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The O drawer

76 phrases beginning with O.

October surprise A news event in the final weeks of a US presidential campaign - a scandal, crisis, leak, diplomatic breakthrough, or candidate-health shock - that…
Off the beaten track Describes a place that is remote, little visited, or far from main roads and towns; by extension, anything unconventional, unfashionable, or outside…
Off the cuff Spoken, decided, or done without advance preparation; impromptu rather than rehearsed.
Off the hook Freed from responsibility, trouble, or obligation, escaping a sticky situation with relief or luck. It carries a tone of liberation or sly evasion…
Off the peg British expression for clothing bought ready-made in standard sizes rather than made to measure; also used attributively ('an off-the-peg suit') and…
Off the top of your head Given from memory or immediate reaction rather than from research or preparation, typically of an estimate, figure, or first idea offered on the spot…
Off your high horse To drop arrogance or pride, coming down to earth.
Off your rocker Behaving or thinking in a way the speaker considers wildly irrational or absurd. Informal and insulting when directed at a person. It should not be…
Off-colour In British English, mainly of people, slightly ill or below one's usual form: feeling a bit off-colour, an off-colour performance. In American English…
OK boomer A dismissive retort, used mainly by younger speakers, to shut down a remark seen as out of touch, preachy, or characteristic of the Baby Boomer…
Old habits die hard Deeply ingrained ways of behaving are difficult to change or abandon, so people keep repeating familiar routines even when circumstances, preferences…
Old hat Old-fashioned, out of date, or no longer interesting because it has become over-familiar to everyone; hackneyed. Used predicatively ('that argument is…
Old school In the style of a former era - methods, manners, or music remembered either as better than the new way or hopelessly behind it. The phrase praises and…
On a hiding to nothing Certain to fail, or unable to gain much even if successful. The traditional form ends in 'nothing'. 'Nowhere' is a genuine but later reshaping…
On a shoestring Doing something with very little money or on a minimal budget ('they ran the cafe on a shoestring for its first two years'); also attributively, as in…
On a sticky wicket In an awkward, difficult, or vulnerable position - one where any move may make things worse. Usually in the phrases 'be (batting) on a sticky wicket'…
On a wing and a prayer Barely scraping by with slim hope, relying on luck.
On an even keel Stable, calm, and functioning normally, especially after a period of disturbance or upset. Used of people, moods, finances, organizations, and…
On cloud nine Extremely happy, elated, or euphoric.
On tenterhooks In a state of nervous suspense or strained anticipation while waiting for an outcome.
On the back burner Set aside for later, given reduced priority while more urgent matters are dealt with. The metaphor is kitchen physics: on a stove, the pots at the…
On the back foot At a disadvantage or retreating, off balance.
On the ball Sharp, alert, and quick to act, right on top of things.
On the breadline Barely scraping by, near broke.
On the fiddle Engaged in small-scale dishonesty, especially fiddling expenses or quietly cheating an employer or the system; on the make. Chiefly British and…
On the fritz Broken, malfunctioning, or in an unsatisfactory state. Current informal idiom Regional use: United States, later widespread.
On the horns of a dilemma Stuck picking between two bad options, torn.
On the lam On the run or fleeing, all dodge.
On the level Honest, sincere and straightforward, said of people and offers ('her proposal looked on the level') or of statements ('he told us on the level')…
On the other hand Used to introduce a contrasting or balancing point of view, fact, or consideration - the opposite side of an argument. It forms the second half of the…
On the pig's back Doing great or riding high, all luck.
On the Q.T. Done quiet or secret, hush-hush.
On the razzle Out for a wild spree or fun, all go.
On the rocks In a state of ruin, failure, or serious difficulty: a marriage on the rocks, a business on the rocks. Separately, of a drink, served over ice cubes…
On the ropes In a tight spot or near defeat, reeling.
On the same wavelength Thinking alike - sharing a way of looking at things so completely that each understands the other without explanation. Its negative, not on the same…
On the skids Slipping down or failing.
On the straight and narrow Living or behaving honestly, lawfully, and according to accepted moral standards. Informal and often carries a moral or religious tone. It may imply…
On the stump Out on the campaign trail delivering speeches to local audiences - the classic mode of American politics before radio and television, when a candidate…
On the wagon Abstaining from alcohol, especially after having drunk regularly or after deciding to stop. Informal and specifically about alcohol, not vice in…
On the wallaby track Travelling the country on foot in search of work or subsistence. Historical Australian slang. It evokes itinerant labour and hardship; modern use is…
On the warpath In an angry, combative mood and actively looking for a confrontation. The phrase describes someone on the hunt for an argument or a reckoning - a…
On the wrong side of the tracks From a poor or rough part, low-class.
