Idioms O
Object lesson An object lesson serves as a warning to others
Odds and ends Odds and ends are small, remnant articles and things- the same as 'bits and bobs'
Off colour If someone looks off colour, they look ill
Off the beaten track Somewhere that's off the beaten track is in a remote location
Off the cuff If you do something off the cuff, you do it without any preparation
Off the hook If someone is off the hook, they have avoided punishment or criticism for something they have done
Off the mark If something is off the mark, it is inaccurate or incorrect
Off the rails If someone has gone off the rails, they have gone off the straight and narrow
Off the record Something off the record is said in confidence because the speaker doesn't want it attributed to them
Off the scale If something goes off the scale, it far exceeds the normal standards, good or bad, for something
Off the shelf If a product is off the shelf, it can be used straightaway without any setting-up
Off the top of your head If you say something off the top of your head, you don't think about it beforehand
Off the track If something puts or throws you off your track, it distracts you or keeps you from achieving what you want
Off your chump If someone is off their chump, they are crazy or irrational
Off your rocker Someone who is off their rocker is crazy
Off hand Off-hand means without preparation. People say that they don't know the answer off-hand, meaning that they don't know it at that time
Old chestnut An old chestnut is something that has been repeated so many times that it has lost its impact
Old hat If something's old hat, it seems rather old fashioned and dated
Old wives tale A proverb or piece of advice that is commonly accepted as truth and is handed down the generations, but is normally false
Oldest trick in the book The oldest trick in the book is a well-known way of deceiving someone, though still effective
Olive branch If you hold out or offer an olive branch, you make a gesture to indicate that you want peace
On a fishing expedition
 If someone is on a fishing expedition, they are trying to get information, often using incorrect or improper ways to find things out
On a roll If you're on a roll, you're moving from success to success
On a silver platter If you hand or give something on a silver platter to someone, you let them have it too easily
On all fours If someone is on all fours, they crawl
On hold If something is on hold, no action is being taken
On ice If something is on hold, no action is being taken
On thin ice Means you are in a precarious position, usually said " he is skating on thin ice"
On tenterhooks Means someone is waiting excitedly for something to happen
On the ball If someone's on the ball, they are well-informed and know what's going on in their area of responsibility or interest
On the blink Is a machine is on the blink, it isn't working properly or is out of order
On the blower If someone is on the blower, they are on the phone
On the carpet When you are called to the bosses office because you are in trouble, and something has not gone according to plan for which you are responsible for, you are said to on the carpet
On the fiddle Someone who is stealing money from work is on the fiddle, especially if they are doing it by fraud
On the fly If you do things on the fly, you do things without preparation, responding to events as they happen
On the game A person who is on the game works as a prostitute
On the hoof If you decide something on the hoof, you do it without planning, responding to events as they happen
On the house If you get something for free that would normally have to be bought, especially in a bar or restaurant, it is on the house
On the make If someone is on the make, they are trying to make a lot of money, usually illegally
On the never never If you buy something on the never-never, you buy it on long-term credit
On the rebound If someone is on the rebound, their relationship has recently ended and they are emotionally unstable
On the right foot If you start something or set off on the right foot, you get off to a good start
On the ropes When something or someone is on the ropes, it or they are doing badly and likely to fail
On the run If someone is on the run, they are avoiding arrest and hiding from the police
On the same wavelength If people are on the same wavelength, they have the same ideas and opinions about something
On the shelf If something like a project is on the shelf, nothing is being done about it at the moment
On the take Someone who is stealing from work is on the take
On the tip of your tongue If a word is on the tip of your tongue, you know you know the word, but you just can't quite remember it at the moment
On the trot This idiom means 'consecutively'; I'd saw them three days on the trot
On the up and up If you are on the up and up, you are making very good progress in life and doing well
On the wagon If someone is on the wagon, they have stopped drinking alcohol
On top of the world If you are on top of the world, everything is going well for you
On your high horse When someone is on their high horse, they are being inflexible, arrogant and will not make any compromises
On your last legs If someone's on their last legs, they're close to dying
On your soap box If someone is up on their soapbox about something, they are very overtly and verbally passionate about the topic
On your tod If you are on your tod, you are alone
On your toes Someone on his or her toes is alert and ready to go
Once bitten twice shy If somebody is said to be once bitten twice shy, it means that someone who has been hurt or who has had something go wrong will be far more careful the next time
Once in a blue moon If something happens once in a blue moon, it happens very rarely indeed
One fell swoop If something is done at one fell swoop, it is done in a single period of activity, usually swiftly and ruthlessly
One good turn deserves another Means if someone does something good for you, you will do something good for them in return
One hand washes the other This idiom means that we need other people to get on as cooperation benefits us all
One man's loss is another man's gain Means that you may gain from another persons loss
One man's drink is another man's poison This idiom means that one person can like something very much, but another can hate it

One over the eight

 Someone who is one over the eight is drunk
One swallow doesn't make a summer This means that one good or positive event does not mean that everything is all right
One man band If one person does all the work or has all the responsibility somewhere, then they are a one-man band
Open book If a person is an open book, it is easy to know what they think or how they feel about things
Open old wounds Means someone opens a quarrel or enmity which was almost forgotten
Open a can of worms If you open a can of worms, you do something that will cause a lot of problems
Opportunity knocks only once This idiom means that you only get one chance to achieve what you really want to do
Other fish to fry If you have other fish to fry, it doesn't matter if one opportunity fails to materialise as you have plenty of others
Other side of the coin The other side of the coin is a different, usually opposing, view of a situation
Out in the sticks If someone lives out in the sticks, they live out in the country, a long way from any metropolitan area
Out like a light If you are out like a light, you fall fast asleep
Out of hand If something gets out of hand, it gets out of control
Out of my league If someone or something is out of your league, you aren't good enough or rich enough, etc, for it or them
Out of pocket If you are out of pocket on a deal, you have lost money
Out of sight out of mind Out of sight, out of mind is used to suggest that someone will not think or worry about something if it isn't directly visible or available to them
Out of sorts If you are feeling a bit upset and depressed, you are out of sorts
Out of the blue If something happens out of the blue, it happens suddenly and unexpectedly
Out of the frying pan and into the fire If you get out of one problem, but find yourself in a worse situation, you are out of the frying pan, into the fire
Out of the mouths of babes People say this when children unexpectedly say something very intelligent or wise
Out of the woods If you are out of the woods, you have emerged safely from a dangerous situation
Out of this world If something is out of this world, it is fantastic
Out of your hair If you get someone out of your hair, you get them to stop bothering or annoying you
Out of your mind If someone is out of their mind, they are so emotional about something that they are no longer rational
Out on a limb If somebody's out on a limb, they are in a very exposed position and could get into difficulties
Over my dead body If you say that something will happen over your dead body, you will not let it happen
Over the hill If someone is over the hill they have reached an age at which they can longer perform as well as they used to
Over the moon If you are over the moon about something, you are overjoyed
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