'Down in the dumps' means to feel very sad or depressed. Historically, 'dumps' might have referred to a gloomy, swampy area, symbolizing a low, stuck place. When someone ⋯ Read the full article

'Cold turkey' refers to the abrupt stopping of a habit, especially when discussing addictions like smoking or drug use. This phrase supposedly originates from the cold, c⋯ Read the full article

'By the skin of your teeth' means to barely succeed at something by a very narrow margin. This vivid expression comes from the Bible, where Job survives his ordeals 'with⋯ Read the full article

'At sixes and sevens' is a phrase meaning in a state of confusion or disorder. The origin of this idiom is somewhat disputed, but it is thought to come from an old game o⋯ Read the full article

'Until the cows come home' is a humorous way of saying something will take a very long time, perhaps indefinitely. Originating from rural times when cows would take their⋯ Read the full article

When people 'Smell a rat', they suspect that something is wrong or that someone is being deceitful. This phrase likely originates from a time when rats were common pests ⋯ Read the full article

To 'Rub salt in the wound' means to make a difficult situation even more painful or to remind someone of something upsetting. The origin springs from the old practice whe⋯ Read the full article

The expression 'Put your back into it' is used to encourage someone to put all their effort into a task. Imagine trying to push a heavy object; you might literally have t⋯ Read the full article

'Out of your depth' suggests being in a situation that is too difficult to handle due to lack of experience or skill. The term conveys the feeling of being in water too d⋯ Read the full article

'Not up to par' means something does not meet the expected or usual standard. Derived from golf, where 'par' is the standard number of strokes a good player is expected t⋯ Read the full article

'Icing on the cake' refers to something extra that makes a good situation even better. Originating from the idea that while a cake is good on its own, adding icing makes ⋯ Read the full article

'Hang on by a thread' vividly depicts a precarious situation where continuation or survival is only by the slimmest margin, likened to something being supported by only a⋯ Read the full article

'Get your goat' means to irritate or annoy someone. This phrase possibly relates to the practice of placing goats with racehorses to calm the horses. If someone 'got your⋯ Read the full article

'Few and far between' means occurrences are rare and occur over wide intervals in time or distance. It conjures up the image of searching wide spans for sparse treasures,⋯ Read the full article

'Even Steven' denotes a situation where things are perfectly balanced or evened out, with no one owing anything to anyone else. The phrase captures the essence of fairnes⋯ Read the full article