Body and actions of the body (FUN IDIOMS) Flashcards
These are idiomatic phrases you likely recognise. Good for Listening A/B.
It’s his ACHILLES HEEL
his weakness
Netflix is my Achilles heel for studying.
to add insult to injury
To make a harm feel much worse.
After being run over and suffering a broken leg, the insurance company decided I was responsible and needed to apologise and pay the driver!
I’m all ears
I’m listening carefully
I’m all thumbs
I’m clumsy
It costs an arm and a leg
It is expensive
to be the apple of someone’s eye
to be the most important person. Often said of fathers and daughters.
Break a leg!
Good luck!
to bust my chops
to scold/ tell me off
US English
by the skin of my teeth
to pass narrowly / to be just in time
I passed the exam by the skin of my teeth
to get cold feet
to be nervous and want to cancel
Many people get cold feet before a wedding.
cry your heart out
cry a lot
face the music
deal with bad consequences
I lied to my boss and got found out. Now I have to go to a disciplinary hearing and FACE THE MUSIC.
face the music
take responsibility for your mistakes
I lied to my boss and got found out. Now I have to go to a disciplinary hearing and FACE THE MUSIC.
your own flesh and blood
your family
get a head start
begin before others / begin early
give someone the cold shoulder
to ignore someone
give a hand / lend a hand to someone
help someone
to have eyes in the back of your head
to be perceptive and notice things
A good nurse has eyes in the back of their head.
to have your head in the clouds
to not notice anything
My teenage son has his head in the clouds these days.
to be in over your head
to not be able to cope.
On my first day in A and E, I felt in over my head!
keep an eye on someone / something
to watch / monitor
keep your chin up!
stay positive
to keep your head above water
to have enough money to survive.
During time of inflation, many families will struggle to keep their head above water.
to keep your lips sealed
to keep something secret
to know by heart
to memorise something
to let your hair down
to have fun!
At the weekends I let my hair down by going to the pub.
Over my dead body
Never!
My daughter wanted a tattoo, but I told her ‘Over my dead body!’
It makes my blood boil!
It makes me angry
in the same neck of the woods
in the same area
That pub is in my neck of the woods.
an old hand
an experienced person
That ward sister is an old hand.
give someone a pat on the back
to praise someone
Good job!
to play something by ear
literally - play music without score
To do things without a plan
A good doctor doesn’t play things by ear.
pull someone’s leg
to tease or joke with someone
I’m pulling your leg. Don’t look so serious!
rule of thumb
a general rule
A rule of thumb is to always consider information even if you don’t know what it means.
to see eye to eye with someone
to agree
to stick your neck out for someone
Help someone even if it harms you.
You should stick your neck out for your friends.
to have a sweet tooth
to love sweet things
tongue in cheek
sarcastically / jokily
under the thumb
to be controlled by someone
wash my hands of someone/ something
to rid yourself of someone in your life
to abandon a problem
it is water off a duck’s back
a problem flows away easily
thick in the head
stupid
