2001-2200 Flashcards
of no avail
Something which isof no availis not at all helpful or useful.
talk shop
If youtalk shop,you talk about your work or business in a social situation with someone you work with, and make the conversation boring for the others present.
go torackand ruin
If somethinggoes to rack and ruin,it deteriorates or falls into serious decline until it reaches a state of complete destruction.
thin on the top
If someone, usually a man, isthin on the top, they are losing their hair or going bald.
stand on ceremony
When peoplestand on ceremony,they behave in a very formal way.
come to grief
If someone or somethingcomes to grief, they either have an accident, are destroyed or end in failure.
take one’s life into one’s hands
To say that someone istaking their life in their handsmeans that they are taking the risk of being killed.
hold on for dear life
If youhold (orhang) on for dear life,you grip something firmly so as not to fall.
play possum
When someoneplays possum, they pretend to be dead or asleep in order to avoid something they don’t want to do.
keep head above water
To keepone’s head above watermeans to try to survive by staying out of debt, for example a small business.
safe bet
To say that something isa safe betmeans that it is very likely to happen.
watch like a hawk
If youwatch someone like a hawk,you keep your eyes on them or watch them very carefully.
help a lame dog
If youhelp a lame dog over a stile,you help someone who is in difficulty or trouble.
cheesed off
If someone ischeesed offwith something, they are annoyed, bored or frustrated.
make mincemeat of
If youmake mincemeat ofsomeone or something, you completely and utterly defeat or destroy them.
cap in hand
If you do somethingcap in hand, you ask for something in a very respectful manner.
good riddance!
This expression is used to express relief at becoming free of an unpleasant or unwanted person or thing.
hot potato
Ahot potato isa very sensitive and controversial matter which is difficult to deal with.
wildgoosechase
If someone is sent on awild goose chase, they waste their time looking for something that there is little chance of finding.
pillar to post
If a person, usually someone in difficulty, goesfrom pillar to post,they move constantly from place to place.
fall on one’ssword
If youfall on your sword, you accept the consequences of an unsuccessful or wrong action.
on thelevel
If you say that someone is on the level, you are referring to a truthful or honest person.
heavens open
When theheavens open, it suddenly starts to rain heavily.
hit the spot
If somethinghits the spot,it is exactly what is needed or wanted.
all told
All toldmeans the final number, when everything has been counted.
feel the pinch
When someonefeels the pinch, they begin to suffer from a lack of money.
blow up in your face
When working on a plan or project, if it suddenly goes wrong or fails, itblows up in your face.
gutter press
This term refers to newspapers that print a lot of sensational stories about people’s private lives.
get on your high horse
If youget on your high horse,you start behaving in a haughty manner, as though you should be treated with more respect.
under theweather
If you areunder the weather,you are not feeling very well.
work like a charm
If something such as a product or methodworks like a charm,it functions very well or has the desired effect.
twist in the wind
If someone is left totwist in the wind, they are left to face a difficult situation without any assistance or support.
die is cast
To say that thedie is castmeans that an irrevocable decision has been made that will determine the future.
loose end
A person who isat a loose endhas some spare time, and feels quite bored by having nothing in particular to do.
been there, done that
The expression is used to indicate that the speaker is familiar with the situation mentioned.
if the cap fits wear it
You can say’if the cap fits, wear it’to let someone know that the critical remark they have just heard applies to them.
up-to-the-minute
Something that isup-to-the-minuteis the very latest or most recent version available.
foul one’s own nest
If you act in a way that harms your own interests, your position or your reputation, youfoul your own nest.
life of riley
A person wholives the life of Rileyhas a comfortable and enjoyable life, without having to make much effort.
in the dark
If someone is kept or leftin the darkabout something, they are not informed about it.
throw a bone
If youthrow someone a bone,you say something kind or reward them in some way to make them feel good.
knee-high to a grasshopper
This term refers to a very young or small child.
