idioms Flashcards
pick out
select
call on
visit
drop in on
visit
so far
until now
as of yet
until now-
look up
search for info in directory,dictionary
wait on
serve in the restaurant
Young clerk … me in the restaurant.
put away
remove smth
take out
remove smth -
look out
be careful
watch out
be careful-
get back
return
Mr.Samers got back from trip to London
get over
recover from illness
It took just one day to get over my cold.Now I feel really better.
make up one’s mind
reach a decision
for the time being
temporarily
For the time being,Janet is working as a secretary.
for good
permanently,forever
Matt has returned to Belarus for good.He doesn’t want to live abroad whatsoever.
call off
cancel
The referee called off the game because of darkness.
in a rush
in a hurry
She ‘s always in a rush in the morning to get her children to school.
get along with
to associate or work well with
Tom isn’t getting along with his new roommate.
get on with
to associate or work well with
How are you getting on with your students?
feel under the weather
catch cold
Jim caught a cold recently and feels under the weather now.
hang up
put the clothes on a hook/hanger
hang up
stop the conversation on a telephone
few and far between
unusual,rare
Airplane flights are very safe and crashes are a few and far between.
look over
check over
Before going to school you ‘d look over your homework.
have time off
have free time
Everyday workers have time off for dinner.
all along
all the time
She knew all along that our plan would not work out.
right away
immediately
Siona will be ready right away.
would rather
prefer to
Would you rather go to ski or skating.
call it a day/night
stop working at a day/night
point out
show,indicate
The teacher pointed out my mistakes.
take turns
change one by one
Children decided to take turns while playing video game.
brush up on smth
review smth after a period of time
Jim decided to brush up on Spanish,because he didn’t speak it for years.
back and forth
in a backward and forward motion
The lion kept racing back and forth while hunting.
quite a few
a few
Quite a few students were absent yesterday.
now and then
sometimes
I don’t see him very often,but now and then we arrange to have lunch together.
once in a while
sometimes
Gary gets a cold once in a while even though he takes good care of himself.
every so often
sometimes
Every so often my brother and I get together for a camping trip.
every other
every second
Every other Friday we play football with my friends.
keep out
not allow to enter
Please,keep your dog out.
keep away
stay at a distance
Please,keep children away from the street.
find fault with
criticize
Mr.Jones is finding a fault with the work of others.
ill at ease
feel uncomfortable
Speaking in front of the audience makes many people to feel ill at ease.
look into
investigate
The police is looking into the matter of stolen articles.
take hold of
grasp
The blind man took hold of my arm while crossing the road.
keep track of
remember the location;keep a record
I don’t know how Jim keeps track of all his seven children.
be/get carried away
being affected by ..
Jim got carried away with a fear when he crossed the road.
They were carried away by sad movie.
catch fire
begin to burn
Don’t stay near the stove,you clothes may catch fire.
stands to reason
clear;logical
It stands to reason that man was poor.
once in a blue moon
rare
Once in a blue moon my wife and I visited expensive restaurant.
cut and dried
predictable,boring
The results of national elections were cut and dried.
once and for all
finally
I told him once and for all that I’ll be alone.
come true
become reality
Everything he had predicted come true.
out of touch
without contact
Mary and I have been out of touch for years.
on one’s toes
be alert
You’d better stay on your toes,while driving so recklessly.
hard of hearing
deaf.
I guess,he’s hard of hearing,because he doesn’t respond while I’m talking to him.
above all
mainly
Above all,don’t mention this problem to Gary.
to be bound to
to be sure.
We are bound to be late if you make it so slowly.
to try out
to test
You have to try out this computer in case of some problems.
tear down
to destroy
The excavator tore down the old building of hotel.
tear up
to rip into small pieces
Our director tore up the contract yesterday.
at heart
truly,basically
John is being rude with me,but at heart he’s a kind person.
tell apart
to distinguish
We have twins in our village,but parents only can tell them apart.
in the way
to obstruct;to block
We drove fast until big truck appeared in our way.
put up
to accept unwillingly
The employee was fired ,because our boss couldn’t put up with his mistakes.
day in and day out
constantly,continually
It was raining in April,day in and day out.
catch up with
to reach the equal requirement
First we need to catch up with them and only then to keep up with them.
hold still
not to move
Please,hold still while I’m adjusting your tie.
know by sight
to recognize
The woman said that she’d know the thief by sight if she met him.
by far
clearly
Jack is by far the greatest poet in our school.
no wonder
not surprisingly
Jack was abroad last week.No wonder we haven’t seen him.
take apart
disassemble
In order to fix the engine,an engineer too the engine apart.
put together
assemble
Only one person has put the details together the machine work.
take by surprise
surprise
The offer at the entrance of the shop took me by surprise.
name after
to name someone by the name of another person
They named their daughter after their grandmother.
stop by
visit or stay somewhere shortly
We’d stop by the supermarket to buy some apples.
drop (someone) a line
to write a note
Please,drop me a line when reach a continent.
stand a chance of …ing
The city’s football team stands a chance of winning annual competition.
take pains
work carefully
Jim takes pains to do very well;he’s the best employee.
look on
to watch as a spectator
I stood and looked on as the police arrested a criminal.
look up to
to respect greatly
The children look up to their parents day in and day out.
look down on
feel superior to
Why does Lisa look down on Mario?
pull off
to succeed in smth difficult
The managers pulled off a big deal by buying shares of another company.
make do
manage; cope
She has to make do with what she has now,because of the financial difficulties in the world.
go in for
have an interest;sport or hobby
Jim goes in for tennis while his wife goes for painting.
stay in
stay at home
On a rainy day I prefer to stay in and read.
knock out
make unconscious; impress greatly
Linda’s beautiful appearance knocked me out.
