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English idioms (without example) > 0001-0200 > Flashcards

0001-0200 Flashcards

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1
Q

zero in on something

A

If youzero in onsomething, you focus all your attention on that particular thing.

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2
Q

dying for something

A

If you aredying for something, you have a strong desire for it!.

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3
Q

cut it/cut things fine

A

If youcut it/cut things fine, you leave barely enough time to do something.

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4
Q

sow wild oats

A

A person, usually a man, whosows their wild oatsgoes through a period of carefree pleasure-seeking while they are young.

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5
Q

open-and-shut case

A

Anopen-and-shut caseis one where the facts are so clear that the matter can be dealt with or solved easily.

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6
Q

even a worm will turn

A

This expression means that even someone who never complains will react to an intolerable situation.

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7
Q

scream blue murder

A

People whoscream blue murdershout or complain very loudly as if something very serious has happened.

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8
Q

leave no stone unturned

A

If you try everything possible in order to achieve or to find something, youleave no stone unturned.

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9
Q

for the birds

A

If you think something isfor the birds, you consider it to be uninteresting, useless or not to be taken seriously.

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10
Q

night owl

A

Someone who is lively and active at night and goes to bed very late is callednight owl.

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11
Q

darkhorse

A

If you refer to someone asa dark horseyou mean that they are secretive or that little is known about them.

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12
Q

oldest trick in the book

A

A well-known and much-used trick, which is still effective today, is called theoldest trick in the book.

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13
Q

all hisgeeseare swans

A

This expression refers to someone who constantly exaggerates the importance or the qualities of somebody or something.

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14
Q

horns of a dilemma

A

If you areon the horns of a dilemma, you are faced with a choice between two equally unpleasant options.

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15
Q

bear fruit

A

If somethingbears fruit, it produces positive or successful results.

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16
Q

run-of-the-mill

A

If something is described asrun-of-the-mill,there is nothing special or outstanding about it; it is just ordinary or average.

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17
Q

spit in someone’s eye

A

If youspit in someone’s eye,you treat that person with disrespect or contempt.

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18
Q

not a patch on

A

If something or someone isnot a patch onan other, they are not nearly as good.

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19
Q

make an ass of yourself

A

If you behave so stupidly that you appear ridiculous, youmake an ass of yourself.

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20
Q

nowhere to be found

A

If something isnowhere to be found,even after a thorough search, it is impossible to find it.

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21
Q

(don’t) rock the boat

A

If you tell someonenot to rock the boat, you are asking them to do nothing that might cause trouble or upset a stable situation.

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22
Q

open/reopen old wounds

A

If youopen or reopen old woundsyou revive memories of an unpleasant event, situation or dispute that took place in the past.

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23
Q

feel on top of world

A

If youfeel on top of the world, you feel wonderful or ecstatic about something.

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24
Q

quick as a dog can lick a dish

A

If you do something surprisingly fast, you do itas quick as a dog can lick a dish.

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25
Q

hair of the dog

A

Using as a remedy a small amount of what made you ill, for example a drop of alcohol when recovering from drinking too much, is called’a hair of the dog that bit you’.

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26
Q

dead loss

A

Someone or something described as adead lossis absolutely useless or a complete failure.

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27
Q

throw a spanner in the works

A

If someone or somethingthrows a spanner (or a wrench) in the works,they do something that causes problems and prevents the success of a plan or event.

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28
Q

better still/worse still

A

This expression is used to emphasize that although something is good, bad, etc.

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29
Q

all the better for (something)

A

If you areall the better for something, you benefit from it or feel much better as a result of it.

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30
Q

ride it out ride out the storm

A

If you manage to survive a dangerous or very unpleasant situation, like a ship sailing through a storm, youride it out.

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31
Q

struck dumb

A

If someone isstruck dumb,they are unable to speak because they are so surprised, shocked or frightened by something.

