bird's eye view of Thành ngữ, tục ngữ
a barrel of laughs
a lot of fun, a person who makes you laugh Let's invite Chang to our party. He's a barrel of laughs.
a bed of roses
an easy life, a pleasant place to work or stay Who said that retirement is a bed of roses?
a bit off/a bit mental
not rational, unbalanced, one brick short Kate talks to the birds. Do you think she's a bit off?
a breath of fresh air
a nice change, a new presence Having Lan around the house is a breath of fresh air - she's so nice.
a breath of wind
a breeze, a light wind In the evening, the lake was calm. There wasn't a breath of wind.
a bunch of malarkey
an untrue story, a lot of bunk, bull """Do you believe what the psychic said about your future?"" ""No. It's a bunch of malarkey."""
a bundle of nerves
"a very nervous person; uptight person" May has so many problems - she's just a bundle of nerves.
a case of
an example of, it's a case of Look at Bosnia. That's a case of ethnic civil war.
a chip off the old block
a boy who is like his dad, the apple doesn't... Eric is a chip off the old block. He's just like his dad.
a chunk of change
a large amount of money, a few grand, big bucks I bet that condo cost him a chunk o' change - 300 grand at least.
a clean bill of health
a good report from the doctor, a good checkup You'll never get a clean bill of health if you eat fat meat!
a different kettle of fish
different, not the same A cult is not a religion. A cult is a different kettle of fish entirely.
a few bricks short of a full load
not sensible or logical, not all there When Moe began eating bugs, we knew he was a few bricks short.
a fresh pair of eyes
a different reader, one who has not seen the writing A fresh pair of eyes may find many errors in this report.
a gaggle of geese
a flock of geese, a bunch of geese A gaggle of geese met us as we drove into the farmyard.
a ghost of a chance
a poor chance, not likely to happen That car doesn't have a ghost of a chance. It's too slow!
a grain of salt
(See take it with a grain of salt)
a grain of truth
a bit of truth, take it with a grain... There's not a grain of truth in what Brian says. It's all untrue.
a hill of beans
a small amount, very little The money he lost doesn't amount to a hill of beans.
a horse of a different color
a different matter, a separate issue If he wants to buy the land, that's a horse of a different color.
a little hair off the dog
(See hair off the dog)
a little off
not quite sane, a bit crazy, one brick short... When Clem started eating grass, we knew he was a little off.
a lot of bunk
a lot of lies, a lot of bull, a pack of lies The President's speech was a lot of bunk. It contained no facts.
a lot of falderal
a lot of foolish talk, a lot of bunk When you hear me speak Latin, you'll think it's a lot of falderal.
a man of few words
"a man who says little; who uses few words" Chung is a man of few words, but when he speaks, people listen.
a man of the cloth
a minister, a priest, a clergyman Being a man of the cloth, he has studied the Bible.
a month of Sundays
a very long time, many days It will take a month of Sundays to phone the students in our school.
a pack of lies
many lies, no truth to it What Gail is saying about Julie is a pack of lies. It's not true.
a piece of ass
sex, intercourse, nookie If it's just a piece of ass you want, why don't you find a prostitute?
a piece of cake
easy to do, it's a snap, no problem Solving the puzzle was easy. It was a piece o' cake.
a piece of my mind
my criticism of what you did, a tongue-lashing If my son stayed out all night, I'd give him a piece of my mind.
a piece of tail
(See a piece of ass)
a piece of the action
a share of the profit or prize or loot Those who paid for the winning ticket get a piece of the action.
a pinch of coon shit
very little or no value, worthless That Rambler ain't worth a pinch o' coon shit. It's a lousy car.
a pinch of salt
a bit of salt, the salt held between thumb and finger Hector uses a pinch of salt when he makes chocolate fudge.
a pocket of resistance
a small group resisting, a few people not on side There's a pocket of resistance in one district. A few disagree.
a question of
the important factor, the issue For them, it's a question of faith. They believe in the Bible.
a rip-off
unfair price or rule, priced too high The price of drinks was a rip-off. A small Coke cost $3!
a rough time of it
a time of stress or bad luck, a tough time of it After the divorce he had a rough time of it.
a sack of hammers
a dead weight, a heavy object Don't throw me in the lake! I'll sink like a sack of hammers!
a shadow of his former self
much lighter than he was before, very thin and weak After twenty years in prison, he was a shadow of his former self.
a slip of the tongue
a spoken error or mistake, a word that slips out I said brew instead of blue. It was a slip of the tongue.
a soft touch
a person who will not refuse, an easy mark Barry's a soft touch. Let's ask him for a loan.
a spot of tea
a small cup of tea, a drink of tea When I visit Mrs. Smith, we always have a spot of tea.
a stitch of clothes
(See didn't have a stitch of clothes on)
a takeoff on
similar to, based on the same idea, a send-up The school play was a takeoff on Shakespeare's Hamlet.
a touch of
a little illness, minor symptoms Mary's not feeling well today. She has a touch of the flu.
a tough time of it
a time of stress or bad luck, a rough time of it When Bev left home she had a tough time of it. She had no job.
a tower of strength
a person who helps you during a crisis, a brick When my parents were killed in an accident, Harry was a tower of strength to me.
a whale of a game
an exciting game, a cliff-hanger When Canada played Sweden, it was a whale of a game.a butt of laughs
a lot of fun, a being who makes you beam Let's allure Chang to our party. He's a butt of laughs.
a bed of roses
an accessible life, a affable abode to assignment or break Who said that retirement is a bed of roses?
a bit off/a bit mental
not rational, unbalanced, one brick abbreviate Kate talks to the birds. Do you anticipate she's a bit off?
a animation of beginning air
a nice change, a new attendance Having Lan about the abode is a animation of beginning air - she's so nice.
a animation of wind
a breeze, a ablaze wind In the evening, the basin was calm. There wasn't a animation of wind.
a agglomeration of malarkey
an apocryphal story, a lot of bunk, balderdash """Do you accept what the analytic said about your future?"" ""No. It's a agglomeration of malarkey."""
a array of nerves
"a actual afraid person; anxious person" May has so abounding problems - she's aloof a array of nerves.
a case of
an archetype of, it's a case of Look at Bosnia. That's a case of indigenous civilian war.
a dent off the old block
a boy who is like his dad, the angel doesn't... Eric is a dent off the old block. He's aloof like his dad.
a block of change
a ample bulk of money, a few grand, big bucks I bet that address amount him a block o' change - 300 admirable at least.
abnormal end of task