0601-0800 Flashcards
on one’s uppers
Someone who ison their uppershas very little money or not enough to cover their needs. Because he was clearly on his uppers when he was hired, he was given an advance in salary.
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. Some of the best cooks learn by trial 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. We’re getting married in September and you take it as read that you are all invited.
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. Not all the protesters were active in the movement - some just went 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. Watch what you eat. Don’t make a pig of yourself!
under (close)scrutiny
Someone or something that isunder (close) scrutinyis being watched or examined carefully. The police are keeping the suspect under close scrutiny.
monkey business
An activity which is organised in a deceitful or dishonest way is calledmonkey business. The results announced seem suspicious - I think there’s some monkey business going on.
grey matter (US: gray)
Grey matter refers to the brain, or the grey colour of brain tissue. “Try using your grey matter and you might find the answer.” said the teacher.
come up in theworld
A person who hascome up in the worldis richer than before and has a higher social status. My old school friend has bought an apartment overlooking Central Park. She has certainly come up in the world.
walk of life
A person’s profession or position in society is known as theirwalk of life. There were people from all walks of life among the protesters.
money spinner
If an activity is amoney spinner, it is a very successful way of making money. Washing cars was quite a money spinner when I was a student.
take cover
When someonetakes cover,they hide from a danger, or bad weather, in a place where they find protection. As soon as the explosion was heard, people ran to take cover.
wind/wound up
If someone is so excited that they talk non-stop, they arewound up. Claire had so much to tell us after her trip that she was wound up.
get down to brass tacks
When peopleget down to brass tacks, they start to discuss the essential aspects of a problem or situation. The situation was so serious that after a few polite exchanges they quickly got down to brass tacks.
lock, stock and barrel
Lock, stock and barrelmeans ‘everything’. Maggie found the apartment empty. Dave had taken everything - lock, stock and barrel!
more by accident than (by) design
Something which happensmore by accident than (by) designis done without deliberate intention. I became an interpreter more by accident than design; nobody else could speak the language of the refugees.
make inroads
If someone or somethingmakes inroads, for example in a new field or area, they advance successfully or make progress. Foreign cars have made inroads into the European market.
on cloud nine
A person who ison cloud nineis very happy because something wonderful has happened. When the boss announced my promotion, I was on cloud nine.
take therap
If youtake the rapfor something, you accept blame or punishment for it, even if you have not done it. The whole class had to take the rap for the disorder.
gooffthe deep end
If a persongoes off the deep end, they become so angry or upset that they cannot control their emotions. Eva will go off the deep end if her kids leave the kitchen in a mess again.
save one’s skin/neck
If you manage to escape from serious danger or trouble, yousave your skin (or neck). He saved his skin by reversing off the bridge just before it collapsed.
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. Andy cashed in his chips as soon as business started to slow down.
hard and fast
Something which ishard and fastis inflexible or cannot be altered. Unfortunately there are no hard and fast rules related to English spelling.
paid peanuts
Ifyou arepaid peanuts,you have a very low salary. Jenny has a very interesting job, but she’s paid peanuts.
in the balance
If something isin the balance, the situation is uncertain and it is not clear what is going to happen. The future of the company is in the balance while the takeover bid is being examined.
off the cuff
If you speakoff the cuff,you say something without any previous thought or preparation. He handles off-the-cuff interviews very well.
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. He rode his uncle’s coattails in the hope of being elected.
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’. Peterson and Scott are well-known ambulance chasers - that’s how they make their money!
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. “What happened between Bill and harry?” “Your guess is as good as mine!”
throughthickand thin
If someone does somethingthrough thick and thin,they do it in spite of all the difficulties and problems. Bob is famous today, but Tom is still his best friend, the one who supported him through thick and thin.
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. Alzheimer’s is a cross to bear for the whole family.
press home
If youpress something home, you insist on a point in a discussion or argument. Her lawyer kept pressing home the fact that she was a single mother.
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. Before my very eyes, he took the rubbish and threw it into the neigbour’s garden.
at sixes and sevens
If someone isat sixes and sevens,they are in a state of confusion or not very well organised. The managers were at sixes and sevens when they were informed of the Chairman’s visit.
