So, in the years that I've been writing, I've discovered that trying to memorize good phrases or words that work well together tends to be really difficult, and frustrating when i go to put them on paper and forget them all. 

so over the past few months, I've been collecting old phrases from my family, friends, and the internet, and storing them in one massive word document, so that when i wish to use a phrase or find a fitting situation for one, i can look on that list. On that same document, i also have a list of interesting words and synonyms for basic words, because i find that having a refined search that has exactly what i'm looking for right away is much easier than using dictionary.com thesaurus.com or any other websites. let me know if you're interested in that as well.

 Also let me know if you would like me to start a book with writing tips, interesting words, more phrases like this, and more!

feel free to use/copy this list and use it however you would like, i'm not asking for credit or anything. i'm constantly adding to it and am constantly finding myself needing to print out a new handheld copy every week or so. 

anyway, sorry if there's repeats, or if there's any that don't have definitions. i tried to go back and define as many as i could on my own before posting this, but there's some that are blank simply because i already knew what they meant. 

i'll link the main website I've been using. I still haven't copied all of them down onto this list (i think i stopped at letter 'o'), and so that's why there's more for some then others. they're all alphabetized, to make it a little easier. 

so, that's it for now, i'm glad i could be of help and i hope that this is useful! 

~~~~~

 1. [my] salad days – the days of one's youthful inexperience

2. [not] my cup of tea – not preferable or particularly favored

3. [to have gone] Six feet under – to die or be dead

4. A bad workman always blames his tools – suggests a bad worker tends to look for excuses for bad work

5. A bigger bang for your buck – better value for your money

6. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush – better to have a lesser but certain advantage that the possibility of a greater one that may come to nothing

7. A blessing in disguise – an apparent misfortune that works to the eventual benefit of the recipient

8. A cat in gloves catches no mice – nice guys always finish last

9. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link

10. A flash in the pan – something that fails to deliver long-term benefits after initial success

11. A house divided against itself cannot stand

12. A little birdie told me – someone told oneself a secret

13. A man after my own heart – I kindred spirit; someone who thinks as oneself does

14. A nest of vipers – group of iniquitous (sinful) people, congregating together

15. A nod is as good as a wink - expresses the idea that, to a person who is ready to understand or undertake something, any subtle signaling of it is sufficient. The context is usually of some undertaking that is borderline illegal or of an innuendo.

16. A pig in a poke – something important that is bought without first examining it

17. A stitch in time saves nine – small effort made at right time might save a calamity later on

18. Absence makes the heart grow fonder – feelings for people/things grows when we are apart from them

19. Act your age – be mature

20. Ain't over till the fat lady sings (One should not assume the outcome of a situation until it reaches it's end, because things can change)

21. All bark and no bite – big talk, no action

22. All the bells and whistles (has everything imaginable)

23. Alphabet soup – jumble of words or letters

24. Amber nectar – slang term for beer

25. Ankle biter – slang term for small child

26. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree

27. As difficult as nailing jelly to a tree (someone who is stubborn and hard to deal with)

28. At the drop of a hat – with no delay

29. Away with the fairies – not facing reality; in a dream world

30. Back to the drawing board – start over

31. Bad egg

32. Baker's dozen – thirteen

33. Ball is in your court – someone else's responsibility; look to someone else to make the call

34. Barking up the wrong tree (pursue a mistaken course of action)

35. Barrel of laughs

36. Basket case – person/thing that is no longer able to function properly

37. Basket case (useless or unable to cope)

38. Be a sport – be generous and/or show good sportsmanship

39. Beach bum – usually a youngster who spends all their time at the beach, be it surfing or partying

40. Beating a dead horse (bring up an issue that has already been resolved or attended to)

