30/4 Flashcards
clear the air
remove suspicion, bad feeling
all along
from the beginning until now
all but
nearly, almost
all in
exhausted
all in all
when everything is considered
all the same
yet, however
all told
altogether, in total
be the apple of someone’s eye
be very precious to somebody
be up in arms
be very angry
for all
in spite of
for all I care
I don’t care
for all I know
as far as I know
in the act of
while performing the act
in the air
uncertain
make allowances for
take special circumstances into consideration
make amends for
try to compensate for a past action
of all people
used to express annoyance/surprise
on account of
because of
on no account
under/in no circumstances
on the air (#off the air)
broadcasting
on the alert
watchful and be prepared/on the lookout/expecting something
take something into account
consider something
on this/that account
for this/that reason
whet somebody’s appetite
make somebody eager to have/experience more
up in the air
existing, but not talked about
above board
honest
bark up the wrong tree
have a false idea about something
be broke
have no/very little money
be full of beans
be very lively
be in sb’s black books
be out of favour
beat about/around the bush
avoid saying what one means directly
behind bars
in prison
big-headed
conceited, boastful
black and blue all over
covered with bruises
blessing in disguise
sth which appears bad at first but then turns out favourably
blue-eyed boy/golden boy
a favoured person
bolt from the blue
suddenly
brainwave
sudden clear idea/thought
break even
show neither loss nor profit
browned off
fed up, bored
butter somebody up
flatter somebody
by and large
generally speaking
catch somebody red-handed
be caught while committing a crime
chip off the old block
somebody who is very like one of his parents
cost a bomb
very expensive
deal a blow to
damage one’s hopes
don’t hold your breath
don’t wait for somebody/something anxiously
drive a hard bargain
be a tough businessman
drop a brick
say something tactlessly
feel in one’s bones
feeling something instinctively
get your own back
take/get revenge
have a bee in one’s bonnet
have an obsession about something
have butterflies in one’s stomach
be very nervous about something
in black and white
in writing
in the balance
uncertain
kick the bucket
die
lay bare
make public
make a clean breast of
confess
make one’s blood boil
cause sb to become very angry
on the spur of the moment
without thinking about something
out of the blue
suddenly and unexpectedly
ring a bell
remind somebody of something
see the back of
be glad to see somebody leave
take the bull by the horns
deal with something boldly and directly
wet blanket
dull person who spoils people’s happiness
a piece of cake
something that is very easy to do
a red-letter day
a very important day
a wile-goose chase
a hopeless research
be caught red-handed
be caught while committing a crime
be on the cards
likely to happen
be over the moon
be happy
call somebody names
insult somebody
chair a meeting
presider over a meeting
crocodile tears
false tears
cross one’s mind
think of something
cut somebody dead
ignore somebody
different as chalk and cheese
totally different
down in the dumps
depressed/miserable
down the drain
wasted, lost
get a bit hot under the collar
get angry, upset or embarrassed
get a problem off one’s chest
tell somebody else about your problem
go to the dogs
not as good as in the past
have the cheek
dare to do something
keep one’s chin up
not be discouraged
let sleeping dogs lie
avoid mentioning a subject which could cause troubles
Lost cause
Hopeless situation/case
Off colour
Look/be slightly unwell
On the dole
Receiving unemployment benefit/social security
Play one’s cards right
Act cleverly
Show one’s true colours
Reveal one’s real character
With flying colours
With great success
Not count one’s chickens before they’re hatched
Not assume something before it happens
Be dying for something
Really want something
Be fit for
Be good enough for
Be worn out
Be very tired
Be green
Be inexperienced
Cook one’s goose
End one’s plans abruptly
Fair and square
