Idioms Flashcards
Apply oneself
Working very hard on a specific task.
E.g. if we apply ourselves, we should be able to clean up the house in two hours.
Aplicar-se
Be as hard as nails
Relating to a person who is strong and determined.
e.g. He won’t give up. He’s as hard as nails.
Be a wreck
To be in very bad physical condition, from nervousness ou exhaustion.
e.g. - Mary is a wreck about her upcoming hospital stay.
EX: estar um caco
be beside yourself
To be very nervous or upset.
e.g. - I’m just beside myself waiting for the results of my test.
EX: estar fora de si.
Be caught red-handed
To be discovered during the commission of criminal activities.
E.g. - He was caught red-handed as he attempted to put the stolen merchandise in his pocket.
EX: ser pego em flagrante.
Be in ruins
To be totally destroyed.
e.g. - The town was in ruins after the hurricane.
EX: estar arruinada.
beating around the bush
to avoid talking about a certain topic.
e.g. - I tried to get an answer out of her, but she kept on beating around the bush.
EX: dando voltas/ enrolando.
bend over backwards
to go to your best effort to do something well.
e.g. - I bent over backwards to do my best on my essay.
EX: se virar do avesso.
beyond my wildest dreams
to be better than your highest expectations.
e.g. - My vacation in Rome was beyond my wildest dreams.
EX: além da minha imaginação/ sonhos
blow your chances
to lose all opportunities for success in an activity.
e.g. - He blew his chances of buying a car by losing all his money gambling.
EX: estrague sua chance.
blue
relating to extreme sadness or depression.
e.g. - Julie felt blue after her boyfriend left her.
EX: deprimido.
bored to tears
very bored.
e.g. - The lesson was hardly interesting. In fact, I was bored to tears.
EX: entediado.
Buck
Dollar.
e.g. - I bought this sweater for twelve bucks.
butter somebody up
to win someone’s favor through flattery.
e.g. - He tried to butter me up by saying how beautiful I looked today.
EX: bajular alguém.
by leaps and bounds
with incredible or amazing speed.
e.g. - The world population crisis is evident in certain countries, where the population has grown by leaps and bounds.
EX: aos trancos e barrancos/ a passos largos.
call for something
to make something necessary or required.
e.g. this recipe calls for white wine.
EX: exigem algo.
cast aspersions on somebody’s character
to damage someone’s reputation through rumors or gossip.
e.g. - I’d never cast aspersions on his character. In fact, I know that he is a very nice person.
EX: difamar o caráter de alguém
cheat on
to be unfaithful to one’s spouse or romantic partner.
e.g. - Tom is filling for divorce because his wife was cheating on him.
EX: trair.
check something out
to look at or verify something.
e.g. - Check out the story in this newspaper. It’s really amazing.
EX: verificar.
count me in
to want to participate in an activity.
e.g. - I’ll come to the party with you. Count me in.
EX: conte comigo.
crack somebody up
to amuse someone.
e.g. Terry’s funny jokes really crack me up.
EX: fazer alguém rir.
cross that bridge when we come to
to wait and see what happens before making a decision.
e.g. - I think I might fail my exam, but I’ll have to cross that bridge when I come to it.
crushed
to be very disappointed.
e.g. She was crushed when her boyfriend left her.
EX: arrasado.
cut off your nose to spite your face
to hurt oneself by seeking revenge on others.
e.g. - I know that you don’t like your teacher, but telling her that she’s stupid was cutting off your nose to spite your face.
defeat the purpose of something
to make something pointless.
e.g. - If you eat cake after you exercise, it kind of defeats the purpose of working out.
EX: acaba com o propósito.
dig up
to discover as a result of searching extensively.
e.g. - Joe searched through his closet, trying to dig up something to wear.
EX: desenterrar.
don’t rain on my parade
don’t discourage me.
e.g. - I just know I’m going to win the lottery, so don’t rain on my parade.