on the dole
A person who receives financial assistance from the government when they are unemployed ison the dole.
ahead of thepack
If a person or organisation isahead of the pack,they are better or more successful than their rivals.
road rage
Aggressive driving habits sometimes resulting in violence against other drivers is calledroad rage.
on the back burner
If you put a project or issueon the back burner, you decide to deal with it at a later date because you do not consider it to be that urgent or important.
takes two to tango
You say this when you think that a difficult situation cannot be the fault of one person alone.
take your courage in both hands
If youtake your courage in both hands,you make yourself do something very brave.
wind up in the wrong hands
If somethingwinds up in the wrong hands,it comes into the possession of someone undesirable, for example an opponent or a competitor.
have you gone out of your mind?
If you ask someone if theyhave gone out of their mind,you think they are crazy, foolish or insane.
power behind the throne
Someone with no apparent authority who has great influence over the person officially in charge is said to bethepower behind the throne.
juggle frogs
A person who isjuggling frogsis trying to deal with many different tasks at the tame time and finding the situation difficult.
one hand washes the other (and together they wash the face)
This expression means that when people cooperate and work well together, there is a better chance of a achieving results.
keep a low profile
A person whokeeps a low profiletries not to attract public attention.
teeth chattering
Ifyour teeth are chattering,you are extremely cold.
dry (or dummy) run
If you organise a rehearsal, a trial exercise or a practice session of something, in realistic conditions, to see how well it will work before it is launched, you do adry run.
put therecordsstraight
If youput or set the records straight, you provide facts or an explanation to correct a mistake or misunderstanding.
trade secret
This term refers to the secrecy of a company’s production methods but is often used teasingly.
handbrake on a canoe
Is something isas much use as a handbrake on a canoe, it is completely useless or serves no purpose.
show one’s true colours
When a personshows their true colours, their behaviour reveals their real nature, with their qualities and/or weaknesses.
green fingers
To havegreen fingersmeans to be good at gardening.
breaking and entering
This term refers to the fact of entering a building or home illegally by breaking open a window, door, etc.
dwell on something
If someonedwells on something, they think or talk about it all the time.
cry one’seyesout
If youcry your eyes out, you cry a lot and for a long time.
none the wiser
If you do not know more about something after hearing or reading an explanation, or if you fail to find information on the subject, you arenone the wiser.
raining cats and dogs
If it’sraining cats and dogs, it is raining very heavily.
chance in a million
Achance in a millionis a very small chance, or no chance at all, that something will happen.
turn over a new leaf
If a personturns over a new leaf,they decide to change their behaviour and lead a better life.
take agander
If youtake or have a gander at something, which is generally new or unusual, you have a look at it or go to check it out.
rooted to the spot
If you are so shocked, surprised or scared that you arerooted to the spot, you reaction is so strong that you are unable to move.
smalldog, tall weeds
This expression is used to refer to someone who does not have the ability or the resources necessary to perform a task.
keep alidon
If youkeep the lid on something,you hide it or control it to prevent people from finding out about it.
hang in there
This expression is used to encourage someone to persevere and not give up in spite of the difficult circumstances.
number cruncher
This is a humorous way of referring to someone who is an accountant or who is very good at working with numbers and calculations.
olive branch
If a person or organisation holds outan olive branchto another, they show that they want to end a disagreement and make peace.
spinach cinema
Films that are neither exciting nor interesting but are considered educational or uplifting, in the same way as certain foods are good for your health, are referred to asspinach cinema.
if push comes to shove
The expression’if push comes to shove’refers to what you will do if the situation becomes critical and you have to take action.
suss out
If yoususs out something,such as a problem or a situation, you examine it and manage to understand it.
lose the plot
If a situation becomes so confusing that you are unable to understand what is happening or what you are supposed to do, youlose the plot.
broad strokes
If something is described or defined with/inbroad strokes, it is outlined in a very general way, without any details.
needs must (when the devil drives)
The expression’needs must (when the devil drives)’means that you are sometimes forced by circumstances to do something that you do not want to do.
noflieson (someone)
To say that there areno flies on someonemeans that they are quick to understand and cannot be tricked or deceived easily.
turn the tables
If youturn the tableson a person or organisation, you reverse the situation so as to be in a position of superiority.
life is just a bowl of cherries
This expression means that life is pleasant and uncomplicated.
beside thepoint
If something isbeside the point, it does not relate to the topic or is irrelevant.
keep yourshirton!
