A flash in the pan
A sudden explosion
A chef's technique for igniting alcohol in a dish
A small but bright light
Something that starts well but fails quickly
A feather in one’s cap
A hat decoration
A symbol of rank in 16th-century European duels
A sign of weakness
An achievement to be proud of
A fly on the wall
A medieval punishment for nosy eavesdroppers
An insect stuck to a window
Someone who watches without being noticed
A hidden spy camera
A wolf in sheep’s clothing
A leader in disguise
A reference to an ancient Norse folktale about Loki
A very confused person
Someone who pretends to be good but is bad
Barking up the wrong tree
Pursuing the wrong course of action
Chasing animals up trees
Talking too loudly
An old hunting term for dogs misidentifying prey
Dead in the water
A sailing term for ships stuck without wind
A fish that has stopped swimming
A floating corpse
No longer able to succeed
Down to the wire
A close horse race
A term from 19th-century telegraph messages arriving late
A situation decided at the last moment
A dangerous electrical job
In a pickle
Holding too many pickles
In a difficult situation
A reference to sailors preserving food in brine for long voyages
Feeling sour
Like riding a bicycle
Cycling effortlessly
Moving very quickly
A reference to early circus performers balancing on tightropes
A skill that, once learned, is never forgotten
On tenterhooks
In suspense or anxiety
A term from fabric-making, where cloth was stretched tightly to dry
Hanging on hooks
Sitting uncomfortably
Out of the woods
A reference to medieval travelers who feared robbers in forests
No longer in trouble
Lost in the forest
Unable to see trees
Skating on thin ice
Moving very carefully
A phrase from Dutch winters when frozen canals became unstable
Taking a risky action
Learning to ice skate
The apple of one’s eye
Someone cherished above all
An old belief that the pupil of the eye was a solid apple-like object
A sign of intelligence
A favorite fruit
Thrown in at the deep end
Given a difficult task with no help
Falling into a pool
A phrase from swimming lessons where beginners were tested by being thrown into deep water
Being trapped underwater
Burning the candle at both ends
Overworking yourself
A wasteful way to light a room
Holding something dangerously
A phrase from the 17th century referring to people who used expensive candles excessively
