1401-1600 Flashcards
all the rage
When something isall the rage, it has become very popular or trendy.
be-all and end-all
To say that something is not thebe-all and end-allmeans that it is not what matters most or what is most essential.
necessary evil
If you say that something is anecessary evil,you don’t like it but you understand that it has to exist and be accepted.
in thetwinkling of an eye
This expression means ‘very fast’ or ‘instantaneously’.
hang on for dear life
If youhang (or hold) on for dear life,you grip something firmly so as not to fall.
spanner in the works
If someone or somethingthrows a spanner (or a wrench) in the works,they do something that causes problems and prevents the success of a plan or event.
zero tolerance
If an activity or a certain type of behaviour is givenzero tolerance, it will not be accepted, not even once.
crank into gear
When a person or activity cranks (or gets) into gear, they start to work or become effective.
leaps and bounds
If you do somethingin leaps and bounds,you make rapid or spectacular progress or growth.
toss up
When there are two options or possibilities to choose from, and both are equally good, the choice between the two is called atoss-up(like tossing a coin).
best of bothworlds
If a person has thebest of both worlds, they have the benefits and advantages of two different things.
keep under wraps
If something iskept under wraps,it is held secret and not revealed to anyone.
wash onesdirtylinen in public
Towash one’s dirty linen in publicmeans to talk about unpleasant personal matters in the presence of others.
nothing doing
This term means that there is no way you would accept to do what is proposed.
fit of pique
Someone who reacts by showing their resentment or annoyance when their pride has been wounded, or they feel insulted, is said to have afit of pique.
get on in years
Someone who isgetting on in yearsis growing old.
rake in themoney
If yourake in the money,you make money in large quantities.
keen as mustard
If someone isas keen as mustard, they are very eager, enthusiastic or motivated.
pick up the pieces
After a disastrous event, if youpick up the piecesyou do what you can to get the situation back to normal again.
sell like hot cakes
Things thatsell like hot cakessell quickly or in large quantities.
get the jitters
If youget (orhave) the jitters,especially before an important event, you become very nervous or anxious and begin to shake.
cream rises to the top
Someone or something exceptionally good will eventually attract attention or stand out from the rest, just ascream rises to the topin coffee or tea.
blow the whistle
If you report an illegal or socially-harmful activity to the authorities, and give information about those responsible for it, youblow the whistleor you are awhistle-blower.
time-honoured practice
A custom that is universally respected, or a traditional way of doing something, is calleda time-honoured practice.
brains behind something
Someone who isthe brains behinda project or action is the person thought to have planned and organised everything.
saving grace
A person who hasa saving gracehas a quality that prevents them from being totally bad.
on therack
If you are in a stressful situation, having to answer a lot of questions or wait for a decision, you areon the rack.
be my guest
This expression is used to give someone permission to do something.
bated breath
If you wait for something with bated breath, you are both anxious and excited about an imminent event.
on the wagon
Someone who ison the wagonis no longer drinking alcohol.
come out in the wash
This expression is used to tell someone not to worry about a mistake or problem because it won’t have any serious effect and everything will work out all right.
stumbling block
A problem or obstacle that prevents you from achieving something isa stumbling block.
beyond one’s wildest dreams
If something isbeyond your wildest dreams, it is better than you imagined or hoped for.
on thehomestretch
To say that you areon the home stretchmeans that you are approaching the end of something such as a task, a race or a journey.
mean business
If someonemeans business,they are serious about what they announce.
half a mind
If you havehalf a mindto do something, you are thinking seriously about it but have not yet reached a decision.
have theworldby its tail
Someone whohas the world by its tailis very successful and has many opportunities to choose from.
feet of clay
If someone who is admired is found to have a weakness, fault or defect of character, they are said to havefeet of clay.
mydogsare barking
When a person says that theirdogs are barkingthey mean that their feet are hurting.
take the words out of someone’s mouth
If you say exactly what someone else was going to say, youtake the words out of their mouth.
