70 Idioms with Heart

70 Idioms with Heart 70 Idioms with Heart 70 Idioms with Heart By Mark Nichol Idioms that refer to what is the fanciful seat of our emotions as well as the factual core of our circulatory system are understandably numerous. Here’s a list of phrases and expressions that include heart and, for the most part, pertain to human feelings. 1. a big heart: said of someone kind and loving 2. after my own heart: said of someone with similar preferences or values 3. a heart of gold: see â€Å"a big heart† 4. a heart of stone: said of someone without sympathy 5. all heart: see â€Å"a big heart†; sometimes used sarcastically to mean the opposite 6. at heart: basically 7. bare (one’s) heart: share one’s feelings or thoughts 8. bleeding heart: said of someone who is conspicuously or excessively generous 9. break (one’s) heart: cause someone emotional distress 10. by heart: from memory 11–13. capture/steal/win (one’s) heart: make someone fall in love with one 14–16. close/dear/near to (one’s) heart: loved or valued by someone 17. cross my heart: said as an oath to assert one’s honesty 18. didn’t have the heart: said when one cannot summon the will to do something hurtful 19. do (one’s) heart good: said about something that will be beneficial to someone 20. eat your heart out: said mockingly to someone expressing the desire for them to suffer; usually facetious 21. faint of heart: lacking courage 22–23. find a way into/to (one’s) heart: cause someone to fall in love with one 24. find it in (one’s) heart: have the compassion or courage to do something 25. follow (one’s) heart: do what one loves rather than what is expected of one 26. from the heart: with sincerity 27–28. gladden the/(one’s) heart: make someone happy or gratified 29. harden (one’s) heart: become callous 30. have (one’s) heart set on: be obsessed with obtaining 31. have (one’s) (best) interests at heart: be doing something for someone else’s benefit 32. heart goes out to: said in regard to feeling sympathy for someone 33. heart in (one’s) mouth: said of someone who has strong emotions about someone or something 34. heart is in the right place: said of someone well intentioned 35. heart of the matter: essence 36. hearts and minds: said in reference to persuading rather than compelling 37. heart’s desire: what one wishes deeply for 38. heart skips a beat: said of someone excited, frightened, or surprised 39. heavy heart: sadness 40–41. from the bottom/depths of (one’s) heart: profoundly 42. in (one’s) heart of hearts: if one’s true feelings or thoughts were known 43. know (one’s) heart: be aware of one’s true feelings 44. lose heart: become discouraged 45–46. matters/affairs of the heart: said of something pertaining to a love affair 47. melt (one’s) heart: cause someone to experience uncontrollable emotions 48. nearly gave (one) a heart attack: caused someone to feel anxiety or fear 49. (one’s) heart bleeds for: one is sympathetic 50. (one’s) heart is knocking: said of someone excited or nervous 51. (one’s) heart is not in: one does not feel a commitment to or an interest in 52. (one’s) heart leaps: one is excited 53. (one’s) heart melts: see â€Å"melt someone’s heart† 54. (one’s) heart sinks: one becomes discouraged 55. open (one’s) heart: show generosity or kindness 56–57. out of the goodness/kindness of (one’s) heart: because of generosity or goodwill 58. pour (one’s) heart/soul out: see â€Å"bare (one’s) heart† 59. put (one’s) heart into: do something with conviction or enthusiasm 60. sick at heart: discouraged 61–62. strike fear into (one’s) heart/into the heart of (one): cause someone to be afraid 63. take heart: be encouraged 64. take (something) to heart: be affected by something 65. to (one’s) heart’s content: to the extent one desires 66. warm (one’s)/the cockles of (one’s) heart: cause someone to feel positive emotion 67. wear (one’s) heart on (one’s) sleeve: openly show one’s emotions 68. with a sinking heart: said of someone who becomes discouraged or hopeless 69. with all (one’s) heart: with great enthusiasm 70. young at heart: youthful Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Masters Degree or Master's Degree?Anyone vs. EveryoneHow to Treat Names of Groups and Organizations

Using Mademoiselle and Miss in French

Using Mademoiselle and Miss in French The French courtesy title mademoiselle (pronounced mad-moi-zell) is a traditional way of  addressing young and unmarried women. But this form of address,  literally translated as my young lady, is also considered sexist by some people, and in recent years the French government has banned its use in official documents. Despite this sentiment, some still use  mademoiselle  in conversation, especially in formal situations or among older speakers. Usage There are three honorifics commonly used in French, and they function much the way Mr., Mrs., and Miss do in American English. Men of all ages, married or single, are addressed as monsieur. Married women are addressed as madame, as are older women. Young and unmarried women are addressed as  mademoiselle.  As in English, these titles are capitalized when used in conjunction with a persons name. They are also capitalized when functioning as proper pronouns in French and can be abbreviated: Monsieur M.Madame Mme.Mademoiselle Mlle Unlike English, where the honorific Ms. can be used to address women regardless of age or marital status, there is no equivalent in French. Today, youll still hear  mademoiselle  being used, though usually by older French speakers for whom the term is still traditional. It is also occasionally used in formal situations. Most younger French speakers do not use the term, particularly in large cities like Paris. Guidebooks sometimes advise visitors to avoid using the term as well. Instead, use  monsieur  and  madame  in all cases. Controversy In 2012  the French government officially banned the use of mademoiselle for  all government documents. Instead,  madame  would be used for women of any age and marital status. Likewise, the terms  nom de jeune fille  (maiden name) and  nom dà ©pouse  (married name) would be replaced by  nom de famille  and  nom dusage, respectively.   This move wasnt entirely unexpected. The French government had considered doing the same thing back in 1967 and again in 1974. In 1986 a law was passed allowing married women and men to use the legal name of their choice on official documents. And in 2008 the city of Rennes eliminated the use of  mademoiselle  on all official paperwork. Four years later, the campaign to make this change official on a national level had gained momentum. Two  feminist groups, Osez le fà ©minisme! (Dare to be feminist!) and Les Chiennes de Garde (The watchdogs), lobbied the government for months and are credited with persuading Prime Minister Franà §ois Fillon to support the cause. On Feb. 21, 2012, Fillon issued an official decree banning the word. Sources Darrieussecq, Marie. Madame, Mademoiselle: In  France These Are About Sex, not Respect. TheGuardian.com, 24 February 2012.Samuel, Henry. Mademoiselle Banned on Official French Forms. Telegraph.co.uk, 22 February 2012.Sayre, Scott. ‘Mademoiselle’ Exits Official France. NYTimes.com, 22 February 2012.