0001-0200 Flashcards
zero in on something
If youzero in onsomething, you focus all your attention on that particular thing.
dying for something
If you aredying for something, you have a strong desire for it!.
cut it/cut things fine
If youcut it/cut things fine, you leave barely enough time to do something.
sow wild oats
A person, usually a man, whosows their wild oatsgoes through a period of carefree pleasure-seeking while they are young.
open-and-shut case
Anopen-and-shut caseis one where the facts are so clear that the matter can be dealt with or solved easily.
even a worm will turn
This expression means that even someone who never complains will react to an intolerable situation.
scream blue murder
People whoscream blue murdershout or complain very loudly as if something very serious has happened.
leave no stone unturned
If you try everything possible in order to achieve or to find something, youleave no stone unturned.
for the birds
If you think something isfor the birds, you consider it to be uninteresting, useless or not to be taken seriously.
night owl
Someone who is lively and active at night and goes to bed very late is callednight owl.
darkhorse
If you refer to someone asa dark horseyou mean that they are secretive or that little is known about them.
oldest trick in the book
A well-known and much-used trick, which is still effective today, is called theoldest trick in the book.
all hisgeeseare swans
This expression refers to someone who constantly exaggerates the importance or the qualities of somebody or something.
horns of a dilemma
If you areon the horns of a dilemma, you are faced with a choice between two equally unpleasant options.
bear fruit
If somethingbears fruit, it produces positive or successful results.
run-of-the-mill
If something is described asrun-of-the-mill,there is nothing special or outstanding about it; it is just ordinary or average.
spit in someone’s eye
If youspit in someone’s eye,you treat that person with disrespect or contempt.
not a patch on
If something or someone isnot a patch onan other, they are not nearly as good.
make an ass of yourself
If you behave so stupidly that you appear ridiculous, youmake an ass of yourself.
nowhere to be found
If something isnowhere to be found,even after a thorough search, it is impossible to find it.
(don’t) rock the boat
If you tell someonenot to rock the boat, you are asking them to do nothing that might cause trouble or upset a stable situation.
open/reopen old wounds
If youopen or reopen old woundsyou revive memories of an unpleasant event, situation or dispute that took place in the past.
feel on top of world
If youfeel on top of the world, you feel wonderful or ecstatic about something.
quick as a dog can lick a dish
If you do something surprisingly fast, you do itas quick as a dog can lick a dish.
hair of the dog
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’.
dead loss
Someone or something described as adead lossis absolutely useless or a complete failure.
throw a spanner in the works
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.
better still/worse still
This expression is used to emphasize that although something is good, bad, etc.
all the better for (something)
If you areall the better for something, you benefit from it or feel much better as a result of it.
ride it out ride out the storm
If you manage to survive a dangerous or very unpleasant situation, like a ship sailing through a storm, youride it out.
struck dumb
If someone isstruck dumb,they are unable to speak because they are so surprised, shocked or frightened by something.
pot luck
If youtake pot luck,you accept whatever is available without knowing what it will be like.
fishing for compliments
When someone is obviously waiting for you to say something nice, they arefishing for compliments.
lose track of time
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.
come apart at theseams
To say that someone iscoming apart at the seamsmeans that they are extremely upset or under severe mental stress.
can’t make omelette without breaking eggs
This expression means that it is impossible to make important changes without causing some unpleasant effects.
make a comeback
When someonemakes a comeback,they succeed in returning to their former successful career.
cause a stir
If somethingcauses a stir, it creates an atmosphere of excitement or great interest.
cost an arm and a leg
If somethingcosts an arm and a leg, it is very expensive.
in thesameboat
If two or more people arein the same boat, they are in the same unpleasant or difficult situation.
up/down one’s alley
If something is(right) up or down your alley,it is exactly the sort of thing that will suit your tastes or abilities.
cover a multitude of sins
If somethingcoversorhides a multitude of sins, it prevents others from seeing the less pleasant reality.
with one’seyesopen
If you do somethingwith your eyes open, you are fully aware of what you are doing.
plenty of otherfish
To say this means that there are many other people just as good as the person mentioned.
darken someone’s door
If youdarken somebody’s door,you come as an unwanted or unwelcome visitor.
last word
Something described asthe last wordis the most recent or most fashionable in its category.
siphon off
If someonesiphons something off, they transfer something from one place to another, often illegally.
glass ceiling
This term refers to a discriminatory barrier perceived by women and minorities that prevents them from rising to positions of power or responsibility.
