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English idioms (without example) > 2601-2800 > Flashcards

2601-2800 Flashcards

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1
Q

tear a strip off

A

If youtear a strip off someone,you reprimand them severely for doing something wrong.

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2
Q

in retrospect

A

This expression refers to a past situation or event, particularly if your present opinion is different from the one you had at the time.

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3
Q

get wires crossed

A

If peopleget their wires crossed,they misunderstand each other or are confused about what was said.

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4
Q

on paper

A

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.

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5
Q

drop like a hotpotato

A

If youdrop someone or something like a hot potato, you leave them or immediately stop associating with them.

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6
Q

speak volumes

A

If somethingspeaks volumes, it expresses a reaction or opinion very clearly, with no need for words.

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7
Q

hope against hope

A

If youhope against hope,you continue to hope even when the situation looks bad.

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8
Q

stick something out

A

If youstick something out,you continue to endure it in spite of the difficulties or unpleasant aspects of the situation.

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9
Q

rushed off yourfeet

A

If you arerushed off your feet, you are extremely busy.

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10
Q

out of harm’s way

A

If you put somethingout of harm’s way, you put it in a safe place where it won’t be damaged.

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11
Q

in the bag

A

People use this expression when it becomes obvious that success or victory is going to be achieved.

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12
Q

not give the time of day

A

If you dislike someone so strongly that you ignore them and refuse to speak to them, you donot give them the time of day.

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13
Q

up in the air

A

If something, such as a plan or decision, isup in the air, it has not been decided or settled yet.

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14
Q

grasp at straws

A

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.

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15
Q

put the kibosh on

A

If you do something to prevent a plan or activity from happening or developing, youput the kibosh on it.

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16
Q

byvirtueof

A

The termby virtue ofmeans ‘due to’, ‘because of’ or ‘on account of’ something.

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17
Q

come up roses

A

If thingscome up roses, the end result is successful or positive, even if there were difficult times.

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18
Q

put the cart before the horse

A

A person whoputs the cart before the horseis doing things in the wrong order.

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19
Q

ways and means

A

To say that there areways and meansof achieving something means that there are several methods which will produce the desired result.

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20
Q

rub shoulders with

A

If yourub shoulderswith someone, you have an opportunity to meet and talk to that person, especially someone wealthy, famous or distinguished.

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21
Q

throw goodmoneyafter bad

A

Someone who spends additional money on something that was already considered a bad investment is said tothrow good money after bad.

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22
Q

crooked as a dog’s hind leg

A

To say that someone is ascrooked as a dog’s hind legmeans that they are very dishonest indeed.

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23
Q

wide off the mark

A

If something is (or falls)wide off the mark,it is incorrect or inadequate, or it is not what was expected.

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24
Q

hairy at the heel

A

A person who ishairy at the heelis thought to be untrustworthy or even dangerous.

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25
Q

pink elephants

A

This term refers to hallucinations or strange imaginary things seen by people as a result of heavy drinking or the use of narcotics.

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26
Q

hidden agenda

A

If a person or organisation has ahidden agenda, they have hidden interests or ulterior motives.

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27
Q

rob Peter to pay Paul

A

If someonerobs Peter to pay Paul,they pay one debt with money borrowed from someone else, thus creating another debt.

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28
Q

pocket of resistance

A

A small group of people you resist change or disagree with a proposal forma pocket of resistance.

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29
Q

cloud on the horizon

A

A problem or difficulty that is predictable, or seems likely to arise in the future, is called acloud on the horizon.

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30
Q

(press) panic button

A

If youhit or press the panic button, you raise the alarm too quickly or react too hastily in a difficult or stressful situation.

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31
Q

reach for themoon

A

If youreach for the moon,you are very ambitious and try to achieve something even it it is difficult.

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32
Q

common knowledge

A

When information is well-known to everyone (particularly in a community or group), it is calledcommon knowledge.

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33
Q

make flesh/skin crawl

A

Something thatmakes your flesh(orskin)crawlfills you with disgust or makes you feel very nervous.

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34
Q

show of hands

A

Ashow of handsis a method of voting where people give their opinion by raising a hand.

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35
Q

at will

A

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.

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36
Q

know which side your bread is buttered

A

If you knowwhich side your bread is buttered, you know where your interests lie or what will be to your advantage.

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37
Q

strange bedfellows

A

This expression refers to the unusual or unlikely association of two or more people, companies or states.

