1. To look down one’s nose
Meaning – To regard with disdain
Usage – She looked down her nose at her neighbors.
2. To miss the bus
Meaning – To miss an opportunity
Usage – The president just left, you missed the bus to meet him.
3. A white elephant
Meaning – An expensive item that is troublesome or useless
Usage – The whole complex was a white elephant, constructed at enormous expense but never used.
4. To call spade a spade
Meaning – To be frank
Usage – Let's call a spade a spade and tell her that her performance was pretty average.
5. To fight tooth and nail
Meaning – To fight, battle, or compete with great ferocity, vigor, and intensity
Usage – These elite troops have been selected by the royal palace to fight tooth and nail against any possible invaders.
6. Birds of same feather
Meaning – Persons of the same character
Usage – I knew you will advocate him. You're birds of the same feather, after all.
7. Take exception
Meaning – To object over something
Usage – I take exception to that remark about unfair practices.
8. High handed
Meaning – Haughtily presumptuous; arrogantly or inconsiderately overbearing
Usage – We've had just about enough of these high-handed displays of police brutality.
9. Too fond of one’s own voice
Meaning – To like talking without wanting to listen to other people/ very selfish
Usage – He is too fond of her own voice.
10. By leaps and bounds
Meaning – Rapidly
Usage - The company is growing by leaps and bounds this year.
11. An open book
Meaning – One who acts (or purports to act) honestly, with no secrets/ something that is easy to understand or decipher
Usage – Ask me anything, I'm an open book.
12. Fall short
Meaning – Fail to meet expectation
Usage – The company fell short of its quarterly targets for the third time in a row.
13. Heart to heart talk
Meaning – Frank talks/ a discussion that is honest and open, without any attempt to hide emotions.
Usage – We sat down and had a nice heart-to-heart talk for about an hour.
14. Give the game away
Meaning – To reveal something that was meant to be kept secret, especially a plan
Usage – You're going to give the game away if you don't quit whispering about it!
15. Take cue from
Meaning – To model one's actions based on the example or influence of someone or something else
Usage – Take a cue from your kids and learn how to enjoy the little things.
Verifying, please be patient.