groan inwardly
If yougroaninwardly,you feel like expressing despair, disapproval or distress, but you remain silent.
roll up one’s sleeves
When youroll up your sleeves,you get ready for hard work.
that’s the way the cookie crumbles
VALUE!
come/get to thepoint
If youcomeorget the point, you reach or concentrate on the essential part or the heart of the matter.
bend therules
If a personbends the rules,they change the rules in order to help somebody.
on the lookout
If you areon the lookoutfor something, you are constantly watchful and attentive so as not to miss it.
short fuse
When someonehas a short fuse, they are likely to become angry easily or quickly.
fast track something
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.
blood, sweat and tears
A project or action which involvesblood,sweat and tearsrequires a lot of effort and hard work.
stick one’sneckout
If a personsticks their neck out,they draw attention to themselves by saying or doing something that others are afraid to do.
edge of one’s seat
Someone who ison the edge of their seatis very interested in something and finds it both extremely exciting and nerve-wracking.
knock/takewindout ofsails
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.
straight as a ramrod
Someone who is(as) straight as a ramrodis a person who keeps a straight back and looks very serious.
collect dust
If something iscollecting dust, it hasn’t been touched or used for a long period of time.
bite someone’s head off
If youbite someone’s head off, you criticize them strongly (and perhaps unfairly).
never say die
You can say’never say die’ to encourage someone to persevere in their efforts and not give up or abandon their project.
wouldn’t be caught dead
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.
sign of the times
This expression refers to something that shows the nature of today’s society.
meet halfway
If youmeet someone half way, you accept to make a compromise and give them part of what they are trying to obtain.
blow out of proportion
If you exaggerate the importance of something, youblow it out of proportion.
jury is still out
To say thatthe jury is still outmeans that something is under consideration but no decision has been reached yet.
fall at first hurdle
If youfall at the first hurdle, you fail to overcome the first difficulty encountered.
hit the dust
The expressionhit the dustis a humorous way of referring to death.
get the message
When youget the message,you understand what someone is trying to tell you even if it is not stated clearly.
put shoulder to wheel
If youput your shoulder to the wheel,you start putting a lot of effort into a difficult task.
strike home
When somebody’s comments or remarksstrike home,they make you fully understand the situation.
bend the truth
If youbend the truth, you say something that is not entirely true.
give the run-around
If someonegives you the run-around, they deliberately give you confusing information or evasive answers.
rack one’s brains
If yourack your brains,you try very hard to think of something or to remember something.
megaphone diplomacy
If the media, through press releases, interviews and announcements, is instrumental in facilitating dialogue between two or more countries, this is calledmegaphone diplomacy.
hard time
If you give someone ahard time, you annoy them or make things difficult for them.
elbow room
If you need someelbow room, you need more space to move.
pass the buck
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.
full of piss and vinegar
People who arefull of piss and vinegarare very lively, boisterous or full of youthful vitality.
behind bars
Someone who isbehind barsis in prison.
go pear-shaped
If a plan or projectgoes pear-shaped, it either goes wrong or it produces an undesirable result.
likecatand dog
Two people who fight or arguelike cat and dogfrequently have violent arguments, even though they are fond of each other.
give a hard time
If yougive someone a hard time, you annoy them or make things difficult for them.
give benefit of doubt
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.
cut to the quick
If youcut someone to the quick, you hurt their feelings or offend them deeply.
tearhairout
If someone istearing their hair out, they are extremely agitated or distressed about something.
withbellson
If you go somewherewith bells on, you are delighted and eager to go there.
truth will out
This expression means that despite efforts to conceal the facts, the truth cannot be hidden forever.
hit the hay (or sack)
When youhit the hay (orhit the sack), you go to bed.
keep your ear to the ground
If youkeep your ear to the ground,you make sure that you are aware of all that is happening and being said.
bury head in sand
If youbury your head in the sand, you refuse to face the unpleasant reality by pretending that the situation doesn’t exist.
bend over backwards
If youbend over backwards, you try very hard to do something, especially to please somebody.
got it made
Someone who hasgot it madeis so happy and successful in life that they have no worries.
rubber hits the road
The moment when you put a theory into practice, or actually apply what you have learned, is whenthe rubber hits the road.
head and shoulders above
To say that one person ishead and shoulders abovethe others means that they are much better than the rest of them.
eat out of someone’s hand
If youeat out of somebody’s hand, you are eager to please and will accept to do anything that person asks.
fly on the wall
A person who watches a situation without being noticed is called afly on the wall.
friends in high places
If you know important or influential people in business or government, you havefriends in high places.
take araincheck
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.
no dice
If someone asks you for something and you reply’no dice!’,you mean that it is impossible or it can’t be done.
play by the rules
If youplay by the rules, you behave in a fair and honest way with people.
crywolf
Tocry wolfis to call for help when you are not really in danger.
