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English idioms (without example) > 0201-0400 > Flashcards

0201-0400 Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

out of sync

A

If two movements or actions areout of sync, they are not coordinated and are not taking place at the same time or at the same speed.

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2
Q

back to square one

A

To say that someone isback to square onemeans that they have not succeeded in what they were trying to do, so they have to start again.

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3
Q

on the tip oftongue

A

To say that a word or answer ison the tip of your tongue,means that you’re sure you know it but have difficulty finding it.

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4
Q

grass roots

A

The termgrass rootsrefers to the ordinary people who form the main body of an organisation.

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5
Q

jump for joy

A

When peoplejump for joy, they express their happiness through excited movements and gestures.

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6
Q

worth one’s salt

A

Someone who deserves respect because they do their job well is a person who isworth their salt.

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7
Q

might is right

A

This saying expresses the belief that being the most powerful person or country gives you the right to do whatever you want.

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8
Q

like twopeasin a pod

A

To say that two people are liketwo peas in a podmeans that they are very similar in appearance.

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9
Q

middle of the road (MOR)

A

This term refers to anything moderate, unadventurous or inoffensive that avoids extremes and appeals to the majority of people.

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10
Q

big picture

A

If you talk about thebig picture, you refer to the overall situation, or the project as a whole rather than the details.

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11
Q

money laundering

A

When peoplelaunder money,they manage to conceal the source of illegally-obtained money so that it is believed to be legitimate.

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12
Q

no picnic

A

A situation or activity that isno picnicis difficult or problematic.

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13
Q

up to thehilt

A

When someone does something(up) to the hilt,they do it completely, fully or to the maximum degree.

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14
Q

give or take (quantity)

A

This term is used when expressing an amount or estimate that is not exactly right.

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15
Q

keep posted

A

If someone asks you tokeep them posted,they want you to keep them informed about a situation.

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16
Q

crying shame

A

If something is acrying shame, it is very sad or unfortunate.

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17
Q

hot off the press

A

If a news article, for example, ishot off the press, it has just been published and contains the most recent information on the subject.

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18
Q

knock down with afeather

A

To say ‘you could have knocked me down with a feather’emphasizes the fact that you were extremely surprised.

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19
Q

burn themidnightoil

A

A person whoburns the midnight oilstays up very late at night in order to finish a piece of work.

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20
Q

in mint condition

A

Something that isin mint conditionis in such perfect condition that it looks new or as good as new.

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21
Q

off colour

A

If you areoff colour, you look or feel ill.

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22
Q

one horse town

A

A place referred to as aone horse townis a small, boring town where nothing much ever happens.

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23
Q

under your ownsteam

A

If you go somewhereunder your own steam,you do so without any help from others.

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24
Q

stir up a hornet’s nest

A

If youstir up a hornet’s nest,you do something which causes a commotion and provokes criticism and anger.

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25
Q

a rip-off

A

To say that something isa rip-offmeans that it costs much more than it should.

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26
Q

chip on your shoulder

A

If someone has achip on their shoulder, the feel resentful because they feel they are being treated unfairly, especially because of their background, their sex or their colour.

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27
Q

a picture is worth a thousand words

A

This expression means that a picture can give just as much information as a large amount of descriptive text.

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28
Q

whistle in the dark

A

If youwhistle in the dark,you try to hide your fear and pretend to be brave in a scary or dangerous situation.

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29
Q

whitelie

A

If youtell a white lie,you say something which is not true in order to protect someone or to avoid hurting their feelings.

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30
Q

stubborn as a mule

A

If someone isas stubborn as a mule,they are very obstinate and unwilling to listen to reason or change their mind.

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31
Q

beat around the bush

A

This expression is used to tell someone to say what they have to say, clearly and directly, even if it is unpleasant.

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32
Q

bring nothing to the table

A

If you participate in negotiations andbring nothing to the table, you have nothing of interest to offer the other side.

