Idiom have better things to do in English. The best idioms in English with translation

Often in English speech you can hear phrases or expressions that confuse any foreigner for whom English is not their native language. These are idioms, or phraseological units, which for English-speaking people are an integral part of daily communication. And if you decide to improve your English skills, pay attention to 20 idioms that are found quite often. Some of them will make you smile.

20 common idioms

A Chip on Your Shoulder

No, this does not mean that a piece of something fell on your shoulder. “To have a chip on one’s shoulder” means resentment for a past failure, as if having passed through a destroyed building, a piece of it remained with the person for many years.

Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

This idiom means something akin to when you take a huge bite of a sandwich and end up unable to move your jaws to chew it. That is, you take on more than what you can handle successfully. For example, your agreement to create 10 websites in a week, while usually you can only do 5.

You Can't Take It With You

The meaning of this idiom is that you can't take anything with you when you die, so you shouldn't constantly deny yourself everything, or save things for a special occasion. You Can't Take It With You encourages you to live now because eventually your things will outlive you.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

This expression means that almost everything has been packed/taken/stolen. For example, if someone says “The thieves stole everything but the kitchen sink!” this means that the thieves stole everything they could take with them. In fact, it is very difficult to lift and carry the sink with you.

Over My Dead Body

Most of us will understand this phrase. An idiom that has the same meaning as the Russian expression "Only over my corpse."

Tie the Knot

Meaning: to get married. The phrase remains from the tradition of tying the hands of newlyweds with a ribbon so that their lives are sealed together for many years to come.

Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover

This phrase can be literally translated as “don’t judge a book by its cover.” It is used in cases where they want to explain that things are not always what they seem at first glance, and even if the first impression was not positive, sometimes you should give it another chance.

When Pigs Fly

Akin to our phrase “when the cancer whistles on the mountain,” only with a different hero. The idiom means "never".

A Leopard Can't Change His Spots

The meaning of the phrase: “you are who you are.” A person cannot change who he really is deep down in his soul, just as a leopard cannot change the pattern on his skin.

Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve

That is, express your emotions freely, as if your heart was outside your body.

Bite Your Tongue!

Another great phrase is “bite your tongue” (an understatement). Used when it is recommended to a person. Goes in step with the following idiom.

Put a Sock In It

And this expression is sharper - it means “shut up.” The idea is clear - if you put a sock in your mouth, a person will not be able to speak. It's probably used when the previous idiom didn't work.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

The idea is that if several dogs are sleeping peacefully after a fight, it is better to leave them alone. The idea is that you should not bring up old disputes/thorny topics, as they can start a quarrel again.

Foam at the Mouth

Describes a state where a person hisses and growls with foam at the mouth, like a rabid dog. Our equivalent is “to be furious.”

A Slap on the Wrist

Means a very mild punishment. A slap on the wrist will not cause much pain, but will be a good deterrent to misbehaving again.

You Are What You Eat

An idiom, the literal translation of which is firmly established in our language. "You are what you eat."

It's a Piece of Cake!

Means it's incredibly easy. What could be easier than eating a piece of pie?

It Takes Two to Tango

The point is that one person cannot dance tango. So, if something happened in a case in which 2 people took part, and two people are responsible for the result.

Head Over Heels

The idiom means “to be incredibly joyful and in a given mood, especially in love (close meaning is “head over heels”). How to go down a hill on wheels, fly upside down.

An Arm and a Leg

A great phrase that means paying too much for something. When the price is so high that you have to sell part of your body to afford it.

Do you like idioms?

Personally, I love idioms, because with their help you can “dig” into the language and get acquainted with the characteristics of the people who came up with these strange expressions. I often draw a picture in my head of what an idiom means, and next to it a picture of the literal translation. In addition to the fact that the results are often uplifting, this method also helps to visually memorize new expressions and then use them in speech.

Do you have anything to add? Write your favorite (or not so favorite) idioms in the comments.

Let's continue the topic of idioms and talk about the features of their translation. Then I will offer, along with a translation into Russian, popular idioms of the English language that are useful to know in our modern life. I hope they will undoubtedly add “color” to your English speech.

Idioms are a feature of every language; they represent a very interesting category of stable verbal combinations, often having semantic meanings completely different from the meanings of the words of which they are composed.

