New Idioms

I Wash My Hands Of It
Commonly, when someone has attempted to avert a wrong and it continues anyway, he states, "I wash my hands of the issue", indicating that he is clean and not to blame. This comes from Jesus' trial, as recorded in Matthew 27:24. Pontius Pilate, who was in charge of sentencing Christ, claimed that Jesus was innocent as far as he could tell. However, the crowds pushed to have Him executed. "When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, 'I am innocent of this Man's blood; see to that yourselves.'

Play by ear
When a situation is handled in an impromptu manner without refering to any set of guidelines. This comes from not using sheet music to play the music.

Like a chicken with its head cut off
Meaning in a frenzied manner. Poultry twitch and sometimes run around after decapitation.
When poultry is decapitated, they begin to twitch and may sometimes begin to run around, that is how this idiom which means 'in a frenzy' comes from.

Turn A Blind Eye

Just stopped by the site on idioms and sayings and noticed that you were missing one I've used forever. 'Turn a blind eye' which stems from the battle at Copenhagen between the British fleet commanded by Admiral Sir Hyde Parker and the Danes (can't remember who commanded it). The attack was led by the famous Admiral Nelson into the bay and during the battle there was a point where Parker had felt that Nelson's losses were unacceptable and hoisted the signal to disengage. When informed of the signal Admiral Nelson held the telescope to his blind eye and said "I see no ships" disobeying the order and winning the battle. Thus the phrase 'turn a blind eye'

Up a blind alley
Meaning on the wrong track. Any alley with no clear or visible passage can be blind.

Your name is mud
This idiom means 'you are not popular'. While escaping after shooting President Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth broke his leg. The doctor that gave him medical attention was Dr. Samuel Mudd. At the time, Mudd had no idea that Booth had committed the murder. Dr. Mudd was unfairly convicted of being a conspirator to Booth.