Here, you will find idioms that start with the letter O.
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Examples of Idioms Starting with O
Odds and Ends: miscellaneous small items, remnants, and unused objects of no particular value.
Of the Essence: the most important thing; crucial; vital; indispensable; critical; absolutely necessary for success.
Off Base: to be wrong; incorrect; badly mistaken; inexact; unrealistic.
Off the Shelf: a product that is ready-made for use and able to be used without any set-up or alteration.
Off the Top Of My Head: to say something spontaneously, without much thought or consideration as to whether one is correct; to give a quick guess or to estimate something.
Old as the Hills, to be: to be very old; ancient.
Old Chestnut: an old joke, story, saying, pun, etc. that has been repeated so many times it is no longer funny or interesting; a cliche.
Old Hand, an: a person who is very experienced at doing at a particular thing.
Olive Branch (Hold Out an Olive Branch): a symbol of peace and goodwill or the sign of a wish for peace; a peace offering.
On a Roll: to be engaged in a series of successes; to be winning consistently; to be experiencing a period of success or good fortune.
On a Shoestring: with a very small amount of money or resources; a very small budget.
On Bended Knee: humbly, or in a completely submissive or pleading manner; like a servant.
On Borrowed Time: to have continued living after the point where you might reasonably be expected to have died and to therefore not have long to live; to outlive expectations; to continue to exist or function longer than expected.
On Cloud Nine: to be extremely happy and blissful; euphoric; serenely contended.
On Hand: to have something in one’s possession and available for use; someone who is present; imminent.
On Nodding Terms, to be: to barely know someone; to be an acquaintance only.
On Purpose: deliberately or intentionally; no an accident; intended.
On the Ball, to be: to be highly competent, capable, skillful, proficient, etc.; to be highly aware of what is going on and be quick to understand and react appropriately to things.
On the Horns of a Dilemma: to choose between two equally undesirable options, courses of action, etc.
On the Q.T.: quietly, discreetly, or without anyone knowing.
On the Rocks: not going well and likely to end soon; an alcoholic drink served over ice.
On the Ropes: when a boxer is forced back against the ropes of the ring, thus leaving them at a disadvantage; things are not going well and collapse or defeat is imminent.
On the Same Page, to be:Â to agree totally; to have a mutual understanding; to have the same information and have the same thoughts about it; to be thinking the same way.
On the Same Wavelength, to be: Â to have the same ideas and opinions about something; to be in general agreement or accord; to have a rapport; to be thinking in the same ways.
On the Whole: generally, considering everything.
On Your (or One’s) Last Legs: to be nearing the end of your strength or usefulness.
Once in a Blue Moon: not very often; very rarely; only once in a long period of time; practically never.
One Fell Swoop: happening all at once, as the result of a single action; all at the same time; in one sudden action or one single occasion.
Open a Can of Whoop-Ass: to beat someone up.
Open Book, an: easy to understand or interpret; clear; straightforward; easy to solve; an honest and frank person.
Or Anything: any other related or similar thing; anything that is similar to something already mentioned.
Out of Breath: to have difficulty breathing; to be breathless, panting, or gasping as from running or vigorous activity; to be breathing fast and hard.
Out of Order: not in the correct place in a sequence; not operating properly; not following the correct parliamentary procedure or standards of behavior; etc.
Out of Stock: an item that a store does not physically have in inventory, usually on a temporary basis.
Out of the Blue: without warning; completely unexpectedly; from an unknown or unforeseen source or for an unknown reason; at a completely unexpected time.
Out of the Corner of One’s Eye: to see something unclearly, off to the side with your peripheral vision; to glance at something briefly by looking sideways at it; etc.
Out of the Frying Pan Into the Fire: to have escaped from a bad or dangerous situation only to find oneself in a worse one.
Out of Thin Air:Â from an unknown place or source; seemingly from nowhere or nothing; from a state of being invisible or nonexistent.
Out of Whack: not working properly; out of adjustment or not properly adjusted; inoperative; out of order; not in good condition.
Out on a Limb: to be in a situation where you lack support from other people; to be in a vulnerable or awkward position.
Out the Wazoo: in great abundance; in excessive quantity; in great plenty; everywhere; more than enough; too much.
Out to Lunch: to be unattentive to what one is doing; out of touch with the real world; having poor mental judgment; crazy or insane.
Over and Above:Â in addtion to; besides something else.
Your Own Worst Enemy: to act contrary to one’s own best interests; to consistently cause yourself to fail; to do things that prevent you from being successful or liked; to be more harmful to oneself than other people are.