100 Korean Idioms & Slang

서문 Preface 4
일러두기 How to Use This Book 6
차례 Table of Contents 10

Part 1 관용어 Idioms
1. 간에 기별도 안 가다 For the message to not even reach the liver 14
2. 고삐를 늦추다 To loosen the reins 16
3. 골로 가다 To go to the valley 18
4. 골탕 먹다 To eat bone broth soup 20
5 귀에 못이 박히다 To get a callus in your ear 22
6. 그림의 떡 Rice cake in a picture 24
7. 김칫국부터 마시다 To drink kimchi soup first 26
8. 깡통을 차다 To wear a can 28
9. 깨가 쏟아지다 To rain sesame seeds 30
10. 낙인 찍다 To brand 32
11. 눈 깜짝할 사이 In the blink of an eye 34
12. 눈 하나 깜짝 안 하다 To not blink an eye 36
13. 눈앞이 캄캄하다 For it to be dark in front of one’s eyes 38
14. 눈에 밟히다 To have one’s eye stepped on 40
15. 대박이 나다 For a large gourd to sprout 42
16. 뒷구멍으로 호박씨를 까다 To shell pumpkin seeds with your behind 44
17. 딴전을 부리다/피우다 To act like it’s a different shop 46
18. 말짱 도루묵 All sandfish 48
19. 머리에 맴돌다 To hover in one’s head 50
20. 바가지를 긁다 To scratch the bowl 52
21. 바람을 피우다 To act like the wind 54
22. 발이 떨어지지 않다 For one’s feet to not come up off the ground 56
23. 배가 아프다 For one’s stomach to hurt 58
24. 배꼽을 잡다 To grab one’s belly button 60
25. 배알이 꼴리다 For one’s guts to be twisted 62
26. 백기를 들다 To raise a white flag 64
27. 본전도 못 찾다 To be unable to even find the principal 66
28. 비위를 맞추다 To adjust one’s stomach 68
29. 산통을 깨다 To break the box of fortunes 70
30. 새빨간 거짓말 A bright red lie 72
31. 속이 타다 For one’s insides to burn 74
32. 손꼽아 기다리다 To wait counting on one’s fingers 76
33. 시치미를 떼다 To take a name tag off a falcon 78
34. 애가 타다 For one’s intestines to burn 80
35. 약이 오르다 For one to be nettled 82
36. 어깨가 무겁다 For one’s shoulders to be heavy 84
37. 오지랖이 넓다 For the front of one’s clothes to be wide 86
38. 이를 악물다 To grit one’s teeth 88
39. 족쇄를 채우다 To put shackles on 90
40. 쥐도 새도 모르게 Without a mouse or a bird realizing 92
41. 직성이 풀리다 For one’s star to be released 94
42. 찬물을 끼얹다 To douse with cold water 96
43. 총대를 메다 To carry the gunstock 98
44. 탈을 쓰다 To wear a mask 100
45. 통이 크다 For the size to be big 102
46. 퇴짜를 놓다/맞다 To mark/to be marked with the character for “reject” 104
47. 트집을 잡다 To grab at a hole 106
48. 풀이 죽다 For the starch to give way 108
49. 학을 떼다 To get rid of malaria 110
50. 허리띠를 졸라매다 To tighten one’s belt 112

Part 2 사자성어 Four-Character Idioms
51. 경거망동 To behave frivolously and foolishly 116
52. 고진감래 After all of the bitterness comes sweetness 118
53. 금상첨화 Adding flowers on top of silk 120
54. 기고만장 For one’s energy to rise to a height of 10,000 jang 122
55. 노심초사 To be so concerned with something that one burns with worry 124
56. 대기만성 For a large bowl to be completed late 126
57. 배은망덕 To forget and betray the favor you received from someone 128
58. 백발백중 To shoot 100 times and hit 100..