hi folks,

you probably know that there are language specific expressions or word combinations which got a special meaning. In some cases this meaning differs a lot from the meaning of their containing words.

I'd like to start a thread to collect some of these idiomatic expressions which can't be translated into other languages mostly.
In case you'd like to join this thread please post an answer which contains an idiomatic expression you know and try to explain what it means (maybe a hint where to use it or where to avoid it)

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"to freeze one's butt off" (colloq. not to be used in business conversations)

A picture to support the meaning :


describes that it's "really very cold indeed"
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Don't be shy and join
/Bog

--- reminder ---
as this is an English subforum, your idioms and explanations should be in English of course

"not being one's cup of tea"



describes that you don't like s.th. very much

"it's raining cats and dogs"



meaning:
It's raining that much that you won't be able to see anything else than raindrops only

"to pay through the nose"



meaning:
to pay a lot of money without receiving what you wanted (e.g for car repair ;))

"to smell a rat"



meaning:
to suspect that s.th. is wrong about what you've been told

"to put a feather in somebody's cap"



meaning:
s.th. really good that s.o. has done to please s.b. else
(a rather old-fasioned phrase, but a lovely one)

"to get into hot water"



meaning:
to get into trouble with s.th. or s.o.
a situation in which you are likely to be punished

"back to the drawingboard"



meaning:
in case an attempt failed you have to start again from scratch (from the very beginning)

"no room to swing a cat"



meaning:
An awkwardly small, confined space.