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English Idioms > A-Z list > Flashcards

A-Z list Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

a bit much

A

somewhat excessive or unreasonable

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2
Q

a blessing in disguise

A

a situation that seems bad at first but later turns out to be a good thing

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3
Q

above board

A

legitimate, honest, in the open

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4
Q

Achilles heel

A

a weakness or vulnerable point

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5
Q

across the board

A

applying to all things that are being considered

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6
Q

a cut above

A

noticeably greater or better

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7
Q

add fuel to the fire / flames

A

cause a conflict or difficult situation to get worse

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8
Q

add insult to injury

A

act in a way that makes a bad situation worse for other people

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9
Q

a dime a dozen

A

very common and not very valuable

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10
Q

a drop in the bucket

A

a small amount that makes little difference

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11
Q

a drop in the ocean

A

an amount that is so small it does not make much of a difference

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12
Q

a fish out of water

A

being uncomfortable and restless

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13
Q

against the clock

A

in a great hurry to finish something before a particular time

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14
Q

a house of cards

A

something that can easily be broken or crumble by itself

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15
Q

a little bird told me

A

used when a person is trying to hide the source of their information

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16
Q

all bark and no bite

A

threatening, aggressive, but not willing to engage in a a fight

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17
Q

all ears

A

to be listening attentively

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18
Q

all Greek to me

A

used to convey that you cannot understand what is said or written

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19
Q

all hell will let loose

A

a situation suddenly becomes noisy and violent, usually with a lot of people arguing or fighting

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20
Q

all in a day’s work

A

something difficult that is acceptable as something that has to be done or is part of someone’s normal routine

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21
Q

all in all

A

on the whole, all things considered

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22
Q

all roads lead to Rome

A

all methods of doing something will achieve the same result in the end

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23
Q

all set

A

referring to a state of being ready

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24
Q

all the rage

A

something that very is popular

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25
Q

a lot on my plate

A

there is a lot going on in my life

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26
Q

and so on

A

and related stuff

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27
Q

a needle in a haystack

A

something very small amidst something very big

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28
Q

ants in your pants

A

feeling restless or cannot sit still

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29
Q

anything but

A

the opposite of; by no means; was not

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30
Q

a piece of cake

A

something that can be easily done

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31
Q

apple of my eye

A

a person who you are extremely proud or fond of

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32
Q

apples and oranges

A

the items cannot be compared with each other

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33
Q

as a duck to water

A

to do something very naturally or without effort

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34
Q

as busy as a bee

A

describes someone who is very busy

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35
Q

a sight for sore eyes

A

a way of saying that you are happy to see someone

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36
Q

a tall order

A

a challenging task or difficult requirement

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37
Q

at bay

A

to control something and keep it away

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38
Q

at death’s door

A

someone who is likely to die

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39
Q

at odds

A

to disagree about something

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40
Q

at rock bottom

A

the lowest possible level or the lowest point of a person’s life

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41
Q

at stake

A

at risk; in question; to be won or lost

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42
Q

at the drop of a hat

A

suddenly, without any need for preparation or notice

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43
Q

a wet blanket

A

a person who spoils other people’s fun

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44
Q

a whole new ball game

A

a completely different situation, often one that you know little about

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45
Q

at the end of the day

A

when everything is taken into consideration

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46
Q

a backhanded compliment

A

a compliment that could be interpreted as an insult

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47
Q

a backseat driver

A

a passenger who gives unwanted driving advice to the driver

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48
Q

(to go) back to square one

A

having to start over or go back to where you started, especially after a dead-end or a failure

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49
Q

(to go) back to the basics

A

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

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50
Q

(to go) back to the drawing board

A

when a plan or idea is not working so a new one must be made; to go back to the beginning of the process

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51
Q

(to go) back to the grind

A

going back to work or your regular routine after a break

52
Q

(have one’s) back against the wall

A

when someone is in a position where they are forced to do something; in a difficult situation without many choices or ways to escape

53
Q

a bad egg

A

someone who is dishonest or does bad things

54
Q

to bad-mouth

A

criticize someone; speak badly about someone to other people

55
Q

a balancing act

A

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

56
Q

a ballpark figure

A

an rough estimate; an approximate value of something

57
Q

bang for your buck

A

the value you get in return for your money

58
Q

(to be) bang on

A

exactly right or accurate

59
Q

to bark up the wrong tree

A

to have a wrong idea and then follow the wrong course of action

60
Q

a basket case

A

someone who is nervous, emotional, or overwhelmed to the point that they cannot function or act as they normally can

61
Q

(to not) bat an eye

A

to show no surprise, fear, or concern

62
Q

to bear the brunt of

A

to suffer the most (as the result of a problem, attack, misfortune, etc.)

