English Idioms Relating to Traveling
highways and byways- |
If you travel the highways and byways, you take large and small roads to visit every part of the country. He traveled the highways and byways looking for traces of his ancestors. |
my way or the highway– |
If you say to someone ‘it’s my way or the highway’, you are telling that person that either they accept what you propose or they leave the project. You don’t have much choice when someone says ‘it’s my way or the highway’. |
hit the road- |
When you hit the road, you begin a journey. It’s getting late and we’ve got a long way to go. Let’s hit the road. |
on the home stretch- |
To say that you are on the home stretch means that you are approaching the end of something such as a task, a race or a journey. Don’t give up – we’re on the home stretch now. |
itchy feet- |
A person who has itchy feet is someone who finds it difficult to stay in one place and likes to travel and discover new places. Andrew’s got itchy feet again. He says he’s going to teach in China for a few years. |
jump the lights- |
If you continue driving when the traffic lights turn red, you jump the lights. It’s very dangerous to jump the lights. No wonder he was stopped by the police. |
make your way to- |
If you make your way to a destination, you manage to get there without difficulty. Don’t worry. I’ll make my way to your home from the station. |
pedal to the metal- |
When you put the pedal to the metal, you accelerate or make something go faster. If I put the pedal to the metal I might get there on time. |
road rage- |
Aggressive driving habits sometimes resulting in violence against other drivers is called road rage. A number of accidents today are a direct result of road rage. |
get show on the road- |
If you manage to put a plan into action, you get the show on the road. OK, we’ve got all we need, so let’s get the show on the road. |
ships that pass in the night- |
This expression refers to people who meet briefly and are not likely to meet again. The two men met once, like ships that pass in the night, and never met again. |
live out of a suitcase- |
Someone who lives of a suitcase travels a lot, moving from place to place, and is therefore restricted to the contents of their suitcase. Sarah’s job involves so much traveling that she lives out of a suitcase. |
Read more common idioms in English…