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. The songwriter thought the show would be a success so he wanted a piece of the action.
over dead body
This expression is used by someone who absolutely refuses to allow someone to do something. “Mum, can I get by nose pierced?” “Over my dead body!”
strike rightnote
If youstrike (or hit) the right note, you say or do something suitable or appropriate He struck the right note with his future mother-in-law when he brought her a book on gardening - her favourite hobby!
have someone in yourpocket
If you have influence or power over someone, youhave them in your pocket. He was declared ‘not guilty’, but everyone knew that he had the jury in his pocket.
get afoothold
If youget a footholdsomewhere, you secure a position for yourself in a business, profession or organisation. The contract got the firm a foothold in the local administration.
all skin and bone
If someone isall skin and bone, they are very thin or too thin. After trekking in the Himalayas, he was all skin and bone.
never mind
When you’never mind’to someone, you are telling them not to worry, that it is not important. When the child broke the cup Susan said ‘never mind - it was an old cup’.
accidentally on purpose
If you do something intentionally, but pretend it was an accident, you do itaccidentally on purpose. I accidentally-on-purpose erased his email address so I couldn’t contact him again.
on the breadline
People who liveon the breadlinehave a very low income or barely enough money to survive. Due to the recent crisis, there are more people on the breadline than ever before.
in leaps and bounds
If you do somethingin leaps and bounds,you make rapid or spectacular progress or growth. The number of subscribers to the newsletter has grown in leaps and bounds.
uphill battle
A person faced withan uphill battlehas to struggle against very unfavourable circumstances. After the terrible accident, his recovery was an uphill battle all the way.
nine-day wonder
An event which isa nine-day wondercauses interest, surprise or excitement for a short time, but it doesn’t last. His sudden departure was a nine-day wonder but he was soon forgotten.
in strict confidence
If you say somethingin strict confidence,you tell it as a secret not to be revealed. Please don’t repeat this. I’m telling it to you in strict confidence.
dog-eat-dog
This expression refers to intense competition and rivalry in pursuit of one’s own interests, with no concern for morality. The business world is tough today. There’s a general dog-eat-dog attitude.
after the fact
If something is doneafter the fact, it done too late, after something has actually happened, especially a crime or an accident. He said he realized he had put people in danger, but that was of no help after the fact.
(be) spot on
If something isspot on,it is exactly right. That bag is an absolute match for my outfit! The colour is spot on!
ready todrop
Someone who isready to dropis nearly too exhausted to stay standing. I’ve been shopping all day with Judy. I’m ready to drop!
vanish into thin air
If somethingvanishes into thin air, it disappears completely in a mysterious way. The diamonds vanished into thin air - nobody knows what happened to them.
(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. I tried to give my opinion, but I couldn’t get a word in edgeways.
gift of the gab
To say that somebody has thegift of the gabmeans that they are able to speak confidently and easily. As a politician, not only is he competent, but he has the gift of the gab too!
few and far between
Items, places or events which arefew and far betweenare rarely found or do not happen very often. Restaurants in this part of the country are few and far between.
that’s the way the cookie crumbles
To say’that’s the way the cookie crumbles’means that is the way things are and nothing can be done about it - that’s life!
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. Television reporters were given a sneak preview of the next episode.
unvarnished truth
If you present someone with plain facts, without trying to embellish or soften the reality, you give them theunvarnished truth. Tell me how the accident happened, and I want the unvarnished truth.
dimview
If youtake a dim viewof something, you do not approve of it. When Harry and Sally decided to live together without getting married, their grandparents took a dim view of the situation.
vote with one’s feet
If youvote with your feet,your show your dislike or disapproval of something by leaving. If the conference is boring, people will probably vote with their feet.
wash yourhandsof
If youwash your hands ofa problem or situation, you refuse to deal with it any longer. You can’t just wash your hands of David’s behaviour. He’s your son!
