IDIOMS AND PHRASES Flashcards
Decked up
put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive
Doing the rounds
to be passed from one person to another
Between the cup and the lips
On the point of achievement
A damp squib
Complete failure
Put off
an evasive reply, to delay doing something, especially because you do not want to do it
A dime a dozen
Anything that is common and easy to get
Cast iron stomach
Someone who has no problems, complications or ill effects with eating anything
Takes a beating
to be damaged because of performing badly or being criticized
A mare’s nest
A false invention
A chip on your shoulder
Being upset for something that happened in the past
A toss-up
A result that is still unclear and can go either way
An iron hand
By force
A taste of your own medicine
When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others
At the drop of a hat
Willing to do something immediately
A man of straw
A weak person
Bite your tongue
To avoid talking
At sixes and seven
Persons who are having different opinions
Bite off more than you can chew
to take on a task that is way too big to handle
Can’t cut the mustard
Someone who isn’t adequate enough to compete or participate
Call a spade a spade
Straight talks
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
Don’t rely on it until you sure of it
Dog days of summer
The hottest day of the summer season
Ever and anon
Now and then, occasionally
Field day
An enjoyable day or circumstance
Bits and Pieces
small things of different types
Kick the bucket
Die
Know the ropes
To understand the details
Latin and Greek
Unable to understand
Like a chicken with its head cut off
To act in a frenzied manner, crazily
A piece of cake
Something that is easy to understand or do
Beat around the bush
To avoid the main topic
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
Don’t plan anything that depends on a good thing you expect to happen in the future
Cry over spilt milk
To complain about a loss in the past
Feel a bit under the weather
Feeling slightly ill
Every cloud has a silver lining
Every bad situation has some good aspect
Get out of hand
To lose control
Hit the nail on the head
Do or say something exactly right
In the heat of the moment
Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment
Jump on the bandwagon
Join a popular activity
Make a long story short
Tell something briefly
Keep something at bay
Keep something away
Lose one’s touch
Not be able to do something as well as before
No pain, no gain
You can’t achieve anything without effort
Out of the blue
Unexpectedly
Put something on ice
Postpone something for later
Queer the pitch
Spoil a plan
Rain on someone’s parade
Ruin someone’s plans or mood
Spill the beans
Reveal secret information
Take with a grain of salt
Not to take something too seriously
Up in arms
Very angry
Vanish into thin air
Disappear completely
Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve
Show one’s emotions openly
X marks the spot
Used to indicate a precise location
You can’t judge a book by its cover
Don’t judge someone or something by appearance alone
Zero in on
Focus closely on
Break a leg
Good luck
Cool as a cucumber
Very calm and composed
Down in the dumps
Feeling depressed
Elephant in the room
An obvious problem that people avoid discussing
Fit as a fiddle
In good health
Go the extra mile
Make more effort than is expected of you
Hit the books
Start studying seriously
In a pickle
In a difficult situation
Just what the doctor ordered
Exactly what was needed
A fair crack of the whip
The same chance as other people to do something
To hold something in leash
To restrain
To play fast and loose
To hurt somebody’s feelings/ to trick them
All agog
Restless
To give uo the ghost
to die
To snap one’s fingers
To be anxious
A pipe dream
An impractical dream
To stand to one’s guns
To perseverance when hardships press
To loose one’s head
To become confused and over excited
Rank and file
Ordinary People
By fits and starts
In short periods, not regularly
A wee bit
A little
Out of the wood
Free from difficulties and dangers
Under his thumb
Under his control
At one’s wits end
In a state where one does not know what to do
Between the devil and the deep sea
Between two dangers
Burn the midnight oil
Work or study hard
Call a spade a spade
Speak frankly and directly
Come off with flying colors
Be highly successful
Hoping against hope
Without hope
Hit the nail on the head
Do or say the exact thing
An axe to grind
Have a selfish reason or a strong opinion that influences your actions
To get rid of
Dispose of
At daggers drawn
they are having an argument and are still very angry with each other.