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33
Q

the bubble has burst

A

To say thatthe bubble has burstmeans that the success of an idea, a product or a situation has suddenly stopped.

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34
Q

on the level

A

If you say that someone ison the level,you are referring to an honest and truthful person.

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35
Q

give awideberth

A

If you give someone or somethinga wide berth,you stay at a prudent distance from them in order to avoid unwanted consequences.

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36
Q

more byaccidentthan by design

A

Something that happensmore by accident than (by) designis done without deliberate intention.

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37
Q

(in) dire straits

A

If a person or organisation isin dire straits, they are in a very difficult situation.

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38
Q

just desserts

A

When someonegets their just desserts, they are rewarded or punished according to what they deserve.

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39
Q

xerox subsidy

A

This term refers to the habit of using the photocopier at work for personal use.

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40
Q

(same) oldstory

A

A common occurrence, or something that happens regularly or always in the same way, is called anold storyor thesame old story.

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41
Q

water under the bridge

A

If something difficult or unpleasant took place in the past but is no longer important, it is referred to aswater under the bridge.

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42
Q

gather dust

A

An idea, plan or project whichis gathering dustis in fact stagnating or has not attracted attention for some time.

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43
Q

blue in the face

A

If you do something until you areblue in the face, you try unsuccessfully to do something for a very long time.

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44
Q

goose pimples

A

If you havegoose pimples, you are cold or so afraid that your skin is temporarily raised into little lumps.

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45
Q

once in a blue moon

A

If something occursonce in a blue moon, it happens very rarely.

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46
Q

play your cards right

A

If youplay your cards right,you do all that is necessary to succeed or to obtain what you want.

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47
Q

sink one’s differences

A

If people or organisationssink their differences,they decide to forget their disagreements.

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48
Q

at this stage of the game

A

This expression refers to the current point reached in a process, activity or developing situation.

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49
Q

partner in crime

A

A person who helps you to plan something dishonest or unlawful is called yourpartner in crime.

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50
Q

devil take the hindmost

A

This expression means that you should think of yourself and not worry about other people.

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51
Q

stretch the truth

A

When youstretch the truth,you exaggerate the facts or say things that are not exactly true.

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52
Q

that figures!

A

This expression is used to say that something seems logical or is as expected.

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53
Q

out of earshot

A

When someone isout of earshot, they are too far away to hear or to be heard.

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54
Q

lost ball in high weeds

A

Someone who is totally confused, and doesn’t know what they are doing or how to do it, isa lost ball in high weeds.

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55
Q

step on the gas

A

If someone tells you tostep on the gas,they are encouraging you to accelerate or hurry up in order to get something done quickly.

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56
Q

crest of a wave

A

If you areon the crest of a wave, you are very successful in what you are doing.

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57
Q

turn a deaf ear

A

If youturn a deaf earto something, you refuse to listen.

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58
Q

speak of the devil!

A

This is said to refer to a person who appears just when his/her name is mentioned.

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59
Q

knock your socks off

A

If something amazes you, or impresses you greatly, itknocks your socks off.

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60
Q

nine times out of ten

A

When something happensnine times out of ten,it is what usually happens.

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61
Q

take a nosedive

A

If somethingtakes a nosedive,it drops or decreases in value very rapidly.

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62
Q

in arut

A

If you arein a rut,you have a monotonous and boring way of life.

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63
Q

(get) comeuppance

A

When someonegets their comeuppance, they receive the treatment they deserve (usually punishment or retribution) for their behaviour or actions.

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64
Q

wear the trousers

A

The partner in a couple whowears the trousers is the one who makes all the important decisions.

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65
Q

jump in the deep end

A

When youjump in (or arethrown in) at the deep end,you do something without any help or preparation, in an area where you have little or no experience.

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66
Q

one’s number is up

A

To say thatone’s number is upmeans that either a person is in serious difficulty and something bad is going to happen, or the time has come when they will die.

