English Vocabulary: Interesting Idioms with Clothes

Time to practice some more specific idioms. Today, related to clothing and clothes.

You will see a really long list of idioms, but don’t worry! What we want you to do is:

1. Read the list
2. Choose 5 idioms
3. Remember them and write sentences with them, this way you will remember them!
4. Repeat again next week!

And remember, “whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right“. What does this mean? That if you believe you can learn English, you will!

Idioms

Air your dirty laundry – private information that causes shame and embarrassment when it is made public.
Example: “My neighbour’s are always airing their dirty laundry: they shout about their private problems and everyone can hear them”

All dressed up – to make (something) more attractive, impressive, or fancy.
Example: “Olivia gets all dressed up before she goes out”

As tough as an old boot – very tough, strong and resistant.
Example: “My grandmother is as tough as old boots; she survived two world wars”

At the drop of a hat – without waiting or planning, immediately, promptly.
Example: “John’s girlfriend dumped him at the drop of a hat when she found a new man”

Birthday suit – complete nakedness.
Example: “The child was swimming in the pool in his birthday suit”

Burn a hole in one’s pocket – to spend a lot of money quickly.
Example: “After he got paid, the money was burning a hole in Paul’s pocket, he spent it all last weekend”

Burst at the seams – to be too full or too crowded.
Example: “My handbag is bursting at the seems, I need to get a bigger one”

Catch (someone) with their pants down – to surprise someone in an embarrassing situation or doing something that they should not  be doing.
Example: “They caught the thieves with their pants down: they were running across the garden with the TV”

Charm the pants off (someone) – to use very nice or charming behaviour to persuade someone to do something.
Example: “That man could charm the pants off anyone, he’s so handsome and well-spoken”

Cloak-and-dagger – Involving secrecy and plotting.
Example: “It was all very cloak and dagger, nobody said anything about what was going to happen”

Come apart at the seams – to be in a bad situation and to begin to lose control, to become extremely upset.
Example: “After the divorce, Marie came apart at the seams”

Cut from the same cloth – to share a lot of similarities.
Example: “Jenny and her mother are cut from the same cloth: they are very strict”

Do (something) like it is going out of fashion/style – to use/buy/eat/spend a lot or too much of something.
Example: “Ian is eating fish and chips like they’re going out of fashion”

Dressed to kill – wearing your best or finest clothes.
Example: “I went to my interview, dressed to kill”

Eat one’s hat – to do something extraordinary or special if something that you do not think will happen actually happens.
Example: “If you run for 20 minutes without stopping, I’ll eat my hat”

Emperor’s new clothes – used when many people believe something that is not true, a situation in which people are afraid to criticize something because everyone else seems to think that it is good or important.
Example: “It was like the emperor’s new clothes when nobody would criticize the popular politician although he was doing a lot of bad things”

Fall apart at the seams – to separate at the seams (for material that is swen together), to fall apart.
Example: “My trousers are falling apart at the seams, I really need to buy a new pair”

Feather in one’s cap – something to be proud of, an honour.
Example: “When I got my promotion, it put a feather in my cap”

Fit like a glove – to fit perfectly.
Example: “James and me work perfectly together; he fits me like a glove”

Get the boot – to be fired from a job, to be told to leave a place.
Example: “Olivia was given the boot yesterday, so now she’s looking for a new job”

Give (someone) the shirt off one’s back – to be very generous to someone.
Example: “Gina is such a kind girl, she’d give you the shirt of her back”

Go out of fashion/style – to become unfashionable.
Example: “That type of managerial approach no longer works, it has gone out of fashion”

Hand in glove with (someone) – very close with someone.
Example: “My boss and I worked hand in glove to create a good advertising campaign”

Handle (someone) with kid gloves – to handle someone very gently and carefully because you do not want to upset him or her.
Example: “We all had to handle the celebrity with kid gloves, she was such a diva!”

A hand-me-down – a piece of clothing that is given to someone after another person does not need it.
Example: “My brother always had to wear hand-me-downs from our older cousin”

Have a bee in one’s bonnet – to have a fixed idea that stays in one’s mind.
Example: “I have a bee in my bonnet with our new housemate; she’s very dirty”

Idiom Sentences!

Let’s practice these idioms… make at least one sentence using your favourite idiom. We will correct them and this way, everyone will learn a bit of English today!

My favourite is “eat one’s hat”. It’s quite old-fashioned but fun to say. For example:

“If she manages to be on time for once, I’ll eat my hat”