2601-2800 Flashcards
tear a strip off
If youtear a strip off someone,you reprimand them severely for doing something wrong.
in retrospect
This expression refers to a past situation or event, particularly if your present opinion is different from the one you had at the time.
get wires crossed
If peopleget their wires crossed,they misunderstand each other or are confused about what was said.
on paper
To say that an idea, plan or scheme seems goodon papermeans that it looks good in theory or in writing but may not work when put into practice.
drop like a hotpotato
If youdrop someone or something like a hot potato, you leave them or immediately stop associating with them.
speak volumes
If somethingspeaks volumes, it expresses a reaction or opinion very clearly, with no need for words.
hope against hope
If youhope against hope,you continue to hope even when the situation looks bad.
stick something out
If youstick something out,you continue to endure it in spite of the difficulties or unpleasant aspects of the situation.
rushed off yourfeet
If you arerushed off your feet, you are extremely busy.
out of harm’s way
If you put somethingout of harm’s way, you put it in a safe place where it won’t be damaged.
in the bag
People use this expression when it becomes obvious that success or victory is going to be achieved.
not give the time of day
If you dislike someone so strongly that you ignore them and refuse to speak to them, you donot give them the time of day.
up in the air
If something, such as a plan or decision, isup in the air, it has not been decided or settled yet.
grasp at straws
If you are in a desperate situation and yougrasp at straws,you try any method, even if it has little chance of success, in an attempt to find a solution.
put the kibosh on
If you do something to prevent a plan or activity from happening or developing, youput the kibosh on it.
byvirtueof
The termby virtue ofmeans ‘due to’, ‘because of’ or ‘on account of’ something.
come up roses
If thingscome up roses, the end result is successful or positive, even if there were difficult times.
put the cart before the horse
A person whoputs the cart before the horseis doing things in the wrong order.
ways and means
To say that there areways and meansof achieving something means that there are several methods which will produce the desired result.
rub shoulders with
If yourub shoulderswith someone, you have an opportunity to meet and talk to that person, especially someone wealthy, famous or distinguished.
throw goodmoneyafter bad
Someone who spends additional money on something that was already considered a bad investment is said tothrow good money after bad.
crooked as a dog’s hind leg
To say that someone is ascrooked as a dog’s hind legmeans that they are very dishonest indeed.
wide off the mark
If something is (or falls)wide off the mark,it is incorrect or inadequate, or it is not what was expected.
hairy at the heel
A person who ishairy at the heelis thought to be untrustworthy or even dangerous.
pink elephants
This term refers to hallucinations or strange imaginary things seen by people as a result of heavy drinking or the use of narcotics.
hidden agenda
If a person or organisation has ahidden agenda, they have hidden interests or ulterior motives.
rob Peter to pay Paul
If someonerobs Peter to pay Paul,they pay one debt with money borrowed from someone else, thus creating another debt.
pocket of resistance
A small group of people you resist change or disagree with a proposal forma pocket of resistance.
cloud on the horizon
A problem or difficulty that is predictable, or seems likely to arise in the future, is called acloud on the horizon.
(press) panic button
If youhit or press the panic button, you raise the alarm too quickly or react too hastily in a difficult or stressful situation.
reach for themoon
If youreach for the moon,you are very ambitious and try to achieve something even it it is difficult.
common knowledge
When information is well-known to everyone (particularly in a community or group), it is calledcommon knowledge.
make flesh/skin crawl
Something thatmakes your flesh(orskin)crawlfills you with disgust or makes you feel very nervous.
show of hands
Ashow of handsis a method of voting where people give their opinion by raising a hand.
at will
When it is possible to do somethingat will, you can do it as and when you please, wherever and whenever you wish, without limit or restriction.
know which side your bread is buttered
If you knowwhich side your bread is buttered, you know where your interests lie or what will be to your advantage.
strange bedfellows
This expression refers to the unusual or unlikely association of two or more people, companies or states.
par for the course
If something ispar for the course, it is typical of what to expect in that particular situation.