63
Q

to beat around the bush

A

to talk about a subject without coming to the point; to avoid answering a question

64
Q

to beat someone over the head

A

to emphasize something repeatedly, especially the painful truth

65
Q

beat the heat

A

to remain cool in hot weather

66
Q

(to have) been around

A

to have a lot of experience and understanding

67
Q

before you can say _____ (a long or difficult word)

A

to be able to do something very quickly or suddenly

68
Q

beginner’s luck

A

unexpected success experienced by a beginner

69
Q

to bend over backwards

A

to try extremely hard to help or please someone

70
Q

the best thing since sliced bread

A

describes something or someone you think is very good

71
Q

one’s better half

A

a person’s partner, husband, or wife

72
Q

better late than never

A

it is better for someone to arrive or do something later than not at all

73
Q

(to be) better off

A

to be in a better or more desirable position; to be in a better financial position

74
Q

between a rock and a hard place

A

in a situation where a person is faced with two equally difficult alternatives

75
Q

between you and me

A

indicates that a conversation should not be shared with other people

76
Q

to be up on

A

be well informed about a topic

77
Q

beyond a shadow of a doubt

A

describes something that is certain

78
Q

to bide one’s time

A

wait quietly and patiently for a good opportunity to do something; waiting for the right time to do something

79
Q

a big deal

A

an important person, thing, or event

80
Q

(have a) big mouth

A

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

81
Q

birds of a feather flock together

A

people who are similar or have similar interests will be found together

82
Q

bird’s eye view

A

a perspective from a high place so you can see a large area below; a general view from above

83
Q

to bite off more than you can chew

A

to try to do something that is too difficult or too much work for you

84
Q

bite someone’s head off

A

to react to someone in an angry way, suddenly and without a good reason

85
Q

bite the bullet

A

force yourself to do something unpleasant or something you don’t want to do; to be brave in a difficult situation

86
Q

to bite the dust

A

to fall to the ground; to stop working (a machine or tool); to die

87
Q

bite your tongue

A

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

88
Q

bits and pieces

A

a group of objects of different kinds; random collection of small things

89
Q

to black out

A

to lose consciousness; to pass out; to cover something with something dark

90
Q

the black sheep

A

a member of a group who is different from the others, especially a family member

91
Q

a blank check

A

a check that is signed but does not have a value, so that the payee or receiver can decide the amount of money

92
Q

a blast from the past

A

something you see in the present that reminds you of the past and of good memories

93
Q

a blind date

A

two people who have never met before go on a date

94
Q

blood, sweat, and tears

A

extremely hard work or effort

95
Q

to blow away

A

to greatly impress someone

96
Q

blow your mind

A

to find something very exciting, interesting, or surprising

97
Q

(to have) a bone to pick

A

to be annoyed with someone and want to talk to them about it

98
Q

born with a silver spoon in your mouth

A

to be born into a wealthy family

99
Q

a bosom buddy

A

a very close friend

100
Q

break a leg

A

said to wish someone good luck

101
Q

to break down

A

to stop working or functioning

102
Q

a breakdown

A

an episode of bad mental health

103
Q

break new ground

A

do something innovative and beneficial

104
Q

break the bank

A

when someone costs more than someone can afford

105
Q

break the ice

A

do or say something to relieve tension or get conversation going, especially when people meet for the first time

106
Q

break the news

A

to tell someone bad news

107
Q

break up

A

to come to an end, such as a meeting or gathering; to end a romantic relationship

108
Q

to break your back

A

to work extremely hard

109
Q

bring back to life

A

to cause someone or something that has died to begin living again

110
Q

bring home the bacon

A

make money in order to support yourself and your family

111
Q

(have) a broken heart

A

extreme grief, typically caused by the end of a relationship or the death of a loved one

112
Q

brownie points

A

an imaginary award given to someone who does good deeds

113
Q

bucket list

A

a list of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have during their lifetime

114
Q

buck up

A

to become encouraged

115
Q

bug someone

A

annoy or bother someone

116
Q

bump into someone

A

meet someone by chance

117
Q

bundle up

A

to dress warmly

118
Q

bun in the oven

A

to be pregnant

119
Q

burn bridges

A

to unpleasantly and permanently end relations with another person

120
Q

burn the candle at both ends

A

go to bed late and get up early; OR to do more than you should

121
Q

burst (someone else’s) bubble

A

say or do something that shows someone that his beliefs are false, or ruin their happiness by showing them the truth

122
Q

bury your head in the sand

A

to deliberately ignore the reality

123
Q

bury the hatchet

A

end a conflict or argument and become friendly

124
Q

butterflies in your stomach

A

to have a nervous feeling

125
Q

butter up (someone)

A

flatter or praise someone in order to get their help or support

126
Q

buy time

A

delay an event temporarily so that you have a longer time to get ready

127
Q

by the skin of your teeth

A

to barely escape or achieve something; to only just succeed in doing something

English Idioms (2 decks)

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