Idioms/Idiomi/成语

Wet

All wet (American informal)

The meaning of the english idiom – All wet

Completely wrong

 

 

 

Can’t dance and it’s too wet to plow

 

The meaning of the english idiom – Can’t dance and it’s too wet to plow

(USA) When you can’t dance and it’s too wet to plow, you may as well do something because you can’t or don’t have the opportunity to do anything else.

Similar English and Irish sayings:

• Dancing on someone’s grave
• Make a song and dance
• He dances well to whom fortune pipes

 

 

Get your feet wet

The meaning of the english idiom – Get your feet wet

If you get your feet wet, you gain your first experience of something.

Similar English and Irish sayings:

• Find your feet
• The cat would eat fish and would not wet her feet
• Cut your teeth on 

 

 

 

Wet behind the ears

The meaning of the english idiom – Wet behind the ears

Someone who is wet behind the ears is either very young or inexperienced.

Similar English and Irish sayings:

• Prick up your ears
• Be all ears 

 
 

 

 

 

Wet blanket

The meaning of the english idiom – Wet blanket

A wet blanket is someone who tries to spoil other people’s fun.

Similar English and Irish sayings:

• Split the blanket
• Spoil the ship for a ha’pworth of tar
• Wet behind the ears

 
 

 

 

 

Wet your whistle

The meaning of the english idiom – Wet your whistle

If you are thirsty and have an alcoholic drink, you wet your whistle. “Whet your whistle” is also used.

Similar English and Irish sayings:

• Clean as a whistle
• Blow the whistle
• A man cannot whistle and drink at the same time

 

 
 

Dry

As dry as a bone

The meaning of the english idiom – As dry as a bone

Completely dry

 

Before the ink is dry

The meaning of the english idiom – Before the ink is dry

If people make an agreement or contract and then the situation changes very quickly, it changes before the ink is dry.
Similar English and Irish sayings:

• Keep your powder dry
• Hang out to dry
• Watching paint dry

 

 

 

Bone dry 

The meaning of the english idiom – Bone Dry

Completely dry.

 

 

Dry as a bone

The meaning of the english idiom Dry as a bone

If your lawn is as dry as a bone, the soil is completely dry.
Similar English and Irish sayings:

• All skin and bone
• Chew on a bone
• Throw someone a bone

 

 

Dry as snuff

The meaning of the english idiom Dry as snuff

If something is as dry as snuff, it is very dry indeed.
Similar English and Irish sayings:

• Up to snuff
• Dry as a bone
• He that has it and will not keep it; he that wants it and will not seek it; he that drinks and is not dry, shall want money as well as I 

 
 

 

 

Dry run 

The meaning of the english idiom Dry run

A dry run is a full rehearsal or trial exercise of something to see how it will work before it is launched.
Similar English and Irish sayings:

• You never miss the water till the well runs dry
• Dry spell
• Keep your powder dry

 

 

 

Dry spell

The meaning of the english idiom Dry spell

If something or someone is having a dry spell, they aren’t being as successful as they normally are.
Similar English and Irish sayings:

• Good spell
• On a roll
• Get the axe

 

 

 

Hang out to dry

The meaning of the english idiom – Hang out to dry

If you hang someone out to dry, you abandon them when they are in trouble.
Similar English and Irish sayings:

• Hanged for a sheep as a lamb
• Throw someone to the wolves
• Low-hanging fruit 

 
 

 

 

 

Keep your powder dry

The meaning of the english idiom – Keep your powder dry

If you keep your powder dry, you act cautiously so as not to damage your chances.
Similar English and Irish sayings:

• Powder your nose
• He who goes into a mill comes out powdered 

 

 

 

 

Not a dry eye (spoken)

The meaning of the english idiom – Not a dry eye

Used for saying that something makes everyone in a place feel strong emotion

 

 

Watching paint dry

The meaning of the english idiom – Watching paint dry

If something is like watching paint dry, it is really boring.
Similar English and Irish sayings:

• Watch grass grow
• Painted Jezebel