Idioms and expressions

(its mastery of those tricky idioms and phrases taht are so common in English.And learning these idioms and phrases will not only help speak better,its help to understand Americans better)FROM the book SPEAK ENGLISH LIKE AN AMERICAN i used to read this book this days i felt that its so important to know idioms and expressions that will help to speak like native,and i want to share those sources maybe its help.

An idiom is a phrase where the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words, which can make idioms hard for ESL students and learners to understand.

from the book:i liked so much this idioms and i will add more INCHALLAH..

*to give someone the ax:to fire someone
example :Mary used to talk to her freind on the phone all day at work.until one day her boss gave her the ax
*to make up one's mind:to reach a decision,to decide.
*to save the day:to prevent a disaster or misfortune.
*as sharp as a tack:very intelligent
*to hang in there:to not give up
*to look in the bright side:to be optimistic
*to keep one's chin up:to stay positive.

FOR MORE IDIOMS FROM THE WEB SITES :

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/
http://www.5minuteenglish.com/mar21.htm
http://www.languagerealm.com/french/frenchidioms.php

A fresh pair of eyes
A person who is brought in to examine something carefully is a fresh pair of eyes.
A hitch in your giddy-up
If you have a hitch in your giddy-up, you're not feeling well. ('A hitch in your gittie-up' is also used.)
A lick and a promise
If you give something a lick and a promise, you do it hurriedly, most often incompletely, intending to return to it later

put one's foot in one's mouth- to say something embarrassing and then realize it was bad. I said Frank was ugly and then I realized he heard me. I really put my foot in my mouth.
stay on one's toes- be ready/ prepared for something. Firefighters have to stay on their toes. They may have to fight a fire at anytime.
keep an eye on- watch something to make sure it is okay. Could you keep an eye on the baby while I go to the store?
lend/give someone a hand- to help with something. That box looks heavy. Let me give you a hand.
be in over one's head- be in a situation that is very difficult. Alan was really in over his head when he started studying advanced chemistry. It was so hard for him.
keep one's fingers crossed- to hope that something good will happen. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will get that job.
get cold feet- get nervous, especially before marriage. The night before the wedding Alex got cold feet. He wondered if he should really get married.
have one's heart set on something- really want something. My son Tommy really has his heart set on that new bicycle. Maybe I will buy it for his birthday.