41. Beating around the bush (This means a person is talking about something, but they are avoiding the main point, intentionally or not)

42. Bee in her bonnet – she is upset

43. Beggars can't be choosers

44. Bent out of shape – to be upset

45. Best of both worlds

46. Between a rock and a hard place

47. Big fish in a small pond – an important person but only so within a small area of influence

48. Bigger fish to fry (bigger things to worry about)

49. Birds of a feather flock together (people associate with those that have similar values to oneself)

50. Bite off more than you can chew – take on a task that is more than you can manage

51. Bite the dust – die in gruesome/violent way

52. Bite your tongue – don't say something you want to say

53. Blood is thicker than water – family loyalties are stronger than those to other people

54. Blue humor (offensive or risqué)

55. Break a leg

56. Breaking new ground

57. Breast is best – slang term for breastfeeding

58. Bring your a game – do your best

59. Broken record – say same thing many times; repeat yourself, usually about issues

60. Bull in a China shop

61. Bunch of fives – fist used in a fight

62. Burn the midnight oil – work late into the night

63. Bury the hatchet (move on)

64. Call em' like I see em'

65. Can't cut the mustard – unable to meet the demands put upon you

66. Can't teach an old dog new tricks

67. Cast iron stomach

68. Cat got your tongue? – why aren't you talking?

69. Caught between two stools – finding it difficult to choose between two alternatives

70. Caught red-handed

71. Caught red-handed

72. Chat him/her up – to talk with someone you find attractive to make them like you

73. Chew someone out – verbally scold someone

74. Chicken feed – something of little importance, especially of a small sum of money

75. Chip off the old block

76. Cock and bull story – an unbelievable tale

77. Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey – extremely cold weather

78. Cold turkey

79. Come hell or high water – despite any great difficult or obstacle

80. Cop an attitude – adopt a aggressive stance

81. Cost me an arm and a leg (meaning expensive)

82. Cross that bridge when I come to it – figure it out later

83. Cross your fingers

84. Crunch time – time just before a project must be completed

85. Cry crocodile tears – pretend to be upset

86. Curiosity killed the cat (mind your own business)

87. Daily grind – the dull daily routine

88. Dead as a doornail

89. Dead ringer – an exact duplicate

90. Diamond in the rough – person or thing having good underlying qualities while appearing course

91. Different kettle of fish – something completely different

92. Dime a dozen – very common

93. Don't bite the hand that feeds you – don't hurt someone that helps you

94. Don't count your chickens before they hatch

95. Don't cry over spilled milk (don't worry about things that have already happened and can't be changed)

96. Don't get your panties in a bunch (it's not a big problem, stop being dramatic)

97. Down for the count (something that looks or is nearly defeated)

98. Down the rabbit hole

99. Dressed to the nines – very smartly dressed; in one's best clothes

100. Dropping like flies

101. Early bird gets the worm

102. Elbow grease

103. Elephant in the room

104. Elvis has left the building – primary performer has left. No point in sticking around.

105. Even a broken clock is right twice a day (someone unreliable can still be right about something, even if by accident)

106. Every cloud has a silver lining (be optimistic)

107. Everything but the kitchen sink (include nearly everything possible)

108. Famous last words

109. Fast and loose – be inconstant and unreliable

110. Fate worse than death

111. Feed it to the birds – something that is not worth anything

112. Fell off the back of a lorry – coy reference to an item that has been stolen (British)

113. Fell on deaf ears

114. Fine as frog's hair – extremely fine, delicate and slender

115. Fingers and thumbs – clumsy, unable to hold things steadily in one hand

116. First dibs

117. Fish out of water (person in an unfamiliar situation or something that they are unsuited for)

118. Fit as a fiddle (good health)

119. Five o'clock shadow – beard regrowth that darkens a man's features late in the day after shaving

120. Flog a dead horse – attempt to make progress on something with no future

121. Fly by the seat of your pants – wing it

122. Foam at the mouth – overwhelmingly angry

123. Foaming at the mouth (very angry)

124. Fool me once, shame on you (Recognizing that you fell for the same ruse twice, and realizing that you should have known better the second time)

125. Forbidden fruit – prohibited article

