| Idiom / Saying |
Explanation |
To put all your eggs in one basket
For example:
"You shouldn't invest all your money in Microsoft, it would be like
putting all your eggs in one basket." |
To risk everything on one person or thing. |
To buy a lemon.
For example:
"That car he bought is a real lemon." |
To buy something that proves to be worthless. |
To buy a pig in a poke.
For example:
"That car he bought is a real pig in a poke." |
To buy something that proves to be worthless. |
"To buy the farm."
For example:
"He bought the farm last week." |
To die. |
"Own brand."
For example:
"Marks and Spencers only sell own brand goods." |
When a company makes and sells its own products. |
"The drinks are on me."
For example:
"He was celebrating his birthday, so the drinks were on him." |
To offer to pay for something - usually food or drink. |
To pay one's way.
For example:
"He's a good friend, he always pays his way." |
To contribute one's share of the expenses. |
To pay over the odds.
For example:
"She definitely paid over the odds for that dress." |
To pay too much for something. |
"To pay through the nose"
For example:
"He ended up paying through the nose for that car." |
To pay too much for something. |
| Closed shop. For example:
"The motor industry in the UK used to be a closed shop." |
a place of work where you have to belong to a particular trade
union. |
|
|
To be all over the shop.
For example:
1) "His papers were all over the shop."
2) "I've looked for it all over the shop, but I still can't find it." |
1) To be in complete disarray.
2) To look everywhere for something. |
To shop around.
For example:
"I always shop around before I buy something." |
To visit a number of shops to compare prices. |
"To shop lift."
For example:
"He was caught shop lifting." |
To steal goods from a shop. |
"To shop someone."
For example:
"He shopped her to the police. |
To tell someone in authority of someone elses wrong doings. |
To shop till you drop.
For example:
"She shopped till she dropped yesterday." |
To go on an extremely long shopping trip. |
To shut up shop
For example:
"Winter is so quiet we just shut up shop and go on holiday. |
To close somewhere (usually a business) |
To talk shop.
For example:
"He is very boring, all he does all day is talk shop." |
To discuss one's business or profession. |
"Shopping therapy."
For example:
"She was very upset so I took her into town for some shopping therapy." |
The idea that buying things can cheer you up - works for me
:-) |
To try it on.
For example:
"He never tells the truth about anything, he is always trying it on." |
To attempt to decieve or fool someone. |