If you tell somebody tokeep their shirt on, you are asking them to calm down.
sign on dotted line
If yousign on the dotted line,you formally give your consent to something by signing an official document.
keepfeeton ground
A person whokeeps their feet on the groundcontinues to act in a sensible and practical way, even if they become successful.
get/give the all clear
If you are allowed to do something after a check-up to make sure that everything is all right, youget the all clear.
hear through the grapevine
If youhear of something through the grapevine, you learn about it informally, for example through friends or colleagues.
crying need
When there is a great lack of something which is urgently needed, there is acrying needfor it.
one-upmanship
This term refers to the art of gaining and keeping an advantage over other people.
law of the jungle
A situation in which people are prepared to use unscrupulous methods in order to succeed or survive is called thelaw of the jungle.
spin doctor
Aspin doctoris a press agent or a public relations officer employed to promote a favourable interpretation of events in business or politics.
punch above your weight
If youpunch above your weight, you try to perform at a level that is beyond your ability.
whistle-blower
If you report an illegal or socially harmful activity to the authorities, and give information about those responsible for it, you are awhistle-blower.
bandit territory
A geographical area where law enforcement is practically impossible, because people ignore all rules, is called ‘bandit territory’.
the pits
If something is referred to asthe pits,it is considered to be absolutely the worst.
blow hot and cold
If youblow hot and coldabout something, you constantly change your opinion about it.
out of your pocket
If you pay for somethingout of your own pocket, you cover the cost with your own money.
new lease of life
A person who has anew lease of lifehas a chance to live longer or with greater enjoyment or satisfaction.
turn a deafear
A person whoturns a deaf earto something such as a request or a complaint refuses to pay attention to it.
wise after the event
When someone realizes, after somethinghas happened, what could have been done to prevent it from happening, they arewise after the event.
pluck out of the air
Topluck something out of the airmeans to say a name, date, number, etc.
bag of tricks
If you use your (whole) bag of tricks to do something, you try (all) the clever methods you know in order to succeed.
(no)hardfeelings
If you haveno hard feelings,you feel no resentment or bitterness about something.
water down
If youwater downsomething such as a report, declaration or proposal, you try to make it weaker or less likely to cause anger.
have down pat
If you memorize or practice something until you know it perfectly or have it exactly right, you have it down pat.
live wire
Someone who is highly vivacious, energetic and full of enthusiasm is alive wire.
let offsteam
A person wholets off steamreleases surplus energy or strong feelings either through intense physical activity or by talking in an unrestrained manner.
know which way the wind is blowing
This expression means that it is advisable to know how a situation is developing in order to be prepared for any changes.
the world is youroyster
This expression means that you are free and able to enjoy the pleasures and opportunities that life has to offer.
light at end of tunnel
If you see light at the end of the tunnel,you see signs of hope for the future after a long period of difficulty.
jump down throat
If someonejumps down another person’s throat,they suddenly start shouting at them in a very angry manner.
explore all avenues
If youexplore all avenues, you try out every possibility in order to obtain a result or find a solution.
cut from the same cloth
If two people arecut from the same cloth, they are very similar in character or behaviour.
out of your depth
If you areout of your depth,you are unable to understand a subject or deal with a situation because it is too difficult for you.
get someone’sdrift
If youget someone’s drift, you understand in a general way what they are trying to say.
come to a bad end
If someonecomes to a bad end, their actions lead to disastrous consequences which are sometimes deserved or predictable.