126. Forever and a day – indefinitely

127. Foul play – dishonest or treacherous behavior, also violent conduct

128. Friday afternoon car – faulty or sub-standard car

129. Full of piss and vinegar – rowdy, boisterous, full of youthful energy

130. Get cold feet

131. Get off your high horse – quit thinking you're better than everyone else

132. Give the cold shoulder

133. Go big or go home

134. Go over like a lead balloon – fail completely and be considered a flop by the public

135. God sure has a sense of humor

136. Goose is cooked – you're in trouble now

137. Hand over fist – quickly and continuously

138. Hard pill to swallow (something that is hard to take in or accept)

139. Has deep pockets – referring to someone who is rich

140. He who doesn't have a dog, learns to hunt with cats – means make the most of what you have

141. Heart's content – to one's complete inner satisfaction - until one's heart is content.

142. Hit the hay

143. Hit the nail on the head – say something accurate

144. Horse of a different color – unique

145. Hot potato – current issue which many people are talking about that is controversial

146. How do you like them apples? (to mock someone)

147. Hung out to dry (to be abandoned by someone)

148. I bear a charmed life – life of guaranteed good fortune or invulnerability, by virtue of charm or spell

149. I spy with my little eye

150. I'll be there with bells on – eager; ready to participate

151. I'm all ears

152. If it ain't broke don't fix it – if something/someone is working well, leave it/them alone

153. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen (One should stop doing a task or involving themselves in certain things if they cannot handle the pressure that comes with it)

154. In a nutshell – in a few words; altogether

155. In a pickle (in a mess or undesirable situation)

156. In for a penny, in for a pound – suggests that if one is decided to do something, they may as well do it wholeheartedly

157. In hot water – be in trouble

158. In limbo – in a state of being neglected and immobile, with no prospect of movement to a better place

159. In one ear out the other

160. In over your head – to be involved with something that is to difficult to finish

161. In someone's bad books – to be in disgrace or out of favor

162. In the buff – naked

163. In the catbird seat – in a superior or advantageous position

164. In the doghouse – in disgrace; out of favor

165. In the limelight – the center of attention

166. In the red (losing money or in debt)

167. Indian giver – one who gives a gift but later takes it back

168. Is the pope Polish? – sarcastic comment

169. It never rains but it pours – when troubles come, they come together

170. It's all Greek to me – it's unintelligible to me

171. It's not rocket science (easy to accomplish, usually used in sarcasm)

172. Jack of all trades [master of none] (Having suitable skill in multiple things, but not being an expert in any of them)

173. Jobs for the boys – favoritism where jobs or other benefits are given to friends and acquaintances

174. Joined at the hip (always together)

175. Jump the gun – to do something before the allotted time

176. Jump the gun (to start something too soon)

177. Just what the doctor ordered (what a person needs)

178. Kangaroo court – an unauthorized, bogus court

179. Keep a stiff upper lip – remain resolute and unemotional in the face of adversity, or tragedy

180. Keep the ball rolling – maintain a level of activity in and/or enthusiasm for a project

181. Keep your hands clean – be innocent of any wrongdoing; stay out of trouble

182. Keep your powder dry – be prepared and save your resources until needed

183. Keep your shirt on (keep calm. Said to someone who is angry)

184. Kick the bucket

185. Kill two birds with one stone

186. Kiss and tell – publicly retell of one's *cough* love experiences with goal of revenge

187. Knee-jerk reaction – automatic response to something

188. Knick-knack – dainty little trinket or ornament

189. Knock into a cocked hat – to beat severely

190. Know the ropes [or teach me the ropes[ (understand how something works)

191. Know which side your bread is buttered – know where you stand and who's side you're on

192. Know which way the wind blows – understand what is happening in changing circumstances and be able to anticipate the future

193. Knowledge is power

194. La-di-da – used to highlight/ridicule snobbish forms of behavior or speech

195. Laid out in lavender – prepared for burial

196. Land of nod – mythical land where we travel to sleep

197. Lark about – play the fool in a childless or careless manner

198. Laugh like a drain – laugh coarsely or loudly, especially at the discomfort of others

