Sixty Clothing Idioms: Part 1
- a feather in one’s cap – an honour, an achievement to be proud of.
- a hand–me–down – an item that has been passed on to a person from someone else.
- as tough as old boots – very tough.
- at the drop of a hat – without hesitation, immediately.
- below the belt – unfair/disregarding the rules.
- birthday suit – naked.
- bulging/bursting at the seams – overflowing.
- by the seat of one’s pants – by instinct rather than skill or knowledge.
- cloak–and–dagger – involving mystery and sometimes espionage.
- cut from the same cloth – similar.
- down–at–the–heels – shabby in appearance.
- dressed to kill – dressed glamorously, often with the intention of making an impression.
- dressed to the nines – dressed smartly.
- hand in glove with – in close association with.
- hot under the collar – angry or embarrassed.
- “I’ll eat my hat if ___” – “I think it is very unlikely that ___”/ “I’ll be very shocked if ___”.
- if the cap/shoe fits, wear it – since a general remark or criticism applies to someone, they should accept i.t
- in another person’s shoes – in another person’s situation.
- off–the–cuff – without preparation.
- old hat – outdated.
- out of pocket – having lost money/paid for directly by someone.
- the boot/shoe is on the other foot – the situation has reversed, the person in the position of advantage is now in a position of disadvantage.
- to air one’s dirty laundry/linen in public – to discuss private problems in front of others.
- to bet one’s boots – to bet all of one’s possessions.
- to buckle down – to determinedly tackle a task.
- to catch someone with their pants down – to catch someone while they are unprepared (usually when they are in an embarrassing or compromising position).
- to come apart at the seams – to be in an extremely poor condition/to be close to collapse.
- to drag oneself up by one’s bootstraps – to improve oneself through one’s own effort.
- to fill someone else’s shoes – to (usually temporarily) take someone’s place.
- to fit like a glove – to fit perfectly.
If you’ve found this post useful, why not check out our other articles on idioms?
09 Dec 2014
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