English Idioms: June 2012

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Idioms Dictionary Letter N

Nail in the coffin: A nail in someone or something's coffin is a problem or event that is a clear step towards an inevitable failure.
Nail-biter: If a game, election, contest, etc, is a nail-biter, it is exciting because the competitors are so close that it is impossible to predict the result.
Nature abhors a vacuum: This idiom is used to express the idea that empty or unfilled spaces are unnatural as they go against the laws of nature and physics.
Nature of the beast: The basic characteristics of something is the nature of the beast; often used when there's an aspect of something that cannot be changed or that is unpleasant or difficult.
Near the knuckle: If something is near the knuckle, it is bit explicit or too close to the truth for comfort
Necessity is the mother of invention: Difficult situations make people inventive.
Neck and neck: If two competitors or candidates, etc, are neck and neck, then they are very close and neither is clearly winning.
Neck of the woods: If someone talks about their neck of the woods, they mean the area where they live.
Need no introduction: Someone who is very famous and known to everyone needs no introduction.
Needle in a haystack: If trying to find something is like looking for a needle in a haystack, it means that it is very difficult, if not impossible to find among everything around it.
Neither fish nor fowl: Something or someone that is neither fish nor fowl doesn't really fit into any one group.
Neither here nor there: If something is neither here nor there, it is of very little importance.
Neither use nor ornament: Something that serves no purpose and is not aesthetically pleasing is neither use nor ornament.
Nerves of steel: If someone has nerves of steel, they don't get frightened when other people do.
Nervous Nellie: Someone excessively worried or apprehensive is a nervous Nellie (or Nelly).
Nest egg: If you have some money saved for the future, it is a nest egg.
Never a rose without the prick: This means that good things always have something bad as well; like the thorns on the stem of a rose.
Never darken my door again: This is a way of telling someone never to visit you again.
Never say die: When someone says "Never Say Die", it means that you shouldn't give up hope.
New blood: If something needs new blood, it has become stale and needs new ideas or people to invigorate it.
New brush sweeps clean: 'A new brush sweeps clean' means that someone with a new perspective can make great changes. However, the full version is 'a new brush sweeps clean, but an old brush knows the corners', which warns that experience is also a valuable thing. Sometimes 'broom' is used instead of 'brush'.
New kid on the block: A new kid on the block is a person who has recently joined a company, organisation, team, etc, and does not know how things work yet.
New lease of life: If someone finds new enthusiasm and energy for something, they have a new lease of life.
New man: (UK) A New man is a man who believes in complete equality of the sexes and shares domestic work equally.
New sheriff in town: This is used when a new authority figure takes charge.
New York minute: (USA) If something happens in a New York minute, it happens very fast.
Newfangled: People who don't like new methods, technologies, etc, describe them as newfangled, which means new but not as good or nice as the old ones.
Nice as pie: If a person is nice as pie, they are surprisingly very kind and friendly. "After our argument, she was nice as pie!"
Nick of time: If you do something in the nick of time, you do it at the very last minute or second.
Nickel tour: (USA) If someone gives you a nickel tour, they show you around a place. ('Fifty-cent tour' is also used.)
Night owl: A night owl is someone who goes to bed very late.
Ninth circle of hell: In Dante's Inferno, the ninth circle of hell is the centre where the worst punishments are found, so it is used idiomatically for something that couldn't get worse.
Nip and tuck: A close contest where neither opponent seems to be gaining the advantage.
Nip at the bit: If someone is nipping at the bit, they are anxious to get something done and don't want to wait.
Nip it in the bud: If you nip something in the bud, you deal with a problem when it is still small, before it can grow into something serious.
Nitty gritty: If people get down to the nitty gritty, they concentrate on the most important and serious issues.
No bed of roses: If something isn't a bed of roses, it is difficult.
No can do: No can do means that the speaker can't do whatever it is that has been asked of him or her.
No dice: No dice is a way of refusing to accept or agree to something.
No dog in this fight: If you have no dog in a fight, you are not concerned and will not be affected either way by the outcome of something.
No go: Something that will not work. 'A square peg in a round hole is a no go.'
No good deed goes unpunished: This means that life is unfair and people can do or try to do good things and still end up in a lot of trouble.
No great shakes: If someone is no great shakes at something, they are not very good at it.