EX: não me estrague a festa.
draw the line at something
to set a limit that states what you are unwilling or unable to do.
e.g. I can help you move those boxes, but I draw the line at lifting the furniture.
EX: estabelecer o limite.
drive a hard bargain
to be difficult to negotiate with.
e.g. - He’s not going to change his mind. He drives a hard bargain.
EX: difíceis a fazer negócio.
drop a hint
to give someone subtle ideas about something in order to express one’s likes or dislikes.
e.g. - He dropped a hint that he would like a new tie for his birthday.
EX: deixar uma pista/ dica.
fall into by accident
to start doing something by chance.
e.g. - I hadn’t planned on becoming a chef. I just fell into it by accident.
EX: cair/ entrar por acaso/ acidente.
face the music
to accept reality.
e.g. - Face the music! Your girlfriend isn’t coming back to you.
EX: encarar os fatos.
fair-weather friend
loyal only during times of good fortune.
e.g. - Don’t trust him. He’s a fair-weather friend.
EX: amigo só nas boas/ amigos dos bons tempos.
feel together
to feel organized and well.
e.g. - I wouldn’t approach your boss for a raise today. She can’t be feeling too together after staying out so late last night.
EX: mesmo sentimento/ sentir junto.
fizzle out
to reduce gradually in amount or quality.
e.g. - Interest in our exercise class has fizzled out. there are only two students left.
EX: fracassar.
flat broke
to be completely out of money.
e.g. - Alan is flat broke and is considering filling for bankruptcy.
EX: falido/ duro/ quebrado.
flirt with disaster
to become involved in a dangerous or risky situation.
e.g. - Every time you drive over the speed limit, you are just flirting with disaster.
EX: flertar com o desastre.
flog a dead horse
to speak so much about a particular topic that others become bored or fed up.
e.g. - She is flogging a dead horse by continuing to complain about it. The situation won’t change anyway.
EX: lutar por uma causa perdida/ batendo num cavalo morto.
for all intents and purposes
for all practical purposes; in effect.
e.g. - My computer is useless for all intents and purposes since I cannot install any new software on it.
EX: Para todos os efeitos.
for keeps
to take possession or ownership of something forever.
e.g. - He gave me a diamond rings for keeps.
EX: para sempre/ para eternidade.
get along like cats and dogs
to be entirely incompatible.
e.g. - I can’t live with my sister. We get along like cats and dogs.
EX: conviver como gatos e cães.
get in touch
to get in contact with someone.
e.g. - Get in touch with me next week to discuss the plan.
Ex: entrar em contato.
get on somebody’s good side
to win someone’s favor.
e.g. - He tried to get on the teacher’s good side by bringing her gifts.
Ex: entrar no lado bom de alguém/ ficar na direita.
get the lowdown on something
to obtain secret or inside information about something.
e.g. - Did you get the lowdown? I heard a rumor that the factory is going to close.
Ex: obter informações sobre alguma coisa.
give somebody a lift
to give someone a ride in your car.
e.g. - Can you give me a lift into town?
Ex: dar carona a alguém.
give somebody the creeps
to frighten someone.
e.g. - Horror movies give me the creeps.
Ex: dar arrepios.
give somebody a break
to stop giving harsh treatment to an individual.
e.g. - What do you mean? You won’t help me! Give me a break!
Ex: dá um tempo! Deixar em paz!
give somebody the benefit of the doubt
to decide to believe someone, even if you are not sure that they are telling the truth.
e.g. - She said she had nothing to do with the missing money, so we gave her the benefit of the doubt.
go ballistic
to become extremely angry.
e.g. - Her dad is going to go ballistic when he realizes that she snuck out last night without permission.
Ex: ficar furioso.
grab a bite
to go for a meal, esp. quickly.
e.g. - Let’s grab a bite for lunch.
Ex: comer alguma coisa/ fazer um lanche.
grasping at straws
to try many alternative solutions in desperation.
e.g. - You don’t know the answer to the homework, so now you’re grasping at straws.
