Idioms Flashcards
Don’t give up the day job.
You are not very good at that. You could definitely not do it professionally.
Cash cow
An easy way to earn money regularly
Bite off more than you can chew
Trying to do something that is too difficult or time consuming to finish
Clear the air
Discuss something that was causing people to feel upset
Turn your back on
Give up on, or abandon
Not cut out for
Not suitable for something
Scrape the bottom of the barrel
The very last, or the very worst
A class act
Sophisticated, above average
Clean up your act
Improve your behavior
Get your act together
Get more organized
A piece of the action
Participation in an activity
Actions speak louder than words
People’s intentions can be judged better by what they do than what they say
In the air
Being discussed, generally obvious
Go ape
Go crazy
A grey area
Something that is difficult to define
Up in arms
Angry
Be glad to see the back of
Be happy when a person leaves
Give him/her credit
Acknowledge an achievement or contribution of a person
Go behind someone’s back
Do something without telling someone
Each to his own
Everyone is entitled to his own individual opinion
Eager beaver
Enthusiastic person
Early bird
A person who is early, or gets up early
Scratch the surface
Examine only a part of something. Uncover only a few facts about something
Give him the slip
Leave him. Hide from him
Cold shoulder
To treat someone in an unfriendly manner
Get the ball rolling
Stat something
Jump on the bandwagon
Join a popular trend or activity
A losing battle
Something that cannot be accomplished
Keep something at bay
Keep something away
Spill the beans
Tell a secret
Beggars can’t be choosers
People cannot complain about something they get for free.
Flesh and blood.
A relative
Give the benefit of the doubt
Believe someone’s statement, without proof
A safe bet
Probably true. Will probably happen
Fit the bill
Seems correct
Black and blue
Bruised
In cold blood
With no compassion or mercy. Usually associated with ruthless murder
Out of the blue
Unexpected
Call someone’s bluff
Make someone prove what they say
Rock the boat
Create problems for other people
By the book
Doing something according to the rules
Give someone the boot
Dismiss or get rid of someone
Get to the bottom of
Learn about and understand fully
Out of bonds
Not permitted
Bread and butter
Regular income
The best things since sliced bread
A good invention or innovation
Give me a break
Don’t expect me to believe or agree with that.
Don’t hold your breath
Don’t wait too long because it might not happen
Cross that bridge when you come to it
Deal with a problem if and when it becomes necessary, not before.
The bubble has burst
A previously positive situation has encountered a serious problem.
The buck stops here
Problem are resolved here.
Burn your bridges
Make it impossible to return
My ears are burning
I think someone is saying something about me
Put on the back burner
Leave it for later
Someone means business
Someone is serious
At the touch of a button
Quickly and easy
Have your cake and eat it
Enjoy something without paying for it
A close call
Something (usually bad) almost happening
Enough is enough
This should stop
A fat cat
A wealthy person
My two cents worth
My humble opinion
Hang out
Be together, spend time with each other
A change of heart
A changed opinion
Get something off your chest
Explain something that is bothering you
Don’t count your chickens before the eggs have hatched
Don’t make plans for something that might not happen
A chip on his shoulder
He is angry about something
Come full circle
A process has been completed
Squeaky clean
Legitimate and proper
In the clear
Out of trouble
Steer clear of
Avoid
Round the clock
All day
Turn back the clock
Go back in time
Like clockwork
With mechanical efficiency
Wake up and smell the cofee
Think more realistically
The other side of the coin
Another version of a story or event
Left out in the cold
Left unaided or unprotected
With flying colors
With enthusiasm and exuberance
Scrape by
Have just enough but not more
A tough cookie
A stubborn, strong person
Keep your cool
Don’t become upset
Lose your cool
Become upset
In a tight corner
Without any good options
A couch potato
A lazy person
Takes its course
A situation develops naturally
Up the creek
In trouble
Crocodile tears
Exaggerated or faked sympathy
When it comes to the crunch
When there are no more possibilities
A far cry from
Very different from
Off-the-cuff
Without research, planning or considering
Can’t cut it
Cannot do it
In the dark
Ignorant
A shot in the dark
A guess
Call it a day
Stop
Late in the day
(Almost) too late
In broad daylight
Without trying to hide it
Makes someone’s day
Make someone happy
Wouldn’t be caught dead
Would never
Get a raw deal
Receives less than what is deserved
Runs deep
Entrenched, or ingrained
Out of your depth
Beyond existing knowledge or ability