199. Laughing-stock – figure or object of ridicule and laughter

200. Lead-pipe cinch – a complete certainty

201. Left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing – one's varied interests are kept separate

202. Left in the lurch – abandoned in a difficult position without help

204. Legend in his/her own lifetime – refers to a living person of considerable fame

205. Leopard cannot change its spots

206. Less is more – the notion that simplicity and clarity lead to good design

207. Let a thousand flowers bloom – encourage many ideas from many sources

208. Let bygones be bygones – allow the unpleasant things that have happened in the past be forgotten

209. Let her rip

210. Let sleeping dogs lie – avoid interfering a situation which is currently stable

211. Let the cat out of the bag

212. Let your hair down – behave in a free or uninhibited manner

213. Level the playing field

214. Lick into shape – transform faulty object or venture into something that works effectively

215. Lick your wounds – go away and recover from a bad experience or defeat

216. Lickety-split – headlong; at full speed

217. Life begins at forty – life begins to better at one's middle age

218. Life's not all beer and skittles – shorthand for a life of indulgence spent in the pub/bar

219. Lightning never strikes the same place twice (unlikely to happen again)

220. Like a chicken with its head cut off – in a frenzied manner

221. Like a fish out of water

222. Like a kid in a candy shop

223. Like a moth to a flame – greatly drawn to something/someone

224. Like the clappers – go very fast; in a vigorous manner

225. Like two ships passing in the night (people who barely see each other)

226. Little knowledge is a dangerous thing – a small amount of knowledge can mislead people into thinking that they are more expert than they really are, which may lead to making mistakes

227. Little pitchers have big ears – implying to be careful because children are listening

228. Living daylights – beat/scare someone severely

229. Living off the fat of the land – living well; fed by abundant crops

230. Living on borrowed time – living after the time you would have expected to have died

231. Lo and behold

232. Load of codswallop – nonsense

233. Lock, stock, and barrel – the whole thing

234. Long in the tooth – old, especially of horses or people

235. Look before you leap – check what is ahead of you before making a decision you cannot change

236. Loose cannon – an unpredictable person or thing, liable to cause damage if not put in check

237. Loose lips sink ships – unguarded talk may give useful information to the enemy

238. Loose your marbles – loose your wit

239. Lunatic fringe – minority group of adherents showing extreme support for a political movement or a set of beliefs

240. Mad as a hatter – completely mad/enraged

241. Make a beeline for something

242. Make hay while the sun shines – make the most of one's opportunities while you have the chance

243. Make no bones about – to state a fact in a way that allows no doubt; to have no objection to

244. Make your hair stand on end – something overly frightening or terrifying

245. Man of few words (quiet person)

246. Many a true word is spoken in jest – literal meaning that the truth is often found in comic utterances

247. Many are called but few are chosen

248. Meat and drink – (first meaning) source of support or pleasure (second meaning) be a simple and routine matter

249. Meat your waterloo – arrive at a final decisive contest

250. Method to my madness

251. Might and main – with all of one's strength

252. Mint condition – in a state of perfection or newness

253. Miss is as good a missile – a narrow miss is the same as a wide miss – they're both misses

254. Moaning Minnie – a habitual grumbler

255. Mondegreens – misheard song lyrics

256. Money for old rope – profitable return for little effort

257. Month of Sundays – a very long time

258. Moot point – an irrelevant argument

259. More fool you? – said in reply to someone who has reported doing something that is considered to be obviously foolish

260. More haste, less speed – something, even if it isn't exactly what you want, is better than nothing

261. More money than God

262. Moving the goalposts – changing of a target or competition to by one side in order to gain advantage

263. Much ado about nothing – great deal of fuss over something of little importance

264. Much of a muchness – similar; difficult to extinguish

265. Mumbo jumbo – to call something total nonsense

266. Murphy's law – if anything can go wrong, it will

267. Mutton dressed as lamb – put down aimed at ageing women who are dressed or made up of someone much younger

