10 Halloween idioms and expressions to boost your vocabulary and improve your English speaking skills.
10 Halloween Idioms And Expressions
Halloween or Hallowe’en is celebrated on 31st October.
Originally it was a pagan festival when the spirits of the dead were believed to re-visit this mortal world. To scare them off, people wore scary masks and costumes.
The festival is said to have come from Ireland where it is widely celebrated this week. The illuminated carved pumpkins are displayed on the window sills. Children dress up as ghosts, zombies, skeletons, witches and other scary characters. They go around the neighbourhood, knock on the doors saying “Trick or treat!” and get sweets, nuts and fruits.
To scare you off, here is some spooky Halloween vocabulary.
Skeleton In The Closet (Cupboard)
Meaning: to have an embarrassing secret about your past, something that a person tries hard to conceal
Example:
The company did not disclose information to its customers because they had a skeleton in the closet.
A Ghost Town
Meaning: abandoned place (village, town or city) where nobody lives
Example:
There are ghost towns all over the world.
In Cold Blood
Meaning: to do something deliberately in a ruthless manner, never give it a thought
Example:
A man has killed a kitten in cold blood.
To Make Someone’s Blood Boil
Meaning: to make someone very angry
Example:
This story makes my blood boil.
To Put / Stick The Knife In
Meaning: to do something unkind or unpleasant to someone, particularly when they are weak
Example:
The manager stuck the knife in when he told me that my hours had been reduced at work.
Smell A Rat
Meaning: to suspect that something is wrong or something dishonest is happening
Example:
He smelled a rat and passed the letter on to the investigation committee.
Scared Stiff
Meaning: to get so scared that you are not able to move
Example:
I was scared stiff when I heard noises in my house last night.
Witch-Hunt
Meaning:: a campaign against a person or group who have different or unpopular views
Example:
There was a lot of witch-hunting in the ruling party.
Not A Cat In Hell’s Chance
Meaning: no chance at all
Example:
Jason didn’t have a cat in hell’s chance of winning the race.
Scare The Pants Off Someone
Meaning: to frighten or to scare someone a lot
Example:
You scared the pants off me, I wasn’t expecting to see you in the garden.
I hope you won’t get scared off by our Halloween idioms and expressions. Happy Halloween and enjoy learning English!
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