0601-0800 Flashcards
on one’s uppers
Someone who ison their uppershas very little money or not enough to cover their needs.
trial and error
Attempting to achieve a satisfactory result by testing and eliminating various methods until the best one is found is calledtrial and error.
take as read
Something that does not need to be discussed because it is already understood or agreed upon can betaken as read.
go along for the ride
If you join a group of people you find interesting, without wanting to take an active part in their action, yougo along for the ride.
shedlight
If youshed lighton something, you help to explain it or make it easier to understand; It was hoped that the testimony of the witnesses would shed light on the circumstances of the accident.
make apigof yourself
If youmake a pig of yourself,you eat and drink too much.
under (close)scrutiny
Someone or something that isunder (close) scrutinyis being watched or examined carefully.
monkey business
An activity which is organised in a deceitful or dishonest way is calledmonkey business.
grey matter (US: gray)
Grey matter refers to the brain, or the grey colour of brain tissue.
come up in theworld
A person who hascome up in the worldis richer than before and has a higher social status.
walk of life
A person’s profession or position in society is known as theirwalk of life.
money spinner
If an activity is amoney spinner, it is a very successful way of making money.
take cover
When someonetakes cover,they hide from a danger, or bad weather, in a place where they find protection.
wind/wound up
If someone is so excited that they talk non-stop, they arewound up.
get down to brass tacks
When peopleget down to brass tacks, they start to discuss the essential aspects of a problem or situation.
lock, stock and barrel
Lock, stock and barrelmeans ‘everything’.
more by accident than (by) design
Something which happensmore by accident than (by) designis done without deliberate intention.
make inroads
If someone or somethingmakes inroads, for example in a new field or area, they advance successfully or make progress.
on cloud nine
A person who ison cloud nineis very happy because something wonderful has happened.
take therap
If youtake the rapfor something, you accept blame or punishment for it, even if you have not done it.
gooffthe deep end
If a persongoes off the deep end, they become so angry or upset that they cannot control their emotions.
save one’s skin/neck
If you manage to escape from serious danger or trouble, yousave your skin (or neck).
cash in your chips
If youcash in your chips, you sell something, especially shares, either because you need the money or because you think the value is going to fall.
hard and fast
Something which ishard and fastis inflexible or cannot be altered.
paid peanuts
Ifyou arepaid peanuts,you have a very low salary.
in the balance
If something isin the balance, the situation is uncertain and it is not clear what is going to happen.
off the cuff
If you speakoff the cuff,you say something without any previous thought or preparation.
ride coattails
If you use your connections with someone successful in order to achieve fame or success for yourself, without any personal effort, youride their coattails.
ambulance chaser
A lawyer who finds work by persuading people injured in accidents to claim money from the person who caused the accident is called an’ambulance chaser’.
yourguess is as good as mine
When talking to another person,’your guess is as good as mine’means that neither of you knows the answer.
throughthickand thin
If someone does somethingthrough thick and thin,they do it in spite of all the difficulties and problems.
cross to bear
A person who has across to bear have a serious problem or heavy responsibility that they must accept because they cannot change it.
press home
If youpress something home, you insist on a point in a discussion or argument.
before your very eyes
If someone does something before your very eyes, they do it in front of you, without attempting to hide what they are doing.
at sixes and sevens
If someone isat sixes and sevens,they are in a state of confusion or not very well organised.
piece of the action
When someone wantsa piece of the action, they want to participate in what other people are doing and benefit from it.
over dead body
This expression is used by someone who absolutely refuses to allow someone to do something.
strike rightnote
VALUE!
have someone in yourpocket
If you have influence or power over someone, youhave them in your pocket.
get afoothold
If youget a footholdsomewhere, you secure a position for yourself in a business, profession or organisation.
all skin and bone
If someone isall skin and bone, they are very thin or too thin.
never mind
When you’never mind’to someone, you are telling them not to worry, that it is not important.
accidentally on purpose
If you do something intentionally, but pretend it was an accident, you do itaccidentally on purpose.
on the breadline
People who liveon the breadlinehave a very low income or barely enough money to survive.
in leaps and bounds
If you do somethingin leaps and bounds,you make rapid or spectacular progress or growth.
uphill battle
A person faced withan uphill battlehas to struggle against very unfavourable circumstances.
nine-day wonder
An event which isa nine-day wondercauses interest, surprise or excitement for a short time, but it doesn’t last.
in strict confidence
If you say somethingin strict confidence,you tell it as a secret not to be revealed.
dog-eat-dog
This expression refers to intense competition and rivalry in pursuit of one’s own interests, with no concern for morality.
after the fact
If something is doneafter the fact, it done too late, after something has actually happened, especially a crime or an accident.
