Idioms/XYZ

If someone has the x-factor, they have a certain charismatic appeal and magnetic quality.

If something is x-rated, it is classified as pornographic and therefore not suitable for young people.

You can say "the year dot", or "the year one", when you're talking about a very, very long time ago.

If something has happened year in, year out, it's happened every year for many years in a row.

Journalism in which sensational stories are used to boost sales, or biased reporting is used to change the reader's views on an issue. Both of these are unethical.

If someone has a yellow streak, they can sometimes act in a cowardly way and not be very brave.

If someone is yellow-bellied, they are not brave, or they are cowardly.

If someone's a yes-man, they'll say they agree with someone, or say "yes" to them, in order to please them.

You can say "you are what you eat" when you want to point out the connection between food and health.

You can say "You asked for it!" when you think someone deserves the punishment they're getting or the trouble they're in.

You can say "you bet", "you bet your boots" or "you bet your life" when you strongly agree with a statement or a suggestion, or to emphasise what you're saying.

If someone says "You can say that again!", it shows they strongly agree with what was just said.

Something you can say after you, or someone else, loses a contest or fails to achieve something (said to make losing seem not so bad).

You can say "you could have knocked me over with a feather" to show how surprised you were when something happened, or when you heard about something.

You can say "You're on!" if you want to accept a challenge, a bet or an invitation.

You can say "you're only young once" when you're trying to persuade someone, or yourself, to do something while you're still young enough to do it.

You can say "You're telling me!" when you strongly agree with what someone has said.

Someone is young at heart if they still feel young even though they're getting old.

If you say "young blood", you mean young people who have fresh, new ideas and lots of energy.

You can say "your guess is as good as mine" when you don't know the answer to a question.

A zebra crossing is a pedestrian crossing that is marked on the road with painted black and white stripes.

If you zero in on something, you focus your attention on it.

If something is given zero tolerance, it won't be accepted even once.

A zero-sum game is a situation in which any gain by one side or person is at the expense of a loss to another side or person involved in the situation.

If someone says "Zip it!", they're telling you to shut up or stop talking about something.