English Idioms

noun a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g., rain cats and dogs, see the light)

• Understanding the meaning behind each idiom is important for language learners.
• Don't take everything he says literally, he's always using idioms.
• She's always dropping cool idioms in her conversations.
• The idiom 'raining cats and dogs' means it's raining heavily.

noun a complex or confusing situation that is often illusory or imaginary

• The detective quickly realized that the supposed murder scene was actually a mare's nest of fabricated evidence.
• I thought I found a great deal on that used car, but it turned out to be a mare's nest of hidden problems.
• Don't believe everything she says, it's just a mare's nest of gossip.
• Trying to navigate through the complicated legal system felt like unraveling a mare's nest of red tape.

noun a dead cert

adjective dead - devoid of life, cert - short for certainty, indicating something that is guaranteed or certain

• Based on the data and analysis, the outcome of the project is a dead cert.
• With her skills and experience, getting the job is a dead cert for her.
• I'm telling you, his team winning the championship is a dead cert.
• The way he's been practicing, his success in the competition is a dead cert.