The same thought in different languages is expressed through a verbal formulation chosen according to the “ideas” that have developed among the people speaking that language. And although every nation has its own approach to understanding those life situations that any person encounters, regardless of his place of residence; nevertheless, some semantic commonality of reasoning is found among all peoples.

Search for semantic commonality in translation

My point is that translations of idioms, in essence, like translations of proverbs and sayings from one language to another, often involve finding just expressions that are close in meaning.

For example, English idiom:

as good as gold - Russian translation: “like silk.”

The meaning is the same, it implies the behavior of someone, that is: obedient, flexible. But the comparisons are completely different.

I don’t think if we say the following words to a Russian speaker, he will interpret the meaning correctly:

- Your grandson was as good as gold all week.

Tell me, will you guess? So here's another example:

Go against the grain (literal translation: to go against the grain) - Russian equivalent: to contradict someone's principles.

I don’t think it’s so easy to guess what the true meaning of this idiom is by translating it literally.

You have to refuse, if this idea goes against the grain. - You must refuse if this idea contradicts your principles.

There are some idioms in English that have no analogues in Russian, and when translating them, we simply indicate their semantic meanings:

At sixes and sevens - “sixes”, “sevens”, can you imagine what this could mean? This means being confused; if we talk about things, then this is what we mean: to be in a mess.
Example:

I was at sixes and sevens after his words. “I was confused after his words.

Of course, there are a number of English idioms that we translate literally and get Russian idioms. That is, there are identical idiomatic expressions in both languages. If they were all like this, it would undoubtedly simplify the task of translating them, but this is not the case.

Here are examples of completely similar idioms in English and Russian:

Аt the ends of the earth - at the edge of the earth
Heel of Achilles - Achilles heel
Read somebody's mind - read other people's thoughts
Follow in somebody's footsteps - follow in someone's footsteps
Fortune smiles on/upon somebody - fate smiles on someone

Maybe we can do without them?

You may say: why do I need to know some proverbs if the minimum vocabulary and the rules that I know are sufficient for me to communicate. But believe me, speaking today without these kinds of words and phrases is deadening the language, making it uninteresting. It's like watching a movie in black and white instead of color. It’s not for nothing that all these local stylistic features of colloquial speech are called coloristics of the language.

Imagine another case like this. You went to visit somewhere in America: maybe for a school program, maybe wanting to earn money, in general, the reasons may be different. At the same time, you seem to be no stranger to English, and you even have a dictionary with colloquial slang with you. But after some time, you are surprised to realize that you do not understand half of what they tell you and cannot participate in dialogues. People around you laugh at jokes, and you can only smile tightly. Do you think anyone will want to communicate with you?

And the reason is not that you don’t know the language, but that your ear “stumbles” over several unfamiliar words every time. I repeat, just a few, but this sometimes makes the whole conversation incomprehensible. There are not so many idioms used in English speech in everyday life, although there are many idioms themselves. Therefore, I think it is not so difficult to remember them in order to make them full participants in your speech.

To better remember an idiom, you need to understand its meaning, which often seems ridiculous. To understand the meaning, it is good to know the history of certain idioms. Remember the story about raining cats? By the way, there is another version (village) of its origin, in addition to the terrible stories about the cesspool. In the old days, houses in villages were covered with straw, and this attracted local cats: they preferred to sleep on soft, fragrant beds. And frequent in

In England, heavy rains washed away unfortunate cats directly onto the heads of citizens.

But the idiom “To face the music” is about paying for one’s actions, we also talked about it last time. Oddly enough, she has a “military” origin. British soldiers were tried on the parade ground for their misdeeds, and while listening to the verdict, they stood facing not only the line, but also the orchestra, beating the drums. In short, this music was sad.

By the way, this English idiom is very consonant with our relatively recently appeared expression “face on table”, and is similar in meaning.

English idioms (50 words)

The time has come to start learning new idioms. The following 50 idioms, once learned, will surely make your English more expressive!

