Idioms Beginning With J

Idioms Beginning With J

English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English. They come up all the time in both written and spoken English. Because idioms don’t always make sense literally, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the meaning and usage of each idiom. That may seem like a lot of work, but learning idioms is fun, especially when you compare English idioms to the idioms in your own language.

List of Idioms Beginning With J

Idioms Beginning With J with Meaning and Example

Here’s a list of “Idioms Beginning With J” in English:

Jack of all trades

• Meaning: A person who is competent in many skills but not necessarily outstanding in any particular one.
• Example: John is a jack of all trades; he can fix cars, paint houses, and cook gourmet meals.

Jam-packed

• Meaning: Extremely crowded or full.
• Example: The concert was jam-packed with fans eager to see the band perform.

Jaws of death

• Meaning: A very dangerous situation.
• Example: The firefighters rescued the family from the jaws of death during the fire.

Jerk someone around

• Meaning: To treat someone badly, especially by being dishonest or unfair.
• Example: He’s been jerking me around for weeks about the loan repayment.

Jump down someone’s throat

• Meaning: To respond angrily or aggressively to someone.
• Example: She jumped down his throat when he suggested she should calm down.

Jump on the bandwagon

• Meaning: To start doing something because it is fashionable or everyone else is doing it.
• Example: Many companies are jumping on the bandwagon of eco-friendly products.

Jump the gun

• Meaning: To start something too soon or before the right time.
• Example: They jumped the gun by releasing the product before it was fully tested.

Jump through hoops

• Meaning: To do a lot of difficult things before you are allowed to have or achieve something.
• Example: She had to jump through hoops to get her visa approved.

Jump to conclusions

• Meaning: To make a judgment or decision quickly without having all the facts.
• Example: Don’t jump to conclusions about her behavior; there might be a good explanation.

Just what the doctor ordered

• Meaning: Exactly what is needed or wanted.
• Example: A vacation to the beach was just what the doctor ordered after months of hard work.

Juggling act

• Meaning: A situation that involves dealing with many different activities or responsibilities at the same time.
• Example: Being a single parent and working full-time is a real juggling act.

Johnny-on-the-spot

• Meaning: Someone who is always ready to help or be of service.
• Example: He’s a real Johnny-on-the-spot, always ready to lend a hand when needed.

Judge a book by its cover

• Meaning: To make a judgment based solely on appearance.
• Example: You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover; he may look unkempt, but he’s very intelligent.

Jump ship

• Meaning: To leave a job or activity suddenly, especially when it becomes difficult or seems doomed.
• Example: Several employees jumped ship when the company started having financial troubles.

Jungle out there

• Meaning: A situation that is wild, chaotic, or dangerous.
• Example: The stock market is like a jungle out there, with risks and rewards.

Just around the corner

• Meaning: Very near in time or distance.
• Example: With summer just around the corner, it’s time to start planning your vacation.

Joined at the hip

• Meaning: Very close or inseparable.
• Example: Those two friends are joined at the hip; they do everything together.

Jump in with both feet

• Meaning: To become involved in something quickly and enthusiastically.
• Example: She decided to jump in with both feet and start her own business.

Justice is blind

• Meaning: Justice should be impartial and not influenced by personal feelings or biases.
• Example: The judge’s decision proved that justice is blind, as he ruled fairly despite public opinion.

Just deserts

• Meaning: What one deserves, especially punishment or reward.
• Example: The criminal got his just deserts when he was sentenced to life in prison.

Jump on the bandwagon

• Meaning: To support something that is popular or successful.
• Example: Many politicians are jumping on the bandwagon of climate change awareness.

Jockey for position

• Meaning: To try to get into a better position than others, often using cunning or deceit.
• Example: The candidates are jockeying for position as the election day approaches.

Jack up

• Meaning: To increase something, especially prices.
• Example: The store jacked up the prices of fans during the heatwave.

Jump out of one’s skin

• Meaning: To be extremely surprised or frightened.
• Example: I nearly jumped out of my skin when the fire alarm went off.

Jaw-dropping

• Meaning: Extremely surprising or shocking.
• Example: The magician’s tricks were jaw-dropping.

