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C1 > idioms > Flashcards

idioms Flashcards

1
Q

no todo ha sido camino de rosas

A

it hasn’t all been plain sailing

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2
Q

Hemos puesto nuestro granito de arena viendo cómo está el terreno.

A

We’ve done our bit by seeing how the land lies

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3
Q

do what they said they would

A

keep sb word

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4
Q

stay calm

A

keep her cool

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5
Q

watch for someone to appear

A

keep an eye

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6
Q

try not to be noticed

A

keep a low profile

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7
Q

continue to know

A

keep track of

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8
Q

let someone know what’s happening

A

keep me posted on

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9
Q

stop yourself smiling or laughing

A

keep a straight face

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10
Q

hope things will turn out well

A

keep my fingers crossed

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11
Q

Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might lose everything.

A

A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush

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12
Q

Something good that isn’t recognized at first.

A

A Blessing In Disguise

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13
Q

Being upset for something that happened in the past.

A

A Chip On Your Shoulder

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14
Q

Anything that is common and easy to get.

A

A Dime A Dozen

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15
Q

A skeptic who needs physical or personal evidence in order to believe something.

A

A Doubting Thomas

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16
Q

A very small part of something big or whole.

A

A Drop in the Bucket

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17
Q

It’s easy for a foolish person to lose his/her money.

A

A Fool And His Money Are Easily Parted

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18
Q

Everyone involved must unify and function together or it will not work out.

A

A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand

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19
Q

You cannot change who you are.

A

A Leopard Can’t Change His Spots

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20
Q

By not spending money, you are saving money (little by little).

A

A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned

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21
Q

A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words.

A

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

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22
Q

A task that can be accomplished very easily.

A

A Piece of Cake

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23
Q

A very mild punishment.

A

A Slap on the Wrist

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24
Q

When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others

A

A Taste Of Your Own Medicine

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25
Q

A result that is still unclear and can go either way.

A

A Toss-Up

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26
Q

Add Fuel To The Fire

A

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

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27
Q

Rushed and short on time.

A

Against The Clock

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28
Q

When someone is threatening and/or aggressive but not willing to engage in a fight

A

All Bark And No Bite

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29
Q

Meaningless and incomprehensible like someone who cannot read,
speak, or understand any of the Greek language would be.

A

All Greek to me

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30
Q

When everyone is facing the same challenges

A

All In The Same Boat

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31
Q

Very expensive. A large amount of money

A

An Arm And A Leg

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32
Q

To have a dispute with someone

A

An Axe To Grind

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33
Q

Someone who is cherished above all others

A

Apple of My Eye

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34
Q

Anything that is high up in the sky

A

As High As A Kite

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35
Q

Willing to do something immediately.

A

At The Drop Of A Hat

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36
Q

People who criticize from the sidelines, much like someone giving unwanted advice from the back seat of a vehicle to the driver.

A

Back Seat Driver

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37
Q

Having to start all over again.

A

Back To Square One

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38
Q

When an attempt fails and it’s time to start all over.

A

Back To The Drawing Board

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39
Q

Thirteen.

A

Baker’s Dozen

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40
Q

A mistake made in something you are trying to achiev

A

Barking Up The Wrong Tree

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41
Q

To force an issue that has already ended.

A

Beat A Dead Horse

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42
Q

Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.

A

Beating Around The Bush

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43
Q

Do whatever it takes to help. Willing to do anything.

A

Bend Over Backwards

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44
Q

Stuck between two very bad options

A

Between A Rock And A Hard Place

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45
Q

To take on a task that is way to big

A

Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

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46
Q

To avoid talking

A

Bite Your Tongue

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47
Q

The family bond is closer than anything else.

A

Blood Is Thicker Than Water

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48
Q

A rare event or occurance.

A

Blue Moon

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49
Q

A superstitious way to say ‘good luck’ without saying ‘good luck’, but rather the opposite

A

Break A Leg

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50
Q

To purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems or stops running after you drive it away.

A

Buy A Lemon

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51
Q

Someone who isn’t adequate enough to compete or participate.

