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word meanings > IDIOMS AND PHRASES > Flashcards

IDIOMS AND PHRASES Flashcards

1
Q

Decked up

A

put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive

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2
Q

Doing the rounds

A

to be passed from one person to another

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3
Q

Between the cup and the lips

A

On the point of achievement

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4
Q

A damp squib

A

Complete failure

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5
Q

Put off

A

an evasive reply, to delay doing something, especially because you do not want to do it

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6
Q

A dime a dozen

A

Anything that is common and easy to get

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7
Q

Cast iron stomach

A

Someone who has no problems, complications or ill effects with eating anything

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8
Q

Takes a beating

A

to be damaged because of performing badly or being criticized

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9
Q

A mare’s nest

A

A false invention

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10
Q

A chip on your shoulder

A

Being upset for something that happened in the past

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11
Q

A toss-up

A

A result that is still unclear and can go either way

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12
Q

An iron hand

A

By force

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13
Q

A taste of your own medicine

A

When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others

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14
Q

At the drop of a hat

A

Willing to do something immediately

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15
Q

A man of straw

A

A weak person

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16
Q

Bite your tongue

A

To avoid talking

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17
Q

At sixes and seven

A

Persons who are having different opinions

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18
Q

Bite off more than you can chew

A

to take on a task that is way too big to handle

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19
Q

Can’t cut the mustard

A

Someone who isn’t adequate enough to compete or participate

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20
Q

Call a spade a spade

A

Straight talks

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21
Q

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch

A

Don’t rely on it until you sure of it

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22
Q

Dog days of summer

A

The hottest day of the summer season

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23
Q

Ever and anon

A

Now and then, occasionally

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24
Q

Field day

A

An enjoyable day or circumstance

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25
Q

Bits and Pieces

A

small things of different types

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26
Q

Kick the bucket

A

Die

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27
Q

Know the ropes

A

To understand the details

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28
Q

Latin and Greek

A

Unable to understand

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29
Q

Like a chicken with its head cut off

A

To act in a frenzied manner, crazily

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30
Q

A piece of cake

A

Something that is easy to understand or do

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31
Q

Beat around the bush

A

To avoid the main topic

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32
Q

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch

A

Don’t plan anything that depends on a good thing you expect to happen in the future

