1801-2000 Flashcards
blessing in disguise
This expression refers to something that is unpleasant at first but later turns out to have advantages.
toing and froing
Someone who istoing and froingis either repeatedly going from one place to another and coming back, or is constantly changing their mind about something.
dead cert
Something that is certain to happen or be achieved is adead cert.
slip of thetongue
Aslip of the tongueis a small spoken error or mistake.
dog’s breakfast
To describe something as adog’s breakfastmeans that it is a complete mess.
run a mile
Someone who is anxious to avoid somethingruns a mile.
drink like a fish
A person whodrinks like a fishis one who drinks a lot.
green with envy
Someone who isgreen with envyis a person who is very envious.
come in handy
To say that something maycome in handymeans that it may be useful some time or other.
cork something up
If youcork upyour feelings or emotions, you fail to show or express them.
set you back
The sum of money somethingsets you backis the amount it costs you.
put afingeron something
If you are able to identify or understand something such as the cause of a problem or the solution to it, youput your finger on it.
keepeyespeeled
Tokeep one’s eyes peeledmeans to watch out very carefully for something.
let thecatout of the bag
If youlet the cat out of the bag, you reveal a secret, generally not intentionally.
armchair critic
Anarmchair critic is someone who gives advice based on theory rather than practice.
dive in headfirst
If you begin something enthusiastically, without thinking about the possible consequences, youdive in headfirst.
look out for n°1
If you take care of yourself first, and look after your own interests rather than those of other people, youlook out for number one.
take yourcouragein both hands
If youtake your courage in both hands, you make yourself do something very brave.
throw caution to the wind
If youthrow caution to the wind, you start taking risks and stop worrying about the danger involved.
reach for the moon
If youreach for the moon, you are very ambitious and try to achieve something even if it is difficult.
out of character
If you do something that isout of character,it is unlike your usual behaviour or not what is expected from you.
piece of cake
To refer to something asa piece of cakemeans that you consider it to be very easy.
wear heart on sleeve
If youwear your heart on your sleeve,you allow others to see your emotions or feelings.
sterner stuff
If someone is made ofsterner stuff, they have a strong character and are better able to deal with difficulties than others.
smallpotatoes
Something that issmall potatoesis considered to be unimportant or insignificant.
get thehangof
When youget the hang ofan activity, you now know how to do it correctly.
onpins and needles
If you areonpins and needles, you are very anxious or nervous about what is going to happen.
mintcondition
Something that isin mint conditionis in such perfect condition that it looks new or as good as new.
walk a tightrope
If a person iswalking a tightrope,they are in a difficult or delicate situation where they must act carefully.
everydoghas its day
This expression means that everyone can be successful at something at some time in their life.
kill with kindness
When you are excessive in your efforts to be helpful or generous, you can harm someone, orkill them with kindness.
face only a mother could love
This is a humorous way of saying that someone is ugly or unattractive.
holier-than-thou
The attitude of people who consider themselves to be more virtuous or morally superior to others can be called’holier-than-thou’.
swishing (party)
Swishingis the name given to a recent fashion phenomenon - a party organised to swap second hand clothes.
lick into shape
If you make an effort to put someone or something into satisfactory condition or appearance, youlick them into shape.
wise up to
If youwise uporget wise tosomething, you become fully aware of the facts and are no longer fooled.
see red
If someonesees red, they suddenly become very angry or annoyed.
face themusic
If you have toface the music,you have to accept the unpleasant consequences of your actions.
labour of love
A task that is done for your own pleasure and satisfaction and not for reward or profit is called alabour of love.
like thecatthat ate the canary
If, after an achievement or success, a person seems very self-satisfied or pleased with themselves, you can say that theylook like the cat that ate the canary.
too much like hard work
An activity or task that requires too much effort istoo much like hard work.
your money’s worth
If you getyour money’s worth,you receive good value for the amount of money you spend.
wing it
Towing itmeans to improvise or to deal with a situation without preparation.
fight shy
If youfight shyof something, such as a task, a problem or a duty, you want to avoid doing it or you are unwilling to confront it.
in two shakes of a lamb’s tail
To do somethingin two shakes of a lamb’s tailmeans to do it very quickly.
