Complete Strange Phrases Collection with Variants

All Phrases With Their Variants (475 Total)

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This shows all phrases including their variants. Click on any phrase to view its detailed meaning, origins, and usage examples. Variants are shown as indented items under each main phrase.

Letters A - H (238 phrases)

Letters I - P (158 phrases)

I

Ignorance is bliss

Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise

Bliss of ignorance

Ignorance brings bliss

In a coon’s age

Coon’s age

In a raccoon’s age

In a fog

In a mental fog

Lost in a fog

Fog of the mind

In a nutshell

Put it in a nutshell

In a nut shell

Sum it up in a nutshell

In a pickle

In a bit of a pickle

In a right pickle

Get in a pickle

In a pig’s eye

In a pig’s eye!

Pig’s eye!

In a hog’s eye

In hot water

Get in hot water

In deep hot water

Land in hot water

In like Flynn

In like flint

Got in like Flynn

In over your head

In over his/her head

Get in over your head

In way over your head

In the bag

It’s in the bag

Got it in the bag

Have it in the bag

In the black

Back in the black

Stay in the black

Get in the black

In the Dog House

In the doghouse

Sent to the doghouse

Out in the doghouse

In the doghouse

Sent to the doghouse

In the dog house

Out in the doghouse

In the doldrums

Down in the doldrums

Stuck in the doldrums

Languishing in the doldrums

In the driver’s seat

In the driving seat

Take the driver’s seat

Back in the driver’s seat

In the family way

In a family way

In the family way

Expecting in the family way

In the heat of the moment

In the heat of the minute

Caught in the heat of the moment

Heat of the moment

In the lap of luxury

Live in the lap of luxury

Living in the lap of luxury

Bathe in the lap of luxury

In the nick of time

Just in the nick of time

At the nick of time

In the very nick of time

In the pink

In the pink of health

In the pink of condition

Feeling in the pink

In the red

Deep in the red

Go in the red

Stay in the red

In the same boat

All in the same boat

In the same boat as

We’re all in the same boat

In the soup

Get in the soup

Land in the soup

Deep in the soup

In the twinkling of an eye

Twinkling of an eye

In a twinkling

In the blink of an eye

J

Jack of all trades

Jack of all trades, master of none

A jack of all trades

Jack of every trade

Jump down someone’s throat

Jump down his/her throat

Jump all over someone

Bite someone’s head off

Jump in with both feet

Dive in with both feet

Go in with both feet

Jump on the bandwagon

Get on the bandwagon

Climb on the bandwagon

Join the bandwagon

Jump on the gravy train

Get on the gravy train

Ride the gravy train

Hop on the gravy train

Jump out of the frying pan into the fire

Out of the frying pan, into the fire

From the frying pan to the fire

Leap from the frying pan into the fire

Jump out of your skin

Jump out of his/her skin

Nearly jump out of your skin

Leap out of your skin

Jump ship

Jumping ship

Jumped ship

Bail ship

Jump the gun

Jumping the gun

Jumped the gun

Start the gun early

Jump the queue

Jump the line

Cut the queue

Skip the queue

Jump the shark

Jumping the shark

Jumped the shark

Shark-jumping moment

Jump through hoops

Jumping through hoops

Go through hoops

Run through hoops

K

Keep below the radar

Stay below the radar

Fly below the radar

Remain under the radar

Keep it under your hat

Keep it under wraps

Keep it under your cap

Hold it under your hat

Keep the wolf from the door

Keep the wolf at bay

Keeping the wolf from the door

Hold the wolf from the door

Keep your cards close to your chest

Cards close to your chest

Keep your cards close

Play your cards close to your chest

Keep your eye on the ball

Keep your eyes on the ball

Eye on the ball

Stay focused on the ball

Keep your eyes peeled

Keep your eyes skinned

Eyes peeled

Keep an eye peeled

Keep your hair on

Keep yer hair on

Don’t lose your hair

Hold your hair on

Keep your nose clean

Keep your nose out of trouble

Stay clean-nosed

Keep a clean nose

Keep your nose to the grindstone

Nose to the grindstone

Keep nose to the grindstone

Grindstone nose

Keep your pants on

Keep yer pants on

Hold your pants on

Keep your trousers on

Keep your pecker up

Keep yer pecker up

Hold your pecker up

Keep your spirits up

Keep your powder dry

Hold your powder dry

Keep the powder dry

Stay powder dry

Keep your shirt on

Keep yer shirt on

Hold your shirt on

Don’t take your shirt off

Kick over the apple cart

Kicking over the apple cart

Upset the apple cart

Knock over the apple cart

Kick over the traces

Break the traces

Throw over the traces

Kick the bucket

Kicked the bucket

Kick off the bucket

Kick the pail

Kick the can down the road

Kicking the can down the road

Kick the can further down the road

Push the can down the road

Kick the habit

Kicking the habit

Kick that habit

Break the habit

Kick the tires

Kick the tyres

Kicking the tires

Give the tires a kick

Kick up a fuss

Kick up a stink

Make a fuss

Raise a fuss

Kick up a stink

Kick up a fuss

Raise a stink

Kicking up a stink

Kick up your heels

Kick up yer heels

Kick your heels

Cut loose and kick up your heels

Kicking the Cripple’s Crutch

Kick the Cripple’s Crutch

Knocking the Cripple’s Crutch

Cripple’s Crutch Kicked

Kicking the Hornet’s Nest

Kick the Hornet’s Nest

Stirring the Hornet’s Nest

Poking the Hornet’s Nest

Kill two birds with one stone

Kill two birds with one shot

Hit two birds with one stone

Take down two birds with one stone

Kissing the Stone’s Edge

Kiss the Stone’s Edge

On the Stone’s Edge

Touching the Stone’s Edge

Knock on wood

Touch wood

Knock wood

Tap on wood

L

Laughing all the way to the bank

Laugh all the way to the bank

Laughing to the bank

Chuckling all the way to the bank

Laughing in the Reaper’s Face

Laugh in the Reaper’s Face

Grinning at the Reaper

Mocking the Reaper’s Face

Lay an egg

Laid an egg

Laying an egg

Lay a big egg

Leave in the lurch

Left in the lurch

Leave them in the lurch

In the lurch

Leave no stone unturned

Turn every stone

Leave not a stone unturned

Search every stone

Let sleeping dogs lie

Leave sleeping dogs lie

Don’t wake sleeping dogs

Let a sleeping dog lie

