Day- 02 Flashcards
At sixes and sevens
in a state of total confusion or disarray.
At someone’s beck and call
always ready to do whatever someone asks
At someone’s heels
just behind or following closely.
At the eleventh hour
at the last moment/ the latest possible moment.
At mercy of
Completely in the power or under the control of.
At the outset
the beginning
At/ On the point of
at a time just before (doing something)
At the root of
the reason for (Something)
At times
Sometimes/ on occasions
Avail of
use or take advantage of an opportunity or available resources.
Bad blood
ill feeling
Bag and baggage
with all one’s belongings.
Be (dead) set against something
to be determined not to do something/ strongly opposed to.
Be/ Keep/ Stay abreast of (with) something
to make sure that one knows all the most recent and important information about something.
Be in a fix
get into trouble.
Be in deep water
to be in or get into serious trouble.
Be in the hot water
to be or get into a difficult situation in which you are in a danger of being criticized or punished.
Be in someone’s good/ bad books
In favour/ disfavour with someone.
Be in the right
in the position or situation of being morally or legally allowed to have, get, or do something.
Be off one’s guard
Unprepared for a surprise or difficulty.
Be on at somebody
nag or grumble at someone
Be on good terms ( with someone)
to have a good, friendly, etc. relationship with someone.
Be on the horns of a dilemma
to be unable to decide which of two things to do because either could have bad results.
Be out of the woods
to no longer be in danger or difficulty
Be riding for a fall
be acting in reckless way that is likely to end in trouble or distance.
Be six feet under
to be dead and buried.
Be skin and bone(s)
( of a person or animal) be very thin.
Be the salt of the earth
a person or group of people of great kindness, reliability, or honesty.
Be up to yours ears in something/ Up to one’s ears in
very busy with/ to have more of something than someone/ one can manage.
Get up to monkey business/ tricks
Mischievous or deceitful behaviour.
Bear fruit
Yield positive result.
Beat about the bush
discuss a matter without coming to the point
Beggar description/ belief
to be impossible to believe or describe.
Behind someone’s back
without a person’s knowledge and in a unfair way/ in secret
Below the belt
disregarding the rules/ unfair
Beside the mark/ point
not to the point/ irrelevant
Between the devil and the deep sea/ deep blue sea
that someone is in a difficult situation where he/she has to choose between two equally unpleasant coursed of action.
Bid fair
to show signs of a favorable or successful outcome.
Big gun
an important or powerful person
Bird of passage
a person who passes through a place without staying for long/ a migratory bird.
Birds of a feather
Persons have the same interests or are very similar.
Black and blue
with dark marks on your skin
Black look
an expression on your face that is full of anger and hate.
Black and white
- subject or situation is one in which it is easy to understand what is right and wrong.
- being in writing or point.
Blow away
- to dissipate or remove as if with a current of air.
- defeat an opponent convincingly.
- Impress someone greatly.
Blow out
be extinguished by an air current
Blue chip
A blue-chip company investment is on e that can be trusted and is not likely to fail.
Blue ribbon
the highest prize in a competition or event.
Bombard someone with something
to direct so many things at someone, especially to ask them so many questions, that they find it difficult to deal with them.
Bon voyage
used to express good wishes to someone about to set off on a journey.
Bone of contention
a subject or issue over which there is continuing disagreement.
Born with a silver spoon in mouth
to have a high social position and be rich from birth.
Bosom friend
a very close or intimate friend.
Bottom line
the most important fact in situation.
Bread and butter
a person’s livelihood or main source of income.
Break open
to open or to cause ( something) to open suddenly.
Break out
if something dangerous or unpleasant breaks out, it suddenly starts.
Break the ice
do or say something to relieve tension or get conversation going in a strained situation or when strangers meet.
Break the news
to tell (someone) bad news.
Breathe one’s last
die
Bring someone to book
to punish someone and make that person explain their behaviour/ bring someone to justice.
Bring to light
to cause something to be known/ make widely known or evident.
Brown study
absorbed in one’s thoughts and not paying attention to anything else.
Brush up on (or brush something up)
improve one’s existing knowledge or skill in a particular area.
Burn the candle at both ends
go to bed late and get up early, especially to get work done.
Burning question/ issue
something that people have strong opinions about and think is very important/ a subject or question that must be dealt with or answered quickly.
Burns one’s fingers
to suffer unpleasant results of an action, especially loss of money, so yo do not want to do the same things again.
Bury the hatchet
end a quarrel or conflict and become friendly.
By (or in) leaps and bounds
with startlingly rapid progress.
By (or in ) virtue of
because or as result of.
By a long chalk
By far
By all means
of course/ certainly (granting a permission)
By and by
before long/ eventually/ ultimately/ shortly
By and large
on the whole/ everything
By ding of
by means of / with the help of.
By fair means or foul
using whatever means are necessary.
By far
by a great amount
By halves
without being thorough or exhaustive.
By order
according to direction given by the proper authority.
By reason of
Because of/ due to
By the by (or bye), by the way
incidentally
By turns
one after the other/ alternately
By way of
so as to pass through or across/ via.
Call a spade a spade
to say the truth about something even if it is not polite or pleasant/ to speak frankly.
Call into the question
to cause doubts about something.
Call it a day
decide or agree to stop doing something/ end a period of activity, especially resting content that enough has been done.
Call name
to address or speak of a person or thing contemptuously or offensively.
Call to account
to express public or forma disapproval of.
Call/ bring to mind
to remember something.
Capital punishment
punishment by death, as ordered by a legal system.
