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E N G L I S H > Idioms > Flashcards

Idioms Flashcards

1
Q

puoi dirlo forte

A

you can say that again

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2
Q

per il rotto della cuffia

A

by the skin of his teeth

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3
Q

I learn new things every day

A

live and learn

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4
Q

Not hold someone responsible

A

let someone off the hook

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5
Q

a good thing that seemed bad at first

A

A blessing in disguise

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6
Q

Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable

A

Beat around the bush

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7
Q

To get something over with because it is inevitable

A

Bite the bullet

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8
Q

Stop working on something

A

Call it a day

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9
Q

St (I.e. a situation) goes out of control

A

Get out of hand

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10
Q

It’s not complicated

A

It’s not rocket science

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11
Q

Tell something briefly

A

Make a long story short

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12
Q

The person we were just talking about showed up!

A

Speak of the devil

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13
Q

Make a problem worse

A

To make matters worse

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14
Q

to be Sick

A

Under the weather

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15
Q

Let’s not talk about that problem right now

A

We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it

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16
Q

I totally agree

A

You can say that again

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17
Q

I have no idea

A

Your guess is as good as mine

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18
Q

following the rules

A

by the book

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19
Q

going to bed

A

Hit the sack

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20
Q

suddenly quit or stop a (usually dangerous) behavior

A

(go) cold turkey

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21
Q

something that you may have heard before, but don’t remember entirely

A

rings a bell

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22
Q

no longer worrying about st

A

get over it

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23
Q

pay a lot of money for something

A

Pay an arm and a leg for something

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24
Q

When everyone pays for their own meal at a restaurant

A

to go Dutch

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25
Q

making enough money to cover the necessities

A

to make ends meet

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26
Q

a general unwritten rule

A

rule of thumb

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27
Q

encouraging you to stay positive

A

keep your chin up

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28
Q

a task or job that’s easy to complete or accomplish

A

a piece of cake

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29
Q

someone who spends a lot of time sitting on the couch watching TV

A

couch potato

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30
Q

to make an income or earn a living to support your family

A

Bread winner

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31
Q

an activity I have no interest in, don’t enjoy or don’t do well in

A

not my cup of tea

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32
Q

eat very little

A

eat like a bird.

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33
Q

to please or flatter someone in order to win his or her favor

A

butter someone up

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34
Q

something that’s worth thinking carefully about

A

Food for thought

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35
Q

to accidentally or prematurely give out information that’s supposed to be kept secret

A

spill the beans

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36
Q

someone who creates problems or is a bad influence on the other people in a group

A

a bad apple

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37
Q

to like eating cakes, candy and other sweet-tasting food

A

to have a sweet tooth

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38
Q

something happens very rarely

A

once in a blue moon

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39
Q

is the little bit of good that can be found in every situation

A

Every cloud has a silver lining

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40
Q

To just allow things to happen and accept them how they are

A

go with the flow

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41
Q

to be very happy (4 ways)

A

in seventh heaven
walking on air
Over the moon
on cloud nine

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42
Q

to be modest, practical, unassuming and unpretentious

A

down to earth

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43
Q

there’s a lot more going on than what’s immediately obvious

A

the tip of the iceberg

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44
Q

trying to avoid a particular situation by pretending that it doesn’t exist

A

bury your head in the sand

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45
Q

allowing a situation to become calm after something exciting or unusual has happened

A

let the dust settle

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46
Q

something is not clear at all

A

clear as mud

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47
Q

someone unemotional

A

as cold as stone

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48
Q

you are faced with a choice between two unsatisfactory options

A

between a rock and a hard place

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49
Q

to stop a bad situation from becoming worse by taking action at an early stage of its development

A

Nip something in the bud
Tagliare qualcosa al germogliare

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50
Q

to be in a situation that is still difficult but it has improved or gotten easier

A

to be out of the woods

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51
Q

to put yourself in unnecessary danger

A

Treading on thin ice

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52
Q

makes something big/ bad out of nothing
exaggerate a trivial problem

A

To make a mountain out of a molehill

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53
Q

a task is easy and will be successful

A

Bob’s your uncle
Fanny is your aunt

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54
Q

to have issues (with s.o.)
what’s his problem?

A

to have beef (with s.o.)
what’s his beef?

