2201-2400 Flashcards
wool-gathering
A person who iswool-gatheringis daydreaming and not concentrating on what his happening; their thoughts are elsewhere.
cutting edge
This expression refers to the newest, most advanced stage in the development of something.
plan B
Plan Bis an alternative solution to be adopted if one’s original plan does not succeed.
pass muster
If someone or somethingpasses muster,they are considered to be satisfactory or acceptable.
backhanded compliment
A remark that appears to express admiration but could also be interpreted as an insult is called abackhanded compliment.
go through the motions
If someonegoes through the motions, they do something because they have to, but without enthusiasm.
fraught with danger
An activity or situation that is fraught with dangeris full of risks or serious difficulties.
stew in your own juice
If you let someonestew in their own juice,you leave them to worry about the consequences of their own actions.
catch somebody’s eye
If someonecatches you eye, you find them attractive.
live beyond means
If someonelives beyond their means,they spend more money than they earn or can afford.
use one’s noodle
If youuse your noodle,you use your brain or your common sense.
look a sight
If a personlooks a sight,their appearance is awful, unsuitable or very untidy.
put two and two together
Toput two and two together means to reach the right conclusion based on the information you have.
penny for your thoughts
This phrase is used to ask someone what they are thinking about.
make yourearsburn
If somethingmakes your ears burn,you are embarrassed by what you hear, especially if the conversation is about you.
kick yourself
If you feel likekicking yourself,you are angry with yourself for something you have or have not done.
done and dusted
When a project, task or activity isdone and dusted, it is completely finished or ready.
go out the window
If a quality, principle or opportunitygoes out the window,it disappears, is lost or is abandoned.
break a leg!
This is a humorous way of wishing someone good luck, especially among stage performers.
shopping therapy
This term refers to the idea that buying things can make you feel better.
make hackles rise
If someone or somethingmakes your hackles rise,they make you angry.
better late than never
When someone does something late, this remark means that it is better to do it late than not do it at all.
fast talker
A person who speaks quickly and easily but cannot always be trusted is called afast talker.
take in your stride
When, in a difficult situation, youtake things in your stride, you deal with the situation calmly and without any special effort.
snowed under
Someone who issnowed underhas so many things to do, usually work, that they unable to cope with it all.
think better of it
If youthink better ofsomething, you decide not to do something that you intended to do.
dumbing down
If something, such as a television programme or a film production, isdumbed down,it is deliberately made less intelligent or less demanding in order to attract a larger audience.
raring to go
If someone israring to go, they are very eager and enthusiastic about the idea of doing something.
in the doldrums
To say that a person, a business or the economy in general isin the doldrumsmeans that the situation is gloomy and that nothing new is happening.
get the jitters
If yougetorhave the jitters, especially before an important event, you become very nervous or anxious and begin to shake.
moot point
A subject which gives rise to argument or debate is called amoot point.
pretty as a picture
Someone who is (as) “pretty as a picture’ is very attractive or appealing in appearance.
goodwallsmake good neighbours
This expression means that respecting one another’s privacy helps create a good relationship between neighbours.
keep your shirt on!
If you tell somebody tokeep their shirt on, you are asking them to calm down.
gut feeling
Ifyou have a gut feelingabout something, you have a strong intuition that you cannot explain, but you’re sure that you are right.
big fish in a small pond
This term refers to an important or highly-ranked person in a small group or organisation.
in words of one syllable
If you explain somethingin words of one syllable,you use very simple language.
look the picture of health
Tolook the picture of healthmeans to look extremely healthy.
a storm in a teacup
To refer to something asa storm in a teacupmeans that people are making a lot of unnecessary fuss or getting excited about something unimportant.
head start
If you have ahead start, you have an advantage that enables you to make progress more quickly and have a greater chance of success.
chicken out
If youchicken outof something, you decide not to do something because you are afraid.
on thespurof the moment
If you do somethingon the spur of the moment,you do it as soon as you think of it, spontaneously, without any planning.
break theice
A person whobreaks the iceis someone who does or says something to make people relax in an uncomfortable situation.
backseat driver
A passenger in a car who gives unwanted advice to the driver is called abackseat driver.
bottomline
If you use the termbottom linein an explanation or discussion , you refer to the most essential point or the conclusion reached.
bite the hand that feeds you
If youbite the hand that feeds you, you are unfriendly or do harm to someone who is kind to you.
blind alley
If you go up ablind alley, you follow an ineffective course of action which leads nowhere or produces no results.
put in a good word
If youput in a good wordfor someone, you say positive things in support of that person in order to help them.
get theshowon the road
If you manage to put a plan or idea into action, youget the show on the road.
come out of the woodwork
When things, or people,come out of the woodwork, they appear or emerge unexpectedly, as if from nowhere, and usually in large numbers.