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32
Q

pot luck

A

If youtake pot luck,you accept whatever is available without knowing what it will be like.

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33
Q

fishing for compliments

A

When someone is obviously waiting for you to say something nice, they arefishing for compliments.

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34
Q

lose track of time

A

When you give all your attention to something and become so engrossed in it that you don’t realize what time it is, youlose track of time.

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35
Q

come apart at theseams

A

To say that someone iscoming apart at the seamsmeans that they are extremely upset or under severe mental stress.

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36
Q

can’t make omelette without breaking eggs

A

This expression means that it is impossible to make important changes without causing some unpleasant effects.

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37
Q

make a comeback

A

When someonemakes a comeback,they succeed in returning to their former successful career.

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38
Q

cause a stir

A

If somethingcauses a stir, it creates an atmosphere of excitement or great interest.

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39
Q

cost an arm and a leg

A

If somethingcosts an arm and a leg, it is very expensive.

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40
Q

in thesameboat

A

If two or more people arein the same boat, they are in the same unpleasant or difficult situation.

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41
Q

up/down one’s alley

A

If something is(right) up or down your alley,it is exactly the sort of thing that will suit your tastes or abilities.

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42
Q

cover a multitude of sins

A

If somethingcoversorhides a multitude of sins, it prevents others from seeing the less pleasant reality.

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43
Q

with one’seyesopen

A

If you do somethingwith your eyes open, you are fully aware of what you are doing.

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44
Q

plenty of otherfish

A

To say this means that there are many other people just as good as the person mentioned.

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45
Q

darken someone’s door

A

If youdarken somebody’s door,you come as an unwanted or unwelcome visitor.

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46
Q

last word

A

Something described asthe last wordis the most recent or most fashionable in its category.

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47
Q

siphon off

A

If someonesiphons something off, they transfer something from one place to another, often illegally.

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48
Q

glass ceiling

A

This term refers to a discriminatory barrier perceived by women and minorities that prevents them from rising to positions of power or responsibility.

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49
Q

groan inwardly

A

If yougroaninwardly,you feel like expressing despair, disapproval or distress, but you remain silent.

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50
Q

roll up one’s sleeves

A

When youroll up your sleeves,you get ready for hard work.

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51
Q

that’s the way the cookie crumbles

A

VALUE!

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52
Q

come/get to thepoint

A

If youcomeorget the point, you reach or concentrate on the essential part or the heart of the matter.

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53
Q

bend therules

A

If a personbends the rules,they change the rules in order to help somebody.

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54
Q

on the lookout

A

If you areon the lookoutfor something, you are constantly watchful and attentive so as not to miss it.

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55
Q

short fuse

A

When someonehas a short fuse, they are likely to become angry easily or quickly.

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56
Q

fast track something

A

If you decide tofast track something, such as a task or project, you give it high priority so that the objective is reached as quickly as possible.

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57
Q

blood, sweat and tears

A

A project or action which involvesblood,sweat and tearsrequires a lot of effort and hard work.

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58
Q

stick one’sneckout

A

If a personsticks their neck out,they draw attention to themselves by saying or doing something that others are afraid to do.

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59
Q

edge of one’s seat

A

Someone who ison the edge of their seatis very interested in something and finds it both extremely exciting and nerve-wracking.

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60
Q

knock/takewindout ofsails

A

If someone or somethingknocksortakes the wind out of your sails,they make you feel less confident by doing or saying something that you do not expect.

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61
Q

straight as a ramrod

A

Someone who is(as) straight as a ramrodis a person who keeps a straight back and looks very serious.

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62
Q

collect dust

A

If something iscollecting dust, it hasn’t been touched or used for a long period of time.

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63
Q

bite someone’s head off

A

If youbite someone’s head off, you criticize them strongly (and perhaps unfairly).

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64
Q

never say die

A

You can say’never say die’ to encourage someone to persevere in their efforts and not give up or abandon their project.

