Just a few American sayings

Just a few American sayings

No wonder they say English is the hardest language to learn!

I noted that “fat chance” meant the same as “slim change”. I don’t know if that is a uniquely American idiom but it got me thinking. Here are some others. 

1. Bless your heart
2. Happy as a clam
3. Clean as a whistle
4. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
5. Sick as a dog
6. Working like a dog
7. Hot as hell
8. Cold as hell
9. Bite the bullet

10.Sweating like a pig

11.Lipstick on a pig

12.Healthy as a horse

13.Slept like a baby

14.The proof is in the pudding

15.S— for brains

16.Have your cake and eat it too

17.Pull yourself up by your bootstraps

18.Pushing the envelope

19.Head over hills

20.Break a leg

21. It’s not my first rodeo

22. Got a burr under your saddle

23. Don’t have a dog in this fight

24. Sign your John Hancock

25. That dog won’t hunt

26. I don’t have a horse in this race

27. Bottom of the ninth

28. On first base

29. A bump on a log

30. Between a rock and a hard place

31. The whole nine yards

32. More than one way to skin a cat

33. Early bird gets the worm

34. Hurry up and wait

35. Don’t judge a book by its cover

36. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts

37. The squeaky wheel gets the grease

38. Can’t teach an old dog new tricks

39. Fly on the wall 

40. Guinea pig

41. Tailgating (two very different meanings)

42. Drinking the kool aid

43. Just sayin’

44. Get off your high horse

45. “Holy cow”

46. Pull back the curtain

47. Working the graveyard shift

48. Got your goat

49. Elephant in the room

50. Walking on eggshells

51. Take a rain check

52. Table it

53. Can’t put my finger on it

54. Piece of cake

55. A fish out of water

56. Ballpark figure

57. Shoot the breeze

58. Water under the bridge

59. Put up your dukes

60. Every dog has its day

61. Spill the beans

62. Knock on wood

63. It’s not rocket science

64. Hit the books

65. I’m from Missouri

66. We’re not in Kansas anymore

67. Madder than a wet hen

68. If you don’t care

69. Worn slap out

70. Tore up

71. Might have could

72. Happy as a pig in mud

73. Fixin to

74. Til the cows come home

75. Let me let you go

76. A month of Sundays

77. Knee high to a grasshopper

78. Hill of beans

79. More than Carter’s got little pills

80. Can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear

81. Plumb

82. Hotter than blazes

83. Pretty as a peach

84. Gimme some sugar

85. Gussied up

86. Hold your horses

87. Well I do declare

88. Funny as all get out

89. Heavens to Betsey

90. Hush your mouth

91. Sho nuff

92. Well I swannie

93. Tell you what

94. I reckon

95. It’ll make you want to slap your momma

96. Oh my stars

97. Too big for his britches

98. Livin in high cotton

99. Porch lights on but nobody’s home

100. Blowing up a storm

101. Hissy fit

102. Three sheets to the wind

103. Can never could

104. Preaching to the choir

105. It’ll all come out in the wash

106. For the birds

107. Til the cows come home

108. Don’t be such a wet blanket

109. Long in the tooth

110. Green thumb

111. Plead the fifth

112. It’s a keeper

113. Go Dutch

114. Crying over spilled milk

115. Bought the farm

116. Behind the eight ball

117. Jump on the bandwagon

118. Take a raincheck

119. Cold turkey

120. Riding shotgun

121. Under the weather

122. That’s the way the cookie crumbles

123. The cat’s out of the bag

124. More bang for the buck

125. Shoot the breeze

126. A bat out of hell

127. Nosebleed seats

128. Monday morning quarterback

129. Sounds like a broken record

130. Know what I’m saying

131. Get your ducks in a row

132. Elbow grease

133. Knock it out of the park

134. My two cents

135. Hit the hay

136. A no brainer

137. The whole kit and kaboodle

138. The whole enchilada 

139. Smack dab

140. Slow as molasses

141. Snowball’s chance in hell

142. Two fries short of a happy meal

143. Two bricks shy of a load

144. Bite me

145. Its in the bag

146. On second base

147. Beat me to the punch

148. Going bananas

149. Crazy as a loon

150. Mark my words

151. Hit the nail on the head

152. Cut corners

153. Cost an arm and a leg

154. Bit off more than you can chew

155. Mouth write a check that your butt can’t cash

156. A fly in the ointment

157. Kill two birds with one stone

158. Let the cat out of the bag

159. Pull one’s leg

160. Burn the midnight oil

161. Call it a day

162. Steal one’s thunder

163. Speak of the devil

164. Caught red handed

165. Once in a blue moon

166. Hold your horses

167. Go the extra mile

168. Straight from the horse’s mouth

169. Take with a pinch of salt

170. In for a penny, in for a pound

171. A penny for your thoughts

172. Cost a pretty penny

173. Like a bad penny

174. Penny wise pound foolish

176. Plug nickel

177. Play hardball

178. Home run

179. Touch base

180. Out of left field

181. Step up to the plate

182. Bush league

183. Go to bat

184. Slam dunk

185. Lay up

186. Strike out

187. Bat a thousand

188. Right off the bat

189. In the big leagues

190. Keep the ball rolling

191. Play ball

192. Brand new ball game

193. Swing for the fences

194. Throw a curve

195. Throw for a loop

196. Cover your bases

197. On deck

198. Couch potato

199. Keep the ball rolling 

200. Raining cats and dogs

201. Cool as a cucumber

202. Selling like hotcakes

203. Paint the town red

204. In a pickle

205. Turn a blind eye

206. When it rains it pours

207. Barking up the wrong tree

208. Bitter pill to swallow

209. Sour grapes

210. Tough cookie

211. Throw in the towel

212. Hit the road

213. Off the beaten path

214. Take a hike

215. Break the bank

216. Bringing home the bacon

217. Time is money

218. Grinning like a Cheshire cat

219. Born with a silver spoon in your mouth

220. Feels like a million bucks

221. I’ll be a monkey’s uncle

222. Gravy train

223. Cash cow

224. Money talks

225. Hair of the dog

226. Money doesn’t grow on trees

227. Flat broke

228. Nest egg

229. Pay through the nose

230. In the black

231. Go whole hog

232. Bet your bottom dollar

233. Burning a hole in your pocket

234. Filthy rich

235. Don’t amount to a hill of beans

236. Busy as a bee

237. Albatross around one’s neck

238. As cute as a bug’s ear

239. As snug as a bug in a rug

240. As the crow flies

241. Barking up the wrong tree

242. Bee in your bonnet

243. Monkey see monkey do

244. Cat got your tongue

245. Cat’s pajamas

246. Counting sheep

247. Chickens come home to roost

248. Curiosity killed the cat

249. Dropping like flies

250. Kangaroo court

251. In a pig’s ear

252. Fine kettle of fish

253. Paper tiger

254. Pony up

255. Red herring

256. Bad apple

257. Sour grapes

258. Stool pigeon

259. Swan song

260. Top dog

261. White elephant

262. Will goose chase

263. If pigs could fly

264. More than one way to skin a cat

265. People in glass houses should throw no stones

266. Even a blind pigs can find an acorn once in a while

267. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

268. Hold your horses

269. Up s—-t’s creek without a paddle

270. Let the horse out the barn after closing the door

271. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out

272. Bulls—-

273. Go jump in the lake

274. Bread and butter

And my grandmother’s favorite

275. He ain’t got the sense that God gave a goose