Idioms are fairly fixed phrases that consist of more than one word, with a meaning that cannot be understood from putting together the meanings of the individual words. But this dictionary of approximately 2,000 idioms is different from other dictionaries of idioms. Such dictionaries often try to give a complete list of all idioms; in this book we have concentrated on phrases that are used in certain conversational situations. Clear examples are How do you do? when greeting, Well I never! when you are surprised, and sayings such as Great minds think alike and Wonders will never cease.

This book will be found useful by all speakers of English. Students learning English as a second or foreign language, especially, will find help here that is just not included in other reference books; so this dictionary will increase the understanding of what has been heard and will also develop a proficiency in using idioms. The index brings an additional benefit: by consulting the list of subjects, the user is referred to appropriate phrases.

The inclusion of 200 of the most common Business Idioms also reflects the need for English language learners to be able to understand basic idiomatic language used in everyday business context.