Idioms and phrasal verbs 3

Question 1

join in and help other people with an activity

Answer 1

pitch in with sb

Question 2

hier is precies een bom ontploft!

Answer 2

to look like a bomb has hit it

Question 3

can’t do sth at all or very badly

Answer 3

can’t do it to save your life

Question 4

buy a large quantity of sth in preparation for an activity

Answer 4

buy sth in

Question 5

similar to sth or in a similar way

Answer 5

along those lines

Question 6

show by expression on your face that you disapprove f sth or are surprised by it

Answer 6

to raise an eyebrow at sth

Question 7

iets is al eens met succes geprobeerd geweest

Answer 7

sth is tried and tested

Question 8

there’s very little space to move around in

Answer 8

there’s no room to swing a cat

Question 9

serve food onto plates for a meal

Answer 9

there’s no room to swing a cat

Question 10

to arrive somewhere, often late or unexpectedly

Answer 10

to roll up

Question 11

make yourself feel very tired

Answer 11

wear yourself out

Question 12

it tipped down

Answer 12

it rained a lot

Question 13

drijfnat worden

Answer 13

to be soaked to the skin

Question 14

it didn’t rain (although it looked like it would)

Answer 14

the rain held off

Question 15

feeling anxious or under pressure

Answer 15

all hot and bothered

Question 16

be very nervous

Answer 16

be a bundle of nerves

Question 17

stop being unhappy/upset

Answer 17

snap out of it

Question 18

uit uw schulp komen

Answer 18

come out of your shell

Question 19

be likely to happen

Answer 19

to be on the cards

Question 20

ask sb to marry you

Answer 20

pop the question

Question 21

clothes made to a standard size and not specifically for you

Answer 21

clothes that are off the peg

Question 22

to cost a great deal of money

Answer 22

to break the bank

Question 23

it happened and nothing went wrong

Answer 23

it went off without a hitch

Question 24

toasten

Answer 24

to propose a toast to sb/raise your glass to sb

Question 25

overmeesteren

Answer 25

to get the better of sb

Question 26

to speak in a very sincere way

Answer 26

to speak from the bottom of your heart

Question 27

in a very positive way

Answer 27

in glowing terms

Question 28

vol lof over iemand spreken

Answer 28

to sing sb’s praises

Question 29

de kers op de taart

Answer 29

the icing on the cake

Question 30

niet verplicht zijn iets te doen

Answer 30

to be under no obligation to do sth

Question 31

used to say you wouldn’t do a particular thing or go to a particular place because it would be embarrassing

Answer 31

I wouldn’t be seen dead…

Question 32

de grote sprong wagen

Answer 32

to take the plunge

Question 33

being in a group makes you safer or makes you feel more confident

Answer 33

there’s safety in numbers

Question 34

have a lot of fun

Answer 34

to have a whale of a time

Question 35

to look good/attractive

Answer 35

to look a million dollars

Question 36

to be nearly 40 years old

Answer 36

to push 40

Question 37

sth makes you look older

Answer 37

sth puts years on you

Question 38

sth makes you look younger

Answer 38

sth takes years off you

Question 39

blij zijn als iemand weg gaat

Answer 39

to be glad you see the back of sb

Question 40

vel over been zijn

Answer 40

to be all skin and bones

Question 41

to be in healthy physical condition

Answer 41

to keep in trim

Question 42

op de bank zitten (sport)

Answer 42

to be on the bench

Question 43

gokken

Answer 43

to gamble on sth

Question 44

to treat sb as unimportant

Answer 44

to brush sb aside

Question 45

in de running zijn om iets te winnen

Answer 45

to be in contention for sth

Question 46

uitgesteld worden omv reden

Answer 46

to be rained off

Question 47

minder goed dan gewoonlijk

Answer 47

to be below par

Question 48

ongeveer hetzelfde niveau hebben

Answer 48

to be on a par with

Question 49

allow sb to get out of a difficult situation

Answer 49

to let sb off the hook

Question 50

alles uit de kast halen

Answer 50

to go all out for sth

Question 51

near enough to reach or attack /achieve sth

Answer 51

to be within striking distance

Question 52

use all your effort

Answer 52

to dig deep

Question 53

standhouden

Answer 53

to hold your own

Question 54

no longer understand how to deal with sth

Answer 54

to lose the plot

Question 55

to leave a place with new knowledge or ideas etc.