shopping spree
If you go ona shopping spree, you enjoy a lively outing, usually with much spending of money.
identity theft
The crime of using another person’s personal information (name, credit card number, etc.
before the ink is dry
If people reach an agreement, and then change their minds immediately afterwards, the change occurs’before the ink is dry’.
cross your mind
If an idea or thoughtcrosses your mind, you suddenly think of it.
steal the show
A person whosteals the showgets more attention or praise than the other participants.
all along
If something has existed or been somewhereall along, it has been there all the time, from the beginning.
glutton for punishment
If you say that someone isa glutton for punishment, you express your surprise that they continue to do something which they find unpleasant or difficult.
above and beyond the call ofduty
If a person does something which isover and above the call of duty, they show a greater degree of courage or effort than is usually required or expected in their job.
top dog
To say that a person, group or country istop dogmeans that they are better or more powerful than others.
get off my back!
If you tell someone toget offyour back, you are annoyed and ask them to stop finding faults or criticizing you.
gloves are off
This expression is used when there are signs that a fight is about to start.
all things to all people
If you areall things to all people, you please or satisfy everyone.
(no) spring chicken
To say that someone isno spring chickenmeans that they are quite old or well past their youth.
it never rains but it pours
This expression is used to comment on the fact that when something bad happens, other bad things often happen too, and make the situation even worse.
buckle down
If youbuckle down, you apply yourself with determination to hard work and give it hour full attention.
save your breath
If you tell someone tosave their breath, you are telling them not to waste their time speaking because their words will have no effect.
take adimview
If youtake a dim viewof something, you dislike or disapprove of it.
high and dry
If you areleft high and dry,you find yourself in a difficult situation without help or resources.
go/put through themill
If yougo(orare put)through the mill,you experience a very difficult period, or are exposed to rough treatment.
at loggerheads
If you areat loggerheadswith a person or organisation, you disagree very strongly with them.
heart misses a beat
If yourheart misses (orskips) a beat, you have sudden feeling of fear or excitement.
simplicity itself
Something that issimplicity itselfis extremely easy to do.
take stock of the situation
If youtake stock of a situationyou assess all the aspects in order to form an opinion.
lick and promise
If you give somethinga lick and a promise,you make a quick attempt to clean it, with the intention of doing it more thoroughly later.
get a rise out of
If you make someone react angrily by jokingly saying something that you know will irritate them, youget a rise out of them.
dead as a doornail
This expression is used to stress that a person or thing is very definitely dead.
on the up and up
A person who ison the up and upis becoming increasingly successful.
pick up steam
If a project or processpicks up steam,it starts to develop or become more active.
keep wolf from door
Tokeep the wolf from the dooryou need to have enough money to buy food and other basic essentials in order to survive.
make no bones about
If youmake no bones about something, you don’t hesitate to say what you think in a frank and open way.
there wasn’t a soul
To say thatthere wasn’t a soulmeans that there was nobody.
hustle and bustle
This term refers to busy energetic activity in an atmosphere of general excitement.
hitch one’s wagon to a star
Someone whohitches their wagon to a starhas great ambitions and is very determined to reach their goal.
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.
like something thecat dragged in
If you compare a person or thing tosomething the cat dragged in,you think they they look dirty, untidy or generally unappealing.
writing on the wall
This refers to a situation where there are signs showing that a problem is going to occur.
beat a hasty retreat
Someone whobeats a (hasty) retreatruns away or goes back hurriedly to avoid a dangerous or difficult situation.
eat thefrog/eat thatfrog!
This expression is used to encourage someone do the most difficult or most unpleasant task of the day first, before anything else, rather than avoiding or postponing it.
fall off the back of a lorry
Goods that havefallen off the back of a lorryare stolen goods.
hot under the collar
If you gethot under the collar,you feel annoyed, indignant or embarrassed.
make a monkey out of
If you humiliate someone by making them appear ridiculous or foolish, youmake a monkey(out) of that person.
on the QT
If something is doneon the QT, it is done quietly or discreetly.
walk on eggshells
If youwalk on eggshellswith someone, you are careful not to hurt or offend them.
spiral out of control
When difficulties or costsspiral out of control,they get worse or increase continuously, creating a situation that becomes difficult to manage.
long row to hoe
A difficult task, assignment or undertaking that will take a long time isa long row to hoe.
runs in the family
This refers to a physical or moral characteristic that is common to many members of a family.
blood out of a stone
This expression refers to something that is very difficult to obtain.
polish off
If youpolish something off,you finish it quickly or easily.
silver surfer
Asilver surferis an elderly person who uses the internet.
if you can’t stand the heat
The expression’if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen’means that if you feel there is too much pressure, you can leave.
hair’s breadth
If you avoid or miss somethingby a hair’s breadth, you only just manage to escape from a danger.
spare-part surgery
Spare-part surgeryrefers to surgery in which a diseased or non-functioning organ is replaced with a transplanted or artificial organ.
sticking point
Asticking pointis a controversial issue that causes an interruption or blocks progress in discussions or negotiations.