On last competition boxer showed the best knockout in boxing history.
knock oneself out
work very hard to do smth
Don’t knock yourself out while practicing.
carry out
to accomplish;execute
It’s easy to write a plan, but hard to carry it out.
set out
start traveling towards a place
We set out for the top of the mountain at dawn.
give and take
cooperation
Give and take is an important element of successful marriage.
drop out of
stop attending
Some students drop out of school during teenage years to find a job.
cheer up
make happier
We all tried to cheer up the little boy ,who was brought up in orphanage,by buying some ice cream for him.
get away
to get free;escape
No one knew how to arrest the criminal,who wanted to get away from the police.
get away with
avoid punishment for
Jonathan tried to get away with coming late to work;someday he’ll be penalized.
keep up
prevent from sleeping;continue maintaining
Please,turn down the TV volume,you’re keeping up the children.
keep up with
have current knowledge of
Jane keeps up with world affairs by reading a magazine.
stand out
to be easily noticed
Red hair of Jane makes her stand out from others in the group.
let on
reveal or tell what you know;hint
They asked me not to let on to John that we’re planning to organize a big party for him.
meet (someone) halfway
to compromise with someone
Steve wanted 4600,but John offered 4000.They met each other halfway and agreed on 4200.
check up on
to examine smth to determine the conditions
The government always checks up on working conditions at some companies.
come about
happen
The flood came about as a result of torrential rains.
bring about
cause to happen
Annual torrential rains bring about serious flooding.
die down
lessen in strength
The hurricane became less serious when the wind died down.
die out
not exist any more
Scientists still unsure why the dinosaurs died out.
live up to
fulfill (the standards)
It was clear that a man couldn’t live up to her family’s standards.
stick it to
to cheat
Don’t believe that salesman,he’ll stick it to you at the first opportunity.
stand up for
support;defend
Tom stood up for his friend ,when he faced a problem with a bully.
take on
hire
Our factory is going to take a lot of new employees on this year.
take down
wright what is said
The secretary took down everything that was said at the meeting.
fall through
not to succeed
Our plan to go to Europe this year fell through as we couldn’t collect enough money.
give in
surrender
Completely surrounded by our soldiers,the enemy finally gave in.
give off
release
When water boils,it gives off steam.
hold a grudge against
The teacher holds a grudge against a bully in the class.
to have it out with
to quarrel with
I’m going to have it out with Jack about all the times that he has told us lie.
hold out
endure
If our supply of food and water holds out, we plan to camp here for another week.
hold over
to extent;to keep for a longer time
Let’s hold discussion of this problem of this problem over until our next meeting.
let up
to lessen in intensity
If the rain lets up soon,we go out.
lay off
to fire
If business continue to be slow ,our company lays off some workers.
bring out
to show; introduce
Automobile companies bring out new models each year.
wait up for
to wait until late at night without going to bed.
Don’t wait up for me.I’ll be late.
break off
to terminate;discontinue
During the war countries break off diplomatic relationships.
wear off
disappear gradually
I have a headache.It’ll wear off after an hour or so.
wear down
become worn gradually through use
If you drag your feel while you walk,you’ll wear down your shoes quickly.
touch and go
risky;uncertain until the end
The complicated medical operation was touch and go for several hours.
have one’s heart to set on
to desire greatly
She has her heart to set on going abroad.
buy up
to buy all the stock of goods,products
Before the hurricane struck,residents bought up all the food and water in the store.
buy out
purchase a business or company
Large companies often buy out small ,which are having financial difficulties.
sell out
sell all items
The store is closing its doors for good and is selling out everything this weekend.
cut out for
to have the necessary skills or talent
John is not cut out for the work he has currently.
be up to smth
to be doing smth
Hi,Jack.I haven’t seen you in a long time.What have you been up to?
go through
to undergo
I can’t believe that she went through to get that job.
go without saying that
be known without the need to mention
It goes without saying that you’d drive slower here.
put smone on
to joke with someone
Don’t worry.I wouldn’t expect you to do all that work by yourself.I’m just putting you on.
keep one’s head
to be calm in a case of emergency
When the heater caused a fire,Jill kept her head and phoned 911.
lose one’s head
not to think clearly;lose self-control
When Jim saw a goat in the center of New York he lost his head and crushed into the signal light pole.
stand up
to withstand use or wear
My old car has stood up well over the years.I haven’t had any major problems with it.