Ex: atirando para todo lado/ tiro no escuro.
grow on
to like something more than previously.
e.g. I didn’t like my new school too much at first, but it has started to grow on me.
Ex: crescer em/ despertar em.
handle something
to endure or tolerate something.
e.g. I just can’t handle waking up so early in the morning.
Ex: lidar com.
Happy-go-lucky
carefree.
e.g. - He’s so happy-go-lucky that you’d think he didn’t have a care in the world.
Ex: despreocupado.
have a one-track mind
to have only one thing on your mind.
e.g. - Paula has a one-track mind. All she ever thinks about is money.
Ex: ter uma idéia na cabeça/ pensa só nisso.
have second thoughts
to doubt a decision you have already made or to re-think it.
e.g. - I’m having second thoughts about having sold my car.
Ex: pensando duas vezes/ mudando de ideia.
heard it through the grapevine
to hear some people talking or gossiping about a subject.
e.g. I wasn’t told the news about the situation directly. I told it through the grapevine.
Ex: ouvi através de um boato/ passarinho verde me contou.
hit the nail on the head
to make an appropriate remark or statement.
e.g. - The politician hit the nail on the head when he said that more financial aid should be offered to students.
Ex: acertou em cheio/ fez uma escolha acertada.
hit the roof
to become furious.
e.g. My dad hit the roof when he found out I failed the exam.
Ex: perdeu as estribeiras/ ficar furioso.
hit the spot
to be exactly what was needed or desired.
e.g. - Lemonade really hits the spot on a hot summer day.
Ex: estar no ponto/ acertou em cheio.
hold a grudge
to bear resentment towards another person.
e.g. - Julie is still holding a gredge because I critized her work.
Ex: guardar rancor.
hold your tongue
to keep one’s opinions to oneself.
e.g. - I wanted to tell Mary off, but I held my tongue.
Ex: segurar/ controlar a língua.
holding the bag
to be forced to take an action or make a decision.
e.g. - joe didn’t help me as he promised and left me holding the bag.
Ex: carregando o peso/ segurando as pontas/ arcando com as consequências.
hole yourself up
to hide away, especially in an effort to get something done.
e.g. - He has holed himself up in the conference room in order to finish the report.
Ex: acabar se entocando/ isolar.
hop in
get inside my car.
e.g. - I’ll take you to the store. Hop in.
Ex: entra aí/ salte aí
How come?
Why?
e.g. - She’s not going out tonight. How come?
if and only if
to indicate that a certain condition is sufficient.
e.g. - I will retake the exam if and only if it is necessary.
Ex: se e somente se.
it doesn’t hold water
It’s not believable.
e.g. - I don’t believe him. His story doesn’t hold water.
Ex: não ter fundamento/ não cola.
It goes without saying
It is obvious.
e.g. - It goes without saying that you should know how to swim if you enter the pool.
Ex: Não é preciso dizer/ é óbvio/ evidente.
It was a hit
it was very popular or a huge success.
e.g. - The rock group’s new song was a hit.
Ex: foi um sucesso.
It was a piece of cake
it was very easy.
e.g. - The exam was apiece of cake.
Ex: Fácil/ Moleza
It was a walk in the park
It was very easy.
e.g. - That fitness class is a walk in the park.
Ex: muito fácil/ um passeio.
It wouldn’t be the end of the world
It wouldn’t be a complete disaster.
e.g. If I am not able to get this job, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
Keep it down
Be quiet.
e.g. - Keep it down in there! I’m trying to study.
Ex: fale baixo.
kick in the teeth
to treat someone badly, especially when they need help.
e.g. -Refusing to see her when she was in the hospital was a kick in the teeth.
Ex: reprimenda moral/ afronta/ chute nos dentes.
keep somebody posted
to keep someone informed.
e.g. - We espect to hear some news next week, so we’ll keep you posted.
Ex: mantê-lo informado.
keep the lid on it
to keep something a secret.
e.g. - I’ll tell you a secret if you can keep the lid on it.
