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English idioms (without example) > 1001-1200 > Flashcards

1001-1200 Flashcards

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1
Q

old chestnut

A

A story, joke or an idea that has been repeated so often that it has lost its novelty is referred to as an ‘old chestnut’.

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2
Q

time is ticking away

A

The expression’time is ticking away’can be used when you see the minutes or seconds going by as the clock ticks, especially when you are waiting anxiously for something to happen.

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3
Q

slipped my mind

A

If something hasslipped your mind,you have forgotten about it.

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4
Q

first and foremost

A

This expression is used to state what you consider to be more important than anything else.

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5
Q

dumb as an oyster

A

Someone who is asdumb as an oyster will never reveal something told in confidence or betray a secret.

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6
Q

loose cannon

A

Someone who is referred to asa loose cannoncannot be completely trusted because of unpredictable and irresponsible behaviour which can cause trouble.

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7
Q

pay dividends

A

If something you dopays dividends,it brings advantages or rewards at a later date.

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8
Q

go through theroof

A

If someonegoes through the roof,they become very angry.

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9
Q

sink your teeth into

A

If yousink your teeth into something,you do it with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.

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10
Q

have a ball

A

If youhave a ballyou enjoy yourself immensely.

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11
Q

give a run for money

A

If yougive someone a run for their money, you present strong competition in circumstances where the other person expects to win easily.

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12
Q

open the kimono

A

If a person or organisationopens the kimono,they reveal something previously hidden.

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13
Q

upper crust

A

This term refers to the higher levels of society, the upper class or the aristocracy.

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14
Q

vim and vigour

A

If you are full ofvim and vigour,you have lots of vitality, energy and enthusiasm.

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15
Q

butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth

A

If you say that someone looks as ifbutter wouldn’t melt in their mouth,you mean that they look completely innocent, but that they are capable of doing unpleasant things.

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16
Q

bitten by the bug

A

If you develop a sudden interest or enthusiasm for something, you arebitten by the bug.

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17
Q

get the sack

A

If someonegets the sack, they lose their job, usually because they have done something wrong.

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18
Q

take a fancy

A

If youtake a fancyto someone or something, you develop a fondness for them or begin to like them.

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19
Q

put through theirpaces

A

If youputsomeone or somethingthrough their paces, you test their ability to do something by making them perform certain actions.

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20
Q

no-brainer

A

A decision or choice that requires little or no thought, because the best option is so obvious, is called ano-brainer.

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21
Q

golden parachute

A

Agolden parachuteis a clause in an executive’s employment contract stating that the executive will receive certain large benefits if their employment is terminated.

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22
Q

in the heat of the moment

A

If you say or do somethingin the heat of the moment, you say or do it without pausing to think, at a time when you are experiencing unusually strong emotions such as anger, excitement, etc.

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23
Q

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

A

A person who isbright-eyed and bushy-tailedis very enthusiastic and full of energy.

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24
Q

brown as a berry

A

To say that someone is asbrown as a berrymeans that they are very tanned.

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25
Q

burn the candle at both ends

A

If youburn the candle at both ends, you exhaust yourself by doing too much, especially going to bed late and getting up early.

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26
Q

sail close to the wind

A

If yousail close to the wind,you do something dangerous or act just within the limits of what is legal or acceptable.

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27
Q

clock in/out

A

When youclock inorout, you record the time you arrive or leave your job by punching a time clock to show the number of hours you have worked.

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28
Q

(no) quick fix

A

To say that there is noquick fixto a problem means that there is no simple solution.

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29
Q

come what may

A

If you declare that you will do somethingcome what may, you are saying that you will do it whatever the consequences may be.

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30
Q

ball and chain

A

This term refers to a burden or problem that ties you down and prevents you from doing what you want.

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31
Q

keep finger on pulse

A

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

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32
Q

close (/dumb) as an oyster

A

Someone who is asclose( or ‘dumb’)as an oysterwill never reveal something told in confidence, or betray a secret.

