Cambridge Idioms in Use - Intermediate Flashcards
from time to time
It’s a small world!
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
To be or not to be - that is the question
put your foot in
take a shine to
a flash in the pan
as quiet as a mouse
safe and sound
see eye to eye
the apple of someone’s eye
goes cap in hand
as stiff/ straight as a ramrod
sank like a stone
prick her ears up
gone up in the world!
domino effect
debt of honour
drop in on
lick your wounds
run its course
open the door to
like it or lump it
To be / take centre stage
to fool someone
There’s no accounting for taste
if all else fails!
The lesser of two evils
one thing just let to another
to live down
strike while the iron is hot
one way or another
over the top
in someone’s shoes
at top of agenda
not on
catch napping
go out on a limb
out on a limb
lead astray
leave well alone
panic station
a necessary evil
safe and sound
have a narrow escape
do something by the skin of your teeth
rather/too close for comfort
cut things fine
something sets alarm bells ringing
take your life in(to) your hands
your life is in someone’s hands
hanging by a thread
on a knife-edge
go all out
go out of your way to do something
pull your weight
by hook or by crook
pull your finger out
at a push
have a go
have a bash
go through the motions
as easy as pie
as easy as taking candy from a baby
heavy-going
child’s play
a piece of cake
a doddle
wouldn’t go amiss
if push comes to shove
If need be
duty bound
I need something like I need a hone in the head
I’m dying to
I wouldn’t be seen dead
do my own thing
I’d give anything
in keeping with
wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole
You’re in luck
not worth my while
Take your pick
on the off-change
against all the odds
take someone for granted
is a foregone conclusion
have seen coming a mile off
touch-and-go
No prizes for guessing
the cards are stacked against
chancing your arm
is in the lap of the gods
Don’t push your luck!
We’ll take pot luck.
It’s the luck of the draw
Just my luck!
No such luck!
You should be so lucky!
toffee-nosed
putting on / giving yourself airs and
acting as if you were someone of a higher social
graces
a pillar of society
a rough diamond
down-and-outs
keep up appearances
high-flyer
made a name for himself
new blood
on his way up
keep a low profile
Anybody who is anybody
the odd one out
politically correct
be in someone’s good books
get on like a house on fire
keep/get/be/stay in touch with someone
make it up to someone
take a shine to someone
have a soft spot for someone
be at loggerheads
be (talking) at cross-purposes
have it in for someone
have it out with someone
rub someone up the wrong way
two-time someone
keep someone/something at bay
keep yourself to yourself
big deal!
make a big thing of
make it big
think big
be larger than life
loom large
budge an inch
see/spot a mile off!
sticks/stands out a mile
miles away
a far cry from
in small doses
a small fortune
all shapes and sizes
an unknown quantity
the middle ground
the middle of nowhere
be caught in the middle
be on the breadline
live in the lap of luxury
well off / well-to-do / well-heeled
spend money like water
tighten your belt
make a killing
be a money spinner
pay through the nose
is a rip-off
lose a small fortune
pick up the tab/bill
at a considerable price
put paid to
paying the price
for
bottom of the career ladder
dead-end job
run-of-the-mill
run-of-the-mill
by/in leaps and bounds
get a move on
be on the run
fast and furious
step by step
drag your feet/heels
the word spread
keep track
get off to a flying start
on the spot
all over the place
left, right and centre
reach / be at fever pitch
be in full swing
get/go beyond a joke
a pack of lies
That’s a likely story
off-the-cuff
in the same breath
small talk
lost for words
didn’t ring true
was on about
In a word
for want of a better word
to coin a phrase
taking the mick
mickey out of
no laughing matter
make light of
It’s no joke
loud and clear
speak your mind
matter-of-fact
won’t take no for an answer
get a word in edgeways
beside the point
missed the point
doesn’t know the meaning of the word
word for word
the small/fine print
a tall order
a matter of opinion
a question mark (hanging) over
a lingua franca
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Actions speak louder than words
There’s no point / It’s no good crying over spilt milk
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Many hands make light work
Blood is thicker than water
Too many cooks
People who live in glass houses
It’s the last straw
While the cat’s away
Take care of the pennies
Birds of a feather
A bird in the hand
The grass is always greener
All work and no play
commit something to memory
take a stroll/trip down memory lane
jog someone’s memory
in/within living memory
come/spring to mind
slip your mind
bear/keep something in mind
your mind goes blank
cross your mind
Out of sight, out of mind
something is on the tip of your tongue
ring a bell
a train of thought
rack your brains
has seen better days
out of date
making up for lost time
since/from the year dot
the shape of things to come
for the time being
on the threshold of
in the short/medium/long term
only a matter of time
It’s early days yet.
