Idioms beginning with Q

Idiom
Meaning

Quick as a wink

Very quickly

Queer the pitch

To spoil or ruin a situation or plan

Quiet as a mouse

Very quiet or silent

Quench one’s thirst

To satisfy one’s thirst or desire

Quick fix

A temporary or superficial solution

Quit cold turkey

To stop abruptly or completely

Quicksand

A dangerous situation or circumstance that worsens as one tries to escape it

Quirky as a three-dollar bill

Strange or unusual, often in a suspicious way

Quell one’s fears

To calm or suppress one’s fears or anxieties

Quicksilver

Lively, volatile, or unpredictable

Quip

A clever or witty remark

Quoth the raven

As the raven said; a poetic or archaic expression

Quackery

The practice of fraudulent or unproven medicine or treatments

Quake in one’s boots

To be very frightened or intimidated

Quibbling

Arguing or nitpicking over trivial matters

Quicksilver tongue

An eloquent or persuasive manner of speaking

Queen bee

The dominant or most important female in a group

Quilt of darkness

The darkness of night

Queer fish

An odd or eccentric person

Question mark

Doubt or uncertainty

Quiver in one’s boots

To tremble with fear or anxiety

Quiet before the storm

A period of calmness or tranquility before a tumultuous event

Quiet as the grave

Completely silent

Quell the storm

To calm or pacify a chaotic or turbulent situation

Quick off the mark

Prompt or speedy in action or response

Quaint as a cucumber

Unusual or eccentric, but in an endearing way

Quake with fear

To tremble or shake with fear

Quack like a duck

To make a noise or sound like a duck

Quench the fire

To extinguish or suppress a conflict or argument

Quick as lightning

Very fast or rapid

Quarter past

Fifteen minutes past the hour

Quirky as a quokka

Unusual or peculiar, often in a charming way

Quick on the draw

To be able to react or respond rapidly

Quicker than you can say Jack Robinson

Very quickly or immediately

Quirk of fate

An unexpected or unusual turn of events

Quirky

Unconventional or peculiar

Quash a rumor

To put an end to or disprove a rumor

Quibble over

To argue or dispute minor points

Quick buck

Money earned quickly and easily

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