show ofhands
Ashow of handsis a method of voting where people give their opinion by raising a hand.
cast-iron stomach
If you can eat all sorts of food and drink what you like, without any indigestion, discomfort or bad effects, it is said that you have acast-iron stomach.
let bygones be bygones
If youlet bygones be bygones,you decide to forget about past disagreements.
light years ahead
If someone or something islight years ahead, they are far more advanced in terms of development or progress.
busman’s holiday
Abusman’s holidayis when you spend your spare time or your holidays doing the same sort of activity as you do in your job.
fair and square
If something is obtained or wonfair and square, it is done in an honest and open manner, the rules are respected and there is no cheating or lying.
like ahouseon fire
Two people who get onlike a house on firehave similar interests and quickly become good friends.
free lunch
The expression’there’s no such thing as a free lunch’means that nothing is free.
hand it to someone
If youhand it to someone, you admit, perhaps unwillingly, that they deserve credit or praise for their achievements.
chase rainbows
Someone who ischasing rainbowsis trying to get something they will never obtain.
life and soul of the party
Thelife and soul of the partyis the most lively and amusing person present at an event.
hit the ground running
If someonehits the ground running, they are ready and eager to start immediately on a new activity.
let the cat out of the bag
If youlet the cat out of the bag, you reveal a secret, often unintentionally.
lead up garden path
If someoneleads you up the garden path, they deceive you by making you believe something which is not true.
hard up
If you arehard up, you have very little money.
put your heart into
If youput your heart (and soul) into something, you are very enthusiastic and invest a lot of energy and hard work in it.
come rain or shine
If a person does somethingcome rain or shine, they do it regularly, whatever the circumstances.
give the game away
If yougive the game away, you reveal a secret or a plan, often unintentionally.
sleep like a log
If yousleep like a log,you sleep deeply or soundly.
scare the daylights out of
If somethingscares the (living) daylightsout of you, it terrifies you.
take a dim view of
If youtake a dim view ofsomething, you disapprove of it.
up and about
If someone isup and about,they are out of bed or have recovered after an illness.
hive of activity
A place where there are lots of things happening, and everyone is very busy, is calleda hive of activity.
my way or thehighway
It you say to someone’it’s my way or the highway’, you are telling that person that either they accept what you propose or they leave the project.
try someone’s patience
If you find it difficult to be patient with someone because of their irritating attitude or behaviour, you can say that they aretrying your patience.
in trouble with the law
If someone isin trouble with the law,they are being questioned by the police in connection with something illegal or criminal.
have an ace up your sleeve
If youhave an ace up your sleeve, you have something in reserve with which you can gain an advantage.
doggie bag
A bag provided by a restaurant so that you can take the leftover food home with you is called adoggie(ordoggy)bag.
tech savvy
People who aretech savvyhave sufficient technical knowledge and skills to be comfortable using computers and other electronic devices.
crux of the matter
The main point or the most vital element of a discussion or argument is calledthe crux of the matter.
stir-crazy
If a persongoes stir-crazy, they become very agitated or nervous because they have been confined to a place for too long.
getwindof
If you get wind of something, you hear about something you were unaware of, usually a private or secret matter.
send a shiver down your spine
If somethingsends a shiver down your spine,it makes you feel anxious, nervous or excited.
play secondfiddle
If youplay second fiddleto someone, you accept to be second in importance to that person, or have a lower position.
nurse/bear agrudge
If younurse/bear a grudgeagainst someone, you have a feeling of resentment or ill-will towards them.
hold good
If something such as a statement, saying or theoryholds good, it continues to be true, valid or applicable.
join the club!