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38
Q

par for the course

A

If something ispar for the course, it is typical of what to expect in that particular situation.

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39
Q

play into someone’s hands

A

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.

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40
Q

put lipstick on apig

A

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.

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41
Q

apple-pie order

A

If something isin apple-pie order, it is well organised or in perfect order.

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42
Q

stiff upper lip

A

If someonekeeps a stiff upper lip,they contain their emotion and do not let others see their feelings.

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43
Q

take in good part

A

A person whotakes something in good partreacts to it in a good-humoured way, without taking offence.

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44
Q

throw awobbly / wobbler

A

When someone, usually a capricious person,throws a wobbly, they have a fit of nerves or bad temper and lose all self-control.

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45
Q

breathe down someone’s neck

A

If someone isbreathing down your neck, they are watching you too closely and making you feel uncomfortable.

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46
Q

(you can’t)unringa bell

A

This expression means that you cannot undo what has been done, so you must live with the consequences of your actions.

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47
Q

good walls make good neighbours

A

This expression means that respecting one another’s privacy helps create a good relationship between neighbours.

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48
Q

gentleman’s agreement

A

When an agreement is neither written nor signed, because the two parties trust each other completely, it is called a gentleman’s agreement.

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49
Q

(not) give house room

A

If you refuse togive house roomto someone or something, you do not accept them into your home because you dislike or disapprove of them.

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50
Q

not to besneezedat

A

Something that isnot to be sneezed atshould not be rejected or refused.

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51
Q

je ne sais quoi

A

This expression (in French: ‘I don’t know what’) is used to refer to a good quality that is difficult to describe.

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52
Q

never looked back

A

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.

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53
Q

honour among thieves

A

This expression means that even criminals have a sense of loyalty and they respect a certain code of behaviour.

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54
Q

beat someone to the draw

A

If youbeat someone to the draw, you react more quickly and manage to do something before they do.

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55
Q

see in a newlight

A

If yousee something in a new light,you view it in a way that makes you change the opinion you had before.

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56
Q

to a fault

A

To say that someone has a good qualityto a faultmeans that they have a lot, or even too much, of that quality.

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57
Q

make cold calls

A

If youmake cold calls,you telephone potential customers from a list of people you do now know.

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58
Q

clean slate

A

Aclean slateis a record of your work or actions that does not show past mistakes and allows you to make a fresh start.

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59
Q

in theworks

A

If something isin the works,it is currently being prepared or planned.

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60
Q

close shave

A

This term describes a situation where an accident or a disaster nearly happened.

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61
Q

mind/watch your language

A

This is said to warn someone to be careful what they say so as not to upset or offend anyone.

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62
Q

from thewordgo

A

This expression means from the very beginning of an activity.

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63
Q

more power to elbow

A

This is said to express praise or encouragement to someone for doing something.

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64
Q

half an eye

A

If you have or keephalf an eyeon something, you watch it without giving it your full attention.

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65
Q

throw in the towel

A

If youthrow in the towel, you admit that you cannot succeed.

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66
Q

see colour of someone’smoney

A

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.

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67
Q

herd mentality

A

People with theherd mentalitytend to do what everyone else does, no matter how ridiculous or stupid.

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68
Q

cross the line

A

If youcross the line, you go beyond the authorized limits and do something which is not acceptable.

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69
Q

elbow grease

A

If you useelbow grease, you need energy and strength to do physical work such as cleaning or polishing.

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70
Q

bitterpillto swallow

A

Abitter pill to swallowis something very difficult or unpleasant to accept.

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71
Q

give a piece of your mind

A

If you tell someone exactly what you think, in a very angry manner, yougive them a piece of your mind.

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72
Q

drop like flies

A

If peopledrop like flies, they fall ill or die in large numbers.

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73
Q

step into the breach

A

If youstep into the breach,you do work that someone else is unexpectedly unable to do.

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74
Q

champ at the bit

A

Someone who ischamping at the bitis ready and eager to start an activity, and is showing impatience at being delayed.

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75
Q

trial balloon

A

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.

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76
Q

in smooth waters

A

A business or operation that isin smooth watersis making regular and easy progress.

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77
Q

talk the hind leg off a donkey

A

This expression is used to describe a very talkative person.

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78
Q

take the floor

A

When someonetakes the floor,they rise to make a speech or presentation.

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79
Q

put two and two together

A

A person who canput two and two togetheris capable of reaching the right conclusion based on the information they have.