(be) spot on
If something isspot on,it is exactly right.
ready todrop
Someone who isready to dropis nearly too exhausted to stay standing.
vanish into thin air
If somethingvanishes into thin air, it disappears completely in a mysterious way.
(not) get awordin edgeways
During a discussion, if youcan’t get a word in edgeways,you can’t say something because the others are talking so much.
gift of the gab
To say that somebody has thegift of the gabmeans that they are able to speak confidently and easily.
few and far between
Items, places or events which arefew and far betweenare rarely found or do not happen very often.
that’s the way the cookie crumbles
VALUE!
sneak preview/peek
A sneak preview (or sneak peek) is a special viewing of a film or art production given to a select audience before being shown to the general public.
unvarnished truth
If you present someone with plain facts, without trying to embellish or soften the reality, you give them theunvarnished truth.
dimview
If youtake a dim viewof something, you do not approve of it.
vote with one’s feet
If youvote with your feet,your show your dislike or disapproval of something by leaving.
wash yourhandsof
If youwash your hands ofa problem or situation, you refuse to deal with it any longer.
sleeping/silent partner
This term refers to a person who invests in a business without taking an active part in its management, and whose association with the enterprise is not public knowledge.
come to a head
If a problem or difficult situationcomes to a head, it reaches a point where action has to be taken.
off the record
If you say somethingoff the record,you do not want anyone to repeat it publicly.
allfingers and thumbs
If you areall fingers and thumbs,you are awkward and clumsy and do things incorrectly.
make a go of
When youmake a go of something, you succeed in your enterprise or produce good results.
rob the cradle
If yourob the cradle,you have a romantic relationship with someone who is much younger than yourself.
industrial strength
This is a humorous way of referring to something which is very strong, powerful or concentrated.
what goes round comes round
This expression means that if you do something bad, something bad will happen to you eventually.
wait for the cat to jump
If youwait for the cat to jump, or tosee which way the cat jumps,you delay taking action until you see how events will turn out.
money doesn’t grow on trees
To say thatmoney doesn’t grow on treesmeans that it is not plentiful or easily obtained.
lash out
If youlash outat somebody, you attack them, usually verbally.
learn the ropes
If youlearn the ropes,you learn how to do a particular job correctly.
on cue
If something happenson cue, it happens at exactly the appropriate or expected moment.
touch/knock onwood
This humorous expression, based on superstition, is used to avoid bad luck, often while touching something made of wood.
toot your own horn
If youtoot your own horn,you like to boast about your abilities and achievements.
snail mail
This term refers to the standard system of mail delivery, or postal service, considered very slow compared to electronic mail.
think better of
If youthink better ofsomething, you decide not to do what you intended doing.
make a mint
If someonemakes a mint,they make a large amount of money.
go off the rails
If someonegoes off the rails, they go out of control and begin to behave in a manner that is unacceptable to society.
fat chance
The expressionfat chanceis used to indicate that something is not very likely to happen.
money burns a hole in your pocket
To say thatmoney burns a hole in somebody’s pocketmeans that they are eager to spend it quickly or extravagantly.
deaf ear
If youturn a deaf earto something, you refuse to listen.
come with the territory
To say that somethingcomes with the territorymeans that it has to be accepted as part of a job or responsibility, even if it is unpleasant.
golden rule
The most important rule or principle to be remembered when doing something is called thegolden rule.
catch redhanded
If a person iscaught red-handed, they are caught while they are doing something wrong or illegal.
not for all theworld
If you say that you wouldnotto somethingfor (all) the world,you mean that you never do it, no matter what you were offered.
sign own death warrant
If you do something that causes your own downfall, or prevents you from being successful, yousign your own death warrant.
over the moon
If you areover the moon,you are absolutely delighted.
safe side
If you do something to beon the safe side,you do it as a precaution, to avoid any risks.
hold one’s own
If you canhold your own, you are well able to defend yourself when under attack.
put on the long finger
If you putsomething on the long finger,you postpone it indefinitely.
call itquits
When people temporarily stop doing something or put an end to an activity, theycall it quits.
millstone around neck
Something described as amillstone around your neckrefers to a problem or responsibility that becomes a burden and a source of worry.
ride roughshod over
If youride roughshod over something, you behave in a harsh or thoughtless manner, or you treat a situation with contempt.
put/lay one’s cards on the table
If youput your cards on the table, you speak honestly and openly about your feelings and intentions.
carve out a niche
A person or company whocarves out a nicheconcentrates on a particular segment of the market, to which they supply a product or service, and develop their expertise in that area.
drive up the wall
If somebody or somethingdrives you up the wall,they do something that greatly annoys or irritates you.
change the face of
When an innovation, discovery or eventchanges the face of something,it alters it completely or in a major way.
fly in the face of
If an action or statementflies in the face ofsomething, it is completely opposite to what is usual or expected.