stop at nothing
Someone who wouldstop at nothingwould do anything, even something illegal or immoral, to obtain what they want.
take unawares
If somethingtakes you unawares,it surprises you because you were not expecting it.
hit the nail on the head
When youhit the nail on the head,you are absolutely right about something or have guessed the exact nature of a problem or situation.
eagle eyes
Someone who haseagle eyessee or notices things more easily than others.
no-go area
Ano-go areais an area, particularly in a city, where it is dangerous to go.
hand in hand
If two or more thingsgohand in hand, they are associated or often happen at the same time.
look down one’s nose
If someonelooks down their noseat a person or thing, they consider that person or thing as inferior.
suit every pocket
This term refers to the amount of money you are able to spend or the price you can afford.
take shape
When something such as a plan or project begins totake shape,it starts to become organised and acquire a definite form.
go off on a tangent
If someonegoes off on a tangent, they change the subject completely in the middle of a speech or conversation.
bone of contention
Abone of contentionis a matter or subject about which there is a lot of disagreement.
by no stretch of the imagination
The expression’by no stretch of the imagination’means ‘however hard you may try to believe or imagine it’.
smooth the path
Tosmooth the pathfor something means to make progress easier or enable it to happen.
in the long run
This term refers to something that will have effect over or after a long period of time.
no holds barred
This expression, which derives from wrestling, is used to describe something done with no restraints, limits or rules of conduct.
an accomplished fact (also ‘fait accompli’)
Something that has been done or completed, before those affected by it can intervene or change it, is called anaccomplished fact.
trilemma
This term is used for a situation which is even more difficult than a dilemma, because a choice must be made between three options that seem equally undesirable.
hold the field
If somethingholds the field,it has not been replaced and remains valid or is still in use.
lose the thread
If youlose the threadof a conversation or story, you are unable to follow it.
lose your touch
If youlose your touch,youno longer have the ability to do something skillfully.
swim against the tide
A person who is doing or saying the opposite to most other people is said to beswimming against the tide.
stuck in a time warp
Something that has not changed at all from some time in the past, when everything else has, is caught orstuck in a time warp.
moremoneythan sense
If you havemore money than sense, you have a lot of money which you waste by spending it in a foolish manner.
foot in the grave
A person who is either very old or very ill and close to death has onefoot in the grave.
face like a wet week-end
If someone has aface like a wet week-end, they look sad and miserable.
flea in one’s ear
After an attempt at something, if you are sent away witha flea in your ear, you are angrily reprimanded or humiliated.
hit the airwaves
When someonehits the airwaves, they go on radio and/or TV to be interviewed or to promote something.
paint into a corner
If youpaint yourself into a corner, you put yourself into a situation that restricts what you can do or say.
fly off the handle
A person whoflies off the handlebecomes suddenly very angry.
(put) skin in the game
If youput skin in the game, you show your confidence in a company by making a considerable investment or afinancial commitment.
bear the brunt
A person whobears the bruntof something is the one who suffers the most when something bad or unpleasant happens.
go to extremes
People whogo to extremesbehave in a way that lacks moderation.
dice are loaded
If everything seems to work to your disadvantage, and you are not likely to succeed, thedice are loaded against you.
not the only pebble on the beach
To say that someone isnot the only pebble on the beachmeans that they are not the only person worth considering.
(at) first hand
If you experience something yourself directly, without any intermediary, you experience it(at) first hand.
same page/wavelength
If you areon the same pageorthe same wavelengthas someone else, you have the same understanding or think in a similar way.
dog in the manger
A person referred to as adog in the mangeris someone who stops others from enjoying something he/she cannot use or doesn’t want.
do a double take
Someone whodoes a double take looks again in surprise at something unexpected.
tail wagging the dog
This expression refers to a situation where there is a reversal of roles, with the small or minor element having a controlling influence on the most important element.
turn turtle
If a boatturns turtle,it capsizes or turns upside down in the water.
wheels fall off
When a situation gets out of control and everything starts to go wrong,the wheels fall off.
wipe the slate clean
If youwipe the slate clean,you make a fresh start and forget all past offences, disagreements or mistakes.
pull a fast one
Topull a fast onemeans to gain an advantage over someone by deceiving them.
get the sack / be sacked
If someonegets the sack, they lose their job, usually because they have done something wrong.
