English Idioms

2021-10-16 00:15:42 Idiom:

leave no stone unturned

Meaning
If you leave no stone unturned, you look everywhere in order to find something, or try everything in order to achieve something.

For example

Ari has left no stone unturned in her search for a job in television, but so far she hasn't had any luck.

The leaders of the countries involved in the dispute claim they've left no stone unturned in their quest for a peaceful solution.
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2021-10-15 13:30:22 Idiom:

the last straw

Meaning
Something is the last straw if it's the latest in a series of annoying or upsetting events, and it's the one that finally makes you do something about the situation.

For example:

I was already close to resigning, but the last straw was being bossed around by some kid twenty years younger than me. After that, I quit the job.

I saw my girlfriend flirting with another guy at the party, and that was the last straw. I told her our relationship was over and I left.
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2021-10-15 00:23:57 Idiom:

an eye-opener

Meaning
You can say something's an eye-opener if it's made you realize something you hadn't been aware of before.

For example

Al Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth" was a real eye-opener for me. I hadn't really understood how serious global warming was until I saw it.

Cathy said her trip to Thailand was quite an eye-opener for her. She'd never realized before how beautiful Thailand was, or how friendly the people were.
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2021-10-14 12:20:33 Idiom:

"A red rag to a bull"

Meaning:
A deliberate provocation.

For example:

Telling Putin that he is macho as a response to being small in stature was like a red rag to a bull.

Where did it originate?:
Britain. An allusion to bullfighting, where the bull is provoked by a waved cloth.

Where is it used?:
Worldwide.
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2021-10-13 23:53:22 Idiom:

nerves of steel

Meaning:
If you have nerves of steel, you are very brave and not many things make you scared or nervous.

For example:

I could never work on one of those high-rise building sites where you walk along beams about twenty stories up. You'd need nerves of steel to do that job.

Those people who sing the national anthem before one of those big sporting events must have nerves of steel.
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