honestly and according to the rules
Fall head over heels
Fall in love quickly
feel one’s ears burning
Have a feeling that someone is talking about you
gatecrasher
sb attending a party, event etc without an invitation
get off on the wrong foot
argue or disagree at the beginning of a relationship
give and take
a willingness between two people or groups to understand each other, and to let each other have or do some of the things they want
have a frog in one’s throat
inability to speak due to nervousness
have the gift of the gab
be able to talk well, persuasively
hear it through/on the grapevine
find out information indirectly
in a flash
very quickly
it’s all Greek to me
a way of saying that you do not understand something that is said or written
keep a straight face
manage to look serious under difficult circumstances
keep an eye on sth
guard/protect sth
meet behind closed doors
meet secretly
one’s flesh and blood
family member
plenty more fish in the sea
used to tell someone whose relationship has ended that there are many other people that they could have a relationship with
put one’s foot down
to use your authority to stop something happening
put one’s foot in it
to say something by accident that embarrasses or upsets someone
take it easy
not work too hard/relax
take sb for granted
not appreciate sb because someone is too familiar
a bit of a dark horse
a person with hidden abilities
be for the high jump
about to be reprimanded/punished
be in two minds about
not be able to decide what to do
be sound asleep
sleep deeply
be the perfect image of somebody
look exactly like somebody
before one can say Jack Robinson
before one can say Jack Robinson
break the ice
ease the tension when one first meets people
eat one’s heart out
feel jealous/sad about something (followed by the name of a famous person, you are joking that you are even better than that person)
flog a dead horse
waste time doing something useless
fly off the handle
quickly become very angry
get out of hand
become out of control
get the hang of something
to learn how to do something, especially if it is not obvious or simple
go to one’s head
If something goes to someone’s head, it makes that person think that they are very important and makes them a less pleasant person
grey matter
brains; intelligence
hand in glove with sb
be in very close contact with sb
have a job to do sth
find sth difficult to do
have many irons in the fire
have lots of plans/possibilities in progress at the same time
have one’s heart in one’s mouth
be extremely anxious about something
have time on one’s hands
have free time
hold one’s horses
wait, be patient
ill at ease
embarrassed; uncomfortable
keep sth under one’s hat
keep sth secret
keep up with the Joneses
compete with others in status/material goods
lend sb a hand
give help to sb
like the back of one’s hand
be very familiar with sth
lose heart
Become discouraged
make head nor tail of
understand sth
off the cuff
without preparation
stew in one’s own juice
suffer the consequences of one’s own actions
straight from the horse’s mouth
from the most direct source
have sb’s hands full
be very busy with sth
sth comes in handy
be very useful/practical
strike gold
come across sth useful
take sth to heart
If you take criticism or advice to heart, you think about it seriously, often because it upsets you
take to one’s heels
run away
the ins and outs
the details of an activity
the tip of the iceberg
small evident part of a much larger, concealed situation
at large
free, not caught
be in the know
be well-informed
bring to one’s knees
destroy, humble
bury one’s head in the sand
avoid or ignore reality/responsibility
come to a head
reach a point where some strong action has to be taken
drop sb a line
send sb a letter
fine kettle of fish
a very difficult and annoying situation
get rid of sth
give sth unwanted away
go to any lengths
do anything necessary to get sth you want
have kittens
be nervous/anxious about sth
keep one’s fingers crossed
hope that sth will turn out well
keep oneself to oneself
live quietly, privately
make a killing
have a sudden, great success/profit