Ex: manter a tampa sobre ela = manter em sigilo/ abafar o caso.
know something by heart
to know something by memory.
e.g. - I know my credit card number by heart.
Ex: saber algo de cor/ de cabeça.
let it slip
to divulge secret information.
e.g. - That was supposed to be a secret, but Mary let it slip.
Ex: deixar escapar/ abrir a boca.
let the cat out of the bag
to divulge secret information.
e.g. - I told her not to tell anyone, but she let the cat out of the bag.
Ex: Deixou o gato fora da mala/ deixou tudo em aberto/ revelou o segredo.
lighten up
to relax.
e.g. - You’d better learn to lighten up or you’ll have a heart attack.
Ex: relaxar/ pegar leve/ descontrair.
like looking for a needle in a haystack
to search for something that has many possible locations.
e.g. - Searching for our lost keys on the beach was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Ex: como procurar uma agulha no palheiro.
make heads or tails of something
to attempt to understand something with difficulty.
e.g. - I can’t make heads or tails of this map.
Ex: “distinguir os pés da cabeça”/ conseguir entender.
make yourself scarce
not to keep one’s normal company because a situation has caused conflict.
e.g. - I haven’t sees Jodi in weeks. She has made herself scarce after our argument.
Ex: desapareceres/ dar uma volta.
make the big time
to achieve the highest level of success of a project or venture.
e.g. - An actor is considered to have made the bige time when he or she stars in a leading role.
Ex: alcançar o sucesso/ grande momento.
make the grade
to have an acceptable standard of performance.
e.g. - I didn’t get to play in the gamer because I couldn’t make the grade.
Ex: fazer a nota/ obter sucesso/ ser aprovado.
mind your own business
keep your opinions to yourself in order not to interfere in someone else’s private life.
e.g. - Maybe I should just mind my own business, buit I think your decision is a huge mistake.
Ex: cuide da sua vida/ não se meta.
mouth off
to be rude or impudent.
e.g. - You should be punished for mouthing off to your parents.
Ex: falar besteira/ falar da boca pra fora.
nitpick
to be overly concerned with very small details.
e.g. - My boss is very demanding and nit-picks the smallest details.
Ex: procurar defeitos/ criticar.
nitwit
an idiot; a stupid person.
e.g. - If you don’t know that two and two equals four, you are a bigger nitwit than I thought!
Ex: imbecil/ idiota / pateta
no “if’s”, “and’s” or “but’s”
no excuses will be accepted.
e.g. - You will do your homework, no “if’s”, “and’s” or “but’s”!
on schedule
to be on time.
e.g. - The bus is on schedule today.
Ex: no horário/ dentro do cronograma.
once in a blue moon
something that happens very rarely.
e.g. - I don’t like bowling, so I do it only once in a blue moon.
Ex: vez em quando/ só muito raramente.
out of the blue
suddenly or by surprise.
e.g. - She had only been in that job two weeks, and then out of the blue, she told us she was quitting.
Ex: do nada/ de repente/ sem mais nem menos.
out of the question
something that is impossible even to consider.
e.g. - Going on vacation this year is out of the question. We just don’t have enough money.
Ex: fora de questão.
overstay one’s welcome
to stay longer than one is welcome; to begin to impose upon one’s host.
e.g. - It was obvious that we had overstayed our welcome at her house when she asked us if we could go to a hotel.
Ex: abusar da hospitalidade/ abusar da gentileza.
paint a clear picture
to describe something in an expressive, vivid way.
e.g. - Your personal-experience essay paints a clear picture about your time living in California.
Ex: dar uma imagem clara/ saber exatamente/ retrata claramente.
pick a fight
to encourage a physical attack by displaying a hostile attitude.
e.g. - He picked a fight by saying that I was too weak to hit him.
Ex: comprar uma briga/ arrumar uma discussão.
picked clean
being empty because other individuals have already taken all of the items.
e.g. - The fruit at the grocery store was picked clean because we arrived too late in the day.
