| List of Idioms beginning with V | |
| Vale of tears | This vale of tears is the world and the suffering that life brings. |
| Velvet glove | This idiom is used to describe a person who appears gentle, but is determined and inflexible underneath. ('Iron fist in a velvet glove' is the full form.) |
| Vent your spleen | If someone vents their spleen, they release all their anger about something. |
| Vicar of Bray | A person who changes their beliefs and principles to stay popular with people above them is a Vicar of Bray |
| Vicious circle | A vicious circle is a sequence of events that make each other worse someone drinks because they are unhappy at work, then loses their job... 'Vicious cycle' is also used. |
| Vinegar tits | A mean spirited women lacking in love or compassion. |
| Virgin territory | If something is virgin territory, it hasn't been explored before. |
| Voice in the wilderness | Someone who expresses an opinion that no one believes or listens to is a voice in the wilderness,especially if proved right later. |
| Volteface | If you do a volteface on something, you make a sudden and complete change in your stance or position over an issue. |
| Vultures are circling | If the vultures are circling, then something is in danger and its enemies are getting ready for the kill.TOP |
| List of Idioms beginning with W | |
| Weight one's word | be careful to what one says |
| Wait for a raindrop in the drought | When someone is waiting for a raindrop in the drought, they are waiting or hoping for something that is extremely unlikely to happen |
| Walking on broken glass When | a person is punished for something |
| Wet behind the ears | Someone who is wet behind the ears is either very young or inexperienced |
| Whale of a time | If you have a whale of a time, you really enjoy yourself |
| Work your fingers to the bone If | you work your fingers to the bone, you work extremely hard on something |
| Wrench in the works | If someone puts or throws a wrench, or monkey wrench, in the works, they ruin a planTOP |
| List of Idioms beginning with X | |
| X factor | The dangers for people in the military that civilians do not face, for which they receive payment, are known as the X factor. |
| X marks the spot | This is used to say where something is located or hidden. |
| Xrated | If something is xrated, it is not suitable for children.TOP |
| List of Idioms beginning with Y | |
| Yah boo sucks | Yah boo & yah boo sucks can be used to show that you have no sympathy with someone. |
| Yank my chain | If some one says this to another person (i.e. stop yanking my chain) it means for the other person to leave the person who said it alone and to stop bothering them. |
| Yell bloody murder | If someone yells bloody murder, they protest angrily and loudly, or scream in fear. |
| Yellow press | The yellow press is a term for the popular and sensationalist newspapers. |
| Yellow streak | If someone has a yellow streak, they are cowardly about something. |
| Yellowbellied | A yellow bellied person is a coward. |
| Yen | If you have a yen to do something, you have a desire to do it. |
| Yeoman's service | To do yeoman's service is to serve in an exemplary manner. |
| Yesman | Someone who always agrees with people in authority is a yesman. |
| Yesterday's man or Yesterday's woman | Someone, especially a politician or celebrity, whose career is over or on the decline is yesterday's man or woman. |
| You are what you eat | This is used to emphasise the importance of a good diet as a key to good health. |
| You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar | This means that it is easier to persuade people if you use polite arguments and flattery than if you are confrontational. |
| You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family | Some things you can choose, but others you cannot, so you have to try to make the best of what you have where you have no choice. |
| You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink | This idiom means you can offer something to someone, like good advice, but you cannot make them take it. |
| You can say that again | If you want to agree strongly with what someone has said, you can say 'You can say that again' as a way of doing so. |
| You can't fight City Hall | This phrase is used when one is so cynical that one doesn't think one can change their Representatives. The phrase must have started with frustration towards a local body of government. |
| You can't have cake and the topping, too | This idiom means that you can't have everything the way you want it, especially if your desires are contradictory. |
| You can't have your cake and eat it | This idiom means that you can't have things both ways. For example, you can't have very low taxes and a high standard of state care. |
| You can't hide elephants in mouse holes | means that some issues/problems/challenges cannot be hidden/concealed but have to be faced and dealt with. |
| You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear | If something isn't very good to start with, you can't do much to improve it.You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs This idiom means that in order to achieve something or make progress, there are often losers in the process. |
| You can't take it with you | Enjoy life, enjoy what you have and don't worry about not having a lot, especially money...because once you're dead, 'you can't take it with you.' For some, it means to use up all you have before you die because it's no use to you afterwards. |
| You can't teach an old dog new tricks | It is difficult to make someone change the way they do something when they have been doing it the same way for a long time |
| You can't unring a bell | This means that once something has been done, you have to live with the consequences as it can't be undone. |
| You could have knocked me down with a feathe | r This idiom is used to mean that the person was very shocked or surprised. |
| You do not get a dog and bark yourself | If there is someone in a lower position who can or should do a task, then you shouldn't do it. |
| You get what you pay for | Something that is very low in price is not usually of very good quality. |
| You reap what you sow | This means that if you do bad things to people, bad things will happen to you, or good things if you do good things. It is normally used when someone has done something bad. |
| You said it! | Used to say you agree completely with something just said.You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours This idiom means that if you do something for me, I'll return the favour. |
| You what? | This is a very colloquial way of expressing surprise or disbelief at something you have heard. It can also be used to ask someone to say something again. |
| You're toast | If someone tells you that you are toast, you are in a lot of trouble. |
| You've got rocks in your head | Someone who has acted with a lack of intelligence has rocks in their head. |
| You've made your bed | you'll have to lie in it This means that someone will have to live with the consequences of their own actions. |
| Young blood | Young people with new ideas and fresh approaches are young blood. |
| Young Turk | A Young Turk is a young person who is rebellious and difficult to control in a company, team or organisation. |
| Your belly button is bigger than your stomach | If your belly button is bigger than your stomach, you take on more responsibilities than you can handle. |
| Your call | If something is your call, it is up to you to make a decision on the matter. |
| Your name is mud | If someone's name is mud, then they have a bad reputation. |
| Your sins will find you out | This idiom means that things you do wrong will become known.TOP |
| List of Idioms beginning with Z | |
| Zero hour | The time when something important is to begin is zero hour. |
| Zero tolerance | If the police have a zero tolerance policy, they will not overlook any crime, no matter how small or trivial. |
| Zigged before you zagged | If you did things in the wrong order, you zigged before you zagged. |
| Zip it | This is used to tell someone to be quiet. |
| Zip your lip | If someone tells you to zip your lip, they want to to shut up or keep quiet about something. ('Zip it' is also used.) |