a loose cannon
An unpredictable person likely to cause damage or trouble through reckless behaviour.
Example: The coach worried the new striker was a loose cannon on the field.
C120 words · Advanced
People & Character vocabulary — C1
People and character idioms for describing personality in more detail, with phrases like a fish out of water, a heart of gold and a jobsworth.
20 questions
Words in this set
20a straight shooter
A person who is honest, direct, and says exactly what they mean.
Example:
You can trust him — he's a straight shooter.
a fish out of water
Someone who feels awkward and out of place in an unfamiliar situation.
Example:
At the formal gala, he felt like a fish out of water.
a chip off the old block
A child who closely resembles a parent in character, talent, or appearance.
Example:
With his love of cooking, he's clearly a chip off the old block.
a dark horse
Someone whose talents or plans are little known, who then unexpectedly succeeds.
Example:
Nobody expected her to win — she was a real dark horse in the competition.
a heart of gold
A very kind, generous, and caring person.
Example:
Beneath his gruff manner, he has a heart of gold.
a maverick
Someone who thinks and acts independently, refusing to follow the usual rules or expectations.
Example:
The director is known as a maverick in the film industry.
a wallflower
A shy person who avoids attention, especially at social events.
Example:
At parties, she used to be a wallflower, but now she loves dancing.
self-made
Having become successful through your own hard work, without help or inherited wealth.
Example:
He's a self-made millionaire who started with nothing.
a creature of habit
Someone who always follows the same routine and dislikes change.
Example:
He's a creature of habit — same coffee, same seat, every single day.
a yes man
Someone who always agrees with those in authority.
Example:
The board was four independents and a yes man.
a name-dropper
Someone who mentions important people to impress others.
Example:
He is a name-dropper and none of the names check out.
a social climber
Someone who tries hard to move into a higher social group.
Example:
She was a social climber and made no secret of it.
a pillar of the community
Someone respected and relied on locally.
Example:
He was a pillar of the community for forty years.
a rough diamond
Someone good-hearted whose manners are unpolished.
Example:
He is a rough diamond and worth ten of the polite ones.
a man of the people
Someone in power who stays close to ordinary life.
Example:
He plays a man of the people and lives in a castle.
a nervous wreck
Someone completely worn out by worry.
Example:
Two weeks of waiting left her a nervous wreck.
a whipping boy
Someone blamed for other people's mistakes.
Example:
The junior became a whipping boy for the whole department.
a jobsworth
Someone who insists on petty rules rather than helping.
Example:
One a jobsworth on the gate can ruin an entire event.
a cool customer
Someone who stays calm in difficult situations.
Example:
He is a cool customer and has never once raised his voice.