Ex: depenada/ completamente vazio/ limpo.
pin your hopes on something
to be very hopeful that something will happen.
e.g. - I wouldn’t pin your hopes on being accepted into medical school. You know how tough the competition is.
Ex: depositar suas esperanças em algo/ ter esperanças.
pinch pennies
to be very economical with money or in spending.
e.g. - He is pinching pennies because he lost his job last month.
Ex: realmente economizar/ não gastar muito/ poupando tudo.
play with fire
to become involved in a dangerous situation.
e.g. - If you decide to cheat on the test, you’re really playing with fire.
Ex: brincar com fogo.
pricey
very expensive.
e.g. - They can eat at that pricey restaurant because they have a lot of money.
Ex: caro/ salgado.
pull through
to survive an accident or illness.
e.g. The doctors say that he will pull through his accident.
Ex: sobreviver/ recuperar/ safar-se.
put your self in my shoes
to try to understand another person’s situation.
e.g. - If you’d put yourself in my shoes, you would understand why I did what I had to do.
Ex: põe-te no meu lugar.
recover with flying colors
to recover very well after an accident or injury.
e.g. - Samira is recovering with flying colors after her operation.
Ex: se recuperar com louvor/ com distinção/ com todo o mérito.
red tape
complications or paperwork involved in government procedures or bureaucracy.
e.g. - Applying for a job with the government involves a lot of red tape.
Ex: burocracia/ fita vermelha/ papelada.
resign yourself to a situation
to accept a bad situation and stop attempting to change it for the better.
e.g. - Julie used to hate living with her mother-in-law, but has finally resigned herself to the situation.
Ex: se acomodar a uma situação/ se conformar.
ring a bell
to sound familiar.
e.g. - Now that you mention it, that story does ring a bell.
Ex: lembra alguma coisa/ me é familiar.
rub someone the wrong way
to irritate or annoy someone.
e.g. - I know she’s in love with him, but he really rubs me the wrong way.
Ex: me incomoda de maneira errada/
me aborrece muito.
search high and low
to search for something extensively.
e.g. - I’ve searched high and low for my car keys, but I still can’t find them.
Ex: procurar por todo o lado.
set somebody straight
to point out a mistake in another person’s behavior or thinking.
e.g. I need to set you straight. The bus leaves at 3.00, not 3:30.
Ex: se endireitar/ me colocar na linha/ colocar nos eixos.
set the record straight
to provide someone with correct information after they have been misinformed.
e.g. I want to set the record straight. I finished the race in 3 hours, not 2 hours.
Ex: esclarecer as coisas/ registrar corretamente/ acertar as contas.
shed light on something
to help clear up or explain something.
e.g. - Could you shed some light on this homework?
Ex: esclarecer/ elucidar.
Show somebody the ropes
to provide someone with instructions.
e.g. - He showed me the ropes on my first day of work.
Ex: me ensine as bases/ Mostrar como se faz.
skeletons in your closet
to hide secrets about the past.
e.g. - Anne doesn’t talk a lot about her past. I wonder if she has skeletons in her closet.
Ex: segredos enterrados/ algo há esconder/ podres.
size up
to make an estimation of or decision about the value or worth of something; evaluate.
e.g. - The town’s residents sized up the damage caused by the earthquake.
Ex: avaliar/ dimensionar.
spill the beans
to divulge secret information.
e.g. She spilled the beans about all the confidential information that I had told her.
Ex: derramar o feijão/ revelar o segredo/ abrir o bico.
spring up
to appear quickly or unexpectedly from a source.
e.g. - A leak suddenly sprang up from the water pipe.
Ex: surgir/ brotar do nada.
steer clear of
to avoid.
e.g. - If you steer clear of the dangerous areas when you are in New York City, you shouldn’t have any problem.
Ex: evitar/ ficar longe de/ afastar-se de.
something up your sleeve
to hide information about something.
e.g. - Is that all you wanted to tell me or do you have something up your sleeve?
