a fine-toothed comb
a careful search, a search for a detail She read the file carefully - went over it with a fine-toothed comb.a sweet tooth
a need to eat candy, a craving for sugar After dinner we'll serve mints. Daddy has a sweet tooth, eh.an eye for an eye (a tooth for a tooth)
equal punishment or revenge Canadian laws do not demand an eye for an eye.darn tooting
that is true, I agree, darn right """They still talk about the winter of 1907, don't they, Helmer?"" ""Darn tootin'! It was a cold one!"""eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
every crime or injury should be punished or paid back Some politicians are always calling for an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth when they hear of a terrible crime.fight tooth and nail
fight fiercely or with all onefine-tooth comb
great care, careful attention so as not to miss anything We went over the room with a fine-tooth comb but were unable to find the missing credit card.fine-toothed comb
(See a fine-toothed comb)go too far
become too excited, get carried away Some soccer fans go too far. They fight and cause damage.have your cake and eat it, too
have something after you have eaten or spent it, have it both ways You want to spend your money and still have it. You can't have your cake and eat it, too!long in the tooth
old, aged, over the hill Jack is a good pitcher, but he's long in the tooth - too old.not too shabby
quite good, better than average Have you seen the new Camaro? It's not too shabby.one too many
too much alcohol The man drank one too many so his friends would not let him drive home.put too fine a point on
be too precise, split hairs If you want to put too fine a point on it, the color is actually russet.spread oneself too thin
try to do too many things at one time She has been spreading herself too thin lately and is not accomplishing very much of anything.sweet tooth
a need to eat candy, a craving for sweets A piece of dark chocolate will satisfy my sweet tooth. Yum!too bad
a little bit sad, unfortunate Too bad Annie won't be home when I visit. I'd like to see her.too big for his britches
too proud, cocky, swelled head I promise not to get too big for my britches if I win the award.too big for one
think that you are more important than you really are He is too big for his breeches and needs someone to make him realize that he is not very important.too deep for me
too complicated, too complex The DNA theory is too deep for me. I can't understand it.too far gone
not able to stop a disease, a goner Several doctors tried to treat the cancer, but it was too far gone.too little too late
not enough effort or work when it was needed, make hay while... The Roughriders scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late. They lost.too many chiefs and not enough Indians
too many directors and not enough workers, too many cooks... Everybody tried to be the boss. We had too many chiefs and not enough Indians.too many cooks spoil the broth
too many managers cause problems, too many chiefs... The structure failed because it was designed by a group of architects. Too many cooks spoil the broth.too many irons in the fire
too many things you are trying to do He has too many irons in the fire at the moment and has no time for other things.toodles/toodle-loo
bye, good-bye, so long """Toodle-loo,"" she said, smiling. ""I must go now."""tool around
play, fool around, goof off The students were tooling around because they had no assignment.toot your own horn
brag, talk about your own success Since Ted won the bowling trophy he's been tooting his own horn.tooth and nail
(See fight tooth and nail)cannot…too
impossible for a certain state or action to be more than what should be or to be beyond what is desirable无论怎样也不过分You cannot be too careful．你越小心越好。（你无论怎么小心也不为过分。）
A man cannot have too many friends．朋友越多越好。
The bad habit cannot be got rid of too soon．这个坏习惯改得越早越好。
have too high an opinion of
overestimate；regard too highly过高地评价；过分尊重The teacher has too high an opinion of his own students．这位老师对他的学生估计过高。
That engineer has too high an opinion of his own talents．那位工程师对自己的才能估计过高。
none too
not at all根本不The doctor arrived none too soon，as Mary's fever was very alarming．玛丽发烧温度高得吓人，可医生并没有及时赶到。
They were discovered by the pilot of the helicopter，and none too soon，because they'd eaten all their food．他们被直升飞机驾驶员发现，差一点就来不及了，因为他们已吃光了所有食物。
only too
very非常I am only too glad to hear it．我听了不胜欢喜。
He was only too willing to accept the proposal．他非常愿意接受那个建议。
toot one's own horn
Idiom(s): toot one's own horn AND blow one's own horn
Theme:
BOASTING - CONCEIT to boast or praise oneself.
• Tom is always tooting his own horn. Is he really as good as he says he is?
• I find it hard to blow my own horn, but I manage.
too much of a good thing
Idiom(s): too much of a good thingTheme:
AMOUNT - LARGE more of a thing than is good or useful.• I usually take short vacations. I can't stand too much of a good thing.