(not) havelegto stand on
To say that someonedoesn’t have a leg to standon means that they can’t prove what they say.
chink in someone’s armour
If someone has achink in their armour, they have a weakness that other people can take advantage of.
go through the roof
If someonegoes through the roof,they become very angry.
pack of lies
A large number of untruthful statements is referred to asa pack of lies.
bite one’s tongue
If youbite your tongue, you try not to say what you really think or feel.
go topieces
If yougo to pieces, for example after a terrible shock, you are so upset or distressed that you cannot lead a normal life.
hem and haw
When someonehems and haws,they are very evasive and avoid giving a clear answer.
(of) no fixed abode
A personof no fixed abode has nowhere permanent to live.
the picture of health
Someone wholooks the picture of healthlooks extremely healthy.
have something on the brain
If youhave something on the brain, you think or talk abut it all constantly.
on the mend
If someone or something ison the mend, they are improving after an illness or a difficult period.
nolovelost
To say that there is no love lostbetween two people or organisations means that they do not like each other at all.
no spring chicken
To say that someone isno spring chickenmeans that they are quite old or well past their youth.
not the brightest bulb in the box not the sharpest knife in the drawer not the sharpest tool in the shed
Sharp and bright both mean clever or intelligent.
up to par
If something isup to par,it meets the required standard.
soft spot
If youhave a soft spotfor someone or something, you particularly like them.
go down in history
This expression refers to an event that is so important or unusual that it will be recorded in history.
blind as a bat
Someone whose vision is very poor, or who is unable to see anything, is (as)blind as a bat.
skeleton staff/crew
If a business or organisation works witha skeleton staff,it is run with the smallest number of people necessary.
where theshoepinches
When people talk about’where the shoe pinches’, they are referring to an area that is often a source of problems or difficulties.
come into one’s own
When youcome into your own, you finally obtain rightful recognition of your ability or talent and begin to have success.
not have a stitch on
Someone who doesnot have a stitch onis wearing no clothes and is therefore completely naked.
high horse
If you geton your high horse, you start behaving in a haughty manner, as though you should be treated with more respect.
keep one’s feet on the ground
A person whokeeps their feet on the groundcontinues to act in a sensible and practical way, even if they become successful.
bats in the belfry
If you say that somebody hasbats in the belfry, you mean that they are eccentric or crazy.
give as good as you get
This expression means that you are prepared to treat people as badly as they treat you, and fight for your beliefs.
get on one’snerves
If youget on someone’s nerves,you annoy or irritate them a great deal.
all things being equal
This expression refers to a probable situation if, in all other ways, the conditions remain unchanged or equal.
bottom fell out
When something causes a plan, project or venture to collapse or fail, thebottom falls outof it.
play the market
If youplay the market, you buy stocks and shares in the hope of making a profit when you sell them.
shape up or ship out
This expression is used to warn someone that if they do not improve, they will have to leave their job.
moment of truth
A critical or decisive time when you face the reality of a situation, and find out if your efforts have succeeded, is called themoment of truth.
jaw drops
If someone’sjaw drops,they show total amazement.
get your hands dirty
If youget your hands dirtyin your job, you become involved in all aspects of it, including work that is physical, unpleasant or less interesting.
keep a level head
If youkeep a level head, you remain calm and sensible no matter how difficult or distressful the situation may be.
grey area
To refer to something asa grey areameans that it is not clear or easy to define, and is therefore difficult to deal with.
ants in one’s pants
People who haveants in their pantsare very restless or excited about something.