Answer 55

to come away with sth

Question 56

een schouderklopje

Answer 56

a pat on the back

Question 57

to share the same views as sb about sth

Answer 57

to see eye yo eye with sb

Question 58

iemand regelen voor een event

Answer 58

to line sb up

Question 59

cateren

Answer 59

to cater for sb/sth

Question 60

as good as the best

Answer 60

second to none

Question 61

discuss ideas with other people

Answer 61

to bounce ideas off sb

Question 62

spontaan kunnen spreken

Answer 62

to speak off the cuff

Question 63

iets uit het hoofd kennen

Answer 63

to know sth off the top of your head

Question 64

unusual, slightly crazy

Answer 64

off the wall

Question 65

lekken (pers)

Answer 65

to leak out

Question 66

uit proportie trekken

Answer 66

to blow sth out of proportion

Question 67

een bekend persoon, iemand die iedereen kent (bv. Frank Deboosere)

Answer 67

a household name

Question 68

iemand buitenwerken/buitengooien

Answer 68

to stamp sth out

Question 69

hoe sneller hoe beter

Answer 69

the sooner the better

Question 70

suffer the worst part of sth unpleasant

Answer 70

to bear the brunt of sth

Question 71

je gelooft iets niet, maar je kan niet per se zeggen waarom

Answer 71

sth doesn’t ring true

Question 72

alles doen om iets te krijgen

Answer 72

to go to great lengths/any lengths to do sth

Question 73

iets in de doofpot steken

Answer 73

to sweep sth under the carpet

Question 74

bekend raken

Answer 74

to come out into the open/to come to light

Question 75

te ver gaan/een grens overgaan

Answer 75

to overstep the mark

Question 76

people remember the bad things they hear about someone, even if they are later shown to be false

Answer 76

Mud sticks!

Question 77

waar rook is, is vuur

Answer 77

There’s no smoke without fire

Question 78

een winkel overvallen

Answer 78

to hold up a shop

Question 79

in hinderlaag liggen

Answer 79

to lie in wait for sb

Question 80

while being threatened with a gun

Answer 80

at gunpoint

Question 81

steal sth and hurry away with it in order to escape

Answer 81

make off with sth

Question 82

increase the amount or speed of sth

Answer 82

to step sth up

Question 83

repressie van misdaad

Answer 83

a crackdown/to crack down on sth

Question 84

op tijd ingrijpen in een verslechterende situatie

Answer 84

to nip sth in the bud

Question 85

prove that sb did not do sth that they were accused of

Answer 85

to clear sb’s name

Question 86

een wet ofzo strenger maken

Answer 86

to tighten sth up

Question 87

in het offensief gaan

Answer 87

to go on the offensive

Question 88

iemand op het verkeerde pad brengen

Answer 88

to lead sb astray

Question 89

iets uitfaseren

Answer 89

to phase sth out

Question 90

a tip about a crime

Answer 90

a tip-off

Question 91

De zaken gaan goed.

