Bone Idioms


as dry as a bone
- very dry
The river bed was as dry as a bone at the end of the summer.

bare bones (of something)
- the most basic and important parts of something
The company had to restructure and most services were cut to the bare bones of the operation.

a bone of contention
- something that people disagree about
The issue of working on Saturday evenings is a bone of contention between the store and the workers.

chilled to the bone
- very cold
I was chilled to the bone when I came out of the cold lake.

close to the bone
- something (a story/remark) that is embarrassing or upsetting
The remarks of my boss hit close to the bone when he began to criticize my work habits.

cut/pare (something) to the bone
- cut down severely (on something)
The company had no money so all of the extra expenses were cut to the bone.

down to the bone
- entirely, to the core
The rain and snow chilled me right down to the bone.

feel (something) in one's bones
- sense something, have an intuition about something
I feel it in my bones that I am not going to get the job that I want.

know (something) in one's bones
- know and sense something, have an intuition about something
I know it in my bones that I am not going to pass my English exam.

make no bones about (something)
- make no mistake about something, do not doubt something
"Make no bones about it, I am not going to lend my friend any more money."

a skeleton in the closet
- a hidden and shocking secret
The politician had a skeleton in the closet that he did not want anyone to know about.

skin and bones
- a person or animal that is very thin/skinny
The dog was skin and bones after his owner stopped giving him food.

to the bone
- entirely, to the core
He was wet to the bone after staying out in the rain for two hours.

Breathe/Breath Idioms


able to breathe easily/freely again
- able to relax after a busy and stressful time
I was able to breathe easily again when I knew that I would not miss my flight.

at the top of one`s lungs
- with a very loud voice
I yelled at the top of my lungs to get the man's attention.

a breath of fresh air
- someone brings new ideas/new energy/new ways of doing something to a situation
The new manager is a breath of fresh air around those who never like to change anything.

not breathe a word (about someone or something)
- keep a secret about someone or something
"Please don't breathe a word about my new job to my supervisor."

breathe down (someone`s) neck
- watch someone closely (often by standing right behind them), pressure someone to do something
My boss has been breathing down my neck all day to try and get me to finish the report.

breathe easy/easier
- relax after a busy and stressful time
I could breathe easy when I finished my essay and gave it to my teacher.

breathe one's last
- to die, breathe one's last breath before dying
The elderly man breathed his last late yesterday evening.

catch one's breath
- return to normal breathing after breathing very hard
I stopped at the top of the stairs to catch my breath.

Don't hold your breath.
- Don't stop breathing to wait for something (because it will never happen).
"Don't hold your breath," I said when my friend asked when he would be able to borrow our friend's car.

hardly have time to breathe
- be very busy
I hardly had time to breathe while I was preparing for the summer barbecue.

hold one`s breath
- stop breathing for a moment, stop doing something and wait until something happens
I held my breath and waited to see if my name had been called for an interview with the movie company.

huff and puff
- breathe very hard
I was huffing and puffing when I reached the top of the stairs.

(all) in one breath
- something spoken rapidly without stopping to breathe
I told my friend all in one breath what had happened at the party.

in the same breath
- almost at the same time
My friend was complaining about her teacher but in the same breath she said that she wanted to continue with the class.

out of breath
- breathing fast and hard
I was out of breath when I ran to catch the train.

save one`s breath
- keep silent because talking will not do any good
"You can save your breath and not bother talking to him. He never listens to anyone."

say (something) under one's breath
- say something so softly that almost nobody can hear it
I think that the clerk in the store said something under her breath about me.

take (someone's) breath away
- overwhelm someone with beauty or grandeur, cause someone to be out of breath
The beauty of the mountain lake took my breath away.

time to catch one's breath
- enough time to relax or behave normally
I didn't have time to catch my breath while I was getting ready for the convention.

wait with bated breath
- wait anxiously for something
I waited with bated breath for the results of my exams.

waste one's breath
- waste one's time talking, talk in vain
I think that I will be wasting my breath to try and ask my parents to use the car this weekend.

with every (other) breath
- saying something repeatedly or continually
My friend always tells me with every other breath that he does not like my girlfriend.