Idioms 01 Flashcards
Scrape the surface
Only begun to explore or start/begin
Brick and mortar store
Physical location/shop
Hone the skill
To make the skill better
Tie the knot
To get married
Sow your wild oats
Live your young life
Enjoy your young life
Break a leg!
Good luck
Kill two birds with one stone
To accomplish two different tasks at the same time by doing one action
Hit the hay
To be very tired,
To go to sleep
Up in the air
Means that the situation being planned is still undecided, and that everything is still uncertain/unsure.
Stabbed in the back
Being betrayed by someone you thought you can trust them.
It takes two to tango!
Means that if there’s a suspicious situation, then there’s more than one culprit. They couldn’t have done it by themselves.
+ David couldn’t have done it by himself. After all, it takes two to tango. (someone must have helped him)
Piece of cake
When something is a piece of cake, it’s so easy as eating one
It costs an arm and a leg
It’s very expensive
Rule of the thumb
A rule of thumb is a “rule” that’s not totally precise. It’s based off common experience and common sense.
Blow some steam
It means doing something to get rid of the stress, when you’re angry.
Make light of
To act as something or someone isn’t important or serious; especially when they are.
Ex.: They’ve both had knee injuries, but the two friends make light of their weaknesses.
Bowels turn to water
to become very frightened
Cross off the list
when you have done something, you can cross that off the list
Ex.: I’ve done the report so I can cross that one off the list.
Ex.: I have many things to do which I hope to cross off the list by the new year.
Once-in-a-lifetime
A once-in-a-lifetime experience is a unique and rare opportunity
Ex.: The movie role was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
Ex.: This is a one-in-a-lifetime experience
once in a lifetime = adverb phrase
once-in-a-lifetime = adjective
Strapped for somthing
Ex.: Strapped for time
lack of something
a foot in the door
Getting a foot in the door means getting an opportunity or taking the first step.
Ex.: She has to know a manager to get a foot in the door there.
Ex.: Good references will help him get a foot in the door at work.
Underground movement
Underground movements are secret operations that work outside the establishment. Notice the following:
Ex.: The underground movement was instrumental in Paris during the World War.
Ex.: She joined the underground movement because she was a rebel.
break sth down
To break something down means to analyze it and separate it into its parts.
Ex.: When you break it down, diamonds are just dust.
Ex.: Let’s break it down and find where it went wrong.
Seep in
to flow in something gradually but steadily
Ex.: I realized there was a fire downstairs when I noticed smoke seeping into our bedroom