(not) take no for an answer
Someone who willnot take no for an answeris very insistent in the way they make their request or offer and is unwilling to accept a refusal.
on second thoughts
On second thoughts’means that after giving the matter more thought, you have changed your mind.
pigs might fly
The expression’pigs might fly’expresses disbelief, or the idea that miracles might happen but are extremely unlikely.
beat/flog a dead horse
To say that someone isbeating a dead horsemeans that they are wasting time and effort trying to do or achieve something that is impossible.
until hell freezes over
If you tell someone that they can do somethinguntil hell freezes over,you mean that they can do it forever but they won’t obtain what they want.
bolt from the blue
To refer to something as abolt from the bluemeans that it happened totally unexpectedly.
ugly as sin
This expression is used to refer to people or things that are considered to be very unattractive.
dust bunnies
Dust bunniesare clumps of dust, usually found on the floor, in corners or under furniture, in places where the housework is not done regularly.
shake like a leaf
If youshake like a leaf,you tremble with fear or nervousness.
run rings/circles around
If you show much more skill or ability than your opponent, you run rings (or circles) around them.
get the picture
A person whogets the pictureunderstands what is being explained or described.
down in the mouth
When someone isdown in the mouth, they look unhappy, discouraged or depressed.
see eye to eye
If yousee eye to eyewith somebody, you agree with them.
cat nap
If you have a short sleep during the day, you have acat nap.
have your cake and eat it
To say that someone wants tohave their cake and eat itmeans that they want the advantages of two alternative situations when only one is possible.
cry one’s eyes out
If youcry your eyes out,you cry a lot and for a long time.
hell-bent on something
If you arehell-bent on doing something, you are recklessly determined to do it, even if it is dangerous or stupid.
false pretences
If you obtain somethingunder false pretences, you deceive others by lying about your identity, qualifications, financial or social position, in order to get what you want.
take it on the chin
When youtake it on the chin,you are brave and accept adversity, criticism or defeat without complaining.
weather the storm
If youweather the storm, you succeed in surviving a difficult period or situation.
there’s nothing to it
If you say thatthere’s nothing to it,you mean that something is very simple or easy to do.
salt of the earth
To describe someone asthe salt of the earthmeans that they are kind, honest and reliable.
fall into one’s lap
If something goodfalls into your lap, it happens to you without any effort on your part.
let sleepingdogslie
If you tell someone tolet sleeping dogs lie, you are asking them not to interfere with a situation because they could cause problems.
have the makings of
A person whohas the makings of somethinghas qualities and potential that could be developed.
cook somebody’s goose
Tocook somebody’s goosemeans to spoil that person’s chances of success.
lick/smack your lips
A person who islicking (orsmacking) their lipsis showing that they are excited about something and are eager for it to happen.
come to the crunch
To talk about what to do if or when a situationcomes to the crunchmeans when it becomes critical and a decision has to be made.
putmoneywhere mouth is
If youput your money where your mouth is,not only do you express your interest, you give financial support to causes that you believe in.
get off the ground
If youget something off the ground,you put it into operation after having organised it.
one too many
Someone who has hadone too manyhas drunk too much alcohol.
ring a bell
If somethingrings a bell,it sounds familiar, but you don’t remember the exact details.
in twominds
If you arein two mindsabout something, you have difficulty deciding what to do.
dead to the world
A person who isdead to the worldis fast asleep.
spitting image
If one person isthe spitting imageof another, they look exactly like each other.
face like a bulldog chewing a wasp
To say that someone has aface like a bulldog chewing a waspmeans that you find them very unattractive because they have a screwed-up ugly expression on their face.