A

Can’t Cut The Mustard

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52
Q

Someone who has no problems, complications or ill effects with eating anything or drinking anything.

A

Cast Iron Stomach

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53
Q

Stiffness in the leg / A leg cramp.

A

Charley Horse

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54
Q

Verbally scold someone

A

Chew someone out

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55
Q

Angry today about something that occured in the past.

A

Chip on his Shoulder

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56
Q

To eat.

A

Chow Down

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57
Q

To be very near and almost accomplish a goal, but fall short.

A

Close but no Cigar

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58
Q

An unbelievable tale.

A

Cock and Bull Story

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59
Q

Any difficult situation or obstacle

A

Come Hell Or High Water

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60
Q

To make someone laugh.

A

Crack Someone Up

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61
Q

One who was previously unknown and is now prominent.

A

Dark Horse

62
Q

100% identical. A duplicate.

A

Dead Ringer

63
Q

Someone who takes a position for the sake of argument without believing in that particular side of the arguement. It can also mean
one who presents a counter argument for a position they do believe in, to another debater

A

Devil’s Advocate

64
Q

The hottest days of the summer season.

A

Dog Days of Summer

65
Q

Don’t rely on it until your sure of it.

A

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch

66
Q

When someone gives you a gift, don’t be ungrateful.

A

Don’t Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth

67
Q

Do not put all your resources in one possibility.

A

Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Basket

68
Q

Something outstanding.

A

Doozy

69
Q

Something that ends at the last minute or last few seconds

A

Down To The Wire

70
Q

When you are extremely desperate you need to take extremely desperate actions.

A

Drastic Times Call For Drastic Measures

71
Q

To drink very heavily.

A

Drink like a fish

72
Q

To irritate and/or annoy very much.

A

Drive someone up the wall

73
Q

A large number of people either falling ill or dying.

A

Dropping Like Flies

74
Q

Rehearsal.

A

Dry Run

75
Q

A certain item is no longer available. Or this idiom can also mean, to throw away.

A

Eighty Six

76
Q

The show has come to an end. It’s all over.

A

Elvis has left the building

77
Q

Killing of a certain ethnic or religious group on a massive scale.

A

Ethnic Cleansing

78
Q

Be optomistic, even difficult times will lead to better days

A

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining

79
Q

Almost everything and anything has been included

A

Everything But The Kitchen Sink

80
Q

Please forgive me for cussing

A

Excuse my French

81
Q

An aggressive attack on someone by a group

A

Feeding Frenzy

82
Q

An enjoyable day or circumstance

A

Field Day

83
Q

To become more comfortable in whatever you are doing

A

Finding Your Feet

84
Q

A very tasty food or meal.

A

Finger lickin’ good

85
Q

Not willing or wanting to change from your normal way of doing something

A

Fixed In Your Ways

86
Q

Something that shows potential or looks promising in the beginning but fails to deliver anything in the end.

A

Flash In The Pan

87
Q

A swap meet. A place where people gather to buy and sell inexpensive goods.

A

Flea Market

88
Q

This idiom can mean living material of which people are made of, or it can refer to anything in the end.

A

Flesh and Blood

89
Q

To raise your middle finger at someone.

A

Flip The Bird

90
Q

To be enraged and show it.

A

Foam at the Mouth

91
Q

Iron pyrites, a worthless rock that resembles real gold.

A

Fools’ Gold

92
Q

An open mouth kiss where tongues touch.

A

French Kiss

93
Q

To go from being very poor to being very wealthy.

A

From Rags To Riches

94
Q

An old-fashioned and foolish type of person

A

Fuddy-duddy

95
Q

A mental institutional facility.

A

Funny Farm

96
Q

To become serious about something.

A

Get Down to Brass Tacks

97
Q

To move beyond something that is bothering you

A

Get Over It

98
Q

Someone who is having a horrible day

A

Get Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed

99
Q

Get fired from a job

A

Get Your Walking Papers

100
Q

To get away from. To escape.

A

Give Him The Slip

101
Q

To be received badly by an audience.