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33
Q

give someone theslip

A

If yougive somebody the slip,you manage to hide or get away from the person who is following you.

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34
Q

put the kibosh on

A

If you do something to prevent a plan or activity from happening or developing, youput the kibosh on it.

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35
Q

vicious circle

A

When the solution to a problem creates another problem similar to the original, or makes it worse, so that the process starts all over again, the situation is calleda vicious circle.

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36
Q

ram down someone’s throat

A

If youram something down someone’s throat, you force them to accept something against their will.

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37
Q

head in the clouds

A

If youhave your head in the clouds, you are so absorbed by your thoughts that you are not paying attention to what is happening around you.

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38
Q

run with the hare and hunt with the hounds

A

If yourun with the hare and hunt with the hounds,you want to stay on friendly terms with both sides in a quarrel.

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39
Q

yellow bellied

A

A person who isyellow-belliedis cowardly, or not at all brave.

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40
Q

allmouthand no trousers

A

This is said of someone who talks a lot about doing something but never actually does it.

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41
Q

seered

A

If someonesees red, they suddenly become very angry or annoyed.

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42
Q

playgooseberry

A

If youplay gooseberry, you join or accompany two people who have a romantic relationship and want to be alone.

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43
Q

much ado about nothing

A

When peoplemake much ado about nothing, they make a lot of fuss about something which is not important.

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44
Q

jump the gun

A

If youjump the gun, you do something too soon or take premature action based on incomplete information.

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45
Q

perish the thought

A

This expression is used when the speaker really hopes that something will not happen.

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46
Q

law onto themselves

A

If someone isa law onto themselves, they do things their own way and ignore what is generally considered as acceptable.

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47
Q

ready and waiting

A

Something or someone that isready and waitingis prepared and available for a particular task or occasion.

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48
Q

on somebody’s tail

A

If you areon somebody’s tail, you are following them closely.

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49
Q

build bridges

A

If a personbuilds bridgesbetween opposing groups, they help them to cooperate and understand each other better.

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50
Q

wet blanket

A

A person who isa wet blanketis so boring or unenthusiastic that they prevent others from enjoying themselves.

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51
Q

bigfishin a small pond

A

This term refers to an important or highly-ranked person in a small group or organisation.

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52
Q

(not) mince words

A

Someone who doesnot mince their wordsexpresses their opinions, ideas or thoughts very clearly, even if they offend others by doing so.

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53
Q

keep the lid on

A

If youkeep the lid on something,you hide it or control it to prevent people from finding out about it.

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54
Q

fly in the ointment

A

Afly in the ointmentrefers to something that prevents a situation from being completely satisfactory.

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55
Q

touch wood / knock on wood

A

This humorous expression, based on superstition, is used to avoid bad luck, often while touching something made of wood.

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56
Q

hang up one’s boots

A

When a sports playerhangs up their boots, they stop playing and retire.

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57
Q

cut one’s losses

A

If you end or withdraw from something that is already failing, in order to reduce the loss of money, time or effort invested in it, youcut your losses.

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58
Q

bad egg

A

Someone who is abad eggis an untrustworthy person often involved in trouble whose company should be avoided.

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59
Q

why keep a dog and bark yourself

A

This expression means that if someone or something can do a task for you, there’s no reason to do it yourself.

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60
Q

get someone’s goat

A

Something thatget someone’s goatannoys or irritates them.

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61
Q

your wish is my command

A

This is a humoristic way of saying that you are willing to do whatever the other person asks.

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62
Q

basket case

A

A person whose agitated mental state leaves them helpless or unable to cope with things is called abasket case.

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63
Q

shelf life

A

If something such as food, drink or medicine has a particularshelf life, it must be used or sold before the end of that period of time.

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64
Q

out of the question

A

Something which isout of the questionis impossible and is therefore not worth discussing.

