1201-1400 Flashcards
kill two birds with one stone
If youkill two birds with one stone, you succeed in doing two things at the same time.
cut someone some slack
If you relax a rule, treat a person less severely or allow someone to do something which is normally not permitted, youcut them some slack.
sponge off someone
If yousponge off someone,you live at the expense of another person, accepting their hospitality without sharing the costs or doing something in return.
it’s beyond me
To say ‘it’s beyond me’ means that it is impossible for you to understand.
things are looking up
To say thatthings are looking upmeans that the situation is improving and you feel more positive about the future.
strike (it) lucky
When someonestrikes it lucky, they run into good luck.
sweat of your brow
If you earn or achieve somethingby the sweat of your brow,you do it through hard work and no help.
run round in circles
People whorun round in circleshave difficulty in achieving something because of lack of organisation.
put a spanner in the works
Toput a spanner in the works(orthrow a (monkey) wrench) means to cause problems and prevent something from happening as planned.
stand in good stead
To say that a skill, an ability or previous experience willstand you in good steadmeans that it will be beneficial to you in the future.
(as)slyas a fox
Someone who isas sly as a foxis cunning and clever at getting what they want, especially by deceiving or tricking people.
eat your words
If youeat your words, you have to admit that what you said before was wrong.
fall by the wayside
If a plan or projectfalls by the wayside, it remains unfinished or people stop trying to do it.
significant other
The term’significant other’ refers to a person, such as a spouse, partner or lover, with whom you have a long-term relationship.
sincetimeimmemorial
If something has existedsince time immemorial,it has been there for such a long time that nobody can recall a time without it.
mind your Ps and Qs
If you tell someone tomind their Ps and Qs, you are advising them to be careful about how they behave and what they say.
bring someone to heel
If you force someone to behave in a disciplined manner, youbring them to heel.
go out of your way
If yougo out of your way, you take particular care or make a special effort when doing something.
duty bound
If you areduty boundto do something, you are required to do it as part of your obligations.
(not) miss a trick
If a person nevermisses a trick, they are very alert and aware of everything that is happening around them.
till thecowscome home
To say that a person could do somethingtill the cows come homemeans that they could do it for a ong time.
do nothing by halves
When a person does everything they are engaged in completely and thoroughly, they are said todo nothing by halves.
that’s the last straw!
This expression means that this is the latest unpleasant event and that you cannot tolerate the situation any longer.
take the bull by the horns
To takethe bull by the hornsmeans that a person decides to act decisively in order to deal with a difficult situation or problem.
badegg
To refer to someone as a bad egg means that they cannot trusted.
jump on the bandwagon
If a person or organisationjumps on the bandwagon, they decide to do something when it is already successful or fashionable.
money to burn
People who havemoney to burnhave so much money that they can spend it on anything they want.
one over the eight
If a person has had oneover the eight,they are slightly drunk.
ring out the old year and ring in the new
This expression means to announce and celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of the next.
frog in one’s throat
A person who hasa frog in their throathas difficulty in speaking clearly because they have a cough or a sore throat.
get the axe
If someonegets the axe, they lose their job.
nothing to write home about
To say that something isnothing to write home aboutmeans that it is not of great interest or importance.
at alowebb
A person or organisationat a low ebbis not as strong or successful as usual.
spitting in the wind
If you spend time trying to do something that is impossible to achieve, you are said to bespitting in the wind.
overstep the mark
If youoverstep the mark,you go too far and upset someone by saying something or behaving in a way that is unacceptable.
false move
In a dangerous or risky situation, if you make afalse move, you do something which may have unpleasant consequences.