Ex: alguma coisa na manga/ uma carta na manga.
stick to your guns
not changing one’s mind or opinion.
e.g. - He won’t change his mind because he always sticks to his guns.
Ex: manter a sua posição/ manter-se firme.
stood up
to have an appointment or date broken by someone.
e.g. - I was supposed to meet Sue at 10:00, but she stood me up.
Ex: dar um bolo/ levar um fora/ deixar plantado.
stumbling block
something that prevents or hinders progress; hindrance, obstacle, or barrier.
e.g. His poor health was a stumbling block towards his performance at work.
Ex: pedra no caminho/ empecilho/ barreira.
sweet tooth
to enjoy eating sweets very much.
e.g. - Susan has a sweet tooth and enjoys eating cake and candy.
Ex: formiguinha.
take a hike!
Go away. Leave me alone.
e.g. - A strange man was bothering me in the mall, so I told him to take a hike.
Ex: vai embora!/ afaste-se! / vai caminhar!
take a stab at
to try to do something, even if you are unsure about it.
e.g. - I don’t have much experience decorating cakes, but I’ll take a stab at it.
Ex: experimentar/ fazer uma tentativa/ arriscar um palpite/ apunhalar.
take its toll
to begin to affect, esp, negatively.
e.g. - Missing several nights of sleep finally took its toll on him.
Ex: afetou/ tem seu preço!/ sair caro/ ter prejuízos.
talk a mile a minute
to talk very quickly.
e.g. - It is difficult to understand Bob. He talks a mile a minute.
Ex: falar a mil por hora.
That takes the cake
That is shocking or unbelievable.
e.g. - He asked to borrow money from you again. That really takes the cake!
Ex: isso é o cúmulo!/ isso é impressionante!
That’s the way the cookie crumbles
That’s life.
e.g. - I just lost ten dollars. Oh well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.
Ex: É assim que as coisas funcionam/ Assim é a vida.
toe the line
to conform to rigid standard of behavior.
e.g. - If you want to lose ten pounds in two weeks, you will have to toe the line set by your diet plan.
Ex: andar na linha/ seguir a risca.
touch base
to come into contact or communicate with.
e.g. - I will touch base with you next week.
Ex: trocar ideia/ contactar.
touchy
overly sensitive or moody.
e.g. - She is touchy and hates being criticized.
Ex: sensível/ delicado.
turn on a dime
to have great flexibility in motion.
e.g. - This car is one of the finest machines I have ever driven. It can turn on a dime.
Ex: viram num segundo.
turn over a new leaf
to improve one’s behavior; to change for the better.
e.g. The student promised to turn over a new leaf and start handing in his homework.
Ex: virar uma nova página/ começar de novo.
under the weather
to feel sick or generally unwell.
e.g. - John feels under the weather and has been in bed for four days.
Ex: indisposto/ adoentado/ se sentindo mal.
up to doing something
to be in the mood or able to do something
e.g. - I’m not up to going out tonight. Let’s stay home.
Ex: preparado para fazer/ afim de fazer algo.
wake up and smell the coffee
to accept an unpleasant situation.
e.g. - He thins he’ll get his job back, but he’d better wake up and smell the coffee.
Ex: acordar para a vida/ encarar a realidade.
white lie
a lie that is told in order to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.
e.g. - She told me that she hadn’t been invited to the wedding, so I told a white lie and said I wasn’t invited either.
Ex: mentirinha.
you can count on it
you can depend on it; it is certain to happen.
e.g. - You can count on her coming to the party. She promised to be there.
Ex: pode contar com isso/ poder ter certeza.
You made your bed, and now you can lie in it
a person must face the consequences of his or her actions.
e.g. - It was his own decision to cheat on the exam. Now that he got caught, I can only say that he mad his bed, and now he can lie in it.
Ex: arrumou sua cama, agora te deite/ colher o que plantou.