play into someone’s hands
If youplay into someone’s hands,you do exactly what your opponent or enemy wants you to do, so that they gain an advantage over you.
put lipstick on apig
This expression means that to ‘dress up’ something unappealing or ugly, in a vain attempt to make it look better, islike putting lipstick on a pig.
apple-pie order
If something isin apple-pie order, it is well organised or in perfect order.
stiff upper lip
If someonekeeps a stiff upper lip,they contain their emotion and do not let others see their feelings.
take in good part
A person whotakes something in good partreacts to it in a good-humoured way, without taking offence.
throw awobbly / wobbler
When someone, usually a capricious person,throws a wobbly, they have a fit of nerves or bad temper and lose all self-control.
breathe down someone’s neck
If someone isbreathing down your neck, they are watching you too closely and making you feel uncomfortable.
(you can’t)unringa bell
This expression means that you cannot undo what has been done, so you must live with the consequences of your actions.
good walls make good neighbours
This expression means that respecting one another’s privacy helps create a good relationship between neighbours.
gentleman’s agreement
When an agreement is neither written nor signed, because the two parties trust each other completely, it is called a gentleman’s agreement.
(not) give house room
If you refuse togive house roomto someone or something, you do not accept them into your home because you dislike or disapprove of them.
not to besneezedat
Something that isnot to be sneezed atshould not be rejected or refused.
je ne sais quoi
This expression (in French: ‘I don’t know what’) is used to refer to a good quality that is difficult to describe.
never looked back
If you say that younever looked back, you mean that after an event which changed your life for the better, you continue to be happy with the situation.
honour among thieves
This expression means that even criminals have a sense of loyalty and they respect a certain code of behaviour.
beat someone to the draw
If youbeat someone to the draw, you react more quickly and manage to do something before they do.
see in a newlight
If yousee something in a new light,you view it in a way that makes you change the opinion you had before.
to a fault
To say that someone has a good qualityto a faultmeans that they have a lot, or even too much, of that quality.
make cold calls
If youmake cold calls,you telephone potential customers from a list of people you do now know.
clean slate
Aclean slateis a record of your work or actions that does not show past mistakes and allows you to make a fresh start.
in theworks
If something isin the works,it is currently being prepared or planned.
close shave
This term describes a situation where an accident or a disaster nearly happened.
mind/watch your language
This is said to warn someone to be careful what they say so as not to upset or offend anyone.
from thewordgo
This expression means from the very beginning of an activity.
more power to elbow
This is said to express praise or encouragement to someone for doing something.
half an eye
If you have or keephalf an eyeon something, you watch it without giving it your full attention.
throw in the towel
If youthrow in the towel, you admit that you cannot succeed.
see colour of someone’smoney
If you want tosee the colour of somebody’s money,you want to be sure that the person in question has enough money to pay you before you accept to do something.
herd mentality
People with theherd mentalitytend to do what everyone else does, no matter how ridiculous or stupid.
cross the line
If youcross the line, you go beyond the authorized limits and do something which is not acceptable.
elbow grease
If you useelbow grease, you need energy and strength to do physical work such as cleaning or polishing.
bitterpillto swallow
Abitter pill to swallowis something very difficult or unpleasant to accept.
give a piece of your mind
If you tell someone exactly what you think, in a very angry manner, yougive them a piece of your mind.
drop like flies
If peopledrop like flies, they fall ill or die in large numbers.
step into the breach
If youstep into the breach,you do work that someone else is unexpectedly unable to do.
champ at the bit
Someone who ischamping at the bitis ready and eager to start an activity, and is showing impatience at being delayed.
trial balloon
If you test something such as an idea, a project or a product, to see how people respond to it, yousend up a trial balloon.
in smooth waters
A business or operation that isin smooth watersis making regular and easy progress.
talk the hind leg off a donkey
This expression is used to describe a very talkative person.
take the floor
When someonetakes the floor,they rise to make a speech or presentation.
put two and two together
A person who canput two and two togetheris capable of reaching the right conclusion based on the information they have.