A

Go Down Like A Lead Balloon

102
Q

To gamble everything you have

A

Go For Broke

103
Q

Put yourself in a tough position in order to support someone/something

A

Go Out On A Limb

104
Q

Going above and beyond whatever is required for the task at hand.

A

Go The Extra Mile

105
Q

Someone who helps others when they are in need, with no discussion for compensation, and no thought of a reward

A

Good Samaritan

106
Q

Working hours from about 12:00 am to 8:00 am. The time of the day when most other people are sleeping

A

Graveyard Shift

107
Q

Intelligent people think like each other

A

Great Minds Think Alike

108
Q

The waiting room, especially for those who are about to go on a tv or radio show

A

Green Room

109
Q

A personal intuition you get, especially when feel something may not be right.

A

Gut Feeling

110
Q

Quickly doing things results in a poor ending.

A

Haste Makes Waste

111
Q

To have a dispute with someone.

A

Have an Axe to Grind

112
Q

Angry and overcome by emotions.

A

He Lost His Head

113
Q

Very excited and/or joyful, especially when in love

A

Head Over Heels

114
Q

Deteriorating and headed for complete disaster.

A

Hell in a Handbasket

115
Q

Slapping palms above each others heads as celebration gesture.

A

High Five

116
Q

Living in Luxury

A

High on the Hog

117
Q

To study, especially for a test or exam.

A

Hit The Books

118
Q

Go to bed or go to sleep.

A

Hit The Hay / Hit The Sack

119
Q

Do something exactly right or say something exactly right.

A

Hit The Nail on the Head

120
Q

Be patient.

A

Hold Your Horses

121
Q

In general, a term used in magic or trickery

A

Hocus Pocus

122
Q

When you already have it good and get something on top of what you already have

A

Icing On The Cake

123
Q

You are more likely to get in trouble if you have nothing to do.

A

Idle Hands Are The Devil’s Tools

124
Q

To be easily successful, especially when sexual or romantic.

A

In Like Flynn

125
Q

To have something secured.

A

In The Bag

126
Q

Nude

A

In The Buff

127
Q

Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment

A

In The Heat Of The Moment

128
Q

An aggressive and bold confrontation.

A

In Your Face

129
Q

A two person conflict where both people are at fault

A

It Takes Two To Tango

130
Q

You frequently see the same people in different places

A

It’s A Small World

131
Q

A competition where the outcome is difficult to judge or predict.

A

Its Anyone’s Call

132
Q

Crossing the street (from the middle) without using the crosswalk.

A

Jaywalk

133
Q

Tricking me

A

Joshing Me

134
Q

You should carefully watch him

A

Keep An Eye On Him

135
Q

To earn a sufficient amount of money in order to keep yourself alive .

A

Keep body and soul together

136
Q

To remain joyful in a tough situation

A

Keep your chin up

137
Q

Die

A

Kick The Bucket

138
Q

To understand the details.

A

Know the Ropes

139
Q

To share a secret that wasn’t suppose to be shared.

A

Let The Cat Out Of The Bag

140
Q

To act in a frenzied manne

A

Like a chicken with its head cut off

141
Q

To state a fact so there are no doubts or objections.

A

Make No Bones About

142
Q

Strange or crazy actions that appear meaningless but in the
end are done for a good reason

A

Method To My Madness

143
Q

Getting a bad start on a relationship or task

A

Off On The Wrong Foot

144
Q

No longer have to deal with a tough situation.

A

Off The Hook

145
Q

Something said in confidence that the one speaking doesn’t
want attributed to him/her

A

Off the Record

146
Q

Anxious or nervous, especially in anticipation of something.

A

On Pins And Needles

147
Q

Undecided

A

On The Fence

148
Q

Something that suddenly and unexpectedly occurs.

A

Out Of The Blue

149
Q

To listen very carefully

A

Pick up your ears

150
Q

To stop something. To bring something to an end.

A

Pull the plug

151
Q

To tell noisy person or a group to be quiet.

A

Put a sock in it

152
Q

to have just enough money to pay for the things that you need = llegar a fin de mes

A

make ends meet

C1 (19 decks)

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