Idiomatic Expressions Flashcards
Make sure everything is well prepared
Leave nothing to chance
Something people disagree about
Bone of contention
You can’t agree with them about something
Be at loggerheads
People suddenly get angry and argumentative about something
All hell breaks loose
Very difficult to find
A needle in a haystack
Something that is being planned or prepared
In the pipeline
Continue to work hard
Keep your nose to the grindstone
To be very successful in business or public life
Go up in the world
You reach the limit of your patience
At the end of your tether
You have been treated badly or have received disappointing news
A kick in the teeth
Provides mental stimulus
Food for thought
Put yourself in a disadvantaged position to support others
Go out on a limb for someone
Not to be young anympre
No spring chicken
To do something for a long time
To do something until you’re blue in the face
To improve something that was old or out of fashion
To give a new lease of life
Have a strong opinion about a subject which you express whenever you have the chance, usually disagree or complaint
Have an axe to grind
Work very hard at it
Slog away at something
To fail to keep up
To lag behind
To smell strongly of it
To reek of something
Get to know or understand
Cotton on to something
To urge or incite them to do it
To goad someone into doing something
To give it more substance
To flesh something out
Manage to get through it but without being organised or with a clear idea of what you’re doing
Muddle through something
To be very tempted
To be sorely tempted
Stops and starts again
In fits and starts
Helpless or abandoned situation
High and dry
Every part of the place
Every nook and cranny
No legal force
Null and void
Damage caused to an object through ordinary everyday use
Wear and tear
Example:
It has some wear and tear, but after 100,000 miles I’d say my car is in pretty good shape
Driving in freezing weather means lots of wear and tear on your car.
I drive carefully and have my car serviced regularly to avoid wear and tear.
Save money by spending less on things that you would normally buy
Scrimp and save
Very noticeable because of being different
Stands out like a sore thumb
It’s not liked at all
Goes down like a lead ballon
Very tough
As hard as nails
To be very boring
To be as dull as a dishwasher
Not as high as expected
If a little lower than expected
To talk about the faults and the things someone is doing wrong
Critical of
Extremely clever or astute
Sharp as a tack
Ideally suited to one’s interests or abilities
To be up someone’s ally
To put forth a great effort
Break (one’s) neck
Example: I’ve been breaking my neck trying to get a passing grade this semester.
You get on well together and have a similar outlook to important issues
To be on the same wavelenght
You really enjoy each other’s company
Get on like a house on fire
You have to do things for them whenever they need your help
To be at someone’s beck and call
People that are completely different from each other
To be ,ike chalk and cheese
Speaking passionatly on a subject you feel strongly about
To be on your soapbox
Accept responsability
Shoulder the
Experience negative repercussions for one’s actions or words
Face the music
To pay for something
Foot the bill
To adhere to the rules
Toe the line
Without any rights
Marginalized and disenfranchised
Perfectly or completely
Off to a tee
Something may still happen
Leave open the possibility
Unrealistic story
Likely story
Small chance, unlike
Slim chance
To irritate you
To get on your nerves
Keep away from someone
Keep someone at arms length
To get on really well the first time you meet someone
Hit it off
Your illness or condition gets worse
Take a turn for the worse
To be very healthy
In rude health
Your body temperature is higher than normal
Running a temperature
On the basis of
On the strength of
Example: She was hired on the strength of her computer skills
In one’s scope of experience.
Under (one’s) belt
Example: Once you get a few more major league games under your belt, you’ll feel more comfortable.
To an excessive degree
To a fault
Example: generous to a fault.
Earn a lot of money quite easily
Make money hand over fist
Spend money freely and extravagantly.
Throw your money around
Something you are very sure it will happen
Bet your bottom dollar
On top of everything else; in addition to what was already stated or expected
In(to) the bargain