get the better of
win or defeat by gaining advantage over smone
Jim doesn’t seem to be very athletic at tennis,but if you’re not careful,he’ll get the better of you.
break loose
become free or loose;escape
During the race one contestant broke the loose from the pack of racers and finished the line.
on edge
nervous;anxious;upset;irritable
Day in and day out Sara was on edge,because of her family problems.
waste someone’s breath
not able to convince someone
Don’t argue with Frank any longer.You’re wasting your breath trying to change his view.
cut short
make shorter
The moderator asked speaker to cut his speech short ,because they were out of time.
step in
become involved or concerned about smth
When children started to fight on a playground,the teacher stepped in and stopped the fight.
step down
retire;resign
Next May the principal will step down after thirty years of service to the school.
step on
treat severely;discipline
Sometimes it’s necessary to step on children in case to rear good personalities.
more or less
approximate;same size
Our rooms more or less have the same size.
screw up
confuse;cause problems in
The streets’ numbers can screw up anyone.
Instead of fixing television,the technician screwed it up even more.
goof up
perform badly
I really goofed up on the exam,I feel it.
go off the deep end
become angry and do smth hastily
When she asked him for divorce,he went off the deep end and starter to shout.
loose one’s touch
fail at what one used to do well
I played tennis very well,but today I lost.I must have lost my touch.
in hand
under firm control
While driving the driver had the car in hand.
on hand
available
I constantly keep some extra money on hand in case of emergency.
kick the habit
stop a bad habit
Once a child becomes accustomed to chewing his nails,it’s difficult kick the habit.
cover up
hide,conceal
Factory workers decided to cover up a crime.
go through channels
send a request through the normal way
If you go through proper channels in this company,it’s hard to get anything done quickly.
last straw
the final event in a series of unacceptable actions.
When my friend didn’t return money to me,it was the final straw.
make sone tick
motivate someone
It’s been impossible to figure out what makes the boss tick.
bow out
stop doing regular activity
She bowed out as a registrar at the school.
pin smth on
find smone guilty of a crime or offence
The attorney tried to pin the crime on the husband,but he wasn’t guilty.
get a rise out of
provoke an angry response
You can put me on all the time,but you won’t get a rise out of me.
stick around
to remain at the same place;wait
John had to stick around the house all day until furniture was delivered.
pick up the tab
to pay the cost or bill for another person
My friend moved to London and his company picks up the tab.
went to town
do smth enthusiastically
Chris really went to town on his project.
let slide
neglect a duty;ignore a situation
John had to pay the bill for electricity,but he let it slide.
live it up
spend money freely
After receiving a inheritance,I lived it up for years.
liven up
energize;make more active
Many people have to drink coffee to liven up themselves.
take at one’s word
to accept what one’s telling;believe
You should be careful about taking her at her word.She ‘s been known to be a liar.
serve the purpose
be useful
I’m not sure whether screw driver can open this can,but the knife will serve the purpose.
lose one’s cool
be angry
Despite having some accidents on the way,the couch didn’t lose his cool.
leave open
delay making a decision
The managers of the festival left the date open until the beginning of August.
miss the boat
lose an opportunity
The gold market went good during last year,but John lost the boat by investing into China.
throw someone a curve
to introduce an unexpected topic;to embarrass The first week in class was going well until one student threw a teacher a curve by suggesting that the text book was difficult.
make waves
create disturbances,usually by complaining.
In the companies employees who make waves are not welcomed.
not on your life
no way
You ask me to invest in that second rate company?Not on your life!
cover a lot of/too little ground
discuss much material
During the lecture our teacher covered too little ground.
mind the store
be responsible for an office while others are gone.
While many employees went for lunch,Sue was minding the store.
throw the book at
to penalize someone;be harsh on
My boss threw the book at me when he discovered that I had used the company’s time for my own advantage.
put one’s foot in one’s mouth
to say or do the wrong thing
Fred really put his foot in his mouth when he called his boss by the wrong name.
be up for grabs
become available to others
When senator retired ,his seat was up for grabs.
show off
to show in order to attract attention
She has a tendency to show her possessions off.
learn the ropes
become familiar with routine procedures at work /school
She didn’t know he duty,but she had an ability to learn the ropes quickly.
to land on one’s feet
recover safely from unpleasant situation
After serious difficulties James landed on his feet quickly.
be a far cry from
be very different from
I like Seattle,but it’s a far cry from my ideal destination.
get out from under
recover own financial situation
After years of financial difficulties,a couple got out from under the debt.
give someone a big hand
to applause
When the vocalist sung,the audience gave him a big hand.
goof off
waste time
When our boss is away,all employees goof off.
talk back
to answer in a rude manner
If you talk back to me like that once more,you’re going to lose the best friend.
get out of line
disobey or ignore normal procedures
Any employee, who get out of line, is punished.
keep after
remind constantly,nag
Jim is so forgetful,so it’s necessary to keep after him.
play by ear
play music once heard,but never read
That pianist can play most popular music by ear.She never needs to read it.