pull no punches
If someonepulls no punches, they speak openly and honestly, holding nothing back.
recharge one’s batteries
When yourecharge your batteries,you take a break from a tiring or stressful activity in order to relax and recover your energy.
shed light
If youshed lighton something, you help to explain it or make it easier to understand.
going places
To say that someone isgoing placesmeans that they show talent and ability that will no doubt lead to a successful future.
stuck in atimewarp
Something that has not changed at all from some time in the past, when everything else has, is caught orstuck in a time warp.
cut the ground from under someone’s feet
When someonecuts the ground from under another’s feet, they do something which weakens their position or spoils theiir plans.
a thin line
When there isa thin(orfine)linebetween feeling or situations, there is a point where it is difficult to distinguish between them.
get/take flak
If yougetortake flak, you receive severe criticism for something you have done.
dust has settled
To say that thedust has settledmeans that the situation has become calmer after a series of unpleasant or chaotic events.
play a waiting game
If youplay a waiting game, you deliberately delay taking action in order to be able to act more effectively later.
get worked up
If youget worked upabout something, you become upset, annoyed or excited, often unnecessarily.
head over heels in love
When a person falls passionately in love with another, they are said to behead over heels in love.
in aworldof your own
If you arein a world of your own,you are so preoccupied by your own concerns that you are unaware of what is happening around you.
get your act together
If you tell someone toget their act together, you mean that they need to organise their affairs more effectively in order to be more successful.
old dog for hard road
This expression means that experience is invaluable when one is faced with a difficult task.
business as usual
After an unpleasant or unexpected event, this expression means that everything is continuing in a normal way, in spite of the difficulties.
let one’s hair down
If you suggest that someone shouldlet their hair down, you are telling them to relax and enjoy themselves.
best bet
The action most likely to succeed is called one’sbest bet.
piece of cake
To refer to something asa piece of cakemeans that you consider it to be very easy.
on cloudnine
A person who ison cloud nineis very happy because something wonderful has happened.
with onevoice
Two or more groups or organisations who are in complete agreement are said to speakwith one voice.
make a mountain out of a molehill
If someonemakes a mountain out of a molehill,they make a small, unimportant problem seem much more serious than it is.
knuckle down to
If someoneknuckles down to something, they start to work on it seriously.
think outside the box
People whothink outside the boxtry to find innovative ideas or solutions.
kangaroo court
Akangaroo courtis an illegal tribunal set up by a group of people who have taken the law into their own hands and conduct trials which deny fundamental justice.
catch as catch can
This expression means that you try to get something in any way possible.
take the bull by the horns
Totake the bull by the hornsmeans that a person decides to act decisively in order to deal with a difficult situation or problem.
break out in cold sweat
If youbreak out in a cold sweat, you begin to perspire a lot, usually from anxiety.
throw it over the wall
If someonethrows something over the wall,they deal with part of a problem or project, then pass the responsibility to another person or department without any communication or coordination.
pervert the course of justice
If a personperverts the course of justice,they tell a lie or prevent the police from finding out the truth about something.
take one’s cue
When youtake your cuefrom someone, you wait for a signal or follow someone’s example, so as to know what to do yourself or when to act.
nothing ventured, nothing gained
You cannot expect to achieve anything is you risk nothing.
turn up one’s nose
If youturn up your noseat something, you reject it because you think it is not good enough for you.
jump to conclusions
A person whojumps to conclusionsreaches a decision or makes a judgement too fast, before taking the time to check out all the facts.
dressed up to the nines
Someonedressed up to the ninesis wearing very smart or glamorous clothes.
tide has turned
When a trend has changed from one thing to another,the tide has turned.
chop and change
If youchop and change, you constantly change your opinion, plans or methods and often cause confusion.
take the sting out of something
If youtake the sting out of something,you manage to reduce the severity or unpleasantness of something.
throwdustin eyes
If youthrow dust in someone’s eyes, you prevent them from seeing the truth by misleading them.
all systems go
When everything is ready for an activity or event to begin, you can say that’all systems go’.