make light of
treat sth as unimportant
make/earn a/one’s living
earn money
on the level
honest/sincere
pull one’s leg
tease or trick sb
shed light upon
give new/further information
sleep like a log
be sound asleep
the life and soul of sth
the most lively and amusing person present somewhere
the lion’s share
the biggest part/portion
turn over a new leaf
make a new start
with a view to doing sth
with the intention or hope of doing sth
a night owl
person who enjoys staying up late
be second to none
be the best
cross one’s mind
think of something
cry over spilt milk
grieve over sth that can’t be put right
every nook and cranny
everywhere
feel/be down in the mouth
feel discouraged/depressed
get a move on
hurry up
get on one’s nerves
irritate/annoy sb
have an early night
go to bed early
hit the nail on the head
say exactly the right thing
in a nutshell
Briefly, in a few words
lose one’s nerve
lose courage
make a name for oneself
become famous/respected for sth
make hay while the sun shines
take advantage of favourable circumstances
make money hand over fist
make a lot of money quickly and easily
make one’s getaway
escape
moon around
look miserable
null and void
invalid ; not legally binding
put sb’s name forward
nominate sb
put words into one’s mouth
pretend that sb has said sth that they haven’t actually said
slip one’s mind
forget about sth
work a miracle
make sth almost impossible happen
give the green light to sth
give permission to proceed with sth
a bitter pill to swallow
a difficult fact to accept
against all odds
despite the difficulties
be out of practice
lacking practice
come to the point
reach the main point in a discussion
fall into place
become clear
get the sack
be dismissed from one’s job
get the wrong end of the stick
misunderstand completely what has been said
golden opportunity
the best chance to gain sth
grease sb’s palm
bribe sb (to give someone money secretly so that they will make things happen in the way that you want)
grow out of sth
become too big for sth
have no option but
must; have no choice
In public
in the presence of other people
in the offing
likely to happen
off the point
irrelevant
once and for all
for the last time
out-and-out
complete, total
out in the open
(of secrets) revealed, known
out of print
(of books) not available anymore
out of the frying pan into the fire
from a situation to a worse/similar one
part and parcel of
basic part of
past one’s prime
growing old/not at one’s best
pop the question
make a proposal of marriage
short and sweet
brief but pleasant (usu ironic) (surprisingly short in a way that is pleasing)
status symbol
property/possession that shows sb’s high social rank wealth etc
take things to pieces
dismantle things (to separate something into smaller parts)
throw a party
have/hold a party
white elephant
useless/unwanted possession
an unknown quantity
person or thing that one has no experience of
as a last resort
when all else has failed
at close quarters
from a short distance
be in a quandary
be confused, undecided
beg the question
makes people want to ask a particular question
call it quits
give up/stop
cut sb to the quick
deeply hurt sb’s feelings
hit the roof
get very angry
in a rut
be stuck in a monotonous routine time
in the long run
after a long period of
it stands to reason
it is logical/obvious
keep sth quiet
keep sth secret
know the ropes
know all the details of sth
off the record
unofficially, not public
on the quiet
secretly
open to debate
not decided/settled
out of the question
impossible
put down roots
settle down
work to rule
adhere strictly to the rules as a form of protest
rack sb’s brains
think very hard about sth
a long shot
a wild guess/a risk
a memory like a sieve
a poor memory
be all at sea
be in a state of confusion
be in the same boat
be in the same (usu bad) situation
be in sb’s shoes
be in sb’s position
be the spitting image of sb
look exactly like sb
be/get soaked to the skin
be/get very wet
be/have a close shave
barely avoid an accident/a bad situation
behind the scenes
in secret
come out of one’s shell
gain personal confidence
does it show?
is it obvious?
