Common American Idioms

Excerpt and rearrange from 在线英语听力吧

Related to body parts
a) Hand
-- give me a hand (帮我一下忙)
-- to work hand in glove (密切合作)

b) Foot / Feet
-- foot the bill (付账)
-- the shoe is on the other foot (情况完全不同)
-- to put your best foot forward (给人留下好印象)
-- to get off on the wrong foot (在做某件事的时候一开始就给人一个坏印象，或者一开始就把事弄糟了)
-- to put one's foot in one's mouth (无意中说错了话而伤害了别人)
-- to get a foot in the door (为了达到一个目的而迈出了第一步)

-- to land on your feet (逢凶化吉)
-- to stand on one's own two feet (很独立自主，不依赖别人)
-- jump in and get your feet wet (到实践中去学习取得经验)
-- cold feet (事到临头打退堂鼓，对原先有信心的事感到胆怯了)
-- to be dead on one's feet (两只脚非常累)
-- to throw oneself at someone's feet (是为了表达对某人的爱慕之情或为了得到一些好处而拜倒在某人的脚下)
-- to be swept off one's feet (因兴奋而感到不由自主)
-- don't let the grass grow under one's feet (劝人不要停止不前，浪费时间)

c) Arm
-- to twist someone's arm (强迫某人做你要他做的事)
-- to charge someone an arm and a leg (要价太高)
-- up in arms (进行武装斗争，或者非常愤怒，准备打架)
-- at arm's length / to keep someone at arm's length (某人保持一定距离)

d) Leg
-- to shake one's leg (赶快动作)
-- to pull one's leg (和别人开玩笑)
-- break a leg (祝愿别人成功)

e) Ear
-- to play by ear (到时候再看着办)
-- goes in one ear and out the other (左耳进，右耳出)
-- to keep an ear to the ground (保持高度警觉)
-- up to one's ears (很忙 & 完全介入某件事)

f) Nose
-- to be led by the nose (被别人牵着鼻子走)
-- under your nose (没有看到就在自己身边的东西)
-- to follow your nose (一直走)
-- to pay through the nose (付出很高价钱)

g) Neck
-- to break your neck (尽一切努力去做某件事)
-- to stick your neck out (是指为了某人或某件事冒风险)
-- pain in the neck (非常令人讨厌)
-- neck and neck (双方齐头并进，竞争十分紧张，不分上下)

h) Heart
-- to have a heart (请求别人对他表示同情，或者也可以说是要求别人做做好事，帮帮忙)
-- cross my heart (向别人保证，向别人发誓，表明自己说的话是诚实的)
-- heart stood still (指一个人因为受到惊吓而他的心似乎都停止跳动了)
-- heart-to-heart talk (谈心)

Related to clothes
a) shirt
-- to keep your shirt on (不要紧张 & 在不了解清楚情况的时候就发火)
-- to lose one's shirt (失去一切)
-- a stuffed shirt (爱摆架子，表现得神气十足的人)
-- to give you the shirt off his back (尽自己的力量帮助别人)

b) socks
-- to pull your socks up (振作起来)
-- to knock your socks off (令人感到吃惊)

Related to colours
a) red
-- in the red (亏本)
-- to roll out the red carpet (像贵宾一样欢迎)
-- a red letter day (大喜日子)
-- red tape (指官僚主义)
b) black and white
-- in the black (赚钱)
-- white hats and black hats (好人和坏人)
-- a black sheep (一个给他周围的人带来耻辱的人)
-- a white lie (为了避免使对方感到难受而说的谎话)
c) green
-- green thumb (在种花、种菜方面很有才能的人)
-- green light (说某个计划，或某件事没有遇到障碍，可以按计划进行)
d) blue
-- singing the blues (诉苦、抱怨)
-- like a bolt out of the blue (晴天霹雳，也就是出乎意外、没料想到 & 来形容车祸)

Related to food
-- as American as apple pie (苹果排一样具有美国特色)
-- greasy spoon (价廉物美的小饭馆)
-- potluck (每个人都带一样菜的一种聚会)
-- doggy bag (把在饭馆里吃剩下来的饭菜装在里面带回家的口袋)
-- sunny side up (要荷包蛋只煎一面)
-- over easy (是荷包蛋两面都煎一下)
-- hot potato (难解决的问题)
-- a piece of cake (形容事情很容易办)

Related to water
-- in hot water (面临严重困难)
-- to throw cold water on something (泼冷水)
-- to hold water (理由确实，站得住脚)
-- water off a duck's back (毫无作用)
-- to make my mouth water (让我流口水)

Related to laughs
-- just for laughs (纯属为了取乐)
-- to laugh up one's sleeve (暗暗发笑)
-- a horse laugh (不信任的嘲笑)
-- the last laugh (最后胜利的喜悦)

Related to “hotness"
-- hot seat (那种可能会产生麻烦的情形)
-- hot potato (难解决的问题)
-- hot and bothered(一个人由于某件事而感到很激动`生气或担忧)

Related to monkey
-- monkey business (不道德或不合法的行为，往往是偷偷摸摸和具有欺骗性的行为，例如盗用公款等)
-- to make a monkey out of somebody (把某人弄得好像一个傻瓜一样)

Related to insects
-- ants in your pants (因紧张或不耐烦等，而坐立不安)
-- to have butterflies in one's stomach (心情不安，心里感到七上八下)
-- to bug someone (使人心烦、令人讨厌的意思，或者也可以解释为“窃听”)
-- to louse up (弄糟、毁坏)

Originated from poker card games
-- poker face (脸上没有表情，不露声色)
-- close to your vest (谨慎小心，保守秘密)
-- sweeten the pot (为了使一个提议更有吸引力而增加一些对对方有利的条件)
-- the cards are stacked against you (你处于很不利的情况下，成功的机会很少)

Originated from western frontier life in America
-- to keep an ear to the ground (保持高度警觉)
-- to fly off the handle (发脾气，发火)
-- to bark up the wrong tree (找错了门或错怪了人)

-- top gun
-- to stick to one's guns (坚持自己正在进行的工作，不管外来的压力有多大)
-- shooting the breeze (闲聊天)

Originated from aeroplane flying
-- right on the beam，(一个人做某件事做得很对)
-- to fly by the seat of my pants (在做某件事的时候没有明确的指导，也缺乏足够的知识)
-- to bail out (指跳伞，或解救困难)
-- nose dive (急剧下降，或一落千丈)

Originated from sports
-- rain check (给予第二次机会)
-- to go all out (尽全力去做一件事，或达到某个目的)

Others
-- to go though hell or high water (不管有多大的困难，有多少危险，仍勇往直前)
-- to go for broke (竭尽全力或孤注一掷)
-- to go overboard (鲁莽从事，也就是在没有很好地考虑后果的情况下就采取行动)

-- blow up (用炸药炸毁东西) , (发脾气), (给球或轮胎打气), (放大照片)
-- blow out (轮胎炸了), (把火灭掉), (电灯的保险丝断了), (规模很大，排场很讲究的聚会)

-- lock, stock and barrel (全部)
-- hook, line and sinker (全部, 可是它还带有受骗的意思)

-- to take candy from a baby (形容事情很容易办)
-- it never rains but it pours (祸不单行)