No harm, no foul: There's no problem when no harm or damage is done, such as the time my sister-in-law stole the name we'd chosen for a boy and we both ended up having girls.
No holds barred: If there are no holds barred, there are no rules of conduct; you can do anything.
No ifs or buts: Ifs and Buts is a term used to describe the reasons people give for not wanting to do something. To show that you don't wish to accept any excuses, you can tell somebody that you wish to hear no ifs or buts Here IF & BUT have become nouns
No laughing matter: Something that is no laughing matter is very serious.
No love lost: If there is no love lost between two people they have a strong enmity towards or hate for the other and make no effort to conceal it.
No pain, no gain: Achievements require some sort of sacrifice.
No peace for the wicked: Bad people will not be at ease or will be tormented.('No rest for the wicked' is also used.)
No quarter: This means without mercy. We can say no quarter given or asked.
No question: This idiom means that something is certain or definite.
No questions asked: If something is to be done and no questions asked, then it doesn't matter what methods are used or what rules are broken to ensure that it gets done.
No rest for the weary: No rest for the weary means that you must keep on working even though you're exhausted or tired.
No rest for the wicked: Bad people will not be at ease or will be tormented.('No peace for the wicked' is also used.)
No skin off my nose: If something's no skin off your nose, it doesn't affect or bother you at all.
No smoke without fire: This idiom means that when people suspect something, there is normally a good reason for the suspicion, even if there is no concrete evidence. ('Where's there's smoke, there's fire' is also used.)
No spine: If someone has no spine, they lack courage or are cowardly.
No spring chicken: If someone is no spring chicken, they are not young.
No strings attached: If something has no strings attached, there are no obligations or requirements involved.
No Sweat: No Sweat means something is easy. For example, "This contest is just no sweat." meaning "This contest is just easy."
No time for: If you have no time for an activity, you have absolutely no desire to spend or waste any time doing it. You can have no time for people, too.
No time like the present: If people say that there's no time like the present , they believe that it is far better to do something now than to leave it for later, in which case it might never get done.
No time to lose: If there's no time to lose, then it's time to get started otherwise it won't be finished on time.
No two ways about it: If there are no two ways about something, there is no other possible interpretation.
No use to man or beast: If something or someone is no use to man or beast, they it or they are utterly useless.
Nod's as good as a wink: (UK) 'A nod's as good as a wink' is a way of saying you have understood something that someone has said, even though it was not said directly. The full phrase (sometimes used in the UK ) is 'a nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse'.
Noddy work: (UK) Unimportant or very simple tasks are noddy work.
None so blind as those who will not see: This idiom is used when people refuse to accept facts presented to them. ('None so deaf as those who will not hear' is an alternative.)
Nose in the air: If someone has their nose in the air, they behave in a way that is meant to show that they are superior to others.
Nosy parker: (UK) A nosy parker is someone who is excessively interested in other people's lives. ('Nosey parker' is an alternative spelling.)
Not a snowball's chance in hell: There is absolutely no possibility of something hapening if there's not a snowball's chance in hell.
Not all there: If someone isn't all there, they are a little bit stupid or crazy.
Not bat an eye: If someone doesn't bat an eye, they do not react when other people normally would.
Not born yesterday: When someone says that they weren't born yesterday, they mean that they are not naive or easily fooled.
Not cricket: (UK) If something is not cricket, it is unfair.
Not enough room to swing a cat: If a room is very small, you can say that there isn't enough room to swing a cat in it.
Not give a fig: If you don't give a fig about something, you don't care about it at all, especially used to express how little one cares about another's opinions or actions.
Not give a monkey's: (UK) If you couldn't give a monkey's about something, you don't care at all about it.
Not give the time of day: If you wouldn't give the time of day to someone, you dislike them so much that you would not even use common courtesy.
Not have the heart: If you don't have the heart to do something, you don't have the strength or courage to do something. (Usually used in the negative)
Not have two nickels to rub together: (USA) If a person doesn't have two nickels to rub together, they are very poor.
Not have two pennies to rub together: If someone hasn't got two pennies to rub together, they are very poor indeed.
Not hurt a fly: Somebody who would not hurt a fly is not aggressive.
Not know beans about: (USA) If someone doesn't know beans about something, they know nothing about it.
Not know enough to come in out of the rain: Someone who doesn't know enough to come in out of the rain is particularly stupid.