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33
Q

Cry over spilt milk

A

To complain about a loss in the past

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34
Q

Feel a bit under the weather

A

Feeling slightly ill

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34
Q

Every cloud has a silver lining

A

Every bad situation has some good aspect

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35
Q

Get out of hand

A

To lose control

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36
Q

Hit the nail on the head

A

Do or say something exactly right

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37
Q

In the heat of the moment

A

Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment

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38
Q

Jump on the bandwagon

A

Join a popular activity

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39
Q

Make a long story short

A

Tell something briefly

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39
Q

Keep something at bay

A

Keep something away

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39
Q

Lose one’s touch

A

Not be able to do something as well as before

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40
Q

No pain, no gain

A

You can’t achieve anything without effort

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41
Q

Out of the blue

A

Unexpectedly

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42
Q

Put something on ice

A

Postpone something for later

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43
Q

Queer the pitch

A

Spoil a plan

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44
Q

Rain on someone’s parade

A

Ruin someone’s plans or mood

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45
Q

Spill the beans

A

Reveal secret information

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46
Q

Take with a grain of salt

A

Not to take something too seriously

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47
Q

Up in arms

A

Very angry

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48
Q

Vanish into thin air

A

Disappear completely

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49
Q

Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve

A

Show one’s emotions openly

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50
Q

X marks the spot

A

Used to indicate a precise location

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51
Q

You can’t judge a book by its cover

A

Don’t judge someone or something by appearance alone

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52
Q

Zero in on

A

Focus closely on

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53
Q

Break a leg

A

Good luck

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54
Q

Cool as a cucumber

A

Very calm and composed

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55
Q

Down in the dumps

A

Feeling depressed

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56
Q

Elephant in the room

A

An obvious problem that people avoid discussing

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57
Q

Fit as a fiddle

A

In good health

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58
Q

Go the extra mile

A

Make more effort than is expected of you

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59
Q

Hit the books

A

Start studying seriously

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60
Q

In a pickle

A

In a difficult situation

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61
Q

Just what the doctor ordered

A

Exactly what was needed

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62
Q

A fair crack of the whip

A

The same chance as other people to do something

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63
Q

To hold something in leash

A

To restrain

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64
Q

To play fast and loose

A

To hurt somebody’s feelings/ to trick them

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65
Q

All agog

A

Restless

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66
Q

To give uo the ghost

A

to die

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67
Q

To snap one’s fingers

A

To be anxious

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68
Q

A pipe dream

A

An impractical dream

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69
Q

To stand to one’s guns

A

To perseverance when hardships press

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70
Q

To loose one’s head

A

To become confused and over excited

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71
Q

Rank and file

A

Ordinary People

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72
Q

By fits and starts

A

In short periods, not regularly

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73
Q

A wee bit

A

A little

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74
Q

Out of the wood

A

Free from difficulties and dangers

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75
Q

Under his thumb

A

Under his control

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76
Q

At one’s wits end

A

In a state where one does not know what to do

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77
Q

Between the devil and the deep sea

A

Between two dangers

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78
Q

Burn the midnight oil

A

Work or study hard

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79
Q

Call a spade a spade

A

Speak frankly and directly

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80
Q

Come off with flying colors

A

Be highly successful

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81
Q

Hoping against hope

A

Without hope

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82
Q

Hit the nail on the head

A

Do or say the exact thing

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83
Q

An axe to grind

A

Have a selfish reason or a strong opinion that influences your actions

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84
Q

To get rid of

A

Dispose of

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85
Q

At daggers drawn

A

they are having an argument and are still very angry with each other.