To play ducks and drakes
To act foolishly or inconsistently
To take the bull by the horns
To tackle a problem in a bold and direct fashion
To move heaven and earth
To make a supreme effort
No avail
Without any result
Bark up the wrong tree
Accuse or denounce the wrong person
Keep one at bay
Keep one at a distance
Make a clean breast of it
Confess – especially when a person has done a wrong thing
Have a card up one’s sleeve
Have a secret plan in reserve
Like a cat on hot bricks
Very nervous
Cat and dog life
Life full of quarrels
Cock and bull story
Made up story that one should not believe
Cry for the moon
Ask for the impossible
Be in a tight corner
In a very difficult situation
Cross one’s t’s and dot
pay attention to every detail in a task
At arm’s length
To keep at a distance
Out of the question
Impossible
Show a clean pair of heals
Run away
In the nick of time
Just at the last moment
Sitting on the fence
Hesitate between two decisions
Spread like wild fire
Spread quickly
The gift of the gab
Talent for speaking
By hook or by crook
By fair or foul means
Feather one’s own nest
Make money unfairly
Throw out of gear
Disturb the work
Take to one’s heels
Run away
Tooth and nail
With all one’s power
Die in harness
Die while in service
Take a leaf out of one’s book
Imitate one
Leave no stone unturned
Use all available means
A man of straw
Someone who has a weak character
Read between the lines
Understand the hidden meaning
In cold blood
Deliberately and without emotion
A thorn in the flesh
A constant source of annoyance
Smell a rat
Suspect something foul
Harp on the same string
Dwell on the same subject
Bury the hatchet
End the quarrel and make peace
Leave one in the lurch
Desert one in difficulties; leave one in a helpless condition
Like a fish out of water
In a strange situation
At one’s beck and call
Under his control
To make both ends meet
To live within one’s income
In hot water
In trouble
Nip in the bud
Destroy in the early stage
Stick to one’s guns
Remain faithful to the cause
To eat humble pie
To apologize humbly and to yield under humiliating circumstances
In high spirits
Very happy
Put the cart before the horse
Put or do things in the wrong order
A fair Crack of the whip
The same chance as other people to do something
To wrangle over an ass’s shadow
To quarrels over trifles
To play fast and loose
To hurt somebody’s feelings/ To play tricks
All agog
Restless
To give up the ghost
To die
To snap one’s fingers
To be anxious
A pipe dream
An impractical plan
To stand to one’s guns
To perseverance when hardships press
To loose one’s head
To become confused and over excited
By the skin of one’s teeth
Only just, by a very narrow margin
To throw one’s glove
To give a challenge
To be in abeyance
In suspense
A chip off the old block
Characteristics of one’s ancestors
To take people by storm
To quickly become popular or successful
To throw up the sponge
To surrender or give up the contest
Harp on
To keep on talking
To catch somebody on the hop
To catch somebody of guard
To bring one’s egg to a bad market
To fail in one’s plan because one goes to the wrong people for help
To get cold feet
To be afraid
To take a leap in the dark
To do a hazardous thing without any idea of the result
To give/get the bird
To send away
To be at daggers dawn
To be bitter enemy
To save one’s face
To evade disgrace
To split hours
To make or focus on trivial or petty details
To get into scrape
To find oneself in an awkward predicament
To fly off the handle
To lose one’s temper
From stem to stern
From the front to the back especially of a ship
Bone of contention
Cause of disagreement
To be hard up
To be short of money
Ended in smoke
To pick holes
To criticize
White elephant
Anything whose cost is greater than benefits
In a pickle
Facing difficulties
At sixes and sevens
Confusion
Ran in the same groove
Being in harmony
Face the music
To be punished for something you had done wrong
To drive home
Make clear by special emphasis
An arm and leg
Very costly
Drive it home
Try to convince somebody of something
Smell a rat
Suspect or doubt
Buried in hatchet
Make peace
Carrot and stick
Offer of a reward and threat of a punishment
Uncharted waters
Something that a person has never tried before
In deep waters
In a difficult situation
In deep waters
In a difficult situation
A doodle
A very easy task
In the fast lane
In a way that is exciting but is slightly dangerous
Gift of the gab
Ability to speak easily and confidently in a way that makes people want to listen and believe in.you
Tooth and nail
Power and vigour
Airs and grace
Affectation of superiority or pride