give sb the slip
escape from sb
go for a song
be sold very cheaply
go without saying
be a foregone conclusion (used to mean that something is obvious)
hit the sack
go to bed
live out of a suitcase
travel often/not have a permanent home
make quite a scene
become angry in a dramatic way
on a shoe string
on a very small budget
pull a few strings
use influential contacts in order to obtain an advantage
pull one’s socks up
make a greater effort
sleep on it
think about sth
smell a rat
suspect that sth is wrong
spill the beans
reveal a secret/the facts
stand in sb’s way
prevent sb from doing sth
take… with a pinch of salt
not believe sth completely
the last straw
the last and worst episode in a chain of bad experiences
thick-skinned
insensitive
(by) trial and error
learning from one’s mistakes
be ahead of one’s time
have modern ideas
be (as) thick (as a brick)
be stupid
be tickled pink
be really pleased
come to a standstill
not progress/stop
come to terms with
accept a difficult situation
for the time being
temporarily
in a tick
shortly, soon
in the nick of time
just in time
kill time
pass time while waiting for sb/sth
lay the table
prepare/set the table for a meal
not be one’s cup of tea
not suit one’s taste
on second thoughts
having changed one’s mind
out of turn
not in the correct order/time
paint the town red
have a great time
play truant
stay away from school without permission
put two and two together
to guess the truth about a situation from what you have seen or heard
red tape
unnecessary bureaucracy
take one’s time
not to hurry
through thick and thin
whatever happens (in good times and bad times)
touch and go
with uncertain result
Be all very well
appear satisfactory but in fact not be
be on the up and up improve steadily
improve steadily
Be up and about
have recovered from an illness
drive (sb) up the wall
make sb angry/annoy sb
frosty welcome
Be in a bad mood
unfriendly reception
get out of bed on the wrong side
Be in a bad mood
get wind of
receive information about sth indirectly
give vent to
express sth freely
give way to
give in/yield (to be replaced by something, especially because it is better, cheaper, easier, etc)/ to finally agree to what someone wants, after refusing for a period of time
not hold water
not seem reasonable or in accordance with the facts
make a flying visit
make a quick trip
make waves
cause trouble
no/little wonder
not surprising
quick/slow on the uptake
quick/slow to understand
set in one’s ways
fixed in one’s habits/routines
speak volumes
be strong evidence of sb’s feelings
under the weather
depressed/unwell
up and coming
likely to be successful
ups and downs
good things alternating with bad ones
wet behind the ears
inexperienced
an old wives’ tale
false belief (usually about health)
be born yesterday
be easily deceived/naive
beat sb black and blue
hit sb repeatedly until bruised
go back on one’s word
not fulfil a promise (keep one’s word)
have a yellow streak
be a coward (often scared or not very brave)
not have it both ways
refuse to make a decision between two pleasant things (usu in expression “You can’t have it both ways!”)
in the red
owe money to a bank (opp: in the black)
see red
suddenly become very angry
green belt
the area on the outskirts of a town adjoining the country
pitch black
very dark
black tie
formal clothing
green with envy
very jealous
green (matter/issue)
concerned with ecology
have words with sb
have an argument
have/keep one’s wits about one
be alert and able to deal with difficulties
in deep water
in trouble/difficulty
make sb’s day
make sb very happy
see/look at sth through rose-coloured spectacles
see sth from an unrealistically positive point of view
the black sheep of the family
a disgraced family member
the pot calling the kettle black
accusing sb of a fault one has oneself
until one is blue in the face
as hard/long as one possibly can (usu without success) (wasting your efforts because you will get no results)
red herring
sth which distracts you from sth important
(fight) like cat and dog
Disagree (violently)
Like a bull in a china shop
behave in a clumsy/awkword
Make a dog’s dinner of something
Make a mess of something
a bear with a sore head
irritated/in a bad mood
a different kettle of fish
a totally different situation etc from the one just mentioned
a dog’s life
a difficult, hard life
a fish out of water
sb who feels uncomfortable/in unfamiliar surroundings
a red rag to a bull
action, comment etc liable to provoke sb
a sitting duck
an easy target
as busy as a bee/a busy bee
(sb) very busy
as the crow flies
in a direct line/by a direct route
be in the doghouse
be out of favour, in trouble
dog eat dog
used to describe a situation in which people will do anything to be successful, even if what they do harms other people
dog-eared (of books)
with the corners bent and turned down through use
donkey work
boring, monotonous work
donkey’s years
a long time
kill two birds with one stone
achieve two things with one action
let the cat out of the bag
reveal a secret
like water off a duck’s back
having no effect
make a fool of oneself
make oneself look stupid/embarrassed/curious
make a mountain out of a molehill
to make a slight difficulty seem like a serious problem
no room to swing a cat
said about a place or space that is very small.