(not) do justice to
Something that does not show the true value of someone or something does notdo justice tothem/it.
take down apeg
If youtake someone down a peg,you make that person realize that they are not as important as they think they are.
light bulb moment
Alight bulb momentis when you have asudden moment of inspiration, comprehension or realization.
rough and ready
Something which is rough and readyis adequate but rather rudimentary or unrefined.
sight for sore eyes
This expression refers to a person or thing that you are happy to see.
touch base
If youtouch basewith someone, you make contact or renew communication with them.
fresh as a daisy
Someone who is(as) fresh as a daisyis lively and attractive, in a clean and fresh way.
hide multitude of sins
If somethinghides (or covers) a multitude of sins, it prevents people from seeing the less pleasant reality.
find one’s feet
To say that someone in a new position isfinding their feetmeans that they are learning what to do and gaining self-confidence.
scarce as hen’s teeth
To say that something isas scarce as hen’s teethemphasizes that it is extremely rare, to the point of non-existence.
can’t makeomelette
This expression means that it is impossible to make important changes without causing some unpleasant effects.
put a damper on
If someone or somethingputs a damperon a situation or event, they make it less successful or enjoyable.
sting someone for
If yousting someonefor an amount of money, you make them pay for something, usually in a deceitful manner.
take the bloom off something
If an incident or eventtakes the bloom off something,it spoils it or makes it less enjoyable.
hand in glove
Two or more people who are in collusion, or work in close association, are said to behand in glove.
fait accompli
This French expression refers to something that has been done and cannot be changed.
half the battle
This expression refers to a significant part of the effort or work needed to achieve something.
clap eyes on
If youclap eyes onsomeone or something, you actually see them.
get back intoshape
To get yourselfback into shape,you need to take exercise in order to become fit and healthy again.
whale of a time
When people havea whale of a time,they enjoy themselves a lot.
thin end of the wedge
To refer to an event or action as thethin end of the wedgemeans that it is thought to be the beginning of something that will become more serious.
wave a dead chicken
When faced with a serious problem, if you take steps that you know in advance will be futile, to show that you made an effort, youwave a dead chicken.
golden handshake
Agolden handshakeis a generous sum of money given to a person when they leave a company or retire (sometimes given to encourage early retirement).
wish the ground would swallow you up
When you are so embarrassed by something that you would like to disappear, youwish the ground would swallow you up.
get your fingers burnt
If someonegets their fingers burnt,they suffer as a result of an unsuccessful action and are nervous about trying again.
clean as a whistle
Somethingas clean as a whistleis extremely clean.
lame duck
A person or organisation in difficulty and unable to manage without help is calleda lame duck.
sitting pretty
Someone who issitting prettyis in a good or fortunate situation, especially compared to others who are not so lucky.
pick up the tab
If youpick up the tab, you pay the bill or pay the cost of something.
on the fly
If you do somethingon the fly,you do it quickly, without thinking much about it, while doing something else.
soften the blow
When someone tries tosoften the blow,they do something to make an unpleasant event or action easier to accept.
sticky fingers
Someone who hassticky fingershas a tendency to steal.
one-trackmind
Ifyou havea one-track mind,you have a tendency to think about only one subject.
two’s company, three’s a crowd
This is said of two people, particularly lovers, who would prefer to be alone together rather than to have someone else with them.
last thing on one’s mind
If you say that something isthe last thing on your mind,you mean that it is not an important matter at all, especially when you have more serious problems to consider.
golden opportunity
Agolden opportunityis a favourable time or an excellent occasion which should not be missed.
face like thunder
If someone has aface like thunder, they look very angry.
get someone’s drift
If youget someone’s drift, you understand in a general way what they are trying to say.
know someone inside out
If youknow someone inside out, you know them very well.
next to nothing
The term’next to nothing’means a very small amount or almost nothing.
pregnant pause
Apregnant pauseis a moment of silence full of unexpressed meaning.
barefacedliar
Someone who lies easily, with a total lack of shame, is called abarefaced liar.
dry asdust
Something that is asdry as dustis very dry indeed.
on thepig’sback
A person who ison the pig’s backis in a state of luck and everything is going well for them.
eagleeyes
Someone who haseagle eyessee or notices things more easily than others.
face value
If youtake something at its face value,you assume that it is genuinely what it appears to be.
whatever floats your boat
Although you don’t quite agree with someone, it’s their choice and you think they should so whatever makes them happy.
straightface
If youkeep a straight face, you look serious although you really want to laugh.