Get face
Gain prestige or respect
Get face
Gain prestige or respect
Be on the same wave length
When 2 people think in a similar way and understand each other
Align with someone
Agree with someone and work with them or support their ideas
Play with ear
Do something without special prep
Meet halfway
Make a compromise with someone
Run a tight ship
Be very strict in managing an organization or operation
Talk at cross purposes
Talk in a way that causes confusion or failure
At the eleventh hour
When you complete something at the very last minute
In the blues
Very depressed
Above the salt
Of high standing or honor
Knuckle down
Work really hard
Knuckle down
Work really hard
Get your fingers burnt
To suffer unpleasant results of an action, especially loss of money
Get your fingers burnt
To suffer unpleasant results of an action, especially loss of money
A month of sundays
Used to emphasize that something will never happen
Taking the bull by the horns
To face a difficult situation directly
Wild goose chase
Foolish and Hopeless search for or pursuit of something unattainable
Silver bullet
Simple solution to a complicated problem
Drum up
Create interest or support
Drum up
Create interest or support
Drum out
Expell or dismiss
Drum on
Continue talking tediously
Drum on
Continue talking tediously
Weather the storm
Survive or endure through a difficult period
Weather the storm
Survive or endure through a difficult period
Miss the boat
Missing an opportunity
Rock the boat
Cause trouble or disturb a stable situation
Swim with the sharks
Dealing with dangerous or ruthless people
Cut corners
Do something the easiest/cheapest/fastest way
Kick the bucket
To die
Break the ice
Initiate conversation to relieve tension
Stand by you
Support or help someone who is in a difficult situation
Stand with you
Join someone in a joint venture ir mission
Double edged sword
Something that has both advantages and disadvantages
Phase out
Gradually stop using something
Phase up
To move a participant from one phase of a program to the next
Phase in
Introduce something gradually
Pick up on
To notice or become aware of
Pick on
Critize or bully
Pick out
Select something
Pick at
Repeatedly criticize or complain
Over a barrel
Feel helpless/ difficult situation
In the pink
In good health/ condition
A storm in a teacup
Make a big deal out of something small
A drop in the bucket
A very small part of something much larger ormore important
A slap in the face
An action that insults or offends someone
A wolf in a sheep’s clothing
Someone who pretends to be friendly or harmless but us actually hostile
A penny for your thoughts
An invitation to share one’s thoughts or concerns
Sit on the fence
Avoiding choosing sides in a dispute
A cog in the wheel
Someone or something that is small, or insignificant, part of a larger operation or system.
A thorn in the side
A constant source or annoyance
A spoke in the wheel
Similar to cog in the wheel
Phase out
Gradually stop using something
Phase in
Introduce something gradually
Work up
Gradually develop
Work in
Include or incorporate
Beat the air
Futile ( incapable of producing any result) action
Beat the drum
Promoting something enthusiastically
Pie in the sky
Promises or goals that are unrealistic or unachievable
Pulling strings
Use one’s influence to achieve something
Pulling strings
Use one’s influence to achieve something
Barking up the wrong tree
Pursue the wrong course of action
Burning the candle at both ends
To overwork oneself
Make off
Leave somewhere in hurry
Make of
Understand or have an opinion
Take against
Dislike
Stands his grounds
Refuse to change one’s opinion
Storm in the cup
Excitement over trivial thing
A political football
A problem that politicians from different parties argue about and try to use in order to get an advantage for themselves
Fall into someone’s lap
Someone receives or achieves something without working for it
Get into gear
Start something in an effective way
Strike a chord
When you cause someone to feel emotion, empathy, or enthusiasm
As hard as nails
Physical toughness and not the determination
As tough as nails
Very tough or determined
Pulled off
Achieve success against all odds
Bailed on
Abandon or leave someone or something unexpectedly
Pulled the plug on
Deliberately halt or stop a project or effort
Drag his feet
Delay or procrastinate
Pull his legs
Joke or tease someone
Act on
Take action against something
Act out
Perform a scene from an act or play
Act on
Act decisively on the basis of information received or deduced
Act up
Misbehave
Act up to
Equal in action