play cat and mouse with sb
Keep sb in a state of uncertain expectation treating them alternatively cruelly and kindly
put the cat among the pigeons
cause trouble/controversy
rain cats and dogs
Rain heavily
swim like a fish
Swim very well
talk the hind legs off a donkey
talk for a long time, uninterrupted
the rat race
the competitive nature of modern urban life
until the cows come home
for a long time
mutton dressed as lamb
dress in a style younger /inappropriate to your age
sour grapes
say unpleasant comments because of jealousy
sweet tooth
enjoy eating sweet things
get nowhere fast
make no/little progress
pay sb’s way
contribute your share of a bill/budget
white-collar job
office/clerical work
fly on the wall
see/hear sth in a situation which does not
involve you
Achilles heel
weakest point of sb’s character
wash sb’s hands of sb
refuse to be involved with sb
a pain in the neck
annoying person/thing
be all fingers and thumbs
be awkward, clumsy
get cold feet
lose courage to do sth
give sb the cold shoulder
ignore/shun sb
have a cheek/nerve
act/speak boldly or impudently
have a sharp tongue
tend to say unkind or hurful things
have an eye for
be a good judge of sth
look down one’s nose at sth/sb
feel/act superior to sb
lose one’s head
lose self control
put one’s heart and soul into sth
be devoted to sth
tongue in cheek
intend it to be understood as a joke, although you might appear to be serious
tooth and nail
fiercely
turn a blind eye to sth
ignore
not lose any sleep over sth
not worry about sth
jack of all trades
sb who is able to do a variety of jobs
a storm in a teacup
a lot of fuss about sth that is not important
bring sth home to sb
make sb understand how important/ serious sth is
bite off more than sb can chew
try to do sth which is too difficult
in clover
living a luxurious/comfortable life
face the music
be criticised/punished for sth you have done
In abeyance
Halted temporarily
be of/have no fixed abode
be homeless
out and about
1) outdoors
2) travelling from one place to another
in the abstract
in a general way
of its own accord
automatically
agree to differ/disagree
stop arguing because there is no chance of agreement
in arrears
have not paid the money they owe
cast aspersions
criticise
cost an arm and a leg
be very expensive
be thrown off balance
be surprised/confused
on the ball
alert
below the belt
cruel and unfair
be beside oneself with anger/excitement
to be extremely angry/excited
bide one’s time
wait for a good opportunity
in the black
not owing anybody any money (in the red)
blaze a trail
Discover/explore something new
on the blink
stop working properly (of electrical equipment)
go by the board
be rejected/ignored/ no longer possible
cut to the bone
reduced to the/a minimum
out of bounds
prohibited, forbidden (place)
pick someone’s brains
ask sb to help with a problem/extract information from an expert
make common cause with sb
act together to achieve aim
Rise to the challenge
act and be successful even though sth is new
give chapter and verse
give every exact detail
big cheese
person with important job/position
take sth on the chin
bravely accept criticism, punishment, etc
chop and change
keep changing (your mind)
strike a chord
make sb feel sympathy/enthusiasm
claim to fame
thing which makes sb unusual/important
come clean
admit the truth; confess
steer/stay clear of
Avoid sb/sth
part company with
end association
cut corners
to do something in the easiest, cheapest, or fastest way
not all it’s cracked up to be
not as good as people say it is/overestimated
cramp one’s style
restrict one’s behaviour in some way
Hold/keep in check
control; prevent from becoming too powerful
put a damper on
ruin sth or make it less enjoyable
be in the dark about sth
be unaware of sth
don’t give up your day job
continue to do sth you know rather than trying sth new
in broad daylight
in full view of the public/easily seen
deal a blow to sb or sth
cause sb great difficulty or spoil their plans
be on the defensive
protect oneself because one feels insecure or threatened
by definition
because of its own features
(for) donkey’s years
(for) a very long time
on the dot
punctual, exactly on time
lend an ear
listen to sb in a careful and sympathetic way
play it by ear