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65
Q

wouldn’t be caught dead

A

If someone says that theywouldn’t be seen or caught deadin a particular place or doing something, they mean that they would be too ashamed or embarrassed.

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66
Q

sign of the times

A

This expression refers to something that shows the nature of today’s society.

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67
Q

meet halfway

A

If youmeet someone half way, you accept to make a compromise and give them part of what they are trying to obtain.

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68
Q

blow out of proportion

A

If you exaggerate the importance of something, youblow it out of proportion.

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69
Q

jury is still out

A

To say thatthe jury is still outmeans that something is under consideration but no decision has been reached yet.

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70
Q

fall at first hurdle

A

If youfall at the first hurdle, you fail to overcome the first difficulty encountered.

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71
Q

hit the dust

A

The expressionhit the dustis a humorous way of referring to death.

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72
Q

get the message

A

When youget the message,you understand what someone is trying to tell you even if it is not stated clearly.

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73
Q

put shoulder to wheel

A

If youput your shoulder to the wheel,you start putting a lot of effort into a difficult task.

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74
Q

strike home

A

When somebody’s comments or remarksstrike home,they make you fully understand the situation.

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75
Q

bend the truth

A

If youbend the truth, you say something that is not entirely true.

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76
Q

give the run-around

A

If someonegives you the run-around, they deliberately give you confusing information or evasive answers.

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77
Q

rack one’s brains

A

If yourack your brains,you try very hard to think of something or to remember something.

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78
Q

megaphone diplomacy

A

If the media, through press releases, interviews and announcements, is instrumental in facilitating dialogue between two or more countries, this is calledmegaphone diplomacy.

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79
Q

hard time

A

If you give someone ahard time, you annoy them or make things difficult for them.

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80
Q

elbow room

A

If you need someelbow room, you need more space to move.

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81
Q

pass the buck

A

If you say that someone ispassing the buck,you are accusing them of not taking responsibility for a problem and letting others deal with it instead.

82
Q

full of piss and vinegar

A

People who arefull of piss and vinegarare very lively, boisterous or full of youthful vitality.

83
Q

behind bars

A

Someone who isbehind barsis in prison.

84
Q

go pear-shaped

A

If a plan or projectgoes pear-shaped, it either goes wrong or it produces an undesirable result.

85
Q

likecatand dog

A

Two people who fight or arguelike cat and dogfrequently have violent arguments, even though they are fond of each other.

86
Q

give a hard time

A

If yougive someone a hard time, you annoy them or make things difficult for them.

87
Q

give benefit of doubt

A

If yougive someone the benefit of doubt, you choose to believe that they are innocent, honest or telling the truth because there is no evidence to the contrary.

88
Q

cut to the quick

A

If youcut someone to the quick, you hurt their feelings or offend them deeply.

89
Q

tearhairout

A

If someone istearing their hair out, they are extremely agitated or distressed about something.

90
Q

withbellson

A

If you go somewherewith bells on, you are delighted and eager to go there.

91
Q

truth will out

A

This expression means that despite efforts to conceal the facts, the truth cannot be hidden forever.

92
Q

hit the hay (or sack)

A

When youhit the hay (orhit the sack), you go to bed.

93
Q

keep your ear to the ground

A

If youkeep your ear to the ground,you make sure that you are aware of all that is happening and being said.

94
Q

bury head in sand

A

If youbury your head in the sand, you refuse to face the unpleasant reality by pretending that the situation doesn’t exist.

95
Q

bend over backwards

A

If youbend over backwards, you try very hard to do something, especially to please somebody.

96
Q

got it made

A

Someone who hasgot it madeis so happy and successful in life that they have no worries.

97
Q

rubber hits the road

A

The moment when you put a theory into practice, or actually apply what you have learned, is whenthe rubber hits the road.

98
Q

head and shoulders above

A

To say that one person ishead and shoulders abovethe others means that they are much better than the rest of them.

