Idioms Beginning with O

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odds and ends

Miscellaneous things.

In the attic there is a box full of odds and ends.

off one's rocker

To be crazy.

He's off his rocker if he thinks that I'm going to help him move again.

off the cuff

Without preparation; impromptu

At the awards ceremony his speech was completely off the cuff.

off the cuff

Without preparation; impromptu

At the awards ceremony his speech was completely off the cuff.

off the mark

Inaccurate, wrong.

The vice president's comments on the war are consistently off the mark.

off the top of one's head

Without great thought, investigation or any sort of preparation.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of anyone who is a better painter than Max.

on a roll

On a streak of continuous progress or success.

The team is on a roll. They've won five games in a row.

on edge

Anxious, tense, nervous or irritable

I've really been on edge lately. I think I've been drinking too much coffee.

on one's toes

Alert, prepared, ready, or attentive.

In this job things happen so fast that you always have to be on you toes.

on the back burner

Not the main priority; inactive; on hold.

I've put that project on the back burner until I have a little more time.

on the blink

Broken, out of order, inoperative (electronic or mechanical devices).

The freezer in on blink again. Everything has thawed out or melted.

on the button

Exactly, precisely.

We're meeting at 11:00, on the button.

on the dot

Exactly, precisely.

The meeting starts at 11:00, on the button.

on the fence

To be undecided.

I am still on the fence about which job to take.

on the level

Honest, sincere and straightforward

I wouldn't trust Miguel. He may seem like he's on the level, but he's really not.

on the line

At risk; in danger.

I really need to do well on this project because my job is on the line.

one's bark is worse than one's bite

The particular person seems more aggressive and mean than he really is.

Don't worry about the boss. His bark is worse than his bite.

one's lips are sealed

To keep a secret; to not reveal a secret.

My lips are sealed. I won't tell anyone about it.

out of line

Inappropriate, improper, wrong.

Max was really out of line when he asked the woman how much she weighed.

out of the blue

Unexpectedly; without warning; suddenly.

Out of the blue Max asked Mary for a divorce.

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