By saying to somebody’join the club!’, you express sympathy for an unpleasant experience that you have had too.
play for time
If youplay for time,you try to delay or prevent something from happening in order to gain an advantage.
off the top of your head
To say somethingoff the top of your headmeans that you are giving an immediate reaction, and not a carefully considered opinion, so it might not be correct.
lipstick on a pig
This expression means that trying to ‘dress up’ something unappealing or ugly, in a vain attempt to make it look better, is like puttinglipstick on a pig.
social butterfly
A person who has a lot of friends and acquaintances and likes to flit from one social event to another is called asocial butterfly.
elephant in the room
A problem that no one wants to discuss, but is so obvious that it cannot be ignored, is calledan elephant in the room.
there’ll be the devil to pay
This is a way of announcing that there will be trouble if something happens.
coast is clear
To say thatthe coast is clearmeans that there is no danger in sight or that nobody can see you.
get the picture
A person whogets the pictureunderstands what is being explained or described.
no fixed abode
A person ofno fixed abodehas nowhere permanent to live.
Pyrrhic victory
A victory that is obtained at a tremendous cost, or causes such a great loss that it is not worth winning, is called aPyrrhic victory.
take a turn for the worse
If a person who is illtakes a turn for the worse,their illness becomes more serious.
(at) top of one’slungs
If you shoutat the top of your lungs, you shout as loudly as you possibly can.
tie the knot
When two peopletie the knot, they get married.
credibility gap
The extent of disbelief, of the difference between what you are asked to believe and what you are able to believe, is called acredibility gap.
variety is the spice of life
This expression means that life is more interesting when you try to do different things.
price you have to pay
Theprice you have to payis what you have to endure in return for something you gain or achieve.
dribs and drabs
If something comes indribs and drabs,it arrives little by little, in small amounts or numbers.
too many chiefs,not enough Indians
This expression refers to a situation where there are too many people giving instructions and not enough people doing the work.
get your priorities right/straight
If you put things in the right order of importance, youget your priorities right.
in keeping with
If something isin keeping with, for example, a style or tradition, it is suitable or appropriate in a particular situation.
eyes like a hawk
If you’ve got eyes like a hawk, you have good eyesight and notice every detail.
feeding frenzy
A situation in which a lot of people attack, pursue or compete with each other in an excited or frantic way, because they all want to obtain something, is called afeeding frenzy.
it will never fly
To say that somethingwill never flymeans that it will not be successful.
bite the dust
The expression’bite’ or’hit the dust’is a humorous way of referring to death.
a lot on yourplate
If someonehas a lot on their plate,they are extremely busy or have several problems to handle at the same time.
give rough edge oftongue
If yougive the (rough) edge of your tongue, you scold someone severely or speak to them very aggressively or rudely.
open the floodgates
If someone or somethingopens the floodgates, they release something that had previously been held under control.
on the fence
When faced with a choice, a person who ison the fencehas not yet reached a decision.
off someone’s Christmas list
This expression means that you are no longer on friendly terms with someone.
blow a gasket
When a furious personblows a gasket, they explode with anger.
spin a yarn
If youspin a yarn,you tell a story, usually a long improbable one, with distorted truths.
shoot yourself in the foot
If youshoot yourself in the footyou do or say something which is against your own interests.
harp on
If youharp on (about) something, you tire others by talking continuously and tediously about it.
put in the picture
If you give somebody all the information necessary to enable them to fully understand a situation, youput them in the picture.
get your knickers in a twist
If youget your knickers in a twist,you are angry, nervous or upset faced with a difficult situation.
lastlegs
If someone or something ison its last legs, they are in a very weak condition or about to stop working or die.
shop till you drop
If youshop till you drop,you go shopping for a very long time, until you are exhausted.
talk nineteen to the dozen
If someonetalks nineteen to the dozen,they speak very quickly.
safety in numbers
This expression means that being part of a group makes people feel more secure and more confident when taking action.
roll with the punches
When someone has toroll with the punches,they have to deal with a difficult situation by being flexible.
stiff upperlip
If a personkeeps a stiff upper lip,they contain their emotion and do not let other people see their feelings.
feed someone a line
If youfeed someone a line, you tell them something that may not be quite true, often as an excuse.
pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered
You should be satisfied when you have enough; if you are too greedy, like a hog, you risk losing everything.
starter marriage
Astarter marriageis a short-lived first marriage that ends in divorce with no kids, no property and no regrets.
enough said
This expression is used to indicate that you completely understand the situation and you do not need any further details.
full of hot air
Someone who isfull of hot airis full of nonsense and talks a lot without saying anything worthwhile.
cheap shot
A cruel, unfair or unwarranted comment or verbal attack is called acheap shot.
in the offing
Something that isin the offingis likely to appear or happen soon.
land on your feet
If youland on your feet,you make a quick recovery after a difficulty such as a business failure, an illness, a loss, etc.
once bitten twice shy
This is said by someone who has had an unpleasant experience which has made them more cautious.
stool pigeon
A person who acts as an informer, especially one who gives information to the police or the authorities, is called astool pigeon.
stem the tide
If youstem the tide(of events), you stop the development of something bad or undesirable.
no picnic
An activity or task that isno picnicis unpleasant or difficult.
fair hearing
When accused of wrongdoing, if someone gets afair hearing, they get an opportunity to present evidence or give their side of the story, usually in court.
stick on one’s throat
If somethingsticks in your throat(orcraw), it is very difficult to accept and makes you angry or resentful.
fishing expedition
If someone is on afishing expedition, they are trying to obtain information in any way possible.
overshoot the mark
If you make a mistake as a result of misjudging something (situation, distance, amount, etc.
go hand in hand
If two or more thingsgo hand in hand, they are associated or often happen at the same time.
throw dust in someone’s eyes
If youthrow dust in someone’s eyes, you prevent them from seeing the truth by misleading them.
hit the panic button
When youhit or press the panic button, you raise the alarm too quickly or react too hastily in a difficult or stressful situation.
makelightwork
If a personmakes light workof something, they do it very easily or with little effort.
get a raw deal
If you say that someonegot a raw deal, you think they were treated unfairly or badly.
walk and chew gum
If you canwalk and chew gum(at the same time), you are able to do more than one thing at a time.
wonders will never cease
This saying is used to express pleasure or surprise at something.
go overboard
If yougo overboard, you are over-enthusiastic about something and do too much or behave in an excessive way.
fall into place
When different elements fall into place, they fit well together or become organised so that progress can be achieved in a satisfactory manner.
alter ego
The termalter ego, which in Latin means ‘other self’, refers to a very close and trusted friend who is very like yourself.
off the cuff
If you speakoff the cuff,you say something without any previous thought or preparation.
much of a muchness
This expression means ‘very similar’ or ‘almost alike’.
eager beaver
The termeager beaverrefers to a person who is hardworking and enthusiastic, sometimes considered overzealous.
with flying colours
To achieve somethingwith flying coloursmeans to do it very successfully.
can’t hold a candle to
If one personcan’t hold a candleto another, they are much less competent or do not perform as well as the other.
wouldn’t be caught dead
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.
mouse potato
This term refers to a person who spends a lot of time in front of the computer.
bare one’s soul
If youbare you soul(or heart) to someone, you reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings to them.
calculated risk
Acalculated riskis a risk taken with full knowledge of the dangers involved.
have a brush with
When youhave a brush withsomething, such as the law, you encounter or experience it briefly.
a stitherum
Someone who is (all)in a stitherumis excited, agitated or confused about something.
straight as an arrow
Someone who isas straight as an arrowis a morally upright person who is extremely honest.
rue the day
If yourue the dayyou did something, you bitterly regret what you did that day.
no two ways about it
To say that there areno two ways about somethingmeans that there is only one suitable ay of dealing with something.
(not) turn a hair
If someonedoes not turn a hair,they show no emotion in circumstances where a reaction is expected.
at stake
Someone who has a lotat stakeis in a risky situation, with a lot to be won or lost.
