

A Piece of Cake:
A task that can be accomplished very easily.

A Slap on the Wrist:
A very mild punishment.

A Taste Of Your Own Medicine:
When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others.

A Toss-Up:
A result that is still unclear and can go either way.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words:
It's better to actually do something than just talk about it.

Add Fuel To The Fire:
Whenever something is done to make a bad situation even worse than it is.

Against The Clock:
Rushed and short on time.

All Bark And No Bite:
When someone is threatening and/or aggressive but not willing to engage in a fight.

All Greek to me:
Meaningless and incomprehensible like someone who cannot read, speak, or understand any of the Greek language would be.

All In The Same Boat:
When everyone is facing the same challenges.

An Arm And A Leg:
Very expensive. A large amount of money.

An Axe To Grind:
To have a dispute with someone.

Apple of My Eye:
Someone who is cherished above all others.

As High As A Kite:
Anything that is high up in the sky.

At The Drop Of A Hat:
Willing to do something immediately.

100 FUNNIEST ENGLISH WORDS

The 100 Funniest Words in English
Abibliophobia The fear of running out of reading material.
Absquatulate To leave or abscond with something.
Allegator Some who alleges.
Anencephalous Lacking a brain.
Argle-bargle A loud row or quarrel.
Batrachomyomachy Making a mountain out of a molehill.
Billingsgate Loud, raucous profanity.
Bloviate To speak pompously or brag.
Blunderbuss A gun with a flared muzzle or disorganized activity.
Borborygm A rumbling of the stomach.
Boustrophedon A back and forth pattern.
Bowyang A strap that holds the pants legs in place.
Brouhaha An uproar.
Bumbershoot An umbrella.
Callipygian Having an attractive rear end or nice buns.
Canoodle To hug and kiss.
Cantankerous Testy, grumpy.
Catercornered Diagonal(ly).
Cockalorum A small, haughty man.
Cockamamie Absurd, outlandish.
Codswallop Nonsense, balderdash.
Collop A slice of meat or fold of flab.
Collywobbles Butterflies in the stomach.
Comeuppance Just reward, just deserts.
Crapulence Discomfort from eating or drinking too much.
Crudivore An eater of raw food.
Discombobulate To confuse.
Donnybrook An melee, a riot.
Doozy Something really great.
Dudgeon A bad mood, a huff.
Ecdysiast An exotic dancer, a stripper.
Eructation A burp, belch.
Fard Face-paint, makeup.
Fartlek An athletic training regime.
Fatuous Unconsciously foolish.
Filibuster Refusal to give up the floor in a debate to prevent a vote.
Firkin A quarter barrel or small cask.
Flibbertigibbet Nonsense, balderdash.
Flummox To exasperate.
Folderol Nonsense.
Formication The sense of ants crawling on your skin.
Fuddy-duddy An old-fashioned, mild-mannered person.
Furbelow A fringe or ruffle.
Furphy A portable water-container.
Gaberlunzie A wandering beggar.
Gardyloo! A warning shouted before throwing water from above.
Gastromancy Telling fortune from the rumblings of the stomach.
Gazump To buy something already promised to someone else.
Gobbledygook Nonsense, balderdash.
Gobemouche A highly gullible person.
Godwottery Nonsense, balderdash.
Gongoozle To stare at, kibitz.
Gonzo Far-out journalism.
Goombah An older friend who protects you.
Hemidemisemiquaver A musical timing of 1/64.
Hobbledehoy An awkward or ill-mannered young boy.
Hocus-pocus Deceitful sleight of hand.
Hoosegow A jail or prison.
Hootenanny A country or folk music get-together.
Jackanapes A rapscallion, hooligan.
Kerfuffle Nonsense, balderdash.
Klutz An awkward, stupid person.
La-di-da An interjection indicating that something is pretentious.
Lagopodous Like a rabbit's foot.
Lickety-split As fast as possible.
Lickspittle A servile person, a toady.
Logorrhea Loquaciousness, talkativeness.
Lollygag To move slowly, fall behind.
Malarkey Nonsense, balderdash.
Maverick A loner, someone outside the box.
Mollycoddle To treat too leniently.
Mugwump An independent politician who does not follow any party.
Mumpsimus An outdated and unreasonable position on an issue.
Namby-pamby Weak, with no backbone.
Nincompoop A foolish person.
Oocephalus An egghead.
Ornery Mean, nasty, grumpy.
Pandiculation A full body stretch.
Panjandrum Someone who thinks himself high and mighty.
Pettifogger A person who tries to befuddle others with his speech.
Pratfall A fall on one's rear.
Quean A disreputable woman.
Rambunctious Aggressive, hard to control.
Ranivorous Frog-eating
Rigmarole Nonsense, unnecessary complexity.
Shenanigan A prank, mischief.
Sialoquent Spitting while speaking.
Skedaddle To hurry somewhere.
Skullduggery No good, underhanded dealing.
Slangwhanger A loud abusive speaker or obnoxious writer.
Smellfungus A perpetual pessimist.
Snickersnee A long knife.
Snollygoster A person who can't be trusted.
Snool A servile person.
Tatterdemalion A child in rags.
Troglodyte Someone or something that lives in a cave.
Turdiform Having the form of a lark.
Unremacadamized Having not been repaved with macadam.
Vomitory An exit or outlet.
Wabbit Exhausted, tired, worn out.
Widdershins In a contrary or counterclockwise direction.
Yahoo A rube, a country bumpkin.
@ The "at" sign.