Entry 1
A big ask
Meaning A favour which is a lot to ask of someone.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- Tod had only just got home from his overnight flight when his boss told him to get back to the airport and fly to Sydney. That was a big ask.
Pronunciation
Idioms · 21 entries
Effort
What does "Effort" mean?
A favour which is a lot to ask of someone.
A big ask
Australia.
A sledgehammer to crack a nut
A stitch in time saves nine
The United Kingdom. A very old proverb.
Actions speak louder than words
The United Kingdom - 17th century.
Bend over backwards
Bring your A game
USA, 20th century.
Burn the midnight oil
Britain, 17th century.
Cream crackered
Crunch time
Sir Winston Churchill coined and often used the expression ‘it comes to the crunch’ and this is the source of the ‘crunch time’ variant.
Cut corners
Rudyard Kipling, late 19th century.
Elbow grease
Britain, late 17th century.
Get a gold star
USA, late 19th century. First found in the US magazine The Ladies’ Home Journal.
Go the extra mile
USA, late 19th century.
Hit the books
USA
Keep your chin up
USA, late 19th century.
No rush
On a hiding to nothing
Britain, early 1900s.
Run out of steam
Scrape together
Scrub up
Derived as an allusion to the intensive scrubbing that surgeons undertake to be especially clean for operations.
Step up to the mark
Britain, 18th century.
Entry 2
A sledgehammer to crack a nut
Meaning The use of excessive resources to overcome a small problem.
Usage Widely used.
Example
- Using the air ambulance to get granny to hospital was a sledgehammer to crack a nut. She could walk perfectly well and we only live 200 yards away.
Pronunciation
Entry 3
A stitch in time saves nine
Meaning A small effort made at the right time might save a calamity later on.
Usage In use worldwide, but less commonly than before and mainly by the older generation.
Example
- Fixing that frayed rope was a real stitch in time. It would probably have snapped when the wind got up later if we hadn’t.
Pronunciation
Entry 4
Actions speak louder than words
Meaning Actions show one’s character more than what you say.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- She spoke up for the immigrants but he gave them a bed in his house - actions speak louder than words.
Pronunciation
Entry 5
Bend over backwards
Meaning Make extravagant efforts to avoid bias.
Example
- Everyone assumed the commentators would prefer their own team. They had to bend over backwards to show that they were being fair.
Pronunciation
Entry 6
Bring your A game
Meaning Perform to the best of your ability.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- The cup game tomorrow is the biggest in the club's history. Everyone in the team needs to bring his A game.
Pronunciation
Entry 7
Burn the midnight oil
Meaning To work late into the night.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- Sorry, I can't come to the pub. This report's due at 9am and I'll need to burn the midnight oil if I am going to get it finished.
Pronunciation
Entry 8
Cream crackered
Meaning Cockney rhyming slang for knackered. - note, when this term was coined, cream crackers were a popular snack in the UK.
Usage Mostly Britain.
Example
- That's an hour on the exercise bike. I can't do any more - I'm crackered.
Pronunciation
Entry 9
Crunch time
Meaning The period of time just before a project has to be completed.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- The exam is tomorrow and I need to pass - it's crunch time for me.
Pronunciation
Entry 10
Cut corners
Meaning Doing things in a slipshod way, to avoid expense or effort.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- We should be using best butter for this recipe, but he's cutting corners and using oil.
Pronunciation
Entry 11
Elbow grease
Meaning Energetic labour, especially in the polishing of household items.
Usage Britain, mostly by the older generation.
Example
- That silver will never get a shine like that - put some elbow grease into it.
Pronunciation
Entry 12
Get a gold star
Meaning Earn a merit point for doing well.
Example
- Well done Juliet. 100% in your maths test = you are due a gold star.
Pronunciation
Entry 13
Go the extra mile
Meaning Going beyond what is usually required. Make an extra effort.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- He needed have picked me up from the airport. I'm grateful that he went the extra mile.
Pronunciation
Entry 14
Hit the books
Meaning To study, especially for a test or exam.
Usage Mostly USA.
Example
- I've done no work for the end of terms exams. I need to hit the books bigtime.
Pronunciation
Entry 15
Keep your chin up
Meaning Remain positive in a tough situation.
Usage Although derived in the USA this idiom is more commonly heard now in Britain.
Example
- Sorry to hear that you were made redundant on the day your buried your mother. Keep your chin up mate.
Pronunciation
Entry 16
No rush
Meaning Said to someone to indicate that you aren't in a hurry for them to complete their task.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- You can finish your tea before you start on my photocopying. I've got to wait here for Jim anyway, so there's no rush.
Pronunciation
Entry 17
On a hiding to nothing
Meaning Faced with a hopeless situation, even after making one's best efforts.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- We knew that our trip to Australia was a hiding to nothing. We had to play with jet lag and they had a much stronger team anyway.
Pronunciation
Entry 18
Run out of steam
Meaning Completely out of energy.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- I was going strong in the marathon until I hit the wall at the twenty mile mark. Then I was right out of steam.
Pronunciation
Entry 19
Scrape together
Meaning To manage, with difficulty, enough of what is needed - especially money.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- Between three three of us we managed to scrape together £5 for a taxi home.
Pronunciation
Entry 20
Scrub up
Meaning Make an effort to present oneself well dressed and smartly turned out.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- I'd only ever seen Jim in jeans before. Now he's in a suit and had a haircut I think he scrubs up really well.
Pronunciation
Entry 21
Step up to the mark
Meaning Mark yourself ready to take responsibility.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- If you really want to top job you need to step up to the mark and show the board what you are worth.
Pronunciation