8. Body Idioms Flashcards
Body Idioms:
a very annoying person, thing or task
All he does is complain all the time. He is a real ____.
a pain in the neck
All he does is complain all the time. He is a real pain in the neck.
Body Idioms:
at the bottom of (a hill, mountain, the stairs, a tree, your bed, etc)
He fell asleep at ____ a tree.
at the foot of
He fell asleep at the foot of a tree.
Body Idioms:
to be very expensive
Getting this roof fixed will cost us ____.
to cost an arm and a leg
Getting this roof fixed will cost us an arm and a leg.
Body Idioms:
to cry a lot
It was a very sad film. I cried ____ all the way through it.
to cry your eyes out
It was a very sad film. I cried my eyes out all the way through it.
Body Idioms:
to play against another team
If they win this match, they will have ____ Lazio in the next round.
to face a team
If they win this match, they will have to face Lazio in the next round.
Body Idioms:
to fall madly and completely in love
(with sb)
He spotted her across a crowded room and ____ with her.
to fall head over heels In love
(with sb)
He spotted her across a crowded room and fell head over heels in love with her.
Body Idioms:
to pay the bill at a restaurant or hotel
(used to emphasise that you thought sb else was going to pay)
Not only did I sit there waiting for him for over an hour but he left me ____!
to foot the bill
Not only did I sit there waiting for him for over an hour but he left me to foot the bill!
Body Idioms:
to suddenly feel that you are not brave enough to do sth important
He ____ at the last minute and withdrew from the competition.
to get cold feet
He got cold feet at the last minute and withdrew from the competition.
Body Idioms:
to tell sb sth that has been worrying you
He told them the secret to get it ____.
to get sth off your chest
He told them the secret to get it off his chest.
Body Idioms:
to annoy sb
My neighbours deliberately play their radio at maximum volume to ____.
to get up sb’s nose
My neighbours deliberately play their radio at maximum volume to get up my nose.
Body Idioms:
to help sb do sth
I’m sure Tim will give ____ to move the fridge.
to give sb a hand (with sth)
I’m sure Tim will give you a hand to move the fridge.
Body Idioms:
to be happy when sb leaves or when sth is finished
She’s so irritating! I’d be glad to ____.
to be glad to see the back of sb/sth
She’s so irritating! I’d be glad to see the back of her.
Body Idioms:
to be obsessed by sth and think about it all the time
He’s got motorbikes ____. It’s all he ever thinks about.
to have sth on the brain
He’s got motorbikes on the brain. It’s all he ever thinks about.
Body Idioms:
to have seen sth (in a shop, for example) that you want to buy/have
I’ve had ____ a ring from Munn’s Stores forages.
to have your eye on sth
I’ve had my eye on a ring from Munn’s Stores forages.
Body Idioms:
to have/give sb an advantage over a competitor (in business)/other people (in life)
We sent him to a private school to ____ in life.
to have/give sb a head start
We sent him to a private school to give him a head start in life.
Body Idioms:
to leave somewhere in order to go home
I think we’d better ____. It’s getting late.
to head home
I think we’d better head home. It’s getting late.
Body Idioms:
to know that sth is wrong or different, but be unable to say exactly what it is
I couldn’t ____ what it was, but there was something different about her appearance.
I can’t put my finger on
I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, but there was something different about her appearance.
Body Idioms:
I couldn’t stop laughing
He couldn’t ____ during the interview.
I couldn’t keep a straight face
He couldn’t keep a straight face during the interview.
Body Idioms:
(informal)
I can’t tell/answer until I have checked first
“What time do we land?”
“I don’t ____. I’ll have to check the tickets.”
I don’t know off-hand
“What time do we land?”
“I don’t know off-hand. I’ll have to check the tickets.”
Body Idioms:
I would really like to
I’d give ____ have a fantastic job like his.
I’d give my right arm to
I’d give my right arm to have a fantastic job like his.
Body Idioms:
legally, according to the laws of the land
You knowingly drove through a red light and in ____ that is a criminal offence.
in the eyes of the law
You knowingly drove through a red light and in the eyes of the law that is a criminal offence.
Body Idioms:
to look after sth/sb
Could you keep ____ my plants while we are away?
to keep an eye on sth/sb
Could you keep an eye on my plants while we are away?
Body Idioms:
to know a particular place very well
(not used for people)
I know Venice like ____.
to know somewhere like the back of your hand
I know Venice like the back of my hand.
Body Idioms:
to learn not to depend on others
(e.g. one’s parents)
He’s 36, so it’s time he learned to ____.
to learn to stand on one’s own two feet
He’s 36, so it’s time he learned to stand on his own two feet.
Body Idioms:
to rapidly make or lose large sums of money
We had to close the business because we were losing money ____.
to make/lose money hand over fist
We had to close the business because we were losing money hand over fist.
Body Idioms:
information given immediately without full knowledge of the facts
____, I would say that it will cost about £2,000.
off the top of one’s head
Off the top off my head, I would say that it will cost about £2,000.
Body Idioms:
sth (a car, a television, etc) is in very bad condition and will very soon stop working
This car is ____. It’s time we bought a new one.
sth is on its last legs
This car is on its last legs. It’s time we bought a new one.
Body Idioms:
to play a joke on sb and make them believe sth that is not true
He wasn’t being serious. He was ____.
to pull sb’s leg
He wasn’t being serious. He was pulling your leg.
Body Idioms:
to become strict and tell sb (generally a child) that they must/can’t do sth
Well, you’ll have to put ____ and tell him he can’t do whatever he likes.
to put your foot down
Well, you’ll have to put your foot down and tell him he can’t do whatever he likes.
Body Idioms:
to see sb, often for the first time
The minute he ____ her, he knew she was the one.
to set eyes on sb
The minute he set eyes on her, he knew she was the one.
Body Idioms:
to really want sth
I’d set ____ that house and I was devastated when it was sold.
to set your heart on sth
I’d set my heart on that house and I was devastated when it was sold.
Body Idioms:
sb is very close to sth when it happens/is happening and yet they do not notice it
The children were copying from each other during the test, ____.
sth happens right under sb’s nose
The children were copying from each other during the test, right under the teacher’s nose.
Body Idioms:
to interfere in a situation which does not concern you, with the result that you cause other people problems
Now she hates you. That’s what you get for ____ her affairs.
to stick your nose into other people’s business/affairs
Now she hates you. That’s what you get for sticking your nose into her affairs.
Body Idioms:
to be able to give good answers to unexpected questions
The ability to ____ is essential if you want to be a politician.
to think on your feet
The ability to think on your feet is essential if you want to be a politician.
Body Idioms:
in order to (+ noun or -ing form)
He married her with ____ getting his hands on her money.
with an eye to
He married her with an eye to getting his hands on her money.
Body Idioms:
to show by the expression on your face how you really feel
She said she wasn’t angry, but clearly she was. It was ____.
(it’s) written all over your face
She said she wasn’t angry, but clearly she was. It was written all over her face.
Body Idioms:
you have to admire and respect sb
(for sth they have done)
You may not like the way Charles runs his business, but you ____ him, he gets results.
you have to hand it to sb
You may not like the way Charles runs his business, but you have to hand it to him, he gets results.
