Idioms 251-300

Question 1

to feel at home # You’ll feel at home. # We’ll make her feel at home.

Question 2

nice/sweet OF you # That’s really nice of you, Howard. # It would be nice of you to mention that.

Question 3

[kind | sort] of #—Is he your boyfriend? —[Kind | Sort] of. It’s complicated.

Question 4

to be on the same page # Now we are on the same page. # We all need to be on the same page before we try to present this complex idea to the boss. # We’re not on the same page. Listen carefully to what I am telling you.

Question 5

starting (tomorrow, next week…)

Question 6

to have too many/other irons in the fire # I can’t take on any more work. I’ve already got too many irons in the fire.

Question 7

It is what it is. # —I can’t believe the price of petrol! —It is what it is. # The client changed the deadline to today? Well, it is what it is.

Question 8

It’s on the tip of my tongue!

Question 9

to be a drama queen # She’s such a drama queen - she’s always crying for no reason.

Question 10

to take sth with a pinch of salt # You have to take everything she says with a pinch of salt, because she tends to exaggerate.

Question 11

(come) rain or shine # Come rain or shine, I’ll see you on Thursday. # Don’t worry. We’ll be there – rain or shine.

Question 12

bed of roses # You didn’t think your new job in construction was going to be a bed of roses, did you? # Who said life would be a bed of roses?

Question 13

to keep your word # You didn’t keep your word! # Don’t be childish and keep your word.

Question 14

to lose track, to lose the thread # What he was saying was so complicated that I lost track after the first couple of sentences.

Question 15

to [cut | make] a long story short # Anyway, to cut a long story short, I decided to kill myself.

Question 16

to take great pains # The boy took great pains to solve the quiz. # Obviously she took great pains to hide that paper.

Question 17

to [drive | make] sb crazy # it’s enough to drive you crazy. (=Es para volverse loco)

Question 18

in one ear and out the other # If I have to listen to something I don’t understand, it just goes in one ear and out the other. # My instructions to my kids are often in one ear and out the other, especially if they have their phone in front of them. # I told them they’d want that on their honeymoon, but in one ear and out the other.

Question 19

to be bone idle # He never does any exercise. He’s bone idle. # Jake does nothing around the house. He’s bone idle!

Question 20

to take a nosey # I’ll take a nosey.

Question 21

all over the place; left, right and center # He got angry and started punching all over the place, not caring who he hit.

Question 22

It’s for your own good.

Question 23

woe /wəʊ/ betide /bɪˈtaɪd/ # Woe betide you if you’re late to work tomorrow. # Woe betide Karen if she forgets my birthday again.

Question 24

on top of that, to [cap | top] it all # What a day! First I woke up late, then the hot water heater burst, and on top of that, I got a flat tire. # While I was arguing with my brother, I had left the tap running and it flooded the bathroom, then to top it all I slipped on the wet floor and hit my head.

Question 25

not lift a finger # They wouldn’t lift a finger to help us. # The house was falling into ruin, but he wouldn’t lift a finger to repair it.

Question 26

in good time # You’ll see her in good time.

Question 27

with (one’s) eyes (wide) open # I went into the job with my eyes (wide) open, fully knowing what it would involve. # This is highly relevant to this problem, which we must look at seriously and with our eyes wide open.

Question 28

fast asleep # The baby seemed to be fast asleep. # Tu familia está sana y salva, profundamente dormida.

Question 29

at once, right away # I’ll ring him at once. # I saw at once those horses were Italian. # You must go after her at once. # When Beth saw how ill her son was, she called the health centre at once. # He wants to see you right away. # I knew right away she was dead.

Question 30

at that time # There were no schools for the deaf at that time. # I was an engineer’s assistant at that time.

Question 31

on the right path # We are on the right path, although, as has been said, today nothing is enough. # My wife and my daughter keep me on the right path.

Question 32

I don’t mind.

Question 33

the fun [bit | part] # The fun bit was getting out of the water. It was an adventure. # Now… now, here comes the fun part for me.

Question 34

to spoil the fun # I didn’t want to spoil the fun. # Well, not to spoil the fun… but the last train has already left.

Question 35

on the one hand… but on the other hand… # On the one hand I’d like a job that pays more, but on the other hand I enjoy the work I’m doing at the moment.

Question 36

for no apparent reason # The person may become dizzy for no apparent reason.

Question 37

as far as I know # As far as I know, the bank approved the loan. # The boss is in his office, as far as I know.

Question 38

as far as I’m concerned # As far as I’m concerned, I never want to eat another fried alligator steak.

Question 39

somehow or other # I’m afraid that somehow or other we spoiled the kids. # Somehow or other, we managed to get all of the boxes into the car.

Question 40

to make do (with sth) # We don’t have much, but we’ll make do. # You’ll have to make do with what you can carry with you. # Can you make do with $5 for now and I’ll give you the rest tomorrow? # There wasn’t much food, but we made do.

Question 41

on the dot # It’s 5 o’clock on the dot. # They appeared on the dot of 9.50 pm as always.

Question 42

out of curiosity # I’m watching it out of curiosity. # I know it’s not very appropriate to ask a woman this, but just out of curiosity, how old are you? # Just out of curiosity sir, are you in the entertainment industry?

Question 43

million-to-one chance # That’s a million-to-one chance.

Question 44

to [go | do sth] by the book # My lawyer always goes strictly by the book. # This is a private deal - we don’t have to do everything by the book. # I have to go by the book.

Question 45

to go through hell # All of you seem to have gone through hell making this record. # I think he’s going through hell. # For two years you put us through hell, Alex.

Question 46

to blow (one’s) own trumpet # I don’t mean to blow my own trumpet, but this pasta sauce I made is quite delicious! # John is blowing his own trumpet again, he is telling everyone he is the best sales manager of our Company. # The three candidates exchanged insults and blew their own trumpets yesterday.

Question 47

hands up who # Hands up who expected that. # Hands up who wants them to go.

Question 48

for a moment # I almost believed you for a moment then! # For a moment I thought you [‘d lost your way | got lost].

Question 49

[Hold on | Wait] until the end!

Question 50

to start from scratch # You have to start from scratch. # I built every bit of my own house. I started from scratch and did everything with my own hands.