Archive for February, 2011

Idioms derived from the names of house hold objects – part 2

February 21st, 2011 in Expressions

Roof

Raise the roof (become very angry)

She raised the roof when she realized that she had been cheated.

Room

No room to swing a cat (not enough space to live or work)

How can we work here? There is no room to swing a cat.

Table

Put one’s cards on the table / Lay one’s cards on the table (be very candid about one’s intentions)

If we both put our cards on the table it will be much easier to come to an agreement.

Wall

Drive somebody up the wall (make someone very angry or bored)

Stop singing that song. You are driving me up the wall.
Her constant chatter drove me up the wall.

Wall have ears (beware of eavesdroppers)

Be careful about what you say; even walls have ears.

Window

Fly out of the window/go out of the window (disappear, be longer considered)

By now all logic had gone out of the window.

Window of opportunity (If you say that there is a window of opportunity, you mean that there is an opportunity to do something.)

The Prime Minister said that there was now a window of opportunity for peace.