smash hit
A very successful performance in music, films, theatre, etc.
raw deal
If you say that someonegot a raw deal, you think they were treated unfairly or badly.
to theletter
If you follow instructions or directionsto the letter, you do exactly as is told or written.
white elephant
If you call somethinga white elephant,you consider it useless although it may have cost a lot of money.
gonuts
To say that a person hasgone nutsmeans that they have become completely foolish, eccentric or mad.
worm’s eye view
To offera worm’s eye viewof a situation is to give your opinion based on what you see at close range from an inferior position, so it is therefore not a general view.
put out to pasture
To say that someone has beenput out to pasturemeans that they have been forced to retire or give up their responsibilities.
prolong the agony
If someoneprolongs the agony,they make an unpleasant or tense situation last longer than necessary.
quiet as a mouse
When someone is asquiet as a mouse,they make no noise at all.
cut corners
Cutting cornersmeans not following the correct procedure in order to save time, effort or money (often with unsatisfactory results).
take with pinch ofsalt
To say that a piece of information should be takenwith a pinch (or grain) of saltmeans that the information may not be accurate or true.
can’thold a candle
If one person (or thing)can’t hold a candleto another, they are much less competent or do not perform as well as the other.
(all) hell broke loose
To say that(all) hell broke loosemeans that there was a sudden angry, noisy reaction to something.
lower than a snake’s belly
To say that someone islower than a snake’s bellymeans that they are bad, dishonest or have very low moral standards.
sleep on it
If you take time (until the next day) to think something over before making a decision, yousleep on it.
make right noises
If youmake the right noises,you behave as if you support or agree with something by making suitable or conventional remarks.
tall story
Atall storyis a story which is difficult to believe because it sounds unlikely.
one good turn deserves another
If someone helps you, it is natural and right to help them in return.
be full of beans
A person who isfull of beansis lively, healthy and active.
make a big thing of
If you attach a lot of importance to something, or make it a special occasion, youmake a big thing of it.
quick/slow on the uptake
Someone who isquick or slow on the uptakeis quick or slow to understand what is meant.
watch one’s step
If you tell someone towatch their step,you are advising them to be careful how they behave in order to avoid getting into trouble.
play to the gallery
A person whoplays to the gallerytries to gain popularity by behaving in a way that will appeal to the majority.
last but not least
When introducing a number of people, this expression is used to assure the audience that the last person mentioned is no less important than those previously named.
out of thisworld
To refer to something asout of this worldmeans that you think it is extremely good or impressive.
rake over the ashes
When peoplerake over the ashes, they discuss an unpleasant event which took place in the past.
pester power
This term refers to the power children exert over their parents by continually nagging or pestering them until they accept to buy advertised toys or fashionable products.
cut a dash
If a personcuts a dash, they make a striking impression by their appearance and attractive clothes.
away with the fairies
Someone who isaway with the fairiesis in such a dreamy state that they are not totally in touch with reality and give the impression of being slightly mad.
get it down to a fine art
When, through practice or experience, you learn how to do something perfectly, youget it down to a fine art.
name (written) on it
If somethinghas someone’s name (written) on it,it is intended for that person or it is ideally suited to them.
creature comforts
This expression refers to modern conveniences (such as hot water or central heating) that make life comfortable and pleasant.
grab a bite to eat
If yougrab a bite to eat, you get something to eat quickly.
the laststraw!
