What is an Idiom?

An idiom is a phrase where the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words.
Here are some - you may find you know/use many of them!
A penny saved is a penny earned:  This means that we shouldn't spend or waste money, but try to save it.
A still tongue keeps a wise head:  Wise people don't talk much.
All the tea in China:  If someone won't do something for all the tea in China, they won't do it no matter how much money they are offered.
Armchair critic:  An armchair critic is someone who offers advice but never shows that they could actually do any better.
Call the dogs off:  If someone calls off their dogs, they stop attacking or criticising someone.
Case in point:  Meaning an instance of something has just occurred that was previously discussed. For instance, a person may have told another that something always happens. Later that day, they see it happening, and the informer might say, 'case in point'.
Chickenfeed:  If something is small or unimportant, especially money, it is chickenfeed.
Many moons ago:  A very long time ago.
March to the beat of your own drum:  If people march to the beat of their own drum, they do things the way they want without taking other people into consideration.
Mark my words:  Mark my words is an expression used to lend an air of seriousness to what the speaker is about to say when talking about the future.
Recharge your batteries:  If you recharge your batteries, you do something to regain your energy after working hard for a long time.
Recipe for disaster:  A recipe for disaster is a mixture of people and events that could only possibly result in trouble.
Red carpet:  If you give someone the red-carpet treatment, you give them a special welcome to show that you think they are important. You can roll out the red carpet, too.
Waiting in the wings:  If someone is waiting in the wings, they are in the background, but nearby, ready to act on short notice.
Wake up and smell the coffee:  When someone doesn't realise what is really happening or is not paying enough attention to events around them, you can tell them to wake up and smell the coffee.
Water off a duck's back:  If criticism or something similar is like water off a duck's back to somebody, they aren't affected by it in the slightest.
Oldest trick in the book: The oldest trick in the book is a well-known way of deceiving someone, though still effective.
Olive branch:  If you hold out or offer an olive branch, you make a gesture to indicate that you want peace.
On a fishing expedition:  If someone is on a fishing expedition, they are trying to get information, often using incorrect or improper ways to find things out.
Elbow room:  If you haven't got enough elbow room, you haven't got enough space.
Elephant in the room:  An elephant in the room is a problem that everyone knows very well but no one talks about because it is taboo, embarrassing, etc. 
Eleventh hour:  If something happens at the eleventh hour, it happens right at the last minute.
Empty vessels make the most noise:  The thoughtless often speak the most.
Beating around the bush:  Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.
Bend over backwards:  Do whatever it takes to help. Willing to do anything.
Between a rock and a hard place:  Stuck between two very bad options.
Bite off more than you can chew:  To take on a task that is way to big.
Flash in the pan:  Something that shows potential or looks promising in the beginning but fails to deliver anything in the end.
Icing on the cake:  When you already have it good and get something on top of what you already have.
Idle hands are the devil's tools:  You are more likely to get in trouble if you have nothing to do.
If it's not one thing, it's another:  When one thing goes wrong, then another, and another...
New York minute:  A minute that seems to go by quickly, especially in a fast paced environment.
No dice:  To not agree. To not accept a proposition.
No room to swing a cat:  An unusually small or confined space.
Not playing with a full deck:  Someone who lacks intelligence.
 
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