1970s Flashcards
Carry Out
accomplish, bring to a conclusion
Taken Over
Assume control, management or possession of
Bring about
Cause
Beat out
Knock into shape by beating
She managed to beat out all the dents in the fender.
Bear with
Put up with, make allowance for
To fall back on something, fall back upon
Rely on, have recourse to
To fall through
Fail, miscarry
Vested Interests
A personal stake in something
Meaningful dialogue
Serious and important debate
Turn to account
Use for one’s benefit
To beat the air / beat the wind
Continue to make futile attempts, fight to no purpose
To break a lance with
To engage in a competition, battle, confrontation, usually with someone or something
To foul of (foul play)
Unfair or treacherous action
To keep open house
To entertain friends at all times, to be hospitable
Out of countenance
Uneasy, ashamed
Got up to
Get up to be involved in (typically something suspicious)
To have a finger in the pie
Have an interest in or meddle in something
When all is said and done / after all is said and done
When everything is taken into account
Have an axe to grind
Have a private reason for doing or being involved in something
Turn a new leaf
Make a fresh start, change one’s conduct or attitude for the better
Burn the candle at both ends
Exhaust one’s energies or resources by leading a hectic life
Leave in the lurch
Desert or leave alone and in trouble, refuse to help or support someone
Goes without saying
Be self-evident, a matter of course
Like a red rag to a bull
To make a person or group very angry
Not have a leg to stand on
Have no facts or sound reasons to support one’s argument or justify one’s actions
Under the thumb of
Controlled or dominated by someone
The writing is on the wall / handwriting on the wall
Clear signs that something is going to happen
To sow one’s wild oats
Behave foolishly, immoderately or promiscuously when young
A storm in a teacup
Great outrage or excitement about a trivial matter
To keep late hours
Stay awake until late at night
To throw cold water on
To discourage, to remove hope, deter
A cock and bull story
An unbelievable tale that is intended to deceive; a tall tale
To bear brunt of
Put up with the worst of some bad circumstance
Tied to apron strings
Too much under someone’s influence and control
To move heaven and earth
Exert the utmost effort
To rest on one’s laurels
Rely on one’s past achievements, especially as a way of avoiding the work needed to advance one’s status
Point-blank
Close enough to go directly to a target
In the doldrums
Showing no activity or development
On the dole
Registered as unemployed and receiving benefit from the government
At cross purposes
With aims or goals that conflict or interfere with one another
Cheek by jowl
In close intimacy, side by side
Succinctly
Characterised by clear, precise expression in a few words; concise and terse
Plain sailing
Smooth and easy progress
To beat the brunt of
Put up with the worst of some bad circumstance
To call a spade, a spade
To say exactly what you think without trying to hide your opinion
To fight shy of
Avoid meeting or confronting someone
To cry over the spilt milk
To waste time worrying about something that has happened that you cannot do anything about
To burn the candle at both ends
Exhaust one’s energies or resources by leading a hectic life
To rob Peter to pay Paul
To take money from one thing to use for something else
To the bull by the horns
To face a difficult or dangerous situation directly and with courage.
Play to the gallery
To say what you think people want to hear in order to gain popularity
Holding out the olive branch
Something you say or do to show you wish to make peace with somebody
To make out
To see, hear, understand someone or something with difficulty.
Acid test
A way of deciding whether something is successful or true
Bad hat
A scoundrel
In a blue funk
Very frightened
To die in a harness
Expire while working, keep working to the end
Dead as a door nail / dead as a dodo
Completely dead
To raise cain
Create trouble or a commotion
To carry the day
Win, prevail
Take down a peg
To make somebody realise that they are not as good, important as they think they are
To monkey around with something
To touch, change or treat something in a careless or harmful way
In hot water
To be in trouble
Petticoat government
Dominance of women at home or in politics
To pull yourself together
To take control of your feelings and behave in a calm way
To rise from the ranks / through the ranks
Work one’s way to the top
To rub shoulders with
Come in contact with