Let the cat out of the bag

Let the cat out of the sack

Spill the cat out of the bag

Cat’s out of the bag

Let the chips fall where they may

Chips fall where they may

Let the chips fall

Leave the chips to fall

Let your hair down

Letting your hair down

Let down your hair

Like a bat out of hell

Bat out of hell

Like a bat from hell

Out like a bat from hell

Like a bear with a sore head

Bear with a sore head

Like a bear with a sore paw

Grumpy as a bear with a sore head

Like a bolt from the blue

Bolt from the blue

Like a thunderbolt from the blue

Out of the blue like a bolt

Like a bull at a gate

Bull at a gate

Like a bull charging at a gate

Rush like a bull at a gate

Like a bull in a china shop

Bull in a china shop

Like a bull in a porcelain shop

Clumsy as a bull in a china shop

Like a cat with nine lives

Cat with nine lives

Like a cat with seven lives

Nine lives like a cat

Like a deer in the headlights

Deer in the headlights

Like a deer caught in headlights

Frozen like a deer in the headlights

Like a dog with a bone

Dog with a bone

Like a dog on a bone

Tenacious as a dog with a bone

Like a dog with two dicks

Dog with two dicks

Like a dog with two tails

Grinning like a dog with two dicks

Like a fish out of water

Fish out of water

Like a fish on dry land

Out of water like a fish

Like a red rag to a bull

Red rag to a bull

Like a red flag to a bull

Acts like a red rag to a bull

Like Flies on Shit

Like flies to shit

Flies on shit

Like flies on a dung heap

Like water off a duck’s back

Water off a duck’s back

Like water off a duck

Rolls off like water off a duck’s back

Like water under the bridge

Water under the bridge

Like water passed under the bridge

Gone like water under the bridge

Live on borrowed time

Living on borrowed time

On borrowed time

Exist on borrowed time

Look before you leap

Look ere you leap

Check before you leap

Think before you leap

Lose your marbles

Lost your marbles

Lose his/her marbles

Gone marbles

Lose your shirt

Lost your shirt

Lose his/her shirt

Lose the shirt off your back

M

Mad as a hatter

As mad as a hatter

Crazy as a hatter

Mad like a hatter

Madder than a cut Snake

Mad as a cut Snake

Madder than a cut Snake in a sack

Angry as a cut Snake

Make a beeline for

Made a beeline for

Head straight for

Go straight for like a beeline

Make a clean breast of it

Make a clean breast

Clean breast of it

Come clean with it

Make a long story short

To make a long story short

Cut a long story short

Long story short

Make a mountain out of a molehill

Making a mountain out of a molehill

Turn a molehill into a mountain

Blow a molehill into a mountain

Make a pig’s ear of it

Made a pig’s ear of it

Make a pig’s ear out of it

Botch it like a pig’s ear

Make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear

Can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear

Silk purse from a sow’s ear

Turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse

Make ends meet

Make both ends meet

Get ends to meet

Stretch to make ends meet

Make hay while the sun shines

Make hay

While the sun shines

Make no bones about it

Make no bones

No bones about it

Making no bones

Miss the boat

Missed the boat

Miss the ship

Lose the boat

Moral Compass

Ethical Compass

Moral Guide

Compass of Morality

N

Needle In A Haystack

Like a needle in a haystack

Finding a needle in a haystack

Needle in the hay

No Good Turn Goes Unpunished

No good deed goes unpunished

Good deeds don’t go unpunished

No good act goes unpunished

No holds barred

All holds allowed

Without holds barred

No rest for the wicked

No peace for the wicked

No rest for the weary

No rest for the sinful

Not playing with a full deck

A few cards short of a full deck

Not dealing with a full deck

Missing a few cards from the deck

Not the sharpest tool in the shed

Not the sharpest knife in the drawer

Not the brightest tool in the shed

A bit dull in the shed

O

Off the cuff

Off-the-cuff

From the cuff

Spoken off the cuff

Off the hook

Get off the hook

Let off the hook

Slip off the hook

Off the rails

Go off the rails

Gone off the rails

Derail like a train off the rails

Off your rocker

Off his rocker

Off your rocker

Gone off the rocker

On a wing and a prayer

Wing and a prayer

On a wing and prayer

Come in on a wing and a prayer

On cloud nine

On cloud seven

Floating on cloud nine

Up on cloud nine

On tenterhooks

On tenter hooks

On tenderhooks

Kept on tenterhooks

On the ball

Stay on the ball

Right on the ball

Keep on the ball

On the blink

Gone on the blink

On the fritz

Acting on the blink

On the dole

Living on the dole

On the welfare dole

Drawing the dole

On the edge of your seat

Edge of your seat

On the edge of my seat

Keep you on the edge of your seat

On the fence

Sitting on the fence

Stay on the fence

Perched on the fence

On the level

Level with me

On the up and up

Straight and level

On the ropes

Against the ropes

Pushed to the ropes

Back on the ropes

On the same page

Get on the same page

Be on the same page

All on the same page

On the wagon

Stay on the wagon

Back on the wagon

On the water wagon

Once in a blue moon

Every blue moon

Happens once in a blue moon

Rare as a blue moon

One foot in the grave

With one foot in the grave

Half in the grave

One foot already in the grave

Out of left field

From left field

Come out of left field

Way out in left field

Out of the frying pan into the fire

From the frying pan into the fire

Jump out of the frying pan into the fire

Frying pan to fire

Over the moon

Jump over the moon

Absolutely over the moon

Way over the moon

P

Paint the town red

Painting the town red

Paint the town

Go paint the town red

Paint yourself into a corner

Painted yourself into a corner

Paint into a corner

Back yourself into a corner

Painting the Sky’s Canvas

Paint the Sky’s Canvas

On the Sky’s Canvas

Crafting the Sky’s Canvas

Par for the course

Just par for the course

About par for the course

Typical par for the course

Pass the buck

Passing the buck

Shift the buck

Hand off the buck

Pay through the nose

Paying through the nose

Paid through the nose

Pay out the nose

Penny for your thoughts

A penny for your thoughts

What’s on your mind?

Penny for your thinkin’