In the long run
like there’s no tomorrow
At the end of the day
a sign of the times
in no time at all
work against the clock
call it a day
don’t have a minute to call your own
at the crack of dawn
there and then
once in a lifetime
once in a blue moon
once and for all
off and on / on and off
from time to time
nine times out of ten
goes/works/runs like clockwork
from scratch
salt of the earth
go to the ends of the earth
run to ground
fell on stony ground
pluck a number out of the air
blows hot and cold
get wind of something
see how/ which way the wind is blowing
playing with fire
spreading like wildfire
in the heat of the moment
there’s no smoke without fire
add fuel to the flames/fire
in deep water
out of your depth
jump/ throw someone in at the deep end
in hot water
be between the devil and the deep blue sea
be a drop in the ocean
red tape
be in the red
catch someone red-handed
a red herring
till I was blue in the face
blue blood
Blue-collar workers
green with envy
got green fingers
given the green light
the green belt
white-collar workers
in black and white
grey area
a black hole
roll up your sleeves
at the drop of a hat
have big shoes to fill
wears lots of different hats
have it in the bag
bored the pants off
wears the trousers
keep your shirt on!
take my hat off to her
give someone the shirt off his back
in pocket
pocketed
out of pocket
dig deep into his pockets
started the ball rolling
The ball is in your court
on the ball
off our own bat
throw us a curveball
play ball
on a level playing field
play your cards right
put/lay your cards on the table
pass the buck
follow suit
call someone’s bluff
take the plunge
go back to square one
be wide of the mark
do something on the spur of the moment
be on the cards
your best bet
when the chips are down
a dark horse
a lone wolf
a cold fish
as a guinea pig
a party animal
a fly on the wall
Someone’s bark is worse than his bite
wouldn’t hurt a fly
the travel bug
got/taken the bit between her teeth
given me free rein
A little bird told me
made a beeline for
have butterflies in my stomach
made a real pig of myself
chasing my tail
goes to the dogs
let the cat out of the bag
put the cat among the pigeons
not (enough) room to swing a cat
the law of the jungle
can of worms
like water off a duck’s back.
running round like headless chickens
snail mail
put out feelers
bite the bullet
jump the gun
stick to your guns
look daggers at someone
put the knife in
twist the knife
have a shot at
in the firing line
calls the shots
caught in the crossfire
hold fire
up in arms
his own worst enemy
fighting a losing battle
burn your bridges
have an axe to grind
When it comes to the crunch
a chink in his armour
makes your mouth water
makes my mouth water
has a sweet tooth
whet your appetite
whet viewers’ appetites
The icing on the cake
you can’t have your cake and eat it
you want to have your cake and eat it
leaves a sour taste in your mouth
to the bitter end
flavour of the month
be past
pass your sell-by date
our paths cross
stuck in a rut
driving me round the bend!
right up your street/alley
middle-of-the-road
on the right/wrong track
an uphill battle/fight/struggle
gone downhill
off the beaten track
at a crossroads
a dead end
to go/get from A to B
put on the map
Road rage
are/feel at home
make yourself at home
as safe as houses
come home to me
got my foot in the door
hold the key to
flew off the handle
sit on the fence
come down on one side or the other
hit the ceiling/roof
got out of bed on the wrong side
burning the candle at both ends
put me in the picture
take a leaf out of his girlfriend’s book
in the air
breath of fresh air
up in the air
clear the air
out of the blue
down-to-earth
come (back) down to earth with a bang
bites the dust
(living) on another planet
over the moon
is/hits rock bottom
find out how the land lies
upper-crust
in the dark
keeps you in the dark
in your element
out of your element
push the boat out
rock the boat
miss the boat
burn your boats/bridges
steer clear of
sail close to the wind
be plain sailing
be in the doldrums
put/stick your oar in
show someone the ropes
be a nervous wreck
clear the decks
be (all) at sea
get into gear
back-seat driver
put the brakes on
ticking over
let off steam
programmed
get your lines/wires crossed
are on the same wavelength
blow a fuse/gasket
give someone a buzz
back-pedalling
put/threw a spanner in the works
meltdown
in the pipeline
jazz it up
song heart out
sounds like a broken record
music to my ears
struck a chord
changed one’s tune
fine-tuning
making a song and dance about
to set the stage
making a spectacle of yourself
been in the spotlight
the curtain has fallen on
The show must go on
at someone’s fingertips
Keep your fingers crossed
put his finger on
lifts a finger
got his fingers burnt
has got green fingers
given the thumbs up/down
sticks/stands out like a sore
thumb
a rule of thumb
given me a free hand
turn his hand to
got out of hand
first-hand
changed hands
have my hands full
try my hand at
to keep my hand in
to hand
Give me a hand
washed my hands of
stand on your own two feet
rushed off my feet
kept both feet on
the ground
got cold feet
find your feet
got off on the wrong foot
under my fee
landed/fallen on his feet
got itchy feet
put my foot in it
put your foot down
follow in someone’s footsteps
drag one’s heels
dig one’s heels in
keeps someone on his/her toes
have a bone to pick with you
can feel it in my bones
a bone of contention
the bare bones
a shoulder to cry on
has a chip on one’s shoulder
stand shoulder to shoulder with you
gave me the cold shoulder
twisted my arm
keep/hold her at arm’s length.