Not know you are born: This indicates that the person described is unaware of his or her good fortune or is unaware of how difficult day to day life was before he/she was born. Typical usage: 'Kids today don't know they are born'.
Not miss a trick: If someone doesn't miss a trick, they take advantage of everything that could help them or might be an opportunity for them.
Not much cop: Describing a film or something as not much cop is a way of saying that you didn't think much of it.
Not my brother's keeper: If you say that you are not your brother's keeper, it means that you are not responsible for someone or what happens to them as a consequence of their actions.
Not my cup of tea: If something is not your cup of tea, you don't like it very much.
Not our bag: If something is not your bag, it is not really suitable for your needs or you don't like it much.
Not the only pebble on the beach: If something is not the only pebble on the beach, there are other possibilities or alternatives.
Not to be sneezed at: If something is not to be sneezed at, it should be taken seriously.
Not wash: If a story or explanation will not wash, it is not credible.
Not with a bang but a whimper: To end on a muted note - most likely in a situation where one would have expected a more spectacular finish. This expression was coined by T.S. Elliot in his 1925 poem, The Hollow Men, which ends: This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper.
Not worth a red cent: (USA) If something is not worth a red cent, it has no value.
Not worth a tinker's dam: This means that something is worthless and dates back to when someone would travel around the countryside repairing things such as a kitchen pot with a hole in it. He was called a 'tinker'. His dam was used to stop the flow of soldering material being used to close the hole. Of course his 'trade' is passé, thus his dam is worth nothing.
Notch on your belt: A success or achievement that might help you in the future is a notch on your belt.
Nothing to crow about: If something's nothing to crow about, it's not particularly good or special.
Nothing to write home about: Something that is not special or good is nothing to write home about.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained: You can't win if you don't join in the game; if you don't participate in something, you will not achieve anything.
Now and then: This idiom means 'occasionally'.
Now I ask you: Used at the end of a story to express disbelief, or in answer to a question to express a mild indignation.
Null and void: If something's null and void, it is invalid or is no longer applicable.
Number cruncher: A number cruncher is an accountant or someone who is very good at dealing with numbers and calculations.
Nuts and bolts: The nuts and bolts are the most essential components of something.
Nutty as a fruitcake: Someone who's nutty as a fruitcake is irrational or crazy. (This can be shortened to 'a fruitcake'.)

Idioms Dictionary Letter M

Mad as a badger: If someone is as mad as a badger, they are crazy.
Mad as a bag of hammers: Someone who is as mad as a bag of hammers is crazy or stupid. ('Daft as a bag of hammers' is also used.)
Mad as a cut snake: (AU) One who is mad as a cut snake has lost all sense of reason, is crazy, out of control.
Mad as a hornet: (USA) If someone is as mad as a hornet, they are very angry indeed.
Mad as a March hare: Someone who is excitable and unpredictable is as mad as a March hare.
Mad as a wet hen: If someone is as mad as a wet hen, they are extremely angry.
Made in the shade: One has an easy time in life or in a given situation. Finding things working to one's benefit.
Made of money: If you are made of money, you have a lot of money.
Mailed fist: Someone who rules or controls something with a mailed fist is in absolute control and tolerates no dissent. A mailed fist in a velvet glove is used to describe someone who appears soft on the outside, but underneath is very hard. 'Iron fist' is an alternative form.
Major league: Something major league is very important.
Make a better fist: If someone makes a better fist of doing something, they do a better job.
Make a clean breast: If someone makes a clean breast, they confess in full to something they have done.
Make a killing: If you make a killing, you do something that makes you a lot of money.
Make a meal: If someone makes a meal of something, they spend too long doing it or make it look more difficult than it really is.
Make a mint: If someone is making a mint, they are making a lot of money.
Make a monkey of someone: If you make a monkey of someone, you make them look foolish.
Make a mountain out of a molehill: If somebody makes a mountain out of a molehill, they exaggerate the importance or seriousness of a problem.
Make a pig's ear: If you make a pig's ear of something, you make a mess of it.
Make a pitch: If you make a pitch for something, you make a bid, offer or other attempt to get it.
Make a request: If you request something, or make a request, you are asking for something you want or need.
Make a rod for your own back: If you make a rod for your own back, you make something difficult for yourself.
Make a song and dance: (UK) If someone makes a song and dance, they make an unecessary fuss about something unimportant.