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80
Q

pull no punches

A

If someonepulls no punches, they speak openly and honestly, holding nothing back.

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81
Q

recharge one’s batteries

A

When yourecharge your batteries,you take a break from a tiring or stressful activity in order to relax and recover your energy.

82
Q

shed light

A

If youshed lighton something, you help to explain it or make it easier to understand.

83
Q

going places

A

To say that someone isgoing placesmeans that they show talent and ability that will no doubt lead to a successful future.

84
Q

stuck in atimewarp

A

Something that has not changed at all from some time in the past, when everything else has, is caught orstuck in a time warp.

85
Q

cut the ground from under someone’s feet

A

When someonecuts the ground from under another’s feet, they do something which weakens their position or spoils theiir plans.

86
Q

a thin line

A

When there isa thin(orfine)linebetween feeling or situations, there is a point where it is difficult to distinguish between them.

87
Q

get/take flak

A

If yougetortake flak, you receive severe criticism for something you have done.

88
Q

dust has settled

A

To say that thedust has settledmeans that the situation has become calmer after a series of unpleasant or chaotic events.

89
Q

play a waiting game

A

If youplay a waiting game, you deliberately delay taking action in order to be able to act more effectively later.

90
Q

get worked up

A

If youget worked upabout something, you become upset, annoyed or excited, often unnecessarily.

91
Q

head over heels in love

A

When a person falls passionately in love with another, they are said to behead over heels in love.

92
Q

in aworldof your own

A

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.

93
Q

get your act together

A

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.

94
Q

old dog for hard road

A

This expression means that experience is invaluable when one is faced with a difficult task.

95
Q

business as usual

A

After an unpleasant or unexpected event, this expression means that everything is continuing in a normal way, in spite of the difficulties.

96
Q

let one’s hair down

A

If you suggest that someone shouldlet their hair down, you are telling them to relax and enjoy themselves.

97
Q

best bet

A

The action most likely to succeed is called one’sbest bet.

98
Q

piece of cake

A

To refer to something asa piece of cakemeans that you consider it to be very easy.

99
Q

on cloudnine

A

A person who ison cloud nineis very happy because something wonderful has happened.

100
Q

with onevoice

A

Two or more groups or organisations who are in complete agreement are said to speakwith one voice.

101
Q

make a mountain out of a molehill

A

If someonemakes a mountain out of a molehill,they make a small, unimportant problem seem much more serious than it is.

102
Q

knuckle down to

A

If someoneknuckles down to something, they start to work on it seriously.

103
Q

think outside the box

A

People whothink outside the boxtry to find innovative ideas or solutions.

104
Q

kangaroo court

A

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.

105
Q

catch as catch can

A

This expression means that you try to get something in any way possible.

106
Q

take the bull by the horns

A

Totake the bull by the hornsmeans that a person decides to act decisively in order to deal with a difficult situation or problem.

107
Q

break out in cold sweat

A

If youbreak out in a cold sweat, you begin to perspire a lot, usually from anxiety.

108
Q

throw it over the wall

A

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.

109
Q

pervert the course of justice

A

If a personperverts the course of justice,they tell a lie or prevent the police from finding out the truth about something.

110
Q

take one’s cue

A

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.

111
Q

nothing ventured, nothing gained

A

You cannot expect to achieve anything is you risk nothing.

112
Q

turn up one’s nose

A

If youturn up your noseat something, you reject it because you think it is not good enough for you.

113
Q

jump to conclusions

A

A person whojumps to conclusionsreaches a decision or makes a judgement too fast, before taking the time to check out all the facts.

114
Q

dressed up to the nines

A

Someonedressed up to the ninesis wearing very smart or glamorous clothes.

115
Q

tide has turned

A

When a trend has changed from one thing to another,the tide has turned.

116
Q

chop and change

A

If youchop and change, you constantly change your opinion, plans or methods and often cause confusion.

117
Q

take the sting out of something

A

If youtake the sting out of something,you manage to reduce the severity or unpleasantness of something.

118
Q

throwdustin eyes

A

If youthrow dust in someone’s eyes, you prevent them from seeing the truth by misleading them.

119
Q

all systems go

A

When everything is ready for an activity or event to begin, you can say that’all systems go’.

120
Q

go great guns

A

If someone or something isgoing great guns,they are doing very well.

121
Q

tick the right boxes

A

If somethingticks all the right boxes,it is perfect for you because it meets all your criteria.

