Idioms are expressions whose meaning is different from the suggested words which compose them. They are used in our oral or written communication. Following are selected English idioms for the Halloween season. Their meanings may not relate to the Halloween, but most of the accompanying nouns or adjectives are figures that are associated with this particular season.
Bat
As
blind as a bat- it is said that bat has poor sight,
and it cannot see during daylight. It is also said to a person with poor eyesight.
“Ever since his surgery he has become as blind as a bat. He can hardly read a
letter."
Dead
Come
to a dead end- to come to an absolute stopping
point. “He drove his car to a road that led to a dead end.”
In a
dead heat- a race where two or more contestants
reach the finish line exactly at the same time. “The two runners finish the
race in a dead heat.”
In
the dead of the night- means in the middle of the
night. “Burglars usually strike in the dead of the night.”
Devil
Between
the devil and the deep blue sea- one is in a dilemma.
“He can’t make decision whether to accept the job offer or not. He is caught
between the devil and the deep blue sea.”
Give
the devil his due- however bad a person is he
should be given credit for any good quality or achievement that he may have. “The
sergeant major is very harsh when it comes to discipline, but to give the devil
his due; he always attends to his soldiers’ need.”
Speak
of the devil- to speak about a person when suddenly
he appears. “Tom always keeps us waiting. He doesn’t seem to honor his
commitment. Shall we go? …speaking of the devil, here he comes. “
There
will be devil to pay- there will be lots of
troubles. “If you go against the wishes of your boss there will be devil to
pay.”
Ghost
A
ghost employee- a fictitious name in the roster of
employees or a person listed as a member of an entity when he is not. “Dishonest
finance personnel padded the payroll with ghost employees.”
A
ghost town- is a place that is abandoned by its
populace. “My-Lai became a ghost town after the massacre took place.”
A
ghost writer- is one who writes on someone else’s
behalf, but keeps his identity secret. “Since Jane has no talent in writing,
she should hire a ghost writer to write her story on her travel to Singapore.”
Only
a ghost of one’s former self- to lose much weight,
vitality, strength among others after sickness or health related situation. “She
is only a ghost of her former self after last month’s accident.”
Grave
To digs
one’s grave- means to do self destructive
activities. “He’s digging his own grave by not having good relationship with his
boss. Sooner or later, he is going to lose his job.”
To
turn over in one’s grave- If a dead person were alive,
he would be shocked or horrified. “If grandpa knew what you were doing with his
properties he would turn over in his grave.”
Hell
All
hell broke loose- bad things will happen or there
will be troubles- “If you don’t make good your promise to marry her, then all
hell will break loose.”
Come
hell or high water- whatever the difficulties.
“Come hell or high water, I’ll become a lawyer.”
Magic
spell
Black
magic- an evil magic connected with the Devil. “His
uncanny ability to turn a leaf into paper money is a black magic.”
Break
a spell- to escape from the influence of someone. “His
indifference to her feelings has broken the spell he has over her.”
Fall
under someone’s spell- to be fascinated with
someone. “Tom isn’t so handsome, but the beautiful young girl falls under his
spell.”
Skeleton
Skeleton
in one’s closet- is an embarrassing or shocking secret.
“The boss is afraid to fire his secretary because she knows the skeletons in
his closet.”
Skeleton
staff/crew- is an undermanned staff. “The recession
has forced my boss to work with a skeleton staff.”
Soul
Soul
mate- is someone who has the same characteristics as
another person so that both of them are compatible with each other. “Tom and
Jean can get along with each other well. They are really soul mates.”
Soul
searching- consulting one’s conscience so that he
will be able to decide on what to do of a pressing matter. “‘Should I leave my
wife?’ Tom said to himself. It was a soul-searching experience for him.”
Spirit
Dampen
one’s spirit- to discourage a good mood. “She wants to go shopping, but the heavy
traffic dampens her spirit.”
The
moving spirit- is the originator of an idea. “Mr. Jones is the moving spirit behind
the new school policies.”
The
spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak- an
instance when a person cannot resist the demand of his body even if he wants
to. “I would like to exercise early in the morning but could not. The spirit is
willing, but the flesh is weak.”
To
spirit away-is
to remove something in a secret way. “I wonder who spirited away one of my favorite
books from the shelf.”
Witch
A witch-hunt- is the searching out of someone with different views or harmful ideas in a manner that is sometimes unfair. “The political profiling of people or the curtailment of rights of those who are perceived to have dangerous ideas is a witch-hunt.”
White
witch- is a woman who practices positive magic by casting
spell or using herbal plants to heal someone. “I don’t think a witch comes in color
so that we can call her a white witch or a black witch. A witch is always a
witch.”