clip someone’s wings
If youclip someone’s wings, you do something to restrict their freedom.
pushing up the daisies
To say that someone ispushing up the daisiesmeans that they are dead.
call it a day
To sey’let’s call it a day’is a way of suggesting that it is time to stop doing something, usually because of tiredness.
month of Sundays
This expression is an amusing way of referring to a very long period of time.
take two to tango
You say this when you think that a difficult situation or argument cannot be the fault of one person alone.
bemurder
If somethingis murder,it is very difficult or uncomfortable.
cross someone’s path
If you meet somebody, usually unexpectedly or by chance, youcross their path.
hold your horses
If you tell someone tohold their horses, you think they are doing something too fast and should slow down and not rush into further action.
in thepinkof health
If you arein the pink of health, you are in excellent physical condition.
on allfours
If you areon all fours, you are down on your hands and knees.
parting shot
Aparting shotis a final remark, often incisive or disparaging, made just as one is leaving.
eleventh hour
If something happensat the eleventh hour, it happens when it is almost too late, or at the last possible moment.
rather you than me
This expression is used to express sympathy with someone who has to do something unpleasant or difficult, and you would not like to be in their situation.
stop the rot
When you prevent a situation from deteriorating, especially in business or politics, youstop the rot.
drum into someone’s head
If you teach something to someone through constant repetition, youdrum it into their head.
hit and run accident
When the driver of a vehicle hits another vehicle without stopping to provide help, identification or insurance, and fails to report the accident to the police, the collision is called ahit-and-run accident.
(fight) tooth and nail
If youfight tooth and nailfor something, you fight with all your energy.
keep in proportion
If you react to a situation in a sensible way, without exaggerating the importance or seriousness of the facts, youkeep things in proportion.
easy as pie
Something that is(as) easy as pieis very easy to do.
flash in the pan
If you refer to somebody’s success as aflash in the pan, you mean that it is not likely to be repeated.
use one’s noodle
If youuse your noodle,you use your brain or your common sense.
best of both worlds
If a person has thebest of both worlds, they have the benefits and advantages of two different things.
case in point
This term refers to an example which serves to illustrate, support or prove a point which is currently under discussion.
fall on deaf ears
If something you sayfalls on deaf ears, it is either ignored or attracts no attention.
train of thought
A sequence of connected ideas is calleda train of thought.
clear the air
If you decide toclear the air, you try to remove the causes of fear, worry or suspicion by talking about the problem openly.
get cold feet
If youget cold feetabout something, you begin to hesitate about doing it; you are no longer sure whether you want to do it or not.
matter of time
If you say that it isonlyorjust a matter of timebefore (or until) something happens, it is certain to happen or will inevitably take place, although you do not know when.
keep your back covered
If you do something in case a problem arises later for which you might be blamed, youkeep your back covered.
sea legs
A person whohas sea legsis used to walking on a moving ship, or has the ability to adjust to a new situation.
go the extra mile
If yougo the extra mile,you do more than what is expected of you.
heart of the matter
The most important part or aspect of a situation is called theheart of the matter.
live in clover
Someone wholives in cloverhas enough money to lead a very comfortable life.
plug something
If you promote something by talking about it favourably, for example during a radio or TV interview, youplug it.
make it snappy
If someone tells you tomake it snappy,they are asking you very sharply to hurry up or be quick about something.
horse sense
Someone who hashorse senseis a practical thinker who has the ability to make sensible decisions.
silver lining
Asilver lining refers to the good or pleasant side-effects of an unpleasant situation.
take the biscuit
This expression refers to something very irritating or annoying.
five o’clock shadow
This expression refers to a patch of stubble on the face of a man who hasn’t shaved for at least a day.
make a point of
If youmake a point ofdoing something, you make an effort to do what you think is the right thing to do.
rough diamond
A person who is good-natured but lacks polished manners and/or education is said to bea rough diamond.
notsleepa wink not get a wink of sleep
If someonedoesn’t get a wink of sleep, they don’t sleep a all.
wrapped up in cotton wool
Someone who iswrapped up in cotton woolis over-protected from dangers and risks.
leave well alone
If youleave well alone, you decide not to interfere with or change something that is acceptable or adequate.
tide over
Ifyou tide someone over,you support them through a difficult period for a certain length of time.
pour your heart out
If youpour your heart outto someone, you express your feelings freely.
sticky fingers
Someone who hassticky fingershas a tendency to steal.
dressed up tonines
To describe someone asdressed up to the ninesmeans that they are wearing very smart or glamorous clothes.
makes your blood run cold
If somethingmakes your blood run cold, it shocks or scares you a lot.
pour cold water on
If youpour cold water on someone’s plans, opinions or ideas, you discourage them by showing little enthusiasm or expression your misgivings.
