IDIOMS Flashcards
I haven’t the foggiest/faintest idea
not have the foggiest (idea)
(informal) to not know anything at all about something
‘Do you know where she is?’ ‘Sorry, I haven’t the foggiest.’
To hazard a guess
to risk doing something, especially making a guess, suggestion, etc.:
I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess.
to risk doing something that might cause harm to someone or something else:
The policy hazarded the islands and put the lives of the inhabitants at risk.
to risk making a guess or suggestion:
She wouldn’t hazard a guess about the meaning of the word.
Can you hazard a guess as to how much the repair will cost?
I would hazard a guess that she will be late to the meeting.
Let me hazard a guess: you’re feeling stressed out about work.
I can’t say for sure, but I would hazard a guess that he’s probably not interested in dating right now.
Without knowing all the details, I can only hazard a guess as to what happened.
I would hazard a guess that the project will be completed by the end of the week.
Can you hazard a guess as to what the final score will be?
Catch my drift
to understand the general meaning of what someone is saying:
She could see from his expression that he caught her drift immediately.
You can make a point quite subtly and you know that the audience will get your drift.
I suspect she didn’t catch your drift.
To lose one’s train of thought
train of thought/events
a series of connected thoughts or events:
What amazing train of thought led you from Napoleon to global warming?
The book describes the train of events that led up to the assassination.
….Sorry, I ‘ve just lost my train of thought
To split hairs
to pay too much attention in an argument to differences that are very small and not important
I think the woman in the photo is a teacher rather than a headmistress, but let’s not split hairs
Pet peeve
somebody’s pet hate
(British English)
(North American English somebody’s pet peeve)
something that you particularly dislike
Weak coffee is one of my pet peeves.
To cut a long story short
used when you do not tell all the details:
Long story short, I got fired.
(to cut a) long story short
(British English)
To cut a long story short, we didn’t get home until 3 in the morning!
Anyway, long story short: we had this argument and I haven’t seen him since.
Dawn on
If a fact dawns on you, you understand it after a period of not understanding it:
[ + that ] I was about to pay for the shopping when it suddenly dawned on me that I’d left my wallet at home.
It finally dawned on him that she’d been joking.
As I was driving home, it suddenly dawned on me that I had left my wallet at the restaurant.
It wasn’t until I read the email a second time that it dawned on me what my boss was trying to say.
At first, I didn’t understand the joke, but then it slowly dawned on me and I burst out laughing.
After hours of struggling with the math problem, the solution finally dawned on me and I was able to solve it quickly.
When I saw her face again after all these years, it suddenly dawned on me how much I had missed her.
I was trying to remember the name of the actor for hours, but it wasn’t until I heard it on the radio that it dawned on me who he was.
Sit/be on the fence
to delay making a decision:
You can’t sit on the fence any longer - you have to decide whose side you’re on.
to avoid becoming involved in deciding or influencing something
He tends to sit on the fence at meetings.
Mary is always sitting on the fence when it comes to political discussions. She never takes a side.
I wish he would stop sitting on the fence and make a decision about which college he wants to attend.
The company’s management is sitting on the fence about whether to invest in new technology or not.
John is sitting on the fence and not taking any action to solve the problem.
The politician is always sitting on the fence, trying not to offend any group of voters.
Bite the bullet
to force yourself to do something unpleasant or difficult, or to be brave in a difficult situation:
I hate going to the dentist, but I’ll just have to bite the bullet.
I decided I had to bite the bullet and take a couple of math classes even though I knew they were hard.
The last straw
the latest problem in a series of problems, that makes a situation impossible to accept:
The last straw was when the company fired most of the managers.
Losing my job was bad enough, but being evicted was the final straw.
She’s always been rude to me, but it was the last straw when she started insulting my mother.
Rest on your laurels
to be satisfied with your achievements and not to make an effort to do anything else:
Just because you’ve got your degree doesn’t mean you can rest on your laurels.
Hot potato
a problem, situation, etc. that is difficult to deal with and causes a lot of disagreement:
The abortion issue is a political hot potato in the United States.