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67
Q

take the rap

A

If youtake the rap,you accept blame or punishment for something, even if you are not responsible.

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68
Q

leave the door open

A

If youleave the door open, you behave in such a way as to allow the possibility of further action.

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69
Q

fine-tooth comb

A

To go over something with afine-tooth combmeans to examine it closely and thoroughly so as not to miss any details.

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70
Q

strike the right note

A

If youstrikeorhit the right note,you say or do something suitable or appropriate.

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71
Q

grin from ear to ear

A

If somebodygrins from ear to ear, they look vey satisfied and happy.

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72
Q

corridors of power

A

This term refers to the higher levels of government or administration where important decisions are made.

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73
Q

much ado about nothing

A

If people makemuch ado about nothing, they make a lot of fuss about something which is not important.

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74
Q

fingeron the pulse

A

If youkeep your finger on the pulse, you are constantly aware of the most recent events or developments.

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75
Q

not cut out for something

A

If you arenot cut out for something, you are not the sort of person to succeed or be happy in a particular activity.

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76
Q

different kettle of fish

A

To describe a person, thing or situation as adifferent kettle of fishmeans that it is completely different from what was previously mentioned.

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77
Q

why buy a cow when you can get milk for free

A

This refers to not paying for something that you can obtain for free.

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78
Q

once in a bluemoon

A

Something that happensonce in a blue moonhappens rarely or hardly ever.

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79
Q

in stitches

A

When people arein stitches,they are laughing a lot.

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80
Q

easy aspie

A

If something iseasy as pie, it is very easy to do.

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81
Q

handle with kid gloves

A

If youhandle someone with kid gloves, you treat them very carefully or tactfully, either because they are very important or because they are easily upset.

82
Q

get a move on

A

If someone tells you toget a move on,they are asking you to hurry up.

83
Q

neitherfishnor fowl

A

This expression is used to describe people or things that are difficult to classify, that are neither one thing nor another.

84
Q

make ends meet

A

If you find it difficult to pay for your everyday needs because you have very little money, it is hard for you tomake ends meet.

85
Q

dab hand at something

A

If you’re adab hand at something, you’re very good at doing it.

86
Q

swallow one’s pride

A

If youswallow your pride,you accept something humiliating or embarrassing, for example having to admit thatyou are wrong, or that you have less knowledge that you thought.

87
Q

high and mighty

A

Someone who ishigh and mightybehaves in a haughty manner as though they were superior to others.

88
Q

makes your blood boil

A

If somethingmakes your blood boil, it makes you really angry.

89
Q

too big for one’sboots

A

A person who is gettingtoo big for their boots isbehaving as if they were more important than they really are.

90
Q

stay onejumpahead

A

If youstay one jump ahead, you keep an advantage over others by making sure you are better informed, or taking action before they do.

91
Q

field day

A

Afield dayrefers to a day or period of great excitement and activity.

92
Q

dig in one’s heels

A

If youdig inyour heels,you refuse to do something, especially if someone is trying to convince you to do so.

93
Q

worm one’s way out of

A

If a personworms their way out of something,they use artful or devious means in order to avoid participating in it.

94
Q

fall over backwards

A

If youfall over backwardsto accomplish something, you do everything you possibly can to please and impress.

95
Q

get yourtongueround

A

If you are able to pronounce a difficult word or phrase, you canget your tongue round it.

96
Q

when the rubber hits the road

A

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

97
Q

lips are sealed

A

If you say that yourlips are sealed,you promise not to reveal a secret.

98
Q

cough up

A

If you have tocough upsomething, such as money or information, you give it reluctantly or unwillingly.

99
Q

bite the bullet

A

If youbite the bullet, you accept something unpleasant because you cannot avoid it.

100
Q

slush fund

A

Aslush fund is an account or fund in politics or business where money is set aside for various unofficial purposes, often unethical or even illegal.