99
Q

eat out of someone’s hand

A

If youeat out of somebody’s hand, you are eager to please and will accept to do anything that person asks.

100
Q

fly on the wall

A

A person who watches a situation without being noticed is called afly on the wall.

101
Q

friends in high places

A

If you know important or influential people in business or government, you havefriends in high places.

102
Q

take araincheck

A

To say that youtake a rain checkmeans that you cannot accept an invitation or offer now, but you will be happy to accept it later.

103
Q

no dice

A

If someone asks you for something and you reply’no dice!’,you mean that it is impossible or it can’t be done.

104
Q

play by the rules

A

If youplay by the rules, you behave in a fair and honest way with people.

105
Q

crywolf

A

Tocry wolfis to call for help when you are not really in danger.

106
Q

(not a) wink of sleep

A

If someonedoesn’t get a wink of sleep, they don’t sleep a all.

107
Q

cat’s lick

A

Acat’s lickmeans a very quick wash.

108
Q

over the moon

A

If you areover the moonabout something, you are very happy about it.

109
Q

cool as a cucumber

A

A person who is ascool as a cucumberis not anxious, but relaxed and non-emotional.

110
Q

that takes the biscuit!

A

This expression refers to something very annoying or irritating.

111
Q

cross that bridge when we come to it

A

This is another way of saying ‘we will deal with that problem when it occurs and not worry about it before’.

112
Q

happy as a flea

A

If someone is (as)happy as a flea in a doghouse, they are very happy and contented.

113
Q

right up your alley

A

If something isright up your alley,it is the sort of thing you like or have knowledge about.

114
Q

(no) skin off one’s nose

A

To use this expression means that you don’t care if something happens.

115
Q

clinch a deal

A

In a business relationship, if youclinch a deal, you reach agreement on a proposal or offer.

116
Q

gooverboard

A

If yougo overboard, you are over-enthusiastic about something and do too much or behave in an excessive way.

117
Q

load/weight off your mind

A

If something takesa load off your mind, it brings great relief because a problem has been solved.

118
Q

best of one’s ability

A

When someone does somethingto the best of their ability, they do it as well as they possibly can.

119
Q

business before pleasure

A

This expression means that it is considered preferable to finish one’s work before going to relax and enjoy oneself.

120
Q

free ride

A

Someone whogets a free ridebenefits from a collective activity without participating in it.

121
Q

give the coldshoulder

A

Togive someone the cold shouldermeans to deliberately ignore them.

122
Q

hold the reins

A

The person whoholds the reinsis someone who is in complete control of a company, firm or organisation.

123
Q

stab in the back

A

If someonestabs you in the back, they betray you by doing something harmful to you when you thought you could trust them.

124
Q

tongue-lashing

A

When you scold someone severely, you give them atongue-lashing.

125
Q

thick as thieves

A

To say that two people areas thick as thievesmeans that they are very close friends who are very loyal to each other.

126
Q

flight of fancy

A

To refer to an idea or plan as aflight of fancymeans that it is very imaginative but not at all practical or sensible.

127
Q

all thumbs

A

If you areall (finger and) thumbs,you are awkward and clumsy and do things incorrectly.

128
Q

bywordof mouth

A

Information passed on through conversation is transmittedby word of mouth.

129
Q

cut and dried

A

If you refer to a situation, problem or solution ascut and dried,you mean that it is clear and straightforward with no likely complications.

130
Q

second nature

A

If something you do issecond natureto you, it is something that you do easily or automatically because you have done it so often or for so long.

131
Q

(in) bad shape

A

A person who isin bad shapeis in poor physical condition.

132
Q

chips are down

A

This expression refers to people’s behavior in a difficult or dangerous situation when action must be taken.

133
Q

beef something up

A

If youbeef something up, you improve it by making it stronger or more substantial.

134
Q

skin a cat

A

The expression’there’s more than one way to skin a cat’means that there are many different ways of achieving something.

