| List of Idioms beginning with J | |
| Jack Frost | If everything has frozen in winter, then Jack Frost has visited. |
| Jack the Lad | A confident and not very serious young man who behaves as he wants to without thinking about other people is a Jack the Lad. |
| Jackofalltrades | A jackofalltrades is someone that can do many different jobs. |
| Jam on your face | If you say that someone has jam on their face, they appear to be caught, embarrassed or found guilty. |
| Jam tomorrow | This idiom is used when people promise good things for the future that will never come. |
| Jane Doe | Jane Doe is a name given to an unidentified female who may be party to legal proceedings, or to an unidentified person in hospital, or dead. John Doe is the male equivalent. |
| Jekyll and Hyde | Someone who has a Jekyll and Hyde personality has a pleasant and a very unpleasant side to the character. |
| Jersey justice J | ersey justice is very severe justice. |
| Jet set | Very wealthy people who travel around the world to attend parties or functions are the jet set. |
| Jetblack | To emphasise just how black something is, such as someone's hair, we can call it jetblack. |
| Job's comforter | Someone who says they want to comfort, but actually discomforts people is a Job's comforter. |
| Jobs for the boys | Where people give jobs, contracts, etc, to their friends and associates, these are jobs for the boys. |
| Jockey for position | If a number of people want the same opportunity and are struggling to emerge as the most likely candidate, they are jockeying for position. |
| Jog my memory | If you jog someone's memory, you say words that will help someone trying to remember a thought, event, word, phrase, experience, etc. |
| John Doe | John Doe is a name given to an unidentified male who may be party to legal proceedings, or to an unidentified person in hospital, or dead. Jane Doe is the female equivalent. |
| Joe Public | Joe Public is the typical, average person. |
| Johnny on the spot | A person who is always available; ready, willing, and able to do what needs to be done.('Johnnyonthespot' is also used.) |
| Johnnycomelately | A Johnnycomelately is someone who has recently joined something or arrived somewhere, especially when they want to make changes that are not welcome. |
| Join the club | Said when someone has expressed a desire or opinion, meaning "That viewpoint is not unique to you". It can suggest that the speaker should stop complaining since many others are in the same position. Example: "If this train doesn't come, I'll be late for work!" "Join the club!" |
| Joined at the hip | If people are joined at the hip, they are very closely connected and think the same way. |
| Judge, jury and executioner | If someone is said to be the judge, jury, and executioner, it means they are in charge of every decision made, and they have the power to be rid of whomever they choose. |
| Juggle frogs | If you are juggling frogs, you are trying to do something very difficult. |
| Jump down someone's throat | If you jump down someone's throat, you criticise or chastise them severely. |
| Jump on the bandwagon | If people jump on the bandwagon, they get involved in something that has recently become very popular. |
| Jump ship | If you leave a company or institution for another because it is doing badly, you are jumping ship. |
| Jump the broom | To jump the broom is to marry. (Jump over the broom, jump over the broomstick, jump the broomstick are also used.) |
| Jump the gun | If you jump the gun, you start doing something before the appropriate time. |
| Jump the track | Jumping the track is suddenly changing from one plan, activity, idea, etc, to another. |
| Jump through hoops | If you are prepared to jump through hoops for someone, you are prepared to make great efforts and sacrifices for them. |
| Jump to a conclusion | If someone jumps to a conclusion, they evaluate or judge something without a sufficient examination of the facts. |
| Jumping Judas! | An expression of surprise or shock. |
| Jungle out there | If someone says that it is a jungle out there, they mean that the situation is dangerous and there are no rules. |
| Jury's out | If the jury's out on an issue, then there is no general agreement or consensus on it.Just around the corner If something is just around the corner, then it is expected to happen very soon. |
| Just coming up to | If the time is just coming up to nine o'clock, it means that it will be nine o'clock in a very few seconds. You'll hear them say it on the radio in the morning. |
| Just deserts | If a bad or evil person gets their just deserts, they get the punishment or suffer the misfortune that it is felt they deserve. |
| Just for the heck of it | When someone does something just for the heck of it, they do it without a good reason. |
| Just for the record | If something is said to be just for the record, the person is saying it so that people know but does not necessarily agree with or support it.Just in the nick of time If you do something in the nick of time, you just manage to do it just in time, with seconds to spare. |
| Just off the boat | If someone is just off the boat, they are naive and inexperienced. |
| Just what the doctor ordered | If something's just what the doctor ordered, it is precisely what is needed. |
| Justice is blind | Justice is blind means that justice is impartial and objective.TOP |
| List of Idioms beginning with K | |
| Kick up a row | to start a fight, to create disturbance |
| Keep ones eye on the ball | be ready for something |
| keep under one's hat: | They tried to keep it under their hat but it soon became obvious |
| that she is pregnant. | |
| keep at bay: | He always tries to keep his troubles at bay when he is on holiday. |
| Kangaroo court | When people take the law into their own hands and form courts that are not legal, these are known as kangaroo court |
| Keep body and soul together | If you earn enough to cover your basic expenses, but nothing more than that, you earn enough to keep body and soul together |
| Keep your eye on the ball | If you keep your eye on the ball, you stay alert and pay close attention to what is happening |
| Know something inside out | I studied and studied for my drivings test until I knew all the rules inside out. |
| Know which way the wind blows | This means that you should know how things are developing and be prepared for the futureTOP |
| List of Idioms beginning with L | |
| Loaves and fishes | done for material benefits |
| Like a shag on a rock | completely alone. |
| Let someone slide | neglect something |
| Let the cat out of the bag | reveal the secret |
| Let nature take its course | to allow someone to live or die naturally. |
| Like a sitting duck | totally unaware |
| Lion's share | a major share |
| Left to your own devices If | someone is left to their own devices, they are not controlled and can do whatever they want TOP |