at all costs
If you are determined to obtain or achieve somethingat all costs, you want it regardless of the expense, effort or sacrifice involved.
make blood boil
If somethingmakes your blood boil,it makes you really angry.
prod into (doing)
If youprod someone into doing something, you make a hesitant person do something that they are reluctant to do.
fight tooth and nail
If youfight tooth and nailfor something, you fight with energy and determination.
penny drops
When a person has difficulty understanding or realizing something, and thenthe penny drops,they finally understand.
fit for purpose
Something that is suitable for a particular function and is fully operational is said to befit for purpose.
harebrained idea
Aharebrained ideais an idea or suggestion that is considered to be silly, foolish or totally impractical.
name is mud
To say that a person’sname is mudmeans that they have acquired a bad reputation because of something they have done or said.
brain drain
The departure of highly qualified people (scientists, engineers, etc.
kick the bucket
Tokick the bucketis a lighthearted way of talking about death.
like a deer/rabbit caught in the headlights
When you are so surprised that you are momentarily confused or unable to react quickly, you arelike a deer (or a rabbit) caught in the headlights.
look the part
If youlook the part, your appearance makes you ideally suited for a particular job or role.
bee in one’s bonnet
Someone who has abee in their bonnethas an idea which constantly occupies their thoughts.
all systems go
When everything is ready for an activity or event to begin, you can say thatall systems go.
white as a ghost
A person who isas white as a ghostlooks very pale and frightened.
cream of the crop
This expression refers to the best people or things in a particular group.
blockbuster
Something that is outstanding, impressive or particularly successful, such as a film or a book ,is called ablockbuster.
risk life and limb
If yourisk life and limb,you are in danger of death or serious injury.
footloose and fancy free
A person who isfootloose and fancy freehas few responsibilities or commitments of any kind and feels free to do as they please.
not forloveor money
If you say that you cannot or will not do something for love or money, you mean that you will not do it under any circumstances.
point of no return
When you reach thepoint of no return, you must continue what you have started, because you have gone so far that it is impossible to go back.
put in a goodword
If youput in a good wordfor someone, you say positive things in support of that person in order to help them.
carry the can
If youcarry the canfor another person, you accept blame or take responsibility for something that goes wrong, even if it is not your fault or only partly.
learn the hard way
If youlearn the hard way, you learn through your own experience, good and bad, rather than from the advice or guidance of others.
ripple effect
When an action has an effect on something, which in turn effects something else, it is said to havea ripple effect.
(caught with) pants down
If you arecaught with your pants down, you are caught doing something bad or forbidden.
heart sinks
If yourheart sinks, you feel very unhappy and despondent.
go belly up
If a business or projectgoes belly up, it is unsuccessful or goes bankrupt.
rake in the money
If yourake in the money,you make money in large quantities.
on the safe side
If you do something to beon the safe side,you do it as a precaution, to avoid any risks.
it’s asteal!
If you find something that you want for a very low price, much lower than what it is worth, you can say ‘it’s a steal!’.
herding cats
This expression refers to the difficulty of coordinating a situation which involves people who all want to act independently.
drive a hard bargain
A person whodrives a hard bargainalways makes sure they gain advantage in a business deal.
take a back seat
If youtake a back seatyou choose to have a less important function and become less involved in something.
run riot
If peoplerun riot,the behave in a frenzied, uncontrolled manner, running around in all directions.
claw one’s way back
In a situation which has deteriorated, if youclaw your way back, you gradually regain your former position through determination, energy and hard work.
cross the Rubicon
If youcross the Rubicon, you make an irreversible decision or commit to a course of action that cannot be changed.
gotoutof business
If a shop, firm or enterprisegoes out of business, it closes down or goes bankrupt.
get your skates on
If you tell someone toget their skates on, you want them to hurry up.
heat is on
To say that theheat is onmeans that you are under a lot of pressure to get something done, usually within a time limit.
skating on thin ice
If you areskating on thin ice,you are doing or saying something risky, or something that could cause trouble.
on theuptake
Someone who is quick or slowon the uptakeis quick or slow to understand what is meant.
passing fancy
If you have apassing fancyfor something, you become fond of it for a short time.
bitter pill to swallow
Something very unpleasant or difficult to accept is abitter pill to swallow.
make yourself scarce
If youmake yourself scarce, you leave a place in order to avoid an embarrassing situation.
price oneself out of the market
If youprice yourself out of the market, you charge such a high price for your goods or services that nobody wants to buy them.
on hand
I something, such as supplies or people, areon hand, they are present or readily available.
dead set against
If you aredead set againstsomething, you are strongly opposed to it.
lights on but no one home
This is a humorous way of referring to someone who is lacking intelligence or sanity, or to someone who is simply preoccupied and not paying attention.