act in a situation by responding to events rather than according to plan
ease off
reduce in degree, speed or intensity
at the cutting edge
of the forefront of (eg. technology), modern
on edge
tense/nervous/ anxious
to no effect
unsuccessful; ineffective
(not) see eye to eye with sb
(dis)agree with sb
have an eye for
be good at judging, the worth/quality of sth
more to sth/sb than meets
the eye
sth/sb is more important/interesting than is first seen
be/have at one’s fingertips
be/have easily available/ have free access to
blow a fuse
become very angry/lose one’s temper
come to the fore
become important or popular
put on a brave face/put a brave face on a situation
try to hide one’s disappointment
without fail
do sth no matter what
in the flesh
in person
few and far between
scarce/rare
in full flow
(talking) at length
bear fruit
be successful
on the face of it
judging by how sth appears
point the finger of suspicion
blame sb for sth
see fit
think suitable or right
flat broke
penniless
not have the foggiest idea
not know sth at all
get cold feet
be nervous or frightened because sth might fail
by/from force of habit
used to doing sth without thinking
gain ground
make progress/become more popular
beat ab at their own game
to defeat/do better than sb in an activity considered their strength
give the game away
reveal a secret or one’s feelings
throw down the gauntlet
challenge sb
gild the lily
spoil sth beautiful by additions
Fit like a glove
fit perfectly
move the goalposts
change the rules or demands of a situation
have a lot going for you
have a lot of advantages
as good as
almost
up for grabs
available to those who are interested
dig one’s own grave
cause one’s own failure
grind to a halt
slowly stop/come to an end
come/get to grips with
consider seriously and start to take action
get off the ground
begin or start functioning
come to grief
sth is unsuccessful
make a go of sth
have some success
for good
permanently
Stick to one’s guns
keep to your opinion
meet (sb) halfway
come to an agreement/ compromise
come under the hammer
sth is sold at auction
let your hair down
relax and enjoy yourself
to make/lose money hand over fist
acquire/lose a lot of money very quickly
give sb a free hand
allow sb to do as they wish
know (sth) off-hand
(know sth) without asking or looking it up
have to hand it to sb
admire sb and think they deserve praise
keep out of harm’s way
keep out of danger
fly off the handle
lose your temper very suddenly
do sth at the drop of a hat
be willing/happy to do sth, do sth quickly
not to make head (nor) tail of sth
not to understand sth at all
make headway
make progress
take heart from sth
feel encouraged by or optimistic about sth
make a hash of sth
do sth very badly
to one’s heart’s content
(do) as much or as often as one wants
strike/hit home
(of situation) be accepted as real even though it is painful/ achieve the intended effect
after hours
outside regular business hours
from/since time immemorial
for a long time/throughout history
take the initiative
be the first person to act
add insult to injury
make things even worse
make inroads into
affect sth negatively or destructively
to all intents and purposes
practically/in effect
in the interests of
in order to achieve a certain aim
in the interim
in the time between two particular periods or events
take issue with sb
disagree and start arguing
have/get itchy feet
have a strong desire to travel
be in jeopardy
be in danger
in a jiffy
quickly
jog one’s memory
make one remember sth
jump for joy
extremely pleased or happy
reserve judgement on sb/sth
postpone giving an opinion before more is known
do sb/sth justice
to treat someone or something in a way that is fair and shows their or its true qualities)
rough justice
unfair or unjust treatment
(be) on an even keel
working or progressing steadily, to regularise sth
on a knife-edge
situation where nobody knows what will happen next/extremely exciting
knock sb dead
impress sb greatly
tie oneself in knots
get confused
safe in the knowledge
confidently (because a prior condition has been met)
by and large
to a great extent/generally exaggerated
larger than life
exaggerated
on its last legs
in weak or poor condition/ needing replacement
lay it on thick
exaggerate
lay sb low
