Friends of Idiomation

Who are the Friends of Idiomation?

Friends of Idiomation are people just like you who have wondered how a word, phrase, expression or cliché first came about and then became part of the English language.  This page is Idiomation’s way of saying “Thank You” to those who help make this site as interesting as it is informative.

Wondering who is using Idiomation as a resource for their articles and blog entries?

If you click on this LINK, you’ll be taken to a new page that lists some of the places online where Idiomation entries have been linked to and/or used as source material for other articles.

Can I share links to entries on Idiomation?

Please feel free to share any other Idiomation linkage you find while traveling the net.  In fact, Idiomation encourages readers and visitors to share links on social media networks, in forums, in group discussions, and everywhere an idiom may be found.

How do I get my name on the Friends of Idiomation list?

You can suggest an idiom by posting on the Contact link on this website.

Ann Bormett suggested:
* that’s a sack of cold chestnuts (December 1, 2010)
* the buck stops here (December 2, 2010)
* jailbird (December 3, 2010)
* doughboy (December 6, 2010)
* against the grain (December 7, 2010)
* egghead (December 8, 2010)
* pour salt in an open wound (December 9, 2010)
* Adam’s apple (December 10, 2010)
* landed gentry (December 13, 2010)
* thick as thieves (December 14, 2010)
* King’s ransom (December 15, 2010)
* diamond in the rough (December 16, 2010)
* fit to be tied (December 17, 2010)
* basket case (December 20, 2010)
* bosom buddies (December 21, 2010)
* in a jiffy (December 22, 2010)
* harvest moon (December 23, 2010)
* Sunday driver (December 24, 2010)
* toss your cookies (December 27, 2010)
* swing for that (December 28, 2010)
* shotgun wedding (December 29, 2010)
* helter skelter (December 30, 2010)
* let sleeping dogs lie (December 31, 2010)

Billie Morgan suggested
*  Whoa Nellie (8 January 2022)

Brian Michael Stempien suggested:
*  not for nothing (August 30, 2013)

Cath Alexander suggested:
*  blurb (January 31, 2017)

Carrie Harris suggested:
* ollie, ollie, oxen free (March 7, 2011)

Danielle Carey Corley suggested:
*  falling asleep (August 16, 2010)
*  hit the sack (October 05, 2010)
*  never look a gift horse in the mouth (April 18, 2011)
*  tuckered out (May 2, 2011)
*  to boot (May 3, 2011)
*  save for a rainy day (May 4, 2011)
*  shake a stick at (May 5, 2011)
*  fly by the seat of your pants (May 10, 2011)
*  my pears are poaching (May 13, 2011)
*  willy nilly (May 24, 2011)

Darlene Stimson suggested:
*  piping hot (March 16, 2010)
*  the cat’s pyjamas (April 6, 2010)
*  beeline (April 7, 2010)
*  if it weren’t for you and big potatoes we’d only have small potatoes (April 8, 2010)
*  Hobson’s choice (May 3, 2010)

Douglas Giesel suggested:
* flying off the handle (June 18, 2010)
* God willing and the creek don’t rise (November 29, 2010)
* alive and kicking (November 30, 2010)
* if my grandmother had wheels (January 3, 2011)
* don’t take any wooden nickels (January 4, 2011)
* more fun than a barrel of monkeys (January 5, 2011)
* slow as molasses in January (January 6, 2011)
* Boxing Day (January 7, 2011)
* cold day in Hell (January 10, 2011)
* snowball’s chance in Hell (January 11, 2011)
* when Hell freezes over (January 12, 2011)
* Hell bent for leather (January 13, 2011)
* road to Hell is paved with good intentions, the (January 14, 2011)
* for the birds (January 17, 2011)
* a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush (January 18, 2011)
* don’t count your chickens until your eggs are hatched (January 19, 2011)
* dead duck (January 20, 2011)
* as the crow flies (January 21, 2011)
* in a New York minute (January 24, 2011)
* take my Texas time (January 25, 2011)
* early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise (January 26, 2011)
* red skies at night, sailors delight (January 27, 2011)
* two shakes of a lamb’s tail (January 28, 2011)
* mud in your eye (January 31, 2011)
* the best laid schemes of mice and men (February 2, 2011)
* Murphy’s Law (March 10, 2011)
* between the Devil and the deep blue sea (August 8, 2011)
* waiting for the other shoe to drop (November 25, 2014)

Eric Alper suggested:
*  cool as a cucumber (September 27, 2016)

Gary David Currie suggested:
* dead right (August 17, 2010)
* cop out (August 19, 2010)
* dead ringer (February 3, 2011)
* carry coals to Newcastle (February 4, 2011)
* where there’s muck there’s brass (February 7, 2011)

Greg Trutner suggested:
*  watershed moment (February 8, 2013)
*  gerrymander (February 25, 2013)
*  spitballing (June 10, 2013)
*  I’m the Queen of England (June 24, 2013)
*  Queen for a day (June 28, 2013)
*  well-heeled (12 August 2013)
*  head over heels (19 August 2013)
*  tar heel (21 August 2013)
*  on the heels (23 August 2013)
*  give someone the gears (26 August 2013)
*  nailed it (21 October 2013)
*  sin bin (30 October 2013)
*  English on it (08 November 2013)
*  lame duck (18 November 2013)
*  Hail Mary pass (22 November 2013)
*  snow cone (4 December 2013)
*  feet to the fire (24 January 2014)

