Titfer Tat
Meaning: Cockney rhyming slang for hat.
Use in sentence: It looks like rain I think I'll need a coat and my titfer.

To Cut A Long Story Short
Meaning: Said when a storyteller doesn't want to bore his audience with a long involved account.
Use in sentence: Macbeth has dozens of characters and is a very complex play. To cut a long story short, Macbeth dies.

Tongue In Cheek
Meaning: Humorously, not to be taken seriously.
Use in sentence: Saying that I had drunk ten pints before the accident was meant to be ironic and tongue in cheek, unfortunately the police didn't see the joke.

Top Banana
Meaning: The leading, most important, person in a group or organisation.
Use in sentence: Russia is supposed to be a democracy but everyone knows Putin is top banana and what he says goes.

Tour De Force
Meaning: A feat of strength power or skill.
Use in sentence: He managed to lift the back off that truck off the ground a real tour de force.

Toy-Boy
Meaning: A woman's much younger male lover.
Use in sentence: Julia took us all by surprise after the kids left home. She left too and set up house with a 19-year old toy-boy.

Trouble And Strife
Meaning: Cockney rhyming slang for wife.
Use in sentence: Twenty years we've been married now, the trouble and strife and myself.

Turn A Blind Eye
Meaning: Refuse to acknowledge something that you know is genuine.
Use in sentence: I knew where my grandson was hiding nut I decided to turn a blind eye and let him have his fun.

Twist SomeoneS Arm
Meaning: Persuade someone to do something they don't really want to do.
Use in sentence: I was tired after work and I didn't really fancy the abstract expressionist exhibition but my wife twisted my arm and in the end I enjoyed it.

Twenty Three Skidoo
Meaning: Invitation to go away.
Use in sentence: Hey, you kids, get off my garden twenty three skidoo!

Two And Eight
Meaning: Emotional Distress or confusion
Use in sentence: I didn't get home until two in the morning, and me missus got herself into a right two and eight over it!

Uncle Dick
Meaning: Cockney rhyming slang for sick.
Use in sentence: Sorry, I won't be into work today. I'll feeling Uncle Dick.

Under The Weather
Meaning: Feeling ill.
Use in sentence: I've had a sore throat all week, now it's turned to a cold. I'm feeling right under the weather.

Unlucky In Love
Meaning: Having been unable to find a long-term romantic partner.
Use in sentence: Jane's so unlucky in love. That's the third time she's been engaged only to have it broken off.

Up A Blind Alley
Meaning: On a fruitless course of action.
Use in sentence: We couldn't trace their fraudulent transactions the evidence was gone. We were just looking up a blind alley.

Up Shit Creek Without A Paddle
Meaning: In serious difficulty, with no hope of respite.
Use in sentence: We were halfway across the Australian outback when we realised our water bottle had leaked. We really were up shit creek.

Ups A Daisy
Meaning: A saying, usually to a child, after a stumble or fall, to encourage them to get up. (ups is a variant of whoops).
Use in sentence: Ooh, Tommy the toddler, fallen over again have you? Never mind ups a daisy and let's try again.

Us Versus Them
Meaning: Denoting the enmity between two opposing groups.
Use in sentence: There's no way we will be negotiating over this deal. Its us versus them and let the best will.

Use Your Loaf
Meaning: Think smart.
Use in sentence: Sending money to that Nigerian email scam. Use your loaf, mate wasn't it obvious it was a con?

Van GoghS Ear For Music
Meaning: Tone deaf.
Use in sentence: I'd love to join the choir but my audition was a disaster. The conductor said I had Van Gogh's ear for music.

Variety Is The Spice Of Life
Meaning: Increased experience makes for a more exciting life.
Use in sentence: Surfing today, bungie-jumping tomorrow. You know what they say variety is the spice of life.

Washed Up
Meaning: 1. Deposited on a beach by the tide. 2. Finished and failed, with no further chance of success.
Use in sentence: 1. Come and see, there's a shark washed up on the beach. 2. She used to be a great actress until she started on the booze. Now no one will hire her she's all washed up.

Water Under The Bridge
Meaning: A past experience that you prefer not to affect your current life.
Use in sentence: Losing my wife and my job was difficult at the time but I've moved on. Its all water under the bridge now.

Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve
Meaning: Openly express your emotions.
Use in sentence: He went on his knees in the town square and sang her a love song. You can't say that he doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve.

Wet Behind The Ears
Meaning: Young and naive, like a new-born baby.
Use in sentence: That Justin Bieber; he thinks he's all grown up but he's really pretty wet behind the ears.

Where ThereS Muck ThereS Brass
Meaning: Dirt and muddle are evidence of products being manufactured and money (brass) being made.
Use in sentence: Stuff was coming in and out of the factory yard every five minutes and debris was piled everywhere. Business was brisk though where there's muck there's brass you know.