pulling your leg
keep your head
hasn’t (got) a leg to stand on
lose your head
laugh/scream/shout your head off
be banging or hitting your head against a brick wall
bring something to a head / something comes to a head
come to a head
put ideas into someone’s head
get your head (a)round
can’t get (my) head (a)round
off the top of your head
turns heads
knock that on the head
keep his head above water
bites/snaps their heads of
keep my head down
make/pull a face
keep a straight face
put a brave face on something
take something at face value
on the face of it
face to face
Keep your hair on!
tearing/pulling her hair out!
didn’t turn a hair
at each other’s throats
make a clean breast of it
breathing down his neck
a real pain in the neck
got it off his chest
ramming it down his throat
in the wrong
giving him the cold shoulder
couldn’t believe my eyes
couldn’t keep my eyes off
catch her eye
keep an eye on
turn a blind eye
with your eyes open
see eye to eye
raised a few eyebrows
run/cast your eye over
on the blink
have/keep one eye on
blink of an eye
didn’t bat an eyelid
caught my eye
opened my eyes to
a real eye-opener
play it by ear
play by ear
couldn’t believe my ears
goes in one ear and out the other
all ears
pays lip service to
lips are sealed
by word of mouth
mouth-watering
making my mouth water
poking/sticking your nose into
turn your nose up at
gets right up everybody’s nose
in the teeth of
by the skin of my teeth
grit our teeth
lying through his teeth
bit my tongue
on the tip of my tongue
open your heart
bare your heart/soul
pour your heart out
your heart misses/skips a beat
someone’s heart is in the right place
have a change of heart
break someone’s heart
your heart sinks
a man/woman after my own heart
talk to someone heart-to- heart
have a heart-to-heart
take something to heart
lose heart
to your heart’s content
put your heart and soul into something
set your heart on something
have your heart set on something
learn something off by heart
know something by heart
learning things by heart
have something on the brain
pick someone’s brains
the brain drain
be a load/weight off your mind
have/keep an open mind
have a mind of its own
make up your mind
at the back of your mind
put/set someone’s mind at rest
in your mind’s eye
in cold blood
cold-blooded
like getting blood out of a stone
a gut feeling/reaction
slog/sweat/work your guts out
be on someone’s back
you wouldn’t be sorry / you’d be pleased/glad/ happy to see the back of someone/something
could do something with one arm/hand tied behind your back
get/put someone’s back up
stab someone in the back
do something when/while someone’s back is turned
you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours
know a place/person/thing like the back of your hand
is on the back burner
at/in the back of beyond
takes a back seat
came/fell off the back of a lorry
leant/bent over backwards
long time no see!
How long is a piece of string?
to cut a long story short
long-winded
a long haul
a long face
goes to great lengths
go to any lengths
go a long way
go back a long way
come a long way
take a long, hard look
in line for
out of line
along the lines of
step out of line
line of work
be going along/on the right lines
along/on the same lines
draw the line
draw the line at something
draw a line under something
there is a fine/thin line between one thing and another
Drop me a line
Reading between the lines
sign on the dotted line
The bottom line
caught in the act
got her act together
get in on the act!
putting on an act
a balancing act
clean up their act
Act your age!
acting the fool/goat!
a hive of activity
been out of action
be back in action
get a slice/piece of the action
be all talk and no action
follows/takes a course of action
go one better
Against our better judgment
stand someone in good stead
thought better of
second best
get the best of both worlds
for the best
make the best of a bad job
be on your best behavior
in a bad way
gone from bad to worse
given it up as a bad job
If the worst comes to the worst
common ground
gaining ground
cut the ground from under the feet of
hold/stand her ground
be on dangerous ground
give ground
shifting her ground
gets off the ground
gets in on the ground floor
prepares the ground
wished the ground would swallow me up
be thick on the ground
be thin on the ground
gone to ground
stamping/stomping ground
as blind as a bat
like a bear with a sore head
as free as a bird
like a bear with a sore head
like a red rag to a bull
like something the cat brought/ dragged in
as slippery as an eel
like a fish out of water
as sly/cunning as a fox
has eyes like a hawk
as strong as an ox
as far as the eye could see
as plain as the nose on your face
as ugly as sin
as light as a feather
as heavy as lead
avoid something like the plague
a memory like a sieve!
like greased lightning