As easy as pie- lighter than light
The acid test- a serious test
All sixes- it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter
Around the clock— around the clock
All of a sudden- like a bolt from the blue
Another cup of tea- a completely different matter
Have been around- a lot to see, not born yesterday
Buy some time- delay the decisive moment, gain time
The battle of books- scientific dispute
Behind closed doors- behind closed doors, secretly
To call somebody/something in/into question- to question
To carry the can- to be extreme, to be guilty without guilt
Call the shots- to be your own master, to manage (everything)
Clean as a whistle- clean as glass
Have a close call- to be on the verge of death, tragedy
Crunch time- very stressful period
cry wolf- false alarm
Deep six- get rid of, throw something away
A dirty look- angry, dissatisfied look
Done with mirrors- swindle
Down at heel- shabby; sloppily dressed
Draw the line- to put an end to
Driving force— driving force; motive
Eye candy- pleasing to the eye
Have/ get egg on one’s face - disgrace yourself
Eat one's words- take back words
Eat Crow- repent, blame
A eager beaver- hard worker, overzealous worker, zealous worker
A fair field and no favor- game/fight on equal terms
For old times" sake- in memory of past years, in the name of the past, out of old friendship
From cradle to grave- from birth to death; all my life
Friends in high places- connections, profitable acquaintances
Full as a trick- eat to your heart's content
Foul play- unfair game
Have the gift of the gab- have a good tongue, be able to speak eloquently
Green old age- vigorous old age, blooming old age
Half-and-half- so-so; neither this nor that
Hobson's choice- choice without choice; no alternative choice
An Indian summer- Indian summer, golden autumn
In hot water- in trouble, in a difficult situation
Ill at ease- not at ease
In no time- in the blink of an eye
Jump for joy- jump for joy
To keep to oneself- avoid people, be unsociable
Lame duck- loser, incompetent
Live it up- have fun
New blood- fresh strength, help
Pie in the sky- empty dreams
Strong language- strong expressions
Take heart- do not lose heart, take courage, gather your courage, become bolder

Good luck! And see you again and share the article with your friends.

Best idiomatic expressions from A to Z

If English is not your native language, then you have probably quite often encountered strange phrases that confuse you.

These are phraseological units called idioms. Idioms are an integral part of communication among English-speaking people and are sometimes used even more often than phraseological units in the Russian language.

What are phraseological units?

Phraseologisms. Stable combinations that cannot be translated just like that. Vivid emotional cunning expressions. Thanks to their unusual nature, these phrases are easy to remember.

The main mistake of beginners in learning a language is trying to translate the idiom literally, as a result of which it often turns out to be simply nonsense. Idioms cannot be translated literally; it is also worth considering that some idiomatic phrases violate grammatical rules and are archaisms.

It is impossible not to notice that idioms exist not only in English languages, but in all other languages and often inherit the meaning of the expression from each other.

A frequent example of the use of phraseological units makes it difficult to use the English language, but makes it more beautiful and lively.

How to start understanding English by ear?

Studying idioms is mandatory for those who wish to read literature or watch films in the original language

Why should you study idioms?

First of all, studying idioms will greatly enrich your speech, which is no less important for live communication; idioms can also often be found in cinema and literature, which gives a passive advantage to watching films and reading books and comics in the original language.

If you have taken up studying English seriously and for a long time, then you are unlikely to be able to bypass the study of idioms, which is why we have collected the most interesting, most commonly used idiomatic expressions on our website!

If you are still confused about idioms, then this web page is for you!

Checklist:

Let's go through all the idioms, sorted alphabetically:

Learning idioms is useful for everyone, no matter what their level of knowledge of a foreign language. We will tell you why and how to do this more effectively in the article. And, of course, we will analyze the idioms themselves in English with translation.

Idioms are groups of words for which the overall meaning does not consist of the meanings of the parts. Therefore, it is quite difficult to guess the meaning of phrases, and you need to remember them in ready-made form. Each word individually can only give a hint, but the overall meaning always turns out to be slightly different than the simple sum of the elements.

What is an idiom in English

What are these phrases? In Russian, we rather use the term “phraseological unit”; in English, the name “idiom” is assigned - idiom. But the meanings of the terms are identical: this is a chain of words in which each word has its place strictly established, and the meaning of such a chain does not coincide with the meaning of the elements. For example, the phraseological unit to have a frog in your throat does not translate as “to have a frog in your throat.” The meaning is assigned not to individual words, but to the entire phrase as a whole - “wheezing, speaking with difficulty, experiencing a sore throat.” That is, an idiom is an independent unit of the dictionary.