go great guns
If someone or something isgoing great guns,they are doing very well.
tick the right boxes
If somethingticks all the right boxes,it is perfect for you because it meets all your criteria.
short shrift
If someone or somethinggets short shrift,they are given little attention or sympathy.
take the easy way out
If youtake the easy way out, you choose the easiest way to deal with a difficult situation, even if it is not the best solution.
remains to be seen
If something is still unknown or a decision has not yet been taken, itremains to be seen.
grease the skids
When yougrease the skids, you facilitate something or smooth the way for its success.
miss the boat
If youmiss the boat, you fail to take advantage of an opportunity because you don’t act quickly enough.
put words in mouth
If you claim that someone has said something, or suggest what they should say, you areputting words in their mouth.
weal and woe
This expression refers to the good and bad times, the joys and sorrows, or prosperity and misfortune.
touch and go
If something istouch-and-go, the outcome or result is uncertain.
up for grabs
If something isup for grabs, it is available for anyone who wants to compete for it.
hit/strike pay dirt
If youhit pay dirt, you are lucky and suddenly find yourself in a successful money-making situation.
sugar the pill
If yousugar the pill,you try to make some unpleasant news more acceptable by saying something pleasant at the same time.
bow and scrape
To say that someone isbowing and scrapingmeans that they are being excessively polite or servile.
seeing is believing
This expression means that when you see something you can be sure it exists, or that what you have been told is really true.
put pants on one leg at a time
To say that someoneputs their pants on one leg at a timemeans that the person is a human being no different from enyone else.
smokestack industry
Industries involved in heavy manufacturing such as the production of iron and steel, especially if they cause a lot of pollution, are calledsmokestack industries.
answer the call of nature / nature’s call
When a personanswers the call of nature, they go to the toilet.
carry the torch
If youcarry the torch, you have strong feelings for someone with whom you do not or cannot have a relationship.
no accounting for taste
This expression is used to indicate surprise at another person’s likes or dislikes.
state of the art
If something is described asstate-of-the-art,it is the most advanced model currently available, incorporating the latest and best technology.
fact of the matter is
This expression is used to emphasize the reality of a situation, or what is really true.
chew the fat
If youchew the fatwith somebody, you chat in an informal way about unimportant things.
rule of thumb
Arule of thumbis a general rule which is a handy way of measuring or calculating something.
kick up a fuss
A person whokicks up a fusscreates a disturbance, especially by complaining or protesting about something.
meet-and-greet
This term refers to a reception (often informal) where a public figure or important person can introduce themselves and talk to the guests.
mind your own business!(rude)
Telling someone tomind their own businessis a (rude) way of saying that they are too interested in what others are doing, or that they are interfering in something that does not concern them.
lion’s share
Thelion’s shareof something is the largest portion, or the best part.
drop like a hot potato
If youdropsomeone or somethinglike a hot potato, you leave them or immediately stop associating with them.
first out of the gate
If you arefirst out of the gate,you are the first to make a start at something that others have also accepted to do.
far from me be it
This expression means that the speaker does not feel in a position to say or do something.
give the rough edge of your tongue
If yougive the (rough) edge of your tongue, you scold someone severely or speak to them very aggressively or rudely.
raise eyebrows
Someone whoraises their eyebrowsat something shows surprise or disapproval by the expression on their face.
can’t put newwinein old bottles
This expression means that you should not try to combine new concepts or innovations with an old or long-established framework or system.
jog someone’s memory
When you help someone to remember something they have forgotten, youjog their memory.
nailing jelly to the wall
To say that something is likenailing jelly to the wall means that it is extremely difficult to do, if not impossible.
luck of the draw
To refer to something that happens asthe luck of the drawmeans that it is the result of pure chance, with no possibility of choice.
last straw
This expression means that this is the latest unpleasant event and that you cannot tolerate the situation any longer.
put out feelers
Before doing something, if you try to discover what other people thnk about it by making discreet enquiries, youput out feelers.
walking on air
When you are happy and excited because of a pleasant event that makes you feel as if you are floating, you arewalking on air.