Piece of cake

A piece of cake

Easy as a piece of cake

Like a piece of cake

Pissing in the Wind’s Teeth

Piss in the Wind’s Teeth

Spitting in the Wind’s Teeth

Against the Wind’s Teeth

Pissing Off the Wrong Bastard

Piss Off the Wrong Bastard

Angering the Wrong Bastard

Wrong Bastard Pissed

Pissing on the Altar’s Flame

Piss on the Altar’s Flame

Desecrating the Altar’s Flame

On the Altar’s Flame

Pissing on the Preacher’s Bible

Piss on the Preacher’s Bible

Defiling the Preacher’s Bible

Soiling the Preacher’s Bible

Planting Thorns in the Garden

Plant Thorns in the Garden

Sowing Thorns in the Garden

Thorns in the Garden

Play fast and loose

Playing fast and loose

Play fast and loose with

Fast and loose

Play it by ear

Playing it by ear

Play by ear

Go by ear

Play second fiddle

Playing second fiddle

Second fiddle

Take second fiddle

Play with fire

Playing with fire

Mess with fire

Dance with fire

Pot Calling Kettle Black

Teapot calling the kettle black

Kettle calling the pot black

Black pot, black kettle

Pull the wool over someone’s eyes

Pull the wool over their eyes

Put the wool over someone’s eyes

Wool over their eyes

Pull up stakes

Pull stakes

Upped stakes

Push the envelope

Pushing the envelope

Stretch the envelope

Go beyond the envelope

Put a pin in it

Put a pin in that

Pin it for later

Put a pin in it for now

Put a sock in it

Stick a sock in it

Put a sock in your mouth

Shut it with a sock

Put on the back burner

On the back burner

Put it on the back burner

Back-burnered

Put the cart before the horse

Putting the cart before the horse

Cart before the horse

Put the horse behind the cart

Get the cart before the horse

Put your best foot forward

Put the best foot forward

Step forward with your best foot

Lead with your best foot

Put your head above the parapet

Stick your head above the parapet

Raise your head above the parapet

Head above the parapet

Put your money where your mouth is

Put money where your mouth is

Back your words with money

Show your money where your mouth is

Letters R - Y (79 phrases)