Make a virtue out of necessity: If you make a virtue out of necessity, you make the best of a difficult or unsatisfactory situation.
Make an enquiry: If you make an enquiry, you ask for general information about something.
Make bets in a burning house: (USA) If people are making bets in a burning house, they are engaged in futile activity while serious problems around them are getting worse.
Make ends meet: If somebody finds it hard to make ends meet, they have problems living on the money they earn.
Make hay: If you make hay, or may hay while the sun shines, you take advantage of an opportunity as soon as it arises and do not waste time.
Make headway: If you make headway, you make progress.
Make it snappy: To do something quickly: Make it snappy, will you, because I need help right now.
Make money hand over fist: If you make money hand over fist, you make a lot of money without any difficulty.
Make my day: If something makes your day, it satisfies you or makes you happy.
Make no bones about it: If somebody make no bones about a scandal in their past, they are open and honest about it and show no shame or embarrassment.
Make or break: A make or break decision, stage, etc, is a crucial one that will determine the success or failure of the whole venture.
Make out like a bandit: (USA) If someone is extremely successful in a venture, they make out like a bandit.
Make tracks: To leave a place to go somewhere. Referring to the tracks one would make in the snow or mud in the course of a journey.
Make waves: If someone makes waves, they cause a lot of trouble.
Make you spit: If something makes you spit, it irritates you or makes you angry.
Make your blood boil: If something makes your blood boil, it makes you very angry.
Make your flesh crawl: If something makes your flesh crawl, it really scares or revolts you. ('Make your flesh creep' is an alternative. 'Make your skin crawl' is also used.)
Make your hair stand on end: If something makes your hair stand on end, it terrifies you.
Make your toes curl: If something makes your toes curl, it makes you feel very uncomfortable, shocked or embarrassed.
Make yourself scarce: If someone makes themselves scarce, they go away from a place, especially to avoid trouble or so that they can't be found.
Man Friday: From 'Robinson Crusoe', a 'Man Friday' refers to an assistant or companion, usually a capable one. The common feminine equivalent is 'Girl Friday'. (Also, 'right-hand man'. )
Man in the street: The man in the street is an idiom to describe ordinary people, especially when talking about their opinions and ideas.
Man Of God: A man of God is a clergyman.
Man of his word: A man of his word is a person who does what he says and keeps his promises.
Man of letters: A man of letters is someone who is an expert in the arts and literature, and often a writer too.
Man of means: A man, or woman, of means is wealthy.
Man of parts: A man of parts is a person who is talented in a number of different areas or ways.
Man of straw: A weak person that can easily be beaten of changed is a man of straw.
Man of the cloth: A man of the cloth is a priest.
Man on the Clapham omnibus: (UK) The man on the Clapham omnibus is the ordinary person in the street.
Man proposes, God disposes: Your fate lies in the hands of God.
Man upstairs: When people refer to the man upstairs, they are referring to God.
Man's best friend: This is an idiomatic term for dogs.
Man's man: A man's man is a man who does things enjoyed by men and is respected by other men.
Many a slip twixt cup and lip: There's many a slip twixt cup and lip means that many things can go wrong before something is achieved.
Many hands make light work: This idiom means that when everyone gets involved in something, the work gets done quickly.
Many happy returns: This expression is used to wish someone a happy birthday.
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. You often hear drunks say it before they deliver some particularly spurious nonsense.
Mark someone's card: If you mark someone's card, you correct them in a forceful and prompt manner when they say something wrong.
Marked man: A marked man is a person who is being targeted by people who want to do them harm or cause them trouble.
Marriage of convenience: A marriage of convenience is a marriage or commitment made for financial, social or other benefit rather than love, affection, etc.
Matter of life and death: If something is a matter of life and death, it is extremely important.
May-December romance: When one person in a relationship is a lot older than the other, it is a May-December romance ('May-December love affair' is also used).
Mealy-mouthed: A mealy-mouthed person doesn't say what they mean clearly.
Meat and drink: If something is meat and drink to you, you enjoy it and are naturally good at it, though many find it difficult.
Meat and potatoes: The meat and potatoes is the most important part of something. A meat and potatoes person is someone who prefers plain things to fancy ones.
Meet someone halfway: If you meet someone halfway, you accept some of their ideas and make concessions.
