Favourite idioms

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What are your favorite idioms?

I’m especially curious about WP members from other countries that have their own idioms not necessarily having their counterparts in English.

For example in my country when some people are always quarreling with each other, if there’s always some bone of contention between them, we say that they “tear cats with each other” (which isn’t too logical – it suggests they cooperate with each other while hurting those proverbial cats so they must be friends). As for hygiene, we also don’t wash “from top to toe” but “from feet to heads” (even if a single person with obviously only one head does it). And when you’re called a “French doggy” it means that you’re oversensitive, touchy, that you value the amenities of life a bit too high and have a bad habit to complain when forced to live not that cosy life as you were used to.

Any other lovers of cool idioms on the board?

I love idioms, like 'all bark and no bite' , 'can't judge a book by its cover', 'van gogh's ear for music' , etc.

I just find them amusing, used to hate them though when I had no idea what they meant.

"When a boat runs ashore, the sea has spoken."

"Let the cat out of the bag."

Act your age and not your shoe size.

"Den Loeffel abgeben"

Lit.: Giving away the spoon.
Meaning: To die (because you will never use a spoon again)

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"Nicht alle Tassen im Schrank haben."

Lit.: No to have all cups in the (kitchen-)cabinet/cupboard.
Meaning: Be be mad.

Don't mean to steal this one from a friend of mine, hopefully she wasn't planning on posting it here, but i believe her Grandfather used to say: "..joining the choir invisible" which basically means dying as well

Kick the can
Kick the bucket
Six feet under
Pushing daisies
Toot the horn
Down with the ship

Hm... maybe that says something.

"Reared its ugly head"

This expression is used to describe a problem that goes away for awhile, but tends to come back. The first time my mom said it to me, I laughed really hard; because I visualized an ugly beast grazing in a field and suddenly raising its head up.

All blow and no go

Piece of cake

Beat a dead horse


And adding to Xelebes death idoms:

Bought the farm

I've got a few choice favorites, some more original than others.

Big hat no cattle (a poser)

Couldn't make a point with a pencil sharpener (possibly original to me!)

Gave him Excedrin headache #357 (shot in the head)

Hair of the bear that mauled you (drinking in the morning with a hangover)

Bring the thunder.

"Ein Rad ab"

Lit.: Lost a wheel
Meaning: Being slightly mad

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Stronger form:

"Serienmaessig oehne Raeder geliefert"

Lit.: Delivered by standard without any wheels
Meaning: Helpless mad

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Cologne dialect: "halve Jeck"

Lit.: A half fool
Meaning: Too foolish to be even a real idiot.

bagel short of a bushel (just a tad bit crazy)
kick the bucket (die)