Although the heart is a part of the body and we could have included it in the previous category, the heart is so special
that we feel it needs a category of idioms to itself.
There are so many expressions referring to emotions using the heart that it’s difficult to learn all of them “by heart.’’
To wear your heart on your sleeve
If you “wear your heart on your sleeve,” you are showing your emotions and making your feelings clear.
Get at the heart of the matter
This is an expression that means to reach the main point or get to the point. In a meeting, if you want to go straight to the main problem, you can say: “I´d like to get right to the heart of the matter.’’
Cross your heart and hope to die
This is a strong expression to use when you want to swear that you’re telling the truth. For example: “I cross my heart and hope to die, if I’m lying!’’.
Close to your heart
By saying that something is “close to your heart,” you’re saying that it is an important issue for you and that you are very interested in it. It can be used, for example, about a cause that you stand for: “Animal rights are very close to my heart.”
Have a change of heart
Don’t worry, no one is going to give you a heart transplant. Having a “change of heart” simply means that you’ve changed your mind about something
Eat your heart out
Don’t take it literally! This expression is usually an exclamation that tells people they should be envious. For example: ‘’I’m going to New York this weekend! Eat your heart out!’’ (I’m going to New York this weekend! Be jealous!)
Have your heart in the right place
Has anyone ever told you that your “heart is in the right place?”
This phrase recognizes that your intentions are good, even if you’ve made a mistake.
For example: ‘’The dinner she cooked was terrible, but she had her heart in the right place.’’ (The dinner she cooked was terrible, but she did it with the best intention.)
Cry your heart out
This means to mourn inconsolably and cry till you drop, or until you no longer have any tears left. You can see this common expression in the title of a song by Oasis: ‘’Stop crying your heart out.’’
Heart skips/misses a beat
When you face something unexpected, meet someone you like, or when your heart seems to have stopped when you are taken by surprise, these are all feelings that make your “heart skip a beat.”
Pour your heart out
This expression means to open your heart by sharing a deep secret or emotionally describing everything you feel