268. My better half

269. My giddy aunt – exclamation of surprise

270. My stars and garters – a jocular exclamation or expression of astonishment

271. Necessity is the mother of invention – difficult situations inspire ingenious solutions

272. Neck and neck

273. Needle in a haystack

274. Never give a sucker an even break – never give someone you can take advantage of (by cheating) a fair chance at winning

275. Never-never land – a utopian dreamland

276. Nine day's wonder – a novelty that loses its appeal after a few days

277. Nip in the bud – put a stop to something while it is still in its early development

278. Nitty gritty – the heart of the matter; the basic essentials; the harsh realities

279. No dice – refusal to accept a proposition and/or nothing in quantity

280. No laughing matter – not a subject for levity

281. No quarter given – show no mercy or concession; and/or no mercy for an opposed force

282. No rest for the weary – one's heavy workload or lack of tranquility is due to one's own choice

283. No rest for the wicked – wicked shall be tormented in hell

284. No room to swing a cat – an awkwardly small, confined space

285. No truck with – to reject or have nothing to do with

286. No-brainer

287. Nosy Parker – overly inquisitive or prying nature

288. Not a dicky-bird – not a sound; not an utterance

289. Not by a long chalk – not by any means; a good distance away from the truth

290. Not by a long shot – not by any means; far off in assumption

291. Not for all the tea in China – not for any price

292. Not the sharpest tool in the box

293. Not tonight Josephine – a reference (supposedly said by Napoleon), meaning to turn down *cough* spending the night with someone

294. Not worth a plugged nickel – worthless

295. Nothing ventured, nothing gained – in order to achieve, you need to act and take risks

296. Nothing is certain but death and taxes - draws on the actual inevitability of death to highlight the difficulty in avoiding the burden of taxes.

297. Now is the winter of our discontent - the idea that we have reached the depth of our unhappiness and that better times are ahead.

298. Off his own bat – by an individual's own efforts

299. Off the beaten track – be difficult to find; isolated and remote

300. Off with his head – humorously sarcastic; means mildly reproaching somsone

301. Okey-dokey – okay

302. Old as the hills – exceedingly old

303. Old chestnut – story that has often been told before, a 'venerable' joke; something that is too often repeated

304. Old codger - An old man, especially one who is eccentric, curmudgeonly or grotesque.

305. On a wing and a prayer – in a difficult situation; relying on meagre resources and luck

306. On cloud nine – exceedingly happy; overjoyed

307. On cloud nine (strong feelings of happiness or satisfaction)

308. On queer street – an imaginary street where people in difficulty reside

309. On tenterhooks – in a state of uncomfortable suspense or impatience

310. On the ball – to be alert; in command of one's senses

311. On the ball (being ahead of the game, on top of something)

312. On the button – just right; exactly on target or at exactly the right time

313. On the dole – unemployed and in receipt state of benefit

314. On the double – do something quickly; say something should be done quickly

315. On the fiddle – engaged in fraud

316. On the pig's back – to be in luck; a prosperous happy state

317. On the QT – on the quiet

318. On the ropes (tough situation that is usually hard to recover from)

319. On the shoulders of giants - Using the understanding gained by major thinkers who have gone before in order to make intellectual progress.

320. On the side of the angels – acting in accordance with principles regarded as morally virtuous

321. On the warpath – intent on confrontation or fight

322. On your beam ends – hard up; in a bad situation

323. Once in a blue moon

324. One fell swoop (an action done with haste)

325. One foot in the grave – to be near to death

326. One for the books – an extraordinary feat or event

327. One for the road – one final drink taken before leaving on a journey

328. One man's meat is another man's poison – what is agreeable to one may be distasteful to another

329. One over the eight – the final drink that renders someone drunk

330. One sandwich short of a picnic – a jokey, colloquial term for stupid

331. One stop shop – location, usually a shop, where various requirements can be met in one place

332. One swallow doesn't make a summer – a single instance of something is just that; it doesn't indicate a trend

333. One-hit wonder

334. Oops-a-daisy – exclamation made to encourage a child to get up after a fall or when lifting a child into the air