122
Q

short shrift

A

If someone or somethinggets short shrift,they are given little attention or sympathy.

123
Q

take the easy way out

A

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.

124
Q

remains to be seen

A

If something is still unknown or a decision has not yet been taken, itremains to be seen.

125
Q

grease the skids

A

When yougrease the skids, you facilitate something or smooth the way for its success.

126
Q

miss the boat

A

If youmiss the boat, you fail to take advantage of an opportunity because you don’t act quickly enough.

127
Q

put words in mouth

A

If you claim that someone has said something, or suggest what they should say, you areputting words in their mouth.

128
Q

weal and woe

A

This expression refers to the good and bad times, the joys and sorrows, or prosperity and misfortune.

129
Q

touch and go

A

If something istouch-and-go, the outcome or result is uncertain.

130
Q

up for grabs

A

If something isup for grabs, it is available for anyone who wants to compete for it.

131
Q

hit/strike pay dirt

A

If youhit pay dirt, you are lucky and suddenly find yourself in a successful money-making situation.

132
Q

sugar the pill

A

If yousugar the pill,you try to make some unpleasant news more acceptable by saying something pleasant at the same time.

133
Q

bow and scrape

A

To say that someone isbowing and scrapingmeans that they are being excessively polite or servile.

134
Q

seeing is believing

A

This expression means that when you see something you can be sure it exists, or that what you have been told is really true.

135
Q

put pants on one leg at a time

A

To say that someoneputs their pants on one leg at a timemeans that the person is a human being no different from enyone else.

136
Q

smokestack industry

A

Industries involved in heavy manufacturing such as the production of iron and steel, especially if they cause a lot of pollution, are calledsmokestack industries.

137
Q

answer the call of nature / nature’s call

A

When a personanswers the call of nature, they go to the toilet.

138
Q

carry the torch

A

If youcarry the torch, you have strong feelings for someone with whom you do not or cannot have a relationship.

139
Q

no accounting for taste

A

This expression is used to indicate surprise at another person’s likes or dislikes.

140
Q

state of the art

A

If something is described asstate-of-the-art,it is the most advanced model currently available, incorporating the latest and best technology.

141
Q

fact of the matter is

A

This expression is used to emphasize the reality of a situation, or what is really true.

142
Q

chew the fat

A

If youchew the fatwith somebody, you chat in an informal way about unimportant things.

143
Q

rule of thumb

A

Arule of thumbis a general rule which is a handy way of measuring or calculating something.

144
Q

kick up a fuss

A

A person whokicks up a fusscreates a disturbance, especially by complaining or protesting about something.

145
Q

meet-and-greet

A

This term refers to a reception (often informal) where a public figure or important person can introduce themselves and talk to the guests.

146
Q

mind your own business!(rude)

A

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.

147
Q

lion’s share

A

Thelion’s shareof something is the largest portion, or the best part.

148
Q

drop like a hot potato

A

If youdropsomeone or somethinglike a hot potato, you leave them or immediately stop associating with them.

149
Q

first out of the gate

A

If you arefirst out of the gate,you are the first to make a start at something that others have also accepted to do.

150
Q

far from me be it

A

This expression means that the speaker does not feel in a position to say or do something.

151
Q

give the rough edge of your tongue

A

If yougive the (rough) edge of your tongue, you scold someone severely or speak to them very aggressively or rudely.

152
Q

raise eyebrows

A

Someone whoraises their eyebrowsat something shows surprise or disapproval by the expression on their face.

153
Q

can’t put newwinein old bottles

A

This expression means that you should not try to combine new concepts or innovations with an old or long-established framework or system.

154
Q

jog someone’s memory

A

When you help someone to remember something they have forgotten, youjog their memory.

155
Q

nailing jelly to the wall

A

To say that something is likenailing jelly to the wall means that it is extremely difficult to do, if not impossible.

156
Q

luck of the draw

A

To refer to something that happens asthe luck of the drawmeans that it is the result of pure chance, with no possibility of choice.

157
Q

last straw

A

This expression means that this is the latest unpleasant event and that you cannot tolerate the situation any longer.

158
Q

put out feelers

A

Before doing something, if you try to discover what other people thnk about it by making discreet enquiries, youput out feelers.

159
Q

walking on air

A

When you are happy and excited because of a pleasant event that makes you feel as if you are floating, you arewalking on air.

