A-Idioms Part III Flashcards
Idioms starting with A - Part III
ask after
inquire about the health or well-being of someone
at his own accord
voluntarily
at snail’s pace
to do things very slowly
at stake
in danger of being lost; at risk
the eleventh hour
at the last moment
attend on
to serve or take care of someone
a bridge too far
an action that is too ambitious or an act of overreaching
A day late and a dollar short
too late and too feeble to achieve the desired result
a fresh pair of eyes
an unbiased perspective or a new way of looking at something
add insult to injury
act in a way that makes a bad situation worse
a penny for your thoughts
What’s on your mind?, Tell me what you are thinking
a lick and a promise
a quick and careless attempt to do something
a light purse is a heavy curse
life is difficult when you don’t have much money
a little bird told me
If someone doesn’t want to say where they got some information from, they can say that a little bird told them
a long/tough/hard row to hoe
a difficult situation or task that is hard to deal with
a lost ball in the high weeds
to be completely lost or confused, someone who does not know what they are doing
a month of Sundays
is a long period of time
a pretty penny
very expensive
a rising tide lifts all boats
economic growth benefits everyone in the economy
a rolling stone gathers no moss
a person who does not settle in one place will not accumulate wealth or status, or responsibilities or commitments
a shallow brook babbles the loudest/ shallow brooks babble loudest/ Shallow brooks are noisy
people who are loud and talk a lot often don’t have much substance to say
a steal
it costs much less than it is really worth
a still tongue keeps a wise head
someone who does not talk much, but listens to other people, probably has experience, knowledge and good judgement
a textbook case
a classic, perfect case/example
a tumbleweed moment
an uncomfortable silence when no one is answering a question or taking part in a conversation
a watched pot never boils
time seems to drag endlessly when you’re waiting for something to happen
about as useful as a chocolate teapot
something is completely useless, as a teapot made of chocolate would melt when hot water is poured into it, rendering it ineffective for its intended purpose
about-face
to say or do something that shows a complete change of opinion or behaviour
above and beyond
to do more than what is required or expected
above the fold
if a news story is important, it will be above the fold- in the top half of the page of a newspaper
above the salt
something or someone has a high position
accident waiting to happen
expression to describe a dangerous or risky situation
ace in the hole
expression to describe a dangerous or risky situation
ace up your sleeve
a plan or piece of information kept secret until it becomes necessary to use it
acid test
a situation or event that proves something’s true value, quality, or success