On your beam-ends In a desperate position with no resources left, usually money, options, or time running out. The image is a ship heeled so far over that its beams…
On your high horse Behaving in an arrogant, disapproving or self-righteous way, as though morally or socially above everyone else. The phrase is nearly always critical…
On your last legs Near the point of collapse, failure, or death. Of people it suggests extreme exhaustion or the final stages of illness; of machines, businesses, or…
Once bitten, twice shy Someone who has been hurt, cheated or badly let down once becomes doubly cautious about risking the same thing again. A fixed proverb, usually about…
Once in a blue moon Describes something that happens very rarely or almost never. It functions as a fixed adverbial measure of rarity - 'we see each other once in a blue…
Once more unto the breach A rallying call to attempt something difficult one more time, usually after an earlier effort has been beaten back. It is now commonly used humorously…
One fell swoop A single sudden action that affects or disposes of everything concerned. Fell is an archaic adjective meaning fierce or deadly. 'One foul swoop' and…
One for the books An outstanding, extraordinary or remarkable event or achievement, in principle impressive enough to belong in a record book. American and colloquial…
One for the road A final alcoholic drink taken just before leaving a party, bar, or host's home. The phrase always refers to alcohol, and in modern usage it carries a…
One over the eight Slightly or noticeably drunk after one drink too many. Informal euphemism for intoxication, usually suggesting mild rather than dangerous drunkenness…
One swallow doesn't make a summer A single favourable sign does not prove that the wider situation has turned; one good result, one good day, or one data point cannot stand for the…
One-horse town A very small, unimportant or provincial town, imagined as barely needing more than a single horse. The term is dismissive rather than neutral, and it…
One-trick pony A person, group or product whose ability or appeal rests on a single talent, skill or feature, with little range beyond it. It is usually said with…
Open a can of worms To raise a topic or take an action that unleashes a tangle of further problems nobody can control, especially by starting to investigate something…
Orbiting Cutting off direct communication with someone while continuing to follow their online life, watching their stories, viewing their profiles, and…
Orwellian Oppressively like Orwell's nightmares - surveillance, doublespeak, rewritten history, propaganda that makes lies sound true. The word is both a…
Other fish to fry Other, usually more important or more interesting things to do, invoked to explain why one is not attending to the matter at hand. Almost always in…
Out in the cold In a state of exclusion or neglect, cut off from a group, an activity or information that others share; used as a noun phrase, as in being kept or…
Out of left field Completely unexpected and without warning or apparent connection to what came before, as of a question, offer, or development that catches everyone…
Out of sight, out of mind People tend to forget or neglect someone or something that is no longer visible or present. Often describes neglect caused by absence; it may refer to…
Out of station Away from one's usual city, workplace or place of residence. Neutral regional English. Outside South Asia, away or out of town is more likely to be…
Out of the blue Something happening suddenly and unexpectedly, without warning or preparation. It conveys surprise-good, bad, or neutral-emphasizing the randomness of…
Out of the frying pan into the fire To move from a bad situation into an even worse one while trying to escape it. Almost always framed as motion - going, jumping, or falling from the…
Out of the loop Excluded from the circle of people who are kept informed or who make decisions; not privy to up-to-date information or current discussion. It…
Out of the mouths of babes Children speak truth or unexpected wisdom - usually at the worst possible moment, and usually with an accuracy adults have spent years learning to…
Out of the woods Clear of danger or difficulty after a risky period, as with illness, financial trouble or a fragile project. Almost always used in the negative - 'not…
Out of your depth Beyond your skill or comfort, floundering in deep water.
Out to lunch Oblivious, inattentive, irrational, or detached from what is happening. Current informal expression; can sound insulting when applied to a person…
Over a barrel Helpless, trapped, or subject to another person's control. Current informal idiom Regional use: United States; now widespread.
Over the moon Extremely happy and delighted. British in flavour though now widely understood elsewhere, it typically appears in the construction 'to be over the…
Over the top Excessive to the point of absurdity; beyond the bounds of taste, moderation, or restraint, especially of performances, celebrations, decoration, or…
Over your head Too complex or specialised for you to understand, as with a lecture, contract, or joke that simply does not register. A second sense describes taking…
Over-egg the pudding Spoil something by embellishing it, exaggerating it or adding more than is needed. The hyphenated spelling 'over-egg' is standard in major British…