R

Raining cats and dogs

Pouring cats and dogs

Raining like cats and dogs

Cats and dogs rain

Raise the bar

Raising the bar

Set the bar higher

Lift the bar

Rattling the Cage of Gods

Rattle the Cage of Gods

Shaking the Cage of Gods

Cage of Gods Rattled

Red herring

A red herring

Throw a red herring

Red herring tactic

Ride roughshod over

Riding roughshod over

Run roughshod over

Trample roughshod over

Ride the gravy train

On the gravy train

Riding the gravy train

Gravy train

Riding the Owl’s Wing

Ride the Owl’s Wing

On the Owl’s Wing

Gliding on the Owl’s Wing

Riding the Viper’s Tail

Ride the Viper’s Tail

Clinging to the Viper’s Tail

On the Viper’s Tail

Rock the boat

Don’t rock the boat

Rocking the boat

Shake the boat

Roll with the punches

Rolling with the punches

Take the punches

Ride out the punches

Rome wasn’t built in a day

Rome wasn’t built in one day

Rome took time to build

Not built in a day

Rub salt in the wound

Rub salt into the wound

Pour salt in the wound

Salt in the wound

Run amok

Running amok

Run amuck

Go amok

Run the gauntlet

Run the gantlet

Running the gauntlet

Run through the gauntlet

S

Sailing on a Whisper of Wind

Sail on a Whisper of Wind

Riding a Whisper of Wind

On a Whisper of Wind

Screwing the Beggar’s Bowl

Screw the Beggar’s Bowl

Stealing the Beggar’s Bowl

Robbing the Beggar’s Bowl

Screwing the Drunkard’s Last Pint

Screw the Drunkard’s Last Pint

Stealing the Drunkard’s Last Pint

Robbing the Drunkard’s Last Pint

Screwing the Poor Man’s Plate

Screw the Poor Man’s Plate

Stealing the Poor Man’s Plate

Robbing the Poor Man’s Plate

See eye to eye

Seeing eye to eye

Be eye to eye

Look eye to eye

Selling Smoke to the Wind

Sell Smoke to the Wind

Peddling Smoke to the Wind

Smoke to the Wind

Serving the Serpent’s Feast

Serve the Serpent’s Feast

Feeding the Serpent’s Feast

At the Serpent’s Feast

Shitting on the King’s Crown

Shit on the King’s Crown

Defiling the King’s Crown

Crapping on the King’s Crown

Shitting Where You Eat

Shit Where You Eat

Crapping Where You Eat

Foul Where You Eat

Singing to the Hangman’s Rope

Sing to the Hangman’s Rope

Chanting to the Hangman’s Rope

With the Hangman’s Rope

Sit on the fence

Sitting on the fence

On the fence

Stay on the fence

Spill the beans

Spilling the beans

Spill those beans

Let the beans spill

Spill the tea

Spill the T

Dish the tea

Spilling the tea

Spinning Lies in the Spider’s Den

Spin Lies in the Spider’s Den

Weaving Lies in the Spider’s Den

Lies in the Spider’s Den

Spinning the Clock’s Last Turn

Spin the Clock’s Last Turn

Clock’s Last Turn

Winding the Clock’s Last Turn

Spit and image

Spitting image

Spit and likeness

Dead spit and image

Spit in the wind

Spitting in the wind

Spit against the wind

Piss in the wind

Spitting image

Spit and image

Dead ringer

Carbon copy

Spitting in the King’s Wine

Spit in the King’s Wine

Defiling the King’s Wine

Tainting the King’s Wine

Spitting in the Poorhouse Soup

Spit in the Poorhouse Soup

Tainting the Poorhouse Soup

In the Poorhouse Soup

Spitting on the Widow’s Grave

Spit on the Widow’s Grave

Desecrating the Widow’s Grave

On the Widow’s Grave

Square the circle

Squaring the circle

Try to square the circle

Circle squaring

Steal someone’s thunder

Stealing their thunder

Take their thunder

Snatch someone’s thunder

Stealing the Tide’s Secret

Steal the Tide’s Secret

Snatching the Tide’s Secret

With the Tide’s Secret

Steer clear of

Steer clear

Steering clear of

Keep clear of

Straight from the horse’s mouth

From the horse’s mouth

Right from the horse’s mouth

Direct from the horse’s mouth

Sucking the Devil’s Teat

Suck the Devil’s Teat

Nursing the Devil’s Teat

At the Devil’s Teat

T

Take it on the chin

Take it on the jaw

