 English idioms for personality and character from espressoenglish.net 1. Armchair critic Someone who makes comments or criticisms about a situation in which they aren't taking any action to help solve the problem. Imagine a person sitting in a big, comfortable armchair and making criticisms without getting up and taking action. 2. Busy body Someone who constantly wants to know about or interfere in other people's lives. For example, my aunt is such a busy body. She's always asking nosy questions about my love life. 3. Cheap skate Someone who hates to spend money, even when spending money is needed. John bought his mother a $5 gift for her birthday. I can't believe what a cheap skate he is. Another way to describe someone who hates spending money is stingy. 4. Couch potato A lazy person who spends lots of time sitting or lying down, usually watching TV, playing video games, or something else that doesn't involve physical activity. Stop being a couch potato. Turn off the TV and go get some exercise. 5. Down to earth Someone who is practical, sensible, and realistic. I like working with Janet because she's so down to earth. Her plans and expectations are very reasonable. Being down to earth is the opposite of being a dreamer, visionary, or having your head in the clouds. 6. Behind the times Or fuddy duddy, someone who is old fashioned and has not adopted modern customs. My dad doesn't have an email address. He's a little behind the times. Fuddy duddy is a more negative word. It is more of a criticism, whereas behind the times is more diplomatic. 7. Go getter An active, energetic person with initiative to pursue the things they want. You can't just wait for opportunities to be handed to you. You need to be more of a go-getter. 8. Goody Goody Or Goody Two Shoes Someone who always acts good, sweet, or nice and follows the rules perfectly. Harry was a Goody Two Shoes in high school, but when she went to college she turned into a real rebel. The words Goody Goody and Goody Two Shoes are not compliments. They have the connotation of a person who always acts good and is a little bit arrogant about it, showing off their perfect behavior. An idiom for describing someone as good without this connotation of arrogance is a good egg. 9. Know it all, smart aleck or wise guy, someone who thinks they know everything and that their opinions or ideas are the best. I tried to give advice, but my know it all co-worker wouldn't even listen. The idiom's smart aleck and wise guy are similar, but imply that the person demonstrates their cleverness in an arrogant or sarcastic way. 10. A man of his word A woman of her word is a person you can trust because they tell the truth and keep their promises. If Gary said he'll be there at six o'clock, you can count on it. He's a man of his word. 11. Mover and shaker An active person who helps their company, organization, or group make progress. Martha is the mover and shaker in the department. She's always got ideas to help move things forward. 12. A person who is set in his or her ways is stubborn and committed to their current way of doing things. I showed my boss the benefits of this new strategy, but he's set in his ways and doesn't want to change. 13. Slimeball A disgusting, horrible person who deserves to be hated. Harry dumped Kate and immediately started trying to hook up with her 16-year-old sister. What a slimeball! A person can be described as a slimeball in any context, not only romantic relationships. This word can be used for anybody who did an especially terrible, dishonest, or violent action. 14. Social butterfly An extroverted person who loves to socialize with many people. I'm more reserved, but my mother is a social butterfly. Like a butterfly goes quickly from flower to flower, a social butterfly often goes around a room having conversations with many people. 15. A stickler for the rules is someone who strongly insists on something and wants or expects others to maintain the same standard. Clean up the classroom after you're done with your project. The teacher's a stickler for neatness. People are usually sticklers for some rule of correctness such as neatness or cleanliness, punctuality, correct grammar, tradition, accuracy, etc. 16. Wet blanket Someone who discourages or prevents fun or enjoyment for other people through negative actions or attitudes. Other idioms for this type of person include party pooper, spoil sport, killjoy, and a stick in the mud. 17. Worry wart Someone who worries constantly and excessively. My mother's such a worry wart that if I don't call her every day, she starts imagining I've been killed in a horrible accident. To learn 260 common English idioms used in everyday spoken English, get the English Idioms e-book. You can download a free sample chapter in the link under this video. Thanks for watching English Tips from Espresso English. If you liked this video, please share it.