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E2PD_woordenschat > Idioms > Flashcards

Idioms Flashcards

1
Q

read between the lines

A

find or look for a hidden or extra meaning in sth a person says or writes, usu. their real feelings about sth

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2
Q

reach for the stars

A

try to be successful at sth that is difficult

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3
Q

add fuel to the fire

A

do or say sth which makes a difficult situation worse, or makes sb even more angry

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4
Q

shoot the messenger

A

blame the person who gives the news that sth bad has happened instead of the person who is really responsible

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5
Q

miss the mark

A

fail to achieve the result that was intended

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6
Q

take the bull by the horns

A

deal with a difficult or dangerous situation in a direct and brave way

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7
Q

hit the nail on the head

A

describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem

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8
Q

have bigger fish to fry

A

have more important, interesting, or useful things to do

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9
Q

burn the midnight oil

A

work or study until very late at night

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10
Q

bite the bullet

A

force yourself to do something unpleasant or difficult, or to be brave in a difficult situation

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11
Q

throw caution to the winds

A

stop caring about how dangerous sth might be, start taking risks

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12
Q

stay the course

A

continue doing sth until it has finished or been completed

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13
Q

get the show on the road

A

start an activity or a journey, especially one that needs a lot of organization

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14
Q

hit the spot

A

be exactly what is needed

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15
Q

set the scene for sth

A

create the conditions in which sth can eaily happen

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16
Q

keep the wolf from the door

A

make sure you have enough money to pay for the basic things like food, rent, heating etc

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17
Q

jump the gun

A

do sth before the right time

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18
Q

keep your eye on the ball

A

give your attention to what you are doing at the time

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19
Q

pull the plug

A

bring a business project, plan, etc to an end, especially by taking away financial support

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20
Q

cook the books

A

change numbers dihonestly in the accounts of an organization, especially in order to steal money from it

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21
Q

bet the farm

A

risk everything you have on sth

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22
Q

live off the fat of the land

A

have plenty of money to spend on the best food, drink, entertainment, etc

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23
Q

hold the purse strings

A

be the person who controls the amount of money spent and the wa in which it is spent

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24
Q

strike the right note

A

do say or write sth that is suitable for a particular occasion

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25
Q

sort out the sheep from the goats

A

separate the good people from the bad people

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26
Q

press the panic button

A

react in a sudden or an extreme way to sth unexpected that has frightened you

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27
Q

feel the pinch

A

be under pressure bc you don’t have as much money as you had before

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28
Q

learn the ropes

A

learn how to do a particular job, task etc correctly

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29
Q

draw the short straw

A

be the person in a group who is chosen or force to do sth unpleasant that nobody wants to do

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30
Q

paint the town red

A

go to a lot of different bars, clubs, etc and enjoy yourself

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31
Q

bring home the bacon

A

be succesful in sth, be the person who earns money for a family, organization, etc

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32
Q

get the hang of sth

A

learn how to do something, esp. if it is not obvious our simple

33
Q

pull the wool of sb’s eyes

A

deceive sb, hide the truth from sb

34
Q

have a whale of a time

A

enjoy yourself very much

35
Q

turn the clock back

A

return to the past, return to old-fashioned ideas, customs, etc

36
Q

bridge the gap

A

make it easier to move from one thing to another or for two groups to communicate with each other

37
Q

be up in arms

A

protest angrily

38
Q

fight a rearguard action

A

try to stop sth but w/o much hope of success

39
Q

make a last ditch attempt

A

try the last possible solution

40
Q

stick to your guns

A

refuse to change your decision

41
Q

gain ground

A

become more important, progress

42
Q

break ranks

A

disobey orders, fail to co-operate

43
Q

on your watch

A

during a period when you are responsible

44
Q

catch someone off guard

A

surprise someone

45
Q

be at loggerheads with sb

A

have aconflict with sb

46
Q

burn your bridges

A

make decisions that cannot be changed

47
Q

take something on board

A

accept sth, such as a piece of advice

48
Q

a close call

A

an accident prevented at the last moment

49
Q

a loose cannon

A

an unpredictable, dangerous person

50
Q

steer clear of sb

A

avoid meeting sb

51
Q

clear the decks

A

finish earlier jobs so a new one can be started

52
Q

to be in the doldrums

A

not make any progress

53
Q

to be left high and dry

A

to be in a comfortable situation

54
Q

in the wake of someting

A

after or as the result of a big event

55
Q

on an even keel

A

calm an d not likely to change suddenly

56
Q

to get into gear

A

start working effectively

57
Q

be in the fast lane

A

experience lots of action and excitement

58
Q

middle of the road

A

not extreme, ordinary

59
Q

go into overdrive

A

begin to work extremely fast

60
Q

be in the driving seat

A

be in charge

61
Q

take a back seat

A

let other people take action

62
Q

be on the skids

A

be in trouble, in decline

63
Q

go belly up

A

go bankrupt

64
Q

bone of contention

A

point of disagreement

65
Q

carrot and stick method

A

using rewards and penalties

66
Q

ruffle sb’s feathers

A

make sb feel annoyed

67
Q

bite the hand that feeds you

A

be ungrateful

68
Q

call somebody to heel

A

make someone obey

69
Q

go for the jugular

A

attack in order to cause great damage

70
Q

to be out on a limb

A

be in a risky situation

71
Q

the pecking order

A

the hierarchy of an organisation

72
Q

take centre stage

A

become the most important person

73
Q

set the stage for sth

A

prepare for sth

74
Q

jump on the bandwagon

A

join a movement bc it is fashionable

75
Q

strike a chord

A

cause an emotional response

76
Q

play second fiddle to sb

A

be less important than sb else

77
Q

face the music

A

accept responsibility for what you’ve done

78
Q

call the tune

A

be in charge

79
Q

walk a tightrope

A

be in a delicate position

E2PD_woordenschat (11 decks)

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