Kicking the can down the road
Playing with trash
Making a loud noise
Delaying a problem instead of solving it
A phrase from World War II where soldiers would kick empty food cans to avoid carrying them
To be in the same boat
To go sailing together
To share something
A term from ancient seafaring where passengers relied on each other for survival
To be in the same difficult situation as others
A stitch in time saves nine
Fixing a small problem early prevents a bigger issue
A reference to 18th-century tailoring where one missed stitch could ruin an entire garment
Making a strong knot
One person can save a lot of lives if they work hard
To take after someone
To copy another’s work
A phrase from genetics studies where traits were observed in successive generations
To resemble a relative in looks or behavior
To chase someone
Phone tag
A situation where two people keep missing each other’s calls
A phrase originating from corporate offices in the 1980s, where executives would leave messages without ever directly speaking
A game played on the phone
A way to label phone numbers
The apple of one’s eye
A sign of intelligence
A favorite fruit
Someone cherished above all
An old belief that the pupil of the eye was a solid apple-like object
Mickey Mouse show
A Disney performance
A phrase used by World War II soldiers to mock poorly planned military operations
A children's cartoon marathon
Something poorly organized or unprofessional
Barking up the wrong tree
Chasing animals up trees
Pursuing the wrong course of action
An old hunting term for dogs misidentifying prey
Talking too loudly
A fly on the wall
Someone who watches without being noticed
A medieval punishment for nosy eavesdroppers
A hidden spy camera
An insect stuck to a window
Thrown in at the deep end
Falling into a pool
Being trapped underwater
A phrase from swimming lessons where beginners were tested by being thrown into deep water
Given a difficult task with no help
Dead in the water
A fish that has stopped swimming
No longer able to succeed
A sailing term for ships stuck without wind
A floating corpse
To miss the boat
To fail at swimming
To lose an opportunity
To be late for a trip
A reference to 19th-century steamboats where missing departure meant waiting hours for the next ride
Game of telephone
A situation where information gets distorted as it is passed along
Playing with a real telephone
A strategy game
A phrase originating from early parlor games in Victorian England where whispers changed meanings
To read between the lines
To understand a hidden meaning
Skipping words while reading
A phrase from secret wartime messages where hidden instructions were written in faint ink
Writing in invisible ink
To make up for something
To compensate for a mistake
A term from medieval contracts where debts had to be "made up" with alternative payments
To create something
To tell a story
To get the ball rolling
To play sports
To start an activity
To throw something
A phrase from 18th-century bowling games where the first roll determined the rest of the match
To get your wires crossed
To misunderstand something
A phrase from early telephone switchboards where misconnected wires led to crossed conversations
To be shocked by electricity
To fix electrical wires
Like riding a bicycle
Cycling effortlessly
A skill that, once learned, is never forgotten
A reference to early circus performers balancing on tightropes
Moving very quickly
To look down on someone
To think someone is inferior
To be physically taller
To stand on a tall object
A phrase from aristocratic Europe where nobility literally stood above peasants on raised platforms
A flash in the pan
A chef's technique for igniting alcohol in a dish
Something that starts well but fails quickly
A sudden explosion
A small but bright light
To bite the bullet
Eating metal
Fighting aggressively
To endure a painful situation bravely
A term from battlefield medicine where soldiers would bite on a bullet to endure surgery without anesthesia
In a pickle
Feeling sour
A reference to sailors preserving food in brine for long voyages
Holding too many pickles
In a difficult situation
Out of the woods
Lost in the forest
A reference to medieval travelers who feared robbers in forests
Unable to see trees
No longer in trouble
Walking a tightrope
A circus performance
Taking extreme risks with little room for error
A phrase from 19th-century politics about leaders making careful decisions under scrutiny
Balancing on a rope
Burning the candle at both ends
Holding something dangerously
A wasteful way to light a room
Overworking yourself
A phrase from the 17th century referring to people who used expensive candles excessively
To play it by ear
To play music loudly
To cover one’s ears
To do something without a fixed plan
A phrase from classical music where skilled musicians could perform without reading sheet music
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
A feather in one’s cap
An achievement to be proud of
A symbol of rank in 16th-century European duels
A sign of weakness
A hat decoration
Rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic
Organizing furniture
A pointless cleaning task
A phrase derived from reports of stewards tidying furniture as the ship sank
Making small changes while ignoring a big disaster
Skating on thin ice
Taking a risky action
Learning to ice skate
Moving very carefully
A phrase from Dutch winters when frozen canals became unstable
On tenterhooks
A term from fabric-making, where cloth was stretched tightly to dry
Sitting uncomfortably
Hanging on hooks
In suspense or anxiety
Down to the wire
A close horse race
A term from 19th-century telegraph messages arriving late
A dangerous electrical job
A situation decided at the last moment
Heard on the grapevine
A term from the American Civil War when messages were spread via an informal telegraph system
Listening to plants
Learning something through gossip or rumors
Buying fruit at a market
To hit the nail on the head
To describe something exactly right
To hit something hard
A phrase from medieval carpentry where precise hammering was crucial for strong wooden joints
To build something