A bad excuse is better than none ..
Fred: I can't believe we played cards till midnight. What will I tell my wife?
Bill: Tell her something came up at the office
Fred: But that's a lousy excuse. She'll never believe it.
Bill: A bad excuse is better than none.
what a good sport you are .... (informal ... be generous, cheerful, pleasant, especially in a difficult situation)
She's a good sport
Go on, be a sport ... (used when asking people to do something for you)
Heads-up .... (a warning that something is going to happen, usually so that you can prepare for it) .... this note is just to give you a heads-up that Vicky will be arriving next week
A bad penny .. (a worthless person)
- My little brother is a real bad penny. Every time he shows up, he wants to borrow money
A barking dog never bites ...
- My boss threatens to fire me at least once a week, but a barking dog never bites
A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush ...
- I might get a better offer, but a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush
A blessing in disguise .. (something that at first seems bad, but later turns out to be beneficial)
- Dad's illness was a blessing in disguise. It brought the family together for the first time in years.
A bolt from the blue ... (a sudden surprise)
- The news that Mr. & Mrs. King were getting a divorce struck all their friends as a bolt from the blue
A bully is always a coward ... (Bullies will only intimidate people who are weaker than they are, because they are afraid of having to fight their equals)
Child: Dad, Joey keeps picking on me. How can I make him stop?
Father: Try fighting back. A bully is always a coward
A burnt child dreads the fire ... (If something has hurt you once , you avoid it after that)
Jill: Let's go ride the roller coaster
Jane: No thanks. I got sick on one of those once, and a burnt child dreads the fire
A castle in Spain ... (a Daydream)
Someday I'd like to take a year off work and travel all around the world
But that's just a castle in Spain, really, I'll never have the money to do it
A cat can look at a king ... (No one is so important that an ordinary person can not look at. Everyone has the right to be curious about important people)
Fred: You shouldn't stare at me like that. I'm your boss.
Jill: A cat can look at a king
A cat has 9 lives ... (Cats can survive things that are severe enough to kill them)
- I think my cat used up 1 of her 9 lives when she survived being hit by that car
A cat in gloves catches no mice .... (Sometimes you can not get what you want by being careful and polite)
Jill: I've hinted to Mary several times that I need her to pay me the money she owes, but she just ignores me.
Jane: A cat in gloves catches no mice, Jill. Tell her bluntly that you need the money
A chain is no stronger than its weakest link ... (If 1 member of a group fails, the whole group fails)
- George is completely out of shape. I don't want him on our ball team. A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link
A chip off the old block ... (A child who is very much like 1 of the parents)
Jill: is that a picture of your son? He looks so much like you
Alan: Yes, he's a chip off the old block, all right
A contented mind is a perpetual feast ... (If you are contented by nature, you will always feel that you have enough of everything, and will not have to strive to get more)
- I'm glad you're making so much money, son, but I think you ought to concentrate on being happy with what you have, rather than always trying to get more. A contented mind is a perpetual feast