You look like you have just seen a ghost!

Idiom: You look like you have just seen a ghost!

Example:

Joe: Jane! Are you all right? You look like you have just seen a ghost!

Jane: I just got really shocking news from my doctor. We are having triplets. 

Joe: 3 babies?!

Jane: Now YOU look like you have just seen a ghost!

Meaning: You look like you have just seen a ghost is an expression used when someone has a shocked or scared look on their face. 

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To make one's blood run cold

Idiom: To make one's blood run cold

Example 1: 

Don't see the movie "The Exorcist!" It's so scary! It made my blood run cold! 

Example 2:

There was a terrible car accident near my home. The sound of the crash made my blood run cold! It was so shocking and scary. 

Meaning:

something makes one's blood run cold means that something really scared/shocked/terrified someone.

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In Cold Blood

Idiom: In cold blood

Context #1:

John: Did you hear about that serial killer who appeared in court today?

Sam: Yeah, I heard the judge sentenced him to life in prison with no parole.

John: That's right. He killed about 10 people in cold blood so I guess he deserved that.

Context #2:

Jenny: Last night on the news I saw that a lady was killed in New York while waiting for the bus.

Chrissy: Yeah, I guess some crazy guy just walked up to her and shot her in cold blood.

Meaning: In cold blood is an idiom that is used as an adverb. It is commonly used with verbs like kill, shoot, and murder. It means to kill someone in a cruel and unfeeling fashion. The person doing the killing does not feel any kind of sadness or remorse.      @LSISB @LSIOC @LSINE @LSILA

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To Scare The Pants Off Someone

Idiom: To Scare The Pants Off Someone

Context #1:

Tammy: Last night my neighbor jumped out from behind a bush wearing a zombie mask. He was only joking but it really scared the pants off me!

Sara: Did you scream?

Tammy: Yeah, I screamed! It was so embarrassing! 

Context #2:

Tim: This week for Halloween a bunch of us are going to visit a haunted house at the community college. Do you want to go?

Chris: No thanks! When I was a kid my parents took me to a haunted house and I got the pants scared off me. I guess I was a little traumatized.

Tim: I see. Well, let me know if you change your mind.

Meaning: To scare the pants off someone means to make them feel extremely afraid or frightened.      @LSISB @LSIOC @LSINE @LSILA

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To Make One's Skin Crawl

Idiom: To Make One's Skin Crawl

Example: Ron and Debbie are trying to decide what to do on Halloween...

Debbie: I've got a great idea! Let's go to Santa Monica Boulevard to see all of the crazy costumes!

Ron: I can't. I have to work until 10:00pm. I know! When I get off work, we can watch a horror movie! Maybe A Nightmare on Elmstreet?

Debbie: No way! Freddy Krueger makes my skin crawl! I can't even look at him!

Meaning: To make one's skin crawl means to feel disgust or fear. Another popular expression with a similar meaning is to have goosebumps. 

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Skeleton crew

Idiom: skeleton crew; used as a noun

First Example:

Toby: Are you going to the concert this Saturday?

Claire: No.  I have to work Saturday night.

Toby: That's too bad - but maybe you can get off a little early? It's usually pretty slow on the weekends.

Claire: Because it's always so slow, Tim decided to run a skeleton crew. There are only going to be three of us here manning the phones.

Toby: That's too bad.  Well, I'll take lots of pictures for you.

Claire: Thanks.

Meaning: The idiom "skeleton crew" is used when a business is operating with the minimum number of people.  This is usually done during an emergency or low demand causes there to be limited staff. In the example above, Claire says she will be working on a skeleton crew because there isn't enough demand for a full crew.  "Skeleton crew" is the American idiom, while British people use the alternative "skeleton staff." Here is another example of the American version:

Mary: Wow, the service at that restaurant was awful!         

William: Well, they were running on a skeleton crew.

Mary: Really?  How do you know?

William: When you were in the restroom, the waiter told me. Apparently, the manager fired a server everyone liked, so all of the servers went on strike. There was only one server for the whole restaurant tonight, and he had to act as bartender as well.

Mary: Then that explains why it seemed like he was always running around but everything came out so late.

William: Exactly. And that's why I left him a decent tip. I felt bad for him.

Meaning: In this example, Mary says the service at a restaurant was slow, and William explains that the restaurant's normal employees were on strike, leading to a skeleton crew of only one server.       @LSISB @LSIOC @LSINE @LSILA

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Skeleton(s) in one's closet

Idiom: skeleton(s) in one's closet ; used as a noun

First Example:

Michael: Why is Oscar so upset?

Pam: You didn't hear?  Everyone found out that his brother is in prison, and now he's really embarrassed.                                                      

Michael: Why? It's not like he's the one in jail.

Pam: True, but some people don't like others to know about their families' secrets.  And no one likes having the skeletons in their closet revealed.

Michael: That's true. I would hate it if everyone was talking about some deep, dark secret in my family.

Pam: Like what?

Michael: Well, like... Wait, I'm not gonna tell you!

Meaning: The idiom "skeleton(s) in one's closet" is used as a noun to refer to the embarrassing or shocking secrets that people have. The skeletons in the idiom refer to the secrets themselves, and the closet refers to keeping them "in the dark." "Skeleton's in one's closet" is the American idiom while British and Australian people use the alternative "skeleton(s) in one's cupboard." Here is another example of the American version:

Adviser: So, Mrs. Smith, before you run for office, I need to know. Do you have any skeletons in your closet?  Any affairs or other dirty little secrets?        

Politician: Not that I can think of.

Adviser: You don't have any past criminal behavior - any laws broken that might come out?

Politician: Like speeding tickets?

Adviser: No, no one cares about minor things like that. I'm talking about major things like drinking and driving, or a hit and run.

Politician: Nope, can't think of anything like that.

Adviser: Good.  Now let's discuss marketing...

Meaning: In this example, the adviser is asking if the politician has any skeletons in her closet. This idiom is commonly used when discussing the secrets of politicians and other public figures. The adviser even clarifies that minor issues, like speeding tickets, aren't really bad enough to be considered a skeleton in one's closet.       @LSISB @LSIOC @LSINE @LSILA

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