Took it on the chin

Taking it on the chin

Take it with a grain of salt

Take it with a pinch of salt

With a grain of salt

Grain of salt needed

Take the bull by the horns

Grab the bull by the horns

Seize the bull by the horns

Tackle the bull by the horns

Take the wind out of your sails

Take the wind out of his sails

Wind out of your sails

Took the wind out of your sails

Tangled in the Weaver’s Loom

Caught in the Weaver’s Loom

Snared in the Weaver’s Loom

Tangled in the Loom

Teapot calling the Kettle black

Pot calling the kettle black

Kettle calling the pot black

Black teapot, black kettle

The ball is in your court

Ball’s in your court

The ball’s in their court

Your court, your ball

The cat’s out of the bag

Cat’s out of the bag

Let the cat out of the bag

Cat’s out of the sack

The elephant in the room

Elephant in the room

Big elephant in the room

Address the elephant in the room

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions

Road to hell paved with good intentions

Hell’s road paved with good intentions

Good intentions pave the road to hell

The Sins of the Father

Sins of the Father

Sins of the fathers

Father’s sins

The squeaky wheel gets the grease

The squeaky wheel gets the oil

Squeaky wheel gets the grease

The wheel that squeaks gets greased

The straw that broke the camel’s back

Last straw that broke the camel’s back

Straw that breaks the camel’s back

Camel’s back breaker

The whole nine yards

Whole nine yards

The whole 9 yards

Go the whole nine yards

Threading the Star’s Needle

Thread the Star’s Needle

With the Star’s Needle

Passing the Star’s Needle

Through thick and thin

Thick and thin

Through the thick and thin

Stick through thick and thin

Throw caution to the wind

Throw caution to the winds

Cast caution to the wind

Throw caution aside

Throw in the towel

Toss in the towel

Throw up the towel

Give up the towel

Throw someone under the bus

Thrown under the bus

Throw under the bus

Toss under the bus

Tie the knot

Tying the knot

Tied the knot

Get hitched

Till the cows come home

Until the cows come home

Wait till the cows come home

Forever till the cows come home

Tip of the iceberg

Just the tip of the iceberg

Only the tip of the iceberg

Mere tip of the iceberg

To cut a long story short

Cut a long story short

Make a long story short

Long story short

Tossing Pebbles at the Giant

Toss Pebbles at the Giant

Throwing Pebbles at the Giant

Pebbles at the Giant

U

Under the thumb

Under someone’s thumb

Under the thumb of

Kept under the thumb

Under the weather

Feeling under the weather

A bit under the weather

Down under the weather

Up in arms

Get up in arms

All up in arms

Rise up in arms

Up to scratch

Not up to scratch

Up to the scratch

Meet the scratch

W

Warming Hands at a Dying Ember

Warm Hands at a Dying Ember

At the Dying Ember

Hands at the Dying Ember

Water under the bridge

Like water under the bridge

Water passed under the bridge

Gone under the bridge

Weaving a Web of Ashes

Weave a Web of Ashes

Spinning a Web of Ashes

Web of Ashes

When pigs fly

When pigs can fly

Pigs might fly

Till pigs fly

Whistling Past the Abyss

Whistle Past the Abyss

Whistling by the Abyss

Past the Abyss Whistling

Whoring Out the Family Silver

Whore Out the Family Silver

Selling the Family Silver

Pimping the Family Silver

Wild goose chase

On a wild goose chase

Chasing a wild goose

Goose chase

Worshipping the Broken Idol

Worship the Broken Idol

Kneeling to the Broken Idol

At the Broken Idol’s Altar

Y

You can’t judge a book by its cover

Don’t judge a book by its cover

Can’t judge a book by its cover

Never judge a book by its cover

Your guess is as good as mine

My guess is as good as yours

Guess is as good as mine

No better guess than mine