Idioms and Expressions

Groups of words whose meaning as a whole may not be deducible by the individual words.

• 〜目に遭う (having a bad experience)

• 匙を投げる (give up, throw in the towel)

• 心を鬼にする (taking a hardhearted stance)

• 気がある (having an interest in something)

• 気が合う (getting along)

• 気が大きくなる (finding courage)

• 気が散る (getting distracted)

• 気が晴れる (feeling better)

• 気が済む (feeling better)

• 気が遠くなる (becoming lightheaded)

• 気に食わない (dissatisfaction)

• 気を落とす (feeling discouraged)

• 水の泡になる (all that effort for nothing)

• 油を売る (neglecting one’s work)

• 甘く見る (taking someone lightly)

• 目が冴える (wide awake)

• 目を盗む (sneaking something)

• 目を離す (averting one’s attention)

• 穴があったら入りたい (feeling greatly embarrassed)

• 自業自得 (reap what one sows)

• 荷が重い (more than one can handle)

• 足を運ぶ (going out of your way to do something)