335. Open a can of worms (doing something that worsens a situation)

336. Open season – a time when criticism or other negative actions may be expected, with no mercy shown

337. Out of left field (surprising, unexpected)

338. Out of sight, out of mind – idea that something is easily forgotten or dismissed as unimportant if it's not in our direct view

339. Out of the jaws of death – saved from great danger

340. Over the moon – very happy or delighted

341. Over the moon (happy)

342. Pardon my French

343. Pass with flying colors

344. Peas in a pod

345. Penny for your thoughts

346. Picture is worth a thousand words

347. Playing for keeps (said when things are about to get serious)

348. Playing possum

349. Point of no return

350. Push the envelope

351. Put a bug in his ear – make a suggestion

352. Put all your eggs in one basket (Going all in; focusing all of one's resources on a single idea or decision)

353. Quick and dirty (Things that are fixed with great speed, but as a result, it's probably not going to work very well)

354. Quick on the draw (action with great haste)

355. Rack my brain – think about something very hard

356. Rain on your parade (spoil someone's fun or plans, ruining a pleasurable moment)

357. Raining cats and dogs (raining heavily)

358. Read between the lines

359. Rhyme or reason (When a person is doing something and it doesn't seem to make any sense as to why they are doing it)

360. Riding shotgun (sits in front passenger seat of a vehicle)

361. Right off the bat (done in a hurry)

362. Ring any bells (sound familiar)

363. Roll out the red carpet – treat someone as if they were a very important person

364. Rome wasn't built in a day (don't rush certain things, be patient)

365. Rubbed me the wrong way – bad vibes from someone or something

366. Run out of steam

367. Safe pair of hands – reliable person

368. Salt in the wound

369. Save some for the fish – to drink a lot of water

370. Second to none

371. Short end of the stick (get bad end of the deal)

372. Sight for sore eyes

373. Sitting duck (vulnerable)

374. Slap on the wrist – mild rebuke, often given when a more severe punishment might be expected

375. Sorry to burst your bubble

376. Speak of the devil – to be speaking of something as it happens or they appear

377. Stop ironing my board – stop bugging me

378. Swinging for the fences (give something your all)

379. Talk the talk (supporting what you say both through words and actions)

380. Taste of your own medicine – mistreatment your receive in retaliation to that you gave to others

381. Testing the waters – try something out; push boundaries

382. The boy who cried wolf

383. The cart before the horse – do something before it is fully prepared

384. The law is an ass – said of the application of the law that is contrary to common sense

385. The moving finger writes – whatever one does in one's life is one's own responsibility and cannot be changed

386. The mutt's nuts – excellent; of highest quality

387. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

388. The straw that broke the camel's back (A series of occurrences that eventually lead to one final thing that causes a person to lose their patience)

389. The whole kit and caboodle – a collection of things

390. There's one born every minute – to say that you think someone did something stupid

391. Throw the towel in (to give up or surrender)

392. Till you're blue in the face – need to say something over and over again without them paying attention to you

393. Toss up – result of an action that is uncertain or could go either way

394. Trail of breadcrumbs

395. Turn the air blue – sweat a lot

396. Two peas in a pod – two identical things/people

397. Under the weather

398. Variety is the spice of life – to say that having different experiences makes life fun and interesting

399. Watch your p's and q's – tell someone to be polite and use good manners

400. When pigs fly

401. Wild goose chase (pursuing something that will never be obtained)

402. Wing it

403. Wolf in sheep's clothing

404. Wolf in sheep's clothing – person who fakes being nice

405. Wouldn't harm a fly

406. Yada yada (signify that something is boring)

407. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink (You can provide an opportunity to someone that can help them, but you cannot force them to take it)

408. You can't have your cake and eat it too (you can't have it both ways)

~~~~~

Main Phrase Website Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/phrases-and-sayings-list.html

Resourceful Dictionary Link: dictionary.com

Resourceful Thesaurus Link: thesaurus.com

Random Words Generator: randomword.com

Share this list!