After perusing Who Let The Cat Out Of The Bag? with my son Nicholas a few years ago I started keeping track of phrases I used that made no sense to him.

I figured maybe one day we would write a book on Idioms. Since that time a book specifically geared to those on the Autism Spectrum was published, although we have yet to read through it. I thought this would be a good time to share our collection of Idioms and encourage other families to do something similar to prepare for April Fool's Day and bring some silliness into the mix.

The one I use the most is the first one and each time I do Nicholas grabs a piece of his arm and looks at me. As a child I had a habit of asking my father, "What time does your watch say?", and he would always put his watch up to his ear to show me he was trying to answer my question.

Get a grip
It's not the end of the world
At the eleventh hour
Blabber Mouth
Wet Noodle
Don't get bent out of shape
Burning the Midnight Oil
It's a piece of cake
What goes around comes around
That's a hot tamale
Blow One's top
Bite off more than you can chew
My nose is killing me
Beat your brain's out
All Thumbs
Kick the Bucket
Two pennies to rub together
As easy as Pie
At death's door
Knocked the wind out of me
On it's last legs
Take your breath away
Anything Ring a Bell
Nothing to Sneeze at
Keep Your Ears Open
Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
No guts no glory
Dust bunnies
Stuffed to the gills
Like a walk in the park
If the shoe fits
Go for broke
Down the hatch
Kick him to the curb
So hungry I could eat a horse
In a pickle
Quick on your feet
Budge an inch
Slept not one wink
Dead as a doornail
Without rhyme or reason
Lie low
The long and short of it
Tongue-tied
Green-eyed with jealousy
It's Greek to me


I suggest spending some time gathering some phrases you utilize in your household and compiling a list to teach your child on the Autism Spectrum what these Idioms mean by acting them out, doing a homemade show and tell or a game of charades.

Start getting ready to stump your child for a delightful April Fool's Day. Check out the Idiom Site for some you may have missed.

For those on the spectrum and others who need to know what certain phrases mean or want to discuss idioms, visit the The Phrase Finder






Rules for a Respite Worker

Educational Autism Tips for Families 71 page resourceful ebook for families entering the school system with a recent autism diagnosis. Find out what issues take place over the course of a school day and meet these challenges head on.