make sb ill or weak, confine them to bed
improve by/in leaps and bounds
improve/increase very rapidly
do sth at length
take a long time to do/do sth in great detail
follow/obey to the letter
follow (e.g. instructions) exactly without question
on the level
sincere, truthful
make light of sth
treat sth as though it is not serious when in fact it is
bring into line with
make sb/sth comply with a standard/behaviour
draw the line
refuse to do/tolerate sth
put sth on the line
risk, endanger
be lost on sb
have no effect on sb/not to be understood by sb
not for love nor money
by no means/for no reason
like it or lump it
whether you like it or not
leave sb in the lurch
abandon/let sb down
make do with sth
to use what is available although it is not enough or what you wanted
give sb their marching orders
dismiss sb
meet one’s match
compete with sb as good as/better than you
mean well
try to be kind/helpful
living beyond one’s means
spending more than you can afford
on the mend
recover from (illness/injury)
mend one’s way
begin to behave well
to put it mildly
used for saying that something is much more extreme than your words suggest
miles away
deep in thought
mint condition
perfect condition
give sth a miss
decide not to do sth or go to a place
sb gets their money’s worth
sb gets sth which is worth its price/the effort put in it
name names
identify sb who has done sth (usually immoral or illegal)
name of the game
the most important aspect
come naturally to sb
be very easy for sb to do
nearest and dearest
close relatives/friends
risk one’s neck
put oneself in danger (physically or metaphorically)
touch a nerve
mention a sensitive subject
nest egg
sum of money saved for a particular purpose
slip through the net
avoid being caught by a system/trap
none the wiser
know nothing more than before
poke one’s nose into sth
try to interfere in sth
hand/give in one’s notice
resign
have occasion to do sth
it is necessary to do sth
rise to the occasion
overcome a difficult situation by doing everything necessary to succeed
a drop in the ocean
so minimal or trivial as to have little effect
on the offchance
hoping that something may be possible, although it is not likely
every so often
occasionally
not on
unacceptable (of behaviour)
only too (+ adi)
more than (used for emphasis)
opt out
withdraw from sth
in good order
in good condition
made to order
specially made, not from stock
at/from the outset
from the very beginning
over and above
more than or in addition to an amount
over to
passing on to when introducing another speaker on the air
go overboard
to do something too much, or to be too excited or eager about something
to overflowing
so full of people or things that no more can fit in
overstep the mark
behave in an unacceptable way
own up
admit/confess
get your own back
get/take revenge
at one’s own pace
at a speed which is comfortable for one
go to great pains
try hard to do sth because it is Important
fool below/under par
feel tired and unable to work
pass up
not take a chance or opportunity
in passing
đề cập qua một vấn đề, hoặc tình cờ nhắc đến
not put it past sb
not be surprised if sb did sth they shouldn’t
not a patch on
not nearly as good as; not comparable
bring sb down a peg or two
reduce sb to their true status
phase in
introduce gradually
say your piece
give your view or opinion
pile up
mount up
feel the pinch
be in a difficult financial situation
play at
do sth others don’t understand
take the plunge
take a/the risk
pluck up the courage
make an effort to be brave
plumb new depths
be worse than ever
go to pot
deteriorate
keep sb posted
keep sb informed
pit your wits against sb (or sth)
compete with sb (or sth) in intelligence/a test of knowledge
at a premium
at a higher price than usual because it is scarce
wanted/needed but difficult to get/ achieve
press on/ahead
continue determinedly
be/have a qualified success
be partially successful
give sb no quarter
show no mercy
a race against time
work fast in order to do sth on time
lose one’s rag
try hard to think
rain or shine
in any circumstances
ram home sth
become angry
go on the rampage
rush about violently
raring to go
eager to do sth or go somewhere
have/get a raw deal
be treated unfairly
take it as read
accept sth as true without question