Join forces

• Meaning: To work together with others to achieve a common goal.
• Example: The two companies joined forces to develop a new technology.

Jet-set

• Meaning: A wealthy and fashionable group of people who travel widely and frequently.
• Example: The jet-set crowd often spends winters in the Caribbean and summers in Europe.

Jam on the brakes

• Meaning: To stop suddenly and forcefully.
• Example: He had to jam on the brakes to avoid hitting the deer.

Jump at the chance

• Meaning: To eagerly seize an opportunity.
• Example: When she was offered a promotion, she jumped at the chance.

Just off the boat

• Meaning: Naive or inexperienced, especially newly arrived from a foreign place.
• Example: He may seem just off the boat, but he’s a quick learner.

Juggle with something

• Meaning: To handle or manage multiple tasks or responsibilities simultaneously.
• Example: She juggles with work, studies, and family commitments every day.

Jump-start

• Meaning: To start or restart something quickly or energetically.
• Example: The government is trying to jump-start the economy with new stimulus measures.

Jack up prices

• Meaning: To increase prices steeply.
• Example: The company jacked up prices due to increased demand.

Jot down

• Meaning: To write something quickly.
• Example: I need to jot down the phone number before I forget it.

Jump on board

• Meaning: To join or become involved in an activity or project.
• Example: We need more volunteers to jump on board with our community project.

Just in the nick of time

• Meaning: At the last possible moment.
• Example: They finished the project just in the nick of time for the deadline.

Jump all over someone

• Meaning: To criticize or scold someone harshly.
• Example: My boss jumped all over me for missing the meeting.

Juggle finances

• Meaning: To manage one’s finances with difficulty, often by moving money from one place to another.
• Example: She had to juggle finances to pay for her children’s education.

Jump to someone’s defense

• Meaning: To quickly support or defend someone.
• Example: Her friends jumped to her defense when she was criticized unfairly.

Jockey for advantage

• Meaning: To maneuver or scheme for a better position.
• Example: The candidates are jockeying for advantage in the upcoming election.

Just for the record

• Meaning: Used to indicate that something is said for the purpose of clarity or emphasis.
• Example: Just for the record, I never agreed to those terms.

Jack of All Trades

• Meaning: A person who is skilled in many different areas but may not be an expert in any one.
• Example: He’s a jack of all trades; he can fix the car, do the plumbing, and cook dinner.

Jam Session

• Meaning: An informal gathering of musicians to play music together.
• Example: We had an amazing jam session last night with some local jazz musicians.

Jim Crow

• Meaning: Refers to the racial segregation laws and practices in the United States, particularly in the South, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Example: The civil rights movement worked to dismantle the oppressive Jim Crow laws.

Join the Club

• Meaning: An expression used to indicate that someone is not alone in their experience or situation.
• Example: If you’re feeling overwhelmed by work, join the club; we all are.

Jump in with Both Feet

• Meaning: To become fully involved in something quickly and enthusiastically.
• Example: She decided to jump in with both feet and start her own business.

Jump on the Bandwagon

• Meaning: To start doing something because it is popular or because others are doing it.
• Example: Many companies are jumping on the bandwagon of environmental sustainability.

Jump the Gun

• Meaning: To start something too early or prematurely.
• Example: They jumped the gun by announcing the new product before it was ready.

Jump the Shark

• Meaning: A point at which something that was once popular or influential begins to decline in quality and become less relevant.
• Example: Some fans believe the TV show jumped the shark when the main character left.

Jump the Track

• Meaning: To veer off course or deviate from a planned path.
• Example: The conversation jumped the track and went off-topic several times.

Jump Through Hoops

• Meaning: To go through a lot of trouble or difficult procedures to achieve something.
• Example: He had to jump through hoops to get his visa approved in time.

Just Around the Corner

• Meaning: Imminent or about to happen soon.
• Example: With the holidays just around the corner, it’s time to start shopping for gifts.

Just for the Record

• Meaning: Used to indicate that something is being said for clarity or to note something officially.
• Example: Just for the record, I never agreed to the terms of that contract.

Just What the Doctor Ordered

• Meaning: Exactly what is needed or wanted.
• Example: A vacation to the beach is just what the doctor ordered after months of hard work.

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