Human relationships are complex, not only because of their nature but also because of how they are expressed. You may get along very well with someone from the first day, or you may start a relationship in the wrong way from the beginning. With some people, you keep your distance, while with others, you may argue like cats and dogs. In addition, power dynamics are often felt in relationships. Sometimes you are in control, and sometimes you find yourself under the influence of the other person. With so many different types of relationships, it is difficult to describe every situation using the same words. English has many idioms related to relationships, which helps enrich the language. In this blog, we will learn some English idioms about relationships and examine them with examples.
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25 Idioms About Relationship
Now, let’s take a look at the meanings of these idioms and how they are used in everyday life.
Get on like a house on fire
Meaning: To get along very well.
Example: We got on like a house on fire from the first day.
Have a soft spot for someone
Meaning: To have a special affection or weakness for someone.
Example: She has a soft spot for her younger brother.
Go back a long way
Meaning: To have known someone for a long time.
Example: We go back a long way… we grew up in the same neighborhood.
Be in with
Meaning: To be close to or on good terms with someone.
Example: He’s in with the manager, so he can do whatever he wants.
Get off on the wrong foot with someone
Meaning: To start a relationship badly.
Example: I got off on the wrong foot with my new colleague.
Keep someone at arm’s length
Meaning: To keep a distance from someone.
Example: Even though they made peace with each other, she still keeps him at arm’s length.
They’re like cat and dog
Meaning: To argue a lot and not get along.
Example: My siblings and I are like cats and dogs.
Rub someone up the wrong way
Meaning: To annoy or irritate someone.
Example: His attitude really rubs me up the wrong way.
Be at loggerheads
Meaning: To be in strong disagreement.
Example: The two teams are at loggerheads over the plan.
Sworn enemies
Meaning: People who are long-term enemies.
Example: The two families have been sworn enemies since the old argument.
Bend over backwards for someone
Meaning: To try to help someone in the best way you can.
Example: She bent over backwards to help her friend.
Be at someone’s beck and call
Meaning: To be ready to do whatever someone asks.
Example:He expects his assistant to be at his beck and call.
Pull your weight
Meaning: To do your role in the work.
Example: Everyone needs to pull their weight on this project.
Do your fair share
Meaning: To do the amount of work that is expected of you.
Example: Please do your fair share of the work.
Take someone under your wing
Meaning: To protect, support, and guide someone.
Example: Seeing her potential, the professor took the student under his wing and guided her through the research process.
Keep tabs on someone
Meaning: To watch or monitor someone closely.
Example: Parents like to keep tabs on their children.
Wear the trousers
Meaning: To be the person in control in a relationship.
Example: Everyone knows she wears the trousers in that family.
Be under the thumb
Meaning:To be controlled by someone else.
Example: He’s completely under his boss’s thumb.
Get your wires crossed
Meaning: To misunderstand each other.
Example: We got our wires crossed about the meeting time.
Get the wrong end of the stick
Meaning: To misunderstand something or each other.
Example: You’ve got the wrong end of the stick… I wasn’t angry.
Be left in the dark
Meaning: To not be given information.
Example: We were left in the dark about the decision.
Talk at cross purposes
Meaning: To talk without understanding each other.
Example: They were talking at cross purposes the whole time.
Go round in circles
Meaning: To discuss something without reaching a result.
Example: This discussion is going round in circles.
Leave things up in the air
Meaning: To leave something undecided or unclear.
Example: They left the details up in the air.
Birds of a feather
Meaning: People who are very similar to each other.
Example: Birds of a feather, we should stick together.
Frequently Asked Questions About English Idioms Related to Relationship
Now that we learned about the idioms, let’s look at some questions about them.
How can I use relationship idioms in daily conversations?
You can use them when talking about friends, family, work relationships, or romantic situations.
What does “be under someone’s thumb” mean?
It means to be completely controlled by another person.
What does “wear the trousers” mean?
It means to be the person in control in a relationship.
What does “get the wrong end of the stick” mean?
It means to misunderstand something.
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