(not a) wink of sleep
If someonedoesn’t get a wink of sleep, they don’t sleep a all.
cat’s lick
Acat’s lickmeans a very quick wash.
over the moon
If you areover the moonabout something, you are very happy about it.
cool as a cucumber
A person who is ascool as a cucumberis not anxious, but relaxed and non-emotional.
that takes the biscuit!
This expression refers to something very annoying or irritating.
cross that bridge when we come to it
This is another way of saying ‘we will deal with that problem when it occurs and not worry about it before’.
happy as a flea
If someone is (as)happy as a flea in a doghouse, they are very happy and contented.
right up your alley
If something isright up your alley,it is the sort of thing you like or have knowledge about.
(no) skin off one’s nose
To use this expression means that you don’t care if something happens.
clinch a deal
In a business relationship, if youclinch a deal, you reach agreement on a proposal or offer.
gooverboard
If yougo overboard, you are over-enthusiastic about something and do too much or behave in an excessive way.
load/weight off your mind
If something takesa load off your mind, it brings great relief because a problem has been solved.
best of one’s ability
When someone does somethingto the best of their ability, they do it as well as they possibly can.
business before pleasure
This expression means that it is considered preferable to finish one’s work before going to relax and enjoy oneself.
free ride
Someone whogets a free ridebenefits from a collective activity without participating in it.
give the coldshoulder
Togive someone the cold shouldermeans to deliberately ignore them.
hold the reins
The person whoholds the reinsis someone who is in complete control of a company, firm or organisation.
stab in the back
If someonestabs you in the back, they betray you by doing something harmful to you when you thought you could trust them.
tongue-lashing
When you scold someone severely, you give them atongue-lashing.
thick as thieves
To say that two people areas thick as thievesmeans that they are very close friends who are very loyal to each other.
flight of fancy
To refer to an idea or plan as aflight of fancymeans that it is very imaginative but not at all practical or sensible.
all thumbs
If you areall (finger and) thumbs,you are awkward and clumsy and do things incorrectly.
bywordof mouth
Information passed on through conversation is transmittedby word of mouth.
cut and dried
If you refer to a situation, problem or solution ascut and dried,you mean that it is clear and straightforward with no likely complications.
second nature
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.
(in) bad shape
A person who isin bad shapeis in poor physical condition.
chips are down
This expression refers to people’s behavior in a difficult or dangerous situation when action must be taken.
beef something up
If youbeef something up, you improve it by making it stronger or more substantial.
skin a cat
The expression’there’s more than one way to skin a cat’means that there are many different ways of achieving something.
full as a tick
If someone is (as)full as a tick,they have eaten or drunk too much.
keep under your hat
Tokeep something under one’s hatmeans to keep a secret.
laugh all the way to the bank
A person who makes a lot of money easily, especially through someone else’s stupidity, is said tolaugh all the way to the bank.
themindboggles
The expression’the mind boggles’is used as a reaction to something that you find amazing or difficult to understand.
on the bottle
A person who drinks alcohol often and regularly ison the bottle.
prepare the ground
When youprepare the ground,you try to make it easier for a future event or action to happen or be accepted.
badger someone
If youbadger someoneinto doing something, you persistently nag or pester them until you obtain what you want.
(not) hold water
If an explanation or argumentdoes not hold water, it does not stand up to critical examination and can be shown to be unfounded.
on the ball
If you areon the ball, you are aware of what is happening and are able to deal with things quickly and intelligently.
square deal
A transaction that is fair and honest, or an equitable arrangement, is calleda square deal.
take the plunge
If youtake the plunge,you finally decide to venture into something you really want to do, in the spite of the risks involved.
stick out a mile
If somethingsticks out a mile,it is very obvious or very easy to see.
unmitigated disaster
Anunmitigated disasteris a complete failure or a total catastrophe.
let slip through fingers
If you let somethingslip through your fingers, such as a good opportunity, you fail to obtain it or keep it.
on the fly
If you do somethingon the fly,you do it quickly, without thinking much about it, while doing something else.
couch potato
If you refer to someone as acouch potato, you criticize them for spending a lot of time sitting and watching television.
done thing
The correct way to behave in a particular social situation is called thedone thing.
fly-by-night
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.