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65
Q

make the cut

A

If youmake the cut,you reach a required standard or succeed in passing from one round of a competition to another.

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66
Q

turn up like a bad penny

A

If someoneturns up like a bad penny,they appear at a place or event where they are not welcome or not wanted.

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67
Q

no-brainer

A

A decision or choice that requires little or no thought, because the best option is so obvious, is called ano-brainer.

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68
Q

ego trip

A

If you do something primarily to draw attention to yourself and feel important or superior to others, you areon an ego trip.

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69
Q

signed, sealed, and delivered

A

When an agreement, contract or treaty issigned, sealed and delivered, all the legal documents are in order.

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70
Q

in fits and starts

A

If you do somethingin fits and starts, you do it in an irregular manner, often stopping and starting again.

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71
Q

weigh your words

A

Ifyouweigh your words,you choose your words carefully in order to express exactly what you mean and avoid any misunderstanding.

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72
Q

bundle of nerves

A

If you describe someone as abundle of nerves, you mean that they are very nervous, tense or worried.

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73
Q

make a pig of

A

If youmake a pig of yourself, you eat and drink too much.

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74
Q

two-time someone

A

If one persontwo-timesanother, they cheat on their partner by having a romantic relationship with another person at the same time.

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75
Q

of all people

A

To use the term’of all people’emphasizes that the person you mention, more than anyone else, is the one you would expect to do something.

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76
Q

upset the applecart

A

If youupset(or overturn)the applecart, you spoil a satisfactory plan or situation.

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77
Q

cook the books

A

A person whocooks the booksis one who changes the facts or figures in the financial accounts, often in order to steal money.

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78
Q

walk oneggshells

A

If youwalk on eggshellswith someone, you are careful not to hurt or offend them.

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79
Q

let somethingride

A

When you decide to do nothing about a particular situation and allow it to remain as it is, youlet it ride.

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80
Q

free as a bird

A

If someone is asfree as a bird, they are completely free to do as they please.

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81
Q

keep up appearances

A

A person whokeeps up appearancesmaintains an outward show of prosperity or well-being in order to hide their difficulties from others.

82
Q

even steven

A

Two or more people who areeven stevensare equal to each other.

83
Q

stink to high heaven

A

If something has a very strong unpleasant smell, itstinks to high heaven.

84
Q

Christmas comes but once a year

A

This expression means that Christmas is a time of celebration that only happens once a year, and that we should mark the occasion by being generous to others, especially the less fontunate.

85
Q

answer for something

A

If someone has toanswer for something, they have to accept responsibility for their actions.

86
Q

do a disappearing act

A

If someonedoes a disappearing act, they simply vanish, especially if they have done something wrong or dishonest.

87
Q

string someone along

A

If youstring someone along,you deliberately mislead them about your intentions.

88
Q

a plum job

A

A desirable position which is well-paid and considered relatively easy is calleda plum job.

89
Q

botch up/ make a botch of

A

If you spoil something, or make a mess of it, by doing a job badly or incorrectly, youmake a botch of itor youbotch it up.

90
Q

slippery as an eel

A

To say that someone is asslippery as an eelmeans that they are difficult to catch and they manage to avoid answering questions.

91
Q

in a class of one’s own

A

If someone isin a class of their own, they are unequalled and considered better than anyone else of their kind.

92
Q

think on your feet

A

A person whothinks on their feetis capable of adjusting rapidly to new developments and making quick decisions, Good lawyers need to be able to think on their feet when pleading a case.

93
Q

in the interim

A

Something that happensin the interimtakes place during a period of time between two events.

94
Q

miss theboat

A

If youmiss the boat, you fail to take advantage of an opportunity because you don’t act quickly enough.

95
Q

ignorance is bliss

A

This means that if you don’t know about a problem or unpleasant fact, you won’t worry about it.

