Consolidation 2 Flashcards
above board
His plans for opening a coffee shop are completely above board.
honest, legal
bark up the wrong tree
You’re barking up the wrong tree if you’re expecting us to lend you any money.
make a mistake
be full of beans/life
She’s full of beans this morning.
be very lively
be in the black books
not very popular
behind bars
The murderer is now safely behind bars.
be in prison
big-headed
conceited, boastful
having a very high opinion of how important and clever you are; too proud
black and blue all over
covered with bruises
blessing in disguise
Losing your job might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Sth which appears bad at first but turns out well
blue-eyed boy
My class president is the Literature’s blue-eyed boy
a person treated with special favour by somebody
bolt from the blue
Her dismissal came as a bolt from the blue.
suddenly
brainwave
sudden clear idea/thought
break even
The company just about broke even last year.
show neither loss nor profit
be browned off
By now the passengers were getting browned off with the delay.
be fed up or bored with sth
butter the boss up
He’s always trying to butter up the boss.
flatter or say nice things to sb
by and large = to a large extent
generally speaking
chip off the old block
sb who is very like one of their parents
cost a bomb | cost the earth | cost an arm and a leg | break the bank
be very expensive
deal a blow to
Her sudden death **dealt a blow to the whole country.*
damage sb’s hopes
don’t hold your breath
She said she’d do it this week, but don’t hold your breath!
wait for sb anxiously
drive a hard bargain
be a tough businessman
drop a brick/clanger
say sth tactlessly
feel in sb’s bones
I know I’m going to fail this exam—I can feel it in my bones.
feeling sth instinctively
get your own back
I’ll get my own back on him one day, I swear!
take/get revenge on sb
have a bee in sb’s bonnet
Our teacher has a bee in his bonnet about punctuation.
have an obsession about sth
have butterflies in sb’s stomach
I’m having butterflies in my stomach about my English score.
be very nervous about sth
in black and white
I never thought they’d put it in black and white on the front page.
in writing; clear
(be/hang) in the balance
The long-term future of the space programme hangs in the balance.
Uncertain
kick the bucket
die
lay bare
Every aspect of their private lives has been laid bare.
make public
make a clean breast of
He made a clean breast of everything and admitted taking the money.
confess
make sb’s blood boil
(The way he treats his employees really makes my blood boil.*
cause sb to be very angry
take the bull by the horns
Nora decided to take the bull by the horns and organize things for herself.
take a bold step immediately
wet blanket
I hate to be a wet blanket, but I thought the show was terrible.
dull person who spoils people’s happiness
