Welcome back to our series on funny English idioms! Today, we’re diving into another batch of 15 quirky expressions that might just make you say, “Wait… what?!” Missed the earlier parts? No worries — catch up with Part 1 and Part 2 of our 15 Funny English Idioms series. Ready to laugh, learn, and maybe scratch your head a little? Let’s jump right in!

Idiom	Meaning	Example
mad as a hatter	completely crazy (in a humorous way)	Jeremy talks to his plants like they’re coworkers — he’s mad as a hatter, but his ferns are thriving.
not the sharpest tool in the shed	a funny way to say someone’s not very smart	She asked if Europe was a country. I mean… not the sharpest tool in the shed, bless her heart.
have a few screws loose	a little crazy	Gary sings to his stapler — I’m telling you, he has a few screws loose.
be all hat and no cattle (American English)	someone who talks big but doesn’t back it up	She bragged about her cooking skills, then burned the salad. Definitely all hat and no cattle.
away with the fairies (British English)	daydreaming or not paying attention	I asked her to pass the salt, and she handed me a spoon — she’s completely away with the fairies.
have more holes than Swiss cheese (American English)	be full of problems or flaws	That movie’s plot had more holes than Swiss cheese. How did the villain time travel with a toaster?
throw someone under the bus	blame someone else to protect yourself	When the project failed, she threw me under the bus to save face.
That’s how the cookie crumbles.	That’s life. Things don’t always go your way.	We lost the game by one point, but hey — that’s how the cookie crumbles.
big cheese	an important or influential person	The big cheese is flying in today — try not to spill coffee on him this time.
full of beans (Related: “20 Informal Ways to Say “I’m Full of Energy””)	energetic and lively	The kids were full of beans after that birthday cake — total chaos.
running around like a headless chicken	very busy but not effective	I forgot my speech and was running around like a headless chicken before the meeting.
caught with one’s pants down	unprepared or caught off-guard	I was caught with my pants down when the teacher asked about the reading I hadn’t done.
My brain’s not firing on all cylinders.	I’m not thinking clearly.	I put cereal in the coffee machine. Clearly, my brain’s not firing on all cylinders this morning.
pull someone’s leg	joke or tease someone	Don’t worry, I’m just pulling your leg — we’re not really moving to Mars.
Bob’s your uncle! (British English)	And there you have it! (used to conclude instructions)	Just copy the disk, and Bob’s your uncle!

Practice

Exercise 1. Click the link here and pick the correct meaning equivalent to each idiom.

Exercise 2. Click the link here and choose the right word to complete each sentence.

Which idiom from today’s list was your favorite? Pick one and try using it in your own sentence — maybe describe something funny or relatable from your day. Share it in the comments below — just type it out, hit send, and Bob’s your uncle! ✅