A-Z list Flashcards
a bit much
somewhat excessive or unreasonable
a blessing in disguise
a situation that seems bad at first but later turns out to be a good thing
above board
legitimate, honest, in the open
Achilles heel
a weakness or vulnerable point
across the board
applying to all things that are being considered
a cut above
noticeably greater or better
add fuel to the fire / flames
cause a conflict or difficult situation to get worse
add insult to injury
act in a way that makes a bad situation worse for other people
a dime a dozen
very common and not very valuable
a drop in the bucket
a small amount that makes little difference
a drop in the ocean
an amount that is so small it does not make much of a difference
a fish out of water
being uncomfortable and restless
against the clock
in a great hurry to finish something before a particular time
a house of cards
something that can easily be broken or crumble by itself
a little bird told me
used when a person is trying to hide the source of their information
all bark and no bite
threatening, aggressive, but not willing to engage in a a fight
all ears
to be listening attentively
all Greek to me
used to convey that you cannot understand what is said or written
all hell will let loose
a situation suddenly becomes noisy and violent, usually with a lot of people arguing or fighting
all in a day’s work
something difficult that is acceptable as something that has to be done or is part of someone’s normal routine
all in all
on the whole, all things considered
all roads lead to Rome
all methods of doing something will achieve the same result in the end
all set
referring to a state of being ready
all the rage
something that very is popular
a lot on my plate
there is a lot going on in my life
and so on
and related stuff
a needle in a haystack
something very small amidst something very big
ants in your pants
feeling restless or cannot sit still
anything but
the opposite of; by no means; was not
a piece of cake
something that can be easily done
apple of my eye
a person who you are extremely proud or fond of
apples and oranges
the items cannot be compared with each other
as a duck to water
to do something very naturally or without effort
as busy as a bee
describes someone who is very busy
a sight for sore eyes
a way of saying that you are happy to see someone
a tall order
a challenging task or difficult requirement
at bay
to control something and keep it away
at death’s door
someone who is likely to die
at odds
to disagree about something
at rock bottom
the lowest possible level or the lowest point of a person’s life
at stake
at risk; in question; to be won or lost
at the drop of a hat
suddenly, without any need for preparation or notice
a wet blanket
a person who spoils other people’s fun
a whole new ball game
a completely different situation, often one that you know little about
at the end of the day
when everything is taken into consideration
a backhanded compliment
a compliment that could be interpreted as an insult
a backseat driver
a passenger who gives unwanted driving advice to the driver
(to go) back to square one
having to start over or go back to where you started, especially after a dead-end or a failure
(to go) back to the basics
to give your attention to the simplest, most important matters; to return to a simpler way of doing something, especially after focusing on more complicated things for a while
(to go) back to the drawing board
when a plan or idea is not working so a new one must be made; to go back to the beginning of the process
(to go) back to the grind
going back to work or your regular routine after a break
(have one’s) back against the wall
when someone is in a position where they are forced to do something; in a difficult situation without many choices or ways to escape
a bad egg
someone who is dishonest or does bad things
to bad-mouth
criticize someone; speak badly about someone to other people
a balancing act
when you have to pay attention to more than one detail or more than one task at the same time, and with the goal to accomplish them all
a ballpark figure
an rough estimate; an approximate value of something
bang for your buck
the value you get in return for your money
(to be) bang on
exactly right or accurate
to bark up the wrong tree
to have a wrong idea and then follow the wrong course of action
a basket case
someone who is nervous, emotional, or overwhelmed to the point that they cannot function or act as they normally can
(to not) bat an eye
to show no surprise, fear, or concern
to bear the brunt of
to suffer the most (as the result of a problem, attack, misfortune, etc.)
to beat around the bush
to talk about a subject without coming to the point; to avoid answering a question
to beat someone over the head
to emphasize something repeatedly, especially the painful truth
beat the heat
to remain cool in hot weather
(to have) been around
to have a lot of experience and understanding
before you can say _____ (a long or difficult word)
to be able to do something very quickly or suddenly
beginner’s luck
unexpected success experienced by a beginner
to bend over backwards
to try extremely hard to help or please someone
the best thing since sliced bread
describes something or someone you think is very good
one’s better half
a person’s partner, husband, or wife
better late than never
it is better for someone to arrive or do something later than not at all
(to be) better off
to be in a better or more desirable position; to be in a better financial position
between a rock and a hard place
in a situation where a person is faced with two equally difficult alternatives
between you and me
indicates that a conversation should not be shared with other people
to be up on
be well informed about a topic
beyond a shadow of a doubt
describes something that is certain
to bide one’s time
wait quietly and patiently for a good opportunity to do something; waiting for the right time to do something
a big deal
an important person, thing, or event
(have a) big mouth
someone who says things that are meant to be secret; someone who brags or boasts a lot; someone who talks a lot without filtering what they say
birds of a feather flock together
people who are similar or have similar interests will be found together
bird’s eye view
a perspective from a high place so you can see a large area below; a general view from above
to bite off more than you can chew
to try to do something that is too difficult or too much work for you
bite someone’s head off
to react to someone in an angry way, suddenly and without a good reason
bite the bullet
force yourself to do something unpleasant or something you don’t want to do; to be brave in a difficult situation
to bite the dust
to fall to the ground; to stop working (a machine or tool); to die
bite your tongue
to stop yourself from saying something that you would really like to say; to not say something, even though you want to, because it would be wrong or hurtful
bits and pieces
a group of objects of different kinds; random collection of small things
to black out
to lose consciousness; to pass out; to cover something with something dark
the black sheep
a member of a group who is different from the others, especially a family member
a blank check
a check that is signed but does not have a value, so that the payee or receiver can decide the amount of money
a blast from the past
something you see in the present that reminds you of the past and of good memories
a blind date
two people who have never met before go on a date
blood, sweat, and tears
extremely hard work or effort
to blow away
to greatly impress someone
blow your mind
to find something very exciting, interesting, or surprising
(to have) a bone to pick
to be annoyed with someone and want to talk to them about it
born with a silver spoon in your mouth
to be born into a wealthy family
a bosom buddy
a very close friend
break a leg
said to wish someone good luck
to break down
to stop working or functioning
a breakdown
an episode of bad mental health
break new ground
do something innovative and beneficial
break the bank
when someone costs more than someone can afford
break the ice
do or say something to relieve tension or get conversation going, especially when people meet for the first time
break the news
to tell someone bad news
break up
to come to an end, such as a meeting or gathering; to end a romantic relationship
to break your back
to work extremely hard
bring back to life
to cause someone or something that has died to begin living again
bring home the bacon
make money in order to support yourself and your family
(have) a broken heart
extreme grief, typically caused by the end of a relationship or the death of a loved one
brownie points
an imaginary award given to someone who does good deeds
bucket list
a list of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have during their lifetime
buck up
to become encouraged
bug someone
annoy or bother someone
bump into someone
meet someone by chance
bundle up
to dress warmly
bun in the oven
to be pregnant
burn bridges
to unpleasantly and permanently end relations with another person
burn the candle at both ends
go to bed late and get up early; OR to do more than you should
burst (someone else’s) bubble
say or do something that shows someone that his beliefs are false, or ruin their happiness by showing them the truth
bury your head in the sand
to deliberately ignore the reality
bury the hatchet
end a conflict or argument and become friendly
butterflies in your stomach
to have a nervous feeling
butter up (someone)
flatter or praise someone in order to get their help or support
buy time
delay an event temporarily so that you have a longer time to get ready
by the skin of your teeth
to barely escape or achieve something; to only just succeed in doing something