160
Q

wet behind the ears

A

Somebody who iswet behind the earsis inexperienced or immature.

161
Q

sit up and take notice

A

A person whosits up and takes noticebecome alert and attentive.

162
Q

gnomes of Zurich

A

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.

163
Q

burn your fingers

A

If youburn your fingers(orget your fingers burnt), you suffer financially as a result of foolish behaviour.

164
Q

just what the doctor ordered

A

If something isjust what the doctor ordered, it is exactly what is needed and will make you feel better.

165
Q

rear its ugly head

A

If something unpleasant reappears after lying dormant for some time, itrears its ugly head.

166
Q

keep body and soul together

A

If someone is able tokeep body and soul together, they manage to survive.

167
Q

crocodile tears

A

To shedcrocodile tearsmeans to shed false tears or show insincere grief.

168
Q

all ears

A

To say that you areall earsmeans that you are listening very attentively.

169
Q

thorny issue

A

If you are faced witha thorny issue,you have to deal with a difficult or unpleasant problem.

170
Q

happy camper

A

Someone who is ahappy camperis generally content or satisfied with what is happening in their lives and has no complaints.

171
Q

big cheese

A

This expression refers to a person who has a lot of power and influence in an organisation.

172
Q

led by the nose

A

Someone who isled by the noseis dominated or controlled by a person or group who makes them do exactly what they want.

173
Q

theworsefor wear

A

If someone or something isthe worse for wear,they are in poor condition, either worn, damaged or tired.

174
Q

cost the earth

A

If somethingcosts the earth, it is very expensive indeed.

175
Q

in inverted commas

A

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.

176
Q

hard to come by

A

Something that ishard to come byis rare or difficult to find.

177
Q

long in the tooth

A

A person who islong in the toothis a bit too old to do something.

178
Q

hook, line and sinker

A

If you fall for a story or an explanationhook, line and sinker, you completely believe it.

179
Q

wolf in sheep’s clothing

A

To describe someone asa wolf in sheep’s clothingmeans that although they look harmless, they are really very dangerous.

180
Q

chinwag

A

If youhave a chinwagwith someone, you have an opportunity to chat with each other.

181
Q

six of one and half a dozen of the other

A

This expression means that there is no real difference between two choices; both are equally good or equally bad.

182
Q

paper over cracks

A

To say that someone ispapering over the cracksmeans that they are concealing a problem rather than dealing with it effectively.

183
Q

line of least resistance

A

If you opt forthe line of least resistance, you choose the easiest way of doing something.

184
Q

eat humblepie

A

If youeat humble pie,you are forced to admit that you were wrong and apologize.

185
Q

take your mind off

A

If an activitytakes your mind off somethingthat is worrying you, it helps you to stop thinking about it for a while.

186
Q

rant and rave

A

If yourant and raveabout something, you protest noisily and forcefully.

187
Q

doom and gloom

A

A general atmosphere of pessimism, and a feeling that the situation is not going to improve, is referred to asdoom and gloom.

188
Q

fine tuning

A

Small changes to something to improve it or make it work better are calledfine tuning.

189
Q

burning question

A

What everyone is asking, and what we all want to know about, is called theburning question.

190
Q

home truths

A

If you tell somebody somehome truths, you tell them some unpleasant facts about themselves which are often difficult to accept.

191
Q

safe hands

A

If something isin safe hands, it is being looked after by a reliable person or organisation, and is therefore at no risk.

192
Q

sell down the river

A

If yousell someone down the river,you betray a person who trusts you.

193
Q

forewarned is forearmed

A

This expression means that if you know something is going to happen, you can be prepared for it.

194
Q

hold your breath

A

If someone isholding their breath,they are waiting anxiously or excitedly for something to happen or be announced.

195
Q

kiss goodbye to something

A

If you accept as certain that you will not get something that you want, youkiss (orsay) goodbye to it.

196
Q

neck and neck

A

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.

197
Q

in someone’s good/bad books

A

If you arein somebody’s good or bad books, you have their approval or disapproval.

198
Q

learning curve

A

The length of time needed to learn something new is called thelearning curve.

199
Q

go against the tide

A

If yougo against the tide(or thestream), you refuse to conform to current trends, or the opinions or behaviour of other people.

200
Q

change horses in midstream

A

If youchange horses in midstream, you change your plan, or choose a new leader, in the middle of an important activity.

English idioms (without example) (15 decks)

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