Crazy Idioms with Meaning and Example
Crazy Idioms and Phrases! Useful idioms for going crazy in English with meaning and examples. Learn these phrases and idioms for crazy to help your English sound naturally.
A penny for your thoughts
Meaning: A request to know what someone is thinking.
Example: You seem deep in thought. A penny for your thoughts – what’s on your mind?
Bite the bullet
Meaning: to endure a painful or difficult situation
Example: I didn’t want to go to the dentist, but I knew I had to bite the bullet and make the appointment.
Break a leg
Meaning: used to wish someone good luck
Example: Break a leg on your big presentation tomorrow!
Blow one’s top
Meaning: Lose one’s temper
Example: I think he’ll blow his top when you give him the news.
Blow up
Meaning: Explode
Example: When I saw the look on Sarah’s face, I just know she’d blow up.
Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Pursuing a mistaken or misguided course of action, or directing your efforts at the wrong person or thing.
Example: If you’re looking for information about the company’s financial statements, you’re barking up the wrong tree – I work in HR.
Cat got your tongue?
Meaning: used when someone is unusually quiet or speechless
Example: Why aren’t you saying anything? Cat got your tongue?
Chew the fat
Meaning: to have a casual conversation with someone
Example: Let’s grab a coffee and chew the fat for a while.
Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: to dwell on a past mistake or regret
Example: There’s no point crying over spilled milk, let’s just figure out how to fix it.
Cut to the chase
Meaning: to get to the point or main idea
Example: Can we cut to the chase and talk about what we need to do to solve this problem?
Curiosity killed the cat
Meaning: Being too curious or nosy can lead to trouble.
Example: Don’t open that package – you don’t know what’s inside and you know what they say about curiosity killing the cat.
Drive someone up the wall
Meaning: to irritate or annoy someone
Example: Her constant humming is really driving me up the wall.
Drop a bombshell
Meaning: to reveal a shocking or surprising news
Example: She dropped a bombshell when she announced that she was quitting her job.
Face the music
Meaning: to accept the consequences of one’s actions
Example: I know I messed up, but I’m willing to face the music and make things right.
Fish out of water
Meaning: to feel uncomfortable or out of place in a new situation
Example: I’m used to small towns, so being in the city is making me feel like a fish out of water.
Fly off the handle
Meaning: Lose one’s temper suddenly and unexpectedly
Example: I know you’re upset, but there’s no point flying off the handle like that.
Freak out
Meaning: A wildly irrational reaction or spell of behavior
Example: Mom will freak out when she found out we broke her vase!
Get a taste of your own medicine
Meaning: to experience something similar to what one has done to others
Example: After years of being rude to her coworkers, she finally got a taste of her own medicine when they all ignored her.
Go ape
Meaning: Express wild excitement or anger
Example: July will go ape if she ever hears about it.
Go ballistic
Meaning: Fly into a rage
Example: My parents went totally ballistic when they found out I’d wrecked the car!
Go bananas
Meaning: To become irrational or crazy
Example: I’ll end up going bananas if I have to work in this cubicle for one more day!
Go berserk
Meaning: To go crazy
Example: She went berserk and strangled her cat.
Go bonkers
Meaning: To be or become wild, restless, irrational, or crazy; to act in such a way
Example: The drivers in this country seem to go completely bonkers if there’s even a little bit of snow on the ground.
Go mental
Meaning: To suddenly become extremely angry
Example: My parents are going to go mental if they find out we had a party here!
Go nuts
Meaning: To become crazy
Example: The noise caused all the neighbors to go nuts.
Go off the deep end
Meaning: To unexpectedly become very angry, especially without a good reason
Example: I only put a tiny scratch on your car, so there’s no need to go off the deep end.
Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: to accurately identify or describe something
Example: You hit the nail on the head – that’s exactly what I was thinking.
Hit the roof
Meaning: To become very angry
Example: My parents are going to hit the roof if they find out we had a party here!
In hot water
Meaning: in trouble or facing consequences
Example: He’s in hot water with his boss after missing so many deadlines.
In the same boat
Meaning: In the same situation or circumstance as others
Example: I lost my job too, so don’t worry, we’re in the same boat and we’ll figure it out together.
Jump the gun
Meaning: to start something too early or prematurely
Example: I think we’re jumping the gun by announcing the new product before it’s even been fully developed.
Kick the bucket
Meaning: to die
Example: He kicked the bucket at the age of 90 after a long and fulfilling life.
Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: to reveal a secret
Example: I accidentally let the cat out of the bag and told everyone about the surprise party.
Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: Don’t disturb a situation as it is – it could make things worse.
Example: I know you’re upset with your coworker, but it’s better to let sleeping dogs lie and avoid any more conflict.
Lose it
Meaning: To suddenly become unable to behave or think in a sensible way
Example: Mom is going to lose it when she gets home and finds out that we broke her vase.
Make a long story short
Meaning: to summarize a story or situation
Example: To make a long story short, we ended up getting lost on our road trip and had to call for help.
Miss the boat
Meaning: to miss an opportunity
Example: If you don’t apply soon, you’re going to miss the boat on that job opening.
Off the hook
Meaning: released from responsibility or obligation
Example: He was happy to be off the hook for planning the company picnic this year.
On the fence
Meaning: undecided or unsure about something
Example: I’m on the fence about which car to buy – there are so many options to choose from.
Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Something that happens very rarely or almost never.
Example: My brother lives abroad, so we only get to see him once in a blue moon.
Paint the town red
Meaning: to go out and celebrate
Example: We’re going to paint the town red after we finish our final exams.
Piece of cake
Meaning: very easy to accomplish
Example: Don’t worry about the exam, it’s going to be a piece of cake for you since you’ve studied so hard.
Pop one’s cork
Meaning: To release one’s anger; to blow one’s top
Example: She tried to hold it back, but suddenly she popped her cork.
Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: to tease or joke with someone
Example: Don’t believe him, he’s just pulling your leg.
Put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning: to invest everything in one thing
Example: You shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to investing in the stock market.
Raining cats and dogs
Meaning: raining heavily
Example: We can’t go outside – it’s raining cats and dogs!
Shoot the breeze
Meaning: to have a casual conversation
Example: Let’s go shoot the breeze over a cup of coffee.
Spill the beans
Meaning: to reveal a secret or confidential information
Example: I can’t believe you spilled the beans about the surprise party!
Take the bull by the horns
Meaning: to confront a difficult situation head-on
Example: She decided to take the bull by the horns and confront her boss about the unfair treatment.
Up in the air
Meaning: uncertain or undecided
Example: The date for the meeting is still up in the air – we haven’t finalized anything yet.
When pigs fly
Meaning: something that will never happen
Example: I’ll give up chocolate when pigs fly!
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