Meet your expectations: If something doesn't meet your expectations, it means that it wasn't as good as you had thought it was going to be; a disappointment.
Meet your Maker: If someone has gone to meet their Maker, they have died.
Meet your match: If you meet your match, you meet a person who is at least as good if not better than you are at something.
Megaphone diplomacy: If negotiations between countries or parties are held through press releases and announcements, this is megaphone diplomacy, aiming to force the other party into adopting a desired position.
Melt your heart: If something melts your heart, it affects you emotionally and you cannot control the feeling.
Melting pot: A melting pot is a place where people from many ethnicities and nationalities live together.
Memory like a sieve: If somebody can't retain things for long in his or her memory and quickly forgets, he or she has a memory like a sieve. A sieve has lots of tiny holes in it to let liquids out while keeping the solids inside.
Memory like an elephant: 'An elephant never forgets' is a saying, so if a person has a memory like an elephant, he or she has a very good memory indeed.
Mend fences: When people mend fences, they try to improve or restore relations that have been damaged by disputes or arguments.
Mess with a bull, you get the horns: If you do something stupid or dangerous, you can get hurt.
Method in his madness: If there's method in someone's madness, they do things in a strange and unorthodox way, but manage to get results.
Mexican standoff: When there is a deadlock in strategy and neither side can do anything that will ensure victory, it's a Mexican standoff.
Mickey Mouse: If something is Mickey Mouse, it is intellectually trivial or not of a very high standard.
Midas touch: If someone has the Midas touch, they make a lot of money out of any scheme they try.
Middle of nowhere: If someone says that he/she is in the middle of nowhere, he/she means that he/she is not sure where he/she is.
Might and main: This means with all your effort and strength. As he failed in the previous exam,the student tried might and main to pass the next one.
Mighty oaks from little acorns grow: Big or great things start very small.
Mile a minute: To do something very quickly. For example: He was talking a mile a minute.
Milk run: A milk run is a short trip, stopping in a number of places.
Millstone round your neck: A millstone around your neck is a problem that prevents you from doing what you want to do.
Mince words: If people mince words, or mince their words, they don't say what they really mean clearly.
Mind over matter: This idiom is used when someone uses their willpower to rise above adversity.
Mind the gap: Mind the gap is an instruction used on the Underground in the UK to warn passengers to be careful when leaving the tube or train as there is quite a distance between the train and the platform.
Mind your own beeswax: (USA) This idiom means that people should mind their own business and not interfere in other people's affairs.
Mind Your P's and Q's: If you are careful about the way you behave and are polite, you mind Your P's and Q's.
Mind your P's and Q's: This is used as a way of telling someone to be polite and behave well.
Mint condition: If something is in mint condition, it is in perfect condition.
Misery guts: A misery guts is a person who's always unhappy and tries to make others feel negative.
Miss is as good as a mile: A miss is as good as a mile means that if you fail, even by the smallest margin, it is still a failure.
Miss the boat: If you miss the boat, you are too late to take advantage of an opportunity.
Mom and pop: (USA) A mom and pop business is a small business, especially if it is run by members of a family. It can used in a wider sense to mean that something is small scale.
Monday morning quarterback: (USA) A Monday morning quarterback is someone who, with the benefit of hindsight, knows what should have been done in a situation.
Money burns a hole in your pocket: If someone has money burning a hole in their pocket, they are eager to spend it, normally in a wasteful manner.
Money doesn`t grow on trees: This means that you have to work to earn money; it doesn't come easily or without effort.
Money for jam: If something's money for jam, it's a very easy way of making money.
Money for old rope: (UK) If something's money for old rope, it's a very easy way of making money.
Money laundering: If people launder money, they get money made illegally into the mainstream so that it is believed to be legitimate and clean.
Money makes many things: This means that money is important.
Money talks: This means that people can convey many messages with money, and many things can be discovered about people by observing the way they use their money.
Money to burn: If someone is very rich, they have money to burn.
Monkey business: If children get up to monkey business, they are behaving naughtily or mischievously. This is the same as 'monkeying around'.
Monkey see, monkey do: This idiom means that children will learn their behaviour by copying what they see happening around them.
Moot point: If something's a moot point, there's some disagreement about it: a debatable point. In the U.S., this expression usually means that there is no point in debating something, because it just doesn't matter. An example: If you are arguing over whether to go the beach or to the park, but you find out the car won't start and you can't go anywhere, then the destination is said to be a moot point.