96
Q

eat, sleep and breathe something

A

If youeat, sleep and breathesomething, you are so enthusiastic and passionate about it that you think about it constantly.

97
Q

freeze someone out

A

If you deliberately isolate someone or prevent them from participating in a social or business activity by treating them unfairly or harshly, youfreeze them out.

98
Q

in a quandary

A

If you arein a quandary,you find it difficult to decide what to do.

99
Q

argue the toss

A

If youargue the toss, you dispute a decision or choice which has already been made.

100
Q

wear many hats

A

Someone whowears many hatshas to do many different types of tasks or play a variety of roles.

101
Q

I wasn’t born yesterday

A

This expression is used to indicate that you are not as foolish or as easily deceived as some people seem to think.

102
Q

have ahangover

A

Tohave a hangover means to suffer from the unpleasant after-effects of drinking too much alcohol.

103
Q

new to this game

A

To say that you arenew to this gamemeans that you have never been involved in this sort of activity before.

104
Q

put it mildly

A

If youput it mildly,you express your opinion or reaction in a controlled way, without exaggeration.

105
Q

out of the picture

A

To say that a person or group isout of the picturemeans that they have been eliminated in a contest or tournament.

106
Q

shape of things to come

A

If something, such as a trend or fashion, is theshape of things to come,it is a sign of what is likely to be used or enjoyed by many people in the future.

107
Q

get wise to something

A

If youget wise to something, you learn something that you were not aware of before.

108
Q

fixed in your ways

A

People who arefixed in their waysdo not want to change their normal way of doing things.

109
Q

beat one’s brain out

A

If someonebeats their brains out, they try very hard to understand something or solve a problem.

110
Q

earmark something

A

If youearmark something, you assign it to a particular person or reserve it for a specific use.

111
Q

put that in your pipe and smoke it

A

This expressions means that you have to accept what the speaker says, whether you like it or not.

112
Q

highways and byways

A

If you travelthe highways and byways,you take large and small roads to visit every part of the country.

113
Q

business is business

A

This is a way of saying that in financial and commercial matters, friendship or personal feelings should not be allowed to have any influence.

114
Q

tied to apron strings

A

If one person istied to another’s apron strings,they remain dependent at an age when they should be independent.

115
Q

cool one’s heels

A

If you are left tocool your heels,someone keeps you waiting.

116
Q

out of the blue

A

If something happensout of the blue, it happens very unexpectedly.

117
Q

pleased/proud as punch

A

Someone who is aspleased or as proud as punchis delighted or feels very satisfied about something.

118
Q

the apple of your eye

A

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

119
Q

can’tfightthe city hall

A

This expression means that it is useless to try to win a battle against a politician, establishment or bureaucracy ingeneral.

120
Q

fromsoupto nuts

A

If you do somethingfrom soup to nuts,you do it all the way through, from the beginning to the end (like from the first to the last course of a meal).

121
Q

a kickback

A

This expression refers to money paid illegally for favourable treatment.

122
Q

get into theswingof things

A

When youget into the swing of something, you become involved in it or get used to it and begin to enjoy it.

123
Q

play games with someone

A

If you are not completely honest, or behave in a way that is insincere, evasive or intentionally misleading, you areplaying games with someone.

124
Q

wouldn’t be caught dead/seen dead

A

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

125
Q

afraid of one’s own shadow

A

A person who isafraid of his/her own shadowis very nervous or easily frightened.

126
Q

smart alec

A

Asmart alecis an annoying self-assertive person who tries to show off how clever they are.

127
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.

128
Q

off colour

A

If you areoff colour,you look or feel ill.

129
Q

tread water

A

If you aretreading water,your situation remains stationary in spite of your efforts, with no sign of any progress.

130
Q

hop, skip and jump

A

To say that a thing or place is onlya hop, skip and a jumpaway from another means that they are very close to each other.

131
Q

snug as a bug in a rug

A

This is a humorous way of saying that you are warm and comfortable.

