have back to the wall Idiom, Proverb

a fly on the wall

able to hear and see what a fly would see and hear I'd like to be a fly on the wall in the Judge's chambers.

beat your head against a stone wall

try an impossible task, work on a futile project Preventing war is like beating your head against a stone wall.

climb the walls

feel upset or stressed, go bonkers, go crazy On the first day of school, the teacher was climbing the walls.

drive me up the wall

"cause me to feel anxious; go around the bend" I won't babysit at the Kaplans. The kids drive me up the wall.

drive someone up a wall

irritate or annoy someone greatly His constant complaining is driving me up a wall.

fly on the wall

(See a fly on the wall)

handwriting on the wall

a sign that something bad will happen The handwriting is on the wall. Business conditions are bad so probably nobody will get a pay raise this year.

hard to swallow

hard to accept, hard to take "She said, ""He has custody of the children. It's hard to swallow."""

hole in the wall

a small place to live, stay in or work in; small hidden or inferior place We went for a drink at a little hole in the wall near the university last night.

look like the cat that ate (swallowed) the canary

seem very self-satisified like you have just had some kind of success He looked like the cat that ate the canary when he came in with a smile on his face.

have (one's) aback to the wall

To be in a bad or high-pressure bearings in which one's best or adeptness to act is limited. She absolutely has her aback to the bank now that creditors are advancing afterwards her for added money than she makes.Learn more: back, have, wall

have one's aback to the wall

Fig. to be in a arresting position. He'll accept to accord in. He has his aback to the wall. How can I arrangement aback I've got my aback to the wall?Learn more: back, have, wall

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Dictionary

More Idioms/Phrases

look for look forward to something look high and low look in on look into look like a million dollars look like death warmed over look like he was dragged through a knothole look like the cat that ate (swallowed) the canary look like the cat that swallowed the canary look on look out look out for look out for number one look over look over something look over your shoulder have an/(one's) ear close to the ground have an/(one's) ear to the ground have an/any/no effect on (someone or something) have an/the edge over (someone or something) have an/the itch to (do something) have another guess coming have another guess coming, to have another string to (one's) bow have another string/more strings to your bow have another thing coming have another think coming have ants in one’s pants have ants in the/(one's) pants have ants in your pants have any joy have anything on have around have arrived have ass in a sling have at have at (someone or something) have at fingertips Have at it have back have back at (one) have back to the wall have back up have bags under (one's) eyes have bats in (one's) belfry have bats in belfry have bats in one’s belfry have bats in the belfry have bearing on have been around have been around the block have been around the block a few times have been had have been in the wars have been there have been there before have been to hell and back have been to the wars have best interest at heart have big ears have bigger fish to fry have blinders on have blood on hands have blood on your hands have both feet on the ground have both oars in the water have bought it