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86
Q

To play ducks and drakes

A

To act foolishly or inconsistently

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87
Q

To take the bull by the horns

A

To tackle a problem in a bold and direct fashion

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88
Q

To move heaven and earth

A

To make a supreme effort

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89
Q

No avail

A

Without any result

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90
Q

Bark up the wrong tree

A

Accuse or denounce the wrong person

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91
Q

Keep one at bay

A

Keep one at a distance

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92
Q

Make a clean breast of it

A

Confess – especially when a person has done a wrong thing

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93
Q

Have a card up one’s sleeve

A

Have a secret plan in reserve

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94
Q

Like a cat on hot bricks

A

Very nervous

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95
Q

Cat and dog life

A

Life full of quarrels

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96
Q

Cock and bull story

A

Made up story that one should not believe

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97
Q

Cry for the moon

A

Ask for the impossible

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98
Q

Be in a tight corner

A

In a very difficult situation

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99
Q

Cross one’s t’s and dot

A

pay attention to every detail in a task

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100
Q

At arm’s length

A

To keep at a distance

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101
Q

Out of the question

A

Impossible

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102
Q

Show a clean pair of heals

A

Run away

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103
Q

In the nick of time

A

Just at the last moment

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104
Q

Sitting on the fence

A

Hesitate between two decisions

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105
Q

Spread like wild fire

A

Spread quickly

106
Q

The gift of the gab

A

Talent for speaking

107
Q

By hook or by crook

A

By fair or foul means

108
Q

Feather one’s own nest

A

Make money unfairly

109
Q

Throw out of gear

A

Disturb the work

110
Q

Take to one’s heels

A

Run away

111
Q

Tooth and nail

A

With all one’s power

112
Q

Die in harness

A

Die while in service

113
Q

Take a leaf out of one’s book

A

Imitate one

114
Q

Leave no stone unturned

A

Use all available means

115
Q

A man of straw

A

Someone who has a weak character

116
Q

Read between the lines

A

Understand the hidden meaning

116
Q

In cold blood

A

Deliberately and without emotion

117
Q

A thorn in the flesh

A

A constant source of annoyance

118
Q

Smell a rat

A

Suspect something foul

119
Q

Harp on the same string

A

Dwell on the same subject

120
Q

Bury the hatchet

A

End the quarrel and make peace

121
Q

Leave one in the lurch

A

Desert one in difficulties; leave one in a helpless condition

122
Q

Like a fish out of water

A

In a strange situation

123
Q

At one’s beck and call

A

Under his control

124
Q

To make both ends meet

A

To live within one’s income

125
Q

In hot water

A

In trouble

126
Q

Nip in the bud

A

Destroy in the early stage

127
Q

Stick to one’s guns

A

Remain faithful to the cause

128
Q

To eat humble pie

A

To apologize humbly and to yield under humiliating circumstances

129
Q

In high spirits

A

Very happy

130
Q

Put the cart before the horse

A

Put or do things in the wrong order

131
Q

A fair Crack of the whip

A

The same chance as other people to do something

132
Q

To wrangle over an ass’s shadow

A

To quarrels over trifles

133
Q

To play fast and loose

A

To hurt somebody’s feelings/ To play tricks

134
Q

All agog

A

Restless

135
Q

To give up the ghost

A

To die

136
Q

To snap one’s fingers

A

To be anxious

137
Q

A pipe dream

A

An impractical plan

138
Q

To stand to one’s guns

A

To perseverance when hardships press

139
Q

To loose one’s head

A

To become confused and over excited

140
Q

By the skin of one’s teeth

A

Only just, by a very narrow margin

141
Q

To throw one’s glove

A

To give a challenge

142
Q

To be in abeyance

A

In suspense

143
Q

A chip off the old block

A

Characteristics of one’s ancestors

144
Q

To take people by storm

A

To quickly become popular or successful

145
Q

To throw up the sponge

A

To surrender or give up the contest

146
Q

Harp on

A

To keep on talking

147
Q

To catch somebody on the hop

A

To catch somebody of guard

148
Q

To bring one’s egg to a bad market

A

To fail in one’s plan because one goes to the wrong people for help

149
Q

To get cold feet

A

To be afraid

150
Q

To take a leap in the dark

A

To do a hazardous thing without any idea of the result

151
Q

To give/get the bird

A

To send away

152
Q

To be at daggers dawn

A

To be bitter enemy

153
Q

To save one’s face

A

To evade disgrace

154
Q

To split hours

A

To make or focus on trivial or petty details

155
Q

To get into scrape

A

To find oneself in an awkward predicament

156
Q

To fly off the handle

A

To lose one’s temper

157
Q

From stem to stern

A

From the front to the back especially of a ship

158
Q

Bone of contention

A

Cause of disagreement

159
Q

To be hard up

A

To be short of money

160
Q

Ended in smoke

A
161
Q

To pick holes

A

To criticize

162
Q

White elephant

A

Anything whose cost is greater than benefits

163
Q

In a pickle

A

Facing difficulties

164
Q

At sixes and sevens

A

Confusion

165
Q

Ran in the same groove

A

Being in harmony

166
Q

Face the music

A

To be punished for something you had done wrong

167
Q

To drive home

A

Make clear by special emphasis

168
Q

An arm and leg

A

Very costly

169
Q

Drive it home

A

Try to convince somebody of something

170
Q

Smell a rat

A

Suspect or doubt

171
Q

Buried in hatchet

A

Make peace

172
Q

Carrot and stick

A

Offer of a reward and threat of a punishment

173
Q

Uncharted waters

A

Something that a person has never tried before

174
Q

In deep waters

A

In a difficult situation

175
Q

In deep waters

A

In a difficult situation

176
Q

A doodle

A

A very easy task

177
Q

In the fast lane

A

In a way that is exciting but is slightly dangerous

178
Q

Gift of the gab

A

Ability to speak easily and confidently in a way that makes people want to listen and believe in.you

