1. low on the totem pole

Meaning: the least important or lowest-ranking person of a group

Example: I’d like to not have to work weekends but I’m low on the totem pole.

2. tiptoe around it

Meaning: to avoid confronting or engaging with a troublesome or undesirable person, problem, situation, issue, etc.

Example: They are still a little upset about losing the grant so try to tiptoe around it.

3. sleep on it

Meaning: think over, delay making a decision on something until the following day so as to have more time to consider it.

Example: Let me sleep on it and I’ll get you an answer tomorrow

4. let sleeping dogs life

Meaning: avoid interfering in a situation that is currently causing no problems but might do so as a result of such interference.

Example: Let’s not bring it up again and let sleeping dogs lie.

5. night owl

Meaning: a person who is habitually active or wakeful at night

Example: I don’t think she minds working late, she seems to be a night owl

6. burn the candle at both ends

Meaning: go to bed late and get up early, especially to get work done

Example: In order to get this done by Friday we are going to need to burn the candle at both ends.

7. get up on the wrong side of the bed

Meaning: start the day in a bad temper

Example: I just got yelled at for no reason. I think the boss got up on the wrong side of the bed

8. lose sleep over/about sth

Meaning: worry about something

Example: Anyone could have made that mistake, it is nothing to lose sleep over

9. sleeping giant

Meaning: one that has great but unrealized or newly emerging power.

Example: It has been a while since they have done anything important, but we should still be carefull. They are a sleeping giant.

10. pipe dream

Meaning: an unattainable or fanciful hope or scheme

Example: It’s a pipe dream if you think we are going to get a Nobel Prize for this project

11. sight for sore eyes

Meaning: someone or something you are glad to see

Example: You with that box of donuts is a sight for sore eyes.

12. eat up

Meaning: something, or someone who uses up or consumes resources, especially at a rapid pace

Example: The clients really ate up the proposal.

13. drink it in

Meaning: to stop and look at or listen to something in order to enjoy it

Example: Tomorrow is going to be the first really warm day of spring, take some time to drink it in.

14. eat one’s heart out

Meaning: suffer from excessive longing for someone or something unattainable

Example: We had the best presentation, so the other bidders can eat their hearts out.

15. eat my hat

Meaning: something will not happen or cannot be true

Example: If she has figured out room-temperature superconductivity, I will eat my hat.

16. meat of the matter

Meaning: the most important, basic, or fundamental essence or element(s) of an issue, problem, or matter at hand

Example: Now that we know the background, I’d like to discuss the meat of the matter.

17. lemon

Meaning: a motor vehicle or machine with many mechanical problems

Example: This is computer is a total lemon. Since I got it, I think IT has had it more than I have.

18. take candy from a baby

Meaning: doing something unfair or shameful because it is so easy to do, and is often used to describe an action that is sneaky or underhanded

Example: Acquiring that start-up will be like taking candy from a baby.

19. take with a grain of salt

Meaning: accept it while maintaining a degree of scepticism about its truth

Example: These are only preliminary results so take them with a grain of salt.

20. worth one’s salt

Meaning: good or competent at the job or profession specified

Example: She has proven that under pressure she is worth her salt.

21. go bananas

Meaning: going crazy, becoming insane, also mean to go wild with anger, or to erupt with enthusiasm with accompanying cheering

Example: When we heard that we got the account, the whole office went bananas.

22. low hanging fruit

Meaning: a thing or person that can be won, obtained, or persuaded with little effort

Example: No one has tried to apply mathematics to this problem yet so there is a lot of low hanging fruit.

23. in a pickle

Meaning: in a difficult position, or have a problem to which no easy answer can be found

Example: I made the budget assuming that we were going to get the grant so now we are in a pickle.

24. half baked

Meaning: not fully thought through, lacking a sound basis

Example: He needs to think things through and not keep offering up these half baked ideas.

25. bite off more than you can chew

Meaning: try to do something that is too difficult for you

Example: That seems like a lot to cover in a short period of time. Do you think you are biting off more than you can chew.

26. biting the hand that feeds you

Meaning: act badly towards the person who is helping or has helped you

Example: He should have included his professor in his publication instead of biting the band that feeds him

27. eat crow

Meaning: be humiliated by having to admit one’s defeats or mistakes

Example: He tried to argue with the professor and is now eating crow

28. food for thought

Meaning: something that warrants serious consideration

Example: The presestation gave me some food for thought.

29. egg someone on

Meaning: to encourage someone to do something, especially something socially unacceptable, something criminal or something dangerous

Example: It is bad enough that he argues with everyone for no reason, I wish you wouldn’t egg him on.

30. walk on eggshells

Meaning: be extremely cautious about one’s words or actions

Example: Since our lab lost that grant everyone has been walking on eggshells around the director.

31. chew the fat

Meaning: chat in a leisurely way, especially at length

Example: We talk about work a lot but never really get the chance to chew the fat.

32. Smell fishy

Meaning: something about a person or situation arouses suspicion

Example: The data seems consistent, but something still smells fishy.

33. bread amd butter

Meaning: a person’s livelihood or main source of income, typically as earned by routine work

Example: We do a lot of work in the futures markets, but bond trading is still our bread and butter

34. spill the beans

Meaning: reveal secret information unintentionally or indiscreetly.

Example: I told her it was going to be a surprise party, but she still spilled the beans.

35. catch a break

Meaning: to obtain or receive a convenient, beneficial, and/or lucky opportunity or to have a some good luck

Example: I finally caught a break when a big Hollywood producer asked me to audition for a part in the movie.

36. for the record

Meaning: so that the true facts about something are clear or known, especially publicly or officially.

Example: (1) For the record, it was she who approached me about such a deal, not the other way around. (2) I’ve always been clear on my position, but, just for the record, let me state that I unequivocally denounce such policies.

37. tell me about it

Meaning: used informally to say that one understands what someone is talking about because one has had the same or a similar experience

Example: “A: Something is wrong with that computer.” “B: Yeah, tell me about it. I can never get it to work properly.”

38. on the radar/on one’s radar

Meaning: considered by one as important or noteworthy; within the spectrum of one’s awareness, attention, or consideration.

Example: (1) If you want this issue on people’s radar, you have to frame it as something that will impact their wallets. (2) There are always going to be bands who suddenly appear on the radar screen, only to fade into obscurity just as quickly.

39. put one at (one’s) ease

Meaning: to calm, comfort, or reassure one; to make one comfortable or relaxed

Example: (1) She usually tells a little joke to put you at your ease. (2) Please do something to put me at ease.

40. goof off/goof-off

Meaning: goof off: to avoid doing any work, goof-off: one who evades work or responsibility

Example: The teacher told them to stop goofing off and get back to work.

41. count on sth/sb

Meaning: (1) To rely on someone or something. (2) To expect or anticipate something.

Example: (1) We can count on Bill to get the job done. (2) We are counting on a great vacation this summer.