101
Q

steal someone’s thunder

A

If yousteal someone’s thunderyou take their idea or plan and draw attention and praise away from them by presenting it first.

102
Q

give your right arm

A

If you say “Id give my right arm for that”, you mean that you want it a lot and would do almost anything to obtain it.

103
Q

second to none

A

Something that issecond to noneis excellent or much better than any other.

104
Q

fall between stools

A

If somethingfalls between two stools, it is neither totally one thing nor another, and is therefore unsatisfactory.

105
Q

nose out of joint

A

If something putsyour nose out of joint,it offends or annoys you.

106
Q

nerves of steel

A

Someone who hasnerves of steelis not afraid in difficult or dangerous situations.

107
Q

silver bullet

A

This term refers to an extremely effective or magical solution to a difficult problem.

108
Q

take the law into your own hands

A

If, instead of calling the police, you act personally against someone who has done something wrong, youtake the law into your own hands.

109
Q

behind closed doors

A

If something takes placebehind closed doors, it is done privately, with no observers or intruders.

110
Q

battle of wills

A

A conflict, argument or struggle where both sides are determined to win is described as abattle of wills.

111
Q

short end of stick

A

If youget the short end of the stick,you are treated unfairly or receive less than what is due or deserved.

112
Q

old wives’ tale

A

A traditional belief or idea which has been proved wrong by science is calledan old wives’ tale.

113
Q

get out of hand

A

If a person or situationgets out of hand,they cannot be controlled any longer.

114
Q

two of a kind

A

People who are two of a kind are similar in character, attitude or tastes.

115
Q

in a stew

A

When someone isin a stewabout something, they are worried and agitated.

116
Q

mug’s game

A

An unprofitable or ill-advised activity that only a fool (mug) would do is calleda mug’s game.

117
Q

happy-go-lucky

A

If you are ahappy-go-luckyperson, you are cheerful and carefree all the time.

118
Q

toe the line

A

If someonetoes the line, they obey the rules and accept the principles laid down by a person, group or organisation.

119
Q

work to rule

A

During a conflict, when employees decide to do only the minimum amount of work required by company rules, and refuse any overtime, etc.

120
Q

live on borrowed time

A

This expression refers to a period of time after an illness or accident which could have caused death.

121
Q

off the peg

A

Clothes that are boughtoff the pegare purchased in a standard size in a shop and are not made specially for you.

122
Q

pull someone’sleg

A

If youpull someone’s leg,you tease them by telling them something that is not true.

123
Q

sweet tooth

A

Someone who hasa sweet toothenjoys eating sweet things like sugar, pastries, chocolate, etc.

124
Q

pour water into a sieve

A

If someone spends time or energy trying to do something that is inefficient or useless, it islike pouring water into a sieve.

125
Q

play havoc

A

If someone or somethingplays havoc, they cause disorder and confusion.

126
Q

cost an arm and a leg

A

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

127
Q

in two shakes of a lamb’s tail

A

To do somethingin two shakes of a lamb’s tailmeans to do it very quickly or in a moment.

128
Q

in black and white

A

To say that something isin black and whitemeans that there is written proof of it.

129
Q

bring up the rear

A

Someone whobrings up the rearis the last person in a group of people who are walking or running.

130
Q

water off a duck’s back

A

Criticism or comments which have no effect on someone is referred to as being’‘like water off a duck’s back’.

131
Q

at each other’s throats

A

Two people who areat each other’s throatsare always fighting or arguing.

132
Q

bodice-ripper

A

A novel, usually on a historical theme, with a plot that involves romantic passion between a vulnerable heroine and a rich, powerful male character, is called abodice-ripper.

133
Q

shilly-shally

A

If youshilly-shally,you hesitate a lot about something and have difficulty reaching a decision.

134
Q

fast and furious

A

If an activity isfast and furious, it is done quickly and with a lot of energy.

