Idioms Flashcards
according to Hoyle
With strict adherence to a set of rules, fairly and honorably
ad absurdum
An argument where one seeks to prove a position by pointing out the absurdity of an opponent’s position, or an argument carried to such lengths that it becomes ridiculous
ad hominem
an argument where one relies on personal attacks rather than reason or substance
alpha and omega
the beginning and the end, (first and last letter in greek alphabet), also God says “I am Alpha and Omega” in Revelations
And thereby hangs a tale
there’s a real story behind this, from “As You Like It”
annus mirabilis; annus horribilus
miraculous year; terrible year
at loggerheads
engaged in a head-on dispute
at sixes and sevens
in a state of confusion or disorder
bee in one’s bonnet
a chronic preoccupation, often fanciful or eccentric (my cousin has a ____ about the rudeness of local cabdrivers)
bete noire
something or someone a person views with particular dislike (the new candidate is the ____ of all liberals in the state)
beyond the pale
totally unacceptable (his business practices have always been questionable, but this was ____)
bit between one’s teeth
to face up resolutely to a hard task (ralph is having a tough time, but once he takes the ___ there’s no stopping him)
busman’s holiday
a vacation where a person engages in an activity that is the same or similar to his job (our Spanish professor had a ____ this year; she spent the whole vacation doing research in Spain)
buy a pig in a poke
to buy something sight unseen (the mail-order offer sounded like a bargain, but I didn’t want to ____)
calls the tune
to be in control (the one who pays the piper ____)
carry coals to Newcastle
to do something that is obviously superfluous (Karen wanted to give Dad a magazine, but I said that would be like _____ since he already has fifteen of them already)
carte blanche
to receive the power and authority to do as one wishes
castles in the air
extravagant hopes and plans that will never be carried out (I told him he should stop building ____ and train for a sensible profession)
catch-as-catch-can
a situation where people must improvise or do what they can with limited means (we don’t have enough textbooks for all students, so it’ll be ____)
cause celebre
A cause or issue, generally political, that arouses public opinion (the draft was a ___ in the 1960s)
cheek by jowl
situated side by side or in close contact (the commuters were packed in the subway ___)
chip on one’s shoulder
a belligerent attitude or grievance (Joe really has a ___; every time I say something he takes it the wrong way)
chutzpah
courage bordering on arrogance, nerve (it took a lot of __ to make such a controversial statement)
cock-and-bull story
a story that is false (when John came home at 3 am, he gave his mother some ___ story about having a flat tire)