Guide to British Wizarding Idioms
 

Idiom: any turn of phrase particular to a group of people. Typically where the words together have a different meaning than they do individually.

Idioms... we all use them in our every day conversation without thinking about it, and it can sometimes confuse those from other parts of the country (or world) when we use a turn of phrase they've never heard before. This is especially true when interacting with Muggles, who use strange idioms of their own, like 'the whole enchilada' and 'raining cats and dogs'.

Help us track the idioms that are unique to the Wizarding population in Great Britain by sharing some of your favorites. Don't forget to share the meaning, in case it isn't readily apparent.

Note: Use your creative genius to brainstorm idioms or turns of phrase that Wizards and Witches might use in their every day conversation. We'll keep a running 'dictionary' in the first post. Your characters in the RPs and in FanFiction are welcome to use anything found in this thread.

*peeks here*

Can we post here? :blush: Cause we have one .... that our first character liked to use; at least I'm pretty sure it fits the criteria:

Holy Hippogriffs! An exclamation phrase, meaning "Oh my gee!"

Best thing since cushioning charms - pretty self explanatory, "best thing since sliced bread," but for anyone who has read Quidditch through the Ages, cushioning charms are probably better than sliced bread.

"Knut for your thoughts?" - (when asking what someone is thinking)

"Raining kneazles and crups." - (like raining cats and dogs... raining a lot)

"Let sleeping dragons lie." - (not to prod or disturb a situation, a play on the Hogwarts school motto)

"Heard it straight from the Abraxan's mouth." - (when you get information straight from the source)

"Let the kneazle out of the bag." - (like letting the cat out of the bag, revealing something that was secret)

"No use crying over spilt potion." - (like no use crying over spilt milk, no point getting upset over what's already happened [I think this one originated in canon?])


*will be back with more probably*

"I'm so hungry, I could eat a Hippogriff"- like our "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse" (meaning: I am EXTREMELY hungry hehe)

"Hold your Hippogriffs"- like our "Hold your horses" (meaning: be patient)

"A loose bludger"- like our "loose cannon" (meaning: Someone who is unpredictable and a troublemaker... or known to wreck havoc, basically)

"... works like a house-elf"- like our "...works like a dog" (meaning: someone who is a hard worker)

"It takes two to duel"- like our "it takes two to tango" (meaning: that something can't be done alone, kind of like it's a two-way street)

"Curiosity killed the kneazle"- like our "curiosity killed the cat" (meaning: being curious/ nosing around can get you into big messes)

And my personal favorite for the sassy wizard: "The flame is lit, but the cauldron's empty"- like our "the lights our on, but no one is home" (meaning: Used to describe a person who appears to have everything together, but is very dim or unintelligent in general)

"On a high hippogriff" ~on a high horse (Arrogantly believing oneself superior to others)
"The quaffle's on your pitch" ~the ball's in your court (It's up to you to make the next decision)
"Poisonous toadstools don't change their spots" ~a leopard can't change its spots (one can't change basic aspects of their character, especially negative ones) ((this one's canon, yeah?)
"Yanking your wand" (joking around)
"Taste of your own potion" ~taste of your own medicine (something that you do to somebody else happens or will happen to you)

"Learning to fly over a manticore den" - similar to the Muggle expression "learning to swim in the deep end", one is thrust into a new situation and expected to excel very quickly (often indicates a negative outcome if one does not succeed)

Go with the floo- instead of flow

Winking Wombats, of course! The children, were waiting becuase everyone was waiting. But, waiting for what, that was the question.

Oh My Merlin ... or Marsha's favourite Oh My Griffin.