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55
Q

In the future (I want to be/do)

A

Down the road…

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56
Q

Rimuginare, pensare a lungo

A

Mull over st
I’ve been mulling over…

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57
Q

Affrontare (=face)

A

Run up against st (es some difficulties in terms of education)

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58
Q

Migliorare le proprie capacità

A

Upskill

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59
Q

Ripassare e Migliorare (su qualcosa) es una materia/lingua

A

Brush up on (my skills)

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60
Q

Grazie a

A

Due to the blessing = the help (of technology

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61
Q

Moving around, traveling

A

Get about
I get about England/London 

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62
Q

reliable, trustworthy

A

(s)he is a safe pair of hands

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63
Q

(s)he is very rich

A

(s)he has money coming out of their ears

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64
Q

someone suddenly understood or realized something

A

the penny just dropped

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65
Q

up to the required standard; satisfactory

A

up to scratch

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66
Q

To finish a contest or competition in last place

A

win the wooden spoon

67
Q

start to understand and seriously deal with st (a problem)

A

Get to grips with

68
Q

do not believe that it is completely accurate or true

A

to take something with a pinch of salt

69
Q

to see only the pleasant things about a person/situation and not notice the things that are unpleasant

A

look at/see so/st through rose-coloured/rose-tinted spectacles

70
Q

someone or something that is attractive but not very interesting or useful

A

eye candy

71
Q

In a direct or straight line, without any turns

A

as the crow flies

72
Q

A bruciapelo
All’improvviso

A

Point-blank
Out of the blue

73
Q

A particular area/country
I didn’t know you lived in this…

A

Neck of the woods

74
Q

to tell someone something that you know is completely false

A

lie through your teeth

75
Q

when you recognize that you must accept an offer or a situation because it is the only one available to you

A

Beggars can’t be choosers

76
Q

Certainly

to tell someone that you are very willing to allow them to do something.

A

By all means

77
Q

Stop trying to do something because you think that you cannot succeed

A

Throw in the towel

78
Q

Con il senno di poi

A

in hindsight,
with hindsight,
with the benefit of hindsight

79
Q

Used to exhort someone to endure some difficulty, hardship, or stress, especially without complaining. (Is it vulgar?)

A

Suck it up, buttercup

80
Q

To have an outburst of childish or unreasonable anger, frustration, or ill temper

A

throw a (temper) tantrum (about st)

81
Q

A rhetorical question in response to a question to which the answer is an emphatic yes. (3 phrases)

A

Is the pope a catholic?

Does the pope wear a funny hat?

Does a bear shit in the woods?

82
Q

I’m really tired

A

My eyes are like piss in the snow

83
Q

Two things/persons that look very similar

A

Two peas in a pod

84
Q

Deep and meaningful chat
(Sarcastic) a fight

A

Heart to heart

85
Q

I slept very well

A

I slept like a log

86
Q

He Drives me nuts/ crazy

A

He Drives me up the wall

87
Q

as likely to be unsuccessful as successful

A

Hit or miss

88
Q

A good person, someone to be trusted; a friend

A

A good egg

89
Q

We are being efficient. We are working really well. 

A

We are cooking on gas

90
Q

An unexpected negative change the very last moment

A

Someone moved the goal post

91
Q

make a special effort to do something

A

go out of one’s way

92
Q

avoid contact with others.

A

Keep to yourself

93
Q

to have a drink

A

wet one’s whistle

94
Q

A rash that you get when you smoke 

A

Nicci rush

95
Q

talk boastfully about one’s achievements.

A

Blow one’s own trumpet

96
Q

to do or say something that is exactly right

A

Hit the nail on the head

97
Q

to do not show their feelings when they are upset
to display fortitude and stoicism in the face of adversity
to exercises great self-restraint in the expression of emotion

A

to have/keep a stiff upper lip

98
Q

the activity of trying to find completely new ideas, that are not limited by current thinking or beliefs
thinking that is not limited by the realities of the present

A

blue sky thinking

99
Q

Jealousy

A

Green-eyed monster
Othello

100
Q

be extremely amused or pleased
(2)

A

Ticketed pink
(also tickled to death)

101
Q

simple solution to a complicated problem

A

Silver bullet

102
Q

To be in good shape or to keep something [Acar] in good condition

A

To be in good nick
To keep a car in good nick

103
Q

to have a negative opinion of st/so
To disapprove of st

A

To take a (very) dim view of

104
Q

to think that you are better than someone

to express or show contempt or disdain (for)

A

To look down on sb

105
Q

said when you feel that someone has made a bad situation worse by doing something else

to make an unfair or unacceptable situation even worse

A

To add insult to injury,

106
Q

to cause st to appear more attractive / less unpleasant
make agreeable

A

To Sugar-coat

107
Q

To keep talking about unimportant things, rather than concentrating on what they are supposed to be discussing

to waste time doing or asking something in a very complicated way

A

To go round the houses

108
Q

take an unnecessarily long time to get to the point

A

To go round the houses

109
Q

to have nothing to do

You are bored because you do not have anything to do

A

To be (or to find yourself) at A loose end

110
Q

Very close (2 ways)

A

In/ within spitting distance
In within shouting distance

111
Q

they do not act in a way that agrees with the things they say

A

Talk the talk but not walk the walk

112
Q

(Let’s) get to the point without wasting time

A

(Let’s) Cut to the chase

113
Q

immediately, with no more delay

A

without further ado
without any more ado

114
Q

fuss for little reason

A

much ado about nothing

115
Q

illegal dumping of liquid or solid waste on land or in water

A

Fly-tipping

116
Q

(fare qualcosa) a parole e con i fatti

A

in word and deed

117
Q

When finding oneself in a troubling situation, one should first make sure one is not making the situation worse by their own actions before addressing all other causes.

