Idioms Flashcards
Go to your head
If success goes to your head, it makes you think that you are better or more important than you really are
•winning the championship made him arrogant; the success really went to his head
Have your wits about you
Be able to think quickly and make sensible decisions
•you need to have your wits about you when negotiating a business deal
In the dark (about)
Not knowing very much about something, because other people are keeping it secret from you
Know what’s what
Know the important facts about a situation
•she has been in the industry for years, so she definitely knows what’s what
Not have a leg to stand on
Not have any way of proving that you are right about something
•without any evidence, his argument doesn’t have a leg to stand on
Not see the wood for the trees
Someone cannot understand what is important in a situation because they are thinking too much about small details
•he was so focused on minor details that he couldn’t see the wood for the trees
Put two and two together
Guess what is happening or what something means based on what you have seen or heard
•When she saw him with a suitcase, she put two and two together and realized he was leaving
Quick/slow on the uptake
Guess what is happening or what something means based on what you have seen or heard
•he understood the concept immediately; he’s really quick on the uptake
Ring a bell
•Her name rings a bell
Round the bend
Crazy
•I‘ll go round the bend soon
Split hairs
Argue or worry about very small feta or differences that are not important
Take stock (of)
Spend some time thinking about the situation you are in before you decide what to do next
•After the hectic week, she took a moment to take stock of her progress