135
Q

(at the)touchof a button

A

If you can do somethingat the touch of a button, you can do it very easily, often thanks to technology.

136
Q

reach saturation point

A

When somethingreaches saturation point, it is so full that nothing more can be added.

137
Q

been in/through the wars

A

If a person or thing hasbeen in or through the wars, they show signs of rough treatment, injury or damage.

138
Q

at all costs

A

If you are determined to obtain or achieve somethingat all costs, you want it regardless of the expense, effort or sacrifice involved.

139
Q

nodding terms

A

If you areon nodding termswith someone, you don’t know them very well, just well enough to say ‘hello’ when you meet them.

140
Q

move in same circles

A

When peoplemove in the same circles,they socialize with others who have a similar background, interests or lifestyle.

141
Q

oldhabitsdie hard

A

This expression means that people are often reluctant to change the way they do something, especially if they have been doing it for a long time.

142
Q

lend an ear

A

If youlend an earto someone, you listen carefully and sympathetically.

143
Q

of your own accord

A

If you do somethingof your own accord, you do it spontaneously or willingly, without being influenced or forced by anyone.

144
Q

throwmoneyat

A

If youthrow money at something,you try to solve a problem by spending money on it, without using any other methods.

145
Q

do someone’s dirty work

A

Todo somebody’s dirty workmeans to do the unpleasant or difficult work that another person does not want to do.

146
Q

seen better days

A

If something hasseen better days,it has aged visibly in comparison with when it was new.

147
Q

(don’t) judge book by cover

A

Don’t judge a book by its cover’ means that you should not form an opinion based on appearance only.

148
Q

do the spadework

A

Someone whodoes the spadeworkdoes the preparatory work or the preliminary research.

149
Q

dead right

A

This is an emphatic way of telling someone that what they are saying is absolutely correct, without doubt.

150
Q

in raptures

A

If you arein raptures, you are delighted or very enthusiastic.

151
Q

seamy side of life

A

This expression refers to the most unpleasant, disreputable or sordid aspects of life that we normally do not see (just as the stitched seams of clothes are generally not seen).

152
Q

(load of) baloney

A

This term refers to idle talk, or pretentious, untrue or insincere statements that nobody can believe.

153
Q

uncharted waters

A

If you arein uncharted waters,you are in a situation that you have never experienced before, so you don’t know what’s going to happen.

154
Q

go bananas

A

If someone becomes very emotional and starts behaving in a crazy way, theygo bananas.

155
Q

teething problems

A

The difficulties encountered during the initial stage of an activity or project are calledteething problems.

156
Q

(you don’t know the) half of it

A

This expression is used to tell someone that they know some of the facts but they don’t know how bad the situation is.

157
Q

acid test

A

To refer to something as’the acid test’ means that it will prove how effective or useful something is.

158
Q

stay one jump ahead

A

If youstay one jump ahead, you keep an advantage over others by making sure you are better informed or taking action before they do.

159
Q

stars in one’s eyes

A

If someone hasstars in their eyes,they are looking extremely happy.

160
Q

bring the house down

A

If youbring the house down, you give a very successful performance.

161
Q

come hell or high water

A

If you say that you will do somethingcome hell or high water, you mean that you will do it in spite of the difficulties involved.

162
Q

winning ways

A

A person who haswinning wayshas a charming or persuasive manner of gaining the affection of others or obtaining what they want.

163
Q

pen pusher

A

A person who does work that requires little action, just office work, and who lacks operating experience, is calleda pen pusher.

164
Q

make hay while the sun shines

A

This expression is used as an encouragement to take advantage of a good situation which may not last.

165
Q

not for love or money

A

If you say that you cannot or will not do somethingfor love or money, you mean that you will not do it under any circumstances.

166
Q

all clear

A

If you are allowed to do something after a check-up to make sure that everything is all right, you get theall clear.