• Too much of a good thing can make you sick, especially if the good thing is chocolate.
Too many cooks spoil the stew
Idiom(s): Too many cooks spoil the stew, AND Too many cooks spoil the brothTheme:
CONTROLA proverb meaning that too many people trying to manage something simply spoil it.• Let's decide who is in charge around here. Too many cooks spoil the stew.
• Everyone is giving orders, but no one is following them! Too many cooks spoil the broth.
too good to be true
Idiom(s): too good to be trueTheme:
TRUTHalmost unbelievable; so good as to be unbelievable.• The news was too good to be true.
• When I finally got a big raise, it was too good to be true.
too close for comfort
Idiom(s): too close for comfortTheme:
PROXIMITY[for a misfortune or a threat] to be dangerously close.• That car nearly hit me! That was too close for comfort.
• When I was in the hospital, I nearly died from pneumonia. Believe me, that was too close for comfort.
too big for one's britches
Idiom(s): too big for one's britchesTheme:
ARROGANCEtoo haughty for one's status or age. (Folksy or informal.)• Bill's getting a little too big for his britches, and somebody's going to straighten him out.
• You're too big for your britches, young man! You had better be more respectful.
take too much on
Idiom(s): take too much onTheme:
BURDENto undertake to do too much work or too many tasks.• Don't take too much on, or you won't be able to do any of it well.
• Ann tends to take on too much and get exhausted.
stoop to
Idiom(s): stoop to doing sthTheme:
DEGRADATIONto degrade oneself or condescend to doing something; to do something that is beneath one.• Whoever thought that the manager of the department would stoop to typing?
• I never dreamed that Bill would stoop to stealing.
should have stood in bed
Idiom(s): should have stood in bedTheme:
HIDINGshould have stayed in bed.• What a horrible day! I should have stood in bed.
• The minute I got up and heard the news this morning, I knew I should have stood in bed.
know sth only too well
Idiom(s): know sth only too wellTheme:
KNOWLEDGEto know something very well; to know something from unpleasant experience. (Note the variation in the examples.)• I know the problem only too well.
• I know only too well the kind of problem you must face.
have too many irons in the fire
Idiom(s): have too many irons in the fireTheme:
BUSYto be doing too many things at once.• Tom had too many irons in the fire and missed some important deadlines.
• It’s better if you don't have too many irons in the fire.
have one's cake and eat it too
Idiom(s): have one's cake and eat it too AND eat one's cake and have it tooTheme:
GREEDto enjoy both having something and using it up; to have it both ways. (Usually stated in the negative.)• Tom wants to have his cake and eat it too. It can't be done.
• Don't buy a car if you want to walk and stay healthy. You can't eat your cake and have it too.
have a sweet tooth
Idiom(s): have a sweet toothTheme:
EATINGto desire to eat many sweet foods—especially candy and pastries.• I have a sweet tooth, and if I don't watch it, I'll really get fat.
• John eats candy all the time. He must have a sweet tooth.
go over sth with a fine-tooth comb
Idiom(s): go over something with a fine-tooth comb AND search something with a fine-tooth combTheme:
SEARCHINGto search through something very carefully.• I can't find my calculus book. I went over the whole place with a fine-tooth comb.
• I searched this place with a fine-tooth comb and didn't find my ring.
fall between two stools
Idiom(s): fall between two stoolsTheme:
ALTERNATIVESto come somewhere between two possibilities and so fail to meet the requirements of either.• The material is not suitable for an academic book or for a popular one. It falls between two stools.
• He tries to be both teacher and friend, but falls between two stools.
search sth with a fine-tooth comb
Idiom(s): go over something with a fine-tooth comb AND search something with a fine-tooth combTheme:
SEARCHINGto search through something very carefully.• I can't find my calculus book. I went over the whole place with a fine-tooth comb.
• I searched this place with a fine-tooth comb and didn't find my ring.
go at it tooth and nail
Idiom(s): fight sb or sth hammer and tongs AND fight sb or sth tooth and nail; go at it hammer and tongs; go at it tooth and nailTheme:
FIGHTINGto fight against someone or something energetically and with great determination. (All have fixed order.)• They fought against the robber tooth and nail.
• The dogs were fighting each other hammer and tongs.
• The mayor fought the new law hammer and tongs.
• We'll fight this zoning ordinance tooth and nail.