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English idioms

Success & failure idioms

Idioms for winning, losing, getting lucky, giving up and trying again.

Idioms

  1. 1bite the bulletMake yourself do something unpleasant or difficult that you have been avoiding.I finally bit the bullet and booked a dentist appointment.
  2. 2bite off more than you can chewTry to do more than you are able to manage.I bit off more than I could chew when I agreed to organise three events in one month.
  3. 3by the skin of your teethOnly just, by a very small margin.We caught the last train by the skin of our teeth.
  4. 4miss the boatLose a chance by acting too slowly.Tickets sold out in an hour, so I completely missed the boat.
  5. 5throw in the towelGive up and admit that you cannot succeed.After three failed attempts to fix the car himself, he threw in the towel and called a mechanic.
  6. 6get your act togetherStart organising yourself and behaving in a more effective way.If I want to pass in June, I really need to get my act together.
  7. 7go down in flamesFail suddenly and completely, often in a very public way.The launch went down in flames when the website crashed on day one.
  8. 8no pain, no gainYou have to work hard or suffer a little to achieve something worthwhile.My legs hurt after every training session, but no pain, no gain.
  9. 9leave no stone unturnedTry every possible way to find something or solve a problem.The police promised to leave no stone unturned in the search.
  10. 10give someone a run for their moneyCompete very strongly against someone who is expected to win.The new café is giving the old bakery a run for its money.
  11. 11a blessing in disguiseSomething that seems bad at first but later turns out to be good.Losing that job was a blessing in disguise – I started my own business.
  12. 12that ship has sailedThe chance to do something has gone and will not come back.I'd love to study medicine, but at my age that ship has sailed.
  13. 13easy does itDo it slowly and carefully.Easy does it – that box is full of glasses.
  14. 14it's not rocket scienceIt is not difficult to understand or do.Setting up the printer isn't rocket science – just follow the steps.
  15. 15like riding a bikeDescribes a skill you never forget, even if you haven't used it for a long time.I hadn't skied for ten years, but it was like riding a bike.
  16. 16cut the mustardBe good enough to meet the required standard.His first designs didn't cut the mustard, so the client asked for new ones.
  17. 17a far cry fromVery different from something, often much better or worse.Our new flat is a far cry from the tiny room I rented as a student.
  18. 18the whole nine yardsEverything that is possible or available; the full amount.They had a band, fireworks, a three-course dinner – the whole nine yards.
  19. 19like pulling teethExtremely difficult, especially when trying to get someone to do or say something.Getting my brother to tidy his room is like pulling teeth.
  20. 20slow and steady wins the raceWorking steadily and patiently is better than rushing.I only study for twenty minutes a day, but slow and steady wins the race.
  21. 21live and learnSaid when you have learned something from a mistake or surprising experience.I didn't back up my files and lost a week's work. Oh well, live and learn.
  22. 22the best of both worldsA situation where you get the advantages of two different things at once.Working from home two days a week gives me the best of both worlds.
  23. 23pull out all the stopsMake the greatest possible effort to achieve something.The hotel pulled out all the stops for their anniversary dinner.
  24. 24give it your best shotTry as hard as you can, even if you might not succeed.I'm not sure I'll get the part, but I'll give it my best shot.