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. He works alone but his business is partly financed by a sleeping partner.
come to a head
If a problem or difficult situationcomes to a head, it reaches a point where action has to be taken. The conflict came to a head yesterday when rioting broke out in the streets.
off the record
If you say somethingoff the record,you do not want anyone to repeat it publicly. His comment was made off the record, and shouldn’t have been published.
allfingers and thumbs
If you areall fingers and thumbs,you are awkward and clumsy and do things incorrectly. Would you mind wrapping this for me? I’m all fingers and thumbs!
make a go of
When youmake a go of something, you succeed in your enterprise or produce good results. He opened a restaurant and worked hard to make a go of it.
rob the cradle
If yourob the cradle,you have a romantic relationship with someone who is much younger than yourself. My uncle Ted is dating a twenty-year-old girl. That’s really robbing the cradle!
industrial strength
This is a humorous way of referring to something which is very strong, powerful or concentrated. I’ve got an industrial-strength headache this morning!
what goes round comes round
This expression means that if you do something bad, something bad will happen to you eventually. He felt guilty about what he did, feeling that what goes round comes round.
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. Let’s wait for the cat to jump before we decide.
money doesn’t grow on trees
To say thatmoney doesn’t grow on treesmeans that it is not plentiful or easily obtained. Watch how you spend your money Alex. It doesn’t grow on trees you know!
lash out
If youlash outat somebody, you attack them, usually verbally. On the ninth hole, Pete suddenly lashed out at Scott and accused him of cheating.
learn the ropes
If youlearn the ropes,you learn how to do a particular job correctly. He’s bright. It won’t take him long to learn the ropes.
on cue
If something happenson cue, it happens at exactly the appropriate or expected moment. My grandmother was blowing out the candles on her birthday cake when, right on cue, the flowers arrived.
touch/knock onwood
This humorous expression, based on superstition, is used to avoid bad luck, often while touching something made of wood. The order will be confirmed shortly - touch wood!
toot your own horn
If youtoot your own horn,you like to boast about your abilities and achievements. Ben is very discreet about his success. He doesn’t go round tooting his own horn.
snail mail
This term refers to the standard system of mail delivery, or postal service, considered very slow compared to electronic mail. More and more people are using e-mail rather than the traditional postal service, snail mail.
think better of
If youthink better ofsomething, you decide not to do what you intended doing. I was going to go shopping, but when I saw the crowded car park, I thought better of it.
make a mint
If someonemakes a mint,they make a large amount of money. They made a mint selling hamburgers outside the football stadium.
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. Given the unstable environment, it’s a miracle that none of their children ever went off the rails.
fat chance
The expressionfat chanceis used to indicate that something is not very likely to happen. The boss is thinking of me for the job? Fat chance!
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. As soon as she’s paid she goes shopping. Money burns a hole in her pocket!
deaf ear
If youturn a deaf earto something, you refuse to listen. Sandy turned a deaf ear to the guide’s advice and got lost in the mountains.
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. A successful actor has to expect intensive media coverage - that comes with the territory!
golden rule
The most important rule or principle to be remembered when doing something is called thegolden rule. When travelling abroad, the golden rule is to respect the local customs.
catch redhanded
If a person iscaught red-handed, they are caught while they are doing something wrong or illegal. The police arrived as the burglar was leaving the house. He was caught red-handed.
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. I would not live in that building for (all) the world!
sign own death warrant
If you do something that causes your own downfall, or prevents you from being successful, yousign your own death warrant. When he decided to drop out of college, he signed his own death warrant.
over the moon
If you areover the moon,you are absolutely delighted. We were all over the moon when we heard the good news.
safe side
If you do something to beon the safe side,you do it as a precaution, to avoid any risks. I think I locked the door but I’ll check again to be on the safe side.
hold one’s own
If you canhold your own, you are well able to defend yourself when under attack. We should ask Jane to represent us; she can hold her own in any argument.
put on the long finger
If you putsomething on the long finger,you postpone it indefinitely. She intends to go back to college, but she keeps putting it on the long finger.
call itquits
When people temporarily stop doing something or put an end to an activity, theycall it quits. OK, we’re all exhausted, so let’s call it quits for today.
millstone around neck
Something described as amillstone around your neckrefers to a problem or responsibility that becomes a burden and a source of worry. The money he borrowed became a millstone around his neck.
ride roughshod over
If youride roughshod over something, you behave in a harsh or thoughtless manner, or you treat a situation with contempt. The government rode roughshod over all opposition to the new measures.
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. Let’s clean the air and put our cards on the table.