132
Q

face the music

A

If you have toface the music,you have to accept the unpleasant consequences of your actions.

133
Q

also-ran

A

This term refers to an unsuccessful competitor whose performance is so much poorer than the winner’s that it appears insignificant.

134
Q

ball is in your court

A

If theball is in your court, it is your turn to speak or act next.

135
Q

in fullswing

A

When an event getsinto full swing,it is at its busiest or liveliest time.

136
Q

that’s the way the ball bounces

A

Things don’t always work out as planned, and there’s nothing we can do about it - that’s life.

137
Q

cash cow

A

A product or service which is a regular source of income for a company is called acash cow.

138
Q

a doddle

A

If a task or activity isa doddle, it is very easy to do or perform.

139
Q

step into someone’s shoes

A

If youstep into someone’s shoes,you take over a job or position held by someone else before you.

140
Q

crash course

A

If you do acrash course,you do an intensive training course in order to obtain quick results.

141
Q

child’s play

A

If something is referred to aschild’s play, it is considered to be simple or easy to do.

142
Q

crystal clear

A

A statement or expression that is easy to understand or has an obvious meaning iscrystal clearor asclear as crystal.

143
Q

against the clock

A

If you do somethingagainst the clock,you are rushed and have very little time to do it.

144
Q

bet your bottom dollar

A

If youbet your bottom dollaron something, you are absolutely certain of it.

145
Q

spell trouble

A

If somethingspells trouble, it signifies possible problems in the future.

146
Q

(by the)lookof things

A

This expression is used to express an opinion based on what you actually see.

147
Q

till the cows come home

A

If you say’till the cows come home’you mean for a long time or forever.

148
Q

back of beyond

A

An isolated place located far from any town is said to be in the back of beyond.

149
Q

sow seeds of suspicion

A

If someone’s behaviour, or something they say,sows the seeds of suspicion, it leads people to suspect that they are guilty.

150
Q

go for a song

A

If somethinggoes for a song,it is sold at an unexpectedly low price.

151
Q

break the back of the beast

A

If someonebreaks the back of the beast, they succeed in overcoming a major difficulty.

152
Q

refresh someone’s memory

A

If yourefresh someone’s memory,you remind them of facts they seem to have forgotten.

153
Q

on the cards (US :inthe cards)

A

Something which ison the cardsis planned and likely to happen.

154
Q

otherside of the coin

A

When you want to mention a different or contradictory aspect of a situation, you refer tothe other side of the coin.

155
Q

mixed feelings

A

When you havemixed feelingsabout something, you react to it with conflicting emotions; you are happy and unhappy at the same time.

156
Q

get away withmurder

A

Someone whogets away with murdercan do something unacceptable without being punished or criticized.

157
Q

let ride

A

When you decide to do nothing about a particular situation and allow it to remain as it is, youlet it ride.

158
Q

save your bacon

A

If yousave someone’s bacon,you rescue them from a dangerous or difficult situation.

159
Q

wild goose chase

A

If someone is sent on awild goose chase, they waste their time looking for something that there is little chance of finding.

160
Q

grey existence

A

To have agrey existencemeans to lead a dull, monotonous life.

161
Q

pedal to metal

A

When youput the pedal to the metal,you accelerate or make something go faster.

162
Q

pull strings

A

If someonepulls strings,they use influential friends in order to obtain an advantage.

163
Q

whole caboodle whole kit and caboodle

A

This expression means ‘everything’.

164
Q

gravy train

A

If someone ison the gravy train,they have found an easy way to make money, one that requires little effort and is without risk.

165
Q

out of sorts

A

If someone isout of sorts,they are upset and irritable or not feeling well.

166
Q

call theshots

A

If youcall the shots,you are in command of the situation and make all the important decisions.

167
Q

facts speak for themselves

A

When the facts of a situation are so clear that no further explanation or extra details are necessary, thefacts speak for themselves.