(you can’t)teachan old dog new tricks
This expression means that someone who is used to doing things in a certain way will find it difficult to change their habits.
run with thehare
If yourun with the hare and hunt with the hounds,you want to stay on friendly terms with both sides in a quarrel.
ins and outs
The term’ins and outs’of a situation means all the details or facts.
two left feet
If you havetwo left feet,you are clumsy or awkward in your movements.
five finger discount
If somebody gets afive-finger discount, they take something without paying; in other words, they steal.
you can’t judge a book by its cover
This expression means that you should not form an opinion about something from its appearance only.
pull the rug
If youpull the rug from under someone’s feet,you suddenly and unexpectedly remove all help or support.
get akickout of
If youget a kick out of something,you feel enjoyment or excitement from something.
nothing ventured, nothing gained
This expression means that you cannot expect to achieve anything if you risk nothing.
on the map
If a place becomes well-known, it is puton the map.
square meal
When people talk abouta square meal,they mean a substantial and satisfying meal.
live on the edge
If youlive on the edge, your lifestyle involves dangerous or risky activities.
lie in
If youlie in,you stay in bed after the normal time for getting up.
know your own mind
If youknow your own mind,you know what you want or like, and are capable of making a decision.
lie through teeth
If youlie through your teeth,you lie openly and brazenly, knowing that what you are saying is completely false.
off themark
If something isoff the mark, it is incorrect or inaccurate.
makehaywhile the sun shines
This expression is used as an encouragement to take advantage of a good situation which may not last.
small dog, tall weeds
This expression is used to refer to someone who does not have the ability or the resources necessary to perform a task.
mutton dressed as lamb
This expression refers to a middle-aged woman who tries to look younger by dressing in clothes designed for younger people.
slice/share of the cake
When people feel entitled to a share of the profits or benefits, they want a (larger)slice of the cake.
proud as a peacock
A person who is asproud as a peacockis extremely proud.
two-faced
Someone who istwo-facedis deceitful or insincere; they will say one thing to your face and something else when you are not there.
fifth wheel
This expression refers to a person who find themselves in a situation where their presence is unnecessary and as a result they feel useless.
flying start
If somethinggets off to a flying start, it is immediately successful.
put one’s foot down
Toput one’s foot downmeans to exert authority to prevent something from happening.
drop names
When you drop names, you mention the names of famous people you know or have met in order to impress others.
run a taut ship
When a group or organisation is run in a well-ordered and disciplined manner, the person in chargeruns a taut (ortight)ship.
havepins and needles
Tohavepins and needlesis to have a tingling sensation in a part of the body, for example an arm or a leg, when it has been in the same position for a long time.
jump out of skin
If youjump out of your skin, you are extremely surprised or shocked.
want head on a platter
If someone makes you so angry that you want them to be punished, youwant their head on a platter.
pop the question
When you ask someone to marry, youpop the question.
full of the joys of spring
If you arefull of the joys of spring,you are happy, enthusiastic and full of energy.
lay it on the line
If you speak frankly and make something very clear, youlay it on the line.
at a pinch
To say that something could be doneat a pinchmeans that it would be possible to do it if absolutely necessary.
a storm is brewing
If you say thata storm is brewing, you mean that the atmosphere indicates that there is going to be trouble, probably with outbursts of anger or emotion.
between the devil and the deep blue sea
If you arebetween the devil and the deep blue sea, you are in a situation where there are to equally unpleasant alternatives.
bone to pick with someone
If you have abone to pickwith someone, you are annoyed with them and want to talk to them about it.
let yourhairdown
If you suggest that someone shouldlet their hair down, you are telling them to relax and enjoy themselves.
blow your top
If youblow your top, you suddenly become very angry.
hollow victory
A victory obtained in unsatisfactory conditions, which as a result seems worthless or without significance for the winner, is called ahollow victory.
yourwishis my command
This is a humoristic way of saying that you are willing to do whatever the other person asks.
know the score
When youknow the score,you are well-informed about a situation and know what to expect.
paint the town red
If youpaint the town red,you go out and enjoy a lively evening in bars, night-clubs, etc.
fit to be tied
Someone who isfit to be tiedis extremely irritated, upset or angry.
in thered
If a person or organisation isin the red,they owe money or have a negative account.
come out of thewoodwork
When things, or people,come out of the woodwork, they appear or emerge unexpectedly, as if from nowhere, and usually in large numbers.