There are units of language that are very similar to idioms, but still differ in some ways. For example, there is no need to confuse phraseological units and collocations. Collocations are the choice of words established in a language when using another word. So, in some cases in English the verb is used to make (to do, create), and in others to do (to do, to implement). We will say to make an effort (to make an effort, to try), but to do a favor (to provide a service). The choice of word is fixed by the rules of the language, but the meaning is transparent and consists of the meanings of each word separately. This is how collocations differ from idioms.

Collocations also include phrasal verbs. In them, prepositions with a verb, rather, only modify the meaning, and for each preposition one can distinguish its own meaning. In addition, phrasal verbs have a clear formation scheme: a preposition or adverb is added to the predicate. And idioms in English can take any form.

Phraseologisms also differ from proverbs. Proverbs are limited in their semantic content: they are designed to reflect folk wisdom and contain advice or warning. Whereas phraseological units can describe any situation. There is also a difference in form: idioms do not necessarily act as a sentence, it can only be part of it. And proverbs are complete statements.

The form of a phraseological unit can be fixed more or less rigidly. The verb usually changes freely over time. But the choice of article or its absence can be strictly recorded. For example, in the idiom (a) piece of cake (a trifle, an easy matter), there is no article before the word cake. But in the literal meaning of “piece of pie,” the article can appear according to the rules of the English language.

Don"t worry, it"s a piece of cake, there will be no problem! - Don't worry, it's as easy as shelling pears, there won't be any problems!

I got a piece of the cake that you baked - I got a piece of the pie that you baked

Why know idioms in English

What do phraseological units give us? Of course, knowledge of idioms expands your vocabulary and makes your speech more varied and lively. Phraseologisms are not exclusively book vocabulary; they are actively used in everyday speech and are appropriate in various styles.

Learning idioms is useful for more than just expanding your vocabulary. They reflect the nature of the language and retain information about mentality. It is a source of knowledge about culture and traditions, and knowing idioms helps you think like a native speaker.

How to remember phraseological units

Learning idioms in English is difficult precisely because the result of combining words may not be obvious and unpredictable.

To make the task easier, use special techniques:

Use associations. Building associations is a memorization technique that can be used in any case. Phraseologisms themselves suggest its use: combine the meaning of the idiom with the literal meaning of the words in images. Then the complexity of idioms turns into an advantage when studying them: the unpredictability of meaning guarantees interesting combinations of images that are easier to remember.
Find out the history of the idiom. It will be easier for you to remember the expression if there are additional references for it. In addition, history often helps to understand the meaning of a phraseological unit. A striking example is the idiom cross the Rubicon (to cross the Rubicon - to take a decisive, irreparable action, to make an irreversible decision). In history, the Rubicon is the river that Caesar crossed with his army; this act marked the beginning of the war.
Learn phraseological units by topic. You shouldn’t try to grasp the immensity at once. Break idioms into blocks to organize information. When analyzing English idioms with translation in this article, we will also follow this principle.
Look for analogues. Don’t just translate the idiom, but look for phraseological units that are identical in meaning in the Russian language. Many idioms in English and Russian have the same source, such as idioms with biblical origins. By comparing phraseological units in two languages, one can see cultural similarities and differences in the perception of situations.

Examples of expressions

As we have already said, it is easier to remember idioms if you break them into thematic blocks. The most typical topics of phraseological units are those that people encounter every day: weather, animals, body parts, money, colors, home.

Theme: animals

Let's look at some English idioms with translations and examples of use relating to animals.

for the birds - no good, something useless and uninteresting (literally: for the birds)
I can tell that his theory is for the birds - I can say that his theory is no good
a fat cat - a rich and powerful person (literally: fat cat)
I hate these fat cats who only care about their yachts - I hate these moneybags who only care about their yachts
like cat and dog - often argue and swear (literally: like a cat and a dog)
We fought like cat and dog the whole time we were together, or at least most of the time - We constantly clung like a cat and a dog, or at least most of the time
crocodile tears - false, insincere emotions (literally: crocodile tears)
They are always ready to shed crocodile tears for the camera - They are always ready to shed crocodile tears for the camera
a dog's breakfast - a mess, nonsense (literally: dog's breakfast)
The band was a right dog "s breakfast, with no bass player and an over-enthusiastic pianist - The band was a complete mess, without a bass player and with an overly enthusiastic pianist
donkey work – boring, monotonous work (literally: donkey work)
Now the PhD students do the donkey work - Now graduate students are doing routine work
an elephant in the room - there is an obvious problem that they are trying to ignore (literally: an elephant in the room)
It"s an elephant in the room that we need to discuss - This is an obvious problem, and we need to discuss it
(a) fish out of water - not at ease (literally: fish out of water)
As a non-golfer, I felt like a fish out of water at the clubhouse - I’m not a golfer and felt out of place in this club
hold your horses - slow down, take your time (literally: hold your horses)
Hold your horses! We need to get the customer's approval first - Take your time, first we need to get the client's approval
monkey business - dishonest activity (literally: monkey work)
The results announced seem suspicious, I think there"s some monkey business going on - The announced results look suspicious, I think things are dirty here
smell a rat - to feel that things are not fair (literally: to smell a rat)
The profits are abnormally low. I smell a rat - The profit is incredibly small. Something's wrong here
keep the wolf from the door - have a minimum income (literally: keep the wolf at the door)
He got a part-time job just to keep the wolf from the door - He found a part-time job just to earn a living.