167
Q

apple of youreye

A

A person, usually a child, who isthe apple of your eyeis one for whom you have great affection.

168
Q

go pear-shaped

A

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

169
Q

caught in the crossfire

A

If you arecaught in the crossfire, you suffer the effects of an argument or dispute between two people or groups.

170
Q

lull before the storm

A

A period of unnatural calm before a difficult time or violent activity is called thelull before the storm.

171
Q

world of difference

A

When comparing two things or situations, the expressiona world of differencemeans that there is a vast difference between them.

172
Q

in vino veritas

A

This expression, which in Latin means ‘in wine there is truth’, is a way of saying that wine makes people less inhibited and leads them to speak more freely and reveal their true feelings.

173
Q

come/turn up trumps

A

To say that someone hascome up trumpsmeans that they have achieved unexpectedly good results.

174
Q

go downhill

A

When somethinggoes downhill, it deteriorates or gets worse little by little.

175
Q

burden of proof

A

Theburden of proofis the necessity imposed by the law to prove that what one says is true.

176
Q

lead to a dead end

A

If a plan or projectleads to a dead end,it develops no further because it has no future.

177
Q

throw good money after bad

A

Someone who spends additional money on something that was already considered a bad investment is said tothrow good money after bad.

178
Q

come alongway

A

When someone hascome a long way,they have made a lot of progress or have become successful.

179
Q

dog and pony show

A

Adog and pony showis a marketing event or presentation which has plenty of style but not much content.

180
Q

you don’t know the half of it

A

This expression is used to tell someone that they know some of the facts but they don’t know how bad the situation is.

181
Q

when thegoinggets tough

A

This expression means that when faced with a difficult or dangerous situation, strong people take action in order to solve the problem.

182
Q

two leftfeet

A

If you havetwo left feet, you are clumsy or awkward in your movements.

183
Q

out of the blue

A

If something happensout of the blue,it happens unexpectedly.

184
Q

drop of a hat

A

If you do somethingat the drop of a hat,you do it immediately and without hesitation.

185
Q

make yourfleshcrawl

A

Something thatmakes your flesh crawlfills you with disgust or makes you feel very nervous.

186
Q

bear with a sore head

A

If someone is behaving like abear with a sore head, they are very irritable and bad-tempered.

187
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.

188
Q

tunnel vision

A

If a person hastunnel vision,they focus on only one aspect of something, or they are unable to see more than one way of doing things.

189
Q

send up a trial balloon

A

If you test something such as an idea, a project or a product, to see how people respond to it, yousend up a trial balloon.

190
Q

ring abell

A

If somethingrings a bell, it is vaguely familar to you, but you can’t remember the exact details.

191
Q

(not) lose sleep

A

When something happens that in your opinion is not a cause for worry, you can say that you willnot lose (any) sleep over it.

192
Q

hide one’s light

A

If youhide your light under a bushel, you are modest or do not reveal a talent, quality or skill you possess.

193
Q

make yourearsburn

A

If somethingmakes your ears burn,you are embarrassed by what you hear, especially if the conversation is about you.

194
Q

pie in the sky

A

If an idea or project ispie in the sky,it is completely unrealistic or unlikely to be achieved.

195
Q

broad as it’s long

A

This expression means that there is no real difference which alternative is chosen.

196
Q

heebie-jeebies

A

A state of apprehension, nervousness or anxiety is called theheebie-jeebies.

197
Q

on its knees

A

When something such as a country or organisation ison its knees, orbrought to its knees, it is in a very weak situation.

198
Q

draw a line in the sand

A

If youdraw a line in the sand, you establish a limit beyond which a certain situation or activity will not be accepted.

199
Q

broad daylight

A

If something happensin broad daylight, it takes place in the clear light of day when everyone can see what’s going on.

200
Q

pack something in

A

If youpack something in, you abandon it or give it up.

English idioms (without example) (15 decks)

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