(not) letgrassgrow under your feet
If someone doesnot let the grass grow under their feet,they do not delay in getting something done.
on course
If you areon coursefor something, you are likely to achieve it.
barefaced liar
Someone who lies easily, with a total lack of shame, is abarefaced liar.
feather one’s nest
To say of someone that they arefeathering their nestmeans that they are taking advantage of their position in order to obtain money and enjoy have a comfortable life.
drag one’s feet
If youdrag your feet,you delay a decision or participate without any real enthusiasm.
split hairs
If yousplit hairs,you pay too much attention to differences that are very small or unimportant.
up and running
If a business or a project isup and running, it has started and is fully operational.
out on a limb
If yougo out on a limb,you do something risky or unsupported by others, which leaves you in a difficult position.
add fuel to the flames
If youadd fuel to the flames, you do or say something that makes a difficult situation even worse.
butter somebody up
When youbutter someone up,you flatter them or you are very nice to them, especially if you want to obtain something.
at theoutside
When talking about the length of time or the amount of money necessary to do something,at the outsideindicates the highest estimate or the largest amount.
walk atightrope
If a person iswalking a tightrope,they are in a difficult situation where they must act carefully.
set in stone
When something isset in stone, it is permanent and cannot be changed in any way.
take a rain check
To say that youtake a rain checkmeans that you cannot accept an invitation or offer now, but you will be happy to accept it later.
bricks and mortar bricks and clicks
An established trading company (office/shop) is referred to as a’brick-and-mortar’business.
weak at the knees
Someone who isweak at the kneesis (temporarily) barely able to stand because of emotion, fear or illness.
rats in the attic
If you say that someonehas rats in the attic,you mean that they are a bit mad or that their behaviour is eccentric.
pie-eyed
Someone who ispie-eyedis completely drunk.
separate sheep from goats
If youseparate the sheep from the goats,you examine a group of people and decide which are suitable and which are not.
jazz something up
If youjazz something up,you add something to try to improve it or make it more stylish.
at a snail’s pace
If something movesat a snail’s pace, it moves very slowly.
take lying down
If youtake something lying down, you suffer as a result of an offensive act without reacting or protesting.
neitherherenor there
Something which isneither here nor thereis considered to have no effect on the situation.
go off with a bang
If something such as an event or performancegoes off with a bang, it is very successful.
fall from grace
To say that someone hasfallen from gracemeans that they have done something wrong, immoral or unacceptable, and as a result have lost their good reputation.
smell arat
To say ‘Ismell a rat’means that you suspect that something is wrong, or that someone is doing something dishonest or incorrect.
apron strings
If one person istied to another’s apron strings, they remain dependent at an age when they should be independent.
up in arms
If you areup in arms about something, you are very angry.
play cat and mouse
Toplay cat and mousewith someone means to treat them alternately cruelly and kindly, so that they do not know what to expect.
head on a platter
If someone makes you so angry that you want them to be punished, you want theirhead on a platter.
shouting match
An argument or debate where people shout loudly at each other is calleda shouting match.
quick off the mark
If someone isquick off the mark,they are quick to react to an event or take advantage of an opportunity.
upper hand
If a person or organisationgainsorgets the upper hand, especially in a fight or competition, they take control over something.
firing line
Someone who is in thefiring lineis in a position to be criticized because of their responsibilities or the position they hold.
funny business
A business which is conducted in a deceitful, dishonest or unethical manner is calledfunny business.
good turn
If youdo someone a good turn, you act in a helpful way.
there’s one born every minute
This expression means that there are many people in the world who are stupid or easily fooled.
that’s going too far!
If yougo too far,you do something that is considered extreme or unacceptable.
make avirtueof necessity
If someone does something commendable, not deliberately but because they have no choice, and pretends to be doing it willingly and happily, theymake a virtue of necessity.
prime of one’s life
Theprime of one’s lifeis the time in a person’s life when they are the most successful, or in their best physical condition.