Whipper Snapper
Meaning: A child or impertinent youth.
Use in sentence: The fourth form have challenged the teachers to a tug of war. We can't lose against a bunch of kids let's show those whipper snappers how it's done.

Whistle And Flute
Meaning: Cockney rhyming slang for suit.
Use in sentence: That important interview is coming up next week. I think I ought to get a new whistle.

White Elephant
Meaning: An object that appears magnificent but which is a burdensome financial liability.
Use in sentence: The Empire State Building was a remarkable achievement but, for years after it was built, it had few tenants and was really a white elephant for its developers.

Wild And Woolly
Meaning: Uncultured and lawless.
Use in sentence: If you are looking for entertainment that's wild and woolly, have you considered cage fighting?

Wind Someone Up
Meaning: Deliberately draw attention to something with the intention of causing trouble.
Use in sentence: There was no need to point out that the girl who dumped him was in the next room. That was only going to wind him up.

Wine And Dine
Meaning: Entertain in a high class restaurant.
Use in sentence: We won an all-expenses paid trip to Paris. We were wined and dined every night for free.

Winter Drawers On
Meaning: British euphemistic joke.
Use in sentence: Autumn is over and these summer clothes aren't keeping the cold out winter drawers on I suppose.

Work Out
Meaning: 1. Calculate using arithmetic. 2. Take exercise (also spelled 'workout').
Use in sentence: 1. We decided to share the bill for the taxi. My part worked out to four pounds. 2. I've joined the gym. My plan is to work out once a week.

Word For Word
Meaning: An exact, precisely corresponding to, copy of another's words.
Use in sentence: I was sure of what I had seen of the robbery. I made sure that the police took a word for word copy of my report of it.

Worse For Wear
Meaning: Either 1. Shabby and worn out, or 2. Drunk.
Use in sentence: 1. This winter coat is a few years old now and is starting to look a bit worse for wear. 2. I know it's Jack's leaving do and he wants to stay until the end but, after all those tequia slammers, he's begining to look a little worse for wear.

Would You Adam And Eve It?
Meaning: Cockney rhyming slang for would you believe it?
Use in sentence: Amazing he hit double top six times with six darts. Would you Adam and Eve it?

WouldnT Be Caught Dead
Meaning: Referring to something you absolutely refuse to do.
Use in sentence: I'm a lifelong socialist. I wouldn't be caught dead working for a hedge fund.

X Marks The Spot
Meaning: Said of a location that indicates something significant like a pirate's mark on a treasure map.
Use in sentence: Jim said the cafe was opposite the yellow street sign and here it is. I guess X marks the spot.

Yarn Bombing
Meaning: The adorning of public buildings with knitted or crocheted material either for fun or to make a political point.
Use in sentence: We wanted to draw attention to the trees that the council planned to cut down so we got the local guerrilla knitters to yarn bomb them for us.

Yellow Belly
Meaning: A coward.
Use in sentence: He wouldn't fight in WWI. Some said he was a yellow belly, but I'd call him a pacifist.

You Are What You Eat
Meaning: What you eat affects you health.
Use in sentence: Burgers every evening? That's not a good plan don't you know you are what you eat?

You Can Lead A Horse To Water
Meaning: You can encourage someone to to do something but, in the end, what they do is their own choice.
Use in sentence: I bought her a car; I even paid for the driving lessons, but she still travels everywhere by bus.

You Can't Judge A Book By It's Cover
Meaning: Decisions can't be made solely on appearance.
Use in sentence: Raphael Nadal looked like he was straight from a street gang. I guess you can't judge a book by its cover.

You Can't Teach And Old Dog New Tricks
Meaning: Once animals (and people) are set in their ways they struggle to assimilate new ideas.
Use in sentence: I tried to learn Mandarin after I retired but I got nowhere with it. I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

You Can't Take It With You
Meaning: Suggestion that you should spend money and live life now as it will be no use to you after you die.
Use in sentence: Grandma saved all her life but lived on a pittance. No one told her that you can't take it with you.

Your Guess Is As Good As Mine
Meaning: I have no idea.
Use in sentence: Who will win the Grand National this year? Your guess is as good as mine.

Your Name Is Mud
Meaning: You are discredited or in disgrace. The very mention of your name produces scorn.
Use in sentence: Since the hundreds of reports of his abuse of children, Jimmy Saville's name is mud in the UK.

Your Number Is Up
Meaning: It is now your turn. For instance, if 1. You are about to die. or 2. You have won a lottery.
Use in sentence: 1. When I heard the bombers screaming towards us I was sure my number was up. 2. Who has ticket number 374? Come on down and collect your prize your number is up.

Zip Your Lip
Meaning: Say nothing; keep your mouth shut. Often shortened to 'zip it'.
Use in sentence: I saw Kevin put sneezing powder in the staff room but he told me to zip my lip about it or it would spoil the joke.