deliver the goods
If a persondelivers the goods, they do what is expected of them or what they have promised to.
fat cat
To refer to a rich and powerful person as afat catmeans that you disapprove of the way they use their money or power.
in someone’sshoes
To talk about beingin someone’s shoesmeans to imagine how you would react if you were in a similar situation.
wipe that smile off
This expression is often used by parents or people in authority to indicate that the situation is not amusing at all.
waiting game
A person whoplays a waiting gamedelays taking any action or making any decision because they prefer to wait and see how things develop, usually in the hope that this will put them in a stronger position.
(not) touch with a ten-foot pole
If you decidenot to touch something with a ten-foot pole,you prefer to stay far away from it.
make short work of
If you makeshort work ofsomething, you do it or finish it quickly.
invinoveritas
This expression, which in Latin means ‘in wine there is truth’, is a way of saying that wine makes people less inhibited and leads them to speak more freely and reveal their true feelings.
set the records straight
If youset the records straight, you provide facts or an explanation to correct a mistake or misunderstanding.
blamestorming
A discussion among a group of people who try to determine who or what is to blame for a particular mistake, failure or wrongdoing, is called’blamestorming’.
blue-eyed boy
Ablue-eyed boyis someone’s favourite.
bide your time
If youbide your time, you wait for a good opportunity to do something.
paddle one’s own canoe
If youpaddle your own canoe, you do what you want to do without help or interference from anyone.
green light
If yougive or get the green light, you give or get a signal or authorization to do something.
all brawn and no brain
Someone who is physically very strong but not very intelligent is said to beall brawn and no brain.
err on the side of caution
When uncertain about what to do, if youerr on the side of cautionyou do more than what is adequate rather than take any risks.
ready to drop
Someone who isready to dropis nearly too exhausted to stay standing.
takestockof a situation
If youtake stock of a situationyou assess all the aspects in order to form an opinion.
infullswing
When something, such as an event, getsinto full swing, it is at its busiest or liveliest time.
anyone’s call
This expression is used when the result of a contest or election is difficult to predict.
donkey’s years
If someone has been doing something fordonkey’s years, they have been doing it for a very long time.
take wind out ofsails
If someone or somethingtakes the wind out of your sails,they make you feel less confident by doing or saying something that you do not expect.
have your work cut out
If you have to face a difficult task or a challenging situation, youhave your work cut outfor you.
heavy hand
Dealing with or treating people with aheavy handmeans acting with discipline and severity, with little or no sensitivity.
when the going gets tough, the tough get going
When faced with a difficult or dangerous situation, andthe going gets tough, strong people take action to solve the problem.
window on the world
When something provides an opportunity to observe and learn about people and life in other countries, it is calleda window on the world.
before your veryeyes
If someone does somethingbefore your very eyes, they do it in front of you, without attempting to hide what they are doing.
strike/hit a raw nerve
If something you saystrikes or hits a raw nerve,it upsets someone because they are very sensitive about the subject.
larger than life
A person who islarger than lifeattracts special attention because they are very impressive or unusually remarkable in their appearance, behaviour or personality.
wet blanket
To refer to someone as awet blanketmeans that they spoil other people’s fun, or make an event less enjoyable than it could have been.
up to no good
When someone is up to no good, they are doing or planning something bad or wrong.
(buy) alemon
If you buy something, especially a car, that is defective, unsatisfactory, constantly gives problems or stops running after a short time, youbuy a lemon.
go for asong
If somethinggoes for a song,it is sold at an unexpectedly low price.
donkey work
This expression is used to describe the unpleasant, repetitive or boring parts of a job.
keep your nose to thegrindstone
A person whokeeps their nose to the grindstoneis someone who concentrates on working hard at his/her job, or studies.
on the house
Something which ison the houseis offered free of charge, usually in a bar or restaurant.
one in theeye
If an event or development is an unexpected disappointment or defeat for someone, you can say that it is one in the eye for that person.