135
Q

full as a tick

A

If someone is (as)full as a tick,they have eaten or drunk too much.

136
Q

keep under your hat

A

Tokeep something under one’s hatmeans to keep a secret.

137
Q

laugh all the way to the bank

A

A person who makes a lot of money easily, especially through someone else’s stupidity, is said tolaugh all the way to the bank.

138
Q

themindboggles

A

The expression’the mind boggles’is used as a reaction to something that you find amazing or difficult to understand.

139
Q

on the bottle

A

A person who drinks alcohol often and regularly ison the bottle.

140
Q

prepare the ground

A

When youprepare the ground,you try to make it easier for a future event or action to happen or be accepted.

141
Q

badger someone

A

If youbadger someoneinto doing something, you persistently nag or pester them until you obtain what you want.

142
Q

(not) hold water

A

If an explanation or argumentdoes not hold water, it does not stand up to critical examination and can be shown to be unfounded.

143
Q

on the ball

A

If you areon the ball, you are aware of what is happening and are able to deal with things quickly and intelligently.

144
Q

square deal

A

A transaction that is fair and honest, or an equitable arrangement, is calleda square deal.

145
Q

take the plunge

A

If youtake the plunge,you finally decide to venture into something you really want to do, in the spite of the risks involved.

146
Q

stick out a mile

A

If somethingsticks out a mile,it is very obvious or very easy to see.

147
Q

unmitigated disaster

A

Anunmitigated disasteris a complete failure or a total catastrophe.

148
Q

let slip through fingers

A

If you let somethingslip through your fingers, such as a good opportunity, you fail to obtain it or keep it.

149
Q

on the fly

A

If you do somethingon the fly,you do it quickly, without thinking much about it, while doing something else.

150
Q

couch potato

A

If you refer to someone as acouch potato, you criticize them for spending a lot of time sitting and watching television.

151
Q

done thing

A

The correct way to behave in a particular social situation is called thedone thing.

152
Q

fly-by-night

A

Afly-by-nightperson, business or venture is considered untrustworthy because they operate briefly and disappear overnight I bought it in one of those fly-by-night stores and now I can’t exchange it.

153
Q

bang one’s head against a brick wall

A

If youbang or knock your head against a brick wall, you continue vainly to try to achieve something in spite of several unsuccessful attempts.

154
Q

hard of hearing

A

If someone ishard of hearing, they can’t hear very well.

155
Q

shrinking violet

A

A person referred to asa shrinking violetis a timid or shy person.

156
Q

in the lurch

A

If something leaves youin the lurch, it leaves you in a difficult or embarrassing situation.

157
Q

take pains

A

If youtake pains to do something,you try very hard or make a special effort to do it as well as possible.

158
Q

can’t see the wood for the trees

A

If someonecan’t see the wood for the trees, they are so concentrated on the details that they can’t see the situation as a whole.

159
Q

tight spot

A

Someone who isin a tight spotis in a very difficult situation.

160
Q

devil makes hard work for idle hands

A

This expression means that people who do not have enough to do are often tempted to do something wrong.

161
Q

speak ill of someone

A

If youspeak ill of someone, you say bad or unkind things about them.

162
Q

on the cusp

A

On the cusprefers to a point in time that marks a transition or the beginning of a change.

163
Q

take the bread out of somebody’s mouth

A

If youtake the bread out of somebody’s mouth, you take away their means of earning a living.

164
Q

take down a peg

A

If youtake someone down a peg,you make that person realize that they are not as important as they think they are.

165
Q

smoke and mirrors

A

An attempt to conceal or distort the truth (like a magician) in order to confuse people is calledsmoke and mirrors.

166
Q

go spare

A

If yougo spareyou lose your temper completely.

167
Q

red light district

A

An area of a town or city where there is a concentration of sex shops, prostitution, strip clubs, etc.