wet behind the ears
Somebody who iswet behind the earsis inexperienced or immature.
sit up and take notice
A person whosits up and takes noticebecome alert and attentive.
gnomes of Zurich
This is a disparaging term for Swiss bankers who control a lot of money, are said to be uninterested in the provenance of funds and protect their clients’ identity.
burn your fingers
If youburn your fingers(orget your fingers burnt), you suffer financially as a result of foolish behaviour.
just what the doctor ordered
If something isjust what the doctor ordered, it is exactly what is needed and will make you feel better.
rear its ugly head
If something unpleasant reappears after lying dormant for some time, itrears its ugly head.
keep body and soul together
If someone is able tokeep body and soul together, they manage to survive.
crocodile tears
To shedcrocodile tearsmeans to shed false tears or show insincere grief.
all ears
To say that you areall earsmeans that you are listening very attentively.
thorny issue
If you are faced witha thorny issue,you have to deal with a difficult or unpleasant problem.
happy camper
Someone who is ahappy camperis generally content or satisfied with what is happening in their lives and has no complaints.
big cheese
This expression refers to a person who has a lot of power and influence in an organisation.
led by the nose
Someone who isled by the noseis dominated or controlled by a person or group who makes them do exactly what they want.
theworsefor wear
If someone or something isthe worse for wear,they are in poor condition, either worn, damaged or tired.
cost the earth
If somethingcosts the earth, it is very expensive indeed.
in inverted commas
When describing something, if you use a word which you say is ‘in inverted commas’, you indicate that the word is not quite true or appropriate.
hard to come by
Something that ishard to come byis rare or difficult to find.
long in the tooth
A person who islong in the toothis a bit too old to do something.
hook, line and sinker
If you fall for a story or an explanationhook, line and sinker, you completely believe it.
wolf in sheep’s clothing
To describe someone asa wolf in sheep’s clothingmeans that although they look harmless, they are really very dangerous.
chinwag
If youhave a chinwagwith someone, you have an opportunity to chat with each other.
six of one and half a dozen of the other
This expression means that there is no real difference between two choices; both are equally good or equally bad.
paper over cracks
To say that someone ispapering over the cracksmeans that they are concealing a problem rather than dealing with it effectively.
line of least resistance
If you opt forthe line of least resistance, you choose the easiest way of doing something.
eat humblepie
If youeat humble pie,you are forced to admit that you were wrong and apologize.
take your mind off
If an activitytakes your mind off somethingthat is worrying you, it helps you to stop thinking about it for a while.
rant and rave
If yourant and raveabout something, you protest noisily and forcefully.
doom and gloom
A general atmosphere of pessimism, and a feeling that the situation is not going to improve, is referred to asdoom and gloom.
fine tuning
Small changes to something to improve it or make it work better are calledfine tuning.
burning question
What everyone is asking, and what we all want to know about, is called theburning question.
home truths
If you tell somebody somehome truths, you tell them some unpleasant facts about themselves which are often difficult to accept.
safe hands
If something isin safe hands, it is being looked after by a reliable person or organisation, and is therefore at no risk.
sell down the river
If yousell someone down the river,you betray a person who trusts you.
forewarned is forearmed
This expression means that if you know something is going to happen, you can be prepared for it.
hold your breath
If someone isholding their breath,they are waiting anxiously or excitedly for something to happen or be announced.
kiss goodbye to something
If you accept as certain that you will not get something that you want, youkiss (orsay) goodbye to it.
neck and neck
In a contest or competition, when two competitors reach the same level, they areneck and neck, so it is impossible to say who will win.
in someone’s good/bad books
If you arein somebody’s good or bad books, you have their approval or disapproval.
learning curve
The length of time needed to learn something new is called thelearning curve.
go against the tide
If yougo against the tide(or thestream), you refuse to conform to current trends, or the opinions or behaviour of other people.
change horses in midstream
If youchange horses in midstream, you change your plan, or choose a new leader, in the middle of an important activity.