speak out of turn
If someonespeaks out of turn,either they intervene at the wrong moment or they say something tactless or inappropriate.
prey on your mind
If somethingpreys on your mind, it troubles you so much that you keep thinking about it.
null and void
Something which isnull and voidhas no legal force or is invalid.
strictly business
An appointment or event that is entirely devoted to business, with no leisure or relaxation, is calledstrictly business.
get to the bottom of
If youget to the bottom ofa problem or mystery, you solve it by finding out the true cause of it.
laugh off
When you laugh about something that has upset or hurt you, to make it seem less important or to try to show that you do not care, youlaugh it off.
one track mind
Ifyou havea one-track mind,you have a tendency to think about only one subject.
snap decision
A quick decision based on an impulse, without taking time to weigh the consequences, is calleda snap decision.
balancing act
When you try to satisfy two or more people or groups who have different needs, and keep everyone happy, you perform abalancing act.
bury the hatchet
When people who have had a disagreement decide to forget their quarrel and become friends again, theybury the hatchet.
non sequitur
This Latin term refers to a statement which does not seem to be a logical follow-up to the previous statement or argument.
what makes someone tick
When you try to understand what motivates someone or makes them behave the way they do, you want to knowwhat makes them tick.
call it quits
When people temporarily stop doing something or put an end to an activity, theycall it quits.
fish in troubled waters
If youfish in troubled waters, you try to gain advantages for yourself from a disturbed state of affairs.
call the shots/ the tune
The person whocalls the shotsorthe tuneis the one who makes all the important decisions and is in control of the situation.
guilty pleasure
Enjoying something which is not generally held in high regard, while at the same time feeling a bit guilty about it, is called aguilty pleasure.
beggars can’t be choosers
This expression means that you should not reject an offer if it is the only possibility you have.
hale and hearty
Someone, especially an old person, who ishale and heartyis in excellent health.
take steps
If youtake steps,you start a course of action in order to accomplish something.
out to lunch
To say that someone isout to lunchmeans that they seem to be either unaware of what’s going on around them, or unable to understand what is happening.
move up in the world
A person whomoves up in the worldbecomes more important in society or successful in their career.
feed the kitty
If youfeed the kitty, you contribute to a collection of money called a ‘kitty’ in order to help a good cause.
school of hard knocks
Someone who goes throughthe school of hard knockslearns through the positive and negative experiences of life rather than through a formal classroom education.
feather in one’s cap
To describe someone’s achievement as afeather in their capmeans that it is something they can be proud of.
oldheadon young shoulders
This expression refers to a child or young person who thinks and expresses themselves like an older more-experienced person.
run the gamut of
If yourun the gamut ofsomething, you cover the entire range of what is possible.
back on yourfeet
If you areback on your feet, after an illness or an accident, you are physically healthy again.
flog a dead horse
To say that someone isflogging a dead horsemeans that they are wasting time and effort trying to do or achieve something that is not possible.
back into shape
To get yourselfback into shape, you need to take some exercise in order to become fit and healthy again.
mind over matter
The mental power to influence one’s body and overcome physical difficulties is said to be a question ofmind over matter.
bag of bones
To say that someone is abag of bonesmeans that they are extremely thin.
mad as a hatter
To say that someone isas mad as a hattermeans that they are very strange or insane.
deep pockets
A person or organisation who has a lot of money hasdeep pockets.
take it easy
When you relax, or do things at a comfortable pace, youtake it easy.
one step ahead
When you areone step aheadof someone else, you achieve something faster than they do, or you have a slight advantage over them.
hands tied
If a person has theirhands tied,something such as an agreement or a rule is preventing them from doing what they would like to do.
think the sun rises and sets on someone
If you consider someone to be the most wonderful person in the world, youthink the sun rises and sets onthem.
go down well
If an idea or proposalgoes down well, it is well accepted.
fool’s errand
If you go ona fool’s errand, you try to do something which is useless, unnecessary or has no chance of success.