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. In today’s competitive market it is better to carve out a niche and try to become the best in that area.
drive up the wall
If somebody or somethingdrives you up the wall,they do something that greatly annoys or irritates you. I can’t concentrate with all the noise - it’s driving me up the wall.
change the face of
When an innovation, discovery or eventchanges the face of something,it alters it completely or in a major way. Social networks have changed the face of modern communication.
fly in the face of
If an action or statementflies in the face ofsomething, it is completely opposite to what is usual or expected. His style of teaching flies in the face of the school’s established methods.
clip someone’s wings
If youclip someone’s wings, you do something to restrict their freedom. Taking away his credit card is a sure way to clip his wings.
pushing up the daisies
To say that someone ispushing up the daisiesmeans that they are dead. Old Johnny Barnes? He’s been pushing up the daisies for over 10 years!
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. After one last phone call, I decided to call it a day.
month of Sundays
This expression is an amusing way of referring to a very long period of time. I haven’t been to the theatre in a month of Sundays.
take two to tango
You say this when you think that a difficult situation or argument cannot be the fault of one person alone. Okay, I’ve heard Fred’s side of the story - but it takes two to tango!
bemurder
If somethingis murder,it is very difficult or uncomfortable. The journey home through the storm was absolute murder!
cross someone’s path
If you meet somebody, usually unexpectedly or by chance, youcross their path. Ms. Bridgewater was my English teacher but haven’t crossed her path since I left school.
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. Hold your horses! We need to get the customer’s approval first!.
in thepinkof health
If you arein the pink of health, you are in excellent physical condition. Caroline looks in the pink of health after her holiday.
on allfours
If you areon all fours, you are down on your hands and knees. When I arrived, he was on all fours playing with his grandchildren.
parting shot
Aparting shotis a final remark, often incisive or disparaging, made just as one is leaving. He has a way of making parting shots that can be very discouraging.
eleventh hour
If something happensat the eleventh hour, it happens when it is almost too late, or at the last possible moment. Our team won after they scored a goal at the eleventh hour.
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. “I have to announce the bad new to the child’s parents.” “Oh dear, rather you than me.”
stop the rot
When you prevent a situation from deteriorating, especially in business or politics, youstop the rot. There was so much conflict in the office that a new manager was appointed to stop the rot.
drum into someone’s head
If you teach something to someone through constant repetition, youdrum it into their head. When we were kids at school, multiplication tables were drummed into our heads.
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. A hit-and-run accident deserves serious punishment.
(fight) tooth and nail
If youfight tooth and nailfor something, you fight with all your energy. The Transport Minister fought tooth and nail to have the proposed road safety law accepted.
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. Yes, we’ve got a problem, but let’s try to keep things in proportion.
easy as pie
Something that is(as) easy as pieis very easy to do. “How did the English test go?” “No problem, it was (as) easy as pie!”
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. The manager hoped that the team’s unexpected victory was not just a flash in the pan.
use one’s noodle
If youuse your noodle,you use your brain or your common sense. How did I figure that out? I just used my noodle!
best of both worlds
If a person has thebest of both worlds, they have the benefits and advantages of two different things. We live in the centre of town, but only 5 minutes from the beach. We have the best of both worlds.
case in point
This term refers to an example which serves to illustrate, support or prove a point which is currently under discussion. Not even the most talented athlete is guaranteed a long career. The latest skiing accident is a case in point.
fall on deaf ears
If something you sayfalls on deaf ears, it is either ignored or attracts no attention. Her warning about the need to repair the roof fell on deaf ears.
train of thought
A sequence of connected ideas is calleda train of thought. I was considering the different options when the noise outside broke my 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. The atmosphere had become so unpleasant that he decided it was time to clear the air.
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. I wanted to enter the competition but at the last minute I got cold feet.