devil’s advocate
During a discussion or debate, if you playdevil’s advocate, you pretend to be against an idea or plan in order to determine the validity of the arguments in favour of it.
anotchabove
Something that isa notch abovesomething else is a little better in every way.
tongue-tied
If you aretongue-tied,you have difficulty in expressing yourself because you are nervous or embarrassed.
in one’s own sweet time
If you do somethingin your own sweet time,you take as long as you please to do it in spite of the orders or wishes of others.
running battle
If two people or groups havea running battlewith each other, they argue or disagree about something over a long period of time.
wear thin
Something that iswearing thinis decreasing or losing its interest.
not apatchon
If something or someone isnot a patch onan other, they are not nearly as good.
get the message
If youget the message, you understand what someone is trying to tell you, even if it is expressed in actions or gestures rather than words.
theworks
Something that hasthe workscontains everything that is possible, or the full range of options.
fish out of water
If you feellike a fish out of water, you feel uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings.
(not)lifta finger
Someone who doesnot lift a fingermakes no effort to help or provide assistance when it is needed.
headless chicken
If a person rushes aboutlike a headless chicken, they act in a disorderly way, without thinking or analyzing the situation carefully.
go against the grain
If somethinggoes against the grain, it is difficult to accept because it is very different from what is considered normal or natural.
last resort
To say that you would so something asa last resortmeans that it is the last thing you would do if you were desperate and all other courses of action had failed.
spoon feed
If a person isspoon-fed,they are helped too much rather than encouraged to think by themselves or use their own initiative.
beat/knock the (living) daylights
If a personbeats the (living) daylightsout of another, they hit them very hard and repeatedly.
wound up
If someone is so excited that they talk non-stop, they arewound up.
a cut above
Someone or something that is acut abovethe others is better or of higher quality.
about turn/about face
This term refers to a complete change of opinion or policy.
eyes in back of head
If someone haseyes in the back of their head, they are very observant and notice everything happening around them.
the mindboggles
The expression ‘themind boggles’ is used as a reaction to something you find amazing or difficult to understand.
hang out to dry
If you abandon someone who is in difficulty, without giving any assistance or support, youhang them out to dry.
sing a different tune
If somebodysings a different tune,they change their opinion about something, or their attitude towards something.
reduce to tears
If your behaviour or attitude makes someone cry, youreduce them to tears.
place in the sun
If you finda place in the sun,you reach a position which provides you with wealth and happiness, or whatever you have been hoping to obtain in life.
lip service
If youpay lip serviceto an idea or cause, you give verbal support or approval, but fail to actually do anything.
tongues are wagging
Whentongues are wagging,people are beginning to spread gossip or rumours, often about someone’s private life.
deep down
If you talk about how someone is, or feels,deep down, you are describing what they are like or what they really feel deep inside, behind the outward appearance.
scales fall from your eyes
When thescales fall from your eyes,you finally understand the truth about something.
free hand
If youhave a free hand, you have permission to make your own decisions, especially in a job.
in cahoots with someone
If one person isin cahootswith another, they are working in close partnership, usually conspiring to do something dishonest.
steal a march
If yousteal a march on someone,you do something in an unexpected or secret way that enables you to gain an advantage over them.
allshapesand sizes
Something that can be found in many different forms, types or varieties,comes in all shapes and sizes.
caughtred-handed
If a person iscaught red-handed,they are caught while they are doing something wrong or illegal.
cold turkey
This term means to immediately and completely stop an addictive substance, a regular activity or a behavioural pattern, instead of ending it gradually.
sink one’s teeth into
If yousink your teeth into something,you do it with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.
drop a bombshell
If youdrop a bombshell,you make an unexpected announcement which will greatly change a situation.
at odds
If one person isat oddswith another, they disagree with each other.
rise to the occasion
If yourise to the occasion,you manage to do something successfully in difficult circumstances.
in badshape
A person who isin bad shapeis in poor physical condition.
tie yourself up in knots
If youtie yourself up in knots, you become totally confused or confuse others when trying to explain something.
foot in the door
To say that someone has afoot in the doormeans that they have a small but successful start in something and will possibly do well in the future.
jump the lights
If you continue driving when the traffic lights turn red, youjump the lights.
by degrees
If something happens or developsby degrees, it happens gradually or little by little as time goes by.
have afingerin every pie
If someone has a finger in every pie, they are involved in many activities.
eyeson stalks
If youreyes are on stalkswhen you look at something, they are wide open with surprise or amazement.
close call
If something happens, or is avoided or missed, with very little margin, it is calleda close call.
put house in order
If you tell someone toput their house in order, you are saying that they should organise their own affairs or take care of their own problems before giving advice to other people.
automatic pilot
If you areon automatic pilot, you do something without thinking about it or having to pay attention, because you do it regularly.