Moral fibre: Moral fibre is the inner strength to do what you believe to be right in difficult situations Example: He lacked the moral fibre to be leader (In American English the correct spelling is 'fiber'.)
Moral high ground: If people have/take/claim/seize, etc, the moral high ground, they claim that their arguments, beliefs, etc, are morally superior to those being put forward by other people.
More bang for your buck: (USA) Something that will give you more bang for your buck will deliver more value than any other option.
More front than Brighton: (UK) If you have more front than Brighton, you are very self-confident, possibly excessively so.
More haste, less speed: The faster you try to do something, the more likely you are to make mistakes that make you take longer than it would had you planned it.
More heat than light: If a discussion generates more heat than light, it doesn't provide answers, but does make people angry.
More holes than Swiss cheese: If something has more holes than a Swiss cheese, it is incomplete,and lacks many parts.
More than meets the eye: If there is more than meets the eye to something, it is more complex or difficult than it appears.
More than one string to their bow: A person who has more than one string to their bow has different talents or skills to fall back on.
More than one way to skin a cat: When people say that there is more than one way to skin a cat, they mean that there are different ways of achieving the same thing.
More than you can shake a stick at: If you have more of something than you can shake a stick at, then you have a lot.
Mother wit: Native intelligence; common sense
Mountain to climb: If you have a mountain to climb, you have to work hard or make a lot of progress to achieve something.
Move heaven and earth: This expression indicates a person's determined intention of getting a work done in spite of all odds he may face. He will use all and every means to accomplish the target. Example: He moved heaven and earth to get his literary work recognised by the committee of experts.
Move mountains: If you would move mountains to do something, you would make any effort to achieve your aim. When people say that faith can move mountains, they mean that it can achieve a lot.
Move the chains: (USA) Derived from the act of moving the chains in an American football game when a team gets a first down, this expression describes taking a project to the next step, especially one that has lost its momentum for one reason or another. Example: Frustrated with our lack of progress, our boss finally shouted, "Make a decision today about which one to use, and let's move the chains on this."
Move the goalposts: When people move the goalposts, they change the standards required for something to their advantage.
Move up a gear: If you move up a gear, you start to perform in a clearly better way, especially in sport.
Mover and shaker: A person who is a mover and shaker is a highly respected, key figure in their particular area with a lot of influence and importance.
Movers and shakers: Dynamic, important people who can get things done quickly and are influential are the movers and shakers.
Much ado about nothing: If there's a lot of fuss about something trivial, there's much ado about nothing.
Much of a muchness: Things are much of a muchness when there is very little difference between them.
Muck or nettles: 'Muck or nettles' means 'all or nothing'.
Mud in the fire: The things that cannot be changed in the past that we usually forget about are mud in the fire.
Mud in your eye: This is a way of saying 'cheers' when you are about to drink something, normally alcohol.
Mud-slinging: If someone is mud-slinging, they are insulting someone and trying to damage that person's reputation.
Muddy the waters: If somebody muddies the waters, he or she makes the situation more complex or less clear.
Mum's the word: When people use this idiom, they mean that you should keep quiet about something and not tell other people.
Mummy's boy: A man who is still very dependent on his mother is a mummy's boy.
Murder will out: This idiom means that bad deeds can't be kept secret forever.
Murky waters: Where people are behaving in morally and ethically questionable ways, they are in murky waters.
Music to my ears: If something someone says is music to your ears, it is exactly what you had wanted to hear.
Mutton dressed as lamb: Mutton dressed as lamb is term for middle-aged or elderly people trying to look younger.
My dogs are barking: (USA) When someone says this, they mean that their feet are hurting.
My eye: This idiom is added to an adjective to show that you disagree with it: 'He's shy.' 'Shy my eye- he's just planning something secret.'
My foot!: This idiom is used to show that you do not believe what someone has just said.
My hands are full: If your hands are full, you have so much to do that you cannot take on any more work, responsibilities and so on.
My hands are tied: If your hands are tied, you are unable to act for some reason.
My heart bleeds: If your heart bleeds for someone, you feel genuine sympathy and sadness for them.
My heart goes out to someone: If your heart goes out to someone, you feel genuine sympathy for them.
My way or the highway: This idiom is used to say that if people don't do what you say, they will have to leave or quit the project, etc.