Idioms & Phrases Flashcards
Pell-mell
in hurried disorder
in a confused, rushed, or disorderly manner.
“they rushed pell-mell up the hill”
To have one’s heart in one’s boots
To be deeply depressed
to give one’ ears
to make almost any sacrifice
To play second fiddle
to support the role and view of another person
have a subordinate role to someone or something; be treated as less important than someone or something.
“the storyline plays second fiddle to the action”
Go out on a limb
PUt oneself in an isolated or disadvantageous position
Alpha & Omega
the beginning and the end
Ante-diluvium
old time
To play truant
to run away from work without permission
To see red
to be very angry
to flog a dead horse
to do thing in vain
To make a clean breast of
to tell truth about something
Confess fully
This expression, first recorded in 1752, uses clean breasts in the sense of baring of one’s heart, the breast long considered the seat of private or secret feelings.
A man of straw
a man of no or little substance
To meet someone halfway
to compromise with someone
sang froid
composure or coolness was shown in danger or under trying circumstances.
She exhibited remarkably sang froid during the crisis.
To mince words
to talk in an indirect way
To die in harness
die while in penury
a bread and butter letter is
a letter to thank a host
as the crow flies
in a straight line
“Easingwold was 22 miles away as the crow flies”
Cool as cucumber
Not nervous or emotional
She walked in as cool as a cucumber as if nothing had happened.
Ran in the same groove
moved in harmony
to blaze a trail
to be hopeful
Find a new path or method; begin a new undertaking.
For example, His research blazed a trail for new kinds of gene therapy
a snake in the grass
a secret or hidden enemy
have too many irons in the fire
to be engaged in too many activities:
“Gomez turned down the consulting job; he felt that he already had too many irons in the fire.”
feathering his own nest
To look after one’s own interests, especially material ones:
“The director was supposed to distribute the money to various charities; instead, he used it to feather his own nest.”
in the blues
depressed
ride the high horse
To feel proud.
Usage: She is riding the high horse because of her father’s recent success in the business
gall and wormwood
Strong feelings of bitterness and resentment.
(“Gall” is bile and “wormwood” is a bitter plant.)
“Ever since I lost the election for school president, I only feel gall and wormwood when I think of my unworthy opponent.”
Mayhem
mayhem refers to the gruesome crime of deliberately causing an injury that permanently disfigures another.
The name derives via Middle English from the Anglo-French verb Manheimer (“to maim”) and is probably of Germanic origin;
our own verb “to maim” comes from the same ancestor.
hit it off right away
get along very well
to hold something in leash
to restrain
John Doe refers to
an unidentified male
to be tight-fisted
to be frugal and not spend money
He is sticking out for better terms
he persists in demanding
to be led by the nose
to follow submissively
up to the eye
completely
for loaves and fishes
for material benefits
had to pay through nose
pay an extremely high price
to give the game away
to reveal the secret
to cool one’s heel
to wait and rest for some time
gift of gab
gift of being a good conversationalist
to smell a rat
to suspect a trick
pandora’s box
it contains all gifts
to beat the air
to act foolishly
to show the white feathers
behave in a cowardly fashion.
“he showed the white feather and ordered a general retreat”
to wangle over an ass’s shadow
to quarrel over trifles
to set people by ears
to fight with people
to cause (someone, generally a group of two or more people) to engage in a squabble, dispute, or altercation.
The entire town was set by the ears when it was announced that a giant megastore would be replacing many of its local shops and grocery marts.
to give up the ghost
to expire or die,
or in the case of a mechanical object,
to stop working.
The phrase give up the ghost may be traced back to the King James Bible, printed in the early 1600s.
to blow the shield
divulge a secret
not to care a hoot
free minded
To not care in the slightest (about something or someone); to attach no importance to someone or something.
I don’t care a hoot about making money, I just want to do something with my life that makes life better for others.
to cool one’s heel
Wait or be kept waiting,
as in
I’ve been cooling my heels in the doctor’s waiting room for at least an hour.
This term originally meant to cool one’s feet when they become hot from walking and began to be used ironically for being forced to rest (or wait) in the early 1600s.
to bite one’s lips
to be angry
repress an emotion; stifle laughter or repress a retort.
“she bit her lip to stop the rush of bitter words”
to knuckle under
submit to someone else’s authority.
to mince words
to talk in an indirect way
to give the devil his due
to acknowledge the merit of even a notorious person
to die in harness
die before retirement.
to blow the gaff
divulge a secret
to drink like a fish
to be a drunkard
A nail in someone’s coffin
something bad that contributes towards failures
by hook or by crook
in whatever way one can
a fair crack of the whip
to get a fair chance
They might have succeeded if they’d been given a fair crack of the whip.
a feather in one’s cap
an achievement to be proud of.
“beating him would be a feather in my cap”
take up the cudgels
to support somebody
start to defend or support someone or something strongly.
“there was no one else to take up the cudgels on their behalf”
Pie in the sky
event unlikely to happen
used to describe or refer to something that is pleasant to contemplate but is very unlikely to be realized.
“don’t throw away a decent offer in pursuit of pie in the sky”
pack like sardine
to squeeze in as many people or things as possible
if a group of people is packed like sardines, they are standing very close together because there is not enough room in an enclosed space.
We were packed like sardines in the ship and could barely move.
Note: Other words such as crammed, jammed or squashed are sometimes used instead of packed.
to hold a heavy heart
to be weighed down with sorrow
my heart goes out to you
I feel sympathy for you
keep one’s fingers crossed
put one finger across another as a sign of hoping for good luck.
“we will be keeping our fingers crossed that a quick thaw is on its way”
to face the music
to bear the consequences
red-letter day
an important day
at one’s wit’s end
to be puzzled
to cross swords with each other
To quarrel or argue with someone; to have a dispute with someone.
to let the cat out of the bag
reveal a secret carelessly or by mistake.
“now that Viola had let the cat out of the bag, she had no option but to confess”
gift of gab
ability to speak impressively
set the bait
laid the trap
to talk through the back of one’s end
to talk completely absurd
to put paid to something
to stop or destroy something
to have a brush with
to have a slight encounter with
catch-22 situation
A catch-22 is a paradoxical situation from which an individual cannot escape because of contradictory rules or limitations. The term was coined by Joseph Heller, who used it in his 1961 novel Catch-22.
rank and file
the ordinary members of an organization as opposed to its leaders.
“the rank and file of the Labour Party”
a storm in a teacup
Big fuss over the small matter
mean people are very upset or annoyed about something that is not at all important and will soon be forgotten.
throw in towel
acknowledge the defeat
cloak-and-dagger
an activity or operation that involves espionage, mystery or secrecy.
make one’s mark
distinguish oneself
live cheek by jowl
very close to each other.
If you say that people or things are cheek by jowl with each other, you are indicating that they are very close to each other.
“She and her family have to live cheek by jowl with these people.”