Heather Haley suggested:
*  baptism rain (February 15, 2018)

Heather E. Farley suggested:
*  up in arms (April 29, 2013)
*  takes the cake (July 8, 2013)
*  cakewalk (July 10, 2013)
*  hold water (July 22, 2013)
*  bat shit crazy (August 25, 2016)
*  no fuss, no muss (May 8, 2021)
*  kneehigh to a grasshopper (15 January 2022)
*  bite the bullet (22 January 2022)

Jake Furchak suggested:
*  have kittens (January 3, 2014)

James F. Duggan suggested:
*  you can’t have your cake and eat it, too  (April 9, 2010)

Jeff Long suggested:
*  up the duff (February 26, 2015)

Jeremy Busch suggested:
* muck-a-muck (March 15, 2011)

Jerry Flowers suggested:
*  cool beans (September 22, 2016)

John Randace suggested:
*  sin bin (October 30, 2013)
*  English on it (08 November 2013)
*  Hail Mary pass (22 November 2013)
*  snow cone (4 December 2013)

Julie Stevenson suggested:
*  never cast a clout until May is out  (March 30, 2010)

Kathy Hill suggested:
*  if looks could kill (February 5, 2014)

Karen LaVerne McDade suggested:
*  all dressed up and no place to go (April 6, 2011)
*  putting on the Ritz (April 8, 2011)

Kevin Schofield suggested:
*  token Indian (February 3, 2015)

Kim Krygowski-Appel suggested:
*  this looks like something Katie shot at and hit! (March 24, 2010)
*  in the closet (April 29, 2010)
*  Yanks and Yankees (July 1, 2010)
*  horse of a different color (April 26, 2011)

Korey Rood-Behlmer suggested:
*  pinch pennies (March 4, 2010)
*  penny pincher (March 5, 2010)
*  bees knees (April 5, 2010)

Leo Corley suggested:
*  the coast is clear (May 9, 2011)

Lewis Schofield suggested:
*  shoot the breeze (February 10, 2011)
*  stark raving mad (February 28, 2011)
*  Finagle’s Law (March 11, 2011)
*  brick-and-mortar store (April 12, 2013)
*  seven ways to Sunday (April 22, 2013)
*  fourth wall (November 12, 2013)

Lora Young suggested:
*  the half of it (August 3, 2017)

Loretta Powell suggested:
*  do as I say and not as I do (April 12, 2010)

Lorraine Orkusz suggested:
*  bite the bullet (22 January 2022)
*  off the hook (2 April 2022)

Lynne Dutton suggested:
*   nitpicking (5 April 5 2016)

Mandy Juby Livings suggested:
*  spic and span (14 June 2010)

Michele Nichols suggested:
*  the devil is in the details (17 August 2011)
*  cut from the same cloth (12 September 2011)
*  cut above (13 September 2011)
*  cutting edge (14 September 2011)

Monica Beatriz suggested:
*  deaf as a doornail (23 January 2018)
*  naked truth (13 February 2018)
*  ballpark figure (10 July 2021)

Noel A. Rostron suggested:
*  strong as an ox (08 February 2011)
*  send shivers down my spine (11 February 2011)

Ramon Hill suggested:
*  make your own bed and lie in it (11 January 2018)

Rene’e Raub suggested:
*   TPing the yard (29 October 2019)

Richard Fink suggested:
*  the camel’s nose is under the tent (29 March 2016)

Robert Brundage suggested:
*  rule of thumb (16 October 2021)
*  down the rabbit hole (29 January 2022)

Robin Thomas Quinn aka Artie Q suggested:
*   gobsmacked (April 14, 2014)
*   till the cows come home (October 16, 2014)
*   all and sundry (November 12, 2015)
*   wash your mouth out with soap (December 1, 2015)
*   pleased as Punch (January 7, 2016)
*   blimey (March 31, 2016)
*   Wellington boots (September 24, 2019)

Rose Castro suggested
*  head-desking (January 24, 2017)
*  mansplaining (January 26, 2017)

Sara Gerardo suggested:
*  right as rain (August 28, 2013)

Stephen Danos suggested:
*  egg on their faces (April 3, 2018)

Thomas Taylor suggested:
*   since Hector was a pup (March 31, 2010)
*   flash in the pan (February 21, 2011)
*   dressed to the nines (April 7, 2011)
*   crisp and clean and no caffeine (May 29, 2013)
*   blue light special (June 5, 2013)
*   goody two shoes (October 14, 2013)
*   two-gun Sam (April 7, 2014)
*   hot as a two dollar pistol (April 10, 2014)
*   under your hat (June 25, 2015)
*   cute as a button (August 6, 2015)
*   foot the bill (October 4, 2016)
*   to a T (March 13, 2018)