Idioms Beginning With: 'T'

Showing 51-100 of 285 results for letter 'T'
Take your hat off
If you say that you take your hat off to someone, you are showing your respect or admiration.
Take your hat off to somebody
If you take your hat off to someone, you acknowledge that they have done something exceptional or otherwise deserve your respect.
Take your medicine
If you take your medicine, you accept the consequences of something you have done wrong.
Taken as read
If something can be taken as read, it is so definite that it's not necessary to talk about it.
Tale of the tape
This idiom is used when comparing things, especially in sports; it comes from boxing where the fighters would be measured with a tape measure before a fight.
Talk a blue streak
(USA) If someone talks a blue streak, they speak quickly and at length. ('Talk up a blue streak' is also used.)
Talk a glass eye to sleep
Someone who could talk a glass eye to sleep is very boring and repetitive.
Talk a mile a minute
If someone talks a mile a minute, they speak very fast.
Talk is cheap
It's easy to talk about something but harder to actually do it.
Talk nineteen to the dozen
If someone talks very quickly, they talk nineteen to the dozen.
Talk of the town
When everybody is talking about particular people and events, they are the talk of the town.
Talk out of the back of your head
If someone is talking out of the back of their head, they are talking rubbish.
Talk out of your hat
If someone is talking out of their hat, they're talking utter rubbish, especially if compounded with total ignorance of the subject on which they are pontificating. ('Talk through your hat' is also used.)
Talk shop
If you talk shop, you talk about work matters, especially if you do this outside work.
Talk the hind legs off a donkey
A person who is excessively or extremely talkative can talk the hind legs off a donkey.
Talk the legs off an iron pot
(AU) Somebody who is excessively talkative or is especially convincing is said to talk the legs off an iron pot. ('Talk the legs off an iron chair' is also used)
Talk turkey
When people talk turkey, they discuss something frankly.
Talk your arm off
Someone who talks so much that it is a strain to listen can talk your arm off.
Talking to a brick wall
If you talk to someone and they do not listen to you, it is like talking to a brick wall.
Tall drink of water
Someone who is very tall and slender is a tall drink of water. ('A tall glass of water' is also used.)
Tall enough to hunt geese with a rake
(USA) A person who's much taller than a person of average height.
Tall order
Something that is likely to be hard to achieve or fulfil is a tall order.
Tall story
A tall story is one that is untrue and unbelievable.
Tally ho!
(UK) This is an exclamation used for encouragement before doing something difficult or dangerous.
Tar baby
A tar baby is a problem that gets worse when people try to sort it out.
Tar with the same brush
If people are tarred with the same brush, they are said to have the same set of attributes or faults as someone they are associated with.
Taste blood
If someone has tasted blood, they have achieved something and are encouraged to think that victory is within their grasp.
Taste of your own medicine
If you give someone a taste of their own medicine, you do something bad to someone that they have done to you to teach them a lesson.
Teach your grandmother to suck eggs
When people say 'don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs', they mean that people shouldn't try to teach someone who has experience or is an expert in that area.
Teacher's pet
The teacher's favorite pupil is the teacher's pet, especially if disliked by the other pupils.
Tear your hair out
If someone is tearing their hair out, they are extremely worried or agitated about something.
Tears before bedtime
(UK) This idiom is used when something seems certain to go wrong or cause trouble.
If something is teensy-weensy, it is very small indeed.('Teeny-weeny' and 'teensie-weensie' are also used.)
Teething problems
(UK) The problems that a project has when it is starting are the teething problems.
Tell it to the marines
People use this expression when they don't believe someone.
Tell them where the dog died
(USA) If you tell them where the dog died, you strongly and sharply correct someone.
Tempest in a teapot
If people exaggerate the seriousness of a situation or problem, they are making a tempest in a teapot.
Tempt fate
If you tempt fate, you do something where there is a high risk of failure.  It can also be used when talking about something could make it risky.
Tempt providence
If you tempt providence, you take a risk that may well have unpleasant consequences. ('Tempt fate' is also used.)
Ten a penny
(UK) If something is ten a penny, it is very common. ("Two a penny" is also used.)
Test the waters
If you test the waters, or test the water, you experiment to see how successful or acceptable something is before implementing it.
That and 50 cents will buy you a cup of coffee
(USA) This is used to describe something that is deemed worthless. "He's got a Ph.D. in Philosophy." "So? That and 50 cents will buy you a cup of coffee."
That dog won't hunt
(USA) Very common Southern US expression meaning: What you say makes no sense.
That is the way the cookie crumbles
"That's the way the cookie crumbles" means that things don't always turn out the way we want.
That makes two of us
A speaker says "that makes two of us" to indicate agreement with what another speaker just said. For example, I can say, "I wish I would win the lottery." A listener who says "That makes two of us" is indicating the he or she wants to win the lottery, too.
That ship has sailed
A particular opportunity has passed you by when that ship has sailed.
That's a given
This means that there are no ifs or ands ot buts about something; it's a sure thing.
That's all she wrote
(USA) This idiom is used to show that something has ended and there is nothing more to say about something.
The apple does not fall far from the tree
Offspring grow up to be like their parents.
The ayes have it
If the ayes have it, those who voted in favour of something have won.

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