An elephant in the room
If you say there is an elephant in the room, you mean that there is an obvious problem or difficult situation that people do not want to talk about.
In a nutshell
very briefly, giving only the main points:
“What went wrong?” “In a nutshell, everything.”
make a name FOR yourself
o become famous or respected by a lot of people:
He’s made a name for himself as a talented journalist.
After winning the championship, she made a name for herself in the world of tennis.
The young artist made a name for herself with her unique style of painting.
He made a name for himself as a successful businessman by developing innovative marketing strategies.
The chef made a name for himself in the culinary world by creating new and unique dishes.
The actor made a name for himself by starring in a series of blockbuster movies.
Make / stage a recovery
Mira made a full recovery from the operation.
Property has staged a recovery this year.
make a point of doing something
The expression “make a point of” means to make a conscious effort or to prioritize something as important. When someone “makes a point of” doing something, it suggests that they have deliberately decided to pay attention to it or to give it special consideration.
For example, “I make a point of thanking my colleagues for their hard work” means that the speaker takes the time to show appreciation to their colleagues on a regular basis, because they believe it’s important to acknowledge their hard work
to always do something or to take particular care to do something:
She makes a point of keeping all her shopping receipts.
I should have made a point of writing the telephone number
Sarah always makes a point of arriving at work 10 minutes early.
My grandfather always makes a point of calling me on my birthday.
Jane makes a point of eating a healthy breakfast every morning.
I make a point of thanking my colleagues for their hard work.
The manager makes a point of giving his employees regular feedback and recognition.
John makes a point of reading a book every night before bed.
take notice (of something)
to give something your attention:
Voters are beginning to take notice of him as a serious candidate.
give up hope
to stop hoping that a particular thing will happen:
We still haven’t given up hope of finding her alive.
He just believed in her and no matter how bad things got, he refused to give up hope.
be on the point of (doing) something
to be going to do something very soon:
As we were on the point of giving up hope, a letter arrived.
She was so tired that she was on the point of collapse.
Have a recollection of st
a memory of something:
I have many pleasant recollections of the time we spent together.
think/speak highly of someone
to admire or say admiring things about someone. To have a good opinion of someone or something:
He’s very highly thought of within the company.
She thinks very highly of her boss.
Sarah’s boss thinks highly of her work and has offered her a promotion.
The professor thinks highly of his students and is always available to offer support and guidance.
John’s parents think highly of him and are proud of his accomplishments.
The CEO thinks highly of the company’s employees and values their contributions to its success.
The committee thinks highly of the applicant’s qualifications and experience, and is considering offering them the job.
Mary’s friends think highly of her artistic talent and often ask her to create pieces for them.
Come to a head
If something comes to a head or someone brings something to a head, a situation reaches a point where something must be done about it:
Things hadn’t been good between us for a while and this incident just brought it to a head.
After weeks of tension between the two coworkers, their disagreement finally came to a head during a heated argument in the office.
The long-simmering conflict between the two neighboring countries finally came to a head when one of them launched a surprise attack on the other.
The financial problems of the company had been building up for months, but they came to a head when the CEO announced massive layoffs and pay cuts.
give rise to
to cause something:
International support has given rise to a new optimism in the company.
The discovery of new technologies has given rise to a more connected and interdependent world.
The controversial policy change is expected to give rise to widespread protests and civil unrest.
The increased use of pesticides in agriculture has given rise to concerns about the long-term effects on the environment.
The pandemic has given rise to a new wave of innovation in remote work and virtual collaboration.
as a matter of course.
If something is done as a matter of course, it is a usual part of the way in which things are done and is not special:
Safety precautions are observed as a matter of course.
As a matter of course, I always double-check my work before submitting it to my boss.”
“When it comes to safety procedures, following them as a matter of course is critical.”
“As a matter of course, I make sure to set my alarm for the same time every morning to establish a consistent sleep schedule.”
“As a matter of course, the company requires all employees to attend regular training sessions to stay up-to-date with industry changes.”
“As a matter of course, I always bring a reusable water bottle with me to avoid buying disposable plastic bottles.”