This expression means that this is the latest unpleasant event and that you cannot tolerate the situation any longer.
shoe is on the other foot
When the circumstances have reversed and one person is now doing what the other did in the past, you can say that theshoe is on the other foot.
make the best of things
If youmake the best of things, you react in a positive way to an unsatisfactory situation that you cannot change and do the best you can with it.
go Dutch
Togo Dutchwith somebody means to share the cost of something such as a meal or a concert.
fly off thehandle
A person whoflies off the handlebecomes suddenly very angry.
get down to brass tacks
When peopleget down to brass tacks,they start to discuss the essential aspects of a problem or situation.
seeerrorof ways
When someonesees the error of their ways, they understand that what they are doing is wrong and accept to change their behaviour.
work the system
People whowork the systemlearn how a state or public organisation works in order to benefit as much as possible from the system.
paper trail
If a person or organisation leaves apaper trail,they leave evidence in writing or in document form that will serve as proof of their actions.
play by ear
Toplay by earmeans to improvise or act without preparation, according to the demands of the situation.
all that jazz
This expression means ‘all that stuff’, ‘other similar things’, or ‘everything of that kind’.
keep a stiff upper lip
If a personkeeps a stiff upper lip,they contain their emotion and do not let other people see their feelings.
walk on air
When you are happy or excited because of a pleasant event that makes you feel as if you were floating, you arewalking onair.
every nook and cranny
Every nook and crannymeans every possible part of a place.
anyportin a storm
When you are in difficulty,any port in a stormrefers to a solution you accept which in normal circumstances you would find unacceptable.
overplay your hand
If youoverplay your hand, you are overconfident and spoil your chances of success by trying to obtain too much.
at yourwits’end
If you areat your wits’ end,you are very worried about something and do not know what to do.
in over your head
If you arein over your head,you are involved in something that is too difficult for you to handle.
door swings both ways
If you say that thedoor swings both ways, you mean that the same principle or argument applies to both sides of a situation.
sit on the fence
If yousit on the fence,you avoid taking sides in a discussion or argument.
save face
When someonesaves face,they manage to avoid humiliation or embarrassment and preserve their dignity and the respect of others.
in a pickle
If you arein a pickle,you are in a difficult situation and need help.
blink of an eye
If something happensin the blink of an eye, it happens nearly instantaneously, with hardly enough time to notice it.
on the mend
Someone who ison the mendis getting better after an illness.
cat’swhiskers (also: cat’s pyjamas)
This expression refers to someone who considers themselves to be better than others in a particular area : beauty, competence, intelligence, sport, etc.
rolling in money
Someone who is very wealthy or has access to great amounts of money isrolling in money.
racked with pain
When someone is suffering from severe pain, they areracked with pain.
common ground
This expression refers to an area of shared beliefs, interests or mutual understanding between people or groups who often have disagreements.
itching (or itchy) palm
Someone who has anitching palmis greedy for money, for example tips or commission (as if putting money in the palm of their hand would ease the itch).
could eat ahorse
To say that youcould eat a horsemeans that you are very hungry.
cat in gloves catches no mice
This expression means that if you are too careful and polite, you may not obtain what you want.
on the up and up
If you areon the up and up,you are becoming increasingly successful.
do more harm than good
If the effect of an action is more damaging than helpful, itdoes more harm than good.
Chinese whispers
This expression refers to a process by which a message or piece of information (especially gossip, rumours or scandalous news) is passed on from one person to another, and changes along the way, so that the final version is often very different from the original.
as the crow files
This expression refers to distance measured in a straight line.
behind the times
A person who isbehind the timeshas old-fashioned ideas and does not keep up with modern life in general.
pick a fight
Someone whopicks a fightdeliberately looks for an opportunity to start a quarrel or begin an argument.
mix business with pleasure
When peoplemix business with pleasure, they combine work and leisure or social activities.
twist someone’s arm
If youtwist someone’s arm,you make them do something, without using physical force.
have theworldat your feet
If youhave the world at your feet,you are extremely successful and greatly admired.
steamed up
If someonegets steamed upabout something, they become very angry, excited or enthusiastic about it.