Answer 91

Business is on the up

Question 92

Start behaving in a more moral and responsible way

Answer 92

to clean up your act

Question 93

opkomst

Answer 93

the turnout

Question 94

from all different backgrounds

Answer 94

from all walks of life

Question 95

iemand ter hulp roepen

Answer 95

to call on sb to do sth

Question 96

dichttimmeren

Answer 96

to board sth up

Question 97

de weg vrijmaken

Answer 97

to pave the way for sth

Question 98

iets insluiten

Answer 98

to cordon sth off/fence sb in/hem sb in

Question 99

onder vuur liggen

Answer 99

to come/be under fire

Question 100

fast/slow in reacting to a situation

Answer 100

to be quick/slow off the mark

Question 101

iets verzinnen

Answer 101

to pluck sth out of the air

Question 102

gain a further advantage for yourself from a situation

Answer 102

to capitalise on sth

Question 103

stop a bad situation from getting worse

Answer 103

to stop the rot

Question 104

iets positiever voorstellen dan het is

Answer 104

to talk sth up

Question 105

nek aan nek

Answer 105

neck and neck

Question 106

uw eigen zaakjes in orde maken

Answer 106

to put your house in orde

Question 107

geen centimeter wijken

Answer 107

to not give/budge/move an inch

Question 108

op de kar springen (van de populaire mening)

Answer 108

to jump on the bandwagon

Question 109

to continue for a long time

Answer 109

to run and run

Question 110

dat voorspelt weinig goeds

Answer 110

to bode ill (for)

Question 111

its future is uncertain

Answer 111

sth hangs in the balance

Question 112

to be involved in a dispute or argument to which there is no obvious solution

Answer 112

to be at loggerheads/to be locked in battle/dispute

Question 113

zou je beter niet doen

Answer 113

you can ill afford to do sth

Question 114

a great and urgent need for sth

Answer 114

a crying need for sth

Question 115

heving ideas that are different from other people’s

Answer 115

to be out of step with sb/to be poles apart

Question 116

doorduwen met iets

Answer 116

to press on

Question 117

een compromis sluiten

Answer 117

to meet sb halfway

Question 118

an argument that continues over a long period of time

Answer 118

a running battle

Question 119

stop supporting the group of which you are a member

Answer 119

to break ranks (<-> to close ranks)

Question 120

agree with sb and support them in an argument

Answer 120

to side with sb

Question 121

to be in aposition where people can criticize or blame you

Answer 121

to be in the firing line

Question 122

doorbijten

Answer 122

to bite the bullet

Question 123

continue to have a particular opinion about sth even though others are saying that you are wrong

Answer 123

to stick to your guns

Question 124

een hopeloze zaak

Answer 124

fight a losing battle

Question 125

be involved with two different or opposing groups

Answer 125

to have a foot in both camps

Question 126

to do well in a difficult situation

Answer 126

to rise to the occasion

Question 127

to become so upset or nervous that you cannot do sth as well as you should

Answer 127

to go to pieces

Question 128

beter als uw stoutste dromen

Answer 128

to go beyond your wildest dreams

Question 129

het stijgt hem naar zijn kop

Answer 129

to go to sb’s head

Question 130

not be successful or effective any longer

Answer 130

to fall by the wayside

Question 131

be the thing which makes sb either a great success or a complete failure

Answer 131

to make or break sb/sth

Question 132

iemand valse hoop geven

Answer 132

to buld up sb’s hopes

Question 133

the point at which sth can no longer continue in the same way

Answer 133

to reach the end of the line/road

Question 134

uw uiterste best doen

Answer 134

to try your utmost

Question 135

zijn tol eisen

Answer 135

to take its toll on sb/sth

Question 136

to become confident, healthy, or successful again after having problems

Answer 136

to bounce back from sth

Question 137

a difficulty or disappointment that prevents progress

Answer 137

a setback

Question 138

become very strong and difficult to remove or stop

Answer 138

to take a hold

Question 139

cause a lot of damage, destruction, or confusion

Answer 139

to wreak havoc on sth

Question 140

Ethiopië lijdt onder hevige droogte

Answer 140

Ethiopia in the grip of severe drought

Question 141

collapse and fall

Answer 141

to cave in on sb/sth

Question 142

happen in a way that sb was not expecting and was not prepared for

Answer 142

to catch sb unawares

Question 143

takelen

Answer 143

to tow sth/sb away

Question 144

voor de tijd die komt

Answer 144

for the foreseeable future

Question 145

Het sneeuwt nog altijd veel

Answer 145

Snow is still falling thick and fast.