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. Restrictive measures will have to be introduced. It’s just a matter of time.
keep your back covered
If you do something in case a problem arises later for which you might be blamed, youkeep your back covered. You’d better make a copy of that letter to keep 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. It takes a while in a new job to find your sea legs.
go the extra mile
If yougo the extra mile,you do more than what is expected of you. You can count on Tom; he’s always willing to go the extra mile.
heart of the matter
The most important part or aspect of a situation is called theheart of the matter. We need to get to the heart of the matter - what caused the accident?
live in clover
Someone wholives in cloverhas enough money to lead a very comfortable life. I dream of making an enormous amount of money and living in clover for the rest of my life!
plug something
If you promote something by talking about it favourably, for example during a radio or TV interview, youplug it. He has accepted to appear on the show if he can plug his new book.
make it snappy
If someone tells you tomake it snappy,they are asking you very sharply to hurry up or be quick about something. Fetch me a bandage and make it snappy!
horse sense
Someone who hashorse senseis a practical thinker who has the ability to make sensible decisions. Don’t worry. Andrew has good horse sense. He’ll do the right thing.
silver lining
Asilver lining refers to the good or pleasant side-effects of an unpleasant situation. ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’ means that there is a positive or hopeful side to every unpleasant situation.
take the biscuit
This expression refers to something very irritating or annoying. After waiting for an hour, we were told that there were no seats left. That really took the biscuit!
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. He looked tired and had a five o’clock shadow.
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. The singer made a point of thanking the musicians and the technicians.
rough diamond
A person who is good-natured but lacks polished manners and/or education is said to bea rough diamond. He’s a great guy but a bit of a rough diamond!
notsleepa wink not get a wink of sleep
If someonedoesn’t get a wink of sleep, they don’t sleep a all. It was so noisy in the hotel, I didn’t get a wink of sleep.
wrapped up in cotton wool
Someone who iswrapped up in cotton woolis over-protected from dangers and risks. Their children are kept wrapped up in cotton wool.
leave well alone
If youleave well alone, you decide not to interfere with or change something that is acceptable or adequate. It would be hard to get a better deal. Let’s just leave well alone.
tide over
Ifyou tide someone over,you support them through a difficult period for a certain length of time. With this weather it’s impossible to get to the shops, but we have enough food to tide us over until next week.
pour your heart out
If youpour your heart outto someone, you express your feelings freely. When she needs to pour her heart out to someone, Elsa goes to visit her grandmother.
sticky fingers
Someone who hassticky fingershas a tendency to steal. Items have been disappearing from the stock recently. Do any of the employees have sticky fingers?
dressed up tonines
To describe someone asdressed up to the ninesmeans that they are wearing very smart or glamorous clothes. Caroline must be going to a party - she’s dressed up to the nines.
makes your blood run cold
If somethingmakes your blood run cold, it shocks or scares you a lot. The look in the prisoner’s eyes made my blood run cold.
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. The committee poured cold water on the idea of accepting new members.
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. The journalist was determined at all costs to get a report from the war zone.
make blood boil
If somethingmakes your blood boil,it makes you really angry. His condescending attitude made my blood boil!
prod into (doing)
If youprod someone into doing something, you make a hesitant person do something that they are reluctant to do. She was ideal for the job, but I had to prod her into applying for the position.
fight tooth and nail
If youfight tooth and nailfor something, you fight with energy and determination. The Transport Minister fought tooth and nail to have the proposed road safety law accepted.
penny drops
When a person has difficulty understanding or realizing something, and thenthe penny drops,they finally understand. The teasing continued for some time until the penny dropped and the boy realized it was a joke!
fit for purpose
Something that is suitable for a particular function and is fully operational is said to befit for purpose. The mayor promised that the new leisure centre would be ready on time and fit for purpose.
harebrained idea
Aharebrained ideais an idea or suggestion that is considered to be silly, foolish or totally impractical. We’ll never make any progress if you have nothing but harebrained ideas to offer!
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. His name is mud now after the revelations in the newspaper.
brain drain
The departure of highly qualified people (scientists, engineers, etc.) for other countries, where they have better opportunities and usually better pay, is calledthe brain drain.
kick the bucket
Tokick the bucketis a lighthearted way of talking about death. He will inherit when his grandfather kicks the bucket.