168
Q

born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth

A

A person who isborn with a silver spoon in their mouthis born into a very rich family.

169
Q

let slip throughfingers

A

If you let somethingslip through your fingers, such as a good opportunity, you fail to obtain it or keep it.

170
Q

packed like sardines

A

If a group of people arepacked like sardines, they are pressed together tightly and uncomfortably because there is not enough space.

171
Q

down to the wire

A

If something such as project or a match goesdown to the wire, the situation can change up until the last possible moment.

172
Q

heart set on something

A

Someone who has theirheart set on somethingwants it very much.

173
Q

put one’sfootdown

A

Toput one’s foot down means to exert authority to prevent something from happening.

174
Q

bite off more than you can chew

A

If youbite off more than you can chew, you try to do something that is too difficult for you, or more than you can manage.

175
Q

necessaryevil

A

If you say that something is anecessary evil,you don’t like it but you understand that it has to exist and be accepted.

176
Q

throw/toss one’shat in the ring

A

If youthrow or toss your hat in the ring, you announce that you are going to enter a competition or take up a challenge.

177
Q

down at heel

A

A person who isdown-at-heelis someone whose appearance is untidy or neglected because of lack of money.

178
Q

scrimp and save

A

If youscrimp and save,you spend as little as possible over a certain period of time in order to save money.

179
Q

keep someone at arm’s length

A

If you keep someoneat arm’s length, you do not allow yourself to become friendly with them.

180
Q

tough as old boots

A

If something, specially meat, is(as) tough as old boots, it is hard to cut and difficult to chew.

181
Q

window shopping

A

When people gowindow shopping,they look at things in shop windows, without actually purchasing anything.

182
Q

draw a blank

A

If you look for or try to remember something, anddraw a blank, you fail to find it.

183
Q

nest egg

A

If you have anest egg,you have a reserve of money which you put aside for future needs.

184
Q

can’t putnewwine in old bottles

A

This expression means that you should not try to combine new concepts or innovations with an old or long-established framework or system.

185
Q

devil is in the details

A

This expression refers to a task or a job which appears simple but is in fact more difficult to accomplish.

186
Q

get on like a house on fire

A

Two people who get onlike a house on firehave similar interests and quickly become good friends.

187
Q

look on bright side

A

If youlook on the bright side, you view a mostly unpleasant situation in a positive and optimistic way and the see the favourable aspects.

188
Q

cramp someone’s style

A

If youcramp someone’s styleyou do something to prevent them from behaving freely, or performing to the best of their ability.

189
Q

by thesame token

A

If you apply the same rule to different situations, you judge themby the same token, or in a similar way.

190
Q

best foot forward

A

If you put yourbest foot forward, you do something as fast as you can.

191
Q

swallow the bait

A

If youswallow the bait,you accept an offer made specially to persuade you to do something.

192
Q

heart’s content

A

If you do somethingto your heart’s content, you do it as much and for as long as you want.

193
Q

make light of

A

If youmake light ofsomething, you behave as though it is less serious than it really is.

194
Q

useful as a chocolate teapot

A

Something which is of no practical use at all is aboutas useful as a chocolate teapot.

195
Q

hang on by fingernails

A

When youhang on by the fingernails,you succeed in continuing to do something in a very difficult situation.

196
Q

walk into lion’s den

A

If youwalk into the lion’s den,you find yourself in a difficult situation in which you have to face unfriendly or aggressive people.

197
Q

give a tongue-lashing

A

When you scold someone severely, yougive them a tongue-lashing.

198
Q

movers and shakers

A

The termmovers and shakersrefers to people in power who take an active part in making things happen.

199
Q

method in madness

A

This expression means that someone’s behaviour is not as irrational as it seems.

200
Q

fair-weather friend

A

Someone who acts as a friend when times are good, and is not there when you are in trouble, is called afair-weather friend.

English idioms (without example) (15 decks)

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