recharge your batteries
take a break to renew/ refresh yourself
on reflection
after careful thought
be well rid of sb
better off without sb or sth
be taken for a ride
be deceived/cheated
be as right as rain
recover from an illness
hit the road
begin a journey
do a roaring trade
sell a lot of sth
take the rough with the smooth
accept unpleasant as well as pleasant situations
rub sth in
insist on reminding sb of sth unpleasant or embarrassing
up and running
operating normally
(to) be on the safe side
do sth to prevent the possibility of sth bad happening
not one’s scene
not like/enjoy sth
settle a score
take revenge
without a shadow of (a) doubt
without any doubt
talk shop
Talk about work or business
if push comes to shove
if a situation becomes really bad/difficult
get on the wrong/bad side of sb
do sth to annoy sb
a sore point with sb
sth that makes sb angry or embarrassed
spick and span
clean and tidy
enter into the spirit of sth
take part in sth with enthusiasm
in the spotlight
receiving a great deal of public attention
be/get in a state
be very nervous/upset about sth
in stitches
unable to stop laughing
in store for one
about to happen in near future
take sth by storm
be extremely successful or popular
get into the swing of sth
get involved/get into the rhythm
in sync
well matched/work simultaneously as it should
(opp: out of sync badly matched not simultaneous as it should)
turn tail
turn and run away
In tandem with
together with, simultaneously
go off at a tangent
suddenly change subject or course of action
(be) on target
make good progress
in bad/poor taste
offensive/insulting
cup of tea
sth one likes
get one’s teeth into sth
throw oneself into sth because it is interesting, complex and makes you think hard
put sth to the test
gauge how effective sth is by putting it into practice
thick and fast
happening quickly in large numbers
under one’s thumb
under sb’s control
toe the line
obey the rules
keep sb on their toes
make/keep sb alert
lower the tone of sth
make a place or event seem less respectable
tongue in cheek
not serious, in fun
to down tools
to stop working
be on top of the world
be happy
(sth) gets on top of sb
sth depresses sb/is too much to cope with
travel light
travel without much luggage
tread water
be in a position where no progress is being made
a trifle
slightly/to a small extent
the ultimate in
the best/most advanced
catch/take unawares
happen when you are least expecting it
unbeknown to sb
when sb is unaware of sth
In no uncertain terms
clearly and unmistakably
be given to understand that
be informed about sth but not directly
come unstuck
fail badly in sth you are trying to achieve
be up against sth
have a difficult situation or problem to deal with
be quick on the uptake
able to understand things quickly, clever
not be up to much
of poor quality
have its uses
have advantages of benefits
to the utmost
to the greatest extent
do sth in vain
not succeed in sth
banging your head against a brick wall
frustrated because sb is stopping you from making progress in sth
sb or sth is driving you up the wall
sb or sth is annoying and irritating you
have a whale of a time
to enjoy oneself very much
put years on sb
make sb look or feel much older
as yet
up until the present time
go from bad to worse
become more unpleasant
if the worst comes to the worst
if the situation develops in the most unfavourable way possible
act on
to take action as a result of advice, information, etc.
act up
to behave badly
answer (sb) back
speak rudely to sb
answer back
defend oneself
answer to
-to have to explain to someone why you did something
-be under the command of sb/have the characteristics described
-have a particular name
be in for it
be about to receive punishment/trouble
be in with
be in favour with
be out
(1) be in bloom, (2) be extinguished (make a fire or light stop burning or shining, make an idea or feeling stop), (3) be removed, (4) be absent (from home or work), (5) be wrong in calculation, (6) be unfashionable
bear on
be relevant to
Bear with
Be patient
answer for
be responsible for sth/pay for sth/vouch for (firmly believe that something is true or good because of your experience or knowledge of it)
back down
cease to oppose
back out of
withdraw from