179
Q

Tooth and nail

A

Power and vigour

180
Q

Airs and grace

A

Affectation of superiority or pride

181
Q

Get face

A

Gain prestige or respect

182
Q

Get face

A

Gain prestige or respect

183
Q

Be on the same wave length

A

When 2 people think in a similar way and understand each other

184
Q

Align with someone

A

Agree with someone and work with them or support their ideas

185
Q

Play with ear

A

Do something without special prep

186
Q

Meet halfway

A

Make a compromise with someone

187
Q

Run a tight ship

A

Be very strict in managing an organization or operation

188
Q

Talk at cross purposes

A

Talk in a way that causes confusion or failure

189
Q

At the eleventh hour

A

When you complete something at the very last minute

190
Q

In the blues

A

Very depressed

191
Q

Above the salt

A

Of high standing or honor

192
Q

Knuckle down

A

Work really hard

193
Q

Knuckle down

A

Work really hard

194
Q

Get your fingers burnt

A

To suffer unpleasant results of an action, especially loss of money

195
Q

Get your fingers burnt

A

To suffer unpleasant results of an action, especially loss of money

196
Q

A month of sundays

A

Used to emphasize that something will never happen

197
Q

Taking the bull by the horns

A

To face a difficult situation directly

198
Q

Wild goose chase

A

Foolish and Hopeless search for or pursuit of something unattainable

199
Q

Silver bullet

A

Simple solution to a complicated problem

200
Q

Drum up

A

Create interest or support

201
Q

Drum up

A

Create interest or support

202
Q

Drum out

A

Expell or dismiss

203
Q

Drum on

A

Continue talking tediously

204
Q

Drum on

A

Continue talking tediously

205
Q

Weather the storm

A

Survive or endure through a difficult period

206
Q

Weather the storm

A

Survive or endure through a difficult period

207
Q

Miss the boat

A

Missing an opportunity

208
Q

Rock the boat

A

Cause trouble or disturb a stable situation

209
Q

Swim with the sharks

A

Dealing with dangerous or ruthless people

210
Q

Cut corners

A

Do something the easiest/cheapest/fastest way

211
Q

Kick the bucket

A

To die

212
Q

Break the ice

A

Initiate conversation to relieve tension

213
Q

Stand by you

A

Support or help someone who is in a difficult situation

214
Q

Stand with you

A

Join someone in a joint venture ir mission

215
Q

Double edged sword

A

Something that has both advantages and disadvantages

216
Q

Phase out

A

Gradually stop using something

217
Q

Phase up

A

To move a participant from one phase of a program to the next

218
Q

Phase in

A

Introduce something gradually

219
Q

Pick up on

A

To notice or become aware of

220
Q

Pick on

A

Critize or bully

221
Q

Pick out

A

Select something

222
Q

Pick at

A

Repeatedly criticize or complain

223
Q

Over a barrel

A

Feel helpless/ difficult situation

224
Q

In the pink

A

In good health/ condition

225
Q

A storm in a teacup

A

Make a big deal out of something small

226
Q

A drop in the bucket

A

A very small part of something much larger ormore important

227
Q

A slap in the face

A

An action that insults or offends someone

228
Q

A wolf in a sheep’s clothing

A

Someone who pretends to be friendly or harmless but us actually hostile

229
Q

A penny for your thoughts

A

An invitation to share one’s thoughts or concerns

230
Q

Sit on the fence

A

Avoiding choosing sides in a dispute

231
Q

A cog in the wheel

A

Someone or something that is small, or insignificant, part of a larger operation or system.

232
Q

A thorn in the side

A

A constant source or annoyance

233
Q

A spoke in the wheel

A

Similar to cog in the wheel

234
Q

Phase out

A

Gradually stop using something

235
Q

Phase in

A

Introduce something gradually

236
Q

Work up

A

Gradually develop

237
Q

Work in

A

Include or incorporate

238
Q

Beat the air

A

Futile ( incapable of producing any result) action

239
Q

Beat the drum

A

Promoting something enthusiastically

240
Q

Pie in the sky

A

Promises or goals that are unrealistic or unachievable

241
Q

Pulling strings

A

Use one’s influence to achieve something

242
Q

Pulling strings

A

Use one’s influence to achieve something

243
Q

Barking up the wrong tree

A

Pursue the wrong course of action

244
Q

Burning the candle at both ends

A

To overwork oneself

245
Q

Make off

A

Leave somewhere in hurry

246
Q

Make of

A

Understand or have an opinion

247
Q

Take against

A

Dislike

248
Q

Stands his grounds

A

Refuse to change one’s opinion

249
Q

Storm in the cup

A

Excitement over trivial thing

250
Q

A political football

A

A problem that politicians from different parties argue about and try to use in order to get an advantage for themselves

251
Q

Fall into someone’s lap

A

Someone receives or achieves something without working for it

252
Q

Get into gear

A

Start something in an effective way

253
Q

Strike a chord

A

When you cause someone to feel emotion, empathy, or enthusiasm

254
Q

As hard as nails

A

Physical toughness and not the determination

255
Q

As tough as nails

A

Very tough or determined

256
Q

Pulled off

A

Achieve success against all odds

257
Q

Bailed on

A

Abandon or leave someone or something unexpectedly

258
Q

Pulled the plug on

A

Deliberately halt or stop a project or effort

259
Q

Drag his feet

A

Delay or procrastinate

260
Q

Pull his legs

A

Joke or tease someone

261
Q

Act on

A

Take action against something

262
Q

Act out

A

Perform a scene from an act or play

263
Q

Act on

A

Act decisively on the basis of information received or deduced

264
Q

Act up

A

Misbehave

265
Q

Act up to

A

Equal in action

word meanings (4 decks)

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