Theme: colors

It is not uncommon to find idioms in English that use color.

be in a black mood - to be out of mood, to be angry, irritated (literally: to be in a black mood)
Don"t ask silly questions, he"s in a black mood - Don’t ask stupid questions, he’s not in a good mood
in black and white - confirmation in writing, black and white (literally: black and white)
Actually, the reports concerned various research grants won by Professor Smith and though the reason for the grants was there in black and white, it didn't make much sense to me - In fact, the reports concerned various research grants received by Professor Smith, and although the basis for these grants was written in black and white, I could not understand anything
feel blue - feel melancholy (literally: feel blue)
I"m going to see my grandmother. She"s feeling a bit blue at the moment - I'm going to visit my grandmother. She's a little sad now
golden opportunity - a great opportunity that cannot be missed (literally: golden opportunity)
An internship in that company would be a golden opportunity for you - An internship in this company would be a great opportunity for you
golden rule - main rule (literally: golden rule)
Claude taught me the golden rule: only 45% of a restaurant's success depends on cuisine. The rest is determined by the atmosphere - Claude taught me the golden rule: only 45% of a restaurant's success depends on the cuisine. The rest is determined by the atmosphere
green with envy - to be very envious (literally: green with envy)
Dave will be green with envy when he sees your new sports car - Dave will die of envy when he sees your new sports car
gray area - unclear, intermediate, not fitting into categories or rules (literally: gray area)
The result of this is a gray area where the two signs are not clearly differentiated - The result of this is a border zone where the two signs are not very well differentiated
red flag to a bull - an irritating factor, a provocateur of anger (literally: a red flag for a bull)
Never talk to him like that. You should know it "s like a red flag to a bull - Never talk to him like that. You should know that it’s like a red rag for a bull
white elephant - something useless but expensive (literally: white elephant)
The project became an expensive white elephant and we had to forget about it - The project turned into an expensive dummy and we were forced to forget about it
white lie - white lie (literally: white lie)
She asked if I liked her new haircut, and of course I told a white lie - She asked if I liked her new haircut, and I, of course, told a white lie.

Topic: weather

There are many jokes and anecdotes about the weather in the English language, and terms of natural phenomena are actively used in the formation of phraseological units. Therefore, we will analyze idioms in English with translation and examples from the topic of weather.

(a) cloud on the horizon - an expected, expected problem in the future (literally: cloud on the horizon)
The only cloud on the horizon was a boy called Dennis - The only problem on the way was a boy named Dennis
reach for the moon - to be ambitious and try to achieve a difficult goal (literally: to reach the moon)
My father always wanted me to reach for the moon - My father always wanted me to strive for very ambitious goals
come rain or shine - regularly, regardless of the circumstances (literally: even in the rain, even in the sun)
Every morning just before seven, come rain or shine you"ll find him on the way to the gym - Every morning before seven in the morning, even in the rain, even in the snow, he goes to the gym
chasing rainbows - chasing the impossible (literally: chasing rainbows)
I certainly couldn’t afford to waste all my money chasing rainbows - I certainly couldn’t afford to spend all my money chasing the unattainable
(a) storm in a teacup - turmoil for no reason, much ado about nothing (literally: storm in a teacup)
Both are trying to present the disagreement as a storm in a teacup - Both are trying to present the disagreement as a storm in a glass of water
know which way wind blows - know trends and understand options for the development of events in order to be prepared (literally: know which way the wind blows)
How can you draw a conclusion if you don"t know which way the wind is blowing? - How can you draw a conclusion if you don’t know how things are?

