idioms Flashcards
If two people or groups are …, they disagree strongly about something.
at loggerheads
When a family’s at loggerheads, no one agrees with each other, and everyone has strong opinions
thinking that you are more important or more intelligent than you really are
big-headed
She’s so bigheaded!
unhappy and having no hope, especially because of a disappointment or failure
down-hearted
впавший духом
you are feeling very depressed and miserable
down in the dumps
She’s feeling a bit down in the dumps and needs cheering up.
annoyed and unhappy about something
browned off
ситий по горло, розгніваний, бути не в дусі
Mr Gently told me you’re browned off
the confidence that some people get from drinking alcohol before they do something that needs courage
Dutch courage
“I’ll have a couple of drinks to give me Dutch courage”
to make yourself rich, esp. by taking unfair advantage of others
to feather one’s nest
He used the classified information to feather his own nest.
to suddenly become very angry
to fly off the handle
You have to be very careful because he flies off the handle very easily
old; advanced in age
getting on in years
Although she’s getting on in years, she still looks young.
to get very angry about something or lose control of yourself
to go off the deep end
The students were behaving themselves at the party, but then a couple of kids started to go off the deep end.
very frightening, shocking
hair-raising
She told us a hair-raising story about suddenly meeting a bear on her camping trip.
to want to talk to someone because you are annoyed about something they have done
to have a bone to pick with someone
I have a bone to pick with you, Wallace; I heard how you criticized me at the meeting last night.”
to be very excited or nervous about something anticipated
to have one’s heart in one’s mouth
My heart was in my mouth when I opened the letter.
to be worrying about something
to have something on one’s mind
Paul has a lot on his mind at the moment.
feel ill, no in good health
feel under the weather
to speak angrily to someone because they have done something wrong
to have words
avoid getting into difficulties; used especially to talk about business.
to keep one’s head above water
The business is in trouble, but we are just about keeping our heads above water.
very excited or nervous, usually before an important event
keyed up
He always gets keyed up about tests.
to be old, often too old to do something
long in the tooth
He’s a little long in the tooth to be wearing shorts, don’t you think?
not in good health; looking or feeling ill slightly
off colour
If you do something …, you do it with a very small amount of money:
on a shoestring
worried or nervous about something that is going to happen
on tenterhooks
We were on tenterhooks all morning waiting for the phone to ring.
to be slightly ill or slightly unhappy
out of sorts
Peter overslept this morning and has been out of sorts all day.
no longer still active and in good health; after the best, most successful, most productive stage
past one’s prime
The dog was past his prime.
to make someone feel worried about their situation
to put the wind up someone
Tell them your father’s a policeman - that’ll put the wind up them!
hallucinations arising especially from heavy drinking or use of narcotics
to see pink elephants
to become very angry
to see red
People who don’t finish a job really make me see red.
too proud and considering yourself to be very important
stuck-up
slightly drunk
tipsy
Auntie Pat is getting a little tipsy again.
behaving as if you are more important or more clever than you really are
too big for one’s boots
He’s been getting a bit too big for his boots since he got that promotion.
the personal characteristic of being too proud of and interested in yourself, esp. in your appearance or achievements
vanity
the state of being too proud of yourself and your actions
conceit