A

if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging

118
Q

when the need for something becomes essential, you are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it

A

necessity is the mother of invention
la necessità aguzza l’ingegno/ di necessità virtu

119
Q

under all circumstances, no matter how difficult

A

Through thick and thin

120
Q

Addirittura, fino a

A

As far afield as

121
Q

call for help when it is not needed, with the effect that one is not believed when one really does need help

A

To cry wolf

122
Q

Start sweating

To put forth a large amount of energy or effort into or toward a task

A

Break a sweat

123
Q

senza giochi di parole, scherzi a parte

A

no pun intended

124
Q

licenziare
be dismissed from job

A

give the sack
to be given the sack
to get the sack

125
Q

there is a fine line between the numerator and the denominator

A

it’s ok if you don’t get that, only a fraction will understand

126
Q

to accept something as it appears to be, without questioning its true nature or authenticity

A

(take st that so said) at face value

127
Q

(to have) underlying goals
(secondi fini)

A

(to have) an agenda
Sara’s agenda is obvious

128
Q

Make a (first?) attempt or have a turn at doing something (maybe difficult)

A

to have a crack at something

129
Q

to study or work late in the night, often to complete a task

A

to burn the midnight oil

130
Q

to find a compromise
or a middle ground between two factors/people

A

to strike a balance (i.e. between work and leisure)

131
Q

to do or say st that helps you release some anger or frustration

A

to let off steam

132
Q

be grateful for the good things in one’s life

A

to count one’s blessings

133
Q

do st risky
take a risk of expose yourself to a possible danger or criticism

A

stick your neck out

134
Q

(to have) an immediate, automatic response to a situation, without careful consideration or thoughts
= gut reaction

A

(to have) a knee-jerk reaction

135
Q

to argue or worry about very small details that are not important

A

to split hairs (over st)

136
Q

social hierarchy in a group

A

pecking order

137
Q

to use your influence or connections (often unofficially) to achieve a desired outcome

A

to pull some strings
(agire dietro le quinte)

138
Q

to take advantage of a situation (typically for personal benefit) often at the expense of others

A

to have a field day (doing st)

139
Q

to have access to (or knowledge of) secret or confidential information

A

to be privy to
(pron prìvi)

140
Q

something that is low priority and is not being dealt with at the moment

A

(put st / keep st / st is) on the back burner

141
Q

(a business/company) to fail completely and to have to close

A

to go belly up

142
Q

1 become extremely angry or distraught
2 be unwanted or not needed and therefore available for use

A

Go spare

143
Q

(Exclamation) used to show recognition of a mistake or minor accident
1. a piece of excrement, esp one left by a pet
2. an embarrassing (minor) mistake

A

Whoopsie

144
Q

From everywhere

A

From far and wide

145
Q

Very busy

A

As busy as a bee

146
Q

a person’s livelihood or main source of income

A

Bread and butter

147
Q

to urge or encourage (someone) to do something that is usually foolish or dangerous

A

To egg sb on

148
Q

To have unfriendly or hostile relations; enmity; hostility; animosity

A

To have bad blood

149
Q

Become more alert, lively.

Enliven, cheer somebody up

A

Perk up

Perk sb up

150
Q

st is not as good as other people have said it is

A

st is not all it’s cracked up to be

151
Q

a stupid or obnoxious person.
a woman’s genitals
verb hit or punch (someone).

A

twat

152
Q

already decided and unlikely to be changed
simple and easy to understand

A

cut-and-dried

153
Q

sottrarsi da qualcosa

A

weasel out of st
weasel back on st

154
Q

to get into (a place or situation) by being dishonest, by persuading someone in a clever way

A

weasel (his way) into

155
Q

to cause someone else to suffer in order to save oneself or gain personal advantage

A

to throw someone under the bus

156
Q

Public clamor or protest

A

Hue and cry

157
Q

Be useless

A

Be/act like a chocolate teapot

158
Q

Go crazy about st

A

Go crackers about st

159
Q

anticipate or predict someone ELSE’s actions or thoughts by guesswork.

A

Second guessing

160
Q

(dare/avere) carta bianca

A

free rein

161
Q

tenere sotto controllo, tenere a freno

A

keep a tight rein on [sb/sth]

162
Q

old-fashoned, d’altri tempi

A

horse-and-buggy

163
Q

sopracciglia grosse, sopracciglia folte

A

beetle brow

164
Q
A

E N G L I S H (2 decks)

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