Idiomatic Expressions Flashcards
To be in dire straits
To be in a very bad or difficult situation.
To come out of left field
To be very surprising and unexpected.
That question came out of left field.
Running to the hills
To leave quickly from somewhere
The haunted house sent me running to the hills!
What in tarnation… ?
De que diabos… ?
What in tarnation are you laughing at?
To not find hide or hair
To not see someone at all over a period of time.
I haven’t seen hide nor hair of her since last year.
Driving me nuts
To make (someone) very irritated, angry, or annoyed.
Your constant complaining drives me nuts!
Stay tuned
Mantenha sua atenção, continue assistindo; Não mude de canal
Mas não necessariamente usado num contexto de mídia (rádio, TV, etc.)
On top of your game
A master, an expert
The golf player is on top of his game.
Get a grip
To make an effort to control your emotions and behave more calmly.
Get a grip, man!
Take a load off
Relax
Welcome! Grab a drink, take a load off, and enjoy! Load = peso
To catch someone’s eye
To attract someone’s attention.
The colorful display in the shop window caught my eye.
To keep an eye on
To watch or monitor something or someone closely. (Ficar de olho em)
Can you keep an eye on my bag while I use the restroom?
To miss the boat
To miss an opportunity or chance to do something. (Perder a oportunidade)
I wanted to invest in Bitcoin, but I missed the boat.
To take a backseat
To take a secondary or less prominent role. (Ficar em segundo plano)
The CEO took a backseat and let the new team lead the project.
To go the extra mile
To make extra effort or do more than what is expected.
(Dar um passo a mais)
The hotel staff went the extra mile to ensure the guests had a nice stay
To hit the jackpot
To achieve a great success or gain a substantial amount of money. (Ganhar muito rapidamente, geralmente na loteria mas não necessariamente)
Sarah hit the jackpot when she found Tom.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire
Escaping one problem only to enter a worse one. (Saltar da frigideira para o fogo)
“He thought leaving his old job would be good, but he went out of (…)
To beat around the bush
Avoiding the main topic or being indirect. (Enrolar/Encher linguiça)
“Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you really think.”
To bark up the wrong tree
Accusing or looking in the wrong direction. (Latir para a árvore errada)
If you think I took your book, you’re barking (…). I haven’t seen it.
Don’t cry over spilled milk
Don’t dwell on past mistakes or misfortunes. (Não adianta chorar sobre o leite derramado)
“I made a mistake, but there’s no use crying (…). Let’s move on.”
To put all your eggs in one basket
To rely entirely on one thing, which is risky. (Colocar todos os ovos na mesma cesta)
“Investing all your money in a single stock is like putting all (…)”
To kill two birds with one stone
Accomplish two things with a single action. (Matar dois coelhos com uma cajadada só)
“By studying during my commute, I can kill two birds with one stone.”
The early bird catches the worm
Those who act promptly have an advantage. (Deus ajuda quem cedo madruga)
“She always arrives at work early. The early bird catches the worm.”
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
Don’t rely on something before it happens.
“I know you’re excited about the promotion, but don’t count your chickens…”
Actions speak louder than words
What a person does is more important than what they say. (As ações valem mais que as palavras)
“He keeps promising to help, but actions speak louder than words.”
Every cloud has a silver lining
There is something positive in every negative situation. (Não há mal que não traga algum bem)
“She lost her job. Every cloud (…), and she started her own business.”
To let sleeping dogs lie
Don’t stir up unnecessary trouble.
(Deixe os cachorros dormirem)
“I know you have a disagreement with him, but it’s best to let (…).”
The ball is in your court
It’s your turn to take action.
“I’ve presented my proposal, and now the ball (…) to make a decision.”
A needle in a haystack
Something that is very difficult to find.
(Uma agulha no palheiro)
“Finding a specific book in that library is like searching for a (…)
To break the ice
To start a conversation or to make a social situation more relaxed. (Quebrar o gelo)
“He told a joke to break the ice at the party.”
On cloud nine
Being extremely happy. (Nas nuvens)
“She was on cloud nine after receiving the job offer.”
A penny for your thoughts
Asking someone what they are thinking about.
“You seem lost in thought. A penny for your thoughts?”
It’s raining cats and dogs
It’s raining heavily. (Está chovendo canivetes)
“We can’t go outside; it’s raining cats and dogs!”
A blessing in disguise
Something that seems bad but has a good outcome. (Um mal que vem para o bem)
“Losing my job was a blessing in disguise because I found a better one.”
When pigs fly
Something that is impossible or highly unlikely to happen.
(Quando galinhas tiverem dentes)
“Sure, I’ll lend you my car when pigs fly.”
To hit the nail on the head
To be exactly right.
(Acertar em cheio)
“She hit the nail on the head when she guessed the correct answer.”
To bite the bullet
To face a difficult situation with courage.
“He knew surgery was necessary, so he bit the bullet and did it.”
To cost an arm and a leg
To be very expensive. (Custar os olhos da cara)
“I really wanted that designer handbag, but it costs an arm and a leg.”
To let the cat out of the bag
To reveal a secret
“She accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.”
To kick the bucket
To die (Bater as botas)
“He kicked the bucket last night after a long illness.”
It’s a piece of cake
It’s very easy. (É moleza!)
“Don’t worry about the test. It’s a piece of cake.”
Break a leg!
Good luck! (Boa sorte!)
“You have an important audition tomorrow? Break a leg!”
Keep your eyes peeled
Fique de olho
“Keep your eyes peeled for any updates.”
Don’t hold your breath
Não espere (que algo aconteça)
“He promised to call, but don’t hold your breath.”