bang one’s head against a brick wall
If youbang or knock your head against a brick wall, you continue vainly to try to achieve something in spite of several unsuccessful attempts.
hard of hearing
If someone ishard of hearing, they can’t hear very well.
shrinking violet
A person referred to asa shrinking violetis a timid or shy person.
in the lurch
If something leaves youin the lurch, it leaves you in a difficult or embarrassing situation.
take pains
If youtake pains to do something,you try very hard or make a special effort to do it as well as possible.
can’t see the wood for the trees
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.
tight spot
Someone who isin a tight spotis in a very difficult situation.
devil makes hard work for idle hands
This expression means that people who do not have enough to do are often tempted to do something wrong.
speak ill of someone
If youspeak ill of someone, you say bad or unkind things about them.
on the cusp
On the cusprefers to a point in time that marks a transition or the beginning of a change.
take the bread out of somebody’s mouth
If youtake the bread out of somebody’s mouth, you take away their means of earning a living.
take down a peg
If youtake someone down a peg,you make that person realize that they are not as important as they think they are.
smoke and mirrors
An attempt to conceal or distort the truth (like a magician) in order to confuse people is calledsmoke and mirrors.
go spare
If yougo spareyou lose your temper completely.
red light district
An area of a town or city where there is a concentration of sex shops, prostitution, strip clubs, etc.
born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth
A person who isborn with a silver spoon in their mouthis born into a very rich family.
let slip throughfingers
If you let somethingslip through your fingers, such as a good opportunity, you fail to obtain it or keep it.
packed like sardines
If a group of people arepacked like sardines, they are pressed together tightly and uncomfortably because there is not enough space.
down to the wire
If something such as project or a match goesdown to the wire, the situation can change up until the last possible moment.
heart set on something
Someone who has theirheart set on somethingwants it very much.
put one’sfootdown
Toput one’s foot down means to exert authority to prevent something from happening.
bite off more than you can chew
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.
necessaryevil
If you say that something is anecessary evil,you don’t like it but you understand that it has to exist and be accepted.
throw/toss one’shat in the ring
If youthrow or toss your hat in the ring, you announce that you are going to enter a competition or take up a challenge.
down at heel
A person who isdown-at-heelis someone whose appearance is untidy or neglected because of lack of money.
scrimp and save
If youscrimp and save,you spend as little as possible over a certain period of time in order to save money.
keep someone at arm’s length
If you keep someoneat arm’s length, you do not allow yourself to become friendly with them.
tough as old boots
If something, specially meat, is(as) tough as old boots, it is hard to cut and difficult to chew.
window shopping
When people gowindow shopping,they look at things in shop windows, without actually purchasing anything.
draw a blank
If you look for or try to remember something, anddraw a blank, you fail to find it.
nest egg
If you have anest egg,you have a reserve of money which you put aside for future needs.
can’t putnewwine in old bottles
This expression means that you should not try to combine new concepts or innovations with an old or long-established framework or system.
devil is in the details
This expression refers to a task or a job which appears simple but is in fact more difficult to accomplish.
get on like a house on fire
Two people who get onlike a house on firehave similar interests and quickly become good friends.
look on bright side
If youlook on the bright side, you view a mostly unpleasant situation in a positive and optimistic way and the see the favourable aspects.
cramp someone’s style
If youcramp someone’s styleyou do something to prevent them from behaving freely, or performing to the best of their ability.
by thesame token
If you apply the same rule to different situations, you judge themby the same token, or in a similar way.
best foot forward
If you put yourbest foot forward, you do something as fast as you can.
swallow the bait
If youswallow the bait,you accept an offer made specially to persuade you to do something.
heart’s content
If you do somethingto your heart’s content, you do it as much and for as long as you want.
make light of
If youmake light ofsomething, you behave as though it is less serious than it really is.
useful as a chocolate teapot
Something which is of no practical use at all is aboutas useful as a chocolate teapot.
hang on by fingernails
When youhang on by the fingernails,you succeed in continuing to do something in a very difficult situation.
walk into lion’s den
If youwalk into the lion’s den,you find yourself in a difficult situation in which you have to face unfriendly or aggressive people.
give a tongue-lashing
When you scold someone severely, yougive them a tongue-lashing.
movers and shakers
The termmovers and shakersrefers to people in power who take an active part in making things happen.
method in madness
This expression means that someone’s behaviour is not as irrational as it seems.
fair-weather friend
Someone who acts as a friend when times are good, and is not there when you are in trouble, is called afair-weather friend.