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.
catand dog life
A life in which partners are constantly or frequently quarrelling is called acat-and-dog life.
throw something together
If youthrow something together, you make or produce something quickly and without effort.
like clockwork
To say that someone or something goes, runs or behaveslike clockworkmeans that everything happens exactly as expected.
in safehands
If something isin safe hands, it is being looked after by a reliable person or organisation, and is therefore at no risk.
pop one’s clogs
This is a euphemistic way of saying that a person is dead.
strike pay dirt
If youstrike pay dirt,you are lucky and suddenly find yourself in a successful money-making situation.
sharp cookie
Someone who is not easily fooled or deceived is asharp cookie.
fever pitch
If a situation or feeling reachesfever pitch,it becomes very intense and exciting.
sling mud
To say that someone isslinging mudat another person means that they are trying to damage that person’s reputation by saying bad things about them.
turn on/up the heat
If youturn onorup the heaton someone, you put pressure on them in order to obtain what you want.
in one’smind’seye
If you can visualize something, or see an image of it in your mind, you see itin your mind’s eye.
there’s no accounting for taste
This expression is used to indicate surprise at another person’s likes or dislikes.
win by a nose
When there is a very slight difference between the winner and the other competitors, victory iswon by a nose.
smack/lick one’s lips
To say that a person issmacking or licking their lipsmeans that they are showing that they are excited about something and are eager for it to happen.
landslide victory
The victory of a candidate or a political party by an overwhelming majority is calleda landslide victory.
move heaven and earth
To say that you willmove heaven and earthmeans that you are prepared to do everything that is possible to achieve something.
under your thumb
If someone isunder your thumb,they are completely under your control or influence.
asleep at the wheel
If you say that someone isasleep at the wheel,you mean that they are not sufficiently attentive, especially at a critical moment when vigilance is required.
quart into a pint pot
To say that youcan’t put a quart into a pint potmeans that you cannot fit something too big into a small space, or thatyou are trying to do something impossible.
top notch
To say that something istop notchmeans that it is of the highest possible quality or standard.
travel light
When youtravel light,you travel with as little luggage as possible.
worlds apart
When two people or things are very different, they areworlds apart.
spare tyre
If a person hasa spare tyre,they have a roll of flesh around the waist.
all thumbs / all fingers and thumbs
If you areall fingers and thumbs, you are awkward and clumsy and do things incorrectly.
barking up the wrong tree
A person who isbarking up the wrong treeis doing the wrong thing, because their beliefs or ideas are incorrect or mistaken.
plastic smile
A person witha plastic smileis wearing a forced smile which makes them appear happier that they really are.
take for a ride
Totake someone for a ridemeans to cheat or deceive them.
in the middle of nowhere
If a place isin the middle of nowhere, it is in a remote area, far from towns, villages or houses.
smooth ruffled feathers
If yousmooth someone’s ruffled feathers,you make that person feel less angry or offended.
carry weight
If a person or organisationcarries weight,they are influential or important.
pat answer
A simplified response that is memorized or prepared in advance is called apat answer.
under the knife
If a person goesunder the knife, they have surgery.
likepullingteeth
Something that islike pulling teethis extremely difficult to obtain, especially if trying to extract information from someone.
(not) hair out of place
If someone doesnot have a hair out of place, their appearance is perfect.
preaching to the converted
A person whopreaches to the convertedis encouraging people to support an idea that they already agree with.
meet your maker
This expression is used to say (often humorously) that someone has died.
from the word go
The expression’from the word go’ means from the very beginning of an activity.
eat a horse
If you say that youcould eat a horseyou mean that you are very hungry.
(not) give a hang
If you do notgive a hangabout something, you are totally indifferent to it and do not care at all about it.
day late and a dollar short
If something isa day late and a dollar short, it comes too late and is not good enough.
rough justice
Treatment or justice that does not seem fair, or is too severe, is called ‘rough justice’, especially if it is not legal.
twiddle one’s thumbs
A person whotwiddles their thumbshas nothing to do, or is doing nothing useful.
cross theline
If youcross the lineyou go beyond the authorized limits by doing something unacceptable.
easier said than done
To say that something iseasier said than donemeans that what is suggested sounds easy but it is more difficult to actually do it.