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. Surprised by the journalist’s question, he was like a deer caught in the headlights.
look the part
If youlook the part, your appearance makes you ideally suited for a particular job or role. It was a mistake to choose a pretty young girl to play the witch. She didn’t look the part at all.
bee in one’s bonnet
Someone who has abee in their bonnethas an idea which constantly occupies their thoughts. She’s got a bee in her bonnet about moving to New York.
all systems go
When everything is ready for an activity or event to begin, you can say thatall systems go. We’ve got an office, a telephone and the internet, so on Monday it’s all systems go!
white as a ghost
A person who isas white as a ghostlooks very pale and frightened. She went as white as a ghost when she saw the gun.
cream of the crop
This expression refers to the best people or things in a particular group. As usual, the cream of the crop of this year’s graduates were offered the best jobs.
blockbuster
Something that is outstanding, impressive or particularly successful, such as a film or a book ,is called ablockbuster. The TV series was a blockbuster.
risk life and limb
If yourisk life and limb,you are in danger of death or serious injury. The roads are icy today; you’ll risk life and limb if you go by car.
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. John will never get married. He says he prefers to be footloose and fancy free.
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. I would not try bungee jumping for love or money!
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. I’ve resigned from teaching and decided to become a writer. Now I’ve reached the point of no return and must work on the book I am writing.
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. If you apply for the job, I’ll put in a good word for you.
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. The author didn’t turn up for the interview and his agent had to carry the can.
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. His refusal to accept any help meant that he had to learn the hard way.
ripple effect
When an action has an effect on something, which in turn effects something else, it is said to havea ripple effect. An increase in the price of oil will have a ripple effect on the economy as a whole.
(caught with) pants down
If you arecaught with your pants down, you are caught doing something bad or forbidden. Our neighbours were caught fiddling with the electricity meter - caught with their pants down!
heart sinks
If yourheart sinks, you feel very unhappy and despondent. My heart sank when I saw the amount of work waiting for me.
go belly up
If a business or projectgoes belly up, it is unsuccessful or goes bankrupt. The restaurant went belly up before the end of the first year.
rake in the money
If yourake in the money,you make money in large quantities. Bob’s business is so successful, he’s raking in the money.
on the safe side
If you do something to beon the safe side,you do it as a precaution, to avoid any risks. I think I locked the door but I’ll check again to be on the safe side.
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!’. He’s selling it for $20? At that price 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. Organizing an outing for a group of people from different countries is like herding cats!
drive a hard bargain
A person whodrives a hard bargainalways makes sure they gain advantage in a business deal. Be prepared for tough negotiations with Dan. He drives a hard bargain.
take a back seat
If youtake a back seatyou choose to have a less important function and become less involved in something. He decided it was time to take a back seat and let someone younger run the club.
run riot
If peoplerun riot,the behave in a frenzied, uncontrolled manner, running around in all directions. I dread the arrival of my sister with her kids - she always allows them to run riot.
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. After a serious accident, the Olympic champion clawed his way back to the top, to the admiration of all.
cross the Rubicon
If youcross the Rubicon, you make an irreversible decision or commit to a course of action that cannot be changed. After careful consideration, he decided to stop teaching and open an art gallery, knowing that he was crossing the Rubicon.
gotoutof business
If a shop, firm or enterprisegoes out of business, it closes down or goes bankrupt. If the new road bypasses the town, a lot of shops will go out of business.
get your skates on
If you tell someone toget their skates on, you want them to hurry up. You’d better get you skates on or you’ll be late!
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. The project must be ready for next Friday, so the heat is on.
skating on thin ice
If you areskating on thin ice,you are doing or saying something risky, or something that could cause trouble. Don’t mention that subject during the negotiations or you could be skating on thin ice.
on theuptake
Someone who is quick or slowon the uptakeis quick or slow to understand what is meant. Please explain the problem in simple words - I’m a bit slow on the uptake!
passing fancy
If you have apassing fancyfor something, you become fond of it for a short time. My father started collecting stamps a few years ago, but it was just a passing fancy.
bitter pill to swallow
Something very unpleasant or difficult to accept is abitter pill to swallow. Losing his job after organizing the merger was a bitter pill to swallow.
make yourself scarce
If youmake yourself scarce, you leave a place in order to avoid an embarrassing situation. When Mark and Laura started to argue, I decided to make myself scarce.
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. He was so eager to make money that he priced himself out of the market.
on hand
I something, such as supplies or people, areon hand, they are present or readily available. Extra pillows and blankets are on hand if needed.
dead set against
If you aredead set againstsomething, you are strongly opposed to it. My father wanted a dog, but my mother was dead set against the idea.
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. Forget about Andy today - the lights are on but no one is home!