In this topic, you can talk not only about phraseological units made up of natural phenomena, but also remember what idioms the English language uses to describe the weather:

(the) heavens open - very heavy rain suddenly began (literally: the heavens opened)
And right at that moment the heavens opened - And it was at that moment that the rain began
raining cats and dogs - heavy rain, pouring like buckets (literally: it’s raining cats and dogs)
It was raining cats and dogs and the teachers were running in and out helping us get our stuff - It was raining like buckets, and the teachers were running back and forth, helping us collect our things

Topic: money

It is also impossible to ignore idioms in English regarding financial status.

born with a silver spoon in one's mouth - to have rich parents (literally: to be born with a silver spoon in one's mouth)
The new student was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has had an easy life - The new student is from a rich family, and he has an easy life
cost an arm and a leg - very expensive, a fortune (literally: cost an arm and a leg)
The fact is that getting married can cost an arm and a leg, not to mention a cake, bridesmaids and an organist - The fact is that a wedding can cost a fortune, not to mention the cake, bridesmaids and organist
like a million dollars - very good, excellent (literally: a million dollars)
Now we want you, our readers, to feel like a million dollars too - Now we want you, our readers, to also feel one hundred percent
lose your shirt - to lose all your money and savings, to be left with nothing, often as a result of gambling (literally: to lose your shirt)
He lost his shirt when the bank went bankrupt - He was left with nothing when the bank went bankrupt
make ends meet - have very little money (literally: make ends meet)
How he disciplined himself to make ends meet in that difficult time he explained in his book - He talked about how he managed to discipline himself to make ends meet in this difficult time
money for old rope - easy money, dust-free work (literally: money for an old rope)
Getting paid for watering the garden is money for old rope - Getting paid for watering the garden is easy bread
go from rags to riches - turn from a very poor to a very rich person (literally: come from rags to riches)
By renovating old houses, he went from rags to riches – Restoring old houses, he made his way from rags to riches

Topic: home

Idioms on the topic of home and household items are often found in English.

armchair traveler - someone who knows a lot about different countries, but has never been anywhere (literally: armchair traveler)
A surprising number of adventure books are bought by armchair travelers - A surprising number of travel books are bought by those who stay at home
roll out the red carpet - give a special welcome to an important guest (literally: spread out the red carpet)
Next Saturday they will roll out the red carpet for the visit of the great poet - Next Saturday they will provide a special reception on the occasion of the visit of the great poet
darken somebody's door - to come as an unexpected, unwanted guest (literally: to darken someone's door)
Just get out of here and never darken my door again! - Get out and don't come back!
put house in order - sort out your problems before giving advice (literally: put the house in order)
You should put your own house in order instead of telling me how to act - You should deal with your problems, instead of telling me what to do
have a lot on your plate - to be very busy, to deal with several problems at the same time (literally: to have a lot on your plate)
I know you"ve got a lot on your plate at the moment. But I"d see her soon, if I were you - I know you have a lot of your own problems now. But if I were you, I would see her sooner
raise the roof - loudly express approval, actively clap and shout (literally: raise the roof)
The concert was such a success, the audience raised the roof - The concert was a huge success, the audience gave a standing ovation
go out the window - disappear, missed opportunity (literally: go out the window)
All hopes of finding a job went out the window - All hopes of finding a job evaporated

Design as...as

Idioms in English can relate to a variety of topics and look completely different. But there are also established patterns according to which phraseological units are actively formed, for example - as... as. This construction is very common and acts as an artistic comparison that is ingrained in the language.

as silent as the grave - absolutely quiet, calm (literally: silent as a grave)
as strong as a bull - physically strong (literally: strong as a bull)
as quiet as a mouse - very quiet, unnoticeable (literally: quiet as a mouse)
as regular as clockwork - regularly, on schedule, without failures (literally: regular, like a clockwork)
as right as rain - as expected, correctly / in good condition, healthy (literally: right as rain)
as sharp as a needle - smart, quick-witted (literally: sharp as a needle)
as silly as a goose - very stupid (literally: stupid as a goose)
as solid as a rock - reliable, indestructible (literally: solid as a rock)