Add Fuel to the Fire “I was already angry with you, and when you forgot to pick me up, that really added fuel to the fire”. Meaning : to make a bad situation worse; to do or say something that causes more trouble, makes someone angrier Origin: Thousands of years ago the famous Roman historian Livy used this expression. If “fire” represents any kind of trouble, then anything you do to make that trouble worse is “fuel”.

Air your Dirty Laundry in Public “My upstairs neighbors fight a lot and air their dirty laundry in public”. Meaning :to talk about your private disagreements or embarrassing matters in public, usually while quarreling Origin: Picture this: Instead of hanging your freshly washed laundry on a clothesline, you hang your dirty clothes out there in the air for all the world to see. Wouldn’t that be embarrassing?

“You said you had something important to tell me. I’m all ears!” Meaning: To listen; sharply attentive; curious Origin: The ear is the part of the body that by which a person hears. So, if you say that you’re “all ears,” it means at that moment your listening purposely to whatever is being said.

“You never sit still. You must have ants in your pants”. Meaning: a person or thing that is greatly loved, treasured, and adored Origin: We can easily imagine where this saying came from. What if you actually had ants in your pants? You would find it difficult to settle down. You’d keep squirming to get rid of the ants.

“Kareem is the apple of my eye”. Apple of your Eye “Kareem is the apple of my eye”. Meaning: a person or thing that is greatly loved, treasured and adored Origin: This saying is used in the Bible. Ancient people thought that the pupil of the eyes was solid and shaped like an apple. The pupil (“apple of the eye” )was precious because without it you couldn’t see.

“Olivia would have gone to the football game at the drop of a hat”. Meaning: right away; at once; without delay; willing at any moment Origin: Years ago someone would drop a hat as the starting signal as a sporting event. Today if anyone does anything eagerly and on the spur of the moment, we say it’s done “ at the drop of a hat”.

At the End of Your Rope “I have tried everything, but nothing's worked. I ‘m at the end of my rope.” Meaning: at the limit of your ability, endurance, or patience to do something Origin: Imagine that you’re trying to use rope to climb a mountain or a tree. You’re at the end of your rope, and you can’t achieve what you set out to do.

Crystal always flatters me, but I think she has an ax to grind. Meaning: something to gain for yourself for a selfish reason; flattery or trickery used to get a a favor from another person Origin: In the early 1800s a man wrote a story in a newspaper about how, when he was a boy, a man used flattery to trick him into sharpening the man’s ax. The boy turned the heavy grindstone wile the man held his ax against it because the man said the boy was a great ax grinder, smart and strong. The man did not even pay the boy or thank him.

Back to Square One Our design for a solar-powered washing machine didn’t work, so it’s back to square one. Meaning: return to the beginning because of a failure to accomplish the desired result. Origin: There are many board and street games that have squares or boxes. Each player must start at the first square and try to advance to the finish line or last box to win.

Backseat Driver “I can fix this computer myself, but she always tries to be a backseat driver.” Meaning: a bossy person who tells another person what to do; a person who gives unwanted advice and directions. Origin: When cars became popular in the U.S. in the 1920’s many rich people rode in the backseats of chauffeur-driven cars. The backseat passenger gave orders to the front seat driver.

Bark is Worse than Your Bite The new director yells a lot, but her bark is worse than her bite. Meaning: the way a person sounds is much more frightening than the way she or he acts; the threat is often worse than the action taken Origin: This expression was used as far back as the mid-1600s. A dog barking ferociously sounds like he could actually bite your head off. But if the dog does not hurt you, then his “bark is worse than his bite.”

Bark Up the Wrong Tree Maria’s uncle wanted to make her into a magician, but he was barking up the wrong tree. Her brother Juan, was the one who loved tricks.” Meaning: to direct your attention or efforts toward the wrong person or thing; to have the wrong idea about something. Origin: Early Americans used to chase raccoons as a sport. Trained dogs would bark at the tree. Sometimes a raccoon could escape the branches going to another tree leaving the dog barking at the wrong tree.

“He tried to convince his sister, but he was beating a dead horse.” Beat a Dead Horse “He tried to convince his sister, but he was beating a dead horse.” Meaning: to pursue a useless goal; to continue fighting a battle which has been lost; to keep arguing a point which has already been decided. Origin: This saying goes back to the ancient Roman playwright Plautus who used it in the 195 B.C. in one of his plays.