Idiom List 4 Flashcards
On occasion
Sometimes
On occasion, i like to shop at the mall a couple of hours away because it has great sales.
On the dot
At the exact time
We are meeting at 6 p.m. on the dot.
Back to the drawing board
To start from the beginning
Our permit was not approved, so we need to go back to the drawing board.
Third degree
Intense interrogation
When i areived home late, my father gave me the third degree.
Dropped by
To make a short, usually unannounced, visit
He dropped by for a few minutes last night.
Drop in on someone
To make a short, usually unannounced, visit to (a person)
Have one’s hands full
To be very busy; to have a lot to do
She has had her hands full lately, so she probably won’t be able to help you.
Go wrong
To cause a failure; to go amiss
The experiment failed, but scientists still aren’t sure what went wrong.
Err on the side of caution
To act in a reserved manner to prevent issue
No one knows what level of pollutants is safe for fish, so it seems best to err on the side of conversation by stopping all pollution in the river.
Rest on one’s laurels
To be satisfied with one’s past accomplishments rather than attempting anything new
Since his highly praised first novel came out, he has been resting on his laurels and hasn’t written anything new.
[a reference to the ancient Greek tradition of crowning a person with a wreath of laurels, or bay leaves, to honor a great accomplishment]
Take one’s time
To proceed slowly; to avoid rushing
I’m taking my time on this paper, since it isn’t due until the end of the semester.
Tighten one’s belt
To take extreme measures in order to economize; to cut back
Our funding has been cut, so we are going to have to tighten our belts and reduce the budget.
[a reference to losing weight from eating less, which might cause someone to need a smaller belt]
Touch on
To address (a topic) briefly
The course will mainly cover the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, but it will also touch on some of his contemporaries, such as Voltaire and Diderot.
See eye to eye
To have similar opinions; to understand each other
They have almost nothing in common, but when it comes to baseball they see eye to eye.
Have a say
To have a deegree of influence or power
It is important for children to have a say in decision about their activities.
In a democracy, citizens have a voice in their government.
