No Idioms

 

If you have absolutely no knowledge of something, you have ‘no idea’ about it.

• I have no idea what caused my computer to crash.

• I have no idea where she is.

If something is not at all surprising, it is ‘no wonder’ that it happens.

• You are only wearing a small tee-shirt. No wonder you are cold.

• He’s always late for work. It’s no wonder that his boss is unhappy with him.

If it is impossible that something will happen, there is ‘no way’ it will happen.

• There’s no way I’m letting you borrow my new Porsche.

• If you go to the interview in jeans, there’s no way that you’ll get the job.

Another way of saying this is to say that there is ‘no chance’ it will happen.

• I have no chance of getting the promotion.

• There’s no chance of us catching the plane now.

If something is serious or difficult, it is ‘no joke’.

• Addressing 5000 envelopes by hand will be no joke.

• With six people off with flu, working here is no joke.

If a situation is unpleasant or difficult, it is ‘no picnic’.

• Bringing up six children is no picnic.

• It’s no picnic running a company in France.

If you have no evidence of something, you see ‘no sign’ of it.

• I see no sign of an economic upturn.

• There’s no sign of any improvement.

If there is no evidence or justification for something, there is ‘no reason’ for it.

• There’s no reason to be so pessimistic.

• There’s no reason to take your anger out on me.

If there is no reward or objective in doing something, there is ‘no point’ in doing it.

• There’s no point in working hard when the shop is closing down on Friday.

• I see no point in asking her as she always turns down our invitations.

If something is very probable or highly likely, there is ‘no doubt’ about it.

• No doubt the American relay runners are very unhappy that they dropped the baton.

• He wants to see me and no doubt is going to ask for a better salary.

Memory Idioms

If you "can't get a word in edgeways", this means that you have no chance to say anything.

• So many people were trying to speak that I couldn't get a word in edgeways.

It's also possible to say "can't get a word in edgewise".

• Kate never stops talking. It's difficult to get a word in edgewise.

If you have forgotten what you were talking about, you have "lost your train of thought".

• Sorry, I've lost my train of thought after that interruption. What was I saying?

If you have absolutely no idea about something, you "haven't a clue".

• I haven't a clue what the capital of Kazakhstan is. Can you help me?

If you cannot understand something, you "can't make head nor tail" of it.

• I'm trying to assemble this IKEA table and I can't make head nor tail of the instructions.

If you forgot about something, it "slipped your mind".

• I was going to send it to you but I'm afraid it completely slipped my mind.

If you have to choose between two alternatives and you are finding it difficult, you are "caught between two stools".

• I'm not sure if I should fly to London or take the train. I'm really caught between two stools on this one.

If something tries to be two things but is not very good at being either it "falls between two stools".

• It's supposed to be a telephone and an MP3 player but it falls between two stools and isn't very good at either.

If you are trying to remember something and cannot quite remember it, it is "on the tip of your tongue".

• What's her name again? It's on the tip of my tongue.

If you don't understand something, you can say that "it beats me".

• It beats me why this car won't start. Everything appears OK with it.

Sometimes, explanations are too difficult or technical for us – they "go over our heads".

• He tried to explain the problem with the reactor but I'm afraid it just went over my head.

Sometimes we think and think about something, trying to remember a name, for example. You can say you have been "racking my brain".

• I've been racking my brain trying to remember the name of that lawyer we met last year in Dubai.