Idiom List 1 Flashcards
Spur of the moment
Spontaneously or impulsively; without prior planning
They were supposed to stay home this week, but on the spur of the moment they decided to go camping instead.
Elephant in the room
Something that is very apparent that no one is talking about
We need to stop procrastinating and discuss the elephant in the room.
With child
Pregnant
She didn’t drink at the party because she is with child.
Grandfathered in
Something that is prohibited by new rules, but is allowed to continue because it existed before the rules came into play
Bars are no longer allowed on this street, but Joe’s Pub is grandfathered in.
Pushes the envelope
To do something new and different that goes beyond what was previously thought to be possible; to innovate
His new website really pushes the envelope of what the Internet can be used for.
Abide by
To accept and follow (a law, ruling, etc.); to comply with
Both companies claim the right to sell the product, but they will abide by the judge’s decision.
Carry on
To continue
The book was so interesting that he carried on reading it after the end of study hall.
They will carry on with the dance lessons until they master the tango.
Tested the waters
To check the likelihood of success before proceeding
Before announcing their new initiative, the politicians tested the waters by conducting polls to assess the likely public response.
Panned out
To yield good results; to turn out well
She has had several job interviews, but nothing has panned out yet.
[from to pan for gold: to attempt to extract gold from a river]
Account for
To explain; to provide an explanation for
The police asked him to account for the missing money.
The full moon account for the exceptionally high tide today.
Give it away
To reveal (information that was supposed to be kept secret)
The party was supposed to be surprise, but my little sister gave it away.
Follow suit
To do the same; to follow the example set by someone else
She decided to skip the tournament and the rest of the team followed suit.
[a reference to card games in which all players must play a card of the same suit as the one led by the first player.
Grow out of something
- to become too large for (something) ; to outgrow
- to develop on the basis of (something)
- She gives her son’s clothes to charity when he grows out of them.
- This book grew out of a series of lectures i gave last year.
Know the ropes
To understand how things are done in particular place
To succeed in a new job, ask someone who really knows the ropes to train you.
Hence, to show someone the ropes means “to show someone how things are done.”
[a reference to sailing ships with complicated ropes and riggings]
Back someone in to a corner
To put (someone or oneself) into a position where there is no way out and no room to maneuver
His political opponents tried to back him into a corner, so that any position he took would cause him to lose support.
She has backed herself into a corner by setting the standards so high that no one-including her - can meet them.