168
Q

keep at arm’s length

A

If youkeep someone at arm’s length, you do not allow yourself to become too friendly with them.

169
Q

red carpet

A

Toroll out the red carpetmeans to give special treatment to an important or honoured visitor.

170
Q

lowprofile

A

A person who keepsa low profiletries not to attract public attention.

171
Q

take with a grain of salt

A

To say that certain information should betaken with a grain of saltmeans that you doubt its accuracy.

172
Q

virtue is its own reward

A

The knowledge that you have done the right thing, or that you have acted in a moral way, is sufficient reward and you should not expect more.

173
Q

dice with death

A

If you put your life at risk by doing something very dangerous, youdice with death.

174
Q

follow in someone’s footsteps

A

If youfollow in someone’s footsteps, for example a parent, you lead a similar life or do the same job.

175
Q

beyond any reasonable doubt

A

This is a legal expression which means that something is certain.

176
Q

poker face

A

Someone who hasa poker facehas an expressionless face that shows no emotion or reaction at all.

177
Q

spread one’s wings

A

When someonespreads their wings,they become independent, begin to use their abilities and develop their interests.

178
Q

let sleeping dogs lie

A

If you tell someone tolet sleeping dogs lie, you are asking them not to interfere with a situation because they could cause problems.

179
Q

all sizzle and no steak

A

Someone or something that turns out to be disappointing, after a promotional campaign or marketing operation which led us to expect something better, is calledall sizzle and no steak.

180
Q

lick someone’s boots

A

To say that one person islicking another’s bootsmeans that they are trying to please that person, often in order to obtain something.

181
Q

honeymoon is over

A

To say that thehoneymoon is overmeans that the initial period of friendship and cooperation between people, groups or organisations has ended.

182
Q

put head on the block

A

If you put yourself in a dangerous situation where you risk losing your job or your reputation if things go wrong, youput your head on the block.

183
Q

get in hair

A

If you aregetting in someone’s hair, you are annoying them so much that they can’t get on with what they are doing.

184
Q

ballpark figure

A

If someone gives aballpark figure, they give an approximate number or a rough estimate of the cost of something.

185
Q

take a load off one’s mind

A

If somethingtakes a load(orweight)off someone’s mind,it brings great relief because a problem has been solved.

186
Q

not give a hoot!

A

To say that you don’t or couldn’tgive a hootmeans that you don’t care at all about something.

187
Q

in tatters

A

Something that is badly torn, in very poor condition or damaged beyond repair isin tatters.

188
Q

scare out of one’s wits

A

If somethingscares you out of your wits,it makes you very frightened or worried.

189
Q

bent out of shape

A

If you getbent out of shape, you become annoyed or upset about something that is usually not that important or cannot be avoided.

190
Q

sound/smell fishy

A

If somethingsounds or smells fishy, you are suspicious about it.

191
Q

why buy acowwhen you can get milk for free?

A

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

192
Q

come up in the world

A

A person who hascome up in the worldis richer than before and has a higher social status.

193
Q

right as rain

A

If someone is(as) right as rain,they are in excellent health or condition.

194
Q

in the first place

A

Someone that is donein the first placeis done at the beginning, before anything else.

195
Q

get away with murder

A

Someone whogets away with murdercan do something unacceptable without being punished or criticized.

196
Q

fire away

A

If you tell someone tofire away,you encourage them to begin to talk or ask questions.

197
Q

drop someone a line

A

If youdrop someone a line, you write a letter to them.

198
Q

of thefirstwater

A

Something that isof the first wateris of the finest or most exceptional quality (like being compared to a diamond).

199
Q

get offscot-free

A

Someone whogets off scot-freeescapes the punishment they deserve.

200
Q

red tape

A

The termred taperefers to official rules and bureaucratic paperwork that prevent things from being done quickly.

English idioms (without example) (15 decks)

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