farm something out
If something, such as work, isfarmed out, it is sent away to be done by others.
be that as it may
This expression means that what the speaker says may be true but it will not change the situation.
lose train of thought
If you forget what you were saying, for example after a disturbance or interruption, youlose your train of thought.
it’s a small world
This expression is used by someone who is surprised to meet familiar people in unexpected places.
let me bounce this off you
You can say this when you present an idea or plan to someone in order to test their reaction or obtain feedback.
other things being equal
This expression refers to a probable situation if the conditions elsewhere remain unchanged or equal.
under one’sbelt
If you have somethingunder your belt,you have acquired experience or have satisfactorily achieved something.
feast your eyes on
If youfeast your eyeson something, you are delighted and gratified by what you see.
go the wholehog
When yougo the whole hog, you do something thoroughly or completely.
creative accounting
This term refers to the presentation of a company’s results in a way that, although generally legal, glosses over the problems and makes the results appear better than they are.
idiot box
Some people consider television to lack educational value and refer to it as theidiot box.
go all out
If yougo all outto achieve or obtain something, you make a great effort, using all possible strength and resources The candidate went all out to obtain the nomination.
hold the fort
When youhold the fort,you look after a place or a business in the absence of the person who is normally in charge.
wax lyrical
When youwax lyricalabout something, you speak enthusiastically about it in a poetic or sentimental way.
under the weather
If you areunder the weather,you are not feeling very well.
get hold of
If you obtain something, or manage to contact someone, you get hold of them.
can’t stand the pace
If youcan’t stand the pace, you are unable to do things well when there is a lot of pressure.
chapter and verse
This term refers to word-for-word details, or very specific facts, especially the exact place where the information can be found.
have down pat
If you memorize or practise something until you know it perfectly or have it exactly right, youhave it down pat.
over the hill
If a person isover the hill, they have reached an age when they can no longer perform as well as before.
fat cat
To refer to a rich and powerful person as afat catmeans that you disapprove of the way they use their money or power.
stand one’s ground
If youstand your groundyou maintain your position and refuse to yield or give way.
pick holes
If someonepicks holesin something such as a plan, an idea or a proposal, they criticize it or try to find fault with it.
neither here nor there
Something which isneither here nor thereis unimportant or irrelevant.
food for thought
If something give youfood for thought, it makes you think seriously about a particular subject.
skin someone alive
If you are angry and threaten toskin someone alive,you mean that you are going to punish them severely.
blank cheque
If you give someone ablank cheque, you authorise them to do what they think is best in a difficult situation.
cut one’s own throat
If youcut your own throat, you do something that will be the cause of your own failure or ruin your chances in the future.
carrot and stick
If you use acarrot-and-stick approach, you use the promise of reward and the threat of punishment to make someone work harder.
think the world of
If youthink the world of someone,you like or admire them very much.
pokerface
If you have apoker face, you show no emotion at all.
pressed for time
If you arepressed for time, you have hardly enough time to do something, so you must hurry.
put on your thinking cap
If you tell someone toput their thinking capon, you ask them to find an idea or solve a problem by thinking about it.
get something out of your system
This expression means that you get rid of a strong emotion or desire by expressing it openly or trying to fulfill it.
collect one’s thoughts
If youcollect your thoughts, you try to think calmly and clearly in order to prepare yourself mentally for something.
snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
If you manage to win something such as a match or a contest, when you are on the verge of losing, yousnatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
olddogfor a hard road
This expression means that experience is invaluable when one is faced with a difficult task.
come clean
Tocome cleanabout something means to tell the truth.
plain sailing
An activity or task that isplain sailingis without difficulty or free from trouble.
by alongchalk/shot
This expression means ‘not at all’ and is used to emphasize a statement, especially a negative one.
bee’s knees
To say that someone/something is thebee’s kneesmeans that the speaker thinks they are exceptionally good.
have an axe to grind
If youhave an axe to grind